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Record of Proceedings

Miami-Dade County Commission Special Meeting - December 12, 2024: Approval of Interlocal Agreements with Constitutional Officers

Board of County Commissioners — Thursday, December 12, 2024

BodyMiami Dade County, Florida

SessionBoard of County Commissioners

DateThursday, December 12, 2024

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:28:41

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

2:32

Christmas is memories the kind you always keep deck the halls and give a cheer all the things that Christmas is each year.

2:46

Christmas is carols to warm you in the snow.

2:51

Christmas is bedtime when no one wants to go.

2:56

All the world is gentle right.

3:00

So glad to know that Christmas is tonight.

4:04

So glad to know that Christmas is tonight.

5:00

Christmas Christmas baby I hope you get a whole lot of good presents to play with baby Shake hands shake hands shake hands with Santa Claus If you want some candy I'll bring you the candy shake hands with Santa Claus I love you I love you and I'm gonna bring some candy and flowers and everything around the season shake hands with Santa Claus I love you I love you and I'd walk a mile to bring you the bearers and watch you smile Oh just to share a love like yours with miracles I could do I make a rain for chase the storm when the weather gets cool I'll make it warm if you want a cottage I'll finish the cottage shake hands with Santa Claus I love you I love you I give you my oil I'm like Virginia and your bacon call if you do the dreamin' I'll do the skin's shake hands with Santa Claus or just to win a love like yours I follow you to Capri I kiss you on the streets of Rome then we need scongel and fly back home if you want bananas some great big bananas shake hands with Santa Claus Oh I love you I love you and I'm gonna bring bananas pianas and everything if you do the dreamin' I'll do the skin and shake and shake hands shake hands with Santa Claus do the sunset strip somebody's gonna make a happy trip tonight while the moon is bright he's gonna have a bag of crazy toys I give the corners up the toils and boys old day Santa comes on day you come upon when the snow's the most and all your cats are sleeping warm as toes and you can flip with old sand nickel lick on the peppermint stick come a flying from higher place so you have a you less come in island to the sunset strip somebody's gonna make a happy trip tonight while the moon is bright gonna have a bag of crazy toys to give the corners of the pearls and boys so deep Santa comes on baby come across when the snow is the most cats are sleeping warmest toes and you come to flip when the old sent nickel on the peppermint stick you come a flying from the higher place in the stockings by the fireplace so you ever you that's good ever you that's good yeah cool yo

10:02

Cats are sleeping warm as tools.

10:05

And you come to flip when the old Santa Nick on the pimp stick.

10:18

So you bet you that's good.

17:56

It's the time we're the world falls in love.

18:04

Every song you hear seems to say.

19:47

Quiet down, please.

19:48

Quiet down, please.

19:52

Stop commissioners.

20:00

Good morning to all.

20:00

The clerk's office has received notification that Senator Garcia will be absent from today's meeting.

20:05

Commissioner Bastien.

20:08

Commissioner Bermudez.

20:10

Commissioner Cabrera.

20:12

Commissioner Cohen Higgins.

20:14

Commissioner Gilbert.

20:16

I'm here.

20:17

Commissioner Gonzalez.

20:19

Commissioner Hardeman.

20:22

Commissioner Higgins.

20:24

Commissioner Regalado.

20:27

Commissioner Steinberg.

20:29

Vice Chairman McGee.

20:32

Chairman Rodriguez.

20:34

Present.

20:34

We have seven members present.

20:36

We have a quorum.

20:38

Um please rise for the invocation by Commissioner Gilbert, followed by the pledge.

21:35

All right.

21:36

Good morning, guys.

21:39

Let's get started.

21:42

Madam Attorney, do you have something you need to read on the record?

21:45

Yes, good morning.

21:46

A special meeting has been called to consider matters relating to constitutional officers.

21:51

At this meeting, the board may take action to approve ordinances, resolutions, motions, reports, or other documents and discussion items related thereto that may under the board's rules and other applicable law be placed on the agenda for the special meeting.

22:03

You have two list of two items listed on your agenda.

22:06

There are no additional changes to the agenda, so at this time it would be appropriate to extend the reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard on special item numbers one and two.

22:17

All right, let's go ahead and open up reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard on both of the items.

22:23

Do I have any do I have any registered speakers?

22:28

Just one.

22:30

All right, we got our clerk.

22:32

Juan Fernandez Barkin.

22:40

Or not the clerk, but his is it deputy?

22:44

General Counsel.

22:50

Oh morning, Mr.

22:57

Chair, everyone.

22:58

I believe the clerk is on his way, but I know that we are kind of in a hurry to get things going, so if I can just read a statement for him.

23:07

Um for the record.

23:09

Luis Montaldo, the uh general counsel for the uh clerk of courts and comptroller and uh chief deputy.

23:18

So uh Chairman Rodriguez and members of the Board of County Commissioners, thank you.

23:22

The clerk wanted to uh state that this is a significant and historic organizational change for the county and its residents.

23:30

He'd like to take the opportunity to express his gratitude to the to Chairman Gilbert, to then Chairman Gilbert and current Chairman uh uh Mr.

23:38

Rodriguez, Chairman Commissioner Rodriguez, Commissioners Kevin Cabrera and Raquel Regalado are union representatives and the county administration, their collaborative efforts with each of our new constitution officers have been instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition.

23:54

He also wanted to emphasize his shared commitment to recognizing and supporting our most valuable resources, which are our employees.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Safety███████████████████████████27%

Personnel Matters████████████████████20%

Cultural Celebration██████████████████18%

Labor Relations██████████████████18%

Government Operations█████████9%

Procedural██████6%

Engineering And Infrastructure██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Miami-Dade County Commission Special Meeting – December 12, 2024

The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners held a special meeting on December 12, 2024, at 9:30 AM to consider and approve interlocal agreements with constitutional officers, including the newly elected Sheriff, as part of the transition of certain county functions to independent constitutional offices. The meeting featured extensive debate over the last-minute release of documents and the impact on employees.

Public Comments & Testimony

Juan Fernandez Barkin (Deputy General Counsel for the Clerk of Courts) read a statement on behalf of the Clerk, expressing gratitude to county leadership, union representatives, and the new constitutional officers for collaborative efforts. He requested that the board authorize the Mayor to execute pending county service interlocal agreements during the holiday season and that such agreements be presented for ratification at the first official meeting.

Discussion Items

Special Item No. 2 – Interlocal Agreement with the Sheriff
- The board considered Resolution [242253], authorizing an interlocal agreement between Miami-Dade County and the Office of the Sheriff.
- Commissioner Kionne L. McGhee (District 12) expressed discomfort with receiving a 1,600-page document at 1 a.m. the morning of the meeting, but stated he would support the item after speaking with the sheriff and administration.
- Commissioner Raquel Regalado noted that deadlines were largely manufactured regarding services but acknowledged the labor deadline was real. She proposed delaying the sheriff's item to allow more time, but the motion was not adopted. She ultimately expressed support for the other four constitutional officers but had reservations about the sheriff's approach.
- Commissioner Oliver G. Gilbert III (prime sponsor) explained that the sheriff would not recognize collective bargaining agreements but would guarantee employee benefits and tenure. He warned that failure to pass the agreement could result in up to $180 million in separation costs and potential pink slips for employees before the December 17th deadline.
- Chief Assistant County Attorney Geraldine Edwards clarified that the sheriff agreed to maintain employees' benefits, longevity, and compensation, and negotiated a 12-month return provision allowing employees to move between county and sheriff's office without penalty. She stated that the sheriff would not accept the collective bargaining agreements but would honor the status quo terms until PERC decides on union certification.
- Commissioner Marleine Bastien questioned the timing and asked for clarification on the sheriff's position. She expressed concern that the agreement did not provide the same certainty as the other constitutional officers.
- Commissioner Juan C. Bermudez supported the item, noting that constitutional officers have the right to make independent decisions and that the relationship with the county has changed.
- Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins stated she could not vote for the item due to insufficient time to review the 1,600-page document received at 1 a.m.
- Andrew Axelrad, General Counsel of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA), stated the union did not support the sheriff's approach, citing lack of time to vet the document and concerns about the eight to twelve non-bargaining employees who might not be transferred. He acknowledged the sheriff's agreement to maintain pay and benefits but said it was not ideal.
- Steadman Richards, representing AFSCME, noted that AFSCME had reached agreements with all other constitutional officers but had not met with the sheriff. He stressed the importance of preserving contracts built over 50–70 years and expressed hope for future negotiations.
Special Item No. 1 – Interlocal Agreements with Four Constitutional Officers (Clerk, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections, Tax Collector)
- Resolution [242249] approved individual interlocal agreements with the four officers, along with a Memorandum of Understanding with AFSCME Local 199.
- Discussion was brief, with Commissioner Regalado commending the officers for accepting collective bargaining agreements as successor employers. The item passed with little opposition.

Key Outcomes

Special Item No. 1 (Four Constitutional Officers): Adopted (vote: 11–0). Resolution approving interlocal agreements and MOU with AFSCME 199.
Special Item No. 2 (Sheriff): Adopted (vote: 8–2). Resolution approving the interlocal agreement with the Sheriff of Miami-Dade County. The agreement includes a 90- to 180-day period to finalize service-level details and commits the sheriff to maintaining employee benefits and status quo working conditions pending PERC certification.
The board adjourned the first special meeting and proceeded to a second special meeting to consider an easement for a pedestrian bridge.

Note: The agenda indicates a second special meeting was scheduled for later that day, but the transcript only captures the start of that meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Christmas is memories the kind you always keep deck the halls and give a cheer all the things that Christmas is each year. Christmas is carols to warm you in the snow. Christmas is bedtime when no one wants to go. All the world is gentle right. So glad to know that Christmas is tonight. So glad to know that Christmas is tonight. Christmas Christmas baby I hope you get a whole lot of good presents to play with baby Shake hands shake hands shake hands with Santa Claus If you want some candy I'll bring you the candy shake hands with Santa Claus I love you I love you and I'm gonna bring some candy and flowers and everything around the season shake hands with Santa Claus I love you I love you and I'd walk a mile to bring you the bearers and watch you smile Oh just to share a love like yours with miracles I could do I make a rain for chase the storm when the weather gets cool I'll make it warm if you want a cottage I'll finish the cottage shake hands with Santa Claus I love you I love you I give you my oil I'm like Virginia and your bacon call if you do the dreamin' I'll do the skin's shake hands with Santa Claus or just to win a love like yours I follow you to Capri I kiss you on the streets of Rome then we need scongel and fly back home if you want bananas some great big bananas shake hands with Santa Claus Oh I love you I love you and I'm gonna bring bananas pianas and everything if you do the dreamin' I'll do the skin and shake and shake hands shake hands with Santa Claus do the sunset strip somebody's gonna make a happy trip tonight while the moon is bright he's gonna have a bag of crazy toys I give the corners up the toils and boys old day Santa comes on day you come upon when the snow's the most and all your cats are sleeping warm as toes and you can flip with old sand nickel lick on the peppermint stick come a flying from higher place so you have a you less come in island to the sunset strip somebody's gonna make a happy trip tonight while the moon is bright gonna have a bag of crazy toys to give the corners of the pearls and boys so deep Santa comes on baby come across when the snow is the most cats are sleeping warmest toes and you come to flip when the old sent nickel on the peppermint stick you come a flying from the higher place in the stockings by the fireplace so you ever you that's good ever you that's good yeah cool yo Cats are sleeping warm as tools. And you come to flip when the old Santa Nick on the pimp stick. So you bet you that's good. It's the time we're the world falls in love. Every song you hear seems to say. Quiet down, please. Quiet down, please. Stop commissioners. Good morning to all. The clerk's office has received notification that Senator Garcia will be absent from today's meeting. Commissioner Bastien. Commissioner Bermudez. Commissioner Cabrera. Commissioner Cohen Higgins. Commissioner Gilbert. I'm here. Commissioner Gonzalez. Commissioner Hardeman. Commissioner Higgins. Commissioner Regalado. Commissioner Steinberg. Vice Chairman McGee. Chairman Rodriguez. Present. We have seven members present. We have a quorum. Um please rise for the invocation by Commissioner Gilbert, followed by the pledge. All right. Good morning, guys. Let's get started. Madam Attorney, do you have something you need to read on the record? Yes, good morning. A special meeting has been called to consider matters relating to constitutional officers. At this meeting, the board may take action to approve ordinances, resolutions, motions, reports, or other documents and discussion items related thereto that may under the board's rules and other applicable law be placed on the agenda for the special meeting. You have two list of two items listed on your agenda. There are no additional changes to the agenda, so at this time it would be appropriate to extend the reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard on special item numbers one and two. All right, let's go ahead and open up reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard on both of the items. Do I have any do I have any registered speakers? Just one. All right, we got our clerk. Juan Fernandez Barkin. Or not the clerk, but his is it deputy? General Counsel.

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