The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners convened on February 19, 2025, at 9:30 AM. The meeting included public comments, first and second readings of ordinances, public hearings, and a prolonged discussion on solid waste management and the future of waste-to-energy facilities. Key decisions included adopting the FY 2023-24 supplemental budget adjustment ordinance, approving workforce housing ordinance amendments, and directing the Mayor to conduct a comprehensive review of waste management options within 120 days. The meeting also saw the failure of an ordinance to change community council selection methods, and the deferral of two waste-to-energy site selection items.
The vote on item 3B1 passed unanimously (10-0).
Solid Waste Management and Waste-to-Energy Facility: Extensive discussion focused on the county's solid waste future-Paul Camacho-insights. The board considered the Mayor's report (2B5) recommending landfilling, but several commissioners argued for a comprehensive review of all options, including incineration, landfilling, and public-private partnerships. Commissioner Cohen Higgins expressed frustration at the lack of decision-making, while Commissioner Hardeman and others noted the board's existing policy directive to negotiate with Doral, and debated $650M in bonds for the Doral project. Ultimately, the board deferred the two site-selection items (11A2 and 11A6) to a later meeting.
Item 8P3 (Janitorial Contracts): The board voted 10-1 to reject all bids for Area A and direct negotiations with two firms. Commissioner Higgins then passed a motion requiring oral presentations for contracts over $25 million annually.
Item 8M1 (Solid Waste Engineering Services): The board amended the item to remove the fleet management component, and then approved it as amended.
Public Health Trust Bonds: The board authorized the issuance of up to $550 million in Public Facilities Revenue Bonds for Jackson Health System capital projects (item 5A) and $250 million in bonds for refunding and projects (item 5L). Both passed unanimously.
Other Items: The board approved the purchase of a 102,463-square-foot parcel for park purposes for $4,250,000 (item 8F1), and authorized a 99-year ground lease with RUDG LLC for the Gibson Plaza development (item 8K2). The board also approved several housing finance authority bond items (10A1-10A4).
Quiet. Commissioner Bastien. Commissioner Bermudez. Commissioner Cabrera. Commissioner Cohen Higgins. Senator Garcia. Commissioner Gilbert. Commissioner Gonzalez. Commissioner Hardiman. Commissioner Higgins. Commissioner Regalado. Commissioner Steinberg. Vice Chairman McGee. Chairman Rodriguez. We have seven members present. We have a quorum. All right, good morning, guys. Quiet in the back. All right. Please stand for the invocation led today by Reverend Dr. Gastone E. Smith Sr. from the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church at the invitation of Commissioner Kean Hardeman. Followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Commissioner Hardeman. Good morning. We believe a family that prays together stays together. And we are a family. And so if it does not offend you, take that neighbor by the hand next to you. And gently squeeze their hand as we go to God in prayer. Eternal God, our Father, we come to you this beautiful morning to tell you thank you, thank you for what you've already done. Thank you for what you're doing today, and thank you for what you're going to do. We thank you for this blessed, beautiful community of Miami Dade County. Thank you for the privilege of being able to live in a place that while there is wildfires on the west coast and ice up north. We pray for our community and every family. We pray for this board of commission today. We pray for the chair, the vice chair, and every commissioner. We pray for Madame Mayor today. We pray for the manager and we pray for the entire team of Miami Dade County. We pray today for peace in their family, power in their faith, and prosperity in their future. We love you and we thank you, and we bless your name today. And while we're praying, we pray for the hand we're holding. Pray that you would bless their families. Bless their going out and bless their coming in. And oh God, we have an agenda, but we append we depend on the Almighty. And so we close this prayer today in unity. We close this prayer today in love. And we thank you for being an all-wise God for being an all-knowing God and from being a name above every name. We bless you, and for whatever name we may call you, we do know that you're God all by yourself, and you're God alone. So this we pray in your holy name today. And we give you glory, and this will be a great day in your name.