Miami-Dade County Commission Meeting - November 18, 2025
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Miami-Dade County Commission Meeting - November 18, 2025\n\nThe Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners met on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, starting at 9:30 AM with a recess for a memorial service, reconvening at approximately 1:00 PM. The board approved numerous consent items, public hearings, and policy matters, including the appointment of a new District 5 commissioner and a major amendment to the solid waste interlocal agreement. Votes were largely unanimous with a few notable exceptions.\n\n### Consent Calendar\n- Mayoral Reports (2B1-2B6): Accepted unanimously (12-0). Included status reports on FEMA reimbursements for Hurricane Irma, feasibility of lowering speed limits to 25 mph on certain county roads, 2025 Charter Review Task Force preliminary report, FY 2024-25 state legislative awards third quarter report, report on unexecuted contracts and two-step procurements, and leave donations for Texas floods relief.\n- Commissioner Consent Items (3A1-3A9): Resolutions approving discretionary reserve allocations from various district funds, all passed unanimously.\n- Departmental Consent Items: Including road right-of-way acceptance (8N1, 12-0), interlocal with City of Miami for Silver Bluff traffic (8N2, 12-0).\n\n### Public Comments & Testimony\n- Michelle Nymar (District 5 resident): Spoke on 11A1 (ash reuse) urging caution about liability; on 11A2 (vacancy) asked for a special election, but if appointment necessary, recommended Joe Sanchez.\n- Joe Sanchez (District 5 resident, 55 years): Urged board to give voters the right to a special election, stating democracy is an investment, not an expense.\n- Hector Sheward (disabled Vietnam-era veteran): Supported a special election for District 5; if appointing, requested a veteran.\n- Sharon Fraser Stevens (Liberty Square resident): Supported items 2B2 and 2B3 (speed limits) and discussed speeding and illegal dumping on NW 12th Avenue.\n\n### Discussion Items\n- 4A – Certified Recovery Residences Ordinance (First Reading): Ordinance clarifying standards and procedures for certified recovery residences, including a process for reasonable accommodation from land use regulations. Passed unanimously (12-0). A procedural motion waived rules to set second reading and public hearing for December 2, 2025.\n- 8J1 – NCL Cruise Terminal Amendment: Third amendment with an estimated positive fiscal impact of $851 million. Commissioner Regalado questioned potential space for port fuel farm and surface parking. Passed 11-0.\n- 8M1 – Solid Waste Interlocal Agreement (Amended): Major amendment to the standard form interlocal with contract cities. Commissioner Steinberg moved extensive amendments addressing disposal fee schedules. Commissioners Regalado and Bermudez expressed concerns about flexibility for cities like South Miami and Coral Gables to pursue their own waste management. Regalado offered an amendment to expedite future amendments (suspending committee review) for those cities; that sub-amendment passed. Final amended item passed by voice vote.\n- 8P1 – Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Contract: Award to Core & Main LP for $273.6 million over 20 years. Senator Garcia questioned workforce transition for meter readers; administration stated positions would be retrained through attrition and no layoffs. Passed unanimously.\n- 8P2 – Misdemeanor Diversion Services (Amended): Contracts with Advocate Program Inc. and Court Options Inc. Commissioner Hardeman moved amendments to include State Attorney’s Office as signatory and create a scholarship endowment fund from fees. No cost to county. Passed as amended.\n- 11A1 – Ash Reuse Resolution: Urging Florida Legislature to facilitate safe reuse of incinerator ash. Passed unanimously (12-0).\n- 11A2 – Appointment to District 5 Vacancy: After debate on election vs. appointment, Commissioner Gilbert nominated State Representative Vicki Lopez. Debate included remarks from Garcia, Bermudez, Hardeman, Regalado, Gonzalez, and McGhee. Vote: 7-5 in favor of appointment. (Voting yes: Bastien, Cohen Higgins, Gilbert, Gonzalez, Hardeman, Milian Orbis, Rodriguez; voting no: Bermudez, Garcia, Regalado, Steinberg, McGhee.) Lopez will serve until the next countywide election (August 2026).\n\n### Key Outcomes\n- Certified Recovery Residences Ordinance: Adopted on first reading (12-0); public hearing and second reading set for December 2, 2025.\n- NCL Cruise Terminal Amendment: Approved (11-0) with an $851 million positive fiscal impact.\n- Solid Waste Interlocal Agreement: Approved as amended, including a sub-amendment to allow expedited future amendments for cities seeking alternative waste management (bypassing committee review with two-thirds vote).\n- Advanced Metering Infrastructure Contract: Approved (12-0) for $273.6 million over 20 years.\n- Misdemeanor Diversion Contracts: Approved as amended with scholarship fund provisions.\n- Ash Reuse Resolution: Approved (12-0).\n- District 5 Appointment: Vicki Lopez appointed as county commissioner (7-5).\n- Public Hearing for Ordinance 4A: December 2, 2025, approved via motion.\n- Give Miami Day Allocations: Commissioners Cohen Higgins, Gonzalez, and Rodriguez each allocated $5,000 (or similar) from their funds; Commissioner Gilbert allocated $10,000 to FOM. Also, Commissioner Hardeman allocated from District 3 red speed camera fund to Focal. All passed unanimously.\n- Appointment to Unsafe Structures Board: Harold Charles appointed.\n- Moment of Silence: Observed for Commissioner Hardeman’s late uncle, Representative Roy Hardeman.\n- Adjournment: Motion carried, meeting ended.
Meeting Transcript
At the twelve gleaming whose blood stripes and right stuff through the streaming. And the rock is the bombs bursting. And through the public for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all the time. So glad to see them here. Thank you. I suggest you catch them outside. As a point of personal privilege, can we just go ahead and recess and head over? Well, I'm gonna call I'm gonna call quorum to the to the attorneys. Is it okay since we're not taking any official business prior to recessing? Um, is it okay for me to do a quorum call now or have to wait till nine thirty? At nine thirty. Okay. So we'll give it ten minutes. Uh, stand by any at least seven of you in the chamber for quorum call, and then we will reset so that we can all attend uh the service this morning. Clerk, if you can uh call a roll. Good morning. Commissioner Bastian. Commissioner Bermudez. Commissioner Cohen Higgins. Commissioner Gilbert. Commissioner Gonzalez. Commissioner Hardeman. Commissioner Milian Orbis. Commissioner Regalado. Present. Commissioner Steinberg? Vice Chairman McGee? Chairman Rodriguez. Present. Ten members present. You have a quorum. All right, I'll entertain that motion. I have a motion to recess by Commissioner Gilbert, seconded by Commissioner Regalado. All in favor of favor of recessing, and we will return uh by one PM and reconvene. All in favor, signify by saying aye. All opposed, nay. Show us recessed. When I call your name, please say the item that you're speaking on, your name and address, and you will have two minutes to speak. Sharon Frazier, Michelle Nymar, Joe Sanchez, Hector Schwerert, James Torres, Billy Corbin, and Thomas Kennedy. You may line up on each side of the front aisles and approach the well as it becomes available. Ladies first. Hi. I'm Michelle Neemaier. I live at 244 Biscayne Boulevard and have been in the district since 2018 in District 5. Um I'm here to speak on 11A1 and 11A2. On 11A1, I just want to ask you all to be very, very careful about the idea of selling the ash from the incinerator. I was the lawyer who represented the Merry Christmas Park residents, and there's a lot of danger with that. And when you sell that stuff, you could be legally liable if something happens. On 11A2, I'm here to ask that you give us a special election. The residents deserve the right to vote.
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