Miami-Dade Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee Meeting – September 10, 2026

On September 10, 2026, the Miami-Dade County Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee convened in Commission Chambers. Chairwoman Natalie Milian Orbis presided; Vice Chairwoman Vicki L. Lopez, Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, and Sen. Rene Garcia were present. Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez was absent. The committee established a quorum, adopted its agenda, heard one public comment, and forwarded several items to the full County Commission.

Consent Calendar

• The committee adopted the agenda, including the requested deferral of items 1G1 and 2B to no date certain and the addition of Commissioner Lopez as co-sponsor of item 2C.
• The Clerk’s summary of minutes for the July 15, 2026 committee meeting was approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Chad Burkhalter, acting city manager for the City of Florida City, reported that the city had a change in leadership on Tuesday and its planner could not attend. He requested deferral of the Florida City annexation items on the agenda. No other members of the public spoke during the reasonable opportunity to be heard.

Discussion Items

• Item 3B (Resolution 261567): The committee reviewed a $19,721,600.00 Sourcewell contract for critical care and EMS equipment. Commissioner Cohen Higgins said she supported the item but requested more detail, including number of defibrillators, cost per unit, date of last purchase, and market-rate comparison. Jason Fernandez of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the item covers 75 defibrillators at approximately $40,000 each, plus stretchers and consumables, and that 150 units had already been purchased under an adjacent contract. He said the department’s current defibrillators are 12 years old and end-of-life. Staff stated that advanced life-pack defibrillators generally range from $35,000 to $50,000, making the price consistent with the market. Fire Rescue Chief Edwards asked that the item be moved to the next board meeting to meet the department’s procurement timeline, with the requested breakdown included. The committee agreed.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1G1 (Ordinance 261266), the Florida City charter amendment and annexation of unincorporated Area J, was deferred 3–0 to no date certain.
• Item 2B (Resolution 261500), the annexation interlocal agreement between Miami-Dade County and the City of Florida City, was deferred 3–0 to no date certain.
• Item 2A (Resolution 261334) was forwarded to the County Commission with a favorable recommendation 3–0, reappointing Leviticus L. Gilliard and Tyreke Spann to the West Perrine Community Redevelopment Agency Board and designating Gilliard as Chairman and Spann as Vice-Chairman.
• Item 2C (Resolution 261413) was forwarded to the County Commission with a favorable recommendation 3–0, directing the International Trade Consortium to negotiate and prepare a sister cities agreement with the City of Brasília, Brazil, and to monitor its performance.
• Item 3A (Resolution 261464) was forwarded to the County Commission with a favorable recommendation 3–0, ratifying vendor additions to open prequalification pools for January 1 through June 30, 2026.
• Item 3B (Resolution 261567) was forwarded to the County Commission with a favorable recommendation 3–0 after discussion; the Fire Rescue Department is to provide Commissioner Cohen Higgins with a detailed expenditure breakdown.

The meeting adjourned after the committee completed its agenda.