Miami-Dade Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee Meeting - February 3, 2026

The Miami-Dade Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee met on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 10:30 AM in Commission Chambers. The committee considered a citizen's presentation, a resolution to study Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) regulations, and several departmental items. All voting items except the FOG study were approved as a block and forwarded to the full Board of County Commissioners (BCC) with favorable recommendations. The meeting included significant public testimony from small business owners and industry representatives regarding the financial burden of FOG regulations.

Consent Calendar

• Items 3A–3I were approved as a block and forwarded to the BCC with a 5-0 vote. These included:
  • 3A: Resolution authorizing 35 grants totaling $205,000 from the Department of Cultural Affairs Community Grants Program (First Quarter).
  • 3B: Resolution approving 24 grants totaling $280,200 from the Tourist Development Council Grants Program (First Quarter).
  • 3C: Resolution authorizing 26 grants totaling $173,000 from the Cultural Affairs Community Grants Program (Second Quarter).
  • 3D: Resolution approving modified Environmentally Endangered Lands Acquisition List and property boundaries.
  • 3E: Resolution ratifying an interlocal agreement with Florida International University for environmental research, with a five-year extension up to $5,450,000.
  • 3F: Resolution amending a FDOT Shared-Use Nonmotorized (SUN) Trail Grant for Biscayne Trail Segment D Phase II, increasing funds by $2,879,082 and county contribution by $1,315,908.
  • 3G: Resolution amending Resilient Florida Grant acceptance to reflect $857,600 in grant funds with $902,452.49 in matching funds.
  • 3H: Resolution approving a lease for the Lakes of the Meadows Branch Library (4284-4288 SW 152 Avenue) for a 10-year period with an estimated fiscal impact of $2,423,816.47.
  • 3I: Resolution ratifying a lease for the temporary Key Biscayne Branch Library (200 Crandon Boulevard) for up to four years with an estimated fiscal impact of $553,993.60.
• Item 6A: Approval of the Clerk's Summary of Minutes for the December 8, 2025 committee meeting, passed 5-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Citizen's Presentation (Thomas LaMarca): Resident of the Country Club of Miami association described difficulties obtaining information from the county website and 311 about permits required to plant trees on common area and county swale. He noted that the Parks Department planted 31 trees on HOA land without proper coordination and that a promised maintenance agreement was not honored. He requested clearer guidance and accountability. Commissioner Steinberg and Chair Garcia acknowledged the issue and committed to follow up.
• Public Comments on Item 2A (FOG Regulations Study): Multiple speakers expressed support for the study and detailed hardships:
  • Paul Camacho (President, Westchester Business Council): Representing mom-and-pop businesses, he stated some business owners face expenses up to $500,000 for FOG compliance and that obtaining a Certificate of Use through Durham can take up to three months. He urged relief for small businesses.
  • Carlos Casitua (Sergio's Family Restaurants): Noted that Miami-Dade is the only county in Florida requiring both county-level FOG approval and municipal requirements, causing duplication and delays. He gave an example of a long-established business fined $10,000 for a simple documentation error. He advocated for one department, one reviewer.
  • Nicholas Beaufil (Beekeeper, 4601 SW 74th Avenue): Stated that beekeepers selling honey to restaurants are required to install a grease trap despite not using fats, oils, or grease. He said he lost $40,000 in six weeks due to the costs and delays of compliance.
  • Mario Rubinez: Supported education and improvement of the FOG program, noting that many misunderstand the history of the consent decree that led to the regulations.
  • Renee Pascarella (Co-owner, Frankie's Pizza, 9120 SW 40th Street): Described the financial hardship of new mandates, including seeing a fellow pizza owner's business auctioned due to compliance costs. She suggested forming a committee of small business owners and exploring SBA loans.
  • Dylan Finger (Chairman, Flagler Business Improvement District): Shared his experience with a plant-based ice cream business forced to spend $40,000 on a new grease trap under 2019 code, even though the prior one was installed in 2016. He said the burden is stalling food and beverage revitalization in downtown Miami.
  • Andrew Platt (Restaurant operator, 1630 NW 83rd Avenue, Miami Lakes): Owns six restaurants. He noted he spent $200,000 on plumbing for a low-grease operation. He described being forced to pay $7,000 for a new grease flow calculation that confirmed an existing system. He urged a tiered approach based on grease production.
  • Colin Clark (New York City cocktail bar owner, 1504 Bay Road, Miami Beach): Moved to Miami to open a low-grease concept and said investors constantly raise concerns over grease trap requirements.
  • Felix Bendersky (Owner, FMB Hospitality Brokerage): Stated that 30% of new restaurants in the City of Miami fail to open due to grease trap issues. He called the FOG regulations Miami-Dade's "Achilles heel" and urged simplification for small businesses with low grease output.
  • Roxy Pascarella (Frankie's Pizza, 9118 SW 40th Street): Questioned why grease traps are not mandated for homeowners on septic tanks if the goal is environmental protection.

Discussion Items

• Item 2A – Resolution to Study FOG Regulations (Prime Sponsor: Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez): Commissioner Bermudez introduced the resolution, noting that the FOG regulations (adopted in 2017 under a federal consent decree) impose significant financial burdens on small businesses. He cited examples such as requiring full replacement of a grease trap even for minor breaches, and forcing ice cream shops to comply with the same requirements as high-grease restaurants. He acknowledged the need to protect the environment but stressed the urgency of making regulations less burdensome.
• Committee Discussion:
  • Abby, County Attorney: Provided context that the consent decree, entered in 2013, required the county to adopt and seek EPA/FDEP approval for the FOG ordinance. Any changes must also be approved by those agencies.
  • Commissioner Regalado: Supported the study and emphasized that businesses on septic tanks face additional limitations. She is working on a separate item requiring disclosure of septic tank status in commercial leases and suggested including an explanation of septic tank conversion options in the report, if it does not delay the timeline.
  • Commissioner Steinberg: Also expressed support and noted the importance of engaging the business community. She offered to co-sponsor the item.
  • Director Roy (Water and Sewer Department): Noted the consent order is demanding but the county has improved its relationship with EPA by accelerating projects. He confirmed that any substantive changes to FOG rules will need EPA and FDEP approval. He said a 60-day timeline to identify potential changes is possible, but implementation will take longer.
• Additional Discussion on IT Decentralization: Following the citizen presentation, Commissioner Regalado suggested decoupling the IT functions of Water and Sewer and Building departments to improve website and data access. Commissioner Steinberg agreed to lead an item on this topic, with Chair Garcia offering to co-sponsor.

Key Outcomes

• Item 2A was amended to:
  • Reduce the report deadline from 90 days to 60 days.
  • Include in the report an explanation of the limitations and options for commercial properties with septic tanks (e.g., conversion to sewer).
  • The amended resolution passed 5-0 and was forwarded to the BCC for the February 18, 2026 meeting.
• All other agenda items (Consent Calendar and minutes) were approved 5-0 and forwarded to the BCC with favorable recommendations.
• The committee directed Commissioner Steinberg to bring forward an item to explore decoupling IT services for the Water and Sewer and Building Departments as a pilot program. Chair Garcia indicated he would co-sponsor.