Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners Meeting – February 6, 2024
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Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners Meeting – February 6, 2024
The Board of County Commissioners met on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at 9:30 AM in Commission Chambers. The meeting included special presentations honoring Oscar J. Braynon and declaring Interfaith Harmony Week, the mayoral appointment of a new Juvenile Services Director, first and second readings of several ordinances, and extensive debate over a detainee communications contract. Most items passed unanimously, but key items were deferred or amended.
Consent Calendar
- Approved several mayoral reports: Aviation Capital Program reports (November 2023, December 2023, January 2024), Seaport Department quarterly report, updated report on job classifications not requiring a four-year degree, COVID-19 impact on transit employees report, 2023 Summer Youth Internship Program report, revised Community Based Organization report cards, Military Reservists Pay semi-annual report, and the mayoral appointment of a Director of Juvenile Services Department. All passed 12-0.
- Adopted commissioner consent items (resolutions approving discretionary reserve allocations for Districts 2, 13, 1, 11, 3, 8, 9, 7, 10, a street co-designation, and a surplus vehicle donation). All passed 12-0.
- Ratified departmental consent items: FDOT grant agreements for aviation projects, and a shore power interconnection agreement for PortMiami. Passed 12-0.
- Approved numerous departmental items, including fire rescue MOA, lease amendments, CRA budgets, health department contract, behavioral health services contract, design services for Zoo Miami, joint-use agreement with Miami-Dade Public Schools, authority for pedestrian beacons, property conveyance, Rickenbacker Causeway bridge studies, interlocal agreements, bridge replacement change orders, wastewater injection well certifications, water treatment plant change orders, and various procurement contracts. Most passed 12-0 or 13-0.
- Approved the FY 2024-28 update of the People’s Transportation Plan five-year implementation plan. Passed 12-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the “Reasonable Opportunity to be Heard” portion; the chair reported no speakers were recorded.
- Public hearings were opened and closed collectively for items 5A-5L without any public testimony being offered.
Discussion Items
- Special Presentations: The Commission presented a proclamation declaring February 1-7, 2024 as “Interfaith Harmony Week” and recognized Oscar J. Braynon for his years of service on the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust (CITT). Remarks were made by Chairman Gilbert, Mayor Levine Cava, Commissioner Higgins, and CITT Chair Robert Wolfarth. The Florida Memorial University Chorale performed.
- Mayoral Appointment: The Mayor introduced Ladwin Bess as the new Director of the Juvenile Services Department. Ms. Bess, a 20-year veteran of the department, outlined her commitment to a “no wrong door” approach and prevention programs. The appointment was confirmed unanimously.
- First Reading Ordinances (Items 4A-4C): An ordinance to allow publication of legal ads on a county website (4A), an ordinance modifying transit fare/service change approval durations (4B), and an ordinance requiring a community benefits statement for certain housing projects (4C) were all adopted on first reading with unanimous 13-0 votes. Items 4D and 4D substitute (toy guns in parks) were deferred to no date certain.
- Public Hearings (Items 5A-5L): All 12 plat approvals, street co-designations, right-of-way vacations, and community development district expansions were adopted with 13-0 votes.
- Second Reading Ordinances (Items 7A-7K): Seven ordinances were adopted on second reading including: PACE program consumer protections (7A, amended to delay enforcement 45 days), zoning reconsideration procedures (7B), conflict of interest ethics amendments (7C), creation of a Behavioral Health Advisory Board (7D, amended to lower quorum threshold, passed 12-1), building code administration changes (7E, amended via supplement), hedge height zoning in unincorporated areas (7F), wall/fence heights for schools and child care (7G), for-hire vehicle solicitation penalties (7I, amended to retain imprisonment language), Addiction Services Board membership (7J), and solar facility zoning amendments (7K). Items 7H (RTZ signage) was deferred. Item 8P1 (detainee communications contract) was debated at length.
- Debate on Detainee Communications Contract (Item 8P1): The contract with Securus Technologies, valued at up to $10 million over five years, was pulled for discussion. Commissioners debated whether the contract was truly “no-cost” to the county. The Commission Auditor’s Office estimated a net annual impact of $3.4 million due to lost commissions ($2.4M) and required monitoring services ($1M). The administration argued the optional services (monitoring, behavior rewards, premium content) were needed for safety and inmate management. Multiple commissioners expressed concern that the contract expanded beyond basic communication (phone, video visits, emails) to include streaming music and movies, and that the county would bear costs not initially anticipated. Commissioner Hardemon, Higgins, Bastien, and Cohen Higgins argued for humane treatment and rehabilitation benefits. Commissioner Steinberg, Cabrera, and Garcia opposed the cost and optional services described as “not optional.” After extensive discussion, Commissioner McGee successfully moved to defer the item to the March 19, 2024 meeting to allow for further clarification.
- Other Pulled Items:
- Items 8O3 and 8O4 (water/sewer change orders) were passed after commissioners urged better record-keeping of underground utilities.
- Item 8P3 (dark fiber lease contract) was adopted 12-1.
- Item 14A2 (human trafficking enforcement) was adopted unanimously.
- Item 15D1 (Children’s Trust gubernatorial appointments) resulted in three nominees: Sylvia Castellanos, Tamara LaBruce, and a third nominee (vote counts provided). Names forwarded to the governor.
Key Outcomes
- Deferrals: Item 8P1 (detainee communications) deferred to March 19, 2024; items 4D/4D substitute (toy guns in parks) deferred to no date certain.
- Adopted Unanimously: All consent items, first readings, public hearings, and most second readings passed with 12-0 or 13-0 votes.
- Amendments: Ordinance 7A (PACE) amended to set 45-day enforcement delay; Ordinance 7D (Behavioral Health Advisory Board) amended to lower quorum requirement; Ordinance 7I (for-hire vehicles) amended to retain language on imprisonment.
- Nominations: Three nominees for Children’s Trust forwarded to Governor DeSantis.
- Vilomah Awards: Announced for March 19, 2024 meeting, honoring Andres and Melissa Fernandez.
- Directives: The Commission approved a resolution directing a study of Educational Facilities Impact Fees and another to identify and allocate $85,600 for elder abuse prosecution support.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. We're good. We're going. It's ready for him. Ready for the morning, everyone. My name is Oliver Gilbert. I'm the chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, and thank you all for joining us for this portion of our agenda. This portion of our agenda is where we recognize extraordinary people and extraordinary organizations, people who are doing wonderful things in the community, people who've contributed a lot to our community. I don't know why they're standing off to the side today. Normally they stand back here. It's it's it's it's like a new day. No, no, that's not yet though, y'all. It's not yet. Come on. Come on, y'all. Come on. You know, move the people music, Gabrera. Okay, Vice Chairman, welcome. Um, so we we have several presentations today. Uh the first presentation is I'm gonna recognize this the director of the CITT, the executive director of CITT. But before I do that, I I should just speak a little bit about this man. We're gonna be honoring Oscar Brainen Senior. Oscar Brainen Sr. for as long as I can remember, his name has been synonymous with service. His name has been synonymous with service. There are a lot of people whose names you won't necessarily know now. You might know his name because his son was a state senator and he had the exact same name, Oscar Brainen. So it's confusing. But but but this gentleman is responsible for a lot of the advancements, the the innovations, the transportation that happens in this county, it happens because he had vision. And so you'll see those people and you hear those people and they work behind the scenes often. You don't hear from them often, but we do acknowledge as a commission, we acknowledge as a county uh in our official capacities and my personal capacity, their service, the extraordinary service to the extraordinary community. So if I bear could come on up, but this presentation is for Oscar Brainen Senior. You all give them a round of applause. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Chairman, for being it's like a chairman's circle here. Um I'm not gonna uh say too much. I'm going to um allow our chairman Robert Wolfarth uh to say a few words on behalf of the CITT. But on behalf of the CITT staff, Oscar, you were an amazing chairman, always very supportive of staff. Um you led with dignity, integrity, passion, uh creativity. We we did so much under your leadership. Um and and going back to all the years that you were a member, you were just a fantastic uh member of the CITT and a true public servant in every sense of the word. So I said I wasn't gonna say anything, and here I go. So let me give the mic to our chairman. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Executive uh Director.
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