Miami-Dade Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee Meeting - May 12, 2026
Miami-Dade County Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee Meeting - May 12, 2026
The Miami-Dade County Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee met on May 12, 2026. The agenda listed the meeting start at 10:30 AM local time, though the provided timestamp indicates 15:15 UTC (11:15 AM EDT); this discrepancy is noted but did not affect proceedings. The committee considered three items: a film permitting interlocal agreement, preservation covenants for Vizcaya Museum, and an environmentally endangered lands property acquisition. All items were adopted unanimously by a vote of 5-0. Public testimony was heard on the definition of resilience in housing, and a discussion about future budget planning occurred.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Renita Holmes, founder of Wave of Women in Public Housing, spoke about the need to redefine resilience in the context of healthy housing, particularly for residents with disabilities. She urged the committee to prioritize high-quality, healthy housing standards and better inspector training, noting that current definitions of resilience do not adequately address health disparities in inner-city communities.
Discussion Items
- Item 2A: Film Permitting Interlocal Agreement with Village of Biscayne Park – Resolution approving a five-year interlocal agreement (with two five-year renewal options) for film permitting services. Prime sponsor Sen. Rene Garcia, with co-sponsors Kionne L. McGhee and Micky Steinberg. The committee adopted the resolution unanimously.
- Item 3A: Vizcaya Museum Preservation Covenants – Resolution approving restrictive covenants for the preservation of the Superintendent’s House (15-year term, $500,000 grant) and the Main House Swimming Pool Grotto (20-year term, $750,000 grant) from the federal Save America’s Treasures program. Also rescinds a prior resolution (R-983-24). Prime sponsor Raquel A. Regalado, with co-sponsors Marleine Bastien and Sen. Rene Garcia. Adopted unanimously.
- Item 3B: Environmentally Endangered Lands Property Acquisition – Resolution accepting assignment of an option to purchase approximately 38.86 acres within the Coastal Wetlands Project from The Nature Conservancy to Miami-Dade County, with seller Masri Blackpoint, LLC, for $971,000 funded from Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond. Prime sponsor Kionne L. McGhee, with co-sponsors Marleine Bastien, Sen. Rene Garcia, Raquel A. Regalado, and Micky Steinberg. Adopted unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- All three resolutions (2A, 3A, 3B) were approved by a vote of 5-0 and forwarded to the full Board of County Commissioners.
- Commissioner Steinberg raised a concern about the lack of budget discussions in the Appropriations committee and requested a discussion item on the budget for the next committee meeting, specifically regarding parks and revenue maximization. Chairman Garcia agreed to work with staff to place a discussion item on the next agenda.
- The committee adjourned following the discussion.
Meeting Transcript
Our seat um and turn off our cell phone so we can call the Mummy Day Board of County Commissioners Recreation Tourism and Resiliency Committee meeting to order. Mr. Clerk, please um call call a roll and announce the presence of a quorum. Yes, uh good morning, Commissioner Bastian. Here commissioner McGee, Commissioner Regalado, Vice Chair Woman Steinberg. Chairman Garcia. Present. We have a quorum. Uh before we get started, we're gonna have uh Commissioner Bastien do uh a prayer and then followed with um Commissioner Regalado Pledge of Allegiance. But uh folks, just remember uh we can keep um Margie that her mom passed away this uh weekend. Um please keep her in her prayer and her prayers. Uh she's an amazing human being, and she did a lot for her mother, so we can just remember that, and I appreciate that. So, Commissioner uh Bastien, please. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Dear Lord, guide us, protect us, illumine the lamps of our hearts, all of our hearts. Give us the strength to continue to serve all the residents of Miami Dave County with love, courage, and compassion. We ask this in your name, dear Lord, as we all say amen. And to do for which one nation by God with liberty and justice did. All right, folks, thank you. Madam Attorney Morning, Mr. Chair. Now would be an appropriate time to extend to the reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard. Okay, thank you. Uh we have public testimony now. Public hearing is now open. I think we have Ms. Holmes. Welcome. Thank you, Chairman. I just wanted to put on the record my special request to you all in regards to the word resilience, which you all define. Okay, Madam Renita Holmes that checked the clerk for the address. Um I just wanted to give an awakening because I'll allude to something. I'm hanging out with you guys today about resilience and how you define it. Uh I'm creator and the founder of uh Wave of Women in Public Housing, as well as BBC's 2025, one of the great hundreds of women like us who are out there talking about being green and environmentally women work is a big big project for me. It's proven. But right now I'm talking about uh how resilience is defined by those of us and that live in the inner city community. Those of us who think that when a kid's nose is running that he has some type of snotty nose when it just may be the allergies based on the products that are utilized by the homeowners and the developers that we have allergies for. I've got 60. It's a big issue when you're building when you're building, you must build safe and you must build healthy. Just flowers. That's what they tell me they are, but yet you have to carry a heppy pen. It's just drywall, they say. So we'll just or it's just a little bit of mold on the AC, so we'll just take a mop and clean it up. Can only use Clorox. So the lack of education, the lack of resilience, and how I have been able to balance it through these respiratory illnesses, non-contagious, of course, unless you're ignorant of it. It will get you. And these days, developing and housing don't reveal the truth. So when you define resilience and we get so much funding and resilience, and we talk about building, we talk about the unforeseen disparity when it comes to the health of people like myself with disabilities and housing, then we need to start talking about high quality standards in housing, and your inspectors need to be taught. Because quality housing is be healthy housing, which keeps us safe.
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