Miami-Dade County Safety and Health Committee Meeting — October 13, 2026

The Miami-Dade County Safety and Health Committee met on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. in Commission Chambers. Chairman Roberto J. Gonzalez presided, with Vice Chairman Sen. René García and Commissioners Marleine Bastien, Keon Hardemon (referred to as Hardeman in the transcript), and Vicki L. Lopez present. The committee recognized a national scholarship winner, adopted a behavioral health trust fund ordinance, approved routine consent items, and amended a legacy dispatch software contract before approval.

Consent Calendar

• The committee set the agenda with the addition of item 3C and the withdrawal of item 1F1, a discussion item regarding SBE compliance on inmate meal service contract EVN0000173.
• A motion to approve all non-hearing items except pulled item 3C passed by voice vote. This included:
  • Resolution 260536 retroactively approving IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly agreements and a Miami-Dade VITA partnership with Branches, Inc., with a base payment between $4.50 and $5.50 per accepted return for the term December 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026.
  • Resolution 261666 approving an intergovernmental agreement with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida for fire rescue and emergency medical services, initial three-year term with automatic successive one-year renewals, estimated initial operating cost $5,432,940 for FY 2026-2027 shared equally by the county and the tribe.
  • Clerk's summary of minutes for the September 8, 2026 Safety and Health Committee meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No speaker cards were submitted. The committee opened and closed the reasonable opportunity to be heard with no public speakers.
• The public hearing on ordinance item 1G1 was also opened and closed with no public comments.

Special Presentation

• Sen. René García presented a proclamation honoring Zahara Price, recipient of a 2026 NACo scholarship.
• Price, a Miami Dade College North Campus student and daughter of county employee Shandra Price, was recognized for an essay on financial literacy and saving.
• Greg Russell of Nationwide Retirement Solutions presented a $2,500 scholarship. Speakers noted Price was one of four recipients nationwide and declared October 13, 2026 as Sahara Price Day in Miami-Dade County.
• Commissioner Bastien introduced students and Professor Perdell Frank from the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus civic engagement program; student Melinda Cardenas spoke briefly about the English for academic purposes program.

Discussion Items

• Item 1F1 was withdrawn during agenda setting at the request of Commissioner Lopez, so no discussion occurred on the inmate meal service SBE compliance item.
• Item 3C: Resolution 261690, non-competitive legacy contract L-10680 with Medical Priority Consultants, Inc. dba Priority Dispatch Corp. for priority dispatch software maintenance and support, in the amount of $2,110,789 for an initial five-year term plus a two-year renewal option, was pulled by Commissioner Lopez for discussion.
  • Fire Chief Ray Jadala explained the software is used by 911 call takers for pre-arrival instructions and call triaging, and noted the current contract expires December 31. He said alternative replacement costs were estimated at $5 million to $6 million, and that maintaining the system is proprietary.
  • Commissioner Lopez expressed concern that the item arrived less than two months before expiration, leaving limited options. She stated she is drafting legislation to require two years' advance notice before legacy contracts expire.
  • Commissioner Hardeman criticized the non-competitive renewal for a vendor providing service since 1998 and proposed an amendment shortening the contract to two years with a one-year renewal option.
  • Commissioner Bastien called for deeper assessments, best practices research, and better preparation before bringing legacy contracts to the board.
  • Commissioner Garcia supported the amendment and noted the broader problem of legacy systems countywide, including integration costs.
  • The County Attorney noted that because the contract had already been negotiated and signed by the vendor, amendments would require vendor agreement.

Key Outcomes

• Ordinance 261454 was adopted unanimously, creating the Miami-Dade County Behavioral Health Advisory Board Trust Fund under Section 2-430.6 of the County Code; Commissioner Garcia described it as enabling the board to accept private donations.
• The committee approved the amended item 3C: two-year contract with a one-year renewal option, instead of five years with a two-year option, subject to vendor agreement. The vote was by voice vote with all ayes.
• The remaining consent items were approved.
• The meeting adjourned after the special presentation and votes.