Please take your seats.

The meeting is about to begin.

Remember to speak into the microphone as this meeting is being recorded for public record.

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We are going on air in five, four, three, two, one.

Good afternoon.

Thank you, everyone, for coming today for our presentations and awards meeting.

We're gonna get started.

Make sure we get through everything.

Thank you, everyone, for coming.

It's always a great day in Miami Beach to uh recognize and honor uh those who uh done so much for our community.

We don't do an invocation for presentations awards, but we're gonna do the Pledge of Allegiance.

And I think the longest standing employee in this room, I believe is Tom Mooney.

I could be wrong, but uh so I guess you wants you want me to lead you in the pledge.

I would yes, okay.

If everybody could stand and face the American flag, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

And uh very apropos, as we just did the pledge this morning, we did a very nice uh presentation on uh Ocean Drive, uh well, on the beach by Ocean Drive and 8th Street.

Um with uh a red, white, and blue America 250.

Uh thank you, Commissioner Fernandez for for bringing that item, and it looks beautiful.

And of course, Eric, you actually had to do the work with your team, so thank you for uh for making it look so nice.

Yes.

Uh we're gonna start with uh PA eight.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

So uh William and your mom and dad and your brother, I'd like you to join us at the podium, please, if you could William, hello.

Hi.

I've known William since he was in first kindergarten at South Point Elementary, and you you your family's a longtime residents of Miami Beach, and so it comes to no surprise to me that you did such a kind and important and frankly a life-saving deed a couple weeks ago when you were fishing uh off the pier.

Would you like to share your story, William, about what happened?

It's really a long story.

But uh yeah, I was just like fishing at a bunch of friends on the uh jetty, and then they left.

And it was I don't know, it's like 7 30, and then there's some other there's uh the life birds are gone and there was nobody in the water because they closed the beach because it was like 10 foot swells.

And then there's this one kid who's just swimming out in the water, and he's really annoying me because he's like right in my spot.

Like, and I was catching a lot of fish.

So it was like a great day.

Uh and then uh I don't know, he just starts like screaming for help, and then I think it's like brother and his brother's friends were like on the rocks too, but I was a part of this one out.

Uh and he starts screaming for help, and I think that he's just trying to get tension and stuff.

So then I'm just getting more annoyed with this kid, and he's just like, why is he screaming?

Uh now he's like, I'm screaming even louder.

I'm like, I'm drowning, I'm drowning.

So then uh I'm just like, oh, maybe maybe there's a problem.

And then his brother like wakes up and then he's like, oh, Junior, like whatever his name was.

Then they start running out in the rocks to try to jump in the water, so then I was like, oh, maybe this kid does need help, and then he like goes under the water for like a second, and then he like pops up like five feet further out than he was like a second ago.

So I go, maybe maybe he's in like a rip current sound.

So then I walk out further on the rocks, and then I jump in the water and I landed on a rock and almost broke my tail.

Uh and then his brother also jumps in the water, and then his brother's friend.

There's like four of them, and then two of them went in the water, and then I grabbed the kid, and then I start walking back in, and he was like a monkey, and he's grabbed on and he wouldn't let go.

But without like the swell, I could touch, and like the water just comes at like my chin, and then I was like hopping back, and then I just handed him off to his brother, and then he's like climbed back on the rocks.

Now that amazing.

So, William, I'm going to read this proclamation for you because it's very important that you understand that you saved a life that day.

You demonstrated remarkable awareness and bravery when you notice a young child caught in the dangerous rip current off of South Beach.

You recognize the urgency of the moment.

You fearlessly leapt from the jetty, roughly 30 yards offshore, placing your own safety aside to reach a child struggling against the rip current, and through exceptional presence in mind of and physical strength, you successfully secured the child and guided them away from the life-threatening waters.

William, your instinctive response in a moment of crisis reflect reflects a deep sense of responsibility and compassion that inspires all of us who call Miami Beach home.

And the courage you displayed serves a powerful reminder that heroes are not defined by age, but by the strength of their character and their willingness to act when others are in need.

And your heroism, maturity, and selfless action not only prevented a tragedy, but also stands as a shiny example of the profound impact one courageous individual can make in the lives of others.

And the city of Miami Beach recognizes that your heroic conduct reflects great credit upon yourself, your family, and the community that you proudly represent, and that your current and humanity stand as an inspiring example to all who call Miami Beach home.

Now, therefore, do we, as mayor and commissioners in the city of Miami Beach, hereby proclaim June 10th, 2026 as William Corso Day in the city of Miami Beach.

Mom, Dad, do you want to say some words?

That is not the story that I heard when he came home that night.

But the story we heard was he told us about all the fish he was catching.

What a great day it was.

And we heard about 30 minutes of that.

And then he's like, Alright, I'm going to bed.

And as he walked up these stairs, he was like, by the way, there was this kid drowning.

I had to jump in and get him.

But it's no big deal.

So that says a lot about who William is, and he does not want or need any of this.

But we are so grateful because you know, teens get a bad rap nowadays.

It's tough being a teen.

And for you guys to recognize, you know, what we already know about our son is such a big deal.

So thank you, commissioners, mayor, everybody here, thank you so much.

I really appreciate it.

And Monica, you know, thank you.

It means a lot to our family.

My pleasure.

If I can comment on one thing you said about the bad rap, we've one of the beauties of doing these presentations and awards is we've had some youngsters.

We have all age ranges, but we've had some youngsters coming here, like your son, incredible.

I'll tell you, just seeing what I've seen, the future is very bright.

Thank you.

Thank you, guys.

Thank you.

I like chairs.

Thank you very much.

That's awesome.

Well, I said we would hear more from Tom Mooney, so let's call it P A4.

PA4's proclamation, Tom Mooney, 33 years of dedicated service.

So Tom, usually when we call you up, it's not a very complex uh zoning issue, and we just literally turned to you.

But this time uh I'll I'll start it off.

Uh it's been uh it's been a pleasure working with you.

I'll tell two quick stories working with you.

One is when I first started, literally when I was elected commissioner, I think my first meeting was on a major issue with the lawyers and outside law firms.

It was a zoning dispute, and and you were in there, and I remember it was a two-hour plus meeting, and I remember you and others were saying, Commissioner, you probably hate this.

This is probably not what you expect.

I'm like, no, this is awesome.

This is great.

Um this is exactly what we need to deal with as as uh legislators and and city policymakers.

The other one is whenever someone would call a resident, a nonprofit, and had a zoning question, because obviously the big the big players are all gonna have their own lawyers, they're gonna know the laws and the rules and the zoning.

They don't need to come to you and ask that.

But a lot of people don't have the access to that.

It's expensive.

And you were always accessible.

I remember one person actually told me, he goes, I think your planning director just saved me tens of thousands of dollars.

Because you were always willing to take the time, explain things, tell people what the law was, and uh and and the zoning laws.

So it's very much appreciated.

And um I have I'll read a little bit from the proclamation, but I wanted to turn it over to you and my colleagues.

33, I I joke around, 33.

We should retire at Jersey with the number 33 on it for uh for you.

Sure.

Uh thank you very much, Mayor.

Um five years ago when I went into the draw program, um, the then director of the retirement system um said to me that it's going to come faster than you think.

And he was right.

It it really did, particularly the last year.

It really came a lot faster than I thought.

And it's very bittersweet.

And uh the main reason it's bittersweet is because uh I really like my job very much, and I like my profession.

Um and a lot of that has to do with um the impact that my parents had on me, my late mom and my dad.

Um and I think my dad might even be able to be watching this on on Zoom.

He couldn't make it up here personally.

But he worked for the county for 30 years, and one of the things he told my sisters and I was to pick a profession that you like and that you like doing nine to ten hours a day, and don't worry about the finances.

That'll work itself out.

But when you pick a profession that you like, um you're going to be happy and you're gonna be good and you're gonna exel at it.

And I was very lucky that I was able to find a profession in local government, and I started in 1989 with the city of North Miami Beach and joined the city of Miami Beach in 1993.

Um and I was very lucky to find a profession that I was able to embrace and exel at.

And that's probably the chief reason I was able to do so well.

But there's also um some other people that I I do have to thank.

Um first and foremost, um, my lovely wife who's in the audience, who I've been married to for 25 years.

Um my amazing son who's sitting next to her, who's 18 now.

Um they really provide the foundation and the balance that enables me to have uh a good temperament, be even keeled, um, and to exel at work because that type of balance is also very important.

Um a lot of what I've accomplished, or most of what I've accomplished is due in almost exclusive part to an amazing staff.

Um a lot of them are are back here today.

Uh Carmen Sanchez, my deputy director, um, Deborah Tackett, who's gonna be succeeding me in a couple of weeks, Raheli Omadon, Michael Belouch, and the rest of the entire team who is here.

There's just too many names to repeat.

I've always been very supportive of my staff, and they've been extremely supportive of me.

And without them, I would not have been able to attain the results that I have.

I'd also like to thank the manager who's been exceedingly supportive as well as his predecessors, including Alina Hudak and Jimmy Morales, who actually appointed me, as well as my assistant city manager Maria Hernandez and my previous ACM Dave Martinez.

They've all been very supportive without the backing of your boss, and without somebody that is looking out for you, respecting you, it's really difficult to do your job, but having that backing has uh given me the ability to be the best planning director that I could be.

Um and then lastly, in terms of banks, um it would be appropriate to thank uh yourselves, uh the mayor, the commissioner, the commissioners, and your predecessors.

And the reason I say that is because uh in this profession, we oftentimes get a lot of questions from people as to how do you do the things that you do.

For instance, how do you get Walgreens to build such amazing cutting edge stores that they won't build anywhere else in the US?

And I frequently tell people that it's because from the top down, and from the top, I mean from the policymakers down, they demand good planning.

They demand excellence in planning, and that in turn drives myself, it drives my staff year after year.

And so I think that's reflective in terms of the team that we have.

It's a reflective in terms of the way that we've been able to promote from within, the confidence that the manager had to promote my successor from within.

And that was one of the chief reasons I actually went into the drop was to ensure that we're able to have that upward mobility, and so that we can continue to develop people within the department.

So, with that, um I will be gone by the end of July, but I will always be everybody's friends.

My number is not changing.

Miami Beach will hold the biggest place in my heart.

And as I told the city attorney um and the manager, I will be available should anything come up where you need my assistance in any way, and that uh holds true for everyone here as well.

So thank you.

I think we're gonna take you up on that, so Commissioner Bott.

So um, Tom, I am um I didn't realize that I've known you for a third of your career here at Miami Beach.

Um, and you are part of the reason why I'm here.

And um when you came up to start your proclamation process, I've seen you come up before the planning board and before the commission and in all kinds of situations.

I have never seen you give that big of a giddy, like happy school kid, ear-to-ear bring.

And it makes my heart happy.

And I will tell you that um you are part of the reason why I am now a commissioner in Miami Beach, and I don't say it lightly.

Um I started my resident activist role in 2015 through a variety of circumstances, and the first issue as one does was in my backyard with trying to figure out a process to slow the role on demolishing pre-1942 houses.

Remember that?

It was so cute.

Back then, 15 years ago.

I think there were eight demolished and went up to 11, and we all had a nervous breakdown.

Oi, those were the good old days, right?

Um, but through that, I got to know you, and through that, I um ended up getting appointed to the Miami Design Preservation League and Miami Beach United and the Planning Board.

And so my route of activism has gone through planning and urban design and development and land use and all the complicated and beautiful and frustrating things that we do here in Miami Beach.

And I've said from day one, one of the most amazing, there's so many amazing things about Miami Beach, but one of them is like the it is the fact that it is like living in a living, breathing architectural museum.

Not because it's cast in ember, because it's not, but because you can walk through, and once we get the log cabin back in its rightful site, you can see a structure from the early 20s, um, which is a very rare structure in South Florida, all the way to the most cutting edge modern architecture.

And um you have been an incredible friend and teacher and mentor, and you help me every day navigate the complexities of what we do, try to elevate and protect and defend and define, and we will miss you.

And one to your great credit, as you have said, um, you have built an incredible bench.

Um, I'm so excited to start working with Debbie, and I've already worked with Rohelio for years on the on the planning board, and you have a great team, and that means we all have a great team, and your phone will be ringing not too often because you have better things to do without us, but it has been an honor and a privilege to learn at your feet and become first a friend and now a colleague of yours, and I wish you all the best in your next chapter.

Thank you.

Vice Mayor Dominguez.

Uh Vice Mayor, it's did you want to?

You've been a true professional, um, Tom, and it's been a joy to work with you these past few years.

And um, before I came on the days, I would watch commission meetings and see the detail and the institutional knowledge and the passion that you have for planning and um the mentoring that you did with me when I first started, I even made posters out of the zoning maps and was studying them and learning.

Uh, it's always a joy to have you in meetings.

Um, you have so much uh background and knowledge, and uh always a uh such a professional, and I wish you the best in your future, and I'm so glad you're not changing your phone number.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh and Tom, I want to join along my colleagues and thank you for your many years of honorable public service to the city of Miami Beach.

I I don't know too many professions where an individual comes and goes by their footprints and the mark of their work can't outlive in such a meaningful way.

And I think urban planners, such as yourself, it's one of those rare professions where you can look back, and the built environment of a city is defined by the work that you have done and by the guidance you have given us as policymakers for the city of Miami Beach, and even our goals of making our city a cleaner, more resilient, more resident friendly community, you have helped us in advancing those policies.

And so I want to thank you.

I want to thank you on behalf of our residents today, but on behalf of the residents who are going to inherit a community that's better, that's more beautiful, that's better preserved, that has a higher quality of life because of the policies you have helped us create in this city.

Thank you for your service.

I wish you the best of luck.

And I know that our planning department continues in great hands under tremendous great new leadership as well.

Thank you, Tom.

Thank you.

Tom, hello.

Uh congratulations on your 33 years of the city.

That's quite impressive, really truly, because you've given so much of your life, personal, professional to this city, and we really are you know in a debt of gratitude to you and the work that you've done in Miami Beach.

You've left such an incredible legacy with all of the planning and the and the building and the zoning that we have in Miami Beach.

So we all just thank you for that, your dedication and the hard work that you've done for our city.

And I also want to just um mention that you know, I'm always so impressed at how much you know about our zoning that if you know AI could never replace you because there's just too much up there.

Uh, and I think you could outsmart any computer we have and any file or database or whatever.

I think that you've got it up there.

Uh, in fact, I know you do.

So that will be missed, but I know you've given a lot of that information to your staff, and they have it up there as well.

Um, but just always impressed by you and the work that you do, Tom.

So thank you.

It's a tall order to replace Tom.

Thank you all.

So oh, we got Eric Carpenter wants to say something.

Eric, you you did not appoint Tom.

He was he was planning director before your uh before your time.

Tom, by the way, you have a good appointment.

Tom was appointed planning director um within a year after I was appointed public works director here in the city of Miami Beach.

So I did have the the benefit of knowing Tom before he was a planning director, and he was very deserving of that opportunity at the time, and you have made the people that put you in that position look very good over the last 12 years, Tom.

Um I've had the honor of working with you over that period.

And there are so many good things about how you have handled the challenges and all of the situations that you are the only arbiter of as the planning director under our land development regulations.

And one of the things that I admire most about you is that beyond your unflappable approach to things is that you take such care in making sure that you arrive at the right decision that your decisions are beyond reproach.

Very seldom have I ever heard anybody question your decisions because they know that you are taking a long hard look at the details and you are making an interpretation of the code that is in the best interest of the city.

And I think we are all better off for having worked with you and having those decisions be made over the last twelve years.

So Tom, thank you for all that you've done.

And if there's ever anything that I can do for you after all that you've done for this city, don't ever hesitate to reach out and enjoy your time with your family.

Thank you.

Well, I when I started with the city, it was Dan Gelber's dad.

So yeah, he he he was the mayor, and Roger Carlton was the city manager.

Um so probably six or seven city managers, um, including interim city managers.

So I think most of the proclamation that we have for you has been has been read.

But there's actually has been stated, but there's one paragraph that nobody's covered yet, so I want to read that one.

That you have generously contributed to the community through your involvement with the Dade Dade Heritage Trust, the Crystal Academy Primary School and Therapy Center, and the Miami Design Preservation League, where you serve as a certified historic district tour guide.

It's pretty cool.

So we also, by the way, we'll take a picture with uh with this, but we also have a special award for you uh besides the proclamation for Tom.

Well, it says City of My Beach Planning Director Thomas Armooney, AICP, thirty-three years of leadership and dedication from the city of Miami Beach.

Now, therefore, do we, as the mayor and commissioners of the City of My Beach, hereby proclaim June tenth, twenty twenty-six as Tom Mooney Day in the City of Miami Beach.

Can we get one of the staff as well?

Sure.

Everybody's gonna be able to do that.

Sure.

And then let's end up here for one thing.

Three years.

PA ten.

PA ten is proclamation.

Lindsay Schoenstein contributions to our community.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

We're gonna we're just gonna give a second just too.

There's a lot of excitement today in the room, some pretty incredible individuals being honored, individuals who shape the future of our community, people who save lives, and truly incredible people who are making our city the true paradise that we're privileged to live in.

And today we have the unique privilege of honoring a woman whose life reminds us that the greatest acts of leadership are often the quietest.

Lindsay.

Sorry.

I'm back from vacation.

It's like it's like four in the morning for Commissioner Fernandez, right now.

I just got back from Japan is thirteen hours ahead for me.

Later in the morning.

Six in the morning.

For decades, Lindsay has devoted her life to the Jewish values of Tezaka.

Not simply charity, but the sacred responsibility to lift up one another, to lift up the human amongst her, and through her compassion, through her humility, through her unwavering generosity, through through her strength, she has supported Jewish education in our community, cared for the elderly, supported humanitarian relief, invested in Israel, and brought hope and opportunity to countless families and opportunities.

And we know this because she's not promoting this herself.

Her generosity has also left an enduring mark right here in our city of Miami Beach.

The Schausenstein family's extraordinary support has strengthened institutions that enrich the lives of our residents every single day from the gym from the gym and the JCC that carries the family name to the transformational investments in behavior health care and Mount Sinai Medical Center to their involvement and very generous contributions at the Greater Miami Hebrew Academy, where generations of new young people will learn, will grow, will build their futures thanks to the generosity and the vision to give back to our community.

But what makes Lindsay truly extraordinary is not simply what she has helped build, it's how she has built it.

And so today, on behalf of our community, on behalf of the mayor, on behalf of the city commission.

But most importantly, on behalf of this incredible community that comes out in support of you to say thank you.

It's our great honor to recognize and dedicate today, June 10th, 2026, to be forever known as the Lindsey Science Team Day in the city of Miami Beach.

Commissioner Fernandez, Mayor Minor, Commissioners, family, friends, members of our Miami Beach community.

I am truly humbled and deeply grateful to stand before you today.

First, I want to thank Commissioner Alex Fernandez for sponsoring this proclamation.

Alex, thank you for your friendship, support, and unwavering commitment to our community.

I am deeply honored by this recognition and grateful your for your belief in the importance of civic engagement and community service.

I would also like to thank Mayor Minor and the members of the city commission for this extraordinary honor to have a day declared in my name by a city that my family and I love so deeply is something I never expected and will forever cherish.

To my husband Joey and our children, Jacob, Jonah, Emma, and our parents, Jeannie and Jay and Mom Karen, and sister-in-law Nicole, and my sister and brother-in-laws, the Hebrew Academy, the Ritz community, Congregation Orchim, and the Pine Tree School, thank you for your love, encouragement, and support.

Everything I do is inspired by you, and I share this honor with all of you.

When we moved to Miami Beach nearly 10 years ago, I simply wanted to become part of this community.

I never imagined standing here today.

Along the way, I found a city filled with people who deeply care about one another and who are willing to step forward when something needs to be done.

Whether advocating for safer streets, creating opportunities for children and families, supporting educational initiatives, or working with organizations that strengthen our community.

I have always believed that if you see a problem, you don't walk away from it.

You get involved.

Any impact I may have made has only been possible because of the countless people who have shared their time, talents, and passion for making Miami Beach an even better place to live.

What makes Miami Beach special is not only its beauty, but its people.

It is the neighbors who help one another, the volunteers who give their time, and the community members who show up, speak up, and work together for the greater good.

This honor is especially meaningful because it comes from a city that has given so much to my family and me.

Miami Beach has become our home, our extended family, and the place where some of our most treasured memories have been made.

Thank you, Commissioner Fernandez, thank you, Mayor Minor, and the City Commission.

Thank you to my family, friends, and everyone who has been part of this journey.

I am deeply honored, sincerely grateful, and proud to call Miami Beach home.

Thank you.

Thank you, Lindsay.

And I also I want to invite up, I want to invite up Robin Jacobs, if you if you allow me, Mr.

Mr.

Mayor.

Robin Robin, I think has brought out the entire community, and rightfully so.

Rightfully so, because you've you've highlighted to so many people the important work and remind us all of the important work of civic activism and of people of good heart, people who care about the community, making the community safer and your involvements with uh with Pine Tree Drive, safety improvements, your involvements with education and True Road University, your involvement with uh with the Hebrew Academy and with the JCC with with uh with Hetzala.

There's it's just the list is endless, and the mark you have made in our community in such a short period of time.

Uh you imagine I think you moved here in 2016.

Yeah.

2016.

And so, Robin, I want to thank you for having this beautiful idea of bringing out the community and recognizing people who are doing so much good because we live in a time when there's so much division that that divides us, but when we have agents of good that bring us together, to bring the community together, we have to move on those opportunities and celebrate and honor you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Yes, and thank you, Commissioner Fernandez, for for bringing this.

I won't elucidate all the accolades.

Um, but I wanted to address kind of a bigger issue and what you bring to the table.

The impact you've had as Commissioner Fernandez has mentioned is has been tremendous.

And it's easy, it's easy to be able to I'm I'm kind of giving you the credit because it's easier to fall back on the impact your family has had and say, well, we've done this and we've done that.

But you've really brought it to the local level and improving the lives of so many here.

I can say your family has had an impact on me and millions.

Millions worldwide.

If people don't know, the Schottenstein's family has done incredible work in so many levels, but also worked with Art Scroll to translate uh very difficult, complex Hebrew texts.

The Bible, the Torah, the Talmud into multiple languages, Hebrew, English, French, and literally millions.

I think it's millions probably have benefited from this and have been able to learn on a level that is probably uns unprecedented in human history.

Have to tell you also when you mention Orchai and Rabbi Khayam Friedman, the rabbi Worhe was jumping up and down.

So he he he appreciated that.

And um and you mentioned that when you when I was when I was when you walked up here, Lindsay, I was actually thinking exactly what Commissioner Fernandez started with.

A lot I knew I I know about this because we're we're sort of involved in this.

But you don't go out there and publicize your name and say, I'm doing this.

You do it, you reach out to us, you reach out to others, you do it in a very quiet, humble way.

Um so I'm very I'm very happy we're able to bring this to light because it's important for people to be recognized for what they do, but it's also important that others who are out there and maybe thinking of getting involved, that they can make a difference.

They really can make a difference in their civic municipal government just like you have.

So thank you.

Congratulations.

Oh, Lindsay, this is the first time I've met you, but oh my gosh, I'm so impressed and dazzled.

And did you say you have four children?

Three.

Three children.

Jacob and Delas.

Um I think you should know if you have any doubt that your mom is a rock star, but I'm sure you know that better than all of us.

And I don't know how you find the time to raise a family and save the world in a you know, small ways every day um in our local communities.

So I'm just saying you're young and healthy.

You got years ahead of you, so no pressure, but let's keep this going, shall we?

Congratulations.

It's an honor to meet you.

Can our family or friends, everyone come up for the picture?

Everybody who's here.

Let's come up here.

I think it's a thing.

One, two, three, take the other way, and then one, two, okay.

Now everybody look over here.

One, two, three.

Perfect.

All right.

How are you?

While we're taking pictures, PA three.

PA three's proclamation, Semilla Restaurant, and Chef Frederick Julene.

Thank you, everyone.

P PA three.

P A three.

Thank you guys.

Thank you.

So PA three is proclamation semilla restaurant and Chef Frederick Julie.

Okay.

Thank you.

Hi, Frederick.

How are you?

I am so excited to present this proclamation.

Um I have been a uh customer of Semilla's for years, and um your restaurant does such a beautiful job for the community.

If you haven't been, it's thirteen thirty Alton Road.

You've also participated during the one in food festival here in Miami Beach, the best of the best at the Fountain Blue.

And um your kids went through school here.

Yes, yes, in Miami Beach.

Uh and you're just a great business to have, and I know how much you care about the community, and I just wanted you to be recognized.

So we're gonna read a little proc proclamation about Semilla.

Chef Frederic Julin, chef and owner of Semilla has proudly served the Miami Beach community for over 20 years, creating a beloved neighborhood restaurant rooted in warmth, quality, and hospitality.

Chef Julin's distinguished culinary career began in France, where he served at Le Lycée, the French presidential residence under President Jacques Chirac, and later worked alongside renowned chef Guy Savoy before operating his own acclaimed Paris restaurant, Le Clos Saint Honoré.

More than twenty years ago, Chef Julin chose Miami Beach as the home for his family and his future, first opening Cafe des Arts on Collins Avenue in two thousand and five and introducing French cuisine to locals and visitors.

Together with his wife Letitia and their dedicated team.

The chef has made Semilla a reflection of his core values, hard work, generosity, authenticity, and gratitude, enriching the cultural and culinary fabric of Miami Beach.

So now therefore do we as mayor and commissioners of the city of Miami Beach proclaim June tenth Semilla Restaurant Day in the city of Miami Beach.

Thank you very much, guys.

So thank you, Mr.

Maynard, for the recognition.

I know.

It's during COVID.

You were helping us a lot.

Us it's local business, you know.

And uh I didn't know you because you weren't there, but it was some other people, and it was the same for most of the city commissioner, and it's why after so many years we're still alive, just because you are here also for us.

So thank you again, guys.

Well, we care about you, and we love your happy hour.

If people don't know about the Semia Happy Hour, you'll find locals.

What are the hours?

Five to seven Monday.

They have a menu of food on the happy hour and um also uh some signature drinks, and it's a wonderful establishment.

The neighbors love it, and we love you, so let's take a picture.

Thank you.

If I can just say uh congratulations, thank you for investing in our city and and and really making us shine.

Uh you know, restaurants are tough business.

Uh you see a lot of people who try, it's it's um to to be around and be successful for 20 plus years is a testament to the quality that you're providing.

And just know we all we often talk about how we're serving restaurants, but we're also I mean uh serving our residents and how we're and we spend a lot of time trying to make our city better, cleaner, safer.

But certainly it's our residents, our local businesses, and uh we're proud to have you here.

Thank you.

No, thank you.

Just one one.

You know, don't give it license to open a restaurant to everyone.

This is not the goal.

The goal is to have professional who love people, not money.

And as soon as you love people, you can make money.

That's right.

This is the answer to be 20 years on the beach.

Love it.

Thank you.

Right there.

PA 7.

PA7 is proclamation Tropic Color, 40 years of business in Miami Beach.

There you are.

Well, for 40 years.

40 years, yes.

Wow.

Congrats.

Thank you.

You know, it's actually a lot of times we uh I've I'm giving this proclamation for for a couple of reasons, but one of them is our city uses your your services, and you you do incredible high quality work.

Thank you, thank you.

Um it it's pretty hard to stay in business for 40 years and not do high quality work, but I I've I think we've all seen the the great work that you that you do.

Thank you, sir.

I would love to hear you say more about it, but you've been a staple in Miami Beach, South Beach specifically.

Um can't say more about it.

Uh that uh you should continue to be successful and and produce the great work that you do.

You can see the um it's unique.

Some of the work also it's yeah, we see a lot of quality.

Why don't you tell people some of the some of the type of works that you do that that people may not realize that you you are capable of doing in your shop?

Yeah, well, thank first of all, thank you, uh mayor menad, uh and members of the commission.

Um we're deeply honored to receive this uh proclamation.

And uh so uh some of the work that we do is uh very very custom work.

Um we work with different materials for for prints, uh paper, metals, wood, uh acrylic.

Uh and not only we print, we also do uh custom uh digital die cuts.

Uh so we can print material that complements uh the image and we shape them uh in a very um uh creative way, you know.

Uh so a photograph is no longer limited to just uh a rectangle or square, it can be a circle, it can be uh any kind of free form shape, you know.

Um yeah, so uh we we enjoyed uh working with the creative uh community in Miami Beach uh for the past 40 years, and uh coming back to work every day is uh it's very enjoyable.

You know, we are working with like I candies.

Yeah.

Um and that's what keep us, you know, going for day after day, uh, you know, after even after 40 years.

I know the answer to this, but who started the company?

Uh I stumbled upon it, you know.

I work at uh the black and white lab.

Uh you look too young.

Thank you.

I I I was 20 year old, now I'm 60, a grandfather of uh a lovely uh God bless, yeah.

Yeah, thank you.

Um yeah, so uh we're very honored, and uh thanks to this city, and thank you uh to our loyal customers and the great team.

Uh we look forward to another 40 years.

Amazing.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone else wanna say anything?

Oh, Vice Mayor Dominguez.

Uh I've used your services uh a couple times.

Um if I'm not mistaken, I think there's something in my office that was done through uh your story and in my home in my living room.

Um I have uh work that was done there, and it's crisp, it's beautiful, it's stunning.

I really like the quality of the work and the pride that your team takes in uh helping your customers.

Thank you so much.

Commissioner Bott.

Uh you know, I moved here 20 almost 24 years ago now, and I had friends who were fine art photographers, and I had come from Boston where I was very lucky to live next to, or not next to, but very close to a really excellent photo lab.

Different kind of photo lab, but really great quality of work.

And so my fine art photographer friends would brag about the work that you would produce for them 24 years ago.

Wow.

Um, and as I got more involved with living in Miami Beach and saw the things that you do and the thing that you did and then what you do for the city now.

And let's not forget how much photography has changed over the last four decades.

And for you to still be not only in business but thriving is a testament to leadership and good business sense and um embracing change as opposed to fearing it.

All things, all values that we can take on board as we all seek to be more resilient in our personal and professional lives and in our civic lives as a city.

So we're looking to you to follow your lead on on how to thrive over 40 tumultuous years in the industry.

Congratulations, and here's to at least 40 more.

Thank you.

You do everything in-house?

Pretty much everything.

Like 99% of work.

Wow.

Yeah.

That's incredible.

Yeah.

So I'm gonna read the last.

We have a proclamation for you.

I'm gonna read the last paragraph.

Uh as a fixture in the heart of South Beach, Tropicolor has mirrored the growth and spirit of Miami Beach, proving that devotion to precision, service, and creative passion can build a lasting legacy that reaches far beyond our shores.

Now, therefore, do we, as mayor and commissioners of the city of Miami Beach, hereby proclaim June 10th, 2026 as Tropic Color Day in the city of Miami Beach.

Very honored.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Commissioner Bott.

So does anybody in this room not know Dr.

Alba?

Dr.

Alba Taray.

Okay, one.

Anybody else?

She's oh you guys.

All right, she is awesome.

Doctor, well, we just call her Alba, but she's the director of our, I'm gonna get the title of the department wrong.

Community outreach, no.

Housing and community services.

I always get it wrong.

I like invent more things for you to do as if you don't have enough of them to do.

I will get to the proclamation in a minute, but I want to tell people why I am doing this.

We live in one of the best cities in the world.

Well, not far not.

We live in one of the best cities in the world, period.

And we are really lucky to live here.

And even so, it is a city.

And sometimes it's a small city of 82,000 people, and sometimes it's an enormous city of half a million people, which makes it a complicated city.

And we do a lot in our city for people of every different stripe, every different walk of life, whether you're a resident or business owner or a visitor, or an unhoused person or a person on the brink.

And we do that with compassion and empathy and grace.

And when I say we, it's you.

You do that with the team you lead in your department, with your colleagues at the police and fire departments.

But you set the tone.

You are a passionate, consummate professional, and those of us who get to work with you know this because we see the work you do, we see the results you have generated, we have seen through what could have been a draconian, really ugly um law and and guidelines set by the state.

Um it could have been a really nasty bit of business for the last couple of years, and it has not been.

We have been able to do, and again, when I say we, it's you guys have been able to do really stunning work.

Um and I'll talk about that in a second, but uh it's not often that you get to see it firsthand.

And I don't know um if Jason Green is here, but one night, a couple of months ago, um, we had wrapped up, I think it was the second budget meeting, um, and it was late.

Maybe it might have been our first, I don't remember.

But anyhow, we were all here late, and we're all kind of staggering out of the budget meeting, making our way back to our offices, our cars, whatever.

And um Jason and I, our CFO, Jason and I were walking out of the building, and this um complicated young woman kind of approached us.

She did not look well.

She didn't look like she knew what was going on in it looked well enough, but not something was off.

And um she had a piece of paper directing her to the office after hours, unclear when she got the piece of paper, unclear if it was 15 minutes ago or three days ago.

And when we were trying to, Jason and I were trying to figure out what she needed and how to help her and where to direct her.

Um you came out of the meeting and started engaging with us all.

And um it turned out that she had been um she was a homeless person, she needed services, it was after hours, it's complicated, and she was getting a little bit more aggressive because things were not going in a linear fashion as life never does.

And you handled the situation with such grace and professionalism.

Forget about me and Jason, but you did get us into a safe space, which was I didn't even know that was a thing I needed to think about.

And then you continued to work with this woman, and you got the the colleagues that you bring on board, I forget which organization it was that night, but they were they were there, the police were there, you were talking to her, and we were, you know, this was over the course of a good 30 minutes or so, and we nobody thought this was gonna have a good outcome.

We thought, you know, she's gonna slip through the cracks, she's gonna go back to wherever she was before, and maybe we would interact with her again, maybe we wouldn't.

And then later I found out that it had the best possible outcome.

Do you want to?

I'm not gonna steal your thunder.

Do you want to tell what the outcome was?

Yes, um, you know, fortunately, she was able to be reunited with family by our amazing uh homeless outreach services team.

So let's just take that for a second.

This person who was not well on her last sort of wherewithal to get help, got the help with your grace and professionalism and unflapability and being able to recognize that was the thing that was so striking that you could articulate what was happening.

Like we saw what was happening, but you understood what was happening, what the dynamics were and what the options could be and where the cracks might appear and where the net might come to catch her from underneath the or through the cracks.

I I was really like I said, it's one thing to know about this and read about it in the LTCs or have you give you know your expert advice when we're trying to figure out how to do things differently or better.

It's another thing to see it in action, and it was an honor to witness you do your job as well as you do.

Forget about managing a budget and figuring out contracts and staffing stuff and all the other things you do.

Um it was grace under pressure with the best possible outcome, and I I think we are so lucky to have you in in our city and the department that you lead by example.

So I won't go through the proclamation in enormous detail because that encapsulates what you do.

But um, I I will just say that you know the the department has evolved into a comprehensive and coordinated system of care, integrating mental health services, substance abuse treatment, housing assistance, care coordination, um, food support, rent assistance, uh helping people find the resources within the community either here in Miami Beach or throughout the county, and sometimes getting them on a bus home to their their loved ones, with holistic and dignified support.

And it is so easy to read headlines about the terrible things that are happening in places and see how we can be facing the very same challenges and have excellent outcome with respect for the individual behind the crisis.

And that's a you thing.

That's a you thing, and and we are all the beneficiaries of that.

You've been with the city for um goodness, since 15 years ago.

You you've been here for over um wait, I'm getting this wrong.

12 years, 15 years of relevant experience, 12 of which have been here at the city, which is incredible, and the director for the last four years or so.

Um so there's so much more to say, but I know we've been talking a lot, but I really wanted everybody who's here, anybody who's listening to understand how lucky we are to have you and the leadership you give to the department, and by extension, the education you give all of us as we try to make this better for everybody.

So thank you.

Um so now, therefore, do we as mayor and commissioners of the city of Miami Beach hereby proclaim June 10 2026 as our Dr.

Albert Tare Day.

Thank you so very much for your kind words, Commissioner.

Um it is not a me thing.

I am extremely blessed to have such an amazing department and team members to work with.

Um I have an amazing assistant director, Marcelo Rubio, who half of those things could not be accomplished without, and a beautiful team of individuals that do work that is so difficult, and the burnout in this field is so incredible, but they come in with such grace and power and ability to help others that it is an honor and a privilege and a pleasure to be able to be a part of them.

And you know, standing up here, the only thing I wish is to be able to represent them the way they represent themselves in this community, and they serve this community and do the work that is impossible sometimes because you may not win every time, and they do it with grace, and they come in every day willing to sometimes fail but continue to do it, and all of that is accomplished thanks to you all and the support that you provide us to be able to do to make sometimes the impossible possible.

And with the city manager support, our ACM, David Martinez, honestly, some days are a battle, but we don't fight it alone because we fight it with all of you.

So thank you.

This is it's such a complex challenging issue, as we know.

The whole country is facing it.

It's really a joy and a credit to you and your team that we as a body are speaking pretty much in one voice on the issue.

There's a lot of compassion.

But there's also enforcement.

But those are two words.

They work together, but there's also a series of hundreds of decisions that have to be made on different issues that comprise that.

And I it's it's a joy to work with you because we're pretty much aligned on the same issues.

And I don't take that for granted.

I don't think any of us do, as Commissioner Bott brought out, because when you read about what's happening in other cities and certain decisions they're making that I think our our communities do not agree with.

And it's not just us, it's our residents.

Do not agree with.

It's it's uh it's a pleasure because we could we could be knocking heads and we're not, and I think a big part of our success, and it is success.

It's a challenging issue, and that's we're constantly combating it.

But as a city, we're having a level of success.

We're helping people.

We're spending millions of dollars to help people, get them back on their feet, put them in shelter, have employment programs for those who are who are capable.

Um, and so much more.

I mean, there's so much to it.

I I sometimes have asked you for a summary of the services, and it goes on and on and on.

It's long, it's lengthy.

You gotta take growth every day.

What?

And grows and grows every day.

And yet you almost have to take an hour to read it all.

But so we're helping people, but at the same time, we're also having success and working with different departments with our police department.

Uh the lowest homeless count ever in the city's history, and the last uh census count by the homeless trust.

Um, but also the responsiveness.

Every time that I or any of us reach out to you or our police department, I mean, the answer is in minutes that we get, and that's an answer to an email.

But in practicality, is there's someone who's going out to help and provide those services to that homeless individual in a very, very short amount of time.

And I'll tell you, there are cities I don't want to mention names, but there are cities not that far from us where I have friends we all do who tell me when they make the call, nothing happens.

Here, when we make the call, our residents, us, something happens, and uh for the good to help people or to unfortunately sometimes it does require enforcement.

Uh, but thank you.

Thank you for being the head of that uh department and and leading us with grace.

Mr.

Mayor.

I'll go down the uh Commissioner Fernandez.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

And I want to thank you, Alba.

Um, I remember when I was elected, first elected uh five five years ago.

I had to think about that, and my brain is foggy uh today.

It's now 7 15 in the morning for you.

It is.

Um but I remember, you know, it struck me at the time how we were handling homeless issues very differently.

Homeless outreach was mainly Monday through Fridays during during business hours.

And you've helped create, you've led to create a system where homeless services are available every day of the week.

It doesn't end at 5 p.m.

It continues to to the nighttime hours.

There was a point in time in our city where young homeless people, people who were transgender or gender non-conforming, didn't necessarily have access to services.

Now we have partnerships with entities like Pride Lines, uh, where we're able to provide a certain level of assistance uh to young people experiencing the uh challenges of homelessness.

Just last Wednesday, just last Wednesday, I received an email from someone.

I'm gonna quote, I'm I'm 63 years old, currently sleeping in my car, sometimes with a small dog because my landlord sold the apartment without even telling me ahead of time.

I ended up giving everything away before I was evicted.

And I got this tax message, and I screenshot it, and I sent it to Alba.

And again, because of the time change, 13 hours difference, I didn't realize it at the time.

It was 10 p.m.

here in Miami.

And Alba responded.

And within 30 minutes, you and your team had identified this person, located the person, identified the services that they needed and offered, and tried everything that you could to provide assistance to this individual.

That is a vocation, that is a caring heart, and that is a demonstration of a true and dedicated public service, public servants who serves with goodness of heart.

I want to thank you, Alba, because you truly go above and beyond, and not just on issues of homelessness.

Homelessness is what we focus on a lot is it gets a lot of public attention, but there's so much other work that you do assisting tenants with our uh with our partnership with legal services of Greater Miami to ensure the tenants have access to representation in court when they're facing the interests and the powers of of big landlords, and making sure the seniors have access to meals, and making sure that those who are oftentimes forgotten in society know that in your office they have a line of assistance, and that truly speaks to the values of our city, but to the leadership that you bring every single day.

So thank you, congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.

Vice Mayor Dominguez.

Thank you.

Congratulations on this recognition.

One thing that I appreciate about you and your team is the sense of urgency, because a lot of the things that residents reach out to me on their homes, echoing what Commissioner Fernandez said.

Comes up all the time.

So I've had seniors, something happens, they get sick, and then they are they missed payments, and now they're behind on paying the rent at Rebecca Tower or one of the senior buildings.

And you're always very calm.

My team will send them the form, they can fill it out, we will help.

And then recently there was something else.

But anyway, you're always very on top of it, and helping people with the housing needs is just so critical.

You do a great job, and so does your team.

Congratulations.

Commissioner Monica Mateo Salinas.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Dr.

Terry.

I'm one of your biggest fans and cheerleaders, as you know.

I've known you for a very long time, very long time.

And as Commissioner Fernandez stated back many years ago, the way we dealt with the homeless here was different.

And I need to commend you and your team, because you guys have really found the sweet spot between compassion and also I guess the enforcement side of it, where we always offer someone help.

Always.

You all do, and I know you do, and and you always do it with care and kindness and compassion and consideration.

But you also are very clear that there's a better life for folks than living on the street.

So you have that sweet spot under your direction, and and you're so well deserved of this proclamation and this accolade and your team is as well.

And I just want to thank you all for everything that you do for our city for the folks who need your services, especially and most importantly, and for all the lives that you've touched in Miami Beach.

Thank you, and thank you to the team.

Thank you.

Mr.

Mayor.

Oh, Eric, if I could, I'll be very brief.

I just want to say the city is blessed to have Alba and her entire team, because not just that they are extremely knowledgeable and extremely professional and extremely diligent in performing their work, but they also lead with compassion and heart.

And they are always, always, always trying to do the best by this community and helping those that are in most need of help, no matter whether they realize it or not.

So thank you, Alba.

Can you have these back with us?

All right.

Thank you.

We didn't even mention that you have at least one person on your team, Alba, who is formally homeless.

You would never in a million years guess it.

Someone in our police department who does homeless outreach is formerly homeless.

You would never in a million years guess it.

Um and I think they add so much to our city having those experiences.

Um just it's it's a great team.

Thank you.

PA1 and PA2.

PA1 is proclamation Pulse Remembrance Day and PA2 is proclamation Pride Month.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

So today I have the uh privilege of presenting our city's proclamation recognizing LGBTQIA plus Pride Month, and as well as a proclamation commemorating Pulse Remembrance Day.

And if I could ask uh Carol and the members of the LGBTQ committee, advisory committee to uh come to the podium and join us in in the front.

These are the volunteers who every month meet with great passion with great dedication to represent our community and advice us in this work.

And this Pride Month feels especially meaningful, and I wrote about this a little bit in an email I recent I recently sent because it's our country prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary.

Um and actually, in fact, today we unveiled our new patriotic lifeguard tower.

I found myself reflecting on how deeply intertwined patriotism, freedom, and the pursuit of equality truly are.

And as an openly gay elected official, I've always been very struck um by the false choice that some people try to create between the American flag and and the pride flag, because our history tells a very different story, because in many ways the pride movement is an American story.

It's a story of people who believed so deeply in the promise of our country and the promise of America that they refused to accept being excluded from it.

And it's the story of Americans who saw not special rights, but the same equal rights that every other American is granted without question.

The opportunity to love and marry, to build families, to serve our country, to contribute to their communities, to pursue their dreams without limitation, and enjoy the same blessings of the liberties promised to every single American in our country.

And that we are all entitled to life, to liberty, to the pursuit of happiness.

And so in that in that way, pride is not separated from that promise.

It is in fact pride is an expression of the American values that we fight for and we hold more dearly today than ever before, as our country celebrates 250 years of its foundation.

These aren't competing ideals.

It shows it shows us and reminds us that the history of our country hasn't always been great, hasn't always been perfect, but we continued that that that pursuit for a more perfect union, and that's on all of us.

And this Friday, this Friday also marks 10 years since 49 innocent people, mostly LGBTQ individuals and Latinos were murdered at Orlando's Pulse Nightclub, and one of the darkest acts of anti LGBTQ hate in our nation's history.

And we remember that moment and we remember the night the 49 souls lost their because the work of protecting freedom, protecting human dignity, it's never over.

And it feels that that work today is more important than ever before.

Sadly, attacks on LGBTQ people on our visibility and our rights continue today.

The force the Sikhs to erase us, to malign us, that hope that we become fearful or discouraged seems to be resurging and seems unfortunately all too prevalent in today's political discourse.

And we cannot allow that to happen.

Miami Beach will never allow that to happen.

And we are unified front on the Miami Beach City Commission to continue fighting and to continue leading for our visibility and for our rights.

And so instead, instead we stand up against it.

We've responded the American way.

We've respond with courage instead of fear.

We've responded with hope instead of hatred.

And the quiet confidence that liberty, the liberty has always expanded because of ordinary people choosing to stand together to act bravely and to continue pushing for a better future.

This Pride Month will be historic for another reason.

And that is because of recent changes in state law.

It may be amongst the last times that our city is able to formally recognize pride in this way.

And that makes today's proclamation even even more meaningful.

And so I want to thank the members of our LGBTQ IA Plus Advisory Committee for their leadership, for their service, for their passion, for the unwavering commitment to ensuring that Miami Beach, that our region, that our state remains a place where everyone is respected, is welcomed, is able to live authentically.

Your work strengthens not only our LGBTQ community, but it strengthens our entire city because we know that hate against the LGBTQ community is hate against Hispanics, is intolerance towards towards Jews, towards women in position in powers, towards black people, towards every other minority in our community and throughout the world.

And so as our country celebrates 250 years of its foundation, may we collectively continue building a nation, a community where the promise of liberty reaches every segment of every community, including our LGBTQ community.

May we be able to continue fighting for our rights, for our freedom, for our visibility, for our ability to love, to marry, to form families, continue dreaming and reaching the highest of potentials that America has to offer us.

Happy Pride Month.

May God bless all of us, may God bless our city.

And my prayer is that we continue to find love for each other and unity and equality without the fear of intolerance that seems to be elevating in the current political discourse.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you, Commissioner Kenanda.

Commissioner Bach.

Well, first of all, it is very uncharacteristic of me of me to be in such dull dark colors.

And I didn't connect the dots.

I'm looking at these amazing graphic teeth, and I just have to stand up.

At least I do have a little print on my side.

I am representing a little bit.

Seriously, though, this is you know what Alex said is uh a thousand percent right.

And the fact that we are as a state facing, we're not the only state, but this is our state at the moment, and that we are facing uh removal from office if we advocate to help our constituents get what they need from their city government is outrageous and offensive on every level.

It's it's shocking.

It is beyond comprehension, and I am confident that it's going to be a short-term blip, unfortunate chapter in our history.

You know, um of the things that was so meaningful about getting the rainbow crosswalk installed as a sidewalk that is ours now.

All those state people can get keep their little myths off of our art installation in our park.

Um, which I did with the unanimous support of my colleagues on the Dais, and with the um very hard work by the city staff and Eric with me being exigent that it was going to happen before pride, and I don't know how you guys figure it out.

Let me know when we're cutting a ribbon.

And to their great credit, they did.

But um the thing that really struck me, and I won't talk about uh you know how hard it was to watch it being ripped up and people crying and saying, you know, I'm out.

Um because that's not the solution, not to leave, but to stay and fight, right?

Uh tempting though it may be.

Not talking about that, talking about celebrating things going forward, because we need to remember that part.

I had people come up to me and say, you know, I was at the two prior installations of this pride crosswalk.

The first time when it was um painted, and the second time, I forget I'm not gonna remember the details, but it was installed twice and it was made more permanent each time, and we kind of took it for granted because you know it was awesome and progress was being made, and it didn't, you know, yeah, it was fabulous to be celebrated, but it didn't hit the same way.

And now it's it's a it's something we can't take for granted anymore because things are being ripped away from us.

Telling people what what they can do with their own bodies, who they can love, what books they can read, um, what religion they should be adhering to.

I mean, it's not gotten it's a little crazy in schools right now.

But I mean, like there are candidates that are out there with with some pretty extreme views over there.

There are a lot of candidates out there with a lot of extreme views, but so my point being, my point, and I do have one, um, is that this is not a fight that any of us are in alone.

Um, I have an increasingly large and rapidly growing t-shirt collection with things across the chest.

You know, you talk about wearing it on your sleeve.

I'm like, okay, here's my billboard.

There's one t-shirt that I've bought in three different colors because I like it that much, which I know is a little bit crazy, but I wear it, and every time I wear it, people stop me, whether wherever I am.

And it says something to the effect of equal rights are not like pie.

If somebody else gets more, nobody's getting less.

And that's what everybody needs to remember.

Everybody, not saying you guys, obviously.

This is not the problem, isn't in this room, but everybody who's doing this nonsense, visiting this nonsense upon all of us, because it is all of us, um, needs to just relax.

No one's taking anything away from anybody else.

We are all just trying to live our best lives in a happy, healthy, loving manner, without stepping on each other's toes, and getting home safely at the end of the day to be with people we care about.

And that doesn't seem to me so incredibly crazy, like scary or weird.

Like, who does that?

So, you know, onward and upward.

We are with you, as Alex said.

No one's going anywhere.

We are fighting this together, we're gonna figure it out, and um, we will prevail.

Mr.

Mayor, I was remiss to mention something.

And I and I think it's one of the most important things that has to be mentioned, and I mentioned it a lot during pride, but it's the support of our allies and this city commission, all of you.

Um I was so proud that the effort to reinstall the rainbow crosswalk was was led by you, Commissioner Bot, a straight ally of the city commission.

Um, because it's expected of me as an openly gay elected official to fight for our fight, but it means so much more when straight allies come forward to fight our fight.

And to all of you that have been pressing, Mr.

Mayor, the speech that you gave and the uh the unveiling of the of the crosswalk.

I mean, people still speak about that speech and the passion that you that you had on it, and just the unified front of this entire city commission and the straight allies that we that we have here.

I think that that can't be forgotten because our rights don't exist if it were not for the strength and the unity and the force of our allies who stand up for us.

And and I want to thank you guys for that because Miami Beach has historically been that bastion, and we know that it'll continue to be that bastion of hope and equality for everyone.

You know, probably the biggest compliment as the mayor, probably all of us as electives that I hear people say is that we are a welcoming city.

No matter what group, that to me is the goal that we all serve, that people should feel comfortable living the life that they want to live.

I mentioned this and thank you for mentioning the uh crosswalk installation.

I'll I'll repeat one story that I mentioned there that I think is worthy of repeating.

When we had a prominent member of our LGBTQ community who was thankfully not physically assaulted, but verbally assaulted.

He reached out to us, reached out to me, took immediate action.

And I said to him at the time, I told him, I said, I treat this the same way I would treat an anti-Semitic attack.

There is no difference to me.

Hate is hate.

And I want I've given you that my commitment, and um, and I was grateful that he he acknowledged that I did immediately step in, um, as I'm sure my colleagues did as well.

The sad part is well, I'll mention one other thing.

The um one of the legislations that I brought recently was that it became apparent that one of our we have municipal ordinances, they mirror often um the state ordinances, but we have our own prosecution team for misdemeanors.

But it became apparent um in working with our city attorney's office that if there was a hate crime committed on the underlying act, there was no repercussions for it, there was no penalty for it.

So something like graffiti, which generally is not treated, unfortunately very seriously.

Um, but if it's a hate graffiti, for example, the swatch that are drawn on the pride bench, there would be no extra consequences.

So I brought legislation that our commission unanimously adopted, changing that, that there would be a minimum 30-day sentence for that.

You know, this has been touched on, but it's 99% unites us.

It's that one, maybe even less than one percent.

But that seems to get the focus of the attention.

And it's so sad because people try to divide us.

Uh the uses collectively.

And the really the way to me that we all collectively defeat the hate is that people of good intentions stay together.

And that when there's an attack against one, it's an attack against all of us.

And that's the way we're gonna that's the way we're gonna win.

I really believe that.

And um look forward to working with all of you together and making sure that we keep Miami Beach that beautiful, welcoming city that everyone says, wow, I feel so safe being here.

And uh, that's the goal.

God bless you, and thank you for your work.

Yeah, we want to hear you speak, but let we'll finish up on the dais here.

Uh, Commissioner Monica Mateo Salinas and then Vice Mayor Dominguez.

So thank you for being here today, and thank you, Commissioner Fernandez, for bringing this forward.

Both of these are super important.

Um, I remember exactly where I was when I heard about pulse.

I remember that moment.

Um it's you it's something you'll never forget because it could have been a family member, it could have been me.

And so we have to remember this year after year, because those people did not die in vain.

And um it's just super important that we're just taking a moment to honor them.

Switching gears, pride, which is more celebratory.

It's more hopeful.

It's a beautiful celebration.

And I am just so proud to live in a city.

I'm proud to live in a city that celebrates pride.

Um, and I'm gonna stop my remarks there because I'm gonna cry.

So thank you for being here.

Um, thank you for being uh wonderful neighbors, wonderful community members.

Um, and I said this when I spoke at Lincoln Road.

Um, Miami Beach, South Beach wouldn't be what it was today without our LGBTQIA community.

I mean, our city was built by and for and from our gay community, and and we will never forget that, and we will always appreciate that, and you will always be welcome and safe here.

As long as I'm up here, I will fight for you.

Thank you.

Vice Mary Dominguez.

Thank you.

Uh, thank you, Commissioner Fernandez, for bringing this forward.

Um, and thank you to the LGBTQ community uh committee for all of your hard work and what you do to spread the message.

The first uh item that we have here is the Remembrance Day, and it is so important to honor and remember the souls that were lost that day, and uh the hate that was behind it, which um uh it's not what pride is about, and to have that happen in an establishment um that is meant for love and uh positivity, it's um it's important to remember, so thank you.

And then um for Pride Month, you know, we had uh our Pride Parade in April because it's a teeny bit cooler than what a beautiful um day that was, and I really was touched with um having the crosswalk inside the park for the first time in many years because of what happened and all of the hard work that went into putting such a fabulous event that was full of joy and fun and um lots of hope.

And uh I I want to make sure that we continue.

I'll always be an ally for the LGBTQ community, and as one of my colleagues mentioned, uh I hope that some of the laws that um have been passed in Tallahassee are just a blip that we will change next year, and um so we'll keep that hope alive until then.

Happy Pride.

Madam Chair.

So I'm gonna go first as a chair of the LGBTQ community, and yesterday we had our meeting, and I actually brought sprinkle cakes and disco ball napkins because it was pride.

And I wanted to thank this entire team behind me and everybody who's absent because it feels a place of joy when they're going to those meetings because we're all on the same page.

So thank you to all of you and all the experience that all of you bring.

And we live in a city where we celebrate pride twice, as Commissioner Dominguez said, we celebrate it in April and we celebrate it in June, and we actually also celebrate it in October as part of LGBTQ History Month, and we live it all year-round, our residents and community who are part of our community, and pride isn't going to go away.

We've announced our dates for the 19th edition, which is going to be April the 10th and 11th, 2027.

So, whatever happens, pride is resilient and it's not going away.

So I'll let my colleagues speak, but thank you to all of you.

Good afternoon, everyone, and happy pride.

I just wanted to say quickly that I think that it's been mentioned so many beautiful things have been mentioned, and I think when you live here, I feel very blessed to be able to live here for almost 20 years now.

That we take so many things for granted.

This committee being one.

Um in the work that I do, I work in healthcare.

I talk to lots of people around the country, and communities say, what could we do?

And I said, 'Well, do you have an LGBTQ committee?

And they go, What?

That would never have that's impossible.' Like, what do you mean?

You get you get to talk to the committee.

You you know the mayor, you get to communicate with the city.

They back you up, and I'm like, yeah, you need an LGBTQ committee to represent you in these things that your community needs.

And I just wanted to point that out how special it is.

So we have a city that has so many different committees, how important they all are.

But this one specifically, because it is so so rare around the country that Miami Beach is always being that light out in front.

They're like, please teach us how did you do it?

What do we need to say?

How do we make this happen?

We need help.

And it's from the experience here that I get to show that other places.

So thank you all.

I'll go ahead.

Hello, friends.

I'm happy to call your friends.

Right.

Um, my name is Christoph Babka.

I'm with Save LGBT.

And um, you know, I didn't choose to be gay, but I did choose to live in Miami Beach.

And there sometimes is a question of whether it's nature or nurture someone's sexuality.

Um it's in Miami Beach's nature to be compassionate, to be strong, to be fun.

Um we are nurtured by our leadership.

Um the tragedy at Pulse when they ripped away the rainbow sidewalk there, that was devastating.

Because that was a memorial.

Forty-nine people's lives were taken.

And our government stripped a memorial away.

People came with chalk.

They tried to fill it up themselves.

And that was taken away too.

Here in Miami Beach, when those pavers were ripped out of our land, you all went immediately into action.

Immediately.

Replacing it beautifully in a testament to who we are as a community.

When a horrible symbol of hatred, one of the worst symbols of hatred desecrated a beautiful bench you created for us.

The action was swift and immediate, as was the punishment.

And though pride is tinged with a bit of sorrow because of the uncertainty of the future, I know that love will always win thanks to you.

Hello, man, Mayor and Commissioners.

And you know, I think that you know, I was in New York in the eighties and the nineties.

I was there protesting with Act Up and Queer Nation.

I was there to watch all these things being granted to us.

And now I'm watching as people are just taking one hand and wiping it all away like it's nothing.

You know?

I have to tell you that it's made me feel a little bit hopeless sometimes, but I really think that this moment brings a little bit of light to me.

A little bit of hope.

Um and they say the arc of justice is long.

Well, I hope it's not that long.

So, but thank you so much for this.

Well, um, my name is Amy Glautman.

I am the outcast of the group, the token straight person.

I'm here because I have a trans child, and I live terrified every day for her safety, and I'm so grateful to my committee and to all of you for working so hard to make the city safe for her because I don't sleep at night.

So thank you all for your work, and I'm gonna cry, so thanks for making me talk.

So, Ms.

Mr.

Mayor, if I if if I may, um the city of Miami Beach is proud to uplift the work of the committee, but to uplift the diversity of our LGBTQ community, the love, the visibility, the voices, the history, and the progress we've we've made, and the progress we won't allow to be taken away from us.

And so, on behalf of our community, we declare June as Pride Month in the city of Miami Beach.

We all want to go down.

Yeah.

I like this weird that what we say.

We never alter.

I know.

PA six.

PA six is proclamation, the Flower Bazaar.

Vice Mayor Dominguez.

Oh, sorry.

Impossible acts to follow.

Well, I'm very excited to showcase you because Flower Bazaar Bazaar, and I'll read it in a moment.

But when you hear Flower Bazaar in Miami Beach, it represents elegance, uh quality, style.

Um everybody that's received a flower bazaar uh creation is just stunned.

I know I've gotten several throughout the years.

I've ordered as well, and uh uh the love and care that you put into every design.

It's just spectacular.

Another thing I love about your business is that you both live here.

You live on Bell Isle, you work in South Beach, and you care about our community.

You're fighting for your business, and I hope that we at City Hall can um do everything we can to help you in return.

But I do want to read a little uh something about you.

Uh so the flower bazaar is a distinguished floral and event design studio renowned for creating elevated floral experiences for corporate events, weddings, luxury hotels, and private celebrations throughout Southeast Florida through a design philosophy that blends sophistication with creativity.

The flower bazaar has earned recognition for its distinctive installations, refined centerpieces, and exceptional client service within Miami Beach.

The Flower Bazaar began its journey in Miami Beach in 1998 and has flourished under the leadership of Terry Adam and Leo Lenaro since 2011, continuing to elevate the city's artistic and cultural landscape.

And the company's dedication to excellence has contributed meaningfully to the Miami Beach, uh Miami Beach's bright vibrant hospitality, cultural and event industries, enhancing the city's reputation as a global destination for creativity and celebration.

As the Flower Bazaar receives this proclamation, the company um expresses deep gratitude for being recognized by Miami Beach and proudly shares this honor with its clients, collaborators, and dedicated team members whose passion and support have helped the studio thrive while embodying the spirit and creativity of Beach.

Now, therefore, do we as Mayor and Commissioners in the city of Miami Beach proclaim June 10th, 2026 the Flower Bazaar Day.

If I may say a couple of words.

Yes, those things are possible.

However, very hard after 15 years.

So 15 years I say, because that's as long as we've been working together in the same business.

Working for yourself, being your own boss is really hard work.

Um as those of us who have done it and do it uh would attest.

But uh coming to the thank you part, I really want to thank you, Commissioner Vice Mayor Dominguez for being a champion for small businesses, and clearly for the entire commission and the mayor for uh working so hard to make this uh a wonderful city to live in to prosper in and yes, to live for 22, 22 and 21 years in.

And for making this an exciting destination for the visitors that then become our customers.

If I can dare to share a very small personal situation story.

Um back to your work, which is recognized.

They read every single one of your emails for those of you who do email, even your very long one back a couple of months ago.

Commissioner Battle.

I have things to say was.

But once I sent uh probably beachy email to you, Commissioner Dominguez, you wrote right back to me and said, and you obviously read your constituents' emails too and respond to them.

You said, Well, I know the flower bazaar, and I received one of your creations during uh if I may say so of that time in my life.

Uh and clearly that disarmed me uh right there and then and took me off my you know bottle horse.

Um and reminded me of why we do this, you know, as a small business person, as an artist, which you know, my partner is more of than I am.

We are reminded that there is a transaction involving somebody who pays for the things that we do and somebody who receives the things that we make.

Uh but there's always obviously a feeling and a sentiment that gets transmitted, and there is something that in our very small we can actually do for other people to make them feel better every single day.

Um so I I really again thank you for all your hard work.

It's not unrecognized, certainly not by us.

And I will be remiss if I didn't recognize the work of our associates, all 11 of them who are not here.

We only have one who will come and uh take pictures with us in a moment who make it all possible for us.

Um without whose work we really would not be anything.

So thank you so much.

Thank you.

Commissioner Bott.

Um I you know, I um I've had a couple of small businesses, clearly I don't anymore.

And the thing that is so interesting about being a small business, especially one like yours, where there's artistry and passion and love in the product that you produce, is that nobody gets into the flower artistry business because they really love figuring out the accounting books and staffing plans and the roof leaks and figuring out the garbage that has to get picked up.

And for you to have succeeded and to continue to succeed through all of that in the way that you have.

I mean, I've walked into events that um I've walked into events where the flowers are dazzling, like God, where do these come from?

And it's you guys, and so I commend you because I know how hard it is to run a small business.

I failed spectacularly at doing so, and I and I see you succeeding spectacularly, and I wish you many, many more years together as partners, um, as artistic creators and as you know uh business anchors in our city, and uh it's not lost on us that you know it's fancy new businesses come in.

It's the the folks who've been here for years and years who are you know the the bread and butter of our community.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, I'll tell you, it strikes me, I'm hearing you speak, you're so articulate.

It's it's amazing when people come up here, they're not you maybe I I don't know your whole professional history, but you come up here and with grace, and it's it's it's it's actually nice to see the uh the uh the kind of residents and professionals and businesses that we have here in Miami Beach that really really make our city shine.

And you're part of it, obviously you create an environment that fosters it.

So thank you.

All right, let's do it.

Thank you so much.

Can we spin one in one per second?

Thank you, everybody.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

Another act.

PA5.

PA5 is proclamation, ALS awareness day.

Come on up.

It's at this point, I usually say last but not least.

I hope you know that.

There's uh I I'm actually I I'd love to say something, but why don't you why don't you introduce yourself first so people know who who you are?

Absolutely.

I am Saidat Balavan.

I am the development manager for the ALS Association, ALS Amiotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, probably more commonly known as Luke Eric's disease, which we just celebrated Lou Garrick's Day last week on uh June 2nd.

So I just want to thank this amazing city.

And I want to just say, you know, I was last, but I was able to witness something so beautiful.

Um I work in nonprofit, and I'm always pouring love.

And that's what I'm gonna start with today.

That's what I witnessed.

Um, this is a beautiful city with beautiful people, led by a beautiful and amazing mayor and a beautiful city commission.

And just to say something, um, four years ago when I started working with this nonprofit, I started my mission work right here, right?

And I met a beautiful resident, Mr.

Todd Bachman, whose family is deeply rooted in this community.

And he joined me as an ally, not being personally impacted by ALS, but literally just wanting to help those families and those people living with ALS.

So it's beautiful that I'm here today and just seeing all the wonderfulness here.

So thank you for having me.

Wow, thank you.

So I'm gonna go off script and tell you how I learned about ALS.

I'm a huge baseball fan, and obviously ALS known as Luke Garrick's disease.

But I think it's important to recognize who Lou Gehrig was for a moment.

So he was uh one of the best players in the game, played with Babe Ruth, um, one of the greatest players ever to play baseball, played in 2,130 consecutive baseball games.

At the time there were 150 or four games in a season, now they're 162.

That almost 14 years in a row.

So anybody who's not a baseball fan, most players, it's very rare that a player plays in every game in a season.

Very rare.

Maybe one or two players will do that in any given season.

He did it for 14 consecutive years.

And that's the irony.

He got to a point, and I hope my as a kid, this is what I learned, and I hope it's uh I I understand it is accurate.

His play started deteriorating severely.

He was getting a little older for a baseball player.

He was about 35, I think at the time.

But his so much so that he finally told the manager, you need to take me out.

The manager said, I can I can't take you.

You've played 2,130 consecutive games.

And he's like, I can't do it anymore.

Got to a point.

And what was not known and then became known was that he was suffering from ALS.

And then, of course, the unbelievable heroics that they do this day for him in Yankee Stadium.

I'm gonna get emotional because I've seen this actual footage of this from 1939, where he says, I consider myself today the luckiest man alive.

I mean, I believe he really believes that, which is hard to believe in itself, and then he died two years later at the age of 37.

So I I I mentioned that because you're talking about a person who was an extremely strong human being, one of the greatest baseball players, hit 493 home runs in his career, played all those consecutive games, but the disease doesn't make any distinctions.

And um, I'm really grateful that you have taken it upon to highlight this disease and the work that you did in uh putting together this uh this Saturday.

Why don't you tell us uh you hosted this walk at uh Jungle Island?

Tell tell us a little bit more about it.

So we had our signature event that the ALS Association has, which is the walk to defeat done across the country, and we had it at Jungle Island, uh, and it was a beautiful event, brought out over 500 people to Jungle Island, and it was an experience that I know will be with these families forever.

You know, a lot of the times our walks are some of the first places that newly diagnosed patients attend.

And uh sometimes it can be the last event that they get to come together.

As you stated, mayor, um, ALS is debilitating and devastating.

So, as a development manager, and as you can see, yeah, I like to dress real funky and fly, all right.

Um, everything about any event that I do has so much love, energy, um, and it's just it it brings together community, right?

So I am very happy that this beautiful city, right, is acknowledging that.

And I just want to say this um on behalf of all of my colleagues, right?

Um, on behalf of the ALS community, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the mayor and the city commission of Miami Beach for recognizing and acknowledging the courageous ALS heroes who call Miami Beach, South Florida, and throughout Florida home.

Your support shines a light on the challenges faced by individuals and families affected with ALS and honoring their strength, resilience, and determination.

We are also deeply grateful for your recognition of the ALS Association and our ongoing efforts to serve the community through research, advocacy, and care services, support groups and resources for families in doing this difficult disease.

Thank you for standing along with our heroes.

And I'm so excited to continue the beautiful work within the city.

Thank you guys.

Wow.

Wow.

Seriously.

You started off by saying how amazing and beautiful our city is, but I'll tell you, it's people like you who just make our city the incredible city that it is.

I'm gonna and thank you, Said, Todd Bachmann for your incredible, your incredible work.

I'm not gonna read the whole proclamation, but I'm gonna read a little bit of it that hasn't been mentioned.

Um approximately 30,000 individuals in the United States are afflicted with ALS at any given time, with 5,000 new cases appearing each year with a person losing their battle with a disease every 90 minutes.

In 2013, the University of Miami ALS Center was designated as a certified treatment center for excellence for the ALS heroes living in Miami Dade County.

The City of Miami Beach raised uh recognizes the essential support provided by the University of Miami ALS Center to our residents, acknowledges the strengths of the patients, caregivers, families in our community who navigate the challenges of this disease, maintaining our dedication to ensuring those affected have access to the resources and support necessary to live with dignity.

And obviously, you're a massive part of that.

Now, therefore, do we, as mayor and commissioners of the city of Miami Beach, here by proclaim June 10th, 2026 as ALS Awareness Day in the City of Miami Beach.

Um, before we go get pictures and everything, did you start off with the expression pouring love?

Did I hear that correctly?

Absolutely.

I've never heard that, and with your permission, I would like to, I'm not gonna say steal, but spread, pour that love all over.

It's such a beautiful expression.

And hearing you talk about the the mission that you're on and the passion that you bring to it.

And I know not-for-profit work is is hard, it's challenging in these times, particularly, and it's hard when you know what the outcome is going to be, especially.

Um thank you for for pouring your love over this disease and the people who are dealing with it, and people are trying to find cures for it, and we are gonna be with you every step of the way.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I actually want to, you know, often I thank the residents and and I do, of course, and all those who are on it.

I want to thank each of you because this was this was really moving today.

This was uh it was sometimes we have 15 or 18, it was 10 today, but they were all extremely impactful.

Um, so thank you for a very meaningful uh award ceremony.

Meeting adjourned