Miami-Dade County Commission Meeting (May 20, 2025)

The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners convened on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 9:30 AM in Commission Chambers. The meeting opened with special presentations recognizing the 2025 Solid Waste Management Art Poster Contest winners, Haitian entrepreneur Robinson Lovens (proclaimed Robinson Lovens Day), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. for its community service, and Jewish American Heritage Month. Following public comment, the commission set the agenda, adopted ordinances on first reading, conducted public hearings on eight plats, and debated several policy items, including a major airport contract amendment and budget oversight. Key votes included approval of a $600.6 million design-build agreement for a new Concourse K at Miami International Airport and a contentious amendment to issue an additional airport ground handling permit.

Consent Calendar

• Unanimously approved routine resolutions, including allocations from FY 2024-25 discretionary reserves for districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and several in-kind service authorizations.
• Ratified eight Local Agency Program (LAP) agreements with the Florida Department of Transportation totaling $968,465 for Safe Routes to School and safety improvements.
• Approved a state-funded grant of up to $6,737,000 for right-of-way acquisition along NW 25 Street from NW 87 Avenue to NW 117 Avenue.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Michael Rosenberg addressed the commission on item 4B (the feral cat feeding ordinance), noting that the agenda listed the item as withdrawn overnight despite being present the previous day. He expressed frustration with the process and highlighted that authorized feeding could be a solution. He was given two minutes to speak.

Discussion Items

Homeowner Zoning Assistance Program (Item 2B2) – Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins requested the creation of a formal assistance program within the Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) department to help homesteaded homeowners navigate zoning applications, similar to the existing small business permitting assistance program. She noted the report showed many homeowners struggle with complex zoning laws and cannot afford attorneys. RER Director Lourdes Gomez confirmed the intent was to create such a program, clarifying that it would provide information on options, not legal or tax advice. Commissioner Raquel Regalado stressed the need to distinguish between administrative permitting advice and zoning guidance to avoid legal liability. The item was adopted.

Property Conveyances Report Expansion (Item 2B5) – Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez moved to expand the quarterly report on property conveyances to also include leased county properties that are in non-compliance, to avoid surprise defaults. The motion passed.

Contract Execution Report (Item 2B6) – Commissioner Cohen Higgins questioned why the $602 million Schindler elevator/escalator contract at Miami International Airport (MIA) showed "services not needed" in the first 60 days. Chief Procurement Officer Namida Uppal and Aviation Director Ralph Cutié explained the delay was due to employee badging and ramp-up time. They noted that since the contract, elevator operational performance rose from 85% to 95%, with 30 modernizations completed. The report was accepted.

Airport Ground Handling Permits (Item 8P3) – The board considered awarding a seventh non-exclusive permit to AGI (Aviation Groundhandling, Inc.) after two existing permittees (Menzies and G2) announced a merger that would free up a slot. Commissioner Eileen Higgins raised concerns about worker treatment standards, noting that the top six bidders had voluntarily agreed to living wage, paid time off, and parking subsidies. AGI Vice President Sarah Andrews publicly committed to those same conditions. After extensive debate, Commissioner Oliver Gilbert proposed an amendment to award the permit to AGI contingent on the merger and to include a binding commitment to living wage, 40 hours of PTO, and parking assistance. The amendment and the item as amended passed with a majority vote (11–0 on voice vote).

Budget Information Request – Commissioner Regalado moved to direct the administration to provide the Commission Auditor with detailed subline-item budget files and explanations for projected year-over-year revenue and expenditure changes, within seven days. She argued that with only two Appropriations Committee meetings before the July 16 millage setting, she needed granular data to analyze the projected deficit. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava countered that the budget is a work in progress and that providing detailed line items at this stage would be burdensome, but affirmed a commitment to share available information. Commissioner Cohen Higgins noted she had deferred a similar ordinance at the administration’s request and objected to the motion circumventing that process. The motion was four-day ruled (deferred to the next meeting) per the board's rules.

Key Outcomes

• Public Hearings (Plats): All eight plats were approved; La Primera Grocery 1 (Item 5B) and La Primera Grocery 2 (Item 5C) passed 11-1; the remaining six plats (5A, 5D, 5E, 5F, 5G) passed unanimously. Item 5A (street co-designation) also passed 12-0.
• Ordinances on First Reading:
  • Item 4A (Addiction Services Board sunset and trust fund closure) – adopted 12-0, tentatively set for public hearing June 10, 2025.
  • Item 4C (NW 7th Avenue Corridor CRA staffing authorization) – adopted 12-0, public hearing July 1, 2025.
  • Item 4D (NW 79th Street Corridor CRA staffing authorization) – adopted 12-0, public hearing July 1, 2025.
  • Item 4B (Feral cat feeding) was withdrawn.
• Major Airport Contracts:
  • Professional services agreement with Bermello Ajamil & Partners for redevelopment of MIA Central Terminal (A24AV02): $39,852,190 for seven years – approved unanimously.
  • Design-build agreement with Lemartec-NV2A JV for expansion of South Terminal and new Concourse K (DB23AV01): $600,638,241 for 1,485 calendar days – approved unanimously.
  • Property purchase east of MIA (323,591 sq ft, $54 million) – approved 11-0.
• Transportation & Public Works: Approved a new stevedore license at PortMiami, an interlocal agreement with City of Miami Beach for the Mount Sinai fixed-route link ($245,000/year for two years), a preliminary engineering agreement with CSX for a new at-grade crossing on SW 127 Avenue ($45,000), and amendment 14 for the Venetian Causeway bridge replacement project ($1,366,682.82 increase).
• Water & Sewer: Awarded two construction contracts: West Little River pump station and sanitary sewer system (Magnum Construction, $20,172,150) and HTA Phase 2 sanitary sewer and water mains in Hialeah (Lead Engineering Contractors, $42,329,668).
• Strategic Procurement: Approved additional expenditure authority for grounds maintenance/pest control ($9.85 million increase to $48.39 million) and plant material/tree services ($24 million increase to $66.41 million).
• Commission Resolutions:
  • Recognized Cameron Anthony Ward for being selected first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft (passed 11-0).
  • Acknowledged May 20 as Cuban Independence Day and condemned human rights abuses in Cuba (passed 11-0).
• Meeting Schedule Changes: The June 17 BCC meeting and June 18 CDMP meeting were canceled; a combined BCC/CDMP/Zoning meeting was set for June 26, 2025.
• Library Lease Extension: Authorized a month-to-month extension of the temporary Doral Library lease at $17,574.44 per month until the new library is completed.
• Community Allocations: Approved $2,500 each for North Miami Girls Basketball and Key Clubhouse student neurodiversity program (Commissioner Cohen Higgins), and $5,000 for South Florida PBA benefiting the Love Fund (Commissioner Regalado).