Miami Beach City Commission Meeting – September 10, 2026
Miami Beach City Commission Meeting – September 10, 2026
The Miami Beach City Commission met on September 10, 2026, beginning with an invocation, a moment of silence for 9/11, and a Sutnik hour where residents raised concerns about police accountability, marina safety, ocean drive closures, holiday lighting, and the Fifth Street pedestrian bridge. The consent agenda was approved after several items were separated for individual discussion. Key actions included approval of a resolution to urge Miami-Dade County to pedestrianize Ocean Drive from Thanksgiving through March 31, direction to transition license plate readers from state roads to private property, and approval of an independent engineering assessment for the Fifth Street pedestrian bridge. The commission also adopted a revised water rate increase plan that funds critical infrastructure while reducing the initial rate hike, passed the FY2027 budget with a millage rate reduction, and approved several zoning and development items.
Consent Calendar
- The consent agenda (excluding separated items and addendums) was approved unanimously, including routine approvals and contract ratifications.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jessica Salabaria (former MBPD officer) alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, and lack of accountability within the police department.
- Joseph Frias requested clarification on marina safety and enforcement of lease terms for parking and security.
- Speaker (name not given) criticized burying the Ocean Drive closure item in the consent agenda and water rate increase notification.
- Janet Figueroa urged grandfathering artist vendors into the program and raised privacy concerns about license plate readers (LPRs).
- Kurt Stange asked that holiday lighting RFQ be pulled from consent for discussion of procurement process.
- Commissioner Larry Rosen opposed pickleball courts at Bay Shore Park.
- Michael Rossi requested continued grant eligibility for Holiday Festival of Lights.
- Mary Kenneth (VP, Quality Education Committee) requested exemption from meeting time caps for her committee and the youth committee.
- Victoria Holler spoke against the proposed redevelopment of Savoy/Arlington hotels under the Live Local Act.
- Stephen Meller urged the city to ensure the Van Buren pedestrian bridge is built.
- Rocco Chevrella, Nick Ivanovich, Manuel Varela, and others called for independent review of the bridge.
- Brett Benza thanked the commission for improving Canopy Park.
- Callers (via Zoom) expressed support for pedestrianizing Ocean Drive, urged caution on LPRs, and supported various agenda items.
Discussion Items
- Ocean Drive Pedestrianization (R9AG): Commissioner Dominguez proposed urging Miami-Dade County to close Ocean Drive from Thanksgiving through March 31. The commission approved (7-0).
- License Plate Readers:
- C7BH (Mayor Minor): Authorized the city manager to negotiate agreements with private property owners to relocate LPRs from state roads, with a $50,000 cap and a 30-day policy review by the police chief. Approved (6-1, Suarez opposed).
- C7BE (Commissioner Suarez): Proposed a 90-day moratorium on LPR expansion pending safeguard development. Failed for lack of support.
- Motion to Terminate Flock Technology (Commissioner Fernandez): Directed administration to work with the Venetian Islands Association to transition from Flock cameras. Approved (6-1, Suarez opposed).
- Fifth Street Pedestrian Bridge (C7BG): Directed an independent engineering assessment to evaluate feasibility and required the developer to use funds for an alternative if the bridge cannot be built. Approved (7-0).
- Water Rate Increase (R5D): Approved (7-0) with an amendment to include all 10-year critical stormwater needs projects in the five-year plan, reducing the original rate increase.
- Alton City Center Overlay (R5E/R5F): Approved (6-1, Suarez opposed) allowing increased FAR and height on a specific parcel in exchange for 20-year rental housing commitment, year-round leases, and other conditions.
- Budget (R7C): Approved (7-0) as amended, including funding for employee events, a crime scene technician position, fire PIO, playtime program, and other one-time allocations; millage rate set at lowest in 10 years.
- Artist Vendor Program (R5AC): Approved (7-0) as amended to grandfather 16 non-resident vendors with a zero-tolerance policy for counterfeit goods.
- Miami City Ballet Sublease (C7i): Approved (7-0) as a month-to-month market-rate lease after discussion of restoring the Ballet Bus program.
Key Outcomes
- Ocean Drive pedestrianization urged to county (7-0).
- LPR transition to private property approved with $50K cap (6-1).
- Termination of Flock technology directed (6-1).
- Independent bridge assessment approved (7-0).
- Water rate increase adopted (7-0) with expanded critical needs projects.
- Alton City Center Overlay approved (6-1) with 20-year rental restriction.
- FY2027 budget adopted (7-0) with millage rate decrease and various funding restorations.
- Artist vendor grandfathering approved (7-0) with anti-counterfeit amendment.
- Miami City Ballet sublease approved as month-to-month (7-0).
- Allison Island, Biscayne Beach, and Biscayne Point special taxing districts budgets and assessment rolls approved unanimously.
- Referrals and other items approved as noted.
Meeting Transcript
And address for the record. How to participate in public meetings via Zoom. Once you have joined the Zoom meeting, go to the bottom panel and click on the raise hand icon to notify the meeting host that you would like to speak. As soon as the host grants you permission to speak, a dialog box will pop up on your screen with two options. Select the unmute button to begin speaking. After you finish speaking, mute your microphone and click on the lower hand icon. Once unmuted, you may begin speaking. After you finish sharing your comments, be sure to press star nine to lower your hand and star six to mute yourself. 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. Please stand by. We are going on air in five, four, three, two, one. Good morning. Welcome everyone to our commission meeting, September tenth. Hope everyone had a great summer. Uh, it's always busy here, but uh it was a good chance to uh refresh and back to business. Thank you to my colleagues for being here. Everyone's uh settling in. I'll turn to our city clerk to give us any pertinent instructions. Good morning, everyone. The city commission is physically present in the commission chamber at my Me Beach City Hall, seventeen hundred, conventional center drive, third floor. Members of the public are invited to attend either in person or virtually. If you're joining us virtually, you can log in using the Zoom app or visit Zoom.us on your browser. You can also phone in at 305-224-1968. Again, 305-224-1968 or toll-free 888-475-4499. The webinar ID is 813-928-576-71, 813-928-576-71. If you would like to speak virtually on an item during the meeting, please click the raise hand icon if using the Zoom app or press star nine on your phone. The Zoom link and webinar ID and phone number stay the same for every commission meeting. All lobbyists must register with the office of the city clerk located on the first floor of City Hall. You do not need to register if you're an expert witness giving only technical or specialized testimony. A representative of a neighborhood association or a nonprofit speaking without pay or a private citizen speaking on your own behalf without compensation. However, if you're an expert witness or a nonprofit or neighborhood rep, you do need to submit a written disclosure to the office of the city clerk before speaking with a commission or city staff. Forms are available at the office of the city clerk. If a lobbyist gives or agrees to give a thousand dollars or more to a neighborhood association or its representative regarding a city matter, that must be disclosed in writing to the clerk. Note that contingency fees are not permitted to be compensated to compensate lobbyists. If you plan to speak during the commission meeting today, you can sign in using the sign-in sheets at the podium or scan the QR codes also located there and sign in electronically. Thank you. Thank you, Ralph. Like to invite up for our invocation, Rabbi Ben Sian Korf. First, I'm going to say a couple of words. I told him I'm going to try to make him blush. So first of all, Rabbi Korf is a chaplain with our Miami Beach Police Department. I was I was hoping you'd have those beautiful new uniforms that the chaplains have now. But uh but you look look great. But you you and your family are your parents came down here, your father was uh was an emissary of the Lababacherevi coming coming here and was uh without question instrumental in building uh Jewish institutions, Jewish life here in Florida and uh of course Miami Beach, and you've continued that as head of the Lababach Educational Center, uh very large yeshiva, and of course, uh your synagogue. Your sons now have their own synagogues in Miami Beach and uh continuing to do uh great work. Really, I like to say not just for the Jewish people, but really spreading spreading um love and unity uh throughout the community of Miami Beach and beyond. So thank you for being here. It's it's true honor.
openpublica.com