2026-10-22 - City Commission

00:56[music]

03:11Heat. Heat.

04:11Heat. Heat.

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05:41>> Hey, hey, hey.

06:08Heat. Heat.

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06:46>> Heat. Heat.

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12:01>> All

12:17right.

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16:36>> Green.

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16:50Hey. Hey.

17:11crazy.

17:15Take it.

17:26Are you [music]

17:36happy?

19:43I

19:45do.

19:51Hey

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24:06>> Hey,

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24:12hey,

24:16hey.

24:34Hey,

24:44hey,

24:48hey. Heat. Heat.

25:21I

25:27feel

25:34heat.

25:38Heat. Heat.

26:42Hey.

26:47Hey. Hey.

26:50Heat. Heat.

27:37Heat. Heat.

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31:09[music]

31:15>> Hey, pretty pretty nice week here in

31:16Miami, don't you think? Uh October is

31:19here. I don't want to say it out loud

31:20because I don't want to jinx us, but

31:22boy, the weather seems to be changing uh

31:24from what we had over the summer. It's

31:26great to be here in chambers for the

31:29October 22nd at Commission meeting. And

31:32as we always do, uh, we start with

31:35honoring and recognizing

31:37people and organizations that make a

31:40difference in our community because

31:42that's what makes Miami so amazing. We

31:45have people in every neighborhood doing

31:47things uh to keep us safe, make our life

31:50more interesting, develop our kids, uh,

31:53and and much more. So our first

31:56presentation today um this presentation

32:00this award recommendation actually came

32:02from a resident uh often we don't get

32:06that it comes from one of us but officer

32:09Raphael Barentos from Miami Dade Public

32:12Schools police department has been

32:15serving the kids right the good morning

32:19the children the educators

32:22um at Dr. Charles Ardrew K through8

32:25center. And when you're serving at a

32:28school, you're serving the whole

32:30neighborhood in the community. And so we

32:33wanted to recognize you on behalf of the

32:36families and the kids that you mentor

32:39and keep safe and keep on the right path

32:43um on behalf of the neighborhood. So

32:45we're very happy and grateful that you

32:47are here this morning. And Commissioner

32:48Partardo, do you want to say a few words

32:50about our beautiful Northeast District?

32:52I do very much so. Uh this is a

32:54proclamation and the parents. We

32:57received several emails. There's no

32:59better proclamation than one that comes

33:01from residents and people asking to have

33:04someone recognized. So I think that

33:06really speaks to your work. I'm proud

33:08that you're an Edgewater resident. And

33:10so we just want to honor you and thank

33:12you for your service and all the work

33:13you do every day. Thank you.

33:15>> Thank you. Sure.

33:20>> [applause]

33:22>> Good morning. So, first and foremost on

33:25on behalf of Chief Lopez, uh I do have a

33:28message from the chief. He wanted me to

33:30tell you that we're hiring. We're

33:32accepting applications and you don't

33:34have to go through Dural. You can go

33:36right to the city of Miami. Uh but I do

33:39want to congratulate you. You know, as

33:41the may as the commissioner mentioned,

33:43it's great to be recognized by your

33:45department or by a government entity,

33:47[clears throat]

33:48but when you're being recognized by the

33:51people that you serve, it makes it just

33:53that much more special. So,

33:55congratulations. Thank you for

33:56representing your department, but more

33:58importantly, our profession the way that

33:59you do every single day. So, thank you.

34:04[applause]

34:05>> Would you like to say a little word

34:07about your kids, your school? No. Yes.

34:11>> I love what I do. I'm grateful every day

34:13to be able to get up every day and do

34:14what I do.

34:15>> Well, thank you.

34:16>> Thank you.

34:17>> We appreciate it. [applause]

35:17And do we need a chair for him?

35:20See if Terrence wants us to have a

35:22chair.

35:31>> All right.

35:33And now, um, I'd like to bring up a

35:38group of people that I have learned so

35:40much from and particularly the museum's

35:44director at the historic Black Police

35:47Museum, uh, Terrence, please come on up.

35:51And we have so many of the board members

35:54here.

35:56This is a place um in Christine King's

35:59district that has a lot of meaning to

36:02our community as a place where black

36:07police officers worked um cared for

36:10their neighbors, kept them safe, and now

36:13is really a legacy about that teaches

36:17us. It's not just an educational place

36:19and a gathering space, but it is a place

36:22where it teaches the next generation of

36:26children and young adults and people

36:28like me about the history of our

36:31community, not all of which is good. Uh,

36:34and so I am just forever grateful for

36:37you being in the neighborhood for

36:40reminding us of the work of our police

36:44department, but also the work towards

36:47repairing the the wounds of racism and

36:51what that meant in Miami, what it still

36:53means in Miami, and how important that

36:55is for our community and also for our

36:57nation. Let me just turn this over to uh

37:00Commissioner King to say a few words

37:01since she's also helping with the

37:03proclamation.

37:05>> Good morning. Congratulations.

37:08The work that Terrence does to keep the

37:12legacy alive of our first officers is so

37:15important to the community and I'm proud

37:18that the museum is in the historic

37:21Overtown

37:23and rightfully so. I've learned about

37:26the struggles of our first police

37:28officers and to keep this story alive

37:32when we are living in a culture that

37:35wants to forget our past. Terrence does

37:39not allow that to happen. So,

37:41congratulations. and to the board

37:43members. Thank you because we can't

37:47and our founder because we can't do that

37:49without volunteers

37:52that support us in this journey. So,

37:55thank you and congratulations.

38:01>> Terren, would you like to say

38:04>> I'd like to thank this visit?

38:07Well, you can come Tuesday through

38:08Saturday from 10:30 until 3:00 and book

38:12your tour today. Don't wait until

38:14February, right? I want to thank the

38:16city of Miami for remembering how

38:19important it is to preserve and protect

38:22and share history. So, Miami doesn't get

38:25rid of all of our preservation um

38:27location. So, just know that. and to

38:29Lieutenant Otis Davis.

38:33I would not be able to stand here as the

38:36director if it wasn't for your

38:38determination to ensure that we had this

38:42history protected. So this is the man

38:45who made us a museum, who helped us to

38:47become a museum. So we want to say thank

38:49you.

38:49>> Thank you.

39:03Let me hold this.

39:11That's better.

39:42Thank you.

39:45>> Appcate.

40:51All right. Um, is anybody wondering why

40:54I'm wearing hot pink today? Uh, well,

40:57I'm sure you know it's breast cancer

40:59awareness. Oh, see, we our city attorney

41:01knows.

41:03Um it is breast cancer awareness month

41:06uh at the city of Miami. What you will

41:08find is all month long every one of our

41:12departments uh whether it's solid waste

41:14to our police department to our fire

41:16department um is raising awareness on

41:21the importance of getting screened for

41:23breast cancer and raising money for

41:25research. Uh and Saturday is a very big

41:29day in the city of Miami. We have lots

41:32and lots of employees uh that will be at

41:35the breast cancer walk at Marllin's Park

41:38Loan Depot stadium on Friday morning.

41:40So, it's Friday morning. Sorry. Um I'm

41:43giving the director um kind of uh heart

41:46palpitations because he doesn't have to

41:48have this race set up till Saturday.

41:50Saturday morning. So, if you want to

41:51join us, it costs nothing. You just have

41:53to wear pink and a pair of sneakers. But

41:56today, I want to um I just want to say

42:00thank you to the American Cancer Society

42:03uh for all you do to raise to to

42:07organize this entire month's activities

42:10and to make sure um that people know,

42:14right? They know that this is a disease

42:15that if you get screened early, uh you

42:18can survive and you can survive very

42:20well and and live for for decades and

42:23decades longer than that. and and for

42:25also making sure that this event is a

42:28real gathering space uh for all of us.

42:31We have our fire chief here today. We've

42:33got our police department and um a

42:36couple of survivors here. We we're all

42:39scooch over here. Come on in.

42:43[applause]

42:45And and so we wanted to recognize you

42:48for this in part to recognize your work,

42:51but in part to make sure that we're not

42:53just raising awareness. We're also Okay,

42:55everybody get your steps in. Get your

42:57steps in and get get all Steven up

43:00because we are going to be walking on

43:02Saturday. So, um probably you all need

43:04the practice, right? Yeah. Okay, there

43:06we go. Um, but we appreciate that you're

43:09raising awareness for the race and

43:11encourage absolutely everybody to be out

43:13there. I will be out there in my pink

43:15sneakers. Uh, so so please uh please

43:19join join us in that day. Commissioners,

43:21anybody

43:23want to add anything? Okay, here I'll

43:26trade you.

43:27>> Okay.

43:28You're gonna get it anyway.

43:30>> Breast cancer awareness is very personal

43:32to me. Um my father had breast cancer

43:36and when you think of breast cancer you

43:38don't think of men having breast cancer

43:43but they do and um my dad had a double

43:46masectomy

43:48and one of my dearest friends

43:52this month rang the bell for her last

43:56her last treatment. So it it is very

43:59personal to me and she wanted me to

44:03share that with the community. So it's

44:05on my socials with her ringing the bell

44:09and I remember her first treatment. I

44:12was there with her. I sat with her and

44:19so many people lives are touched from

44:23breast cancer. I lost my dad but not to

44:26cancer. He survived and he was more than

44:29a five-year survivor of it. Early

44:32detection saves lives and I can't say

44:35that enough. Early detection save lives.

44:39And there are for those who are

44:42uninsured or underinsured. There are

44:45organizations that are providing

44:47mamograms for free. So please take

44:52someone and get screened. get screened

44:56because this is one of the most curable

44:58diseases once it's caught early. So,

45:01>> absolutely.

45:03>> Yeah.

45:04>> On that note, I wasn't going to speak,

45:05but what I want to say is that for the

45:07people in district one, uh we gave Laia

45:09Gondraza last year about $500,000 to be

45:12spent on that. So, I encourage any

45:14anybody in my district, we're going to

45:15be in direct park in Greatland

45:17throughout the year to get informed. We

45:18put it up on our website uh to to do

45:21this uh prevention, the cancer

45:22prevention. Thank you.

45:23>> Yeah.

45:24And if you don't do it in October,

45:27schedule it like your birthday. You

45:29never forget your birthday. So have your

45:31mamogram screening on or around near

45:34your birthday so you don't forget it.

45:36>> That's a good idea. Okay. And I know you

45:38have

45:38>> Yes, absolutely. We have a mamograms uh

45:41screenings this Saturday at Manolo Reyes

45:43Park. All the information is on our

45:45social media, ladies. Absolutely. Check

45:47it out.

45:50And then maybe you'd like to tell us a

45:52little bit about the work of um your the

45:54organization and the event on Saturday.

45:57>> Well, yeah.

45:59>> Ah, awesome. Thank you. And I apologize

46:01for not wearing pink. Uh I ran out of my

46:03pink clothing this month already, but

46:05the American Cancer Society, um the

46:08great partnership that we have with the

46:09city. I want to thank all the

46:10commissioners. I want to thank everybody

46:12that made this possible. This

46:13proclamation is about awareness. We've

46:16already talked about it, right? getting

46:18screened early. Early detection is the

46:21key. And a lot of great programs are out

46:23there. Take advantage of it. But as the

46:24American Cancer Society, we want to make

46:26sure that we're advocates for those

46:28going through this. It impacts everyone.

46:30Friends, your your daughters, mothers,

46:34fathers that we hear, we hear a lot of

46:36those cases coming through. So, it's

46:38about being aware. And that's what this

46:39month's about. And this walk that we

46:42talked about that's happening this

46:43Saturday, October 24th at Lone Depot

46:46Park from 7 am to 10 a.m. 11:00 a.m.

46:49It's going to be a great opportunity to

46:51celebrate not only the survivors that we

46:53have here, but we're also going to

46:55celebrate those caregivers and those

46:58thors that are continuing to battle this

47:00disease. Thank you again for the city of

47:02Miami for your partnership and your

47:03continued partnership. Together, we will

47:05end cancer as we know it.

47:07>> Thank you. Congratulations. And last but

47:09not least, before we take the pictures,

47:11our police department, our fire

47:13department, we have our pink uh vehicles

47:16out there. If anyone if their items not

47:18being heard till later, sneak out uh and

47:21take a picture uh so you can help us

47:23raise awareness for um for breast

47:26cancer. All right. Thank you.

47:56>> Thank you.

48:18All right. And now, it's not that I've

48:21saved the best for last because all

48:22these people have been pretty pretty

48:24fantastic. But we have Oh, thank you. We

48:27have a group of young people here from

48:30Latino Artbeat. Uh this is an amazing

48:35group. Obviously, it's a not forprofit

48:38um that is working in lots of cities in

48:40the US and we are so fortunate um that

48:43they work here in the city of Miami. So,

48:46folks,

48:48Don, you're up here and all the

48:51students, we've got teachers, we've got

48:53coaches. So let me just uh read off. We

48:57have so many amazing students and I'll

48:59talk a little bit about everybody's bra.

49:02See this is the most creative

49:04presentation. Look at this. All right.

49:05Here let me scooch in the middle. I

49:07don't want to block anybody. Everybody

49:08up. So this morning we are recognizing

49:12uh seven amazing students

49:16for all kinds of artistic uh things. Uh

49:20for example, we have Gabriella Duk who

49:22has won first place for Amistad

49:25eunid.

49:29We have Rosemary Gabota who for paragua.

49:36We have Maline Pina who is not here

49:39today but her mom is. Uh no Sav.

49:44We have Emily Melendez, also for art in

49:47Laentanita. We all love that. And

49:51Isabella Grow, also art. Capacito,

49:55Miami. There's a lot of caffeine up

49:56here, I think, and energy. Uh Dylan Rice

50:00for film sent away, brought home. And

50:04then Nicholas Castillo also for film for

50:07housekeeping. So Eddie will and then let

50:10me talk D. you want to help us um give

50:13out the we have some medals and others

50:16to give to the students. All right,

50:17let's and then you can tell us a little

50:19more about the organization.

50:20>> No, this is so pretty short.

50:22>> Good morning. I'm Don Rossi Nio. I'm

50:25president of Latino Artbeat. We have

50:28offered uh scholarships for visual art

50:31students here in Miami for 29 years. And

50:35as I was telling uh Madame Mayor, we've

50:37now surpassed a million and a half

50:40dollars that we've contributed to

50:42various Miami students. And on a

50:45national basis, we've given out over $6

50:47million. You can applaud. You can

50:50applaud.

50:53We're very thankful for the support of

50:56uh Madame Mayor and her office, also

50:58Miami Dade County Public Schools, our

51:01partnership with the Miami Convention

51:04and Tourist Bureau that and

51:06[clears throat] the Higher Regency Hotel

51:08Miami that make these presentations

51:11possible. Uh and above all, I want to

51:14thank all of the teachers who are here.

51:17teachers, stand up, please, because

51:19without you guys, it wouldn't happen.

51:23And Miami Dade County Public Schools has

51:26been our partner for 29 years. And I see

51:28somebody from Miami Dade.

51:32We're going to start calling the winners

51:34up. They're going to get a a medal with

51:36a ribbon, an award certificate, and then

51:39the mayor is going to give them an

51:41official uh proclamation letter. So,

51:45I'll I'll begin calling them up.

51:49>> Yeah.

52:03First place

52:05next.

52:19Is there third place?

52:32Okay, we're ready. Uh, first I'm going

52:35to call up Nicholas Castillo. Sometimes

52:38the students aren't here because they go

52:40to college, you know, out of town, but

52:42Nicholas Castillo

52:46[applause]

52:59And then that's his medal. We'll do

53:06>> she forgot to take this.

53:10>> Okay. Next, we're calling up Dylan Ree.

53:14Honorable mention film competition.

53:18Are you Dylan?

53:19Oh, let me get in the photo

53:27>> and here, take your certificate

53:33and then I'm going to meet all of you

53:35guys in the lobby afterwards. Okay.

53:38Uh, next is Isabella Grow.

53:43[applause]

53:47Isabella

53:57This is yours.

54:00>> And then if you put the the medal on.

54:03Okay. Next we have Emily Melendez. I

54:06know Emily is here.

54:08[applause]

54:16Congratulations

54:25and put your medal on.

54:29Now we have

54:31Rosemary Gabota.

54:40Hold on, Rosemary.

54:43Congratulations.

55:00And we have

55:12Okay, we have honorable mention film

55:22>> Gabriella Duk.

55:25She's first place.

55:29Here you go.

55:32>> Hold on.

55:33And if you put your medal on and then

55:35we'll take a photo with the mayor.

55:38>> We're really organized. So, sorry about

55:40this.

55:49>> Who do we

55:58Yeah. So, one of those.

56:06>> So, that should be it.

56:14[applause]

56:15>> All right. So, let's see everybody. We

56:18need a picture here.

56:23university.

56:23>> Oh, she's at university. Okay.

56:33>> And then can you get everybody in a

56:35picture? Fantastic.

56:46All right.

56:59And a big round of applause for

57:01everyone. Thank you. Bravo.

57:10Oh, and if anyone wants to see all this

57:13artwork, you can go to the Hyatt Regency

57:16tonight at 5:30 and you can see all of

57:19the work live and in person.

57:21Congratulations. Thanks for coming

57:23everybody.

58:05All right, folks. Um, we're gonna take

58:08we'll be back in less than five minutes.

58:09We're going to go out and take pictures

58:11with the firet truck and then we'll be

58:12back. If anybody wants to join us, come

58:14with us.

1:04:18Well, now that we've had um a nice time

1:04:21celebrating so many people doing good

1:04:22works, we also have the opportunity to

1:04:25be blessed by Father Steven O'Hali from

1:04:28Cathedral of St. Mary. Thank you so much

1:04:30for opening our meeting. Please um rise

1:04:33if you are able and bow your head.

1:04:49Let us pray.

1:04:54God of justice, love, and peace.

1:04:58We come before you today in gratitude

1:05:01for this opportunity to serve the people

1:05:05of our city of Miami.

1:05:08We acknowledge your presence among us

1:05:10and ask you to bless our meeting.

1:05:14Open our hearts and minds to receive

1:05:17your divine inspiration and guidance.

1:05:21Help us to act with character as well as

1:05:24conviction,

1:05:26to listen with understanding and

1:05:28goodwill,

1:05:30and to speak with charity and humility.

1:05:37Give us the wisdom that will enable us

1:05:39to deliberate and decide

1:05:42wisely and well

1:05:46for the good of those we are here to

1:05:48serve.

1:05:50May your Holy Spirit guide our thoughts,

1:05:52words, and actions so that everything we

1:05:55may do with everything we do may be for

1:05:58the good of those we serve here in our

1:06:01city of Miami.

1:06:03And so bring glory to your name. Amen.

1:06:08Thank you.

1:06:11>> Thank you very much. Commissioner

1:06:13Gabella, would you lead us in the

1:06:14pledge? I

1:06:16>> aliance to the flag of America to the

1:06:20republic for it stands nationy

1:06:25and justice for all.

1:06:30>> All right. Good morning everyone.

1:06:32Welcome to the October 22nd commission

1:06:35meeting uh in our historic chambers. Um,

1:06:40show that all to the clerk, all

1:06:42commissioners are present. Uh, city

1:06:44attorney, city manager as well. Um, Mr.

1:06:47City attorney, would you like to read

1:06:49your opening remarks?

1:06:51>> Yes, madam chair. Thank you. George

1:06:53Weissong, city attorney, city of Miami.

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1:09:08the online public comment form. The

1:09:10comments submitted through the comment

1:09:12form have been and will be distributed

1:09:13to the elected officials. their staff

1:09:16and city administration throughout the

1:09:17day so that the elected officials may

1:09:18consider the comments prior to taking

1:09:20any action. Additionally, the online

1:09:22comment form will remain open during the

1:09:23meeting to accept comments and

1:09:25distribute to the elected officials,

1:09:26their staff, and the city administration

1:09:27up until the chairperson closes public

1:09:29comment. Public comment may also be

1:09:31provided here live at city hall located

1:09:32at 3500 Pan-American Drive, Miami,

1:09:34Florida, subject to any and all city

1:09:36rules as they may may be amended. If the

1:09:39proposition is being continued or

1:09:40rescheduled, the opportunity to be heard

1:09:41may be at such later date before the

1:09:43city commission takes action on such

1:09:44proposition. When addressing the city

1:09:46commission, the member of the public

1:09:47must first state their name, their

1:09:49address, and what item is to be spoken

1:09:51about. Any person with a disability

1:09:53requiring assistance, auxiliary aids,

1:09:55and services for this meeting may notify

1:09:57the city clerk. The city has provided

1:09:59different public comment methods to

1:10:00indicate, among other things, the public

1:10:01support, opposition, or neutrality on

1:10:03the items and topics to be discussed

1:10:05here at the city commission meeting in

1:10:06compliance with section 286.0. 0114 4C

1:10:09Florida statutes. The the public has

1:10:12been given the opportunity to provide

1:10:13public comment during the meeting within

1:10:14reasonable proximity and time before the

1:10:16meeting. Please note commissioners have

1:10:17generally been briefed by city staff and

1:10:19city attorney's office on items on the

1:10:20agenda today. Anyone wishing a verbatim

1:10:23record of an item considered at this

1:10:25meeting may request it at the office of

1:10:26communications or view it online at

1:10:28www.mygv.com.

1:10:31For the planning and zoning items, PZY

1:10:32items shall proceed according to section

1:10:347.1.4 the Miami 21 zoning ordinance.

1:10:37parties for PZ items including any

1:10:39applicant appellant appe staff and any

1:10:41person recognized by the decision-making

1:10:43body as a qualified intervenor as well

1:10:45as the applicant's representatives and

1:10:47any experts testifying on behalf of the

1:10:49applicant appellant or appe may be

1:10:50physically present here at city hall to

1:10:52be sworn in by oor affirmation by the

1:10:54city clerk the members of the city

1:10:55commission shall disclose any exparte

1:10:57communications to remove the presumption

1:10:59of prejudice pursuant to Florida statute

1:11:00section 286.0115

1:11:03and section 7.1.4.5 4.5 of the Miami 21

1:11:06zoning ordinance. The order of

1:11:08presentation shall be set forth in Miami

1:11:1021 in the city code. Staff will briefly

1:11:12present each item to be heard. The

1:11:13applicant will present his application

1:11:15or request to the city commission. If

1:11:17the applicant agrees with staff

1:11:18recommendation, the city commission may

1:11:20proceed to its deliberation and

1:11:21decision. The applicant may also wave

1:11:23the right to an evidentary hearing on

1:11:24the record. For appeals, the appellant

1:11:26will present its appeal to the city

1:11:28commission followed by the apple. Staff

1:11:30will be allowed to make any

1:11:31recommendation they may have. Please

1:11:33silence all cell phones and other

1:11:34noisemaking devices. This meeting can be

1:11:36viewed live on Miami TV city's Facebook

1:11:38page, city's Twitter page, city's

1:11:40YouTube channel, and Comcast channel 77.

1:11:43The broadcast will also have closed

1:11:45captioning. Thank you, Madam Chair.

1:11:46>> Right. Thank you, Mr. Attorney. Mr.

1:11:48Clerk, now over to you, please.

1:11:51>> Thank you, chair. The procedures for

1:11:53individuals who providing testimony to

1:11:55be sworn in for planning and zoning

1:11:56items and any quasi judicial items on

1:11:58today's city commission agenda will be

1:11:59as follows. the members of city staff or

1:12:01any other individuals required to be

1:12:03sworn in who are currently present at

1:12:04city hall be sworn in by me, the city

1:12:05clerk, immediately after I finish

1:12:07explaining these procedures. Those

1:12:08individuals who are who are appearing

1:12:10remotely may be sworn in now or at any

1:12:12time prior to the individual providing

1:12:14testimony for planning zoning items and

1:12:16or quasi judicial items. Commissioners,

1:12:18are you comfortable with all notice

1:12:19provisions set forth in these uniform

1:12:20rules and procedures we have established

1:12:22for this meeting? Chair, may I

1:12:23administer the oath for the planning

1:12:25zoning items?

1:12:25>> Yes, please.

1:12:26>> Thank you, chair. Good morning, ladies

1:12:27and gentlemen. If you will be speaking

1:12:29on any of today's planning and zoning

1:12:31items, those are the PZ items. May

1:12:33please have you stand and raise your

1:12:34right hand.

1:12:41Do you solemnly swear affirm that the

1:12:43testimony you're about to give at

1:12:44today's hearing is the truth, the whole

1:12:45truth, and nothing but the truth? And

1:12:46your response is,

1:12:48>> thank you, chair.

1:12:50>> Thank you very much. All right, Mr. City

1:12:52Manager, do you have any changes? I

1:12:54think there are a few, so go slow for

1:12:56us, please.

1:12:58Good morning, Madame Mayor,

1:12:59commissioners, city attorney, city

1:13:01clerk. At this time, the administration

1:13:04would like to defer and/or withdraw the

1:13:06following items. And as you said, it's

1:13:08quite the extensive list, so bear with

1:13:10me. I'll go nice and slow.

1:13:13CA2

1:13:15to be deferred to the November 19th

1:13:18meeting. CA2 to be deferred to the

1:13:20November 19th meeting.

1:13:23R9

1:13:25to be withdrawn.

1:13:29R E10 to be deferred to the November

1:13:3319th meeting. RE10 to be deferred to the

1:13:36November 19th meeting. FR2 to be

1:13:40indefinitely deferred.

1:13:42FR2 to be indefinitely deferred.

1:13:46DI1 to be deferred to November 19th

1:13:49meeting. DI1 to be deferred to the

1:13:52November 19th meeting. and DI2 to be

1:13:57withdrawn. DI2 is being withdrawn.

1:14:01PZ8 to be deferred to November 19th.

1:14:05That's PZ8. PZ9

1:14:08to be deferred to November 19th.

1:14:12PZ10

1:14:13to be indefinitely deferred.

1:14:17PZ11 to be indefinitely deferred.

1:14:22PZ12 to be deferred to the November 19th

1:14:25meeting.

1:14:27PZ13 to be deferred to the November 19th

1:14:30meeting.

1:14:32PZ15

1:14:34to be indefinitely deferred.

1:14:37And last but not least, PZ19 to be

1:14:40indefinitely deferred. That completes

1:14:42all the items.

1:14:44>> All right. Um, Mr. Cler, commissioners,

1:14:47any other changes from your points of

1:14:49view? Okay. And Miss we have some pocket

1:14:52items I think right. Oh madam

1:14:54commissioner rado.

1:14:54>> Yes I was going to defer RE6 to the next

1:14:57meeting.

1:14:58>> Okay.

1:15:03>> And also uh SR1.

1:15:08>> Okay.

1:15:09>> Um

1:15:10>> for deferral.

1:15:11>> Okay.

1:15:13>> My apologies. Commissioner Gabella

1:15:15>> to to the next Yeah. Sorry. To the next

1:15:16meeting.

1:15:17>> Thank you sir.

1:15:18And um correct me if I'm wrong, Mr.

1:15:21Clerk, but PZ5 is very much connected to

1:15:23that. Do they need to go together?

1:15:26>> Should that be deferred as well or could

1:15:28we do PZ5 today?

1:15:30>> I'll defer to Mr. City Attorney.

1:15:32>> I I think what

1:15:33>> Oh, yeah. You're right. Yes,

1:15:34>> we should go ahead and defer it as well.

1:15:35>> Yeah, PZ5 also deferred to the next

1:15:37meeting.

1:15:38>> Okay.

1:15:40And madame mayor, on PZ8, um,

1:15:44when this comes back, we would seek

1:15:46direction from the city commission to

1:15:48have it amended. The title of the item

1:15:51refers to closing of a public alley. In

1:15:53in fact, it's a public street, so we

1:15:56should defer it, but um, included in

1:15:58that motion should be a direction to us

1:16:00to correct the title so that when it

1:16:02comes back um, it would be correct.

1:16:05>> Okay.

1:16:06>> Yes. Yes, please do that.

1:16:08>> All right. Any any other changes, Todd?

1:16:10We have pocket items that need to be

1:16:12read in. I think two if I'm not

1:16:13mistaken.

1:16:14>> Thank you very much, Chair. Um, a couple

1:16:17of matters. Uh, yes. Number one, um,

1:16:19Commissioner King has a pocket, uh,

1:16:21resolution that the city attorney will

1:16:23read the title into the record

1:16:24momentarily. Um, there are some

1:16:27co-sponsor requests. Mayor Higgins will

1:16:29be co-sponsoring RE8, RE10, and SR2. And

1:16:33I need to read a brief statement about

1:16:35the indefinitely deferred PZ items.

1:16:37Pursuant to section 62-22 of the city

1:16:39code, indefinitely deferred action

1:16:40initiated by the city will cost city

1:16:42mail, noticing, advertising, and posting

1:16:44of properties as applicable. Thank you,

1:16:45chair.

1:16:49>> Okay. So, I think, correct me if I'm

1:16:52wrong everyone. Oh, I see.

1:16:53>> He means to read the D5 pocket item uh

1:16:56title.

1:16:57>> Yes, please. Thank you. Sorry about

1:16:58that.

1:16:58>> All right. That's okay. A resolution of

1:17:00the Miami City Commission confirming and

1:17:01approving the appointment of Nancy Neves

1:17:03as acting executive director of the

1:17:05Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, approving

1:17:08her compensation as ex acting executive

1:17:10director at her current salary as

1:17:12finance coordinator, providing that any

1:17:14increase in compensation shall be

1:17:16subject to approval by the Virginia Key

1:17:18Beach Park Trust following a performance

1:17:20evaluation conducted in accordance with

1:17:21procedures of the trust may here

1:17:23establish and further subject to city

1:17:25commission approval providing for the

1:17:26termination of the acting appointment

1:17:28upon on the appointment of a permanent

1:17:30executive director or her earlier

1:17:32removal by the trust and providing for

1:17:33an effective date. Thank you, Madam

1:17:35Mayor.

1:17:35>> All right. Any other changes? Um I have

1:17:38a motion to set the agenda, including

1:17:40the amendment uh that our city attorney

1:17:42read to one item that'll come back

1:17:44>> and I apologize, chair. I didn't catch

1:17:46the mover and seconder. I'm sorry.

1:17:49>> Second.

1:17:50>> Okay. Second. All in favor say I.

1:17:52>> I.

1:17:52>> All right. Show the agenda set. Now we

1:17:56will open for the public to be heard. Uh

1:17:59please go ahead and make two lines. Uh

1:18:01when you come up, please give your name

1:18:03and address for the record and everyone

1:18:04has two minutes to speak.

1:18:17>> Come on up. Anyone?

1:18:19All right. Good morning. How are you?

1:18:26Good morning, mayor and commissioners.

1:18:27My name is Matthew Ganoff. My address is

1:18:29125 Jefferson Avenue, Miami Beach, and

1:18:32I'm the chair of Miami Dade's T Miami

1:18:34Day TPO's bicycle pedestrian advisory

1:18:37committee. Today, I'm speaking on SR3,

1:18:39the micromobility ordinance.

1:18:42Thank you to the commissioners and staff

1:18:43that I met with and to Commissioner Es

1:18:46Escalona for agreeing to attend our

1:18:49November 10th meeting. We learned about

1:18:51this ordinance after its first reading

1:18:53and we're concerned that people who

1:18:55depend on these devices

1:18:57are unaware and appear to have had

1:18:59limited opportunities to help shape this

1:19:02legislation

1:19:03for workers and families who cannot

1:19:05afford a car. Micromobility is basic

1:19:08transportation. Outreach through unions,

1:19:11community organizations, and other

1:19:13stakeholders could identify practical

1:19:15concerns before enforcement begins. A

1:19:18police stop should not be someone's

1:19:20first introduction to the new rules.

1:19:22Please consider these two narrow

1:19:24changes.

1:19:25First, please clarify that the rule

1:19:27limiting riding to streets posted at 30

1:19:29mph or less applies only to city

1:19:33controlled roads, not county or state.

1:19:36Riders cannot be expected to know each

1:19:38street's jurisdiction. A a map would be

1:19:42helpful.

1:19:43Second, please consider an exception

1:19:45allowing children under 16 to ride when

1:19:48accomp accompanied and supervised by a

1:19:51parent or illegal guardian. The BPAC

1:19:54took no formal action on this ordinance,

1:19:57but we recently adopted resolutions

1:20:00targeting high-powered illegal emotives

1:20:03that are marketed as legal ebikes and

1:20:06also on a countywide microobility safety

1:20:08round table. As the police chief noted

1:20:11at first reading, an effective date of

1:20:13at least 90 days after adoption would

1:20:15give riders and families time to learn

1:20:17the new rules before enforcement begins.

1:20:20If the sponsor is open to more community

1:20:22input before adoption, we'd welcome

1:20:24that, too. We share the goal of safer

1:20:26streets while preserving transportation

1:20:28access. Thank you for considering these

1:20:30requests, and we look forward to working

1:20:32with you all. Thank you.

1:20:35Thank you.

1:20:36>> Good morning.

1:20:36>> Morning,

1:20:37>> mayor. Good morning, commissioners, city

1:20:40officials. My name is Maro. I live on

1:20:43627th

1:20:45Street, uh, Edgewater. I'm a vice

1:20:47president of BNA. I selected two topics

1:20:50to talk today. Number one is SR micro

1:20:54micromobility, ebikes, scooters, and

1:20:56sidewalk regulations. We strong support

1:21:01the intent of SR3 but believe the

1:21:03commission must mod codify critical

1:21:06pedestrian safeguards before final

1:21:09passage. The ordinance should explicitly

1:21:12prohibit motorized scooters and throttle

1:21:15assisted ebikes on sidewalks in dense

1:21:19urban areas with high pedestrian volumes

1:21:21when adjacent streets or bike lanes

1:21:24provide an alternative road. I was in a

1:21:29two close encounter with a bike walking

1:21:33on the Biscane Boulevard.

1:21:36Personally, number two, RE5

1:21:39district 2 donation fund through the

1:21:41Miami Foundation resolution. We support

1:21:44RE5 philanthropic and private sector

1:21:47contributions to could provide

1:21:49additional funding for District 2

1:21:50priorities

1:21:52including Edgewater parks, pedestrian

1:21:55safety, streetscape improvements, and

1:21:58other quality life initiatives. BNA

1:22:01urged the city to adopt transparent

1:22:03procedures for accepting donations,

1:22:05selecting eligible projects, and

1:22:08publicly reporting all funds received

1:22:11and spent. Thank you very much.

1:22:16>> Good morning. Alisa Margules, Rice

1:22:18Street Center Grove in support of FR6.

1:22:22You know how almost every parent thinks

1:22:24their kid is gifted? Well, most pet

1:22:26owners believe their dog is friendly.

1:22:29But when an off leash dog charges you

1:22:31and the owner yells, "Don't worry, he's

1:22:33friendly." What you're actually hearing

1:22:35is, "Are you feeling lucky today?" I

1:22:38love dogs. My mother still laments that

1:22:40my first word wasn't mama, it was dog.

1:22:43But even a dog lover feels terrified

1:22:45when chased or approached by a snapping,

1:22:47snarling dog that's running loose. A

1:22:50leash isn't a punishment, it's a safety

1:22:52net. Stronger penalties incentivize

1:22:55responsibility, but it's the manpower

1:22:57for enforcement that's actually

1:23:00preventing a walk in the park from

1:23:02becoming a trip to the urgent care. FR5

1:23:05and FR6. You don't have to be a pet

1:23:07owner to be sickened by animal abuse and

1:23:09neglect. Like trees, animals can't

1:23:13advocate for themselves. They need good

1:23:15people to protect them from the evil

1:23:17ones. Take the strongest elements of

1:23:20both proposals and give us one

1:23:22comprehensive ordinance with maximum

1:23:24fines, stronger protections, and clear

1:23:27enforcable language. And finally, RE10

1:23:30vision zero. I'm glad this item was

1:23:32deferred. I hope you'll use the

1:23:34opportunity to make it more specific

1:23:36with clear goals, measurable objectives,

1:23:39and regular, not just periodic updates.

1:23:41And please include a mandate for city

1:23:43and county cooperation. Too often we

1:23:46hear it's a county issue. If it affects

1:23:49the people who live here, it's a we

1:23:51problem, not a they problem. The city

1:23:54should be proactive in finding

1:23:55solutions. It's a very important goal.

1:23:58So, I hope you'll take that into

1:24:00consideration. Thank you.

1:24:07Hello, my name is Karen Vakouti and I

1:24:10represent the JW Warner House, a very

1:24:13very wonderful gem of Miami Historic uh

1:24:18House and it is also the center for the

1:24:22cultural center for the Miami Hispanic

1:24:25Cultural Arts.

1:24:27Um we this zoning is really important

1:24:31for us because we really need to um keep

1:24:36the house up. We have a lot of work to

1:24:39do and part of that would be we could

1:24:42sell the air rights to a developer so

1:24:45that we can then have all that wonderful

1:24:49funding to restore this beautiful

1:24:52beautiful building. And um Erin will

1:24:56I would just like to add on that we do

1:24:58so many amazing programs for the

1:25:00community. We're such an important

1:25:01building for the whole neighborhood.

1:25:03People can come see a play in their

1:25:05neighborhood. We put on the

1:25:06International Ballet Festival of Miami.

1:25:09And um we would love to in the future

1:25:11expand our programming to build a second

1:25:14building in the nearby vicinity so that

1:25:15we can provide additional programs to

1:25:18our community, especially our many

1:25:20programs for free. And it is our hope

1:25:22that the air rights would help uh

1:25:24restore the current JW Warner House and

1:25:26unlock the funding for our future

1:25:28projects as well.

1:25:30>> Thank you. Ladies and

1:25:31>> chair, my apologies. Yeah,

1:25:32>> I have your name for the for the record.

1:25:34>> Yeah, we just need name and address for

1:25:35the record. Thank you.

1:25:36>> Um Erin Rcowski. I apologize.

1:25:39>> Thank you very much.

1:25:40>> Thank you.

1:25:41>> Hello. Good morning. My name is Lindseay

1:25:44Kaine. I'm at 66 West Flaggler Street.

1:25:46I'm speaking on BC2 related to the tree

1:25:48committee as I've been heavily involved

1:25:50in filing tree appeals. So much so I

1:25:52believe I caught the attention of

1:25:54certain commissioners. The last time I

1:25:56was here was July 23rd, 2026. I made a

1:25:59public comment and after I left, a false

1:26:01statement was made directly about me

1:26:03with my name displayed by Pre uh

1:26:05Commissioner Partardo who stated that

1:26:07there was no appeal filed for the tree

1:26:09removals at Margaret Pace Park. I have

1:26:12all of the paperwork that proves at the

1:26:14time of his statement an appeal had been

1:26:16filed and paid for with a GoFundMe with

1:26:18the public asked me to create. If anyone

1:26:21wants a copy of this documentation, let

1:26:23me know. As far as I know, this was not

1:26:25an official item on the agenda. I was

1:26:27not given notice. I was also not here to

1:26:29defend myself and the facts were not

1:26:31checked. I've experienced a lot of crazy

1:26:33things in my life, but this was amongst

1:26:35the craziest. While this was a dangerous

1:26:37allegation and an attempt to discredit

1:26:39me, I've continued my work and

1:26:41engagement with the public who update me

1:26:43regularly and still watch in horror and

1:26:44alert me about these tree removals all

1:26:47over the city. The city is currently

1:26:48doing everything in its power to

1:26:50invalidate the appeals and I will

1:26:51forever feel remorse for the ones that

1:26:53we didn't win. I felt it necessary to

1:26:55clear my name in a public forum even

1:26:57though all the evidence is already

1:26:58online as this is where the false

1:26:59allegation was made. When everyone

1:27:01votes, remember, regardless of party, we

1:27:03have officials who attempt to intimidate

1:27:05and also don't care to end the agreement

1:27:07with ICE or stop cutting down the trees.

1:27:09Regardless of what their greenwashing on

1:27:11social media attempts to put forward,

1:27:13and the tree committees formed as

1:27:15someone fighting for the trees, I've

1:27:17been flipped off by a South of Miami

1:27:19commissioner, Lisa Bonnage, followed out

1:27:21of meetings by officials, questioned

1:27:23about my work, and defamed. But I and I

1:27:26just started doing this work. The

1:27:28currently the tree code isn't protecting

1:27:30the trees much on 36 and Biscane. Three

1:27:33mahogany trees are supposed to be

1:27:34protected are going to be moved which

1:27:36puts them at risk because of an

1:27:37arbitrary city code about building to

1:27:39the edge of the property line. I implore

1:27:41everyone who wants to see change make

1:27:43your voice heard whatever way that means

1:27:46through art protest or prayer. The city

1:27:48officials so far have not listened to

1:27:50us.

1:27:50>> Thank you. Appreciate you. Good morning.

1:27:53How you doing?

1:27:54>> Good morning. How are you? My name is

1:27:56Vanessa Kandi. I'm an Edgewater

1:27:58resident. I'm here speaking as a BNA

1:28:00board member and I happen to be an

1:28:02advisory board member of Miami date

1:28:04animal services. So I have a deep

1:28:05interest in FR4. In my first meeting

1:28:08with Chief Lopez, I described what we

1:28:10see in Edgewater, pets left on

1:28:12balconies, abuse, abandonment. We agreed

1:28:14to strengthen the partnership between

1:28:15the Miami PD and Miami date animal

1:28:17services with training, possible

1:28:19volunteer programs in the academy and

1:28:21empathy building for officers. Less than

1:28:23a week later, the Dior balcony case

1:28:25happened. The chief has since scheduled

1:28:27a visit to animal services along with D2

1:28:30uh to understand their process. I've

1:28:31also reached out to Commissioner

1:28:32Partardo's office about new legislation

1:28:35uh and those discussions begin very

1:28:37soon. Our ordinances on animal

1:28:39protection were written some time ago

1:28:41and occasionally amended. We do need to

1:28:43consistently evolve them because global

1:28:45warming, for example, has us at 100 plus

1:28:48degree days. Is a large dog in a small

1:28:50backyard kennel with a bowl of lukewarm

1:28:52water acceptable or is that cruelty? I

1:28:55welcome these amendments, but three

1:28:57commissioners are amending the same

1:28:58ordinance with different language and

1:29:00MDAS, the experts, haven't been asked to

1:29:02the table until now with district 2. A

1:29:05higher fine is great, but if an officer

1:29:07issues a fine and walks away, leaving

1:29:09the animal with this abuser, what would

1:29:10have we accomplished? We need

1:29:12confiscation, medical care, rehab,

1:29:14foster, and adoption. And the county

1:29:16operates under a different ordinance.

1:29:17So, who does what, to what degree, and

1:29:19with whom? It took a drown dog and a

1:29:22viral balcony rescue to put this on the

1:29:23radar. But right now, as I speak,

1:29:25animals are being abandoned, abused, and

1:29:27killed. And not only by typical animal

1:29:29abusers, but by mobile groomers,

1:29:30trainers, boarding facilities, and yes,

1:29:32even children. Statewide, we have

1:29:34Dexter's Law, compounding charges,

1:29:36fines, and jail time. The new House Bill

1:29:38offers child abuse provisions on top of

1:29:40animal abuse. There's a new statewide

1:29:42animal abuse registry, and Troopers Law

1:29:44makes it a felony to leave your pet

1:29:45behind in an evacuation. So, let's use

1:29:47them and educate people about them. The

1:29:50point is the the topic is bigger. So, I

1:29:52urge you to co-sponsor and work with MDS

1:29:55and the police. Miami is a great city,

1:29:57but in this area, we're still behind.

1:29:59So, let's get it right. Thank you.

1:30:01>> Thank you.

1:30:07And if one of you wants to come over to

1:30:09this podium or you ready, Elvis? Okay,

1:30:13go ahead. Good morning. My name is

1:30:15Yolanda Burkowitz and I live at 160

1:30:17Edgewater Drive. Um, I'm an animal

1:30:19welfare advocate. I run the Friends of

1:30:22Miami Animals Foundation and I'm also a

1:30:24member of the advisory board. I'm

1:30:25speaking on items FR4, five, and six. I

1:30:29support stronger animal welfare

1:30:31protections and meaningful penalties for

1:30:32cruelty and neglect. The concern is not

1:30:34with the intent but with their

1:30:36implementation before adopting

1:30:38additional laws and substantial fines.

1:30:40We need to understand who will

1:30:42investigate violations, who has the

1:30:44authority to issue citations, how

1:30:46animals requiring intervention will be

1:30:48handled, and what specific enforcement

1:30:51capacity will exist the day these

1:30:53ordinances take effect that do not

1:30:55already exist today. Those of us working

1:30:57in animal welfare welcome increased

1:30:59legislation and enforcement of animal

1:31:01crimes and appreciate this board's

1:31:03leadership. I know that all of us on the

1:31:05advisory board and all of us working in

1:31:07this arena are happy to help in any way

1:31:09that we can. Thank you.

1:31:15>> F folks, do me a favor and line up at

1:31:17both podiums because it keeps it moving

1:31:18quicker. Go ahead, ma'am.

1:31:20>> Hi, good morning. Um, my name is Renee

1:31:22Relli Blemer, 6381 North Bay Road, Miami

1:31:26Beach. Uh, I'm also the president of the

1:31:28Animal Welfare Society of South Florida.

1:31:31Uh, and I'm uh here speaking also uh for

1:31:34FR45 and 6. I am also a member of the

1:31:37Miami date animal service advisory

1:31:39board. Um I wanted to explain a little

1:31:43animal welfare society is a nonprofit

1:31:45veterary hospital here in Miami. For

1:31:47more than 54 years we have provided

1:31:49affordable and often free veterary care

1:31:52to pets throughout South Florida. Over

1:31:54the years I have seen things no animal

1:31:57should ever have to endure. We have

1:31:59treated dogs and cats who were victims

1:32:01of horrific cruelty and neglect,

1:32:03including injuries associated with dog

1:32:06fighting, as well as animals who were

1:32:08injured, abandoned, and left helpless. I

1:32:11can tell you firsthand that animal

1:32:12cruelty is real, heartbreaking, and

1:32:15demands further action. Thank you,

1:32:17Commissioner Rossado, for strengthening

1:32:19this ordinance and working to strengthen

1:32:21animal welfare protections in our

1:32:23community. I do realize that we do need

1:32:25to reach out to animal services to

1:32:28coordinate the efforts on doing on

1:32:30having changes made. Increasing the

1:32:33penalties for animal cruelty sends an

1:32:35important message. Abuse and ne and

1:32:37neglect, excuse me, must have

1:32:39consequences. I also support checking

1:32:42animal abuse registries before animals

1:32:44are transferred. However, we must

1:32:46address the bigger picture. I cannot

1:32:48support the sale of pets when our

1:32:50shelters and rescues are already beyond

1:32:52capacity. We must crack down on

1:32:54irresponsible backyard breeders who put

1:32:57profit before animal welfare and

1:32:59contribute to abuse, neglect, and

1:33:01overpopulation.

1:33:03We should be promoting adoption,

1:33:05spaying, and neutering, and helping the

1:33:07animals who are already here and

1:33:08desperately need homes. My hope is that

1:33:11Miami will set an example for other

1:33:13municipalities and Miami date county, so

1:33:16an animal's safety does not depend on

1:33:18where it lives. I respectfully urge you

1:33:21to support this ordinance. Animals

1:33:23deserve more than our sympathy after

1:33:25they've been harmed.

1:33:26>> Thank you, ma'am.

1:33:27>> They deserve our protection before it

1:33:29happens.

1:33:29>> Thank you, ma'am.

1:33:30>> Thank you.

1:33:30>> Appreciate it,

1:33:31>> Mr. Cruz. Elvis Cruz, 631 Northeast 57

1:33:35Street here on item PZ14. It would

1:33:38enable a huge upzoning in Little Havana,

1:33:40Riverside, and Shannondoa. This is the

1:33:44maximum density potential study done by

1:33:46the city of Miami's planning department.

1:33:49And that study revealed that we already

1:33:52had 18 eight times more housing units

1:33:55allowed to be built than we had in 2010

1:33:58and therefore potentially eight times

1:34:01the population.

1:34:03That staggering number is before any

1:34:06additional upzonings like special area

1:34:07plans, RTZ, TSND, and many more like the

1:34:11one today. Miami is already hugely

1:34:15overzoned. It's an inconvenience truth

1:34:19that the city does not want to admit.

1:34:21Miami should not be upzzoning. It should

1:34:24be downzoning.

1:34:26If you think traffic is bad now, just

1:34:28wait until we have twice the population

1:34:30or three times or four times or double

1:34:34that to eight times, which is how many

1:34:36housing units were already zoned for?

1:34:40Eight times the population. How much is

1:34:41enough? How much is too much? But that's

1:34:45just traffic. What about portable water

1:34:47supply, sewage treatment capacity,

1:34:49garbage disposal capacity, or hurricane

1:34:51evacuation time? Also, this proposal is

1:34:54a huge violation of Miami 21

1:34:56successional transition principle.

1:34:59Here's what it is before. T4, T5, T6.

1:35:04This is a proper successional

1:35:05transition. After you would have T4 to

1:35:09T6, improper. And on the south side of A

1:35:12Street, before you have T4 to T3, that's

1:35:15proper. Afterwards, you'd have T5 abuing

1:35:19T3. That's an improper successional

1:35:21transition. Again, we're already zoned

1:35:24to allow eight times the population. Is

1:35:26the unspoken goal to cram as many

1:35:29housing units into Miami as possible.

1:35:31Shouldn't Miami be more concerned with

1:35:33preserving our long-term quality of life

1:35:35than in enabling developer profits?

1:35:38Please vote no. Thank you.

1:35:42Good morning. How y'all doing? I'm here

1:35:45on FR4, I believe it is. Um, so I'm not

1:35:48a City of Miami resident. I'm the

1:35:50organizer of the Big Wolf Festival which

1:35:52takes place at Reata Park um coming up

1:35:54early next year. It's a festival

1:35:56dedicated to promoting responsible dog

1:35:59ownership and adoptions. Um there's a

1:36:02direct correlation between cruelty to

1:36:04animals and cruelties to human beings.

1:36:07And so I really applaud Commissioner um

1:36:11Partardo's efforts in this and we hope

1:36:12to get this moving forward. Thank you.

1:36:15>> We we just need your name and address

1:36:16for the record.

1:36:17>> Sorry, Carlos Wanco.

1:36:18>> Yeah. and address, please.

1:36:19>> Thank you.

1:36:20>> Thanks.

1:36:20>> Address.

1:36:21>> Yeah.

1:36:22>> 10191 Southwest 102nd Street.

1:36:25>> Appreciate it. Thank you very much. Good

1:36:26morning.

1:36:27>> Good morning. My name is Frank Halpern.

1:36:30I'm at 236 Southwest 4th Avenue. I'm

1:36:33also an attorney here in Miami, Florida.

1:36:35I'm here to speak in favor of the

1:36:37upzoning in Little Havana for a number

1:36:40of reasons. One I one of the most

1:36:42important reasons I believe is that

1:36:44right now the zoning that was spoken

1:36:45about before is concentrated only east

1:36:49of I95 for a very particular group of

1:36:52people who can afford that lifestyle.

1:36:54The upzoning that would be occurring in

1:36:56Little Havana would be for everyone.

1:36:57It's not a giant upzoning where all of a

1:37:01sudden 80story buildings are going to be

1:37:03cropping up in Little Havana. I own a

1:37:05property directly on Joseé Marty Park. I

1:37:08want everyone here to know that when we

1:37:09talk about transitional zoning, I'm

1:37:11going to have 80 and 70s story buildings

1:37:14literally across the street from me with

1:37:16the river development. And across the

1:37:18river, they're going to be putting in a

1:37:20hotel and a nightclub that's going to be

1:37:22going on to 3:00 or 4 in the morning.

1:37:24Currently on my side of the river, where

1:37:27I own a property, you can only build

1:37:29four units. You can only build 36 units

1:37:32per acre and only three floors. I'm

1:37:36directly on the Miami River. If there's

1:37:38even a single small storm surge, any

1:37:41amount of water from that river is going

1:37:43to spill over and destroy that entire

1:37:45neighborhood. The only solution to

1:37:48dealing with these problems, both

1:37:49density and height, is to create an

1:37:52upzoning that allows people to build

1:37:54upwards to protect them from both the

1:37:56problems that we're having in terms of

1:37:58funding, in terms of financing, and in

1:38:01terms of space. But in addition to that,

1:38:03it's an issue of safety as well. I urge

1:38:06everyone here to consider the upzoning

1:38:09in Little Havana and to approve it.

1:38:11Thank you for your time.

1:38:14>> Good morning. Um I am Elijah John Bodre.

1:38:18I'm 300 Biscane Boulevard Way. Uh and um

1:38:22I rise to support the city's um

1:38:25expansion of Venture Miami, our tech

1:38:28venture here. And um I just want to add

1:38:32some comments uh from this um Miami Day

1:38:35Digital Commission, our community of um

1:38:38enterprise technology um uh community

1:38:41here in Miami uh that uh history does

1:38:44not repeat but it rhymes to the same

1:38:46beat. New technology comes and old

1:38:48systems become obsolete. And I commend

1:38:51the mayor for leaning uh in at this

1:38:53moment. Um we just had a great grow with

1:38:55AI, the first one uh that we had. Um,

1:38:59but I my suggestion is to expand what

1:39:02Venture Miami to include uh AI workforce

1:39:04readiness and public sector governance

1:39:06to put AI policy in the city, state and

1:39:09federal lobbying agenda while the rules

1:39:11are being written and [clears throat]

1:39:12return uh with the 90 days with AI

1:39:15readiness and contingency plan. Um

1:39:18because if you you ask the Elon Musk or

1:39:21Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg or Jamie

1:39:23Diamond, Larry Frink, some of the top

1:39:25people in our society,

1:39:28you can hear every day the warnings that

1:39:32they're having to not take this

1:39:36technology as other technologies.

1:39:40It's hard for us to see the future

1:39:43or to imagine a world that is totally

1:39:46not like not like not like not like not

1:39:46like not like not like not like not like

1:39:46not like not not like not like not like

1:39:47not not like not like not not like not

1:39:47like not like not like not the one that

1:39:47we're in right now.

1:39:50But we are here to avail ourselves to

1:39:53sincerely volunteer to press so that

1:39:56Miami is protected.

1:40:00And I'll leave us with a uh a scripture.

1:40:02But as in the days of Noah where so

1:40:04shall also the coming of the son of man

1:40:07be. For as in the days where before the

1:40:09flood they were eating and drinking,

1:40:11marrying, giving marriage, until the day

1:40:14that Noah entered into the ark, knew not

1:40:17until the flood came and took them all

1:40:19away.

1:40:21Thank you.

1:40:22>> Thank you.

1:40:26>> Good morning.

1:40:28>> All right. Um, good morning,

1:40:30commissioners and mayor. I'm Jonathan

1:40:33Folz, 488 uh Northeast 18th Street. Um,

1:40:37I lead uh the AI collective, a AI

1:40:40community. We have 1,500 members and

1:40:43I've also launched uh and founded over

1:40:4530 companies in technology, including a

1:40:48acquisition to a public company. I'm

1:40:50speaking about Venture Miami because

1:40:52attracting innovation is only half the

1:40:54job. Um, the preparing our people, our

1:40:58businesses, and the government is

1:41:00actually the other half. In September of

1:41:02last year, while leading a government AI

1:41:04workshop in Nepal, I warned them about

1:41:08civil unrest.

1:41:10Days later, there was a revolution and

1:41:13they actually set fire to Parliament.

1:41:17That experience made preparedness and

1:41:19public trust very real to me.

1:41:22Miami's circumstances may be different,

1:41:25but we need to prepare our people, the

1:41:27businesses, and government for

1:41:28disruption before it becomes a crisis.

1:41:31The scale of AI disruption demands that

1:41:34we prepare right now. I would ask the

1:41:37commission to connect us with the

1:41:38leaders of Venture Miami or the

1:41:41appropriate city leaders for a meeting

1:41:43on AI preparedness.

1:41:45We worked hard to build Miami and this

1:41:48technological revolution unfolds. We

1:41:51have a duty to protect the city and the

1:41:53people that built it. Thank you.

1:41:57>> Thank you.

1:42:00>> Good morning.

1:42:01>> Good morning. Billy Corbin, Box

1:42:02403433140.

1:42:05I'm here on RE1 and RE2.

1:42:08Of course, you should vote no and not

1:42:10raise the budget for the administration

1:42:12building by another 5 plus million.

1:42:15You're going to do it anyway. I get it.

1:42:16But you just need to know how nauseating

1:42:18it is for a city where the median

1:42:19household income is $60,000. To hear you

1:42:22guys talk about taxpayer dollars like

1:42:24it's monopoly money. 5 billion here, a

1:42:27billion dollars there. It really is

1:42:29irritating cuz you're on a collision

1:42:31course with bankruptcy. And before you

1:42:33bankrupt the city, you're going to

1:42:34bankrupt all of us, the residents and

1:42:37the business owners and the

1:42:38stakeholders. Uh, which is why it's so

1:42:40important to vote no, not only on all

1:42:43three of the city of Miami referendum

1:42:45items, but especially referendum item

1:42:47one. It is a robbery that they want you

1:42:50to be a co-conspirator to. And it

1:42:52doesn't matter what it says on the

1:42:53ballot. It's a lie. They're not changing

1:42:55the military. They're still raising your

1:42:57taxes and doubling the debt of the city

1:42:59from$1 to2 billion. Miguel Gabella voted

1:43:02to raise her taxes. Rolando Escalona

1:43:04wants to raise her taxes. Ralph Rosado

1:43:06wants to raise her taxes. And Mayor

1:43:07Eileen Higgins wants to raise her taxes.

1:43:09Mayor, I have to say it. You are a liar

1:43:12and a thief. You're a liar because last

1:43:14year you spent the entire campaign

1:43:16promising us you would do a deep dive

1:43:18into this budget, identify the tens of

1:43:20millions, if not hundreds of millions of

1:43:21dollars in waste, and you not only

1:43:23didn't do it, which makes you a liar,

1:43:25but you did the opposite, which makes

1:43:26you a thief. You took 30% more money for

1:43:28your office. You increased the budget of

1:43:30the city by tens of millions of dollars.

1:43:32And now you want a billion dollar credit

1:43:34card under this Miami referendum one.

1:43:36And half a billion dollars of that money

1:43:38doesn't go to you or any community

1:43:40benefits. It goes to bankers and lawyers

1:43:42and lobbyists and insurance companies,

1:43:44all of whom are going to kick that money

1:43:46back to these folks, to the

1:43:47commissioners and to the mayor in the

1:43:49form of donations to packs and

1:43:50campaigns. So vote no on city of Miami

1:43:53referendum one because you can't spell

1:43:55eene without li.

1:43:59Thank you.

1:44:02>> Good morning.

1:44:04>> Morning. Morning, commissioners. My name

1:44:06is Isaac Simler. I'm a district 3

1:44:08resident living on Southwest 2nd Street,

1:44:10address 43 uh 436 Southwest 2nd. Um I'm

1:44:13not against development. I'm actually

1:44:14here because I believe quality of life

1:44:16should be just as important as the

1:44:17growth happening around us. First, I'd

1:44:19like to acknowledge the commissioner and

1:44:20his efforts in District 3, but I want to

1:44:21raise a few concerns about the lack of

1:44:23transparency and the growing impact

1:44:24development is having on our

1:44:25neighborhood. Let's start with Jose

1:44:27Marti Park. This is one of the few

1:44:28accessible green spaces along Southwest

1:44:29River Drive, uh especially for residents

1:44:31with pets. Yet, we've received very

1:44:33little information about the

1:44:34construction phases, the closures, and

1:44:35we can when we can expect full access

1:44:37again. We hear the project can take up

1:44:38to two years, but where's the

1:44:40communication? You guys spend millions

1:44:41of dollars in political mailers, but I

1:44:42can't get one thing in the mail about my

1:44:44park closing. So, uh, transparency

1:44:46shouldn't be something the residents

1:44:47have to chase down. Now, regarding the

1:44:49proposed resoning for PZ14, my concern

1:44:51is that the development is outpacing the

1:44:53infrastructure and the oversight needed

1:44:54to support it. We're already dealing

1:44:56with constant construction noise, dust,

1:44:57traffic, and concerns about improperly

1:44:59permitted work. We've already seen two

1:45:01serious construction equipment collapses

1:45:02in Miami in the most recent months,

1:45:04raising important questions about

1:45:05inspection resources and public safety.

1:45:07How are we ensuring that increased

1:45:09development doesn't come at the expense

1:45:10of residents safety and peace?

1:45:13Uh, Southwest Third Street was most

1:45:15recently configured and by my

1:45:16observation, we're going to be left with

1:45:17no parking. So, commissioners, please do

1:45:19something about this. Me as a local

1:45:21resident, I was born and raised here. I

1:45:22want to stay here. I don't want to get

1:45:23priced out. Thank you.

1:45:25>> Thank you. Um, I is anyone else waiting

1:45:27to speak? Okay, come on up so I don't

1:45:30miss miss folks. Anybody that wants to

1:45:33speak, get come up to the podiums,

1:45:35please. Okay, good morning. We'll start

1:45:38over here.

1:45:38>> Good morning.

1:45:39>> Good morning,

1:45:40>> madame chair, commissioners. My name is

1:45:42Miriam Ura and I'm here representing Ala

1:45:46Community Action. [clears throat]

1:45:47>> My but thank you.

1:45:49>> I'm sorry. I'm here representing Alapata

1:45:52Community Action located at 2257

1:45:55Northwest North Private Drive in Miami

1:45:59in the Alapata area. Um

1:46:03today I'm here uh to uh

1:46:08I'm here to talk about our community and

1:46:13uh the mission of Alapata Community

1:46:16Action uh and the elderly center uh that

1:46:20is to enhance the quality of life of our

1:46:23elderly individuals by providing

1:46:25nutritious meals, body services,

1:46:28opportunities for social engagement ment

1:46:31and access to resources that promote

1:46:34independence, dignity, and healthy

1:46:37aging. Since its establishment in 1978,

1:46:41Alipa Community Action has demonstrated

1:46:45an enduring commitment to the elderly

1:46:47residents of city of Miami. As the

1:46:50organization approaches its 50th

1:46:53anniversary in 2028, it remains

1:46:57dedicated to preserving its history of a

1:47:00community service and ensuring that

1:47:03elderly residents continue to receive

1:47:05the care, respect, and assistance they

1:47:09deserve. For nearly five decades,

1:47:12Alapata Community Action, Inc. has

1:47:15remained committed to one fundamental

1:47:18principle. No elderly individual should

1:47:21be forgotten, isolated or deprived of

1:47:25the essential services necessary to live

1:47:29with dignity and independence. The

1:47:32elderly center has become more than a

1:47:35location where meals are provided.

1:47:38represents a place of companionship,

1:47:41security, dignity, and belonging for

1:47:44many elderly individuals who might

1:47:46otherwise experience loneliness, food

1:47:50insecurity, and limited access to

1:47:53community services.

1:47:55For many participants, the center serves

1:47:58as an important part of their daily

1:48:00lives, providing not only nutritional

1:48:03assistant but also opportunity to remain

1:48:06connected to their community. The

1:48:09organization extend it special

1:48:12appreciation to the commissioners

1:48:14providing not only nutrition I'm sorry

1:48:17for

1:48:18>> I'm sorry the elderly center

1:48:20>> we we have to

1:48:21>> the the organization extends this

1:48:23special appreciation to the

1:48:24commissioners especially commissioner

1:48:26Gabella for his continued support and

1:48:29commitment

1:48:31>> to our community to the elderly center

1:48:33and the senior service.

1:48:35>> It's your two minutes are up. Thank you

1:48:37very much.

1:48:38>> But thank you for coming and we know

1:48:40your good work. We see it every day.

1:48:42Appreciate it. Okay. Go ahead, Pam.

1:48:46>> Hi.

1:48:48>> Hi. Good morning. My name is Alisa

1:48:50Sapeda. I reside at 531 Northeast 76th

1:48:53Street. Um I'm here um today to speak on

1:48:56two items that are very important um to

1:49:00myself and to the Upper East Side

1:49:02community. They are PH7 and RE4. the

1:49:06freebie item and the palm grove

1:49:08guidelines. I'm here today to ask on

1:49:11both of these items that you

1:49:13commissioners, the four of you, please

1:49:16support my district 5 commissioner who

1:49:18has worked very hard to bring these

1:49:20items that will, you know, significantly

1:49:22improve the life of the residents in

1:49:24Palm Grove and the Upper East Side and

1:49:27surrounding areas like Little Haiti. And

1:49:30they will help with our mobility. for

1:49:32example, freebie will be I mean an

1:49:34amazing an amazing addition to help with

1:49:38our parking problems, our traffic

1:49:39problems and all sorts of things like

1:49:42that. I personally have asked for this

1:49:44for approximately eight years through

1:49:46three different commissioners. So this

1:49:48is a huge deal today. So if you can

1:49:51please support this, I would greatly

1:49:52appreciate it. And as far as the Palm

1:49:54Grove guidelines, this will simplify

1:49:56chapter 23 for a lot of people.

1:49:58Hopefully, my neighborhood is the first

1:50:00and these guidelines will make it easy

1:50:02for people to update their homes, repair

1:50:05them, change their roofs, and do things

1:50:07like that where it is all spelled out

1:50:09and it's easy for them to understand and

1:50:10it's not complicated and they don't get

1:50:12stuck in the city's uh building

1:50:14department vortex for nine months to

1:50:16change windows. So, I would really

1:50:18appreciate your support. Thank you so

1:50:20much.

1:50:24>> All right.

1:50:26Good morning, Brenda Bancor, 1436

1:50:30Street. Um, just in reference of FR3

1:50:34about the motor vehicles and traffic.

1:50:37Um, are we are going to real do a

1:50:43changes to actually give the police the

1:50:48opportunity to make sure it gets control

1:50:52of not just bicycles, motorcycles,

1:50:56electrical scooters who normally drive

1:50:59against traffic and the sidewalks. Even

1:51:02there is a resolution in the state

1:51:04especially in a street that not supposed

1:51:06to be any type of bicycles of any type

1:51:11of motor vehicles in the sidewalk that

1:51:14is being being ignored for decades.

1:51:18Um that's [clears throat] the questions

1:51:20about FR3

1:51:22is so many different um

1:51:26resolutions that you the elected

1:51:28officials have the responsibility when

1:51:31you see a scooter in the middle of the

1:51:34street between cars almost hitting

1:51:38seniors or a regular citizen who's

1:51:40walking in the sidewalk.

1:51:42But what exactly the changes are you are

1:51:45in really going to do? Are you really

1:51:47going to do a new resolutions who give

1:51:51the power to the police to actually make

1:51:54any changes

1:51:56or is going to be just as many

1:51:58resolutions that this body creates but

1:52:01is just for look

1:52:03reads really nice and the paper but

1:52:06actually doesn't have no way for the

1:52:09police to enforce it.

1:52:14Many of us have seen that constantly you

1:52:17have promised you guys going to work on

1:52:19it. So FR3 actually going to do

1:52:22something

1:52:23concrete or not? That's a question. And

1:52:26another question that I have is we have

1:52:28no

1:52:30report of any kind

1:52:33>> stating that you guys

1:52:34>> Thank you.

1:52:35>> Thank you that it's two minutes. Thank

1:52:36you, Miss I didn't hear the beep. It

1:52:40>> the beep went off.

1:52:43confirmed. Mr. Clerk, the keeper of our

1:52:46the keeper of our beeper. All right.

1:52:48Thank you very much for coming.

1:52:50Appreciate it. All right. Seeing no one

1:52:52else, the um public comment period is

1:52:55closed.

1:52:56>> All right, colleagues, uh let us move on

1:52:58to the consent agenda. Does anyone want

1:53:01to bifurcate any of the items?

1:53:04Seeing none, I'll take a motion.

1:53:06>> Motion moved.

1:53:07>> Second. All in favor say I.

1:53:09>> I. Chair. Chair.

1:53:10>> Yes.

1:53:10>> Um Mr.

1:53:12CA3 will be amended on the floor to

1:53:14change the name of the case and the

1:53:15title of the resolution from Angela

1:53:17Beltres versus City of Miami to Roa Doy

1:53:21versus City of Miami. So CA3 will be as

1:53:23amended.

1:53:23>> Okay. So we have a motion as amended and

1:53:25a second. All those in favor say I.

1:53:28>> I.

1:53:29>> Show those items pass.

1:53:30>> My apologies. Just for the record,

1:53:32that'll be for CA 1, three, and four.

1:53:34>> Absolutely. All right. Public hearing

1:53:36items. Does anybody wish to bifurcate

1:53:39any of the public hearing items? Seeing

1:53:42none, I'll take an motion on that.

1:53:44>> So moved. Second.

1:53:45>> Second.

1:53:46>> All those in favor say I.

1:53:47>> I.

1:53:48>> Any opposed? Those carry unanimously.

1:53:52All right. Moving on to the resolutions.

1:53:55Uh we've had a lot of them that are

1:53:57deferred, but do I does anyone want to

1:53:59bifurcate the remaining items?

1:54:02>> I'll do RE5.

1:54:03>> Okay. RE5. We'd like to bifurcate. Any

1:54:06others? Okay, Mr. Clerk, I think we need

1:54:09to amend RE8.

1:54:11>> I'd like to um pull RE8.

1:54:14>> Okay. And I know we need an amendment on

1:54:16that, I think. All right. So, I would

1:54:18entertain a motion on RE1 2 3.

1:54:23>> Oh, wait a second. RE6

1:54:25>> RE6 is deferred.

1:54:26>> It's deferred. Got it.

1:54:28>> Yeah. So re 1 2 3 4

1:54:347 11 12 and 13.

1:54:38>> Motion second.

1:54:39>> Okay. All in favor say I.

1:54:41>> I. I.

1:54:42>> Any oppose? Those carry unanimously.

1:54:44>> Madame Mayor.

1:54:45>> Yes, ma'am.

1:54:46>> Why was RE6 deferred?

1:54:48>> It was deferred at the setting of the

1:54:50agenda.

1:54:50>> I know. Um I've been looking for this

1:54:52item. I thought it was going to be in

1:54:54second reading.

1:54:58I'm just asking why it was deferred.

1:55:01>> Ask the commissioner who sponsored it.

1:55:04>> Yeah. No, I moved it to the next

1:55:05meeting.

1:55:05>> Oh, it's okay. So, what I'm

1:55:09>> what I'm asking is my item, the protocol

1:55:11item, first reading, last commission

1:55:14meeting, it's not here for second

1:55:17reading. Can somebody tell me why?

1:55:20Um generally like if the way they do the

1:55:23agenda is if it's on the first meeting

1:55:26uh second reading is on the first

1:55:28meeting of the month. So they match the

1:55:30month.

1:55:30>> Yeah. Just just checking.

1:55:31>> And it's also a notice issue as far as

1:55:33advertising the title.

1:55:34>> Okay. Just checking. Okay.

1:55:37>> Um Commissioner uh Partardo, you

1:55:39bifurcated RE5.

1:55:41>> Yeah, I had a lot of questions about

1:55:42RE5, so I just wanted to explain it a

1:55:44little bit. the um everyone knows that

1:55:48our ways of increasing revenue are

1:55:50increasing taxes, increasing fees, and I

1:55:53think we could do a much better job of

1:55:55bringing in other revenue, thinking more

1:55:58outside the box, more innovatively, and

1:56:01looking at private people and

1:56:03corporations that have the wherewithal

1:56:04and that are moving to Miami. District 2

1:56:07has a lot of affluence moving into

1:56:10District 2. In the past, I've had

1:56:12residents come to me and say, "I'm

1:56:14willing to give $250,000 as part of this

1:56:17street project if you'll do my curban

1:56:19gutter." It has been impossible because

1:56:22we don't have an established process or

1:56:24system to take in that money. And by the

1:56:27time we actually get to, well, maybe we

1:56:29can put it on an agenda, they're gone.

1:56:32donors. The moment a serious donor looks

1:56:35at the city and feels like they're not

1:56:38being treated professionally, they're

1:56:40whatever gift they're going to give

1:56:42isn't going to pan out, they're going to

1:56:44go away. They have other places to give

1:56:47that money. I want the city of Miami to

1:56:50be a place where a private donor can

1:56:52come here and say, "I want to give to

1:56:54this park. I want to this happened to on

1:56:57a street and I'm willing to pay for it."

1:56:59There are a lot of people out there who

1:57:01who believe they've been very fortunate,

1:57:03very blessed and they're willing to give

1:57:05and they're philanthropic and we don't

1:57:07really have a path for those people. So

1:57:10RE5 looks to the Miami Foundation. I've

1:57:12been a trustee in the Miami Foundation.

1:57:14They're a fiduciary. They're an outside

1:57:16organization. They can hold a donor

1:57:19advised fund for people in this case

1:57:22specifically in District 2 because I'd

1:57:24like to be able to have supervisory

1:57:26capacity over what happens. I'd also

1:57:28like to be able to be transparent to the

1:57:31public and show the progress of these

1:57:33different projects. I think that a donor

1:57:36advice fund with and I know there are

1:57:38other donor advice funds with the city

1:57:39and in other districts would really go a

1:57:42long way. That's well established and

1:57:44that really delivers for philanthropists

1:57:46because then they know they you start

1:57:48building a trust relationship with your

1:57:50city that they're going to treat your

1:57:52money with respect, not waste it, be

1:57:54efficient and effective. And that's

1:57:56really the point of RE5.

1:57:58>> Would you move your item?

1:58:00>> Yep. I'll move.

1:58:00>> All right. Is there a second?

1:58:02>> Second.

1:58:02>> All those in favor say I.

1:58:04>> I.

1:58:05>> Show that passed unanimously.

1:58:06Commissioner King, um, you bifurcated

1:58:09RE8 and I know there's a possible

1:58:12amendment from the clerk.

1:58:14>> So, I was just wondering, um,

1:58:16Commissioner Rosado,

1:58:18is it really necessary to commit this to

1:58:21legislation? Because with MPA, they

1:58:23already notify the commissioners before

1:58:26they take any action. And I was

1:58:29wondering if maybe you tried to resolve

1:58:32this before creating legislation because

1:58:34we have a really good working

1:58:36relationship with MPA. I just

1:58:40>> it there was there was an and and I

1:58:42agree with that that we do have a good

1:58:43working relationship but there was a

1:58:45recent instance where uh pay by phone

1:58:47signs were installed in a neighborhood

1:58:48where there's no commercial

1:58:50establishments in the vicinity and I got

1:58:52a series of complaints and the residents

1:58:54were under the impression that that was

1:58:56my idea or that that's a thing that we

1:58:58to prove and so I want to be I want to

1:59:01be notified in this particular instance

1:59:03when I brought it to their attention all

1:59:04the complaints we got they had to do a

1:59:06reanalysis and they said you know what

1:59:07it makes sense Let's go ahead and remove

1:59:09them all. If they let me know in

1:59:11advance, I'd say, why are you putting

1:59:12those there? The folks that are going to

1:59:14be parking there are parking there

1:59:15because they live in apartment buildings

1:59:17with no parking garages. They're going

1:59:18to be they're dependent on the street

1:59:19parking. So, we could have saved them

1:59:21time and money on this. So, I I would

1:59:24like to codify this.

1:59:25>> Yeah. Can Can I weigh in? You know, I

1:59:28I've always found that MPA is very

1:59:30responsible, very uh you know, uh they

1:59:33cater to our needs. I mean, I had a call

1:59:35on 17th a uh from the from some business

1:59:38owners there and from the public that,

1:59:40you know, they were charging there and I

1:59:42I called them and said, "Can you let up

1:59:43for a while, you know, to you know,

1:59:45we're in bad times. People don't have a

1:59:47lot of money right now." And they they

1:59:48they did it. I found them to be very,

1:59:50you know, very uh I agree with the with

1:59:52the commissioner. Uh

1:59:55>> sure. If I if I could just add two

1:59:57things. Again, this is just for us to be

1:59:59notified in advance. In this instance,

2:00:00we we weren't. So that may be a

2:00:03practice, but if it's not always

2:00:05followed, that's that's a problem. And

2:00:07we actually worked with the MPA on this

2:00:08legislation. So they they are fine with

2:00:11this as written.

2:00:15>> Any other discussion? Commissioner,

2:00:18would you like to move your item?

2:00:19>> So moved.

2:00:20>> And do we have an amendment? Is it

2:00:21amended as a substitution? I think

2:00:23right.

2:00:24>> Thank you, Chair. R8 will be amended

2:00:26pursuant to a substitution memo dated

2:00:28October 19th, 2026. So, as amended.

2:00:32>> So, it's moved and second as amended.

2:00:34All those in favor say I.

2:00:35>> I.

2:00:36>> I.

2:00:36>> Any opposed?

2:00:38>> What was the I'm sorry. What was the

2:00:40amendment?

2:00:42>> Bear with me for just a moment.

2:00:45>> The amendment was to limit the

2:00:47notification to properties that are

2:00:49residential in nature as well as I

2:00:51believe it changed it from 30 days to 7

2:00:53days.

2:00:54>> Got it. Thank you.

2:00:56>> Gave them a little more flexibility. All

2:00:58right. Uh, show that item passed

2:01:00unanimously.

2:01:03We'll move on. I think that's all the

2:01:06resolutions. Second reading, we have two

2:01:08SR2, SR3. Would you read the titles?

2:01:12>> Yes, madam chair.

2:01:18SR2, an ordinance of the Miami City

2:01:21Commission amending chapter 38, article

2:01:232 of the code of the city of Miami,

2:01:24Florida, as amended titled Parks and

2:01:26Recreation Use Regulations by amending

2:01:28section 38-65 titled pedalling, vending,

2:01:31and merchandising. More specifically,

2:01:33establishing a park use approval process

2:01:35for the operation of farmers markets in

2:01:37the city of Miami parks containing a

2:01:39severability clause and providing for an

2:01:41immediate effective date. Then we have

2:01:44SR3.

2:01:47SR3, an ordinance of the Miami City

2:01:49Commission amending chapter 8 of the

2:01:50code of the city of Miami, Florida, as

2:01:52amended, titled bicycles, skateboards,

2:01:54scooters, and other similar devices by

2:01:56creating article 3, section 8-20 of the

2:01:59of the code regulating the operation of

2:02:01microobility devices, electric bicycles,

2:02:03and motorized scooters in the city of

2:02:05Miami. Providing definitions,

2:02:06regulations for operation of

2:02:08micromobility devices, electric bicycles

2:02:11and motorized scooters on city

2:02:12rightsway. providing enforcement

2:02:14pursuant to chapter 2, article 10 of the

2:02:16code and chapter 318, Florida statutes,

2:02:18providing for severality clause and an

2:02:20effective date.

2:02:22>> Would we like to buy from Oh, Mr. Clerk,

2:02:24I see you have

2:02:25>> my apologies. Um, just for the record,

2:02:27SR3 uh will be amended pursuant to a

2:02:30substitution memo dated October 14,

2:02:322026. Thank you.

2:02:34>> Excellent. Um, would you like to

2:02:36bifrocate either these two items?

2:02:38Anyone?

2:02:39>> Not. I'll entertain a motion on

2:02:41>> second. All right. All those in favor

2:02:43say I.

2:02:44>> I.

2:02:45>> Any opposed? Show those items passed

2:02:48unanimous.

2:02:49>> All right. On to the first readings.

2:02:51Would you want to read the titles?

2:02:54There's quite a few of them.

2:02:55>> Yes, madam chair. FR1 first reading

2:02:57ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami

2:02:59City Commission amending chapter 10,

2:03:00article 1, division two of the code of

2:03:02the city of Miami, Florida is amended.

2:03:04City code titled buildings in general

2:03:05building administration fees and

2:03:07waiverss to revise the fee provisions

2:03:09set forth in sections 10-18 of the city

2:03:12code to comply with permit fee

2:03:14requirements as set forth by Florida

2:03:16statutes and to make other conforming

2:03:17and cleanup revisions making findings

2:03:20containing a severability clause and

2:03:22providing for an effective date. FR2 was

2:03:25indefinitely deferred. FR3,

2:03:28an ordinance of the Miami City

2:03:29Commission with attachments amending

2:03:31chapter 35, article 5 of the code of the

2:03:33city of Miami, Florida, as amended,

2:03:34titled Motor Vehicles and Traffic,

2:03:36Coconut Grove Business District, Design

2:03:38District, Winwood, Winwood Norte, and

2:03:40Downtown Flaggler District Parking

2:03:42Improvement Trust Funds, more

2:03:44particularly by amending section 35-220

2:03:46titled required off- streetet parking

2:03:48and payment in lie of required off-

2:03:50streetet parking and establishing

2:03:52section 35-245 titled Caillio Parking

2:03:55Improvement Trust Fund. established

2:03:57section 35-246 titled funds made

2:04:00available financial report section

2:04:0235-247 titled schedule of fees and

2:04:05charges for Kaio parking improvement

2:04:07trust fund and section 35-248 titled

2:04:10parking waiver certificates revocation

2:04:12refunds to establish the coyo parking

2:04:15improvement trust fund making findings

2:04:17containing a seability clause and

2:04:19providing for an effective date FR4

2:04:21first reading ordinance it's an

2:04:22ordinance of the Miami city commission

2:04:23amending chapter 6 article 3 of the code

2:04:25of of the city of Miami, Florida as

2:04:27amended titled animals enforcement to

2:04:29update the city of Miami's animal

2:04:31cruelty enforcement provisions

2:04:33establishing enhanced civil penalties

2:04:34for specified violations authorizing

2:04:37enforcement by animal control officers

2:04:39as provided by law containing a

2:04:40severability clause and providing for an

2:04:43immediate effective date. FR5, an

2:04:46ordinance of the Miami City Commission

2:04:47amending chapter 6, article 2, article

2:04:49three of the code of the city of Miami,

2:04:51Florida is amended titled animals, dogs,

2:04:53and cats enforcement to provide for

2:04:55updated fines for those who commit

2:04:57violations of the city of Miami's animal

2:04:58welfare chapter and include additional

2:05:00violations containing a severability

2:05:02clause and providing for an immediate

2:05:04effective date. F FR6, an ordinance of

2:05:06the Miami City Commission amending

2:05:08chapter 6, article 1 of the code of the

2:05:10city of Miami, Florida, as amended, city

2:05:12code titled animals in general, chapter

2:05:146, article 1 of the city code titled

2:05:16animals, dogs, and cats, and chapter 6,

2:05:18article 3 of the city code titled

2:05:19animals enforcement to provide for

2:05:21updated language regarding enforcement

2:05:23of leashing laws for domesticated

2:05:24animals on public and private property

2:05:26and to update definitions to meet

2:05:28current, codified, and statutory

2:05:29definitions from both Miami date county

2:05:32and the state of Florida containing a

2:05:33seability clause and providing for an

2:05:35immediate effective date. That is the

2:05:37end of the first reading.

2:05:38>> Thank you. Um so colleagues uh FR4, five

2:05:41and six, there's a little duplication so

2:05:44we probably need to turn on how to move

2:05:45[clears throat] forward but uh FR1 and

2:05:47FR3 does anybody want to bifurcate FR1

2:05:51or FR3

2:05:53that's the building fees and coyo

2:05:55parking improvement trust. Okay. So we

2:05:58could probably take those as a block if

2:05:59someone would move them.

2:06:01>> Motion.

2:06:02>> Second.

2:06:03>> All right. All those in favor say I.

2:06:05>> I.

2:06:05>> Any opposed? Show FR1 and FR3 passed

2:06:08unanimously. Um FR4 and five and six. I

2:06:13presume we

2:06:13>> I'd like to pull. Yeah.

2:06:15>> Yeah. I presume we want to chat probably

2:06:17all about all three of them more or less

2:06:18at the same time.

2:06:19>> I want to take FR4 first because I think

2:06:21that'll open.

2:06:22>> Yes. Yes. Okay. So, let's um let's start

2:06:24with FR4 because a lot of FR4 is

2:06:28actually in FR5. So, maybe we can

2:06:30separate those items. So, Commissioner

2:06:32Part, would you like to start?

2:06:33>> I did. There's two issues. One is a

2:06:36process issue and and I spoke with the

2:06:38city attorney about this and we

2:06:41submitted a file ID on September 30th

2:06:43with FR4. F FR5 came about 5 days later.

2:06:47F FR6 day came 10 days later. In

2:06:50speaking about this with the city

2:06:51attorney, it would have been and it has

2:06:54happened to me before. I've been told

2:06:55another commissioner is working on this

2:06:58topic and I'm like great I'll co-sponsor

2:07:00and you know whatever I'll do I'll do a

2:07:02substitution or on the deis and we

2:07:04collaborate that's not a big deal I I

2:07:07enjoy that in this case there are three

2:07:09separate items and I don't want to see

2:07:12this happen again which is why I'm

2:07:13bringing up this issue I was told that

2:07:16by saying that another commissioner is

2:07:18working on an item that that is a

2:07:19violation of sunshine I don't believe it

2:07:22is I've talked to other municipal

2:07:23attorneys they don't believe it is. I I

2:07:26feel that we're being we're duplicating

2:07:28work and we're spending money we don't

2:07:30need to spend and it would simply be

2:07:32much easier to just hold hold that topic

2:07:36and have other people add to it.

2:07:41>> Okay. Um

2:07:42>> and then on the animal cruelty side,

2:07:44I'll say something else. So I don't know

2:07:45how you want to deal with

2:07:47>> um

2:07:49Commissioner Partem,

2:07:51you might want to explain it. It it

2:07:53basically brings us into compliance with

2:07:55state law, right? And allows our

2:07:57penalties to be basically as as strong

2:08:00as they possibly could be under the

2:08:01state law,

2:08:02>> right? So, this came to us from Vanessa

2:08:04Conde, one of our residents, from the

2:08:05BNA, and it does take our our penalties

2:08:08to the maximum. That's $2,500

2:08:11for the first offense, 5,000 for the

2:08:13second, 7,500 for the third. So, it

2:08:16reflects the seriousness of what is

2:08:18happening. These instances have been

2:08:20growing in in frequency. We had someone

2:08:23here say that this is the beginning of

2:08:24criminal behavior. A lot of psychopathic

2:08:27behavior starts this way. So, we want to

2:08:30make sure we crack down as much as

2:08:32possible. And this really represents a

2:08:34first step uh as we go and we move we

2:08:37move more legislation forward and

2:08:39coordinate with the county and

2:08:41coordinate with groups that are working

2:08:42on this already.

2:08:43>> Right.

2:08:44>> Could Madame Mayor.

2:08:45>> Yes. Commissioner Rado. Yes.

2:08:47>> Commissioner Partardo. I think our items

2:08:48are definitely have the same spirit. I

2:08:50know that there's a difference in the

2:08:52penalties. I'm happy to support the

2:08:54penalties that you proposed. So, I'll

2:08:56remove the penalties from mine and we

2:08:58can make them complimentary and approve

2:09:00both.

2:09:03>> The only thing left is FR6. And my

2:09:07legislation is born out of an email that

2:09:09I received about pets being in public

2:09:13spaces without having leashes on it.

2:09:16What administration has done was

2:09:19blend the item, our city item to match

2:09:23what the county has because the county

2:09:25is um really the enforcement arm, but

2:09:30this allows the city of Miami to take

2:09:32enforcement and I don't mind

2:09:36adding my legislation to your

2:09:38legislation. Um, but mine is different

2:09:42because it's addressing pets and I I

2:09:45don't know why they put cats because we

2:09:46don't walk our cats on leashes, but

2:09:49okay. Um, but my legislation addresses

2:09:52um pets being without a leash in public

2:09:56in parks. And like one of our

2:09:58constituents said, you know, when you're

2:10:00walking and someone doesn't have their

2:10:03dog on a leash and they say, "Oh,

2:10:05they're not going to." I was told that

2:10:08any dog with teeth can bite. So while

2:10:11you know like I know cinnamon is not

2:10:14gonna bite someone but someone who is

2:10:17afraid and someone who doesn't know

2:10:19cinnamon she has teeth she can bite in

2:10:23theory. So that's why this was put

2:10:25forward.

2:10:26>> Mr. Attorney it seems as if Commissioner

2:10:29King's item we could take separately

2:10:31because there's no overlap. What What

2:10:34are your thoughts? you've you've worked

2:10:36on all of these items,

2:10:37>> right? So, um, Commissioner King's item

2:10:40is FR6.

2:10:42Um, it does add the um un um we don't

2:10:47call it unleashed in the ordinance. We

2:10:48call it unrestrained, but that's

2:10:50different from FR4 and FR5.

2:10:53Um there's language that is removed

2:10:56which is consistent with all three and

2:10:59um all citations. So, it is a good basis

2:11:02for amending it. um there wouldn't be

2:11:05much conflict between FR6 and then FR4

2:11:09and five other than

2:11:15>> yeah so um I was just advised that um

2:11:18there's a provision of the ordinance

2:11:20that talks about remove unneeded well we

2:11:22talked about that all citations issued

2:11:24per 2823 city code or chapter 5 of the

2:11:27city code we could we could remove

2:11:29language from FR6 that would make it

2:11:32just a standalone where it would just

2:11:34apply to the um the leash. And so we

2:11:36could make that change now before second

2:11:39reading.

2:11:41>> Madame Mayor, one thing I just wanted to

2:11:42add that's important, we we don't

2:11:45currently have people that can actually

2:11:47give these citations. So they do have to

2:11:49go, I think, through an 18-hour

2:11:50certification course. And and uh I'm

2:11:54saying that so that as many of us as

2:11:55possible can go through that course and

2:11:57there'll be as many of us as possible

2:11:59out there being able to give actually

2:12:01give the citations.

2:12:07I'll give our attorneys a a minute to

2:12:21All right. So, the u the requested

2:12:22amendment would be to just remove the

2:12:25amendment to 6-71 of FR6 and that would

2:12:29deconlict it with all the others. Comm

2:12:32Commissioner King, is that okay with

2:12:34you? All right. So, I think we can move,

2:12:37if I'm correct, Commissioner King, you

2:12:38want to move your item as amended?

2:12:39>> Motion as a second. Um, all those in

2:12:42favor say I.

2:12:44>> I.

2:12:44>> Okay. That can move forward to second

2:12:46reading. Okay. Colleagues on FR4 and

2:12:50five. Uh, it sounds as if Commissioner

2:12:54Versado, you will remove all of the

2:12:56references of your langanger that

2:12:57language that conflicts with FR4.

2:13:00>> Um, Mr. city attorney, do you have other

2:13:02advice for us on deconlicting those two

2:13:05items or should they be merged or

2:13:08>> what are your thoughts?

2:13:09>> Um, ideally I think yeah, the commission

2:13:12should probably pick one and decide to

2:13:13go with that um to avoid um replication,

2:13:17etc. Um, so that would be my advice. Um,

2:13:22>> the language in FR4, which is

2:13:24Commissioner PTO's, is a little bit more

2:13:26straight as far as the fines in 2-671.

2:13:30So, we could we could take that

2:13:33language, but then Commissioner Rosado

2:13:35has additional language that he has

2:13:36added that is not included in FR4, which

2:13:39is

2:13:40>> I think we're good with folding them and

2:13:42he'll co-sponsor.

2:13:43>> Yes.

2:13:44>> And we will also co-sponsor Kings

2:13:48>> and King will so we're all on

2:13:49>> everybody's co-sponsoring. Okay.

2:13:51>> So,

2:13:52>> so I'm sorry, we're showing a unanimous

2:13:54co-sponsor for FR4 and then FR6.

2:13:57>> Yes. Mr. Gabella, are you also um part

2:14:00of Okay, just want to confirm. Yes,

2:14:02>> understood.

2:14:03>> And then you have all the clarity you

2:14:05need to bring back a second reading item

2:14:07that um

2:14:08>> blends them both together.

2:14:11>> Excellent word, blend. Yes,

2:14:12>> blends. So, we'll have a a blended.

2:14:14We'll have FR4.5

2:14:16or something.

2:14:17>> You can tell we're dog parents.

2:14:19>> Okay. Um so,

2:14:22so Mr. Attorney,

2:14:25what do we do? We withdraw F FR5 and

2:14:28amend F FR4.

2:14:31>> Yes, that would that I'm fine with that.

2:14:34>> Okay. So, show um

2:14:36>> so move.

2:14:36>> Moved. Okay. All in favor?

2:14:39>> I

2:14:39>> FR5 is withdrawn. F FR4. Can we have a

2:14:43motion to amend this to include what

2:14:45used to be F FR5?

2:14:46>> So moved. Second.

2:14:47>> All right. All those in favor.

2:14:50>> Any opposed? Show. Show FR 4.5 minus

2:14:54five approved. Perfect. Okay. As

2:14:56amended.

2:14:57>> As amended. Thank you all for working

2:15:00through that.

2:15:01>> Yeah.

2:15:04>> All right. Now we move on to boards and

2:15:06committees. Mr. Clerk.

2:15:08>> Thank you, Chair. BC1 code enforcement

2:15:11award. Commissioner Escalona would like

2:15:13to appoint Jason Manowitz to the atlarge

2:15:15seat.

2:15:16>> Motion.

2:15:17>> Second.

2:15:18>> Second.

2:15:18>> All those in favor?

2:15:20>> I.

2:15:20>> Any post? Show that appointment made.

2:15:22BC2

2:15:23>> BC2 Miami Tree Ordinance Advisory

2:15:26Committee. Commissioner Escalona would

2:15:28like to appoint Risa Fernandez to his

2:15:29seat on the board.

2:15:31>> Motion.

2:15:32>> Second.

2:15:33>> In favor?

2:15:34>> I post. Show that appointment made. All

2:15:38right, colleagues. We'll move on to the

2:15:40planning and zoning items. My

2:15:42understanding is PZ20 has to have a

2:15:45separate vote. Is that correct, Mr.

2:15:47Clerk?

2:15:47>> That is.

2:15:48>> Yes, ma'am. Sorry.

2:15:48>> Okay. or we have a unanimous yes. It has

2:15:51to be separate. Uh all right. So then

2:15:54let's talk about the other ones. PZ 1 2

2:15:583 4 6 and 7. Does anyone want to

2:16:03bifurcate any of Oh no, there's more.

2:16:06Sorry guys. Easy. 1 2 3 4 6

2:16:127 14 16 17 and 18. Does anyone want to

2:16:18bifurcate any of those?

2:16:20>> I'd like to pull PZ4.

2:16:22>> PZ4.

2:16:27>> All right. I'll entertain a motion.

2:16:29>> Read some of the

2:16:30>> Oh, you do have to read the titles. I'm

2:16:31sorry about that.

2:16:32>> That's all right. Um

2:16:33>> PZ4 being one of them.

2:16:37>> So PZ1 is a resolution. PZ2

2:16:40PZ3 is a second reading ordinance. An

2:16:43ordinance of the Miami City Commission

2:16:44with attachments amending the zoning

2:16:46atlas of ordinance number 13114 the

2:16:49zoning ordinance of the city of Miami,

2:16:50Florida as amended Miami 21 code by

2:16:52changing the zoning classification from

2:16:53T68L urban core transact zone limited to

2:16:57T50 urban center transact zone open for

2:17:01the properties generally located at 625,

2:17:03645, 675, 685, 650, 640, 630 and 626

2:17:10Northeast 64 Terrace and 629 9 635

2:17:14645655

2:17:166669 and 685 Northwest 64 Street and the

2:17:20east portion of 610 Northeast 64

2:17:23Terrace, Miami, Florida. More

2:17:24particularly described in exhibit A

2:17:26attached and incorporated making

2:17:27findings containing a severability

2:17:29clause and providing for an effective

2:17:31date. PZ4

2:17:34first reading ordinance. An ordinance of

2:17:35the Miami City Commission with

2:17:36attachments amending ordinance number

2:17:3813114. The zoning ordinance of the city

2:17:40of Miami, Florida is amended. Miami 21

2:17:42code by amending article 1 section 1.2

2:17:45titled definition of terms to define

2:17:47electric vehicle ready and article 3

2:17:49section 3.6 titled off- streetet parking

2:17:52and loading standards to remove electric

2:17:55vehicle capable parking requirements.

2:17:57Article four, table four, titled

2:17:59density, intensity and parking, T4,

2:18:01density, intensity, and parking T5

2:18:04density intensity and parking T6 density

2:18:07intensity and parking CS density

2:18:10intensity and parking CI density

2:18:12intensity and parking CI-HD

2:18:16density intensity and parking D1 density

2:18:19intensity and parking D2 and density

2:18:22intensity and parking D3 to reduce

2:18:24parking requirements when electric

2:18:25vehicle ready parking is prov. provided

2:18:27making findings containing a

2:18:28severability clause and providing for an

2:18:30immediate effective date. Then all right

2:18:34five was deferred. Six in second reading

2:18:38ordinance in ordinance of the Miami City

2:18:40Commission with attachments amending

2:18:41ordinance number 10544 is amended the

2:18:44future land use map of the Miami

2:18:45comprehensive neighborhood plan pursuant

2:18:46to smallcale amendment procedures

2:18:48subject to section 163.3187

2:18:51Florida statutes by changing the future

2:18:53land use designation from single family

2:18:54residential to duplex residential of the

2:18:57acreage described herein of real

2:18:58property at approximately 3520 southwest

2:19:0117 Terrace Miami Florida as more

2:19:03particularly described in the attached

2:19:04and incorporated exhibit

2:19:06making findings containing a

2:19:07severability clause and providing for an

2:19:09effective date. PZ7. Also a second

2:19:12reading ordinance. An ordinance of the

2:19:14Miami City Commission with attachments

2:19:15amending the zoning atlas of ordinance

2:19:16number 13114. The zoning ordinance of

2:19:18the city of Miami, Florida's amended

2:19:20Miami 21 code by changing zoning the

2:19:23zoning classification from T3R suburban

2:19:26trans zone restricted to T30 suburban

2:19:29trans zone open for the southern

2:19:31property of the southern portion of the

2:19:33property generally located at 3520

2:19:35Southwest 17th Terrace, Miami, Florida.

2:19:38with such a portion as more particularly

2:19:40described in the attachment incorporated

2:19:41exhibit A making findings containing a

2:19:43severability clause and providing for an

2:19:46effective date. PZ8 has been deferred.

2:19:48PZ9 has been deferred. PZ 10 has been

2:19:50deferred. PZ 11 1213 have been deferred.

2:19:56PZ14 first reading ordinance. An

2:19:59ordinance of the Miami City Commission

2:20:00with attachments amending ordinance

2:20:01number 10544 as amended. the future land

2:20:04use map of the Miami comprehensive

2:20:05neighborhood plan pursuant to the

2:20:07expedited state review process subject

2:20:09to section 163.3184

2:20:11Florida statutes by amending the future

2:20:13land use designation from medium density

2:20:16restricted commercial to restricted

2:20:17commercial for certain properties west

2:20:19of Northwest North River Drive between

2:20:22Northwest 6th Street and Northwest 4

2:20:23Street by amending the future land use

2:20:25designation for medium density

2:20:27restricted commercial to restricted

2:20:28commercial for certain properties

2:20:30between Southwest River Drive Southwest

2:20:322 Street, Southwest 5 Avenue, and

2:20:34Southwest 1 Street by amending the

2:20:36future land use designation from medium

2:20:38density multifamily residential to

2:20:41restricted commercial for certain

2:20:42properties between Southwest 4 Avenue,

2:20:44Interstate I95, Southwest 6th Street,

2:20:47Southwest 5 Avenue, and Southwest 1st

2:20:49Street by amending the future land use

2:20:51designation for medium density

2:20:52restricted commercial to restricted

2:20:54commercial for certain properties lo

2:20:56fronting Southwest 7th Street between

2:20:58Interstate I95 and Southwest 12th Avenue

2:21:02by Amending the future land use

2:21:04designation from lowdensity multif

2:21:06family residential and lowdensity

2:21:07restricted commercial to medium density

2:21:09multifamily residential and medium

2:21:11density density restricted commercial

2:21:13for certain properties on the north side

2:21:15of Southwest 9th Street between

2:21:17Southwest 8th Avenue and Southwest 12

2:21:19avenue by amending the future land use

2:21:21designation from medium density

2:21:24multifamily residential to restricted

2:21:26commercial for certain properties

2:21:28fronting Southwest 7th Street between

2:21:30Southwest 17th Avenue and Southwest 22

2:21:33Avenue and by amending the future land

2:21:34use designation from lowdensity

2:21:36restricted commercial to restricted

2:21:38commercial for certain properties along

2:21:40Southwest 8 between Southwest 1 Street

2:21:43and Southwest 6th Street, Miami,

2:21:44Florida, as more particularly described

2:21:45in the attached and incorporated exhibit

2:21:47A making findings continuing

2:21:49severability clause and providing for an

2:21:51effective date. PZ15 has been deferred.

2:21:55PZ16 is a first reading ordinance, an

2:21:57ordinance of the Miami City Commission

2:21:59with attachments amending ordinance

2:22:00number 10544 as amended. the future land

2:22:03use map of the Miami comprehensive

2:22:04neighborhood plan pursuant to

2:22:06small-scale amendment procedures subject

2:22:07to 163.3187

2:22:09Florida statutes by changing the future

2:22:11land use designation from duplex

2:22:13residential to restricted commercial of

2:22:15the acreage described herein for the

2:22:17properties fronting northwest 36 court

2:22:19on the west between northwest 6th street

2:22:22and northwest flaggler terrace by

2:22:23changing the future land use designation

2:22:25from duplex residential to low density

2:22:27multifamily residential of the acreage

2:22:30described herein for the properties

2:22:31fronting northwest is 36th Street on the

2:22:33east between Northwest 6th Street and

2:22:35Northwest Flaggler Terrace by changing

2:22:37the future land use designation from

2:22:39duplex residential to lowdensity

2:22:41restricted commercial of the acreage

2:22:43described herein for 613 Northwest 36

2:22:46Court 31 Northwest 36 Court 15 Northwest

2:22:5036 Court and 3655 Northwest 6 Court and

2:22:54by changing the future land use

2:22:55designation from duplex residential to

2:22:57restricted commercial of the acreage

2:22:59described herein for 3670

2:23:02Northwest 6th Street, 3675 Northwest 5

2:23:05Street, 3684 Northwest 4 Street, and

2:23:073651 Northwest 3 Street, Miami, Florida,

2:23:10as more particularly described in

2:23:11exhibit A, attached and incorporated

2:23:14making findings containing a

2:23:15severability clause and providing for an

2:23:17effective date.

2:23:19PZ17 first reading ordinance, an

2:23:21ordinance of the Miami City Commission

2:23:23with attachments amending ordinance

2:23:24number 13114, the zoning ordinance of

2:23:26the city of Miami, Florida is amended.

2:23:27Miami 21 code by changing the zoning

2:23:30classification from T30 suburban

2:23:32transact zone open to T40 urban general

2:23:35transect zone open for the properties

2:23:37running north and south fronting

2:23:38northwest 6th Street and Northwest 5

2:23:40street by changing the zoning

2:23:41classification from T30 suburban trans

2:23:44zone open to T40 urban general transect

2:23:49zone open for the properties running

2:23:51north and south fronting northwest 4

2:23:53street and northwest 3 street and by

2:23:54changing the zoning classification from

2:23:56T30 30 suburban transit zone open to T4R

2:24:00urban general transit zone restricted

2:24:03for the properties fronting northwest 36

2:24:05Court to the east and west between

2:24:06Northwest 7th Street and Northwest

2:24:08Flagler Street, Miami, Florida, as more

2:24:11particularly described in exhibit 8

2:24:12attached and incorporated making

2:24:13findings containing a severability

2:24:15clause and providing for an effective

2:24:17date PZ18 first reading ordinance and

2:24:20ordinance of the Miami City Commission

2:24:21amending ordinance number 13114 the

2:24:23zoning ordinance of the city of Miami,

2:24:24Florida is amended specifically by

2:24:26amending ing article 4, table 4, titled

2:24:28density, intensity, and parking to

2:24:30clarify parking regulations for uses

2:24:32within the podium by amending article 5

2:24:35titled specific to zones to update

2:24:37development incentives for podium

2:24:38liners, podium design and parking

2:24:40structures and allowable cantalvered

2:24:43building encroachments and by amending

2:24:45article 6 section 6.1 titled intent and

2:24:48exclusions to update micro dwelling unit

2:24:50liner regulations making findings

2:24:52containing a severability clause and

2:24:54providing for an effective

2:24:56PZ19 has been deferred and PZ20 is a U

2:25:00resolution. Thank you, Madam Chair.

2:25:02>> All right, take a breath, George. That

2:25:04was that was a long I [laughter] should

2:25:07Yeah, take a Exactly. Have a sip. All

2:25:10right, folks. We have bifurcated PZ4.

2:25:15PZ20 must be voted on separately. Um,

2:25:18Mr. Clerk, I think you have something to

2:25:20read into the record on PZ2.

2:25:23>> Thank you, chair. Um, PZ2 will be

2:25:26amended um, pursuant to a substitution

2:25:28memo dated October 20th, 2026. PZ14 will

2:25:32be amended pursuant to a substitution

2:25:34memo dated October 20th, 2026. PZ16 will

2:25:37be amended to add PZAB meeting

2:25:40information in the first whereas clause

2:25:41and PZ 17 will be amended to add PZAB

2:25:44meeting information in the first whereas

2:25:46clause. Thank you, chair.

2:25:47>> Um, Mr. Clerk, I believe PZ3 also needs

2:25:50the PZAB information as well. I've just

2:25:52been informed. might not be on your

2:25:54list.

2:25:55>> PZ3 will be shown as amended as well.

2:25:57Understood.

2:25:58>> Okay. Um

2:26:15All right. Do I have a motion on

2:26:18everything except for PZ4 and PZ 20,

2:26:22please?

2:26:23>> Motion second.

2:26:24>> All right. All those in favor say I. I.

2:26:27>> Any opposed? Show those passed

2:26:29unanimously. Um I think we'll go to PZ

2:26:3220 first just because we're paying

2:26:34outside counsel and if we could save

2:26:36whatever 30 minutes of time, let's do

2:26:38that. Um, do you mind reading that one

2:26:41into

2:26:42>> It's a resolution, but I'll read it

2:26:44anyway just so everybody knows what's

2:26:46going on. No, it's it makes sense. Um,

2:26:48PZ20 is a resolution of the Miami City

2:26:50Commission granting or denying the

2:26:52appeal filed by Elvis Cruz of the

2:26:53intended decision for BD23-006209-00001

2:26:58issued on August 25, 2026 for the city

2:27:02of Miami public rightway located at

2:27:03approximately 5215 Northwest 7 Avenue,

2:27:07Miami, Florida. And would the parties

2:27:08state their appearances, please?

2:27:13>> Uh, good morning. Amanda Corkan, outside

2:27:15council on behalf of city staff on this

2:27:17appeal.

2:27:22>> Mi Mr. Cruz, would you like to start

2:27:25your presentation?

2:27:27>> Yes, ma'am. Let me just hook up here.

2:27:30>> H how much time do you think you'll

2:27:31need? A

2:27:32>> little over 10 minutes.

2:27:33>> Try to keep it to 10, please.

2:27:35>> Sorry. Try to keep it to 10.

2:27:38>> I think I can.

2:27:39>> I think you can. You're

2:27:40>> I'd like to remind you that a couple

2:27:41meetings ago there was a tree appeal on

2:27:42Irvington. They took 18 minutes

2:27:45>> before you told them to land the plane.

2:27:47Remember that one? That was good.

2:27:48>> I did. So I know. Give us give it a

2:27:52whirl and let's try for 10. Thank you.

2:27:56>> Is there going to be a standing

2:27:58challenge today?

2:28:00>> Uh the city does not wave standing and

2:28:02we'll preserve it for the record. Yes.

2:28:05Are you challenging my standing? Is that

2:28:07what I understand?

2:28:09>> The city is reserving the uh the

2:28:11standing argument and we can address

2:28:12that first if you'd like to.

2:28:14>> Well, normally the way the commission

2:28:16does it, you address standing first.

2:28:19>> Okay, great.

2:28:20>> Because if I don't have standing, I

2:28:21don't get to present.

2:28:22>> I thought you were going to present your

2:28:24standing and then I can I can

2:28:25cross-examine you.

2:28:32>> Okay. So, we're going with standing

2:28:33first.

2:28:39Elvis Cruz, 631 Northeast 57th Street.

2:28:43My legal standing for this appeal is

2:28:45based on Miami City Code section 178B.

2:28:51Quote, "Any agreved party having

2:28:53standing under state law may appeal to

2:28:55the city commission. any decision by the

2:28:58department on matters relating to tree

2:28:59permit applications for the departments

2:29:02of public works or capital improvements

2:29:04program or to their contractors

2:29:08and also section 172 which reflects the

2:29:12state law intervenor a person whose

2:29:15interests in the proceeding are

2:29:17adversely affected in a matter greater

2:29:20than those of the general public in

2:29:23addition to living two blocks from the

2:29:25park since 1977 7 and visiting it at

2:29:27least three times a week. My interests

2:29:29in this proceeding, both financial and

2:29:32personal, are adversely affected in a

2:29:35manner far greater than those of the

2:29:37general public. I know of no other

2:29:40member of the public who has spent more

2:29:42of their own time and money to protect,

2:29:45maintain, and advocate for Morningside

2:29:47Park than I have. I paid

2:29:51for the planting of the four monkey pod

2:29:54trees. SAMS

2:29:57that were destroyed by acts of

2:29:59malfeasants and are the subject of the

2:30:01intended decision I'm appealing today.

2:30:04Here is one of those trees. Uh

2:30:08correction. These are four of them.

2:30:09Those four trees the day they were

2:30:12planted May 17th, 2018.

2:30:16Here is one of that same group of monkey

2:30:18pods that was not killed photographed

2:30:20last week. So you can see the tri the

2:30:23size of the trees that were lost. I've

2:30:26also paid $97 for this appeal, even

2:30:30though it was the city's fault through

2:30:31their contractors that those trees were

2:30:33cut down, which the contractors said

2:30:36they were going to replace, but then

2:30:37reneged.

2:30:39I've spent countless hours and thousands

2:30:41of dollars to maintain and improve

2:30:42Morningside Park since 93, including

2:30:45thousands of volunteer hours planting,

2:30:47trimming, fertilizing, irrigating, and

2:30:49weeding.

2:30:51Anybody who doubts that is invited to

2:30:53ask park manager Kai Chisum, former park

2:30:56managers Albert Moira, Michael Bleti and

2:30:59Elizabeth Zapata, groundskeeper Claudio

2:31:02Eva, and former parks department

2:31:04directors Kevin Cerwin and Chuck Ellis.

2:31:08I worked long and hard to get the park

2:31:10declared historic by the HEP board.

2:31:12Unfortunately, the city commission voted

2:31:14against the district commissioner and

2:31:18rescended it.

2:31:19I've conducted 70 free educational tours

2:31:22of the park for 1,117

2:31:25individuals,

2:31:27including elementary, middle, and high

2:31:30school students,

2:31:32Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the general

2:31:35public. All my tours are free. If any of

2:31:39you or anyone wants to bring a group for

2:31:41a free educational tour, please email

2:31:45morningside [email protected].

2:31:47What I do is officially encouraged by

2:31:51the city. Here's the city's website.

2:31:55Thank you for your interest in

2:31:56volunteering. It is a top priority for

2:31:58us to strengthen environmental

2:32:00conservation and educational outreach

2:32:03efforts

2:32:04in partnership with local, state,

2:32:06private, and nonprofit organizations.

2:32:08Park beautifification, landscaping,

2:32:11gardening, removing weeds. We welcome

2:32:13your interest, assistance, and help and

2:32:16invite you to become part of our

2:32:18volunteer team.

2:32:21In order to volunteer in the park, I had

2:32:23to be verified by the city, including

2:32:25fingerprinting, drug testing, chest

2:32:27X-ray for tub tuberculosis, and a

2:32:29background check by the Florida

2:32:30Department of Law Enforcement. I've

2:32:33donated and planted at least 60 trees in

2:32:35the park, all at my expense.

2:32:38All with permission from the city.

2:32:41That includes planting memorial palms

2:32:43for distinguished neighbors that passed

2:32:45away, including for departed city

2:32:47official Alice Robertson. I created and

2:32:50maintain a spreadsheet of the

2:32:51approximately 200 palms in the

2:32:53Morningside Park Palum.

2:32:55I obtained donations from the South

2:32:57Florida Palm Society and myself to place

2:32:59educational identification signs on all

2:33:02the palms in the Palum. I donated and

2:33:06installed a drip irrigation system all

2:33:08at my expense as I was requested by the

2:33:10city. My efforts in the park have been

2:33:13supported by Fairchild Tropical Garden,

2:33:16Montgomery Botanical Center, and might

2:33:17be Dave County Public Schools. I've

2:33:20appeared at dozens of city commission

2:33:22meetings over decades advocating for the

2:33:24park. all too often trying to protect it

2:33:27from harmful things the city did just

2:33:30like this appeal today, including

2:33:33building a dumpster corral on the

2:33:35bayfront, placing an eyesore, a cargo

2:33:38container by the softball field,

2:33:41blocking the park's original drainage

2:33:43ditches, resulting in flooding that

2:33:45continues even now, 14 years later,

2:33:49neglecting the swi the city's swimming

2:33:51pool maintenance. That was a tough loss

2:33:53as the city's very bad habit of

2:33:55demolition by neglect claimed another

2:33:57victim. I've been advocating for trees

2:34:00for decades. My efforts were even

2:34:02written up in a newspaper back when I

2:34:04had better hair. Lastly, Morningside

2:34:08Park opened on June 13th, 1953. I wasn't

2:34:12born then, but I was there for its 70th

2:34:14birthday when I hosted a birthday party

2:34:17for the park with cake and ice cream.

2:34:20Commissioner Partardo, you came to that

2:34:22birthday party and as someone who has

2:34:24lived in Morningside since 1999, you're

2:34:27very aware of my many years of

2:34:29volunteering in and advocacy for

2:34:32Morningside Park. In light of all this

2:34:35evidence, it is clear that my interests

2:34:37are far greater than that of the general

2:34:40public. And so I qualify for intervenor

2:34:42status as per sections 178B and 172 of

2:34:46the Miami City Code. Because of the

2:34:48egregious nature of the code violations

2:34:50done to this park recently, I filed this

2:34:54appeal. Lastly, there was an agenda item

2:34:57earlier today about philanthropic

2:34:59donations to district 2. I've already

2:35:01been doing that for over 30 years, and

2:35:04if I had to sum up my experience in one

2:35:06sentence, I would say no good deed goes

2:35:09unpunished.

2:35:11I've made many donations to the city

2:35:14over the years, and I'm offering another

2:35:16one today. Please don't punish me for

2:35:19it. Thank you,

2:35:22>> Mr. Cruz. Under Renard and Renard B. Day

2:35:25County and Solaris versus the city of

2:35:27Miami, you have to alleged special in

2:35:29injury. This is an intended decision for

2:35:31an after the fact removal of trees. Do

2:35:33you have a special injury with regard to

2:35:35the replacement of trees?

2:35:37>> Yes, I do. As you'll recall, I showed

2:35:40you the receipt. I planted those

2:35:42original trees. So, I have a financial

2:35:45interest. Now I have to ask you, do you

2:35:48mean strictly financial interest or

2:35:51personal interest? Because under state

2:35:53law, it's not limited to financial

2:35:55interest. It can also be a personal

2:35:57interest. You are aware of that as an

2:35:58attorney, I'm sure.

2:35:59>> Okay. So, this is an this is an intended

2:36:02decision for the replacement of trees.

2:36:05Do you have a special injury with regard

2:36:07to the replacement of trees in

2:36:08Morningside Park?

2:36:10>> Yes, I do. Because as I showed you in my

2:36:12PowerPoint, the park was designed in the

2:36:15very elegant style, the American

2:36:16romantic park movement by the city of

2:36:19Miami's parks director, who was also a

2:36:21landscape director, excuse me, landscape

2:36:23architect, Ray Plamer. The park was

2:36:25designed with an elegant uniform

2:36:28planting of large canopy shade trees

2:36:30along the loop road and some of the

2:36:33walkways. What is being proposed as the

2:36:35mitigation would disrupt that planting

2:36:38which I have been working on for

2:36:41decades.

2:36:42>> Do you have any documents or other

2:36:44evidence that the city gave you

2:36:45permission to plant the trees that were

2:36:48removed uh during construction?

2:36:51>> Yes, I showed you the documentation in

2:36:53my PowerPoint.

2:36:56>> Um,

2:36:57>> and by the way, if you doubt that,

2:37:00talk to Kevin Kerwin. He was the parks

2:37:02director at the time. He's the one that

2:37:03gave me permission.

2:37:05>> Um,

2:37:07can you please allege with spec

2:37:09specificity what is your special injury

2:37:11for the replacement of the trees in

2:37:14Morningside Park?

2:37:15>> I will be covering that in my main

2:37:18presentation. But this is only about

2:37:20standing. You are aware of that that

2:37:22this is only the standing hearing.

2:37:23There's going to be a whole another

2:37:24presentation 10 minutes long once we

2:37:28actually get into the substance. this

2:37:29which is happening here is the city's

2:37:31basic maneuver of trying to prevent

2:37:33people from even presenting their case

2:37:35on standing.

2:37:37>> Okay. Um we reserve our right to further

2:37:39object to standing as you make your

2:37:41presentation and we'll allege further

2:37:44facts.

2:37:46>> I presume that means we're allowed to

2:37:48we'll let Mr. Cruz go ahead with your

2:37:50presentation. Thank you.

2:37:52>> So am I understand I have been granted

2:37:54standing mayor?

2:37:55>> No, there is no determination on

2:37:57standing. There is no independent

2:37:59determination on standing. You can make

2:38:00your presentation.

2:38:03>> Okay. So even though the commission has

2:38:06not granted me standing, I'm to give my

2:38:08presentation.

2:38:10>> Is that what I'm understanding?

2:38:11>> So um it if the commission wishes to

2:38:15make a motion on standing now, they they

2:38:19can do that. Um otherwise, it appears

2:38:21that council has no objection to Mr.

2:38:23Cruz making his case. you can hear his

2:38:26case and at the end um make a

2:38:28determination on um either standing at

2:38:33that point and or on the merits of the

2:38:36appeal.

2:38:38>> I think we should go ahead and hear the

2:38:40presentation.

2:38:45>> Okay, here we go. Elvis Cruz, 631

2:38:48Northeast 57th Street.

2:38:57Morningside Park was designed in the

2:38:59American romantic style with a curved

2:39:01boulevard and walkways lined with

2:39:03elegant uniform tree plantings by Ray

2:39:06Plamer, Miami's park superintendent and

2:39:09brilliant landscape architect. In 2025,

2:39:12the Morningside Park Shoreline Project

2:39:14removed 60 trees with permits, but then

2:39:19later removed another fif trees without

2:39:22permits or public notice. Then, to avoid

2:39:26applying for a derm permit, the

2:39:28contractor deliberately flooded an area

2:39:30of the park with saltwater poisoning

2:39:32eights trees. The neighbors were not

2:39:35happy. The city told us that they would

2:39:37wait a year before removing any trees to

2:39:40see if they would recover. The neighbors

2:39:42believed that promise. I was especially

2:39:46concerned with five of the poison trees.

2:39:48Four monkey pods botanical name sana son

2:39:53and one huge specimen java plum

2:39:56botanical name sigium humini.

2:40:00This healthy surviving monkey pod

2:40:02planted the same day as the four that

2:40:04were poisoned reflects their size.

2:40:07The four poisoned monkey pods were part

2:40:09of an elegant uniform tree planting

2:40:11seven in a row. I paid for those four

2:40:14trees to be planted. The consultant for

2:40:17the project, Curtis Rogers, monitored

2:40:20the monkey pods but misidentified them

2:40:22as mimosa, which may have caused the

2:40:26misinformation you'll soon hear.

2:40:29Two of the monkey pods never recovered,

2:40:32but two others bounced back as the

2:40:35consultant's own reports showed both

2:40:38trees had new leaf growth only one month

2:40:42after the saltwater damage and continued

2:40:45recovering.

2:40:46And as late as March 12th, the

2:40:49consultant's report says both trees

2:40:52recovering with new growth.

2:40:54Then without any public notice or

2:40:57permit, completely in violation of city

2:41:00code on April 13th, 2026, all four

2:41:03monkey pod trees were cut down.

2:41:06Was that gross malfeasants or malice?

2:41:10Afterwards, Curtis Rogers said they

2:41:13would replace those four trees with new

2:41:15monkey pods, but now they want to reneg

2:41:18on that promise.

2:41:24As for the specimen java plum, it was

2:41:27one of about 35 planted when the park

2:41:30opened in 1953.

2:41:3325 of them still thrive there today. The

2:41:37contractor's deliberate saltwater

2:41:39flooding caused this specimen to drop

2:41:42all of its leaves. Then it started

2:41:45recovering and there was much happiness

2:41:48because the city promised to wait a

2:41:51year. Leaves sprouted on upper branches

2:41:53including healthy tissue up to there.

2:41:56But unknown to the public, the

2:41:58consultant bizarrely reported that the

2:42:01tree was defoliated and nonviable.

2:42:04Then on April 15th, the Java plum was

2:42:07cut down again with no public notice and

2:42:10no permit. Yes, it's that crazy. It's

2:42:14that evil.

2:42:17It was 52 in in diameter. I met with the

2:42:20city manager to ask for the same trees

2:42:22to be replanted. He seemed agreeable.

2:42:26So, I was quite surprised by the new

2:42:28intended decision. I emailed the city

2:42:30and their reply clearly showed that they

2:42:32had been given much misinformation.

2:42:35The city wrote, "Monkey pod trees are

2:42:38considered category 1 invasive species."

2:42:41That is completely false. The category 1

2:42:45list from the Florida Invasive Species

2:42:46Council is easily found online and does

2:42:49not include monkey pods. Even so, that

2:42:53council is a private 501c3. It is not

2:42:56regulatory. The Miami Dade County

2:42:58Prohibited Species List also does not

2:43:01include monkey pods.

2:43:04The county code's list of prohibited

2:43:05species at section 24499

2:43:08also does not include monkey pods.

2:43:12Curtis Rogers misidentified the monkey

2:43:14pod as the mimosa tree which is on the

2:43:18invasive species list. That error may

2:43:22have caused the mistaken belief that

2:43:24monkey pods are invasive.

2:43:27Monkey pods were first planted in

2:43:29Morningside Park by the city of Miami.

2:43:33itself back in 2006,

2:43:3720 years ago. More were added later for

2:43:40a total of 19. There is simply no

2:43:44invasion of monkey pod trees anywhere in

2:43:47Morningside Park. As for the Java plum,

2:43:51I was surprised to see that it is listed

2:43:54on the category 1 invasive species list.

2:43:58However, that list is from a private

2:44:01501c3, not the state of Florida, and it

2:44:04is not regulatory.

2:44:07Miami code 172

2:44:09defines prohibited species as those

2:44:12listed in the county code. Java Plum is

2:44:15not listed as prohibited by the county

2:44:18and they are the agency having

2:44:21jurisdiction.

2:44:22However, Java plum is listed as a

2:44:26controlled species by the county, which

2:44:28says it may not be planted within 500 ft

2:44:32of natural plant communities. But

2:44:34Morningside Park does not have any

2:44:37natural plant communities. The entire

2:44:40park is an artificial landscape created

2:44:42in 1953.

2:44:44Java Plum can be legally planted there,

2:44:47no problem. Java plum cannot invade the

2:44:51park's shoreline nor tidal basin which

2:44:54are both saltwater because Java plum is

2:44:57not salt tolerant as proven by the

2:45:01saltwater flooding. Java plums have been

2:45:04in Morningside for 73 years. I've lived

2:45:09nearby since 1977 and I've never seen a

2:45:12single Java plum tree invading the park.

2:45:16The city also wrote, "Replacement trees

2:45:18shall be of a native or non-native

2:45:21species, but neither monkey pod nor Java

2:45:25plum are listed as invasive by Miami

2:45:28Dade County, as I've shown you." The

2:45:31city also wrote that lightning caused

2:45:33the destruction of the Java Plum. That

2:45:36is simply false.

2:45:39The Java plum was recovering nicely when

2:45:41workers cut it down. And the workers

2:45:44caused a high voltage power line to

2:45:46snap, fall, and start a small grass

2:45:49fire, which happened here. That act of

2:45:51carelessness was used as a cover story

2:45:54for cutting down the Java Plum without

2:45:57public notice nor permit, despite the

2:46:00city's promise that it would be

2:46:02monitored for a year.

2:46:04Next, the consultant has chosen native

2:46:07coastal species for mitigation, but

2:46:09wants to plant them outside the coastal

2:46:12zone, which is on the coastal side of

2:46:14the new seaw wall, not 400 ft in land.

2:46:17More importantly, native coastal species

2:46:20were already planted in land in

2:46:22Morningside Park 16 years ago, and

2:46:25they've done poorly. Miami Dade County

2:46:29aerial photographs first showed them in

2:46:312010.

2:46:3216 years later, they're stunted. I'm

2:46:356'1, so I'm using my height for scale.

2:46:39This tree is only 18 feet tall with only

2:46:4214 ft of canopy. Notice how little

2:46:45they've grown over those 16 years and

2:46:49how little shade canopy they provide.

2:46:51Evidently, the soil in Morningside Park

2:46:54does not suit coastal native species.

2:46:58But even in good conditions, those

2:47:00species do not develop a large canopy.

2:47:03On the other hand, monkey pod trees were

2:47:05first planted by the city itself in

2:47:092006.

2:47:1120 years later, they've grown as, by the

2:47:14way, that little circle, that's me in

2:47:16there. I'm 6 feet tall. That's me. Look

2:47:18at that compared to the size of the

2:47:20tree. 20 years later, they've grown as

2:47:23much as 50 feet tall and 96 feet wide,

2:47:27providing excellent shade canopy. A far

2:47:30better choice.

2:47:32The proposed mitigation planting of

2:47:34scattered coastal native small canopy

2:47:36species would disrupt and disrespect

2:47:39the park's historic landscape design of

2:47:42elegant uniform large shade tree

2:47:44plantings and be a disservice to the

2:47:47public. So, summarizing the bad

2:47:49behavior, 16 trees cut down without

2:47:52permits during construction. Saltwater

2:47:55deliberately pumped into the park. The

2:47:58city said they'd wait a year before

2:47:59removing any saltwater poison trees,

2:48:02then reneged on that promise. Eight

2:48:04saltwater area trees cut down without

2:48:07public notice or permit, even though

2:48:10three were recovering, as shown by the

2:48:13contractor's own records. Curtis Rogers

2:48:17said they would replant new monkey pods.

2:48:19Now they've reneggged.

2:48:21Misidentification and much

2:48:22misinformation was used to make

2:48:24decisions.

2:48:26Someone lied about the Java plum being

2:48:28struck by lightning.

2:48:30And last, even though it was the city's

2:48:32or their contractor's fault that the

2:48:34trees were illegally cut down, I had to

2:48:37pay $97 for this appeal. So I

2:48:40respectfully request replant four new

2:48:43monkey pods in the same location where

2:48:45they were as the public was promised to

2:48:47respect the original elegant uniform

2:48:50plantings of the same tree species.

2:48:53Relocate a green buttonwood that was

2:48:54recently planted there as it disrupts

2:48:56the elegant landscape design of uniform

2:48:59tree plantings. Replant a java pump java

2:49:02plum to make up for the large specimen

2:49:04that was cut down offset to avoid the

2:49:07power lines. restore the other missing

2:49:10original Java plum trees over time do

2:49:13not allow the scattered planting of

2:49:15coastal native species because they

2:49:17don't grow well there. They provide

2:49:19little shade and they would disrupt the

2:49:21park's elegant design of uniform tree

2:49:23plantings. Instead,

2:49:26have the contractor pay into the tree

2:49:28trust fund and in light of the egregious

2:49:31behavior of the city's contractors,

2:49:33refund the $97 I spent to file this

2:49:36appeal. And here's what I'm offering in

2:49:39return.

2:49:41I will gladly arrange for and pay for

2:49:45the installation of the new monkey pods

2:49:47and Java plum trees and maintain them

2:49:50for the rest of my life.

2:49:53It won't cost the city a penny.

2:49:56It'll be free, just like my educational

2:49:59tours. The only stipulation is that the

2:50:01new trees will not be large when planted

2:50:03because larger size of those trees

2:50:06generally aren't available locally, but

2:50:08they grow quickly as you've seen.

2:50:12Again, there was an agenda item earlier

2:50:14today about philanthropic donations to

2:50:16District 2. I've already been doing that

2:50:18for over 30 years. And if I had to sum

2:50:22up the experience in one sentence, it

2:50:24would be no good deed goes unpunished.

2:50:28I've made many donations to the city

2:50:30over the years and I'm offering another

2:50:33one today. Please don't punish me for

2:50:36it. In closing, if anyone

2:50:40has any doubts about anything I've

2:50:44presented, please visit the park with me

2:50:47so I can show you the evidence.

2:50:51I have a handout for the city clerk to

2:50:53hand out to the commission with my offer

2:50:57in writing so you can hopefully consider

2:50:59it. Thank you.

2:51:00>> Thank you, Mr. Cruz.

2:51:03>> Um, I'd like to call Aya Curtis.

2:51:13>> Mr. Cruz, can you let her have the

2:51:15podium, please?

2:51:16>> I'm sorry.

2:51:16>> Mr. Cruz, can you let Miss Cruz speak?

2:51:19>> Yes. I'm disconnecting my computer. Or

2:51:21should I leave it plugged in? I may have

2:51:23to refer to it later. Let me plug leave

2:51:24it plugged in.

2:51:32>> Miss Curtis, can you state um your

2:51:34relation to the Morningside Park project

2:51:36and your experience?

2:51:38>> Yes, thank you. Um good morning,

2:51:41commissioners, um madame mayor, um city

2:51:44attorney, and my name is Aida Curtis. I

2:51:47am a registered landscape architect with

2:51:4940 years of experience here in Miami,

2:51:51Florida. I am a certified arborist with

2:51:5311 years of experience here. Um I have

2:51:57been working on Morningside Park for

2:51:59about uh since 1920. We started the work

2:52:03on um developing the coastal resiliency

2:52:07element along the waterfront which is

2:52:10consistent with the resilient 305

2:52:12strategy.

2:52:13>> Can you correct the date? I think you

2:52:14said 1920.

2:52:15>> 1920. Oh, I'm sorry. What?

2:52:17>> 1920.

2:52:19>> I'm sorry. 2020.

2:52:20>> You're too young. [laughter]

2:52:22I thought that you I'm operating on one

2:52:25cup of coffee.

2:52:26>> One [laughter] cup of coffee.

2:52:28>> You look fantastic.

2:52:30>> Okay.

2:52:30>> You look great.

2:52:32>> Okay. Please proceed.

2:52:34So, um, we were contracted by the city

2:52:37to develop plans and, um, respond to a

2:52:42grant that was given by the Nature

2:52:44Conservancy to restore a living

2:52:47shoreline, to create a living shoreline

2:52:49as a resilient strategy to build a seaw

2:52:53wall in accordance with the Miami city

2:52:55of Miami code and to build a baywalk in

2:52:57accordance with the city of Miami code.

2:52:59So, we have been working on those plans

2:53:01and we we're working on the

2:53:02implementation of those improvements

2:53:04along Morningside Park

2:53:08>> and uh the 16 trees that are issue at

2:53:11issue in the intended decision are the

2:53:13trees in existence at the park today?

2:53:15>> No, those trees have been already

2:53:17removed.

2:53:18>> Can you tell us what happened with the

2:53:19trees?

2:53:20>> Okay. Um we one of the concerns in the

2:53:24park is that we have um a drainage

2:53:29lagoon and there is some mangroves that

2:53:32are uh were obstructing the outfall from

2:53:36the drainage lagoon into the bay. So, we

2:53:41re um submitted a permit to trim the

2:53:45mangroves and restore that free flow so

2:53:48that the water could flow back to the

2:53:50bay. Um, so when we

2:53:54we secured the permit, we issued a

2:53:56notice to the contractor who was already

2:53:59working on the improvements over the

2:54:00park to

2:54:03trim the mangrove trees and

2:54:06clean the outfall pipe out of debris so

2:54:10that the flow of water could be restored

2:54:12to the bay. Upon cleaning that and the

2:54:16contractor had all the proper permits.

2:54:18In fact, they have had proper permits

2:54:20for all of the improvements in the park.

2:54:23When the contractor was cleaning the

2:54:25pipe, the error was that he used a

2:54:29vacuum kind of a suction um mechanism to

2:54:33bring in, you know, clean the outfall.

2:54:36And the mistake that the subcontractor

2:54:38made was that instead of taking that

2:54:41water out of the park and disposing it

2:54:44somewhere else, he disposed it inside

2:54:48the park in an area, you know, adjacent

2:54:52to where we were doing the improvements.

2:54:55That

2:54:56debris that came from the pipe is was

2:55:00brackish water, which means it had salt

2:55:03water. So when it the water went into

2:55:07those trees, we were notified of the

2:55:09mistake that the contractor made. We

2:55:11immediately went and looked we took a

2:55:14look at all the trees and we started

2:55:16doing the monitoring of it. And yes, Mr.

2:55:18Cruz is correct. We did say we were

2:55:21going to monitor the trees for a year um

2:55:24to see how they recovered.

2:55:27In the midst Should I continue?

2:55:29>> Yeah.

2:55:29>> Okay. In the midst of that year,

2:55:32we would do monthly reports and you can

2:55:36see that some of the trees were

2:55:37recovering. Um, some of the trees were

2:55:41not doing very well. And so,

2:55:46one I guess one weekend in April, I

2:55:49think was uh April, a Sunday in April,

2:55:52we got a report that the Java plum had

2:55:54gotten fire.

2:55:58when I got the notice that the Java plum

2:56:00had caught fire and I don't know if it

2:56:02was lighting. We were not told if it was

2:56:04lighting. We were not told if it was

2:56:05sparked from from um FPNL or not. But

2:56:08the my point as a professional is this

2:56:13is a tree that is planted

2:56:16underneath the wires of FPNL. It had

2:56:19already been trimmed and compromised by

2:56:21FPNL more than it needs to be to be a

2:56:25good specimen tree.

2:56:27It is in a public park,

2:56:30it catches fire

2:56:33and the branches start falling. To me,

2:56:36that is a huge liability red flag.

2:56:39That's the last thing we need in our

2:56:41public parks is for trees to be catching

2:56:43on fire. Okay. At that point, in my

2:56:47professional opinion, I made the

2:56:50determination that neither the city nor

2:56:54we could take on the liability of having

2:56:59these trees semiliving

2:57:02that could possibly endanger anybody in

2:57:05a public park.

2:57:07Even if the trees would recover,

2:57:11they were not going to recover to the

2:57:14state that they were before

2:57:17because of the way that the some

2:57:19portions of the trees had died.

2:57:21>> Okay. So, um, for the record, uh, I

2:57:24think that that it has been, um,

2:57:26submitted into the record, we have one

2:57:28black olive, one green buttonwood, eight

2:57:30coconut palms, and four monkey pods, one

2:57:33bracelet wood, and one java palm that

2:57:35that were removed during construction.

2:57:37Correct.

2:57:37>> Yes. Let me clarify the record. The the

2:57:39the black olive and the buttonwood were

2:57:44removed prior to that in a separate

2:57:46incident. And the reason for that is

2:57:49when we developed the plans, the coastal

2:57:53fringe was there was a lot of trees

2:57:56there. And we met with environmental

2:57:58services and we said, "Listen, we're

2:58:00going to give these trees a chance.

2:58:02Let's put them there. Let's keep them

2:58:05there. Let's evaluate once we start the

2:58:07construction and see how the contractor

2:58:10is proceeding with the installation of

2:58:12the seaw wall." When they install these

2:58:14seaw walls, the piles are extremely

2:58:18deep. They use these big cranes. They

2:58:20come in and the by the time that we re

2:58:24when the piling was there. We realized

2:58:27that these huge black olive half of the

2:58:30roots had been trimmed because of the

2:58:31insulation of the piles. That creates a

2:58:36liability because the tree is no longer

2:58:38stable because half of the roots has

2:58:40been cut. So we removed the black olive

2:58:43and the green buttonwood was in the same

2:58:45situation of the removal. The coconut

2:58:48palms were removed upon request of the

2:58:51parks department. The parks and

2:58:53recreation department

2:58:56is no longer wanting coconut palms in

2:59:00public parks. Again talking about the

2:59:02liability of the nuts falling on anybody

2:59:05in the park. So they are we are in the

2:59:07process of removing all of the coconut

2:59:09palms from the public parks.

2:59:10>> Okay, just ladies,

2:59:13>> let's move this along.

2:59:14>> Thanks.

2:59:15>> Understood. Um okay, so Mr. Cruz has

2:59:18profered um has has made a um a request

2:59:22to the to the city. We have a removal of

2:59:2416 trees. I believe the city staff would

2:59:26like to correct the record that the

2:59:28replacement is a minimum of 96 trees at

2:59:30a minimum of minimum diameter of 2 in.

2:59:33So, he has requested four new monkey

2:59:35pods um in the original location. Can

2:59:38you please comment on that for your

2:59:40professional opinion?

2:59:41>> I'm sorry, what was that? Okay.

2:59:42>> The replacement of four monkey pods.

2:59:45>> So,

2:59:47the city has committed to a what we call

2:59:50a resilient 305 strategy.

2:59:53Our times have changed.

2:59:56We are now facing sea level rise, storm

3:00:00surge, saltwater intrusion,

3:00:03bigger threats from our environment.

3:00:07In this commitment that the city made

3:00:09for the resilient 305 strategy is the

3:00:12restoration of the coastal ecology. It

3:00:15makes a commitment to use our parks as

3:00:18resilient part of the infrastructure of

3:00:21the city and it commits to planting

3:00:23native trees in our parks.

3:00:27That is what we are doing. We are

3:00:30restoring the ecology of the coast. We

3:00:33are planting native trees, native

3:00:36shrubbery. We're increasing the

3:00:37biodiversity. This is what we need to be

3:00:40educating our children about. So, is it

3:00:43your professional recommendation that

3:00:44the monkey pods are not a native tree

3:00:46that should be planted in this location?

3:00:48>> The monkey pod is not a Florida native

3:00:51tree.

3:00:53>> Okay. It is it may have been doing well,

3:00:56but it event it will not take the salt

3:00:59spray. It will eventually start

3:01:01deteriorating. It is not the right

3:01:03species to be planted. Now,

3:01:05>> what about the Java plum? The java plum

3:01:08is considered a category one invasive

3:01:12species. That means that this tree

3:01:17is shades native plants and disrupts the

3:01:21local ecosystem. Miami date county will

3:01:24not allow this tree to be planted in the

3:01:26parks. As a professional

3:01:29trying to restore our ecosystems, I do

3:01:32not recommend the installation of a

3:01:35category one invasive species tree.

3:01:38>> Okay. Thank you. Um just one one

3:01:42additional fact. Mr. Santa Maria, are

3:01:44you here?

3:01:51>> Mr. Santa Maria, do you have any

3:01:53information on whether um Mr. Mr. Cruz

3:01:55had the permission to pro to plant the

3:01:56monkey pods in Morningside Park.

3:01:59>> Um I do. Um I spoke to Kevin Cerwin um

3:02:03who was the park's director at the time

3:02:05and Mr. Cruz alleged that uh Kevin

3:02:08Corwin gave him permission to plant

3:02:10plant the monkey pods. And uh director

3:02:13former director uh Cerwin indicated to

3:02:15me that that that was not the case. In

3:02:17fact, he stopped Mr. crews from planting

3:02:20trees throughout the park uh because

3:02:22they were uh against the master plan

3:02:25that the city had commissioned with Kim

3:02:27Leehorn back at that time.

3:02:29>> Okay. In conclusion, on behalf of city

3:02:31staff, we request we would respectfully

3:02:33request that you deny the appeal based

3:02:35on the findings of fact have been stated

3:02:37on the record today. Um this park has

3:02:40been uh this project has been going on

3:02:42for a long time. The goal is to get it

3:02:44uh the park reopened by December 31st of

3:02:462024. And so in furtherance of that

3:02:48goal, we we respectfully request a

3:02:50denial of the appeal so that the

3:02:51replanting can commence.

3:03:03>> All right. Um Mr. Cruz.

3:03:05>> Yes, ma'am.

3:03:06>> Would you like to rebut for a few

3:03:08minutes?

3:03:08>> I certainly would.

3:03:09>> How about

3:03:11>> I'm sorry.

3:03:11>> Three. Three minutes.

3:03:13>> That's all I get.

3:03:14>> Yep.

3:03:14>> They said a lot more than three minutes.

3:03:16It's tough.

3:03:17>> No, she was within 10 minutes. I We were

3:03:19keeping track of the time and I gave you

3:03:2112. So,

3:03:22>> okay.

3:03:22>> Plus your standing time. So,

3:03:24>> so up on the screen

3:03:27um is an email from Kevin Kerwin, the

3:03:31aforementioned former parks director.

3:03:33Thank you for calling him. I will be

3:03:35also calling him and reminding him that

3:03:38he told you something that was not quite

3:03:40right. So, here's the email. Elvis,

3:03:43please proceed with planting.

3:03:47I had extensive conversations with Mr.

3:03:49Kerwin about planting for the palum and

3:03:53when I wanted to plant monkey pods, he

3:03:56came out to the park and we drove around

3:04:00the park and I pointed out the existing

3:04:03monkey pods which were there since 2006

3:04:07and Kevin Kerwin said, "They are

3:04:09gorgeous." Yes. Go ahead. So, it was

3:04:13certainly done with his permission. Um,

3:04:17what else can I uh this this total

3:04:20fabrication that there was a fire caused

3:04:23by lightning or what or even if it was

3:04:26the power line,

3:04:28the power line fell, but I checked with

3:04:30the Miami Fire Department. There's no

3:04:33record of any fire dispatch to the park

3:04:35regarding that Java Plum.

3:04:39Java plum is not a prohibited species in

3:04:43Miami Dade County. Miami Dade County is

3:04:47the authority having jurisdiction. That

3:04:49is false. It is not a prohibited

3:04:52species. It is controlled, but as I

3:04:54explained, that doesn't preclude it

3:04:56being planted. It just can't be within

3:04:59500 ft of a native plant community.

3:05:04Uh, also, am I allowed to cross-examine

3:05:06your witness? Uh, Miss Curtis

3:05:09misidentified, her firm misidentified

3:05:11the monkey pods as being mimosa. So,

3:05:15this very experienced landscape

3:05:17architect and consultant couldn't even

3:05:19identify a tree species.

3:05:23There's other things I could mention.

3:05:24Uh, the the park project that she is

3:05:28supervising has been delayed six months.

3:05:30Commissioner Partardo, you're familiar

3:05:32with the park. You walk your dog there

3:05:34every day. You're very familiar that it

3:05:35was supposed to have reopened back on

3:05:37June 1, but it's been a disaster.

3:05:40Because of that project, we now have the

3:05:42worst flooding we've ever had in

3:05:44Morningside Park ever. And as you told

3:05:47us at our last Morningside Zoom meeting,

3:05:49or the one before, the city's going to

3:05:51hire another engineer to try to fix the

3:05:54problems that have been happening in the

3:05:57park. So, I've given you my offer.

3:06:00You'll save money. it'll be in the best

3:06:03interest of the park. The idea that

3:06:05trees that have been in the park for 73

3:06:07years are now suddenly persona nonrada

3:06:11or trees that have been in the park for

3:06:13at least 20 years and have performed

3:06:15remarkably well are suddenly persona

3:06:18nonrada. That doesn't make any sense.

3:06:21And you're not required to plant native

3:06:23trees. Your own code says it can be

3:06:26native or non-invasive. These are

3:06:28non-invasive trees by the county's own

3:06:32and the city's own code.

3:06:34>> Thank you, Mr. Cruz. Okay, colleagues,

3:06:36Commissioner Partardo,

3:06:37>> I certainly want to comment.

3:06:39>> I would have

3:06:40>> first of all, what's happening with the

3:06:41Morningside Shoreline projects is

3:06:43absolutely not a disaster. It's kind of

3:06:45shameful to describe it that way. I want

3:06:48to say we've been very, very considerate

3:06:51and as you appropriately stated, I walk

3:06:53my dog there every morning. I love

3:06:55Morningside Park and we have been

3:06:58incredibly considerate as to input from

3:07:01the entire community. Part of that was

3:07:04one of the issues you came with, you

3:07:06came with several other neighbors. We

3:07:08looked at the paving, the the boardwalk,

3:07:10the materials being used for the

3:07:12boardwalk. You didn't like it. Few other

3:07:14neighbors didn't like it either. We had

3:07:16to go and find different material for

3:07:18that boardwalk. That takes time. the

3:07:21drainage in the park wasn't working the

3:07:23way we expected. We don't want to open a

3:07:26park with flaws. We don't want to

3:07:29deliver a park to our residents and the

3:07:31public with flaws. That makes absolutely

3:07:34no sense. So delaying it a few months

3:07:36and it will open before the first of the

3:07:38year was exactly what we should have

3:07:40done. We got the right material, we got

3:07:43the right drainage system, we're working

3:07:44on it. That is going to be a longer term

3:07:46project. It's not, you know, that's not

3:07:48something you do in a few months. And

3:07:50the park is going to be spectacular,

3:07:52beautiful, state-of-the-art resiliency

3:07:55project in the city of Miami. I think

3:07:57the first of its kind. So, we should be

3:07:59very proud of the efforts as a city that

3:08:02we're delivering in Morningside Park.

3:08:04This dispute, the way I see it, is these

3:08:09trees are gone. Our experts, our

3:08:11consultants in this area, Curtis and

3:08:14Rogers, are recommending trees that will

3:08:16be appropriate for the future, for the

3:08:18next 50 years.

3:08:20It is important that I tell you thank

3:08:23you for everything you have done in that

3:08:26park and all of your volunteer hours and

3:08:29everything you have put forward. It is

3:08:31absolutely commendable. You also

3:08:34reference the item we had about

3:08:36philanthropy and I know sometimes it's

3:08:38difficult in philanthropy when you give

3:08:40a gift or you do something to let that

3:08:43go. But in this case, the people that

3:08:47are hired, that are experts in the job,

3:08:49the people that we have recourse to, the

3:08:52people who are giving us guarantees for

3:08:54years on those trees and their

3:08:56maintenance are the ones we have to

3:08:58proceed with. And they are the ones

3:09:01giving us their expert opinion. That's

3:09:03why I in my my opinion, I would deny

3:09:06this appeal because we have the experts

3:09:08weighing in. They're very clear. Your

3:09:11passion is obvious. You should be

3:09:12commended for everything you've done.

3:09:14But we can't control a gift 50 years

3:09:17after they've been made or 20 years

3:09:19after they've been made. It's it's in

3:09:21the spirit of giving that sometimes we

3:09:23just have to let go of that gift and

3:09:25understand times change, people change,

3:09:27the circumstances are different. We

3:09:29didn't have sea level rise. We didn't

3:09:31have climate resiliency. A lot of the

3:09:33things we face today. I think the more

3:09:35we align that means you and me and the

3:09:38neighbors and the city the better our

3:09:40projects will be and the better everyone

3:09:42will move forward. This appeal has cost

3:09:45time on the Morningside project the very

3:09:48thing you're complaining about and we've

3:09:50had to hire attorneys to represent the

3:09:52city of at the city of Miami in this

3:09:55case and with other appeals. So, is this

3:09:58an efficient way of us all moving

3:10:00forward together or just another

3:10:02obstructive tactic in the long run? I

3:10:05really think we should consider that

3:10:08just as a community. So, I personally

3:10:11would be against uh I would recommend

3:10:14the uh against the repeal

3:10:17>> motion denied.

3:10:19>> So,

3:10:19>> may I respond?

3:10:20>> I'm sorry.

3:10:21>> Just one moment. So do we need to

3:10:23include uh an understanding of standing

3:10:26in that motion to deny?

3:10:27>> Um yes. So since we discussed the

3:10:30standing issue um that can be a part of

3:10:34the motion and even even if you um deny

3:10:38standing, you can also make a finding on

3:10:41the merits of the case based on the

3:10:43testimony given today and the fact that

3:10:46um the permit complies with chapter 17.

3:10:50I mean, I'm I'm not an attorney, so on

3:10:52the standing question, I would look to

3:10:54the city attorney. Would

3:10:55>> would you make a recommended motion on

3:10:57how we would do that, please?

3:11:00>> Yeah. So, um, we heard from Mr. Cruz. It

3:11:03seems as though his special injury was

3:11:05that he donated these specific trees. um

3:11:09the the the attorney representing the

3:11:12city um I I believe she indicated that

3:11:16it was a donation um and that the the

3:11:19financial interest isn't there any

3:11:21longer. Um

3:11:24I

3:11:26in this case I would probably recommend

3:11:30ingring on the side of caution. Um since

3:11:32it appears anyway that his motion uh

3:11:35that his appeal um is going to be denied

3:11:38on the merits. um we might want to just

3:11:41allow allow the standing, acknowledge

3:11:43the standing. Um and then if the board

3:11:46wants to deny it on the on the merits

3:11:49rather than standing, that's probably

3:11:51how I would recommend to

3:11:53>> So the motion would be to grant standing

3:11:55and deny the appeal on its merits.

3:11:57>> Is there a second?

3:12:00>> Colleagues, any more discuss?

3:12:01>> Do I get to respond to what Commissioner

3:12:03Parto said?

3:12:04>> Uh no sir, I don't believe so.

3:12:08Madam Attorney, is there a need for a

3:12:11response?

3:12:12>> No. Only if the commissioner has a

3:12:14question for for the appellant.

3:12:18>> Okay. Commissioner, no question.

3:12:20>> No question.

3:12:20>> Okay. There's a motion on the table and

3:12:23there's a second. All in favor say I.

3:12:26>> I.

3:12:26>> I.

3:12:27>> Any opposed?

3:12:28>> Show that passed unanimously.

3:12:30>> Thank you for your time. Appreciate it.

3:12:33and thank you for demonstrating how the

3:12:35city of Miami takes good care of people

3:12:37who donate their time and money to the

3:12:39city.

3:12:40>> Thank you, Mr. Cruz. All right, I think

3:12:42we have one last item before we move on

3:12:45to our Virginia Key Beach trust. Um, and

3:12:49that's PZ4. Uh, I know Commissioner, you

3:12:52made some very good uh modifications to

3:12:54this item, so thank you for that.

3:12:56>> Thank you. If staff could come forward,

3:12:58I just have one question.

3:13:05Hi,

3:13:08Director Snow. Could you walk me through

3:13:12the where the funds would be placed? We

3:13:16talked about this in my agenda briefing.

3:13:20>> Yes. Uh good uh morning uh commissioners

3:13:24and madame mayor. Um, so the the the

3:13:29recent amendment to the PZ4 legislation

3:13:33will allow for the uh reduced parking uh

3:13:39for a payment to be made into the uh

3:13:42established uh transit trust fund which

3:13:44is in chapter 62.

3:13:46>> Okay. But various districts have parking

3:13:50trust funds. Correct. So there there are

3:13:54uh independent trust funds that do exist

3:13:56in specific neighborhoods. Design

3:13:58District, Winwood, Winwood, Norte, The

3:14:01Grove, uh recently established uh Little

3:14:04Havana, uh those are uh independent uh

3:14:08parking districts. So what I would like

3:14:11to propose is an amendment to this that

3:14:15monies generated that have parking trust

3:14:18funds for example the design district

3:14:22um when

3:14:25>> what else did you say?

3:14:26>> Winwood Norte the Groves and Little

3:14:28Havana

3:14:29>> and Little Havana. I would like the

3:14:32monies generated in those districts to

3:14:35go to those parking trust funds instead

3:14:38of one collective pot.

3:14:44I've got two nods over here. Um then

3:14:48because then we're going to have the

3:14:49alipata coming up soon and then that

3:14:52money could go to that. So, I would like

3:14:53to make a friendly amendment to allow

3:14:56for when the funds are generated to go

3:14:58into the neighborhood trust parking

3:15:01trust fund. And that's my only comment.

3:15:03And if I might have a motion for that.

3:15:05>> Yeah, I think we can move.

3:15:07>> Yeah.

3:15:07>> Second.

3:15:08>> We can move that as amended.

3:15:09>> Okay.

3:15:09>> All right. Um any other any further? Uh

3:15:12I see our clerk. Yes, sir.

3:15:13>> And I [snorts] apologize, Sheriff, for

3:15:15the interruption. Um, so in addition to

3:15:17Commissioner King's amendment, uh,

3:15:19there's also another amendment, um,

3:15:20pursuant to a substitution memo dated

3:15:22October 20th, 2026. Thank you, chair.

3:15:25>> All right. Um, moved as amended and

3:15:27amended. Uh, all in favor say I.

3:15:30>> I.

3:15:30>> Any opposed?

3:15:32>> Show that item passed.

3:15:34>> Um,

3:15:36have I missed anything else, Mr. Clerk?

3:15:38Mr. Attorney, you have a couple of

3:15:39things to read into the record, I

3:15:41believe.

3:15:41>> Yes. I just have two shade notice uh

3:15:43requests. Um,

3:15:47>> all right.

3:15:49Madame Chairwoman and members of the

3:15:50commission, pursuant to the provisions

3:15:51of section 286.011,

3:15:53parentheses 8, Florida statutes, I'm

3:15:55requesting that at the city commission

3:15:56meeting of November 19th, 2026, an

3:15:58attorney client session close to the

3:16:00public be held for the purposes of

3:16:01discussing the pending litigation on the

3:16:03matters of William O. Fuller Martin

3:16:05Pineia II, the Barlington Group LLC,

3:16:07Coyo Marketplace LLC, Yo Amo Cayet,

3:16:11Cayete LLC, Little Havana Arts Building

3:16:14LLC, Little Havana Arts Building 2 LLC,

3:16:17Tower Hotel LLC, Bickl Station LLC,

3:16:20Pedro Villis LLC, Futurama LLC, El

3:16:23Shopping LLC, Beatstick LLC, Vienna's

3:16:26Culturalis Cultural Fridays, Inc.,

3:16:28Little Havana Bungalows LLC, and LHAB

3:16:31Trust LLC versus City of Miami at all.

3:16:33Case number 23 CV24251-dr

3:16:38pending in the United States District

3:16:39Court Southern District of Florida and

3:16:42QBE specialty insurance company versus

3:16:44city of Miami Joe Arthur Noriega

3:16:47Victoria Mendes Rachel Douly Ace Asel

3:16:50Morero Daniel S Goldberg Wayne Ortiz

3:16:53Lewis Torres Adrien Placencia Renee Diaz

3:16:56Ivon Piona Altos Mexicos LLC DBA Takaras

3:17:00El Mexico meo beatstick LLC

3:17:03Bickl Station LLC, Coyo Marketplace LLC,

3:17:06El Shopping LLC, William of Fuller,

3:17:08Futurama LLC, Lagran Fiesta LLC, Elhab

3:17:11Tress LLC, Little Havana Arts Building

3:17:13LLC, Little Havana Arts Building 2 LLC,

3:17:16Little Hav Little Little Havana

3:17:17Bungalow's LLC, Pedro Villis LLC, El

3:17:20Shopping LLC, Martin Pineia II, the

3:17:23Barlington Group LLC, the Mad Room LLC,

3:17:25Doing Business as Ball and Chain, Tower

3:17:27Hotel LLC, Vieres Culturalis, Cultural

3:17:30Fridays Inc., in Yo Amo Caese LLC and

3:17:33Denise Galves Toros case number 1

3:17:36124-CV21854-EA

3:17:39pending in the United States District

3:17:41Court Southern District of Florida to

3:17:42which the city is presently a party. The

3:17:44subject of the meeting will be confined

3:17:45to settlement negotiations or strategy

3:17:47sessions related to litigation

3:17:48expenditures. This private meeting will

3:17:50begin at approximately 10:00 a.m. or as

3:17:52soon thereafter as the commissioner

3:17:53schedules permit and conclude

3:17:55approximately 1 hour later. The session

3:17:56will in be attended by the members of

3:17:58the city commission which include

3:18:00commissioners Miguel Anel Gabella, Damen

3:18:02Part, Rolando Escalona, Ralph Raphael

3:18:05Rosado and Christine King, city manager

3:18:07James Reyes, city attorney George K.

3:18:09Wson the third, deputy city attorney

3:18:10Kevin Rar Jones, assistant city attorney

3:18:13supervisor Eric Eves and outside

3:18:14counselor Raquel A. Rodriguez, Angel

3:18:16Cineas, Jonathan Cascll, Steven A.

3:18:19Marino Jr. Esquire, and Christine

3:18:21Guadidas Esquire. A certified court

3:18:24reporter will be present to ensure that

3:18:25this session is fully transcribed and

3:18:26the transcript will be made upon the

3:18:28conclusion of the litigation. At the

3:18:30conclusion of the attorney client

3:18:31session, the regular commission meeting

3:18:33will be reopened and the person chairing

3:18:34the commission meeting will announce the

3:18:36termination of the attorney client

3:18:37session. That's the first one. The

3:18:39second one is madam chairwoman and

3:18:42members of the city commission pursuant

3:18:43to the provision of section 286.011 011

3:18:46parenthesis 8 floor statutes. I'm

3:18:48requesting that at the city commission

3:18:50meeting of November 19, 2026, an

3:18:52attorney client session closed to the

3:18:53public be held for purposes of

3:18:55discussing the pending litigation the

3:18:56matter of city Miami versus Miami date

3:18:58county case number 2023-028335

3:19:02CAO2 pending in in the 11th judicial

3:19:05circuit court of Miami date county to

3:19:06which the city is presently a party. The

3:19:08subject of the meeting will be confined

3:19:10to settlement negotiations or strategy

3:19:12sessions related to litigation

3:19:13expenditures there. This private meeting

3:19:15will begin at approximately 10 a.m. or

3:19:16soon thereafter as the commissioner

3:19:18schedules permit and conclude

3:19:19approximately 1 hour later. The session

3:19:21will be attended by the members of the

3:19:22city commission which include

3:19:23commissioner Miguel Anal Gabella,

3:19:25Commissioner Damen Partardo,

3:19:26Commissioner Rolando Escalona,

3:19:28Commissioner Ralph Rafael Rosado and

3:19:30Commissioner Christine King, city

3:19:31manager James Reyes, city attorney

3:19:33George K. Weissong the third, deputy

3:19:35city attorney Kevin Rar Jones, deputy

3:19:36city attorney Javi Javier E. Alaban,

3:19:40litigation appeals division chief Eric

3:19:42J. Eaves land use division chief Amber

3:19:44L. Keder and assistant city attorney

3:19:46Margarite Snyder. A certified court

3:19:48reporter will be present to ensure that

3:19:50the session is fully transcribed and

3:19:52this transcript will be made public upon

3:19:53the conclusion of the litigation. At the

3:19:55conclusion of the attorney client

3:19:56session, the regular commission meeting

3:19:57will be reopened and the person chairing

3:19:59the commission meeting will announce the

3:20:00termination of the client attorney

3:20:02client session. Thank you, Madam Chair.

3:20:05>> All right. Thank you,

3:20:06>> Madam Chair. Before we leave, I would

3:20:08like to give a directive to the

3:20:09administration to have procurement do an

3:20:12IFQ within the pool members of the

3:20:15landscaping services pool to provide

3:20:18retrieving services to public works. We

3:20:21have a lot of requests and we know

3:20:23public works is doing a great job in my

3:20:25opinion, but they are a little behind.

3:20:27So, if you can do that, please. Thank

3:20:29you.

3:20:30>> Um, so Mr. attorney. Uh we have one

3:20:34pocket item that theoretically we can't

3:20:37approve until after the Virginia Key

3:20:39Beach um park trust meeting. Is there a

3:20:41possibility we can approve it contingent

3:20:44of a positive decision?

3:20:46>> Yes.

3:20:47>> And then if it's not a positive

3:20:48decision, we would bring it back at the

3:20:50next commission meeting, right?

3:20:51>> And that would mean we could conclude

3:20:53this meeting.

3:20:54>> Um is that would that be an option?

3:20:57>> That that would certainly be an option.

3:20:58So the the idea is on the p pocket item

3:21:01um um we could just say um subject to

3:21:06the approval of the Virginia Key Park

3:21:08Trust and then that way we would

3:21:09obviousate the need of coming back.

3:21:11>> Okay. Motion.

3:21:12>> All right. Motion is amended. Second.

3:21:14All in favor say I.

3:21:16>> I.

3:21:16>> Any opposed?

3:21:17>> Show that passed unanimously. Um Mr.

3:21:21Clerk, have we missed anything?

3:21:24>> No. That uh concludes the business.

3:21:27>> There you go. at 11:59. Good job

3:21:29everyone. Thank you very much.

3:21:31Appreciate it. Mr. Attorney, anything?

3:21:33We're good. All right. Show the meeting

3:21:35adjourned.

3:21:35>> Chair, I just need 60 seconds to flip

3:21:37the tape.

3:22:36Ready.

3:22:49Welcome to the Virginia Key Beach Park

3:22:51Trust meeting for October 22nd,

3:22:552026.

3:22:59At this time,

3:23:02the city attorney, would you please read

3:23:05the items

3:23:08for the record?

3:23:13Yes. You have two items. You have uh

3:23:16approval of the minutes for for Virginia

3:23:18Key Beach Park Trust regular meeting

3:23:20October 8, 2026. And you have one

3:23:23resolution which I'll read into the

3:23:25record. A resolution of the Virginia Key

3:23:27Beach Park Trust appointing Nancy Neas

3:23:30as acting executive director of the

3:23:33trust subject to city commission

3:23:34approval fixing her compensation as

3:23:36acting executive director at her current

3:23:38salary of 97,3

3:23:43and0 cents

3:23:45um as finance coordinator pro providing

3:23:49that any increase in compensation shall

3:23:51be subject to trust approval following a

3:23:53performance evaluation conducted ed in

3:23:56accordance with procedures the trust may

3:23:57hereafter establish. Providing for the

3:24:00termination of of the acting appointment

3:24:03upon the appointment of a permanent

3:24:05executive director or her earlier

3:24:07removal by the trust. Providing for her

3:24:10return to the position of finance

3:24:12coordinator upon the appointment upon

3:24:14the appointment of a permanent executive

3:24:16director provided she has not been

3:24:18previously removed by the trust and

3:24:20providing for an effective date.

3:24:22>> Thank you. At this time, is there anyone

3:24:24that would like to speak public comment

3:24:28on these items, this item?

3:24:31Seeing none, public comment period is

3:24:33closed. May I have a motion to approve

3:24:36the regular meeting minutes for October

3:24:408th, 2026 and for resolution one?

3:24:45>> Sorry, but I think you need at least one

3:24:47more person to sit on this.

3:24:48>> Okay. Can you grab Commissioner Partle

3:24:51or Commissioner Escalona.

3:24:54Okay. Either one of them.

3:24:58There we go. Thank you.

3:25:04>> So, we have a motion and a second to

3:25:06approve the minutes for October 8th,

3:25:082026 and for resolution one. All in

3:25:12favor?

3:25:13>> I.

3:25:13>> I. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you

3:25:16all.

3:25:22Yes, that was for the minutes and the

3:25:25resolution. And that shall conclude the

3:25:27Virginia Key Beach Park Trust meeting

3:25:29for October 22nd, 2026.

3:25:32>> Excellent.

3:26:09>> [music]

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