The meeting began at 9:30 AM with special presentations and a citizen's presentation on the Status of Women report. The board then proceeded through consent items, public hearings, and discussion items. Key votes included passing the agricultural zoning ordinance (7B) with amendments, approving a new detainee communication contract (8P1), and directing termination of the ATMS contract (11A2). Several special taxing districts and plat approvals were also adopted.
It's first day of spring, man. Such astylish man. Trying to keep up with you, my man. Oliver Gilbert. You know, we got a lot of a lot of very honorable uh women today here for women's month. So I uh guys, please keep it down. We are in women's month, so and I have a beautiful and very respected woman right next to me, Chief Edwards. Uh Commissioner Hardeman, I think has some very special presentations for for today. So without further ado, Commissioner. Roll that beautiful bing footage. Lena Mae Hickson Carlier has been a Brownsville resident for over 64 years. Miss Carmel served over 30 years in health care in the Brownsville and Liberty City areas. After graduating from nursing school in Winston Selman, North Carolina, Miss Carmel joined other black nurses at Christian Hospital, the first black-owned hospital facility in Miami. When the hospital relocated to the Brownsville community in 1959, she was able to walk to work. Miss Carla then became one of the lead nurses for Miami's first black pediatrician, Dr. Danielle Simpson, whose office was located in Liberty City. She cared for children for 30 years, among other civic duties. Connecting residents of the community to health care services, as well as members of the migrant community. She is a proud member of the women's committee of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce. And as a member of the Amigos, Di Roberto Romente Park. Catherine Myself, along with her husband Dan, is the founder of the Fountainhead Residency, which offers artists a place to live and work in Miami. Their mutual passion for art has led Catherine to collect, host, and support over 300 artists from around the world. And currently has one of Florida's most important contemporary art collections. She has successfully managed and operated Lubin's Discount Beauty Supply and General Merchandise. Together with her husband, Esther has elevated and provided services to the Little Haiti community for over four decades. When you say community health care, it is synonymous with Annie Needsman. Annie served as president and CEO of the Jesse Trice Community Health Center for over 19 years. She was a deputy secretary of health, a chief public health nurse of the Florida Department of Health, serving as executive administrator of Miami Day County Health Department. She is a decorated health care professional and a loyal civic leader with over four decades of experience. But uh but I also like to give a special shout out to my staff for helping create that wonderful video. Can you give them a round of applause? They really stepped it up. And what I like to do is I thought I was gonna give each one of them out, but Missy took care of that for me. It's okay. It's good. And so what I like to do instead is maybe just offer them just a few words if they'd like to say something to the crowd uh in honor of what they've been able to accomplish in their time here in Miami Dade County. So I'll start over here. Well, I want to thank you so very much. It is such an honor and a pleasure to be here, and it I to see you speak um as I had the pleasure of seeing the other week about how you speak about the arts and how you speak about your family and the importance of your role in leading this community. It it moved me to my core, so thank you. It's an honor to be here with you. And I just want to um I want people to be inspired by the arts. I want you to see the power of art to change our lives, to change how we view one another, how we move through this world, and um I do that through bringing artists in from around the world, and to show you and open up the studios of artists throughout Miami Dade County. So hopefully you'll come and take advantage of all the free events that we have at Fountainhead Arts. Good morning. Thank you so much for having me here. We really appreciate you at Burning Medical Centers. Um we remember you from uh being there with us, and I'm just grateful to be here. Thank you. Good morning all thank you, Commissioner Harman, and to the chairman and other commissioners.