The Safety and Health Committee of the Miami-Dade County Commission met on September 8, 2026, at 12:30 PM, chaired by Chairman Roberto J. Gonzalez. Commissioners Marleine Bastien, Keon Hardemon, and Vicki L. Lopez were present; Vice Chairman Garcia was absent. The committee considered a consent calendar of routine resolutions and a special presentation, and unanimously approved all items, forwarding them to the full Board of County Commissioners with a favorable recommendation (4-0).
With the Pledge of Allegiance and with the invocation, if Commissioner Hardman can please lead us in the invocation. And then we have a small short presentation in the well. I see hands over the chest. And colleagues, if you would just join me at the well uh real quick to recognize a very special young man. All right. All right, so good morning. So today we want to recognize a very, very, very special young man, uh Lorenzo Shadid. Lorenzo Shadid is a student in District 11's Moss School. And Lorenzo actually has won third place statewide with a brilliant essay that he wrote, brilliant, on what he would do if he were mayor. What guys, it's after our jobs. He should read it. He should. I think he should. He should. Do you uh do do we have a copy of the essay? I do. If he remembers about it. She has a copy of the essence of it. Lorenzo, do you mind? Do you mind reading it for us? Lorenzo, I think. Let's do it. Okay. Oh wow, Lorenzo, this is gonna be good. Yes. People are gonna listen. Very carefully. Oh wow. Thank you, Mayor. Lorenzo will get rid of this. There you go. Oh, here. Let's do it up here. Yes. Mike check. Let's do it. Thank you, Lorenzo. Thank you. So the essay I wrote began with if I was elected mayor of Miami Dade, I would focus on addressing the problems that affect people every day of their lives, specifically in traffic, flooding, and the increasingly high cost of living. These issues make life more difficult for students, families, and workers across our county. One major problem in Miami Dade is the traffic. Long drives, waste time, harm the air and our environment. As mayor, I would improve public transportation and redesign dangerous intersections in your schools. I would use local data to decide where buses, bike lanes, and traffic changes are needed most, rather than implementing one plan for every area. Another problem is flooding, especially after the heavy rain. Neighborhoods get damaged and families worry during the hurricane season. To fix this, I would improve in drainage systems and make neighborhoods stronger so families stay safe before storms hit. The cost of living is currently very high and is pushing families out of the county. Many people who work full-time and have a nine to five job still struggle to afford housing. To address this, I would invest in affordable housing and if and enforce strict renter protections to prevent families from being priced out of their own neighborhoods.