Sep 15, 2026 City Commission

[CALL TO ORDER ]

[00:00:07]

CLARK, GOOD MORNING. MORNING, MR. MAYOR. HOW ARE WE DOING? READY? YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH COMMISSION MEETING. WE HAVE ALL OF YOU ARE VERY SPECIAL GUESTS, BUT I WANT TO CALL OUT TWO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY, AND I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR BEING HERE. WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT SIX, NATALIE ORVIS, WHO REPRESENTS A PORTION OF THE CITY. BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, COMMISSIONER, AS ALWAYS. AND I WANT TO THANK MY MAYOR, WHO'S HERE, THE FIRST AND ONLY FEMALE MAYOR HERE IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES. MADAM MAYOR, PLEASE RISE TO BE RECOGNIZED. ALWAYS SO ELEGANT AND PRAISING THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THANK YOU, MA'AM, I APPRECIATE YOU AS ALWAYS, CALL TO ORDER. AS WE SAY, AS ALWAYS, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND SPEAK HERE IN THE CITY.

BEAUTIFUL. WE ASK YOU, YOU CAN EITHER CALL IN, YOU CAN EITHER BE HERE IN PERSON. YOU CAN SEND US AN EMAIL CARRIER, PIGEON, WHATEVER YOU LIKE. WE JUST WANT YOU TO ENGAGE SMOKE, FIRE, HAND SIGNALS, WHATEVER IS IT THAT YOU LIKE TO USE? YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME. WE JUST WANT YOU TO ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS HERE, HERE IN THE COMMISSION, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED HERE WITH THE CITY BEAUTIFUL AS POSSIBLE. AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE OR BEING ONLINE OR SENDING US AN EMAIL. I'D LIKE TO INVITE PASTOR KIM ROBLES FROM THE RIVIERA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. PASTOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US. IT'S ALWAYS AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU. THANK YOU. SHOULD I SAY THE PRAYER FROM HERE? OF COURSE, YOU CAN SAY THE PRAYER FROM WHATEVER YOU LIKE. OKAY, WELL, I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE CAN HEAR ME. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING. LET US PRAY. HOLY ONE, WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF CORAL GABLES. WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THIS DAY, FOR THE VERY SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO JUST TAKE A DEEP BREATH, AND I INVITE US TO ALL DO THAT RIGHT NOW. BREATHE IN. GOD, I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GUIDE THESE COMMISSIONERS IN THE DECISIONS THAT THEY MAKE THIS DAY. MAY THEY BE DECISIONS THAT REFLECT YOUR LOVE AND YOUR JOY, AND YOUR CARE FOR YOUR PEOPLE AND FOR YOUR CREATION. GOD, THAT THE CITY WOULD BE GOOD NEIGHBORS TO THE CITY AND TO THE WIDER CITY OF MIAMI, AND THAT IT WOULD REFLECT ALL THAT YOU BELIEVE IN THIS CITY TO BE. I ASK THAT THOSE THAT ARE HERE VISITING WOULD ALSO FEEL YOUR PRESENCE OF JOY AMONG THEM, AND THAT THERE WOULD BE PEACE AND JOY IN THIS SPACE. I PRAY ALL OF THIS IN YOUR HOLY NAME. AMEN. THANK YOU PASTOR. PLEASE SEND YOUR BEST, OUR BEST TO THE CONGREGATION. WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU HERE IN CITY. BEAUTIFUL. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO NOW IT'S MY HONOR THIS MORNING THAT WE HAVE CARLOS GUTIERREZ, PARKING ADMINISTRATOR AND ENFORCEMENT SUPERVISOR, TO DO THE TO DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BEFORE HE DOES IT. I'D LIKE TO JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE SERGEANT CARLOS GUTIERREZ WITH US TODAY TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE. JUST LAST FRIDAY, OUR COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER TO MARK THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11TH, A DAY WE MUST NEVER FORGET. WE REMEMBER THOSE WE LOST, HONORED THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO ANSWERED THE CALL AND REFLECTED ON THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR ARMED FORCES WHO SERVED OUR NATION. IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED, SERGEANT GUTIERREZ WAS AMONG THOSE WHO SERVED DURING THAT CONSEQUENTIAL PERIOD IN OUR NATION'S HISTORY. A UNITED STATES ARMY VETERAN, HE SERVED FOR SIX YEARS FROM 1999 TO 2005, ATTAINING THE RANK OF SERGEANT E-5. HE SERVED WITH ALPHA COMPANY 260, IS MILITARY INTELLIGENCE BATTALION FROM OCTOBER 2002 TO OCTOBER 2004, HE DEPLOYED TO THE BALKANS AND EUROPE, WHERE HE WORKED ALONGSIDE NATO PARTNERS ON SAFE KEEPING MISSIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM. FOLLOWING HIS MILITARY SERVICE, SERGEANT GUTIERREZ BEGAN HIS CAREER WITH THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES IN 2005, HIS FIRST JOB AFTER COMPLETING HIS SERVICE MORE THAN TWO DECADES LATER, HE CONTINUED TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AS THE CITY'S PARKING, ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT SUPERVISOR. SERGEANT, YOUR SERVICE REMINDS US THAT THE COMMITMENT TO COUNTRY WE REFLECTED UPON LAST WEEK IS CARRIED FORWARD BY THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ANSWERED THE CALL TO SERVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR GREAT NATION AND FOR YOUR CONTINUING THAT SPIRIT OF SERVICE HERE IN THE CITY.

BEAUTIFUL. IT IS AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU WITH US TODAY. PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE. THANK

[00:05:01]

SIR, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR EXPERIENCE HERE IN THE CITY OF BEAUTIFUL AND HOW YOU'VE SERVED THIS GREAT COUNTRY. THANK YOU. AND GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. I'VE BEEN WORKING HERE FOR ALMOST 21 YEARS. THIS OCTOBER WAS MY FIRST JOB. WHEN I GOT OUT THE MILITARY, I JOINED WHILE I WAS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, SEPTEMBER 11TH HAPPENED. AND LIKE MOST OF US DURING THAT TIME, WE WERE CALLED TO SERVICE AND I WENT OVERSEAS. I DID TWO DEPLOYMENTS BACK TO BACK. AND THEN I CAME HOME AND STARTED WORKING HERE AND BEEN HERE EVER SINCE. AGAIN, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE, MORE IMPORTANTLY TO THIS GREAT COUNTRY. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES.

I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB. ARE YOU INTERFACED WITH A LOT OF MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY AND MEMBERS WHO ARE VISITING THIS COMMUNITY? AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING, YOU KNOW, DILIGENT, FOCUSED AND ALWAYS BEING SO INVITING AGAIN, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE INTERACTING WITH SOMEBODY IN THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT, AGAIN, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE EXPERIENCES AND THE STORIES THAT YOU HAVE, BUT THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS MAKING US LOOK GOOD.

[AMERICA'S SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL MOMENT]

SO IT WAS A GREAT REFLECTION OF WHAT OUR COUNTRY STANDS FOR AND ALSO WHAT OUR DUTIES ARE AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, AS PUBLIC SERVANTS. WHY WE MUST ALWAYS KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES IN MIND AT THE FOREFRONT OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. SO THANK YOU FOR THE HONOR OF THIS SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL MOMENT OF WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL ADDRESS. FOR 250 YEARS, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS STOOD AS AN EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIMENT IN LIBERTY AND SELF-GOVERNMENT, BUILT ON THE BELIEF THAT OUR RIGHTS COME WITH RESPONSIBILITIES AND THAT THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY ULTIMATELY RESTS ON THE HANDS OF ITS PEOPLE. ACROSS THOSE 250 YEARS, GENERATIONS OF AMERICANS HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL TO SERVE, SACRIFICE, TO DEFEND OUR FREEDOMS, AND WORK TO ENSURE THAT THE PROMISE OF AMERICA WOULD ENDURE FOR THOSE WHO CAME AFTER THEM. AS WE CONTINUE TO MARK AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY, IT IS FITTING TO REFLECT NOT ONLY ON THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND ITS IDEALS THAT GAVE BIRTH TO OUR NATION, BUT ALSO ON THE EXAMPLE SET BY GEORGE WASHINGTON AT THE END OF HIS PRESIDENCY IN 1796, AFTER LEADING THE NATION THROUGH THE REVOLUTIONARY REVOLUTIONARY WAR AND SERVING AS OUR FIRST PRESIDENT, WASHINGTON MADE A DECISION THAT HELPED TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE UNITED STATES. HE CHOSE TO STEP AWAY FROM POWER. HIS FAREWELL ADDRESS WAS NOT DELIVERED AS A SPEECH, BUT PUBLISHED AS A LETTER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. IN IT, WASHINGTON OFFERED GUIDANCE TO A YOUNG NATION STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SELF-GOVERNMENT WOULD REQUIRE. AND ONE OF HIS STRONGEST MESSAGES WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF UNITY, WASHINGTON WROTE. THE UNITY OF GOVERNMENT, WHICH CONSTITUTES YOU ONE PEOPLE, IS ALSO NOW DEAR TO YOU.

IT IS JUSTLY SO, FOR IT IS A MAIN PILLAR IN THE EDIFICE OF YOUR REAL INDEPENDENCE, THE SUPPORT OF YOUR TRANQUILITY AT HOME, YOUR PEACE ABROAD, OF YOUR SAFETY, OF YOUR PROSPERITY, OF THAT OF. OF THE VERY LIBERTY WHICH YOU SO HIGHLY PRIZED, THE UNITY OF GOVERNMENT THAT MAKES

[00:10:03]

FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THAT LESSON IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL. THE WORK OF OUR DEMOCRACY DOES NOT HAPPEN ONLY IN WASHINGTON, DC. IT HAPPENS RIGHT HERE IN OUR CITY HALLS, OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR PARKS, OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR COMMUNITIES. AND EVERY GENERATION IS ASKED TO CARRY FORWARD WHAT IT INHERITED AND LEAVING STRONGER, LEAVING SOMETHING STRONGER FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW. SO ON THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR NATION, WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL ADDRESS REMINDS US THAT LEADERSHIP IS NOT MEASURED BY THE POWER THAT WE HOLD, BUT BY THE TRUST THAT WE PLACE IN ONE ANOTHER. WASHINGTON WALKED AWAY FROM POWER, NOT OUT OF RESTRAINT ALONE, BUT OUT OF THE BELIEF. BELIEF THAT ORDINARY PEOPLE, UNITED IN PURPOSE, COULD CARRY THIS EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIMENT FORWARD. NEARLY TWO AND A HALF CENTURIES LATER, THAT BELIEF IS NOW OURS TO HONOR. THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT DEPENDS NOT ON JUST ONE LEADER, BUT ON ALL OF US. SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOD BLESS THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF CORAL GABLES. AND OF COURSE, GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT HONOR OF HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE IN THE CELEBRATION OF OUR NATION IN THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. IT IS THERE'S NEVER A MOMENT WHEN I REACH OUT TO YOU OR TO YOUR STAFF THAT YOU DO NOT PICK UP YOUR PHONE PERSONALLY, THAT YOU DO NOT ADDRESS EMAILS PERSONALLY REPRESENTING THIS COMMUNITY.

AND THAT'S REFRESHING. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN, AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE ANOTHER LEADER HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY. EVEN WHEN THE ANSWER IS NO, YOU STILL GIVE US AN ANSWER IMMEDIATELY. I'VE ALWAYS LIKED DOING THIS, AND I'M VERY HAPPY WHEN I'VE TALKED TO MARTHA ABOUT THIS. AND WE PREPARED FOR THIS BECAUSE CELEBRATING OUR COUNTRY IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULDN'T WAIT 250 YEARS TO DO. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, AS FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN, MYSELF AND THE SON OF IMMIGRANTS WHO CAME TO THIS GREAT COUNTRY WITH NOTHING, PETER PAN, THE TRULY REMIND MY CHILDREN AND EVERYONE IN THIS COMMUNITY HOW BLESSED WE ARE. WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE ISSUE OF DIVISION. AND I'M HAPPY YOU MENTIONED THAT. YOU SEE IT ON TV, YOU HEAR IT ON THE RADIO. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE LIVE IN THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, AND WE HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY REMINDING OURSELVES THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD THAT WE LIVE IN THIS GREAT COUNTRY. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL WORDS. AND THANK YOU FOR HERE FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY. IT'S TRULY AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE. AND THANK YOU TO YOUR STAFF. BY THE WAY, YOUR STAFF IS AMAZING ON ALL FRONTS, ON ALL FRONTS. WHEN ANYONE IN MY OFFICE, WHETHER IT'S CAROLINA, WHETHER IT'S LAURA, CALLS AND WANTS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ON AN ISSUE THAT WE THAT WE AGAIN, IT'S OUTSIDE OF OUR REALM AND IT'S MORE COUNTY BASED. YOUR STAFF IS FRONT AND CENTER AND ALWAYS WILLING TO SAY, HEY, LET'S HAVE A MEETING. LET'S GET ON A CALL. LET'S HAVE A ZOOM CALL. LET'S MEET IN PERSON. YOU HAVE ONE OF YOUR STAFF MEMBERS THAT COMES TO MY OFFICE ON A MONTHLY BASIS FOR OFFICE HOURS, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANT OUR RESIDENTS TO TAKE A LOT MORE ADVANTAGE OF. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU. IT'S MY PLEASURE TO SERVE THE CITY. AND I TOO, AS A DAUGHTER OF OF A CUBAN PARENTS, IMMIGRANTS, EVERY DAY I'M REMINDED NOT TO TAKE OUR FREEDOMS FOR GRANTED. SO I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING THE FORESIGHT AND CELEBRATING OUR NATION EVERY SINGLE DAY HERE IN THE CITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND AS ALWAYS, MY OFFICE IS OPEN TO THE RESIDENTS AND TO YOU, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANYTHING THAT YOU MAY NEED. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, FOR A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU. BLESS YOU.

THROUGH THE MAYOR. YES, COMMISSIONER. BEFORE YOU GO, I WANTED TO JUST ADDRESS YOU PERSONALLY AND SAY THANK YOU FOR THOSE AMAZING WORDS, BECAUSE AS A FORMER HISTORY MAJOR, I'VE ALWAYS HAD AN AFFINITY, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PAST, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT'S THE GUIDEPOST OF THE WAY FORWARD, RIGHT, FOR THE FUTURE. AND I HAVE READ THE FAREWELL ADDRESS SEVERAL TIMES. I'VE STUDIED IT, BUT YOUR WORDS WERE VERY BEAUTIFUL AND VERY TIMELY, MORE SO NOW THAN EVER, AS YOU NOTED, FOR OUR COUNTRY, FOR THE STATE, FOR THE CITY, AND INDEED FOR THIS COMMISSION. SO WE'LL TAKE TO HEART THE WORDS OF WISDOM FROM PRESIDENT WASHINGTON AND FROM YOU, COMMISSIONER, FOR BRINGING THEM TO US. AND AND CALL UPON MY COMMISSIONERS, MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, THAT WE WE FOCUS ON UNITY, AND WE REJECT DIVISION TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE DOING THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE, RIGHT. DISSENSION AND

[00:15:05]

BEAUTIFUL. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORDS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR YOUR GUIDANCE. AND THANK YOU FOR APPEARING TODAY BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE EXTREMELY BUSY, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. IT'S MY PLEASURE. HAVE A GREAT. THROUGH THE MAYOR. YES. SORRY TO DELAY YOU ONE MORE MOMENT, BUT AND I KNOW I WENT DOWN TO THE COMMISSION TO THANK YOU IMMENSELY FOR THE EFFORTS THAT YOU MADE TO BRING FORWARD THE EXTEND THE TROLLEY LIFE MATTER.

BUT AGAIN, YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE AND WILLING TO TAKE SOME OF THESE MORE DIFFICULT TOPICS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAPPEN. AND IT GETS DOWN TO THE BUDGET, TO IT. IT HELPS OUR BUDGET. IT HELPS THE COUNTY'S BUDGET. AND I'VE NOTICED THAT YOU'VE TAKEN BUDGET VERY SERIOUSLY AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. AND I THANK YOU. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR.

ABSOLUTELY. WE ALWAYS I STRIVE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE BASED IN COMMON SENSE FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR BUDGET. SO THANK YOU. IT WAS MY PLEASURE TO TAKE THAT ON, AND I'M HAPPY THAT WE GOT IT DONE TOGETHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE THE MAYOR. YES, YES. I WANT TO ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL WORDS. IT'S VERY INSPIRING. WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD THE CHANCE TO REALLY MEET ONE ON ONE, BUT I WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO AHEAD AND CONNECT WITH YOU. MY OFFICE IS OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY, SO YOU CAN CALL ME AT ANY TIME AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THE SAME. MY OFFICE WILL CONTACT YOU TO MAYBE SCHEDULE A MEETING SO WE CAN BOTH SHARE WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. THANK YOU AGAIN, COMMISSIONER, BEFORE WE PROCEED, LET'S TAKE A PHOTO. CAN WE TAKE A PHOTO WITH YOU? BEFORE WE BEGIN THE COMMISSION MEETING AND GET ON TO THE ITEMS OF PRESENTATIONS AND PROTOCOLS? I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANOTHER HEARTBREAKING TRAGEDY, TRAGEDY THAT HAS DEEPLY AFFECTED OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE COMMISSION MEETING AT WHICH WE HAVE PAUSED TO MOURN. CORAL GABLES RESIDENTS LOST IN A TRAGIC ACCIDENT AT OUR AUGUST MEETING. WE REMEMBER THOSE WHO DIED IN THE HELICOPTER CRASH IN KENYA. TODAY, WE GRIEVE THE LOSS OF FOUR MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILY, OF ONE FAMILY WHOSE PLANE WENT DOWN WHILE RETURNING HOME FROM THE BAHAMAS. MARIO LAMAR WAS A WELL KNOWN AND RESPECTED ATTORNEY, AND HE AND HIS WIFE, LILY, WERE LONGTIME CORAL GABLES RESIDENTS WHO RAISED THEIR FAMILY HERE IN THE CITY OF BEAUTIFUL. THEIR GRANDCHILDREN, SOFIA AND CHRISTINA SOSA, ALSO GREW UP IN OUR COMMUNITY. SOFIA WAS A GRADUATE OF CARROLLTON SCHOOL OF THE SACRED HEART AND WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY. SHE LATER LEARNED. SHE LATER EARNED A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES FROM FIU AND WORKED AS A NEONATAL NEONATAL PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT, CARING FOR SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE AMONGST US. CRISTIAN GRADUATED FROM RANSOM EVERGLADES SCHOOL AND LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY AT ONLY 22 YEARS OLD, HE HAD HIS ENTIRE FUTURE AHEAD OF HIM. FOUR LIVES SPANNING TWO GENERATIONS OF ONE FAMILY WERE LOST IN AN UNIMAGINABLE TRAGEDY. THEY LEAVE BEHIND A DEVASTATED FAMILY, A COMMUNITY GRIEVING ALONGSIDE THEM. LOSSES SUCH AS THESE REMIND US HOW FRAGILE LIFE CAN BE. THEY REMIND US NOT TO TAKE OUR TIME. TOGETHER FOR GRANTED. TO HOLD THOSE WE LOVE

[00:20:05]

[A.-1. 26-2001 Presentation and introduction of the Coral Gables Police Department mounted patrol horses, Merrick and Scarlet.]

ASHLEY, WHO IS VERY WELL KNOWN IN THE HORSE RIDING COMMUNITY AS A TRAINER, APPROACHED ME ABOUT A PROGRAM, A PILOT PROGRAM OF BRINGING BACK THE MOUNTED PATROL FOR THE CORAL GABLES POLICE DEPARTMENT. WITH THAT, SHE USED, AS WE ALL MET MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, ROCKAWAY, I WILL TELL YOU, I SERIOUSLY UNDERESTIMATED THE POPULARITY OF AN EQUINE IN THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES, AND WE HAD BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND ACTUALLY A RETIREMENT PARTY FOR ROCKAWAY, WHO WAS A RESCUE HORSE, OBVIOUSLY, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MANAGER, WE DECIDED THAT THERE WAS DEFINITELY A PLACE TO RESTART THE MOUNTED UNIT WITHIN THE CORAL GABLES POLICE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE CITY. SO WE EXPANDED THE UNIT. WE ACTUALLY STARTED PARTNERING WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PARKS, AND THEN WE STARTED TRAINING OTHER DEPARTMENTS. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ASHLEY WAS TD WIDE, AS WE SAY TO THE MIAMI-DADE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SO THEY COULD RESTART THEIR MOUNTED UNIT. SO AT THE TIME, WE DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED TO EXPAND THIS. AND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNDERLYING AND THE DOWNTOWN UNIT, WHICH THIS BODY ACTUALLY SUPPORTED, WE STARTED TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM. SO TODAY, OUR LAST YEAR, WHEN WE CAME UP WITH THE EXPANSION AND WE ACTUALLY INTERVIEWED MANY HORSES UNTIL WE PICKED THE TWO THAT WE HAVE.

SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THE VIDEO OF OUR TWO NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN AROUND. SO WITH THAT TV. HI, I'M OFFICER HERNANDEZ AND THIS IS MY PARTNER MERRICK, AND WE ARE WITH THE CORAL GABLES MOUNTED PATROL. MERRICK IS A FOUR YEAR OLD PERCHERON AND HE WEIGHTS ABOUT 1,700 POUNDS. HE'S LIKE A BIG TODDLER. HE'S A LITTLE CLUMSY, BUT HE'S REALLY SWEET SOMETIMES. MY NAME IS OFFICER SHARON, AND THIS IS MY PARTNER, SCARLETT. SO SCARLETT IS A THREE YEAR OLD BELGIAN CROSS, SO THAT MEANS THAT SHE'S A DRAFT HORSE AND MIXED WITH A REGULAR SIZED HORSE. HER BEST FRIEND IS MERRICK, AND WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT THEY GET TO BE TOGETHER. PROBABLY OUR GREATEST USE WITH THE MOUNTED PATROL UNIT IS DOING SPECIAL EVENTS, AND WE DO REGULAR PATROL WHERE WE DO WALK AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE GREET OUR RESIDENTS AND KIND OF KEEP AN EYE OUT. AT THE SAME TIME.

WE'RE OFFICER FRIENDLY PEOPLE, LOVE TO SEE THE HORSES AND PET THEM AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THEM. WE'RE THERE TO BRIDGE THAT GAP BETWEEN POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY. THERE'S STILL RESIDENTS THAT HAVE TALKED TO US ABOUT THEM RIDING HORSES IN THE CITY WHEN THEY WERE CHILDREN, THE ABILITY TO HAVE HORSES BACK IN THE CITY, AS GEORGIE MERRICK ENVISIONED, AND US AS OFFICERS. TO BE ABLE TO RIDE THOSE EXACT BRIDLE PATHS REALLY SPEAKS TO THE HISTORICAL PRESERVATION OF OUR CITY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE. WE WANT TO SHARE ABOUT OUR HORSES WITH YOU.

COME TAKE PICTURES. YES, YOU CAN PET THEM. THEY'RE VERY FRIENDLY. AND WE'LL SEE YOU OUT THERE. SO THE ONLY TIME OUR HORSES GET NERVOUS IS WHEN I PUT THIS HAT ON. BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID THAT I MAY END UP TRYING TO GET ON TOP OF IT OR RIDE IT. THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT. A FELLOW CHIEF THAT'S AS LARGE AS I AM, LARRY GARRIGA ACTUALLY TOLD ME HOW TO GET ON THE HORSE. SO YOU GET ON THE BACK OF A PICKUP TRUCK, THEN YOU STEP UP ON TOP OF THE HORSE. BUT OUR TWO RIDERS THAT ARE WITH US TODAY, I'M NOT ABOUT TO HURT THEIR PARTNERS, THAT'S FOR SURE. LOOK, I THINK IN THE FUTURE OF OUR DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES AND CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY. WE, A LOT OF

[00:25:05]

SO WE HAVE A STABLE HAND. WE'RE PAYING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO HAVE AN EXTRA STABLE HAND TO GET US OUT THERE, AND WE PATROL THE COUNTY PARKS, MATHESON HAMMOCK, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ALMOST LIKE A QUID PRO QUO. SO I AM VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT WE'VE STARTED OFF AS A PILOT PROGRAM, AND IT HAS NOW BECOME A PROGRAM THAT IS KIND OF THE ENVY OF SOME OF OUR FELLOW DEPARTMENTS, AND WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT FROM THE COMMISSION ALLOWING US TO DO THIS, BUT ALSO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS SUPPORTED THESE HORSES AND THESE TWO FINE RIDERS, LIZ DE HERNANDEZ AND ASHLEY SHARON. THE FIRST TWO MEMBERS OF OUR MOUNTED UNIT, WHICH PROBABLY MAY BE JOINED BY OTHERS IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO. SO WITH THAT, ANY QUESTIONS? TO GO THROUGH THE MAYOR? YES. OH, I'M SORRY, I INTERRUPT. I JUST WANTED TO SAY I PERSONALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU IN THE DOWNTOWN. I'VE TAKEN MULTIPLE PICTURES OF YOU AND PUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AGAIN. IT'S JUST AMAZING TO SEE YOU OUT THERE. THE INTERACTIONS WITH WITH THE RESIDENTS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE VISITING OUR GREAT COMMUNITY. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE MAKING A REAL IMPACT, NOT ONLY FIGHTING CRIME AND BEING A PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING THE BLUE, YOU KNOW, AND BEING BEING ADVOCATES ON BEHALF OF POLICE. WE LIVE IN A VERY DIFFERENT WORLD THAN WE LIVED IN 30, 40 YEARS AGO. AND FOR SOME REASON, THERE'S THIS MISUNDERSTANDING OR MISGUIDED LEADERSHIP THAT THINKS THAT, YOU KNOW, TAKING A SWIPE AT THE BLUE IS APPROPRIATE. AND IT'S NOT. WE LIVE IN A CIVILIZED COMMUNITY THAT WE LIVE IN BECAUSE THE POLICE ALLOWS US TO SLEEP A GOOD NIGHT WITHOUT ORDER, LAW AND ORDER, AND WITHOUT THE WORK THAT YOU DO, WE WOULDN'T BE THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK. I KNOW IT'S HOT OUT THERE. TRUST ME, I CAN. I KNOW WHEN SOMETIMES YOU'RE OUT THERE AND IT'S 99 DEGREES, 100 DEGREES OUT THERE, BUT YOU'RE MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU.

MAYOR. SO I WANT TO ECHO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID. I THINK THAT MERRICK AND SCARLET AND OF COURSE, OFFICERS, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE DOING OUT THERE IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN WHAT YOU COULD SAY. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN READ ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT THAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE WHEN THEY SEE YOU. YOU DID REFER TO THAT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO SEE.

THERE'S EXCITEMENT, THERE'S JOY. THERE'S A SENSE OF HEIGHTENED SECURITY, RIGHT? WHEN YOU SEE AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT BEING SPECIAL WITHIN THE GREATEST CITY TO SEE OUR MOUNTED OFFICERS AND THOSE MAGNIFICENT HORSES TRAVERSING OUR STREETS AND KEEPING US SAFE.

SO ONE MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR SUPPORT FROM MY COLLEAGUES TO HAVE THE STAFF LOOK INTO, DO A STUDY AND COME BACK TO US WITH RESPECT TO WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO EXPAND THE MOUNTED PATROL. I REALLY THINK THAT INNUMERABLE BENEFITS WILL COME FROM THAT. SO I ASK FOR MY YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES SUPPORT ON THAT POINT, AND I WOULDN'T CALL IT A POCKET ITEM, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT WE SHOULD GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO RETIRING CHIEF HUDAK TO WEAR THAT HAT AS PART OF HIS ISSUED UNIFORM, BECAUSE YOU LOOK TOO GOOD IN IT, I'M AFRAID. WELL, COMMISSIONER, DO YOU WANT TO BEFORE I BEFORE THE CHIEF RESPONDS, DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A FORMAL REFERENDUM ON BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS? YES, THEY WILL BE. THEY WILL BE COMBINED, SO I SO MOVE. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT. AND CLERK. YES, AND I'M JUST GOING TO ADD FOR COLOR.

THE FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS AN IDEA OF CORAL GABLES RESIDENT AND OFFICER SHARON OBLIGED. AND ROCKAWAY WAS AT THE CORNER OF PALERMO AND DE SOTO WITH A CAKE OF CARROTS AND VEGETABLES AND STUFF, EVERYTHING HIS HEART DESIRED. SO MY MY, THANK YOU, OFFICER, FOR WORKING WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND THE LOVE OF OUR RESIDENTS WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT THAT DAY WHEN WE HAD A GATHERING, I THINK IT WAS 2020. IF MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, BECAUSE I WAS STILL KNOCKING DOORS AT THE TIME. SO IT WAS BEFORE I WAS ON THIS COMMISSION.

AND THANK YOU FOR CHIEF, FOR ENTERTAINING TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM AFTER ROCKAWAY'S RETIREMENT. IT'S CLEARLY SOMETHING THAT'S WELL LOVED AND GIVES, I THINK THAT COMMUNITY

[00:30:01]

IMPOSSIBLE. YET ANYTIME ROCKAWAY CAME BY SALVADOR PARK, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP THE KIDS INSIDE THE PARK BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO COME OUT AND SEE ROCKAWAY. SO I THINK THERE'S NO PROGRAM IN THE CITY THAT IS MORE COMMUNITY BASED THAN THIS ONE. SO I 100% SUPPORT IT. YES, COMMISSIONER. LARA. WELL, I'M VERY PLEASED THAT THE COMMISSION FEELS IT'S ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS MOTION, AS I DO, BUT I'M SERIOUS. OKAY. OBVIOUSLY ABOUT THE HORSES AND THE INCREASED PATROL AND THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT YOU TWO ARE DOING. BUT I'M SERIOUS. YOU GOT TO WEAR THAT HAT AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. OKAY, SO MY VOTE IS YES, MAYOR. YES. THANK YOU. THANK GOD I WASN'T DOING THE DIVE TEAM BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE WEARING. IF I CAME IN WEARING THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ME. THANK YOU ALL. WE WE WILL. AND I, WITH THE MAYOR'S APPROVAL, WE WILL HAVE ROCCO ROCKAWAY ROCKAWAYS RETIRED. WE WILL HAVE MERRICK AND SCARLETT OUTSIDE SO WE CAN YOU CAN MEET HIM UP FIRSTHAND. SO WE THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT. AND I WANT TO THANK ASHLEY PERSONALLY IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY FOR BRINGING THIS IDEA BACK. YOU WILL SEE ON EVERY HORSE THAT WE REMEMBER CYRIL GUEST THROUGHOUT ETERNITY HERE IN THE DEPARTMENT. AND THAT'S WHAT OUR LEGEND, OUR LEGACIES ARE ALL ABOUT. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT. ALWAYS, ONCE WE FINISH PRESENTATIONS A1 THROUGH A5, WE'LL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND WE'LL STEP OUTSIDE. THANK YOU. CHIEF, YOU WANT TO TAKE A PHOTO? TAKE A PHOTO WITH THE WITH. WE'LL TAKE A PHOTO WHEN WE STEP OUTSIDE. OR YOU WANT TO DO ONE. NOW I THINK WE SHOULD JUST DO ONE HERE. AND THEN WE CAN LATER ON AT THE BREAK. SO EVERYBODY CAN RELIEVE THEMSELVES WITH THE MOUNTED UNIT.

[A.-2. 26-2002 Presentation of the new Coral Gables Police Department High Water Rescue Vehicle.]

[00:35:06]

WE'LL WE'LL PUT THE HORSES NEXT TO THE MRAP OR TO THE PERFECT SHIRT. YOU CAN SCARE THE HORSES.

[A.-3. 26-2049 Presentation of a Proclamation declaring September 17-23, 2026 as "Constitution Week" in Coral Gables.]

WHEREAS ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, 1787, IN ORDER TO SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY FOR THEMSELVES AND OUR PROSPERITY, OUR FOUNDING FATHERS ORDAINED AND ESTABLISHED AND SIGNED THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, A UNIQUE AND PRICELESS DOCUMENT WHICH HAS AFFORDED THE PEOPLE OF OUR GREAT NATION WITH CERTAIN PRIVILEGES, INALIENABLE RIGHTS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP. WHEREAS, BECAUSE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT ALL CITIZENS UNDERSTAND THE PROVISIONS AND PRINCIPLES EMBEDDED IN THIS PRICELESS DOCUMENT, OUR CONSTITUTION, IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT, PRESERVE AND DEFEND IT AGAINST ANY AND ALL UNWARRANTED INTRUSIONS THAT THE INDEPENDENCE WHICH IS GUARANTEED TO AMERICAN CITIZENS, WHETHER BY BIRTH OR NATURALIZATION, SHOULD BE CELEBRATED. AND WHEREAS THIS 239TH ANNIVERSARY MEMORIALIZING THE SIGNING OF THE CONSTITUTION, THE CORAL GABLES CHAPTER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, A SOCIETY OF WOMEN PATRIOTS DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF THIS PRICELESS HERITAGE, PROUDLY JOINS US AS WE CELEBRATE CONSTITUTION WEEK AND THIS INVALUABLE LEGACY LEFT TO US BY OUR FOUNDING FATHERS, WHOSE WISDOM AND REMARKABLE DIVISION MADE POSSIBLE THE CREATION AND PRESERVATION OF THIS HISTORIC DOCUMENT. AND WHEREAS EMPHASIZING CITIZENS RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PROTECTING AND DEFENDING THE CONSTITUTION AND ENCOURAGING THE STUDY OF THOSE HISTORICAL EVENTS WHICH LED TO THE FRAMING OF THE CONSTITUTION IN 1787, ARE ONLY TWO OF THE REASONS WHY THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION PETITIONED CONGRESS IN 1955 TO SET ASIDE SEPTEMBER 17TH THROUGH 23RD ANNUALLY FOR THE OBSERVANCE OF CONSTITUTION WEEK. NOW, THEREFORE, IVAN SLIGO IS THE MAYOR OF CORAL GABLES, ALONG WITH THE MEMBERS OF OUR CITY COMMISSION DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 17TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2026 AS CONSTITUTION WEEK IN CORAL GABLES. SO, MAYOR, I KNOW YOU'VE HAD A REMARKABLE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE DAUGHTERS

[00:40:04]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING THIS ON THE AGENDA AGAIN THIS YEAR. WE'VE DONE IT CONSISTENTLY FOR 50 YEARS OR SO. CORAL GABLES CHAPTER DAR. THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION HAS BEEN A PART OF CORAL GABLES FOR ALL THESE YEARS. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE FORMATION OF THIS CITY AND FOR MANY, MOST, MOST OF OUR TIME. HERE WAS. OUR MEETINGS WERE HELD AT THE CORAL GABLES, MERRICK HOUSE, BUT LATER ON IT WAS CHANGED THROUGH RENOVATIONS AT THE HOUSE AND THINGS CHANGED. SO THE. THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION MEET EVERY EVERY SINGLE MONTH, BUT NO LONGER AT THE MERRICK HOUSE TODAY. AND I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF IT SINCE 1969. SO IT'S A LONG TIME. AND I'VE SERVED AS REGENT, OR WE CALL REGENT OR PRESIDENT OF THE CHAPTER IN YEARS GONE BY. TODAY I HAVE OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT, OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT, OUR CURRENT REGENT, PENELOPE JOHNSON, WHO WOULD LIKE TO WHO'S COME HERE FROM OUT OF THE CITY IN ORDER TO BE HERE TODAY AND GIVE YOU A FEW WORDS, MISS JOHNSON, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US AGAIN. GOOD MORNING. IT IS TRULY AN HONOR TO ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION ON BEHALF OF THE CORAL GABLES CHAPTER, DAUGHTER OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. AS WE CELEBRATE CONSTITUTION WEEK. IT IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL AS WE COMMEMORATE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. IT'S RECOGNITION OF THE SACRIFICES MADE FOR OUR FREEDOMS, AND A REMINDER TO ALL OF US THAT WE SHARE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESERVE THE IDEALS UPON WHICH THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED. THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CAN WE TAKE A PHOTO, PLEASE?

[A.-4. 26-1831 Congratulations to Firefighter Daniel Martinez, recipient of the City of Coral Gables "Firefighter of the Month Award," for the month of September 2026.]

[00:45:05]

I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY GIRLFRIEND MONIQUE FOR ALWAYS SUPPORTING ME AND ENCOURAGED ME THROUGHOUT MY CAREER. ALTHOUGH I'M STILL YOUNG IN MY CAREER, I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE SURROUNDED BY A LOT OF GOOD FIREFIGHTERS THAT HAVE HELPED ME, TRAINED AND TAUGHT ME ALL THE THINGS THAT I KNOW AND I LOVE WHAT TO WHAT I DO. AND I'M PROUD TO BE A FIREMAN, AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE LEARNING AND TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN FOR THIS DEPARTMENT AND THIS COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. LET'S TAKE A PHOTO.

WAS WONDERING WHETHER, YOU KNOW, NICE BUSINESS MAN. THAT WAS VERY NICE. MOVING TO THE FINAL ITEM ON PRESENTATIONS AND PROTOCOLS ITEM A5. CHIEF.

[A.-5. 26-2018 Congratulations to Officer Anibal Guerrero, recipient of the City of Coral Gables “Officer of the Month Award,” for the month of July 2026]

HE CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE THE INDIVIDUAL. AFTER LOOKING INTO IT, OFFICER GUERRERO HAD TO PLACE THE THE SUBJECT UNDER ARREST BECAUSE HE OBVIOUSLY HAD NO DRIVER'S LICENSE AND WENT CONTINUED TO DIG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER. FOUND OUT THAT THE INDIVIDUAL, THROUGH A FALSE IDENTIFICATION, HAD THREE ACTIVE FUGITIVE WARRANTS OUT OF ALACHUA COUNTY. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LIKE PUBLIC ORDER CRIMES, HE WAS WANTED FOR TWO WAY COMMUNICATIONS AND FACILITATING A FELONY RACKETEERING, CRIMINAL ATTEMPT TO CONSPIRE PROBATION VIOLATIONS FOR COCAINE TRAFFICKING WITH NO BOND AND A FELONY PROBATION, ALONG WITH MARIJUANA POSSESSION, COCAINE POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO SELL. THIS WAS THE GENTLEMAN'S IDENTIFICATION. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN 2012. THE PERSON WAS LIVING REALLY A DOUBLE LIFE BECAUSE EVEN IN FACT, HIS FRIEND'S WIFE AND CHILD DID NOT KNOW HIS REAL NAME. BECAUSE OF

[00:50:05]

HE WAS NOMINATED AND RECEIVED OFFICER OF THE MONTH FOR JULY 2026. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL SPEECH PREPARED. EVERYTHING SOUNDS A LOT COOLER WHEN OUR CHIEF SAYS IT. I WILL SAY THAT I'M TRULY HONORED TO BE RECOGNIZED AS OFFICER OF THE MONTH. I WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES, THE CORAL GABLES POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR COMMAND STAFF, SUPERVISORS, AND MY FELLOW OFFICERS FOR THE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY AND LIVE OUT MY DREAM EVERY DAY. ANYBODY WHO KNOWS ME KNOWS THAT I MEAN THIS WHEN I SAY IT. THIS TRULY IS THE BEST JOB. THIS TRAFFIC STOP WAS FAR FROM ROUTINE, AS MENTIONED, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE UNCERTAINTIES OFFICERS EVERY DAY AS. BUT NOT LEAST, I WANT TO THANK MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND I TRULY APPRECIATE ALL THE OFFICERS WHO ASSISTED ME WITH THE ARREST THAT DAY. THIS INCLUDES SERGEANT GUERRA, OFFICER BECKER, OFFICER TEJAS, OFFICER LUND, AND DETECTIVE CASEY RIVERA. THIS AWARD IS FOR ALL OF US. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS HONOR.

CONGRATULATIONS. SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK PHOTO AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK.

[C. PUBLIC COMMENTS]

PICTURE DAY. A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE. I GUESS HE FORGOT HOW HARD HE TRIED TO KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING, BECAUSE HE SAID SPECIFICALLY, THIS IS NOT A HOLIDAY WHEN HE DIDN'T WANT IT.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? IT HAPPENED. IT'S HERE WE REMEMBERED. EXCELLENT. AND HE HAS. HE FORGOT. SO NOW HIS OLD FORD AND HIS OLD FOR THE POLICE. AMAZING HOW THINGS HAPPEN. AND THE NEXT COMMENT IS I'M GETTING A LITTLE FRUSTRATED WITH THE SAME PERSON TALKING ABOUT STUFF AND

[00:55:01]

HE WAS OPERATION PEDRO PAN. THEY CALLED THEMSELVES PEDRO PAN CHILDREN. PETER PAN IS A MOVIE. PETER PAN IS A A CHARACTER. IT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE POOR KIDS THAT WERE SENT HERE BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THEY STAYED IN CUBA AND THE GOVERNMENT TOOK THEM OVER. IT'S CALLED OPERATION PEDRO PAN, NOT THE FAKE PETER PAN. AND WE ALL SHOULD REMEMBER THE RIGHT NAME. THANK YOU. FRANK HERXIN. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS FRANK HARRISON. I LIVE AT 1127 SOROLLA AVENUE HERE IN CORAL GABLES. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK BRIEFLY ABOUT RECYCLING IN OUR COMMUNITY. TO BE CLEAR, I FULLY SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE SUSTAINABILITY BOARD, BUT I BELIEVE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCELERATE ENGAGEMENT WITH THREE KEY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS ONE RESIDENTS, TWO LANDSCAPERS AND THREE CONSTRUCTION CREWS. TO OFTEN RECYCLABLE MATERIALS AND OBLITERATING OUR GREEN SPACES AND SWALES INSTEAD OF REACHING RECYCLING BINS. I BELIEVE SOME SIMPLE, LOW COST INTERVENTIONS CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE. SO I HAVE PERSONALLY STARTED TWO SMALL PROJECTS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME OF THE DETAILS WITH YOU. FIRST, ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR LANDSCAPING COMPANY, I ARRANGED WITH OUR LANDSCAPING COMPANY TO COLLECT THEIR OWN RECYCLABLE MATERIALS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK PLASTIC BOTTLES, ALUMINUM CANS, GLASS BOTTLES AND PLASTIC FILM. I SUPPLIED THEM WITH AN EMPTY CORAL GABLES RECYCLING BIN, WHICH THEY RETURN TO ME FULL EVERY TUESDAY. AT THAT POINT, I HAND THEM A NEW EMPTY BIN AND STORE THE FULL BIN UNTIL RECYCLING COLLECTION DAY. FOR ME, A SIMPLE SYSTEM SO FAR ENCOURAGING RESULTS AND IT IS SCALABLE. SECOND, ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR ON A SINGLE FAMILY HOME RENOVATION ACROSS FROM OUR HOUSE, I HAD THE CHANCE TO LOOK INSIDE ONE OF THE CONSTRUCTION WASTE CONTAINERS, MUCH TO MUCH OF THE CONTENT WON'T SURPRISE ANYONE HERE, BUT I SEE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO REDIRECT SPECIFIC MATERIALS INTO RECYCLING STREAMS. INSTEAD. I STARTED SMALL WITH THE WORKERS ON SITE, FOCUSING ON THE SAME RECYCLABLE MATERIALS AS WERE THE GARDENERS PLASTIC BOTTLES, ALUMINUM CANS AND PLASTIC FILM.

COPYING THE GARDENER PLAYBOOK, I PROVIDED ONE EMPTY BLUE BIN, WHICH I PICK UP FULL EVERY THURSDAY. I RETURN THE BIN EMPTY ON FRIDAY MORNINGS. THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, I STOP BY AND LOOK AT THE PROGRESS. I ALSO HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR WHO, AFTER OUR INITIAL CONVERSATIONS, INDICATED TO ME THAT HE MAY BE OPEN TO SEPARATING RECYCLABLE CARDBOARD AS WELL. SO NEITHER PROJECT MOVES THE NEEDLE ON ITS OWN. BUT HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO TAKE AWAY. EVERYBODY I HAVE APPROACHED HAS BEEN WILLING TO LISTEN AND SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY'S RECYCLING EFFORTS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROCESS, AND THERE WILL BE SETBACKS ALONG THE WAY. BUT I BELIEVE THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES, WITH THE TOOLS AND SUPPORT IT ALREADY HAS IN PLACE, IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO HELP RESIDENTS SCALE IMPORTANT PROJECTS LIKE THESE.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. BONNIE BOLTON. GOOD MORNING. HELLO. GOOD MORNING. I WANTED TO ADDRESS THE FRAUD THAT WAS BROUGHT FORTH BY MY ATTORNEY AT THE AUGUST 25TH, 2026 CORAL GABLES CITY COMMISSION MEETING. AND I WANTED TO STATE THAT THE CITY SEEMS TO FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CRIMES WHICH MY ATTORNEY BROUGHT FORTH AT THAT MEETING REGARDING THE GARDEN OF OUR LORD. AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY SERIOUS CRIMES. WHEN I MET WITH

[01:00:04]

CITY ATTORNEY OPINION 2025 005 STATES DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY MEANS A CONTRACT TO PROVIDE GOODS OR SERVICES TO THE CITY IN EXCHANGE FOR COMPENSATION. IT IS NOT SEEKING A PERMIT OR OBTAINING OTHER REGULATORY APPROVAL. FURTHER, CASTRO CONFIRMS A COMPANY NO LONGER ASSISTS CLIENTS IN OBTAINING PERMITS IN CORAL GABLES, LARGO'S ACCUSATIONS ARE POLITICAL, NOT FACTUAL. SECTION 112.313 PROHIBITS ANY PUBLIC OFFICIAL, INCLUDING OUR MAYOR, FROM ONE ACCEPTING ANY PAYMENT THAT COULD INFLUENCE HIS VOTE OR ACTIONS. MAYOR TWO MISUSING HIS OFFICE TO SECURE A BENEFIT, OR THREE, HAVING ANY CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ANY BUSINESS ENTITY WHICH IS DOING BUSINESS WITH CORAL GABLES. BASED ON THE FOREGOING, MALAGA SHOULD RESIGN IMMEDIATELY SO THE RESIDENTS CAN ELECT A MAYOR WHO DOES NOT HAVE THESE STUNNING FAILURES IN RESPONSIBILITY AND TRANSPARENCY. THANK YOU. STELLA, BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE RECORD, DID I VOTE ON AN ITEM, ONE ITEM THAT DEALT WITH MR. KAPOOR? MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT YOU RECUSED AND I RECUSED MYSELF.

[01:05:04]

CORRECT? CORRECT, SIR. AND I RECUSED MYSELF ON ALL FOUR VOTES. VERY CLEAR. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN INDIVIDUAL THAT I CANNOT GET OVER THE FACT, AND AS AN ATTORNEY SHOULD KNOW BETTER. HE'S A STALKER ON SOCIAL MEDIA. HE'S AN INDIVIDUAL THAT CAN DO MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT HE'S DOING RIGHT NOW. AND I ASK YOU TO GET A GRIP EMOTIONALLY AND PLEASE, PLEASE CONCENTRATE YOUR EFFORTS ON MAKING THIS CITY A BETTER CITY OF THIS COMMUNITY, A BETTER COMMUNITY, WORK IN TANDEM. DO NOT SPREAD MISINFORMATION BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HELP YOU OR HELP THE CITY. I NEVER VOTED ON ITEM WITH MR. KAPOOR. HE WAS A TENANT BEFORE I KNEW ANY OF THE ISSUES THAT HAD OCCURRED IN REGARDS TO HIS INVESTMENTS, AND I HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR IN REGARDS TO THAT. SO I'M ASKING YOU, PLEASE, THIS IS YOUR FIRST WARNING AND YOUR LAST WARNING. YOU STATED ON THE RECORD THAT I'M BREAKING THE LAW. I DID NOT I'VE NEVER BEEN INVESTIGATED IN MY 14 YEARS OF BEING HERE IN PUBLIC OFFICE. AND I, AGAIN, DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG BY HAVING HIM AS A TENANT. I WAS NOT AWARE OF HIS BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS AND WHAT HE WAS DEALING WITH. I HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY, SIR, THROUGH THE MAYOR. WE'RE NOT GOING TO LITIGATE THIS NOW, MR. CLARKE. I'M MOVING FORWARD THROUGH THE MAYOR. I PLEASE ASK TO BE RECOGNIZED. IT WAS NUMBER ONE. THE GENTLEMAN WAS ATTACKING ME ON THE RECORD. I DON'T WANT TO LITIGATE THIS ON THE RECORD. MR. MR. RESPECT THE CIVILITY CODE. I AM, SIR, I AM RESPECTING THE CIVIL CODE. I KNOW THAT YOU WANT AN INSTAGRAM VIOLATED THE CIVILITY CODE TO A RESIDENT CALLING HIM A STALKER. HE IS A. YOU WENT AHEAD AND YOU'RE ALSO VIOLATING HIS FREEDOM OF SPEECH. HE IS. HE HAD THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK BEFORE US AND IT'S PERFECTLY FINE. DO NOT. DO NOT WARN HIM THAT HE WILL BE OUT OF HERE. I AM TAKING. I AM TAKING AN ORDER. OKAY. AGAIN, HE HAS MADE FALSE FALSE CLAIMS. IN AN EFFORT TO AGAIN HAVE ANOTHER INSTAGRAM POST THAT YOU WILL POST LATER, ALONG WITH ALL THE RIDICULOUSNESS THAT HAPPENS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH I WILL NOT PARTAKE IN. AGAIN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, BUT I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS INDIVIDUAL WHO IS A PROFESSIONAL KNOWS BETTER. HE'S AN ATTORNEY. HE SHOULD NOT BE MAKING THOSE STATEMENTS. I KNOW HE'S FRUSTRATED AND I KNOW HE MAKES RIDICULOUS STATEMENTS OUT THERE, AND HE SHOULD NOT BE MAKING THOSE STATEMENTS. HE SHOULD KNOW BETTER. I DID NOT VOTE ON ANY ISSUES OF MR. KAPOOR, AND IT'S BEEN VERY CLEARLY STATED AND DOCUMENTED. WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, MR. CLARK, BILL LOCKHART. GOOD MORNING. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM F6, WHICH IS COMING UP A LITTLE BIT LATER. ESTELLE LOCKHART, 1515 CAPRI STREET, RESIDENT BUSINESS OWNER, GABLES HIGH, PARENT ADVOCACY CHAIR AT PONCE MIDDLE SCHOOL, PTSA AND PAST PTA PRESIDENT AT LITTLE CARVER.

ITEM F6 IS ABOUT THE PUBLIC SCHOOL GUIDE, THE PUBLIC SCHOOL GUIDE. A YEAR IN COMING TO YOU.

LAST FALL, THE CHAMBER'S EDUCATION COMMITTEE STARTED THEIR PUBLIC SCHOOL AMBASSADOR PROGRAM TO START TO PAIR A BUSINESS PARTNER WITH EACH OF OUR AREA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE QUESTION AROSE CAN WE KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT EACH OF THESE SCHOOLS? I WAS TASKED WITH MAKING A LIST OF THE SCHOOLS, CONTACT INFORMATION AND WEBSITES. WHILE DOING SO, I REALIZED THIS IS NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH. THE GEM THAT IS EMBODIED IN OUR GABLES PUBLIC SCHOOLS CANNOT BE OVERSTATED. IT'S MY HOPE THAT THE GABLES PUBLIC SCHOOL GUIDE SHINES A LIGHT ON THE GOOD WORK, REALLY, THE MIRACLE THAT HAPPENS EACH DAY IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT WORK NOT ONLY IMPACTS OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, IT IMPACTS OUR PROPERTY VALUES, FUTURE WORKFORCE READINESS AND LIKELIHOOD OF BUSINESSES MOVING AND STAYING IN OUR COMMUNITY.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS OVER 300 SCHOOLS. IT'S THE THIRD LARGEST PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY. TECHNICALLY, IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO PUBLICIZE THEIR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. OUR GUIDE HIGHLIGHTS TEN OF THE 300. WHY? BECAUSE CORAL GABLES HAS SOMETHING UNIQUE TO OFFER CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IT IS AN AMAZING PLACE TO LIVE, LEARN, WORK AND PLAY. TODAY IS A DAY TO FURTHER THE LEARN PART OF THAT MISSION. WHEN I WAS DECIDING WHERE TO SEND MY CHILDREN TO PRE-K, KINDER AND THEN LAST YEAR WHERE TO SEND THEM TO HIGH SCHOOL, I WISH I HAD HAD THE GUIDE, THE GUIDE DETAILS EACH AREA PUBLIC SCHOOL. IT GIVES A STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION ABOUT HOW TO APPLY MAGNET SCHOOLS DEADLINES. I DIDN'T WANT TO DRIVE OUTSIDE OF MY COMMUNITY. I WANTED A COMMUNITY SCHOOL. I WANTED A COMMUNITY SCHOOL WHERE MY NEIGHBORS AND MY FRIENDS WERE

[01:10:04]

THAT'S IT, MR. MAYOR. MR. MANAGER, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE CHIEF UP JUST TO HAVE A FEW WORDS IN REGARDS TO ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WAS MADE HERE. CHIEF, COULD YOU ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF THE ITEM THAT I REFERRED TO THROUGH THE MANAGER, TO THE NECESSARY AUTHORITIES AND TO YOUR OFFICE IN REGARDS TO THE GARDEN OF OUR LORD? SO I WANT PEOPLE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMISSION SHOULD BE SAYING AND WHAT SHOULD WE WHAT WE SHOULD, THAT WE SHOULD BE RESPECTING THE PROCESS. SO YOUR GUIDANCE WOULD BE REALLY APPRECIATED THROUGH THE MAYOR. I HAVE AN ITEM THAT HE'S GOING TO DO EXACTLY THAT. CHIEF, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND? SURE. AND AGAIN, I THINK I CAN ANSWER BOTH QUESTIONS FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, THAT THE ISSUES WERE RAISED BY SOMEONE THAT WAS APPEARING IN FRONT OF THIS BODY.

THERE WAS A VOTE. AND THE DIRECTION THAT YOU, THE CHAIR TO THE MANAGER THAT WE DO THE INVESTIGATION, WE REVIEW IT AND DO THE INVESTIGATION OR REFER IT OUT APPROPRIATELY, AS WE HAVE HAD OTHER CASES THAT HAVE COME UP. THIS DID NOT INVOLVE ONE OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.

IT DID NOT INVOLVE A CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER. SO THE DECISION, AFTER REVIEWING IT WITH THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMMANDER, IS THAT WE WILL DO THE INVESTIGATION OF THE ISSUES THAT TOOK PLACE HERE THAT DAY. ONCE THAT INVESTIGATION IS DONE, AND WE ARE LOOKING AT IT CRIMINALLY, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER ETHICS VIOLATIONS AND CHARTER. IF THERE WERE CHARTER CHANGES, AGAIN, THE CHARTER WOULDN'T APPLY TO ANYBODY. THAT SAID ANYTHING. ONCE THOSE THOSE SWORN STATEMENTS ARE TAKEN, WE WILL PRESENT IT TO THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. IF IT'S APPLICABLE, WE WILL PRESENT IT TO THE STATE ETHICS COMMISSION AS WELL AS THE THE COUNTY ETHICS COMMISSION, BECAUSE IT IS AN OPEN INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION. WE ARE NOT GOING TO COMMENT ABOUT THAT. WITNESSES THAT WE HAVE INTERVIEWED ALREADY, IF THEY WANT TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC, THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO TO STOP THEM FROM SPEAKING IN PUBLIC. BUT ONCE THAT DIRECTION WAS GIVEN BY ME TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND WE'VE OPENED UP A CASE, THAT'S THE END OF OUR CONVERSATIONS IN PUBLIC, WE ARE PROHIBITED BY STATUTE TO HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT AN OPEN, ONGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, WHICH IS WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW.

SO, CHIEF, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU. THROUGH THE MANAGER, I'VE RECEIVED PROBABLY A HANDFUL OF PHONE CALLS, 2 OR 3 PHONE CALLS FROM INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY. JUST IN REGARDS TO THIS, I HAD A CLEAR CONVERSATION WITH THE MANAGER AND WE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE CHIEF AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY WHERE, AGAIN, THIS IS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION. WE HAVE TO RESPECT THE PROCESS SO WE CAN HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT. YOU CAN COME AND VOICE YOUR OPINION, BUT WHEN YOU SCHEDULE TIME WITH A SITTING COMMISSIONER, THE MAYOR OR ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS HERE THAT IS UNDER THE AUSPICE OF THE CITY MANAGER, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE SAME RESPONSE BACK. IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE STONEWALLING, IS THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED GUIDELINES AND GUARDRAILS TO ENSURE THAT THIS INVESTIGATION IS HANDLED APPROPRIATELY AND IS NOT SIDELINED BY A MISTAKE OR BY A PUBLIC COMMENT OR BY, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT MAY, AGAIN, NOT ALLOW THE PROCESS TO CONTINUE IN A MANNER THAT IS APPROPRIATE. SO I JUST ASK PEOPLE TO RESPECT THE PROCESS. IT MAY TAKE TIME. IF YOU'D LIKE A FOLLOW UP, YOU CAN SEND US AN EMAIL. YOU CAN MAKE IT A PUBLIC RECORD, BUT MAKE SURE YOU COPY THE MANAGER, THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE POLICE CHIEF, AND THEY WILL AND WE WILL ALL REFER IT. AT LEAST I WILL MYSELF. I WILL REFER IT TO THE MANAGER, TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AND TO THE POLICE CHIEF, SO THEY CAN BE THE ONES THAT PROPERLY RESPOND SO THAT WE DON'T COMPROMISE THIS INVESTIGATION. I'M ASKING YOU JUST TO PLEASE WORK WITH US ON THAT FRONT. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A WEEKLY UPDATE, A MONTHLY UPDATE, JUST COPY THE ENTIRE COMMISSION AND DO AS I ASK, PLEASE, SO THAT WE DO NOT COMPROMISE THIS INVESTIGATION, WHICH IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. THAT'S WHY I CALLED FOR IT, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW CERTAIN BLOGS DON'T WANT TO MENTION THE PERSON THAT CALLED FOR IT, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO IMPLICATE SOME MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION. AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.

[01:15:01]

[D. CONSENT AGENDA]

[D.-5. 26-1858 A Resolution of the City Commission accepting the recommendation of the Chief Procurement Officer to award Request for Proposals (RFP) 2026-013 for External Auditing Services to CBIZ CPAs P.C., the highest ranked responsive responsible proposer, pursuant to Section 2-763 of the Procurement Code entitled “Contract Award” and Request for Proposal (RFP) 2026-013. Lobbyist: N/A]

MY ISSUE HERE IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO REALLY FOCUS ON, AND I WANT TO KIND OF BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF COMMISSION BECAUSE THIS IS COMMON SENSE. THIS IS A COMMON SENSE ISSUE. THE ENTITY THAT CAME IN NUMBER TWO CAME IN NUMBER TWO, BASED ON PRICE, NOT BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS. THEY WERE THE MOST QUALIFIED AS PER THE VOTES, BUT THE ENTITY NUMBER TWO OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT VOTED NUMBER ONE BECAUSE THEIR PRICE WAS HIGHER. I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT. AND BY THE WAY, THE MANAGER WILL TELL YOU I'VE BEEN WORKING ON SOMETHING FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS AND I'M GOING TO BRING IT UP AFTER SO THAT YOU GUYS ARE ALL AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND I HOPE, I HOPE THAT YOU WILL JOIN ME IN THIS EFFORT. AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH YOU ON IT ALSO FOR SIX MONTHS. AND THAT IS IF WE'RE GOING TO SELECT SOMEBODY IN RFP, RFQ, AGAIN, I HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP WITH ANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS. I DON'T KNOW THEM PERSONALLY. IF YOU'RE GOING TO SELECT SOMEBODY, I WANT TO HAVE THE MOST QUALIFIED ENTITY. I WANT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT IF THEY ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE NUMBER TWO, THEN THEY FALL OUT OF FAVOR

[01:20:03]

THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT IT UP. AND I'M NOT SAYING YOU DID YOUR JOB. I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE MANAGER FOR SIX MONTHS, AND OUR PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR AND OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR AND OUR TEAM TO IN PREPARATION FOR THIS REFERENDUM, WHICH IS FORTHCOMING IN NOVEMBER, WHICH I'M 100% BEHIND. AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT REFERENDUM AND EVERYONE SHOULD SUPPORT. THAT.

WE'RE GOING TO POTENTIALLY BE FACED WITH A $6 MILLION TAX HIT THIS YEAR REDUCTION, AND NEXT YEAR WILL BE $12 MILLION. THAT DOESN'T GO INTO THE FACTS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER IN THE BUDGET OF OTHER ADDITIONAL THINGS HAVE GONE UP 25% FOR OUR HEALTH CARE COSTS, A LITANY OF OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE THAT HAVE GONE UP ALSO IN PRICE. I WANT TO BE AS PREPARED AS POSSIBLE FOR THAT, AND I'VE ASKED THE MANAGER TO REVIEW THE TOP 20 PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE. EVERYTHING HERE IN THE CITY. SOME OF THESE CONTRACTS ARE TWO YEAR CONTRACTS, THREE YEAR CONTRACTS, FIVE YEAR CONTRACTS, BUT THEY HAVE OUT CLAUSES FOR CONVENIENCE. THAT CONVENIENCE MAY BE THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD, OR WE'LL HAVE TO CUT SERVICES.

I'M NOT WILLING TO CUT SERVICES, AND I KNOW THAT NONE OF YOU ARE WILLING TO CUT SERVICES. SO I DON'T EVEN WANT TO IMPLICATE ANYONE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT. I KNOW THEY'RE NOT. SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE I WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HAVING THE MOST QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL ENTITY WIN THE RFQ AND ALSO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO LOWER THEIR PRICE SO WE CAN GET MORE VALUE. THE DIFFERENCE IS AROUND $200,000 A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. MADAM DIRECTOR FOR THE MANAGER, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MY IDEA? OKAY, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. WE'RE HAVING IT IN THE PUBLIC HERE. I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS. THE PROCESS IS THE PROCESS. I'M GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. IT WAS OPEN. IT WAS FAIR AND TRANSPARENT.

AND WE ACTUALLY LAY OUT THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT BEFORE WE ISSUE THE PROJECT. SO OUR CHARGE IS TO FOLLOW THAT PROCESS. AND WE DID SO THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS, WHICH IS QUALITATIVE. SO WE EVALUATE THEM ON MULTIPLE THINGS. SO TO SAY THEY WERE THE MOST QUALIFIED IS A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING FOR ME BECAUSE THEY WERE THEY WERE EVALUATED ON MULTIPLE THINGS. SO I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT THEY WERE MOST QUALIFIED BECAUSE IF THEY WERE FOR ME, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO BE RANKED NUMBER ONE. AND THAT WASN'T CAN I CAN I ADD SOME COLOR TO THAT? MAYBE YOU CAN, MAYBE YOU GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT FURTHER GUIDANCE.

OKAY. IF THEY WERE THE LOWEST PRICE, WHAT PLACE WOULD THEY HAVE COME IN? I CAN'T SAY THAT IT WOULD HAVE COME. THEY WOULD HAVE COME IN FIRST PLACE. I, I'M I CAN'T SAY THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE WERE EVALUATION COMMITTEE OF FIVE MEMBERS WHO WERE ALL PROFESSIONAL, COME FROM DIFFERENT ASPECTS AND SAW THINGS DIFFERENTLY. I DON'T WANT TO PUT COMMISSIONER LAUER ON SPOT, BUT HE WAS THERE TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE. SO HE CAN HE CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS OF THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE OF THE PROPOSERS. SO I'M NOT GOING TO EVER HEDGE MY BET TO SAY WHO WOULD HAVE COME OUT FIRST. I AM JUST GOING TO HONESTLY TELL YOU THAT BASED ON THE QUALIFICATIONS, ALL OF THE CRITERIA THAT WAS CONSIDERED AND THE PRICING, THAT'S ONE WHOLE PACKAGE. I CAN'T SEPARATE THE TWO TO SAY BECAUSE THEY WERE THE HIGHEST PRICE THEY DID OR DIDN'T, BECAUSE AGAIN, SOMEONE ELSE WOULD HAVE MAY HAVE SEEN SOME OTHER FACTOR CRITERIA THAT WOULD HAVE MAYBE CHANGED HOW THEY VOTED. SO I'M NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE COMMITTEE ON HOW THEY ASSESSED THEIR POINTS IN THE CRITERIA. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE SECOND RANKED PROPOSER WAS THE HIGHEST PRICE PROPOSER. AND AS PART OF THE RFP PROCESS IS THAT WE DO NEGOTIATE WITH THE HIGHEST RANKED OR THE PROPOSER THAT WE RECOMMEND TO THIS ACTUAL BODY. SO THE WHOLE POINT IS THAT WE INTEND TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE LOWEST PRICE, WHICH WAS AGAIN, 238,000 LOWER THAN THE SECOND PROPOSER. SO AT THIS POINT, OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE HIGHEST RANKED PROPOSER AND THEN ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THEM TO SEE ULTIMATELY WHERE THE PRICE WOULD END UP BEING. IN RESPONSE, I'M NOT. MY POINT IS SIMPLE, AND I'M NOT SAYING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A MORE EXPENSIVE ONE. WHAT I'M SAYING IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE MOST QUALIFIED. OKAY, SO AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, COMMISSIONER, A LOT OF. THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING. MY CONCERN IS HAVING THE MOST QUALIFIED FIRM AND OBVIOUSLY THE BEST VALUE. YOU CAN SEE THAT WE CANNOT OBVIOUSLY SPEND AND SPEND AND SPEND THERE.

THERE ARE CONTRACTS THAT I BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION, AND THE MANAGER AND I HAVE REVIEWED THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY, SIGNIFICANTLY, SIGNIFICANTLY OVERPRICED THAT RIGHT NOW ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING AN ISSUE WITH AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FACE THOSE CONTRACTS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COMMISSION, I, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO HAVE THE MOST QUALIFIED FIRM AND MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE START WORKING ON FROM THIS MOMENT ON WHERE WE SAY, I WANT THE MOST QUALIFIED FIRM. AND THEN IF THEY ARE NOT THE CHEAPEST, GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME THE CHEAPEST. BECAUSE I THINK

[01:25:05]

OPEN THAT UP TO SOME FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS SO THAT THE CITY WILL BENEFIT FROM THE BEST ECONOMIC OUTCOME WHILE NOT SACRIFICING THE QUALIFICATION OF THE CANDIDATES. JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE. I THINK WE SHOULD. BY THE WAY, THAT'S MY VIEW. YOU'RE THE MAYOR? YES, MA'AM. ESSENTIALLY, WHAT I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST IS THAT WE PROVIDE STAFF MORE LEEWAY THAT ALL ELSE, YOU KNOW, HIGHER QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS, COMPANY OR INDIVIDUAL, BE GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY TO EITHER MATCH, YOU KNOW, THE LOWER PRICE. IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS. AND WHETHER THE PROCESS IS, YOU KNOW, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION AT THE END OF, OF THIS CONTRACT, ARE YOU WILLING TO NEGOTIATE A LOWER PRICE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE QUOTED? YOU KNOW, IF IF YOU'RE DEEMED ONE OF THE HIGHEST QUALIFIED AT THE TOP, I MEAN, PERHAPS WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE STAFF THAT LEEWAY TO DO THAT, REACH OUT AND SAY, ARE YOU WILLING TO COME DOWN AN ADDITIONAL BECAUSE WE'VE DONE THE TALLYING, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A DELTA OF THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY, ARE YOU WILLING TO COME DOWN THAT AMOUNT? SO IF THAT'S THE ONLY DETERMINATIVE FACTOR IS PRICE THAT'S SEPARATING, YOU KNOW, THE TWO BIDDERS, PERHAPS THAT'S THE APPROPRIATE ROUTE THROUGH THE MAYOR? YES. I WOULD JUST ADD ONE. AND I AGREE, VICE MAYOR. AND I WOULD ADD ONE MORE POINT. IF WE WERE TO PROVIDE, WHICH I'M COMPLETELY IN SUPPORT OF STAFF WITH GREATER DEGREE OF FLEXIBILITY AT THIS STAGE. AFTER ALL THE ANALYSIS AND THE VOTES WERE TAKEN TO NEGOTIATE BETWEEN, LET'S SAY, RANKED NUMBER ONE AND RANKED NUMBER TWO, I WOULDN'T BE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING MATCHING. I WOULD LOOK THAT THE ULTIMATE IF THE DECIDING FACTOR IS GOING TO BE THE ECONOMICS, THAT THEY HAVE TO BE THE LOWEST, NOT NOT END UP AGAIN COMING DOWN AND JUST MATCHING SOMEONE I LIKE SORT OF AT THIS POINT, THE COMPETITIVE

[01:30:06]

SOMETHING FOR, FOR YOU TO CONSIDER. I GUESS IT'S SOMETHING WE COULD CONSIDER.

I'M NOT GOING TO PUT MYSELF ON THE SPOT AND OBLIGATE MYSELF TO THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S USUALLY NOT OUR PROCESS AND IT'S NOT A STANDARD PROCESS THAT IT'S NOT INCLUDED. THERE ARE SOME AGENCIES THAT DO THAT, BUT IT'S ON PARTICULAR PROJECTS THAT THEY DO THAT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONSIDER SINCE THAT IS YOUR CONCERN TODAY. AND NORMALLY WE DO NOT RARELY, RARELY DO WE HAVE A TIE AND RARELY ARE THEY THIS CLOSE IN THE SCORING AS FAR AS THAT'S CONCERNED. SO IF YOUR CONCERN IS THAT THEN WE CAN, WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, DO DUAL NEGOTIATIONS SO WE CAN GO INTO NEGOTIATIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY PARALLEL AND NEGOTIATE WITH BOTH FIRMS AND WHICHEVER FIRM GIVES US THE BEST PRICING WILL BE THE FIRM THAT WE WOULD WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH. IF THAT IS YOUR CONCERN FOR THIS PROJECT TODAY. MR. DO YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? YES, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR, THIS IS AN INTERESTING TOPIC BECAUSE IT IT IT ALSO PLAYS ITSELF IN IN OUR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK IN GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THE SEAS IS AS GOOD AS AN A, AND IF SOMEBODY IS A LOW BID AND THEY HAVE AND THEY HAVE EVERYTHING TOGETHER, THEN A SMALL AMOUNT CAN DETERMINE THE GOING WITH A FIRM THAT'S NOT AS QUALIFIED OR ANYWHERE AS QUALIFIED. SO THIS THIS IS AN INTERESTING TOPIC BECAUSE WE DEAL WITH IT IN CONSTRUCTION ON THE CIP SIDE ALL THE TIME. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT WOULD CERTAINLY HELP WITH FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE NOT BECAUSE A LITTLE BIT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN LOWEST PRICE AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, AS YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND SO IT'S, IT'S A DIFFICULT DYNAMIC WORKING THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT WITH GOVERNMENT IN, IN THE SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE EVALUATING A C PLAYER VERSUS AN A PLAYER, EVEN THOUGH EVEN THOUGH THE PRICE DIFFERENTIAL REALLY IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, YOU ALWAYS GO WITH THE A PLAYER. AND, AND SO A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY, I THINK FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE IN CIP ALSO WOULD BE, WOULD BE, WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. MR. MANAGER, TWO POINTS. NUMBER ONE, CAN YOU FLUSH THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT WITH YOUR TEAM AND SEE IF YOU CAN BRING SOMETHING TO THE COMMISSION, MAYBE IN THE NEXT MONTH, JUST GIVING US, YOU KNOW, A ROADMAP TO POTENTIALLY OFFERING EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL PROCUREMENT, GIVING YOU THAT FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO HIRE THE BEST OF THE BEST. BY THE WAY, I WANT TO BE VERY, VERY CLEAR ON THE RECORD BECAUSE I WANT TO GET A PHONE CALL FROM ANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ENGAGED IN THIS PROCUREMENT. ALL OF YOU ARE VERY QUALIFIED, VERY REPUTABLE FIRMS. I JUST LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS LIKE COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ'S. I LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS AND THE NUMBERS. WHEN YOU EXCLUDE THE PRICE, YOU KNOW YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. SO I WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS A NEGOTIATION BY THE MANAGER AND HIS TEAM OF NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO, TO GET THE BEST QUALIFIED ENTITY AT THE BEST PRICE, LIKE I BROUGHT UP, I WILL BE BRINGING TO THE COMMISSION PROBABLY IN THE NEXT MEETING OR THE FOLLOWING MEETING CONTRACTS. WE WILL BE PUTTING FORTH A MEMO TO THE MANAGER AND I AND MY OFFICE,

[01:35:01]

SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE WE WANT TO SQUEEZE TO GET THE BEST PRICE. AND I'M HAPPY YOU BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT A LOT OF OTHER HAND, A LOT OF TIMES OUR HANDS ARE TIED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, GIVES US A LOT MORE. YOU KNOW, WE CAN NAVIGATE THE WATERS A LITTLE BIT EASIER BECAUSE WE CAN WE CAN HAVE THOSE CANDID CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ENTITY THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO SELECT. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE IF MY COLLEAGUES WILL WILL INDULGE ME, BUT WE CAN NEGOTIATE WITH THE FIRST AND THE SECOND. YOUR TEAM CAN NEGOTIATE WITH THE FIRST AND GETTING THE BEST QUALIFIED FIRM AT THE BEST PRICE THROUGH THE MAYOR. YES, SIR. I JUST WANT TO I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I WAS NOT TALKING ABOUT THESE FOUR FIRMS. AND I KNOW YOUR EXCELLENT FIRMS IN GENERAL ABOUT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND CIP PROJECTS. THAT HAPPENS TO ME, AND I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BECAUSE IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. YOU GET A PRICE. AND IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, YOU CAN SAY, OH, THAT PERSON DOESN'T HAVE THE ADEQUATE INSURANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, OR DOESN'T HAVE THE ADEQUATE EXPERIENCE. IT'S HAPPENED TO ME WHERE I HAVEN'T GOTTEN A JOB BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH EXPERIENCE IN THAT ONE LINE ITEM, THAT ONE SECTOR OF CONSTRUCTION. IT'LL TAKE A FEW YEARS TO GET THAT EXPERIENCE.

BUT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, IF THEY MEET THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD AND QUALIFICATIONS, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS OF BUSINESS, TEN YEARS OF BUSINESS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY'RE GOING AFTER. I MEAN, AGAIN, BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION IS VERY DIFFERENT. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HIRE A RESIDENTIAL CONTRACTOR TO BUILD A BRIDGE. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MY COLLEAGUES WILL INDULGE ME IN THAT AND TO SEE IF WE CAN PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD.

COMMISSIONER, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION AT LEAST ON A ON A VERY SPECIFIC POINT, TO ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER, THROUGH HIS OFFICE AND PROCUREMENT, TO NEGOTIATE SPECIFICALLY WITH CBAS AND CITRIN COOPER. THESE ARE THE TOP TWO, AS THEY WERE RANKED GOING INTO TODAY'S MEETING TO TO ALLOW THEM TO DO THE NEGOTIATION, TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT, BRINGING IT BACK FOR THE APPROVAL, ULTIMATELY BY THE COMMISSION BASED ON THE PRICING ALONE. I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION, CAN I? YES, OF COURSE. SO CAN I MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? WE WE WOULD WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR US TO DO PARALLEL OR DUAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH BOTH, BUT DOES IT HAVE TO COME BACK BEFORE THE COMMISSION? BECAUSE OUR RECOMMENDATION HAS ALWAYS BE THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING WHO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH AND THE AUTHORITY TO MOVE INTO NEGOTIATIONS, OF COURSE, WITH THE CHARGE HERE WOULD BE MOVING INTO A FINAL CONTRACT WITH THE LOWEST, YOU KNOW, PRICE OR BEST PRICE A PROPOSER. BUT DO WE HAVE TO BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION? MY DIRECTOR HAS SOME TIME CONSTRAINTS THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITH GETTING THE EXTERNAL AUDITOR ON BOARD. SO THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY SUGGESTION OR RECOMMENDATION TO THE MAYOR. SIR, THE ONLY THING I SEE WITH THE LOWEST, IT COULD BE A VERY MINUTE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW AND. AND I WE I THINK MAYBE WE COULD LOOK AT THIS IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. AND IT'S A, A DIFFERENT IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT DYNAMIC IN GOVERNMENT. BECAUSE OF THAT, I WOULD PREFER THAT THE MOTION BE THAT IT COMES BACK TO THE COMMISSION QUICKLY SO THAT WE CAN, AS THE COMMISSION VOTE BASED UPON WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, SO THAT EVEN IF THERE WAS A NOMINAL A LOWER PRICE, WE STILL MAKE THE CONSIDERATION OVERALL FOR WHICH IS THE THE ONE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH. BECAUSE IF NOT, I APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR REQUEST FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, THEN WE WOULD LOSE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION IF WE JUST LEFT IT TO WHO CAME IN $1? YES, BELOW. SO I WOULD LEAVE MY MY MOTION AS AS MADE. OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. MR. CLERK, COMMISSIONER CASTRO.

YES. COMMISSIONER. FERNANDES. YES. COMMISSIONER. LARA. YES. VICE MAYOR. ANDERSON. YES.

MAYOR. YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MR. MR. MANAGER, IF WE CAN, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF YOU CAN SIT DOWN WITH MY COLLEAGUES IN PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION ON THE HALF DOZEN, THE DOZEN CONTRACTS THAT WE'RE REVIEWING FOR POTENTIAL RECONSIDERATION, MAYBE PRIOR TO THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING OR THE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. MAYOR, WE WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH YOU FIRST. OKAY. PERFECT. BECAUSE YOU'RE THE ONE THAT ASKED FOR THAT. AND WE'VE TAKEN THE TOP 20 CONTRACTS SO WE CAN LOOK AT AND AND THEN COME BACK WITH THOSE CONTRACTS THAT THAT WE FEEL THAT THERE CAN BE A SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS ON. OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[F.-6. 26-1808 Presentation regarding the Coral Gables Public School Guide. (Sponsored by Vice Mayor Anderson)]

[01:40:01]

CECILIA SLESNICK SEVEN TWO, ONE OF OUR VICE CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE. SO CAN I CAN I INTRODUCE THE ITEM? YEAH, PLEASE. OKAY, I APPRECIATE THAT.

SO I HAD MET WITH THE SCRC INDIVIDUALS, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ABOUT PROVIDING RESIDENTS A GUIDE IN ORDER THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT OFFERINGS ARE AVAILABLE FROM OUR VARIOUS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED DURING THE PROCESS IS HOW PONCE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED AND UNDERRATED, IS A GATEWAY TO GET INTO CORAL GABLES HIGH. AND IT'S A IT'S A FACT THAT MANY, MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE NOT AWARE OF. AND THEY MISS OUT ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND CORAL GABLES HIGH AND WANT TO ATTEND CORAL GABLES HIGH. BUT FOR THE FACT THAT THEY KNEW THAT PONCE MIDDLE HAD GREAT OFFERINGS, GREAT EDUCATION. AS MENTIONED EARLIER, A DRAFT CAME TO US. I HANDED IT OFF TO MARTHA PANTIN, WHO DID A MAGNIFICENT JOB OF HONING IT TO BE SOMETHING THAT PARENTS COULD UNDERSTAND. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK FROM THE SCRC AND GATHERING THE INFORMATION THAT WAS NECESSARY TO PUT THIS GUIDE TOGETHER. THANK YOU. SO I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY A FEW WORDS TO OPEN BEFORE I PASS THE MIC TO THE VICE CHAIR, CISSY SLESNICK. BUT I JUST WANTED TO THANK ALL OF YOU UP HERE FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE SCRC AND THE WORK THAT WE DO. EVERY MEETING WE HAVE CITIZENS AND CITY RESIDENTS WHO COME EITHER VIA ZOOM OR IN PERSON, TO SHARE WITH US THEIR CONCERNS. EVERY MEETING WE HAVE DISTRICT STAKEHOLDERS, MULTIPLE ACTUALLY, WHO ALL KIND OF COME TOGETHER. AND IT HAS BEEN A COLLABORATION OF MULTIPLE ENTITIES TO MAKE THIS COME TO FRUITION. AND SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, BETSY. YES. AND WE JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE TIME TODAY TO PRESENT THIS REALLY IMPORTANT PUBLICATION THAT WE KNOW IS GOING TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD DIGITAL FOOTPRINT. AND WE'RE ALSO HOPING WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A LIMITED RUN AS WELL, SO THAT IT PLACES LIKE THE FARMER'S MARKET OR THE LITERARY FEST IN MAY, FAMILIES CAN PICK THESE UP, MAYBE EVEN IN YOUR OFFICES AS WELL. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. SO AS MISS LOCKHART STATED EARLIER, WHICH THANK YOU SO MUCH, ESTELLE, FOR REALLY SPEARHEADING THIS. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO SHOWCASE HOW INCREDIBLE THE GIFT OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE IN THE DISTRICT. I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER LARA AND I ARE BOTH GABLES HIGH GRADS I CURRENTLY HAVE. MY DAUGHTER IS A SOPHOMORE AT GABLES HIGH. SHE WAS A PART OF THE SUMMER INTERN PROGRAM. SO THESE ARE REALLY WONDERFUL YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WERE PREPARING IN SO MANY WAYS. AND THEY ARE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT ARE DOING THAT. MY HUSBAND IS ALSO A PRODUCT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND IS CURRENTLY A TEACHER IN THE SYSTEM. SO WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT HOW WONDERFUL THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE. THE CHAMBER HAS BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY TO GET THIS GOING. AND THEN THE SCRC, FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS NOW HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH IT DILIGENTLY WITH MARTHA PANTENE'S OFFICE AND THE HELP OF NICOLE IN HER OFFICE AS WELL, AND ALSO TOGETHER WITH GABBY VALLADARES AND CHELSEA GRENNELL, WHO COME TO ALL OF OUR MEETINGS AND ARE THERE HELPING US. SO A LOT OF REALLY THOUGHTFUL HANDS HAVE BEEN ON THIS GUIDE THAT'S GOING TO GIVE FAMILIES, CURRENT RESIDENTS AND FUTURE RESIDENTS, AND THEN THOSE WHO DO BUSINESS IN OUR COMMUNITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS ARE, WHAT THE PROGRAMS ARE, WHAT THE GRADES ARE, WHAT ARE THE RATIOS, WHAT KIND OF PROGRAMS ARE THEY OFFERING? SO IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO THE SCHOOL WEBSITES AND DOING THE WORK YOURSELF. IT'S AN ALL INCLUSIVE PLACE FOR FAMILIES TO LEARN MORE AND FOR YOU ALL AS WELL, TO JUST KIND OF SEE THE STATUS OF REALLY HOW INCREDIBLY HIGH ACHIEVING OUR SCHOOLS ARE WITHIN THE CITY. ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE WANTED TO PRESENT TODAY SPECIFICALLY IS BECAUSE OCTOBER 1ST IS WHEN THE MAGNET SEASON

[01:45:07]

AS DOCTOR CHANG MENTIONED, WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AT OUR MEETINGS EVERY MONTH. THE MEETINGS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. SO WE DO INVITE AND ENCOURAGE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, PTSA MEMBERS, PARENTS TO TO COME AND SIT IN.

THEY'RE REALLY INFORMATIVE. THIS LAST MONTH, WE WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED WITH THE NEW SCHOOL BOARD SUPERINTENDENT WHO LITERALLY SURPRISED US. SO WE WEREN'T EXPECTING IT. AND HE STAYED FOR OVER AN HOUR AND A HALF, LISTENING TO PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALIKE. SO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE A GIFT IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE CAN'T REALLY STRESS THAT ENOUGH. AND IT WAS PART OF THE BENCHMARK THAT GEORGE MERRICK HAD IN MIND WHEN HE WAS FOUNDING AND PLANNING THE CITY. THAT'S WHY CORAL GABLES PREPARATORY ACADEMY IS A YEAR OLDER THAN THE CITY. HE KNEW HOW IMPORTANT EDUCATION WAS TO MAKING SURE THAT THIS COMMUNITY WOULD THRIVE AND BE HERE FOR GENERATIONS. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. AND OUR MEETING IS ACTUALLY THIS FRIDAY, SO IF ANYONE WANTS TO COME, WE'LL BE RIGHT IN THIS BUILDING AT 830 IN THE MORNING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I'M SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT WILL MAKE THE AVAILABILITY OF THIS KNOWN THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GREAT WORK, AS ALWAYS. THANK

[F.-7. 26-1403 Legislative Priorities Update. (Sponsored by Mayor Lago)]

I'D LIKE FOR OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR TO PLEASE JOIN US, CHELSEA GRENELL. WE'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES UPDATE. AND I ALSO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE WINS, SOME OF THE MAJOR WINS THAT WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR AT THE STATE LEVEL, WHICH AGAIN, HAVE BEEN SERIOUS FOR US, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE FACING A POTENTIAL FINANCIAL CRUNCH, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REALLY ADDRESS NEEDS THAT HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF MANY PEOPLE'S MINDS FOR A LONG TIME. YOU KNOW, CASE IN POINT, THE GONDOLA BUILDING, WHICH HAS BEEN A HOTLY DISCUSSED I AM HERE FOR FOR SOME TIME, AND I WROTE A LETTER WHICH ALL OF YOU SAW TO THE STATE, AND WE WERE ABLE TO RELOCATE THE GONDOLA BUILDING, WHICH WAS THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE MANAGER AND CHELSEA. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE GONDOLA BUILDING RELOCATED, WHICH TO ME IS AGAIN IS GOING TO ACTUALLY NOT ONLY BRING THAT BUILDING BACK TO ITS HISTORIC PRESENCE AND BEAUTY, BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO GET ACTUAL LIFE OUT OF THE BUILDING. NOW. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TENANT, EXCUSE ME, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GOLF COURSE. I'M NOT A GOLFER, BUT I HEAR IT'S A LITTLE BIT TREACHEROUS OUT THERE. IF ANYBODY WANTED TO REACH THE BUILDING BECAUSE YOU'RE BEING HIT BY POTENTIALLY GOLF BALLS ALL THE TIME, SO THE FLOOR IS YOURS, MADAM DIRECTOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, I'M HAPPY TO BE

[01:50:02]

I'LL BE PRESENTING AN OVERVIEW OF THE CITY'S ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND AND INCLUDING OUR APPROPRIATION OUTCOMES, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER ITEMS THAT HAD IMPACTED CITIES STATEWIDE.

I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT THIS IS AN UNUSUALLY CHALLENGING YEAR, BOTH FROM A POLICY AND BUDGET PERSPECTIVE. DESPITE THAT ENVIRONMENT, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES HAD A STRONG YEAR IN TALLAHASSEE. SO THROUGHOUT OUR SESSION, THE CITY MAINTAINED A CONSISTENT PRESENCE IN OUR STATE CAPITOL AND CONTINUE ADVOCATING FOR PRIORITIES ADOPTED BY THIS COMMISSION. DUE TO OUR EFFORTS, OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS MADE BY THE COMMISSIONERS WHO TRAVELED TO TALLAHASSEE ALONG WITH OUR LEGISLATIVE TEAM, WE SECURED 1.575 MILLION ACROSS THREE PROJECTS. WHILE ONLY TWO OF OUR REQUESTS WERE VETOED. OVERALL, GIVEN THE LEVEL OF STATEWIDE REDUCTIONS, THIS WAS VERY POSITIVE FOR OUR CITY. OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WAS INTENTIONALLY BROAD. IT INCLUDED SEVERAL PRIORITIES, RANGING FROM PROTECTING HOME RULE TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, TO TRANSPORTATION SAFETY. WE THERE WERE LIVE LOCAL ISSUES, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND MANY OTHERS, INCLUDING SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY. THROUGHOUT THE SESSION. THE GOAL WAS NOT TO PURSUE FUNDING, BUT ALSO TO PROTECT THE CITY'S ABILITY TO GOVERN EFFECTIVELY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. AND I LIKE TO DRAW ATTENTION, TO RECOGNIZE THE MEMBERS OF OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION WHO REPRESENT CORAL GABLES SENATOR ILEANA GARCIA, SENATOR ALEXIS CALATAYUD AND STATE REP DEMI BOUSADA. THEIR OFFICES HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY ACCESSIBLE TO US THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL THREE OF THEM. I DO KNOW THAT THE VICE MAYOR MEETS REGULARLY, ALONG WITH MYSELF AND THE MAYOR WITH WITH ALL OF THE STATE LEGISLATORS. MAINTAINING THESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. THEY'RE IMPORTANT BECAUSE MUCH OF OUR SUCCESS DEPENDS ON OUR COLLABORATION.

OUR ONGOING COLLABORATION WITH THIS DELEGATION. ALSO NOTE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE STATE REP BUSTOS OFFICE LOCATED HERE IN OUR VERY OWN CITY AT OUR CITY ANNEX. WE WORKED ON THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND WE'RE VERY PROUD THAT WE HAVE A DIRECT LINE OF CONTACT HERE WITH HER AND HER OFFICE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO DRAW OUT OR DRAW TO YOUR ATTENTION OUR LEGISLATIVE JOURNEY. THE LEGISLATIVE JOURNEY IS NOT JUST ABOUT GOING TO TALLAHASSEE.

IT'S MUCH MORE THAN THAT. IT'S BUILDING A PACKAGE THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR COMMUNITY, FROM POLICY TO HOW MUCH OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT REQUESTS WE'RE MAKING. AND THAT STARTS WAY BEFORE SESSION. THAT'S IN FALL, WHEN OUR PRIORITIES ARE ADOPTED, WHERE WE MEET WITH THE DIRECTORS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS AND WITH YOU, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, TO DECIDE ON WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES ARE. WE MOVE FORWARD. AND WHEN SESSION CONVENES, LAST YEAR WAS IN JANUARY, WE START ENGAGING THROUGH ADVOCACY WITH OUR STATE LEGISLATORS, AND THIS YEAR'S SESSION WAS A LITTLE LONGER THAN USUAL. THE GOVERNOR SIGNATURE WASN'T UNTIL JUNE 26TH, JUNE SORRY, EARLY JUNE OF 2026. BUT THIS IS WHERE THE REAL MAGIC HAPPENS. IT HAPPENS WHEN LEADERSHIP TAKES THE TIME TO MEET WITH LEGISLATORS. THIS YEAR, OUR FIRST TRIP INCLUDED VICE MAYOR RHONDA ANDERSON AND COMMISSIONER RICHARD LARA, WHO TRAVELED ALONG MYSELF, AND WE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. IT WAS NORMALLY WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT AS OFTEN AS WE SHOULD HAVE, BUT IT WAS VERY REFRESHING TO HAVE A UNIFIED VOICE WITH OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, ALONG WITH THE THINGS THAT ARE ALSO IMPORTANT TO THE CHAMBER, ARE ALSO IMPORTANT TO THE CITY ITSELF. AND SO WE DID NOT ONLY MEET WITH OUR REPRESENTING DELEGATION, BUT WE MET WITH THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. WE MET WITH SEVERAL OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OUTSIDE OUR DISTRICT. AND IN ADDITION, WE WE ALSO MET WITH A SPEAKER. IT WAS IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND REALLY HELPFUL TO BUILDING A COLLABORATION AND BUILDING OUR RELATIONSHIPS. OUR SECOND TRIP AS WELL INCLUDED THE MAYOR,

[01:55:03]

[02:00:04]

IT'S WITH OUR WASTE. RIGHT. AND THIS ALLOWS US, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE TO GO WITH GARBAGE TO THE TO THE COUNTY, THIS ALLOWS US TO TAKE CARE OF GREEN MATTER SEPARATELY. AND, AND WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW, MOVING QUICKLY TO TRY TO REMEDIATE THE SITE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR. SO I'M GOING TO ADD A LITTLE CONTEXT TO FOR OF THE INFORMATION THAT I WAS SHARING WITH OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES AS TO WHY THIS WAS SUCH A CRITICAL PIECE, NOT ONLY FOR A CITY, FOR THE REASONS YOU ALREADY STATED, BUT FOR THE STATE AS WELL, BECAUSE WE NEED TO DO THINGS A LOT SMARTER, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE TAKING MATERIAL THAT IS USEFUL MATERIAL AND YOU'RE TURNING IT INTO MOUNT TRASHMORE, UTILIZING LAND THAT COULD OTHERWISE BE USED FOR HOUSING, IF YOU'RE TAKING THIS MATERIAL AND THROWING IT AWAY, AS OPPOSED TO REBUILDING SOILS AND REBUILDING, YOU KNOW, WATER CLEANING CAPACITY, USING IT FOR AGGREGATE AND SO FORTH, YOU'RE HARMING THE ENVIRONMENT INSTEAD OF HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT. SO I NOTICED, YOU KNOW, MORE RECENTLY, I CANNOT BUY SOIL LIKE I USED TO FIVE YEARS AGO.

AND OUR EFFORTS ARE CONSISTENT IN THIS FIELD OF TRYING TO PRODUCE A PRODUCT, NOT CREATE WASTE, NOT HAVE TO BURN FUEL TO HAUL THIS ALL THE WAY UP THE STATE INTO ANOTHER MOUNT TRASHMORE THAT COULD BE HOUSING AND PRODUCTIVE LAND, EVEN LEAVE IT AS NATURAL LAND, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE WANT TO LEAVE NEXT TO WEST LAB, HAVE SOME BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL SPACE AS OPPOSED TO ANOTHER MOUNT TRASHMORE. AND YOU KNOW, THE COMPOSTING FACILITY, 24% OF OUR WASTE IS FOOD WASTE. SO THESE TYPES OF INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE TAKING IN OUR CITY ARE FORWARD THINKING. AND THE WAY THAT WE SHOULD BE DEALING WITH WASTE IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. MAYOR.

MAYOR, THIS ISN'T ONLY TAKES CARE OF THAT, BUT THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, BECAUSE THOSE ARE VERY EXCELLENT COMMENTS. FROM A VOLUMETRIC PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE 389,000YD■!T. IT REDUCES IT BY INCREDIBLE FACTOR. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE BIOCHAR CAN BE USED FOR LOW GRADE CONCRETE, LOW GRADE ASPHALT. WE'RE WORKING WITH THE UNIVERSITY. YES, SIDEWALKS, PARKING LOTS.

IT CAN BE USED AS FOR FOR SOIL REMEDIATION. AND WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT A AT A GRANT, A POTENTIAL GRANT TO WORK WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI FOR WATER REMEDIATION, TO ALSO USE IT FOR WATER REMEDIATION. SO WE ARE GOING FROM FROM 384YD■!T. THAT WOULD E IN A LANDFILL TO A PRODUCT THAT CAN BE USED SUCCESSFULLY AND AND AVOID THAT 384,000YD■!T GOIG TO A LANDFILL. THIS IS A THIS IS A. TREMENDOUS. IT'S IT'S A IT'S A FANTASTIC PROJECT FOR, FOR THE CITY AND ONE THAT, AS YOU MENTIONED, THAT CAN THAT CAN REALLY WE CAN WORK WITH OTHER CITIES ON AGAIN, WE'RE FINALLY, WE'RE FINALLY ABLE TO TAKE CONTROL. AND IT'S GOING TO SAVE US A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY. SO A GREAT JOB. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. AND SO THE TWO THAT WERE NOT FUNDED WERE TRAFFIC CALMING FOR THE AREA AROUND CARVER ELEMENTARY AND DOWNTOWN DRAINAGE FOR 225 FOR A TOTAL OF 625. NOW, I ALSO WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING DOESN'T PASS THIS SESSION, WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE SAME KIND OF FUNDING IF IT IS THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION NEXT SESSION, SO WE CAN EVALUATE THAT. THE SAME IS TRUE

[02:05:01]

THOSE EFFORTS PRODUCE A SIGNIFICANT TURNAROUND. THIS WAS OUR RECOVERY YEAR, RESULTING IN AN INCREASE TO 1.435 MILLION IN APPROPRIATIONS. AND THIS YEAR, WITH THE HELP OF OUR COMMISSION WITH THE MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONER LARA, WHO HAVE GONE TO TALLAHASSEE THROUGH THEIR EFFORTS AND ARE LOBBYING TEAM AND LEGISLATIVE TEAM. WE CONTINUED WITH A REFRESHED STRATEGY. WE FOCUSED ON REBUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, STRENGTHENING CREDIBILITY, BRINGING CIVILITY, AND THAT PROJECT CONTINUED. THAT PROGRESS ALLOWED US TO SECURE THE HIGHEST ALLOCATION IN THOSE LAST THREE YEARS. FOR THE 1.5 75 MILLION, THE UPWARD TRAJECTORY DEMONSTRATES A PROGRESS, PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE AND THE VALUE OF TEAMWORK AND WORKING TOGETHER. AND WE REALLY, TRULY HOPE TO HAVE A MUCH GREATER YEAR AND GREATER SUCCESS NEXT YEAR THROUGH THE MAYOR. YES. SO I WANT TO JUST MAKE A POINT THERE. CHELSEA, WHAT A GREAT JOB YOU DID. THAT WAS MY FIRST TRIP. YOU KNOW, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY TO TALLAHASSEE, WHEN WE WENT EARLIER LAST YEAR AND EARLIER THIS YEAR. AND I HAVE TO ECHO SOME OF THE POINTS THAT YOU MADE EARLIER IN YOUR PRESENTATION TO HAVE A ONE ON ONE RELATIONSHIPS AND. FREQUENT COLLABORATION AND CONVERSATIONS WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES. RIGHT? POSADA GARCIA IS IMMEASURABLE. YOU KNOW, THE VALUE TO THE CITY, BUT ACTUALLY GOING UP TO TALLAHASSEE, GOING UP THERE PREPARED WITH YOUR LEGISLATIVE PACKET, WITH YOUR TIGHT AGENDA, WITH THE WELL RESEARCHED POSITIONS THAT WE TOOK TO EACH OF THE REPRESENTATIVES WHEN MAKING THE CASE WAS INCALCULABLY NECESSARY AND VALUABLE, GIVEN THE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN GOING UP THERE. IT WOULD BE TOUGH ENOUGH IF WHAT WE WERE DOING WAS GOING UP THERE IN A TOUGH ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE. BUT I HAVE TO SAY, IN ALL CANDOR, WE WENT UP THERE BEING SCRUTINIZED, BEING SCRUTINIZED AGAINST THE PREVIOUS DELEGATION THAT WENT UP. THIS WAS CANDID, THIS WAS DIRECT, THIS WAS VISCERAL. WHEN WE MET WITH THE INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTATIVES WHO EXPRESSED THAT EITHER WE IN CORAL GABLES CHANGE HOW WE LEGISLATE, HOW WE PRIORITIZE BUDGETING, HOW WE MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT THE GRANTS THAT WE'RE SEEKING FROM TALLAHASSEE TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, TO BE VALUE DRIVEN AND BE REPRESENTATIVE OF, OF WHAT TRUE PRIORITIES ARE AGAINST INCREASING DIFFICULTIES IN TRYING TO MAKE BUDGETS. SO I FEEL PROUD OF THE TEAM THAT WENT UP THERE ON THE TWO OCCASIONS THAT WE DID. AND THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING, RIGHT.

SO HAVING COME BACK WITH, AS YOU SAID, A TURNAROUND YEAR AND NOW THE LARGEST OF THE THREE LAST YEARS IN STATE APPROPRIATIONS, AGAIN AGAINST AN INCREDIBLY STEEP CLIMB, IS SOMETHING WE ALL SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF. AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS BECAUSE THEY WERE STELLAR. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER, THROUGH THE MAYOR. YES, YES. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE AS WELL IS AND A LITTLE CORRECTION MAYBE TO YOUR PRESENTATION WHEN WE WERE SHOWING THE THREE YEARS ON THE SECOND YEAR, I DON'T THINK IT'S A SURPRISE TO ANYONE THAT I HAVE GREAT, GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE IN TALLAHASSEE.

SURE. AND ON THE SECOND YEAR THAT YOU WERE THAT YOU WERE SHOWING ON YOUR PRESENTATION, IT WAS ME IN SPECIFIC THAT WAS GOING UP TO TALLAHASSEE. FROM THIS WHOLE COMMISSION ADVOCATING FOR THAT. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALSO PUT ON THE RECORD. I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER, WHICH PART OF THE POWERPOINT DID YOU WANT? 2025? NO, IT WAS IT WAS NOTHING'S WRONG WITH THE POWERPOINT. YOUR VOCAL WHAT YOU WERE SAYING. YEAH. THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF THIS COMMISSION. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. WHAT YOU SAID WAS THAT IN 2026 IT WAS THREE

[02:10:05]

[02:15:04]

AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE ON THE BALLOT. THIS EFFORT REQUIRES 60% VOTER APPROVAL. SO IT WILL BE COMING TO VOTERS NOVEMBER 3RD. IF APPROVED, IT WOULD TAKE EFFECT JANUARY 1ST. AND IT WOULD HAVE IT COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON MUNICIPAL TAX REVENUES. AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT. THAT THE LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS EXTEND BEYOND THE BUDGET. I, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT ONE, 2 OR 3 MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION THAT GO, THAT'S IRRELEVANT. IT'S TEAMWORK, IT'S COLLABORATION. IT'S EVERYONE THAT PUTS IN, YOU KNOW, PUTS PUTS A HELPING HAND IN FROM WHETHER THEY SIT ON A COMMITTEE AT THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES TO SIT ON THIS COMMISSION TO MEET WITH RESIDENTS. EVERYONE PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS. AND TO TAKE CREDIT FROM SOMEONE TO GIVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE, I THINK IS A DISSERVICE TO OUR TEAM AND MOVING TO MOVING ON TO THAT. ONE OF OUR GREAT PARTNERS IS THE CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. WE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WENT UP ON A DELEGATION WITH THEM TO TALK ABOUT BUSINESS ISSUES THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO THE CITY AND AREAS THAT WE ARE ALIGNED IN AS WELL. SO IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY. IT'S NOT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE COMMUNITY THAT COMES TOGETHER TO ADVOCATE. WHAT'S THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES? AND I'D LIKE TO LOOK AHEAD TO WHAT THE PROCESS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE NEXT. FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS TO TRACK WHAT THE DISBURSEMENTS ARE FOR GRANTS.

SECOND, WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH STAFF AND THE COMMISSION TO DEVELOP OUR NEXT LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE THIS YEAR. SESSION BEGINS MARCH 2ND, SO IT'S A LITTLE LATER THAN JANUARY. AND THE GOAL IS TO BE EVEN BETTER, TO MAKE OURSELVES BETTER AND PUT OURSELVES IN AN EVEN STRONGER POSITION. AND TOGETHER WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT. AND I WANTED TO REALLY THANK THE MAYOR, THE VICE MAYOR, THE COMMISSIONERS FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR REALLY MOVING THE CITY FORWARD, FOR HAVING THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY. I WANT TO THANK OUR STATE DELEGATION, OUR LEGISLATIVE PARTNERS, OUR LOBBYING TEAM, OUR LEADERSHIP AND STAFF, AND EVERYONE, INCLUDING THOSE WHOM I HAVE NOT MENTIONED. WITH THEIR HELP. I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT. THAT WE HAVE A FEDERAL PENDING EARMARK OF $700,000 THAT WAS SPONSORED BY REP MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR, AND THAT WILL BE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. AND THAT'S THROUGH THE HOUSE INTERIOR AND ENVIRONMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL FOR WASTEWATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. WE WILL HAVE MORE DEFINITE INFORMATION ON THAT, BUT WE'RE VERY LIKELY TO OBTAIN THAT $700,000 EARMARK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I'M AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. WELL DONE. VERY COMPREHENSIVE. AND I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, NOT ONLY IN REGARDS TO APPROPRIATIONS, BUT ALSO IN REGARDS TO OUR ADVOCACY.

[E-1. 26-1955 An Ordinance of the City Commission amending Ordinance No. 2022-26, which granted approval of a Planned Area Development (PAD) for the multi-family project referred to as “301-341 Madeira” on the property legally described as Lots 4 thru 24, Block 1 of Revised Plat of Coral Gables Section K (341, 335, 331, 325, 321, 317, 301 Madeira Avenue), Coral Gables, Florida, to modify Condition relating to underground utilities by replacing the undergrounding requirement with an obligation to contribute $300,000 to the City; providing for a repealer provision, severability clause, and providing for an effective date. Lobbyist: Mario Garcia-Serra]

[E-7. 26-1957 A Resolution of the City Commission amending Resolution No. 2022-126, which granted conditional use approval for the multi-family project referred to as “301-341 Madeira” on property legally described as Lots 4 thru 24, Block 1 of Revised Plat of Coral Gables Section K (341, 335, 331, 325, 321, 317, 301 Madeira Avenue), Coral Gables, Florida, to modify condition regarding underground utilities; and providing for an effective date. Lobbyist: Mario Garcia-Serra]

MADERA ON PROPERTY LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS LOTS FOUR THROUGH 24 BLOCK ONE OF REVISED PLAT

[02:20:02]

MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND AND YOU PLEASE PROVIDE US A LITTLE CLEARER, A LITTLE CLARITY. I KNOW THE INTENTION OBVIOUSLY IS FOR A BEAUTIFUL INSTAGRAM POST LATER, BUT WE NEED TO PUT IT ON THE RECORD AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUT IT ON THE RECORD. WHAT IS THE LAW IN REGARDS TO CONTRIBUTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO CAMPAIGNS OR POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES? SO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS DO NOT CREATE A FINANCIAL VOTING CONFLICT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE HERE RIGHT NOW IS CONFLATE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, ONE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PROJECT IN IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH TODAY THROUGH THE MAYOR, AGAIN, ANOTHER BLACK EYE ON THE CITY AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THIS. BUT THIS WILL END IN NOVEMBER. IT WILL COME TO AN END. MR. COMMISSIONER. YES. SO I JUST WANT TO ECHO AGAIN SENTIMENTS THAT I EXPRESSED FOLLOWING THE INVOCATION THIS MORNING, CALLING UPON MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON THE DAIS TO FOCUS MORE OF THEIR EFFORTS ON UNITY AND TO LEAVE BEHIND CONTINUED REPEATED EFFORTS AT DIVISION. NO GOOD COMES FROM IT. MR. MANAGER. MAYOR LARGO, MISTER MANAGER WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT. THANK YOU. MAYOR, THIS IS STRICTLY A TECHNICAL ISSUE. THIS IS PART OF THE FEEDER SYSTEM. AT FPNL.

I DID SPEAK TO TO FPNL. ONLY ABOUT 20% OF THE FEEDERS THAT FELL WILL BE UNDERGROUND. THE ENTIRE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHAT GOES TO THE HOMES, WILL BE UNDERGROUND, BUT ONLY 20% OF THE FEEDERS. THIS JUST WASN'T A WORKABLE SOLUTION. THE THE DEVELOPER MADE A SPECIFIED AN AMOUNT. I I WENT TO A HIGHER AMOUNT AND THEY AGREED. AND THIS IS STRICTLY DUE TO TECHNICAL REASONS. THANK YOU, MR. MANAGER. MR. CLARK. MAYOR LARGO. YES. THANK YOU. OKAY, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, SIR. IF I MAY, MR. BAKER. I JUST WANTED TO APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE. NO INDIVIDUAL WHO COMES HERE SHOULD BE CONFUSED FOR ONE OTHER PERSON AND SHOULD BE TREATED THE WAY YOU WERE JUST TREATED. SO I APOLOGIZE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.

MR. MAYOR? YES. WE ALSO NEED TO VOTE ON E SEVEN. YES, E SEVEN. I'LL MOVE IT. I'LL SECOND. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, NO. MR. MAYOR. OKAY. PERFECT. COMMISSIONER. LATTA. YES. VICE MAYOR ANDERSON. YES. COMMISSIONER CASTRO. YES. COMMISSIONER. FERNANDEZ. YES.

[E-2. 26-1865 An Ordinance of the City Commission providing for text amendments to the City of Coral Gables Official Zoning Code by amending Article 14, “Process,” Section 14-217, “Development Agreements,” to amend the maximum duration of Development Agreements and certain requirements to ensure consistency with State Statutes; and providing for repealer provision, severability clause, codification, and providing for an effective date. (0812 26 PZB recommended approval, Vote 6-0)]

[02:25:02]

COMMISSIONER CASTRO. YES. COMMISSIONER. FERNANDEZ. YES. COMMISSIONER. LADA. YES. MAYOR

[E-3. 26-1922 An Ordinance of the City Commission amending Chapter 2, “Administration,” Article III, “Boards, Commissions, Committees,” to create Division 13, “Coral Gables Youth Leadership Council,” and amending Chapter 42, “Community Recreation,” to remove Article III, “Parks and Recreation Youth Advisory Board”; and to transition the members from the Parks and Recreation Youth Advisory Board to the Coral Gables Youth Leadership Council; providing for repealer provision, severability clause, codification, and providing for an effective date. (Sponsored by Mayor Lago)]

FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU FOR WORKING ON WITH THAT, WITH MY STAFF AND MYSELF AS A SPONSOR OF THE ITEM, AGAIN, THROUGH THE PAGE PROGRAM AND THROUGH THE MENTORSHIP THAT WE DO IN MY OFFICE. WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COME BEFORE THIS COMMISSION AND HAVE COME UP WITH SOME EXCEPTIONAL IDEAS. THIS IS ONE OF THEM. THE IDEA WAS TO ENGAGE THE YOUTH OF THE COMMUNITY IN AN ADVISORY ROLE, WHERE THERE'S ACTUALLY MORE ACTIVE ROLE AND PARTICIPATION. SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE BEFORE YOU IS JUST TRYING TO GET MORE INSIGHT, MORE GUIDANCE. AND WHAT WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT HAVE COME FROM THIS ORGANIZATION. YOU'VE SEEN MULTIPLE OF THEM BE PRESENTED HERE BEFORE THE COMMISSION. SO AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT'S A FEEL GOOD BECAUSE THERE'S SOME GREAT THINGS THAT COME OUT OF IT. BUT AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THIS IS VERY CONTROVERSIAL.

I'LL MOVE IT. MAYOR. EXCELLENT IDEAS. I, I AGREE THAT THE PAGE PROGRAM SHOWED US THAT THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT THE YOUTH CAN CONTRIBUTE TO OUR CITY. THANK YOU, MR. CLERK. DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO. MR. MAYOR, I NEED A SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU SIR. COMMISSIONER CASTRO.

YES, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. YES, COMMISSIONER LATTA, WONDERFUL IDEA. YES. VICE MAYOR ANDERSON. YES. MAYOR LARGO. YES. THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT. THANK YOU TO YOUR STAFF, MADAM

[E-4. 26-2028 An Ordinance of the City Commission amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Coral Gables by amending Chapter 6, Section 6-3, “Retail beverage store and retail liquor store licenses issued to bona fide restaurants” to allow restaurants of 120 seats or over to serve alcoholic beverages or intoxicating liquors from bars; providing for repealer provision, severability clause, codification, and providing for an effective date.]

SO THIS ORDINANCE JUST UPDATES THE SEATING REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT. THE CITY HAS FROM 150 TO 120 TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE THRESHOLD THAT IS NEEDED IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FROM THE STATE LICENSE. PERFECT. THIS IS COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE THROUGH OBVIOUSLY, SOME THROUGH SOME PREEMPTION THAT WAS FORTHCOMING, OR WAS THAT ACTUALLY JUST LAW THAT WAS PASSED? THE MAYOR, MAYOR, WE'VE ALREADY DONE THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES. WE WENT FROM 200 TO 50 WHEN THE STATE LAW CHANGED. STATE LAW CHANGED NOW TO 120. SO WE'RE JUST FOLLOWING FOLLOWING THE STATE ON THIS. PERFECT. MAY I HAVE A MOTION? MOVE IT. I HAVE A SECOND. I'LL SECOND. MR. CLERK, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO. MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER FERNANDES.

YES. COMMISSIONER LATTA. YES. VICE MAYOR ANDERSON. YES. COMMISSIONER CASTRO. YES. MAYOR

[H.-5. 26-2070 Gables Go! Update]

[02:30:04]

GOOD AFTERNOON SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS AND. FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROJECT, CORAL GABLES CODE IS AN EXTENDED REALITY CULTURAL EXPERIENCE THAT IS DIGITALLY RECREATING 30 CULTURAL SITES THROUGHOUT CORAL GABLES AND BRINGING THEM TOGETHER INTO ONE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE. THE GOAL IS NOT SIMPLY TO CREATE DIGITAL COPIES OF THESE PLACES. WE WANT PEOPLE TO DISCOVER THEIR HISTORY, THEIR ART, THEIR ARCHITECTURE, AND THE STORIES BEHIND THEM, AND ULTIMATELY BECOMING INTERESTED IN EXPERIENCES THOSE PLACES IN PERSON. ARE THE FOUNDATION OF THE PROJECT, ARE REAL PLACES.

WE CAPTURED 30 CULTURAL SITES THROUGHOUT CORAL GABLES USING LIDAR SCANNING AND HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGING, AND WE ARE DIGITALLY RECREATING THOSE ENVIRONMENTS FOR PEOPLE TO EXPLORE. ON TOP OF THOSE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS, WE'RE ADDING CULTURAL STORYTELLING AND INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES DESIGNED AROUND THE HISTORY AND CHARACTER OF EACH LOCATION. AND BECAUSE THE EXPERIENCE IS WEB BASED, PEOPLE CAN ACCESS IT FROM ALMOST ANYWHERE AND EXPLORE THESE PLACES TOGETHER IN REAL TIME. BUT RATHER THAN TO CONTINUE EXPLAINING IT THROUGH SLIDES, I THINK THE EASIEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND GABLES GO IS TO SEE IT. SO WE HAVE PREPARED A SHORT TWO MINUTE VIDEO TO SHOW YOU WHAT THE EXPERIENCE ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE.

WHAT YOU JUST SAW IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE CORAL GABLES GO IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A COLLECTION OF 30 SEPARATE VIRTUAL TOURS. WE ARE CONNECTING THESE LOCATIONS INTO ONE CULTURAL JOURNEY. A VISITOR ENTERS THROUGH THE WEB, OPENS AN INTERACTIVE MAP OF CORAL GABLES, CHOOSES A CULTURAL SITE, AND BEGINS EXPLORING. FROM THERE, THEY DISCOVER STORIES, INTERACT WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, PARTICIPATE IN CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, AND LEARN AS THEY PLAY. BUT THE FINAL STEP ON THIS DIAGRAM IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE. VISIT IN PERSON. EVERYTHING WE ARE CREATING DIGITALLY IS ULTIMATELY INTENDED TO BUILD CURIOSITY ABOUT REAL PLACES THROUGHOUT CORAL GABLES. ONE WAY WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THAT CULTURAL CONTENT ENGAGING IS THROUGH GAMIFICATION. A GAMIFICATION IN GABLES CODE IS NOT THERE SIMPLY TO MAKE THE PROJECT FEEL LIKE A VIDEO GAME. WE ARE USING INTERACTION AS A

[02:35:03]

WELL DESERVED. MAYOR, I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A TREMENDOUS TOOL FOR OUR CITY, YOU KNOW, AND YOU SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, OUR ORIGINAL SCHOOLS IN THERE TOO.

YES, THAT'S PART OF THE PLAN. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ACTUALLY REACHING OUT TO THE SCHOOLS AS A TOOL FOR EDUCATION. AND THE EXPERIENCE HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE AND HAVE THINGS UPDATED AND ALSO ADD MORE SITES. SO WE HAVE OUR 30 SITES, BUT WE'RE ALREADY THINKING OF ADDITIONAL SITES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. NO ACTION REQUIRED. WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM

[E-5. 26-2079 An Ordinance of the City Commission providing for Text Amendments to the City of Coral Gables Official Zoning Code by amending Article 11, “Signs,” Section 11-109, “Temporary Noncommercial Signs,” to amend the number and placement of temporary noncommercial signs; eliminating front yard setback requirements; and authorizing additional bonus signs under certain circumstances; providing for repealer provision, severability clause, codification, and providing for an effective date. (Sponsored by Vice Mayor Anderson)]

SO THIS WOULD ADD ONE ADDITIONAL SIGN DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR AND ELIMINATE THAT FIVE FOOT SETBACK. IT WOULD ALSO EXPLICITLY ALLOW FOR THOSE SIGNS TO BE ATTACHED TO ANY FENCES OR WALLS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. SHOULD THAT HAVE BEEN A HINDRANCE TO SEEING THOSE SIGNS IN THE PAST? HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, MADAM VICE MAYOR IS YOUR ITEM, AND I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THIS. I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO STAFF ABOUT FOR SOME TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW,

[02:40:02]

I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS HEAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT IS SOMEBODY PUTS A SIGN WITH WHERE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO PUT IT, AND LANDSCAPERS COME OUT AND MOW THE LAWN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S MOVED. AND NOW WE'RE PUTTING A BURDEN ON, ON A RESIDENT. I THINK IT'S IT'S SOMETHING THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, A LONG TIME COMING. SO HAPPY TO SECOND. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE ORDER? OKAY, MR. CLERK, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? MARIA CRUZ. GOOD AFTERNOON, MISS MARIA CRUZ, 1447 MILLER ROAD. I LIKE THE IDEA. I FIND IT A LITTLE CONFUSING TO BECAUSE AFTER READING IT, I REALIZE THAT IT ALSO.

NONCOMMERCIAL SIGNS INCLUDES POLITICAL SCIENCE AND I THINK THAT SINCE THE POLITICAL SEASON HAS ALREADY BEGUN AND THE PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICE ALREADY GOT THEIR RULES, IT'S VERY CONFUSING TO CHANGE THE RULES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME. THAT'S MY COMMENT. I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF WE HAD WAITED TILL THIS SESSION. THIS SEASON HAD ENDED INSTEAD OF CONFUSING NOW, WHEN IT'S ALREADY ALMOST DONE BY. THAT'S IT, MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION. A SECOND COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER LARA. YES. VICE MAYOR ANDERSON. YES.

COMMISSIONER CASTRO. YES. COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, ACTUALLY, A QUICK QUESTION BASED ON THAT COMMENT, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO GIVE DIRECTIVES FOR STAFF NOT TO. ENFORCE THE CURRENT POLICY SINCE THIS IS BEING REVISED, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A SECOND SECONDARY MOTION.

I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT. IF WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING IT, WE SHOULDN'T BE ENFORCING THE OLD REGULATION. IF I THINK THERE'S AN APPETITE HERE TO TO CHANGE IT, I WOULD I WOULD TAKE THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. YEAH, WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE ORDINANCE. WELL, I GUESS WE COULD DO A SEPARATE WE COULD SEPARATE RESOLUTION WITH WITH THAT DIRECTION, SINCE THE ORDINANCE WON'T BE APPROVED UNTIL SECOND READING, WE WE UNDERSTAND THE MOTION WITH THAT AMENDMENT, AND WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT. RIGHT? RIGHT.

[E-6. 26-2102 An Ordinance of the City Commission creating Chapter 2, "Administration," Article XIII, "Campaign Finance Reform," to prohibit campaign contributions from vendors, certain lobbyists, and real estate developers; providing for repealer provision, severability clause, codification, and providing for an effective date. (Sponsored by Commissioner Castro)]

GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN, STEPHANIE THROCKMORTON, DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY. THIS ITEM IS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER CASTRO AND MIRRORS EXACTLY PROHIBITIONS ON THE BOOKS IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH THAT PROHIBIT CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM VENDORS, CERTAIN LOBBYISTS, AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS, AS DEFINED IN THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH THOSE WITH PENDING APPLICATIONS OR CERTAIN PENDING APPLICATIONS WE'VE RAISED BEFORE WITH ALL OF YOU, WE DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT FLORIDA STATUTE 106.08, WHICH HAS SOME PREEMPTIVE LANGUAGE REGARDING CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR. YES.

THIS IS AN. IS THIS FOR ME FOR THIS ITEM? YES. SO THIS IS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT I HAVE SPONSORED. I HAVE BROUGHT IT SEVERAL TIMES AND I HAVE DEFERRED IT. AND I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY. AND THEN I HAVE SOME GRAPHICS THAT I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PUT ON THE SCREEN. ACTUALLY LIKE AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHY WE SHOULD PUSH SOMETHING LIKE THIS FORWARD, OR WHY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SHOULD HELP ME DRAFT SOMETHING TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING. SO ONE OF THE FIRST, ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY IS, WHY CAN MIAMI BEACH MAINTAIN RESTRICTIONS INVOLVING DEVELOPERS, VENDORS, AND LOBBYISTS? AND WE CAN'T. SO, COMMISSIONER, AS I'VE MENTIONED TO YOU, I. I WILL NOT GIVE AN OPINION ON MIAMI BEACH'S ORDINANCES. I DO NOT KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT THAT ORDINANCE OR THOSE REGULATIONS ARE BEING ENFORCED BY MIAMI BEACH. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THERE IS A

[02:45:04]

[02:50:02]

I DIDN'T EVEN MENTION ALL THE OTHER ONES. BESIDES THE GARDEN OF OUR LORD THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE MAYOR RIGHT BEFORE A VOTE. I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS AN ILLEGAL CONTRIBUTION IN ANY SENSE. I'M ASKING WHETHER THE SYSTEM CREATES AN APPEARANCE THAT DETERMINES PUBLIC CONFIDENCE. SOMETHING ILLEGAL CAN STILL HAVE A STRONGER SAFEGUARDS. I'M STILL ASKING THE CITY ATTORNEY, ARE WE JUST GOING TO SIT HERE, WATCH THIS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, OR ARE WE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT THROUGH THE MAYOR? BECAUSE IF THIS WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. AND EVERY TIME WE HAVE A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND BRING ALL THE CONTRIBUTIONS, AND I'M GOING TO FOLLOW THE MONEY, AND I'M GOING TO FOLLOW YOUR VOTE, AND I'M GOING TO PUT IT ON THE RECORD. COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER CASTRO, ARE YOU STATING RIGHT NOW FOR THE RECORD, THAT THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED CAUSED A PARTICULAR VOTE TO BE TAKEN? I'M SAYING THERE'S A CORRELATION, BUT ARE YOU SAYING THAT OKAY, SO YOU'RE NOT SAYING THAT IT CAUSED THE VOTE TO BE TAKEN? I SAID THAT VERY CLEARLY.

I WAS NOT, YOU KNOW, IN ANY BACKROOMS, HEARING THE CONVERSATIONS OF ANYTHING. I'M NOT ACCUSING ANYONE. I AM TELLING YOU STRICTLY WITH THE PROOF RIGHT THERE THAT THERE IS A CORRELATION. AND AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PERIOD, THERE WAS A VOTE TAKEN THAT WAS POSITIVE. THOSE ARE THE FACTS. YOU COULD BUILD YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS. RIGHT. BUT I'M ASKING YOU, IS IT YOUR POSITION THAT CONTRIBUTIONS MADE, CAUSED, INFLUENCED OR WERE DONE IN

[02:55:04]

RIGHT? THAT'S IT. I'M NOT ACCUSING ANYONE OF DOING ANYTHING, BUT THESE ARE THE FACTS, PEOPLE. THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING. SO LET'S DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, PERIOD.

THROUGH THE MAYOR. YES, BUT WAIT JUST A MOMENT, VICE MAYOR, IF I MAY. SO YOU'VE HEARD COMMISSIONER CASTRO, THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND YOU'VE HEARD THE MAYOR STATE THAT IF WE WERE TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF OF YOUR ITEM, WE WOULD BE INVITING CONFLICT WITH THE STATE STATUTE, THAT IT WOULD BE VIEWED AS BEING VIOLATIVE OF THE STATE STATUTE. DO YOU AGREE THAT THAT'S WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS STATED? WOULD I AGREE WITH IS THAT THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH IS NOT GRANDFATHERED IN AND IS STILL ENACTING THIS? IF I HAD ASKED THAT QUESTION HAS BEEN ANSWERED, THE ONE THAT I'VE ACTUALLY ASKED YOU, DO YOU AGREE THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S LEGAL OPINION IS THAT PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR YOUR ITEM WOULD, IN FACT, VIOLATE STATE STATUTE? I BELIEVE THAT SOMETIMES WE TAKE RISK, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS A RISK WORTH TAKING, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT THERE'S CLEAR INDICATIONS THAT SOMETHING IS PERCEIVING, NOT ETHICAL. WELL, HAVE YOU TAKEN THE TIME YOU'VE DONE IT BEFORE TO WRITE TO THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND SAY, I BELIEVE THAT THIS COMMISSION IS ABOUT TO TAKE ACTION THAT I THINK VIOLATES STATE STATUTE. I MEAN, YOU DID THAT BEFORE ALREADY ONCE BEFORE YOU GOT THE DATES WRONG. YOU MISREPRESENTED IN THAT LETTER FAXED TO THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND YOU WERE INVITING, I GUESS, ON A SURFACE, HIS VIEWS, I BELIEVE MY OPINION. YOU WERE TRYING TO DRAW UNWANTED ATTENTION TO THE CITY AND TO CAUSE LITIGATION. POSSIBLY THAT EFFORT FAILED.

BUT LET'S GO TO THE POINT YOU TOOK IT UPON YOURSELF TO REACH OUT TO THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL, BECAUSE YOU FELT THAT THIS COMMISSION WAS GOING TO TAKE ACTION THAT WAS GOING TO BE AGAINST STATE STATUTE. SO ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT DOING THAT NOW ON YOUR ON YOUR ITEM, GOING TO THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND SEE IF THAT'S GOING TO BE, IN FACT, SOMETHING THAT VIOLATES STATE STATUTE? COULD I COULD I DO THE MAYOR, IF I MAY, JUST ONE SECOND, PLEASE, COMMISSIONER LARA, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT. THERE'S NOTHING MORE THAT I WANT TO DO TO ENGAGE IN THIS. THERE'S NOTHING MORE. WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION THAT COMMISSIONER CASTRO IS UNDER. THEY HAVE FOUND PROBABLE CAUSE. THIS IS THE FIRST ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES IN OVER 25 YEARS THAT HAS BEEN UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE STATE AND HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE PROBABLE CAUSE. PLEASE, THIS IS A MATTER UNDER INVESTIGATION THAT NEEDS TO BE RESPECTED, THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW BY A STATE AGENCY.

I DO NOT WANT TO BRING UP ANY MATTERS OF HER CASE. SHE WANTS TO DO THIS HERE AND EMBARRASS HERSELF IN THE CITY AND DO ALL THESE THEATRICS AFTER SHE HAS BEEN ALREADY CLEARLY, CLEARLY WARNED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY AND BY MULTIPLE ATTORNEYS ON THIS, ON THIS COMMISSION, THAT WE ARE PREEMPTED BY STATE STATUTE. WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. WELL, I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS A DISCUSSION, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU TRIED AT THE BEGINNING TO HAVE A CIVIL CONVERSATION, TO ASK ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION TO PLEASE LET'S BE PRODUCTIVE TODAY. AND IT'S BEEN ONE GASLIGHTING AFTER ANOTHER. SO I DON'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, COMMISSIONER. I RESPECT YOU IMMENSELY, BUT IT GETS TO THE POINT WHERE THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTS. SHE WANTS US TO BICKER BACK AND FORTH AND HAVE AS MUCH GASLIGHTING AS POSSIBLE.

WE HAVE A LONG AGENDA, AND THEN WE HAVE A BUDGET REVIEW, AND I WANT TO RESPECT THE PROCESS.

THE EMPLOYEES, THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. ALL DONATIONS ARE MADE PUBLIC.

EVERYTHING THAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT HERE OR DONATIONS TO A PAC, THAT THERE'S NO LAW THAT YOU CAN WRITE IT. THERE'S NO LAW. YOU CAN WRITE HERE IN THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES THAT WILL STOP DONATIONS TO PACS, AND EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS IT. SO WE'RE MOVING ON. I DON'T WANT

[03:00:03]

AND WHEN AND I ALSO WANT TO GO AHEAD AND RESPOND TO THE COMMISSIONER AND TO YOURSELF.

WHEN YOU SAID THAT THE EFFORT TO REACH OUT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FAILED, THAT IS COMPLETELY INCORRECT. OKAY. THE EFFORT THAT I MADE TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WAS TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE THE VOICES THE RIGHT FOR THE RESIDENTS OF CORAL GABLES TO GO AHEAD AND VOTE. AND GUESS WHAT? I WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THAT. BUT SINCE YOU ARE NOW RECOMMENDING OR ACTUALLY SUGGESTING THAT I REACH OUT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, HEY, IT WOULD BE MY PLEASURE TO PUT ALL THE EVIDENCE TOGETHER THAT I HAVE AND CORRELATION, BECAUSE I THINK MAYBE SOMETHING ELSE HAS TO BE DONE AT THE STATE LEVEL. THIS IS UNCOMPREHENSIBLE AND DISGUSTING. THROUGH THE MAYOR. GIVE ME, GIVE ME, GIVE ME ONE MORE MOMENT. AND BEFORE YOU GO, VICE MAYOR, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND WHEN THE COMMISSIONER IS DONE AND THEN WHEN THE MAYOR. AND LET ME GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS THE THE MAYOR NOW, HE SAYS, I AM UNDER INVESTIGATION. I AM UNDER INVESTIGATION, WHICH IS THE I'M UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE FLORIDA COMMISSION OF ETHICS BECAUSE THE MAYOR HIRED AN ATTORNEY CALLED MATT SARACEN TO GO AFTER ME RIGHT AFTER I GOT ELECTED. NOW LET ME GO AHEAD AND DO A LITTLE EXPLANATION, BECAUSE I AM THE MOST HONEST AND TRANSPARENT PERSON PROBABLY IN THIS WHOLE COMMISSION, NOT SEEING ANYBODY ELSE. I'M NOT RAGGING ON ANYBODY ELSE, BUT I AM VERY TRUTHFUL. OKAY. THE FIRST THING I DID WHEN I GOT ELECTED, I MET WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY. AND WHAT DID I DO? I SAID, I DON'T WANT TO RESEMBLE ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE MAYOR. SO YOU KNOW WHAT? I WANT A FORMAL OPINION OF THE THINGS THAT I COULD DO AND I CANNOT DO BECAUSE I WANT TO ABIDE 100% BY THE LAW. AND WHAT WE DID IS THAT WE ASKED FOR AN OPINION FROM THE ETHICS COMMISSION, FROM THE MIAMI-DADE ETHICS COMMISSION. THE ETHICS COMMISSION CLEARED ME OF ALL WRONGDOINGS. IN FACT, THE ETHICS COMMISSION SAID THAT I COULD CONTINUE WORKING IN THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES WITH CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS. BEFORE THEY EVEN GAVE THAT OPINION, I DECIDED VOLUNTARILY TO LET GO OF THE CORAL GABLES SECTION AND NOT WORK IN CORAL GABLES ANYMORE. THE FLORIDA COMMISSION OF ETHICS WAS WAITING FOR THE MIAMI COMMISSION OF ETHICS FOR THEIR FINAL OPINION. NOW THAT THEY GAVE THEIR FINAL OPINION, NOW THEY'RE INVESTIGATING AND THAT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING. THERE'S NO WRONGDOING. I'M NOT ACCUSED OF ANYTHING. THIS IS ALL POLITICAL. AND IT HAPPENED JANUARY 1ST. BUT NOW THE MAYOR IS BRINGING THIS UP LIKE IT'S A CRIMINAL CHARGE OR I'M GUILTY OF SOMETHING. SO PLEASE, PLEASE, LIKE RELAX A LITTLE BIT AND RESPECT. I'M GONNA, IF I MAY, BECAUSE AGAIN, I WANTED TO LET THIS GO, BUT THIS CONTINUES. SO I WANT TO LET ME BE CLEAR. I DID NOT I DID NOT CREATE THIS ALLEGATION AND I DID NOT MAKE THIS FINDING, AND I DID NOT HIRE THE ATTORNEY THAT YOU JUST STATED. ON JANUARY 28TH, THE FLORIDA COMMISSION ON ETHICS PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAD FOUND PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE COMMISSIONER CASTRO HAD A CONFLICTING CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP INVOLVING HER PRIVATE PERMITTING EXPEDITING BUSINESS. ACCORDING TO THE COMMISSION, THAT RELATIONSHIP CREATED WHAT IS DESCRIBED AS A CONTINUING OR FREQUENTLY REOCCURRING CONFLICT BETWEEN HER PRIVATE INTERESTS AND THE PERFORMANCE OF HER PUBLIC DUTIES BECAUSE OF HER COMPANY CONTINUE TO PULL PERMITS IN CORAL GABLES AFTER SHE WAS ELECTED. THOSE ARE NOT MY WORDS. THEY ARE THE WORDS OF THE FLORIDA COMMISSION ON ETHICS CONTAINED IN AN OFFICIAL, PUBLICLY AVAILABLE STATE DOCUMENT. I ALSO FIND IT NOTEWORTHY THAT THIS FINDING WAS ISSUED IN JANUARY. A COMMISSIONER CASTRO, WHO IS OFTEN THE FIRST TO PUBLICIZE ALLEGATIONS INVOLVING OTHERS AND TO PROCLAIM VINDICATION WHEN A MATTER CONCERNS HER, EVEN BROUGHT THIS FINDING TO THE ATTENTION OF OUR RESIDENTS.

TRANSPARENCY CANNOT BE SOMETHING WE DEMAND ONLY OF OTHERS. IT MUST APPLY EQUALLY TO EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL, INCLUDING OURSELVES. TO BE EQUALLY CLEAR, A PROBABLE CAUSE FINDING IS NOT A FINAL DETERMINATION THAT A VIOLATION OCCURRED. COMMISSIONER CASTRO IS ENTITLED TO DEFEND HERSELF, PRESENT EVIDENCE AND RECEIVE DUE PROCESS. I RESPECT THAT RIGHT, JUST AS I WOULD FOR ANYONE APPEARING BEFORE AN INVESTIGATIVE BODY. I HAVE NEVER IN MY 14 YEARS BEEN INVESTIGATED. BUT COMMISSIONER CASTRO HAS. BUT DUE PROCESS

[03:05:01]

OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO STATE I'M NOT GOING TO GO TIT FOR TAT OR POINT BY POINT, COMMISSIONER CASTRO. I DID, HOWEVER, MAYBE RHETORICALLY ASK THAT YOU SEEK AN OPINION FROM THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL WITH RESPECT TO THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU ARE PUTTING FORTH HERE REGARDING CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM, BECAUSE TO PUT IT VERY SIMPLY, YOU'VE HEARD IT FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY. I'M GIVING YOU MY POSITION AS AN ATTORNEY AS WELL. AND IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GO UP THE CHAIN TO THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO BE TOLD WHAT THE STATUTE STATES PLAINLY ON ITS FACE, YOUR PROPOSED ORDINANCE VIOLATES STATE STATUTE, IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR US TO SUPPORT IT AS IT WOULD BE PREEMPTED. YOU SAID EARLIER, SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO TAKE A CHANCE. SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO ROLL THE DICE OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT AND NOT NOT WHILE YOU WILL NOT GET SUPPORT WITH ME AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CITIES, THE CITY'S RESIDENTS, RIGHT. I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE A CHANCE ON THEM. YOU MIGHT YOU MIGHT WANT TO, BUT IT'S A VERY SIMPLE ISSUE. I THINK YOU SHOULD BRING YOUR MOTION, SEE IF WE GOT A SECOND THROUGH THE MAYOR BEFORE. EXCUSE ME. I'VE ASKED MADAM VICE MAYOR, THE MADAM VICE MAYOR. GO AHEAD. GO FOR YOU. OKAY. I WAS GIVING YOU THE FLOOR. OKAY? I'M SORRY. NO, NO, YOU'VE BEEN WAITING BECAUSE THE FLOOR. THE FLOOR HAS BEEN A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO GET. I KNOW, AND I APOLOGIZE. MY BAD. I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. SO THE WORD VOID IS CLEARLY AND PLAINLY WRITTEN IN PARAGRAPH 11. B, YOU HAD A QUESTION. HOW CAN ANOTHER CITY HAVE THIS ORDINANCE AND NOT BE IN VIOLATION? IT'S VOID. IT'S UNENFORCEABLE. IF THEY TRIED TO ENFORCE IT, IT'S VOID. IT HAS NO GAS IN THE ENGINE. IT CANNOT MOVE FORWARD. I DON'T WANT TO WASTE TIME OF THIS, OF THIS COMMISSION PUTTING FORTH SOMETHING THAT'S VOID. IF YOU WANT TO BRING SOMETHING TO THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE, BRING IT TO THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE.

THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT HAVE THE POWER TO DEAL WITH THIS. NOW, SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP AND ACCUSED THE REST OF THIS COMMISSION OF LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, MAY I REMIND YOU THAT AN APPEARANCE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST OR LACK OF TRANSPARENCY ALSO EXISTS WHEN YOU HAVE THE ATTORNEY THAT'S REPRESENTING YOU IN AN ACTION BEFORE YOU ON A MATTER, NAMELY THE GARDEN OF OUR LORD THAT WAS NOT DISCLOSED BEFORE YOUR VOTE AND YOUR ACCUSATIONS. AND I QUESTION YOU BACK WHEN THE GARDEN OF THE LORD MATTER WAS WAS BEFORE US. ARE YOU ACCUSING THE REST OF THE COMMISSION WHO VOTED IN FAVOR OF THAT PROJECT, WHICH WAS SHORTER THAN THE THE THE PROJECT A BLOCK AWAY THAT'S ALREADY BUILT? ARE YOU ACCUSING THE REST OF US TO BEING ON ON THE TAKE FOR THAT? YES. SO. OH YEAH. SO. YOUR ACCUSATIONS WITH FALSE INFORMATION AND GASLIGHTING THE PUBLIC IS DEPLORABLE. FORTUNATELY, THE VOTERS OF OUR CITY HAVE SPOKEN LOUD AND CLEAR AND HAVE PUT ITEMS IN THE IN THE CHARTER NOW THAT WILL PROTECT US GOING FORWARD FROM EFFORTS TO UNDERMINE THE ROOTS AND FOUNDATION OF OUR CITY SO THAT OUR OUR ELECTIONS ARE NOW IN NOVEMBER. OUR RESERVES ARE NOW PROTECTED. AND I COULD GO ON AND ON. THE MAYOR HAS BEEN TRYING TO MOVE THIS FORWARD. YOU KNOW THAT YOUR MOTION IS VOID. YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THIS IS ADOPTED, IT'S VOID. LET'S NOT WASTE THE TIME OF THIS COMMISSION. THE MAYOR. YES. OKAY. THERE'S NO CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITH ME RIGHT NOW.

AND THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS, THERE'S NOT EVEN A HEARING SET FOR THIS. THIS WHAT IS IT CALLED, AN ETHICS. WHAT WAS IT THAT IT WAS CALLED? ETHICS. A PROBABLE CAUSE.

[03:10:07]

THEY TRIED TO REACH YOU AND YOU KEPT AVOIDING THEM AT ALL COSTS. THE ONLY TIME YOU RESPOND IS WHEN THEY HIT YOU WITH A PROBABLE CAUSE. SO I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOU FROM YOURSELF BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO EMBARRASS YOURSELF, IF YOU WANT TO DO IT, THAT'S FINE. BUT DON'T EMBARRASS THE CITY WITH ALL THIS RIDICULOUSNESS BECAUSE YOU THREW THE ENTIRE KITCHEN SINK AT ME OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS BECAUSE YOU'RE GUILTY, PERIOD. THE MAYOR. CAN WE JUST MOVE ON? OKAY, I JUST LOOK. ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE MOVING ON THIS THIS WHOLE LOOK, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANYWHERE. I THINK THAT THERE'S EVEN SOMETHING ELSE THAT HAS NOT BEEN DISCUSSED, WHICH IS CITIZENS UNITED, WHICH THAT'S ANOTHER DECISION ALTOGETHER. IT'S CLEAR AS DAY THAT I THINK REALLY WOULD WOULD PUT US IN A SITUATION. MY SUGGESTION HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY, SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE ENFORCEABLE AND COULD BE MOVED FORWARD. I HAVE HISTORICALLY VOTED AGAINST ANYTHING THAT WOULD PUT THE CITY IN A SITUATION WHERE WE COULD BE LIABLE FOR A LAWSUIT, AND I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS TODAY, BUT I THINK WE HAVE PLENTY MORE TO DISCUSS THIS MEETING. I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE ON, AND I NEED TO AMEND MY MOTION. AND EVEN THOUGH I DON'T HAVE A SECOND, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT IT ON THE TABLE. WOULD I BE ABLE TO? WE'RE MOVING. YOU ALREADY MADE A MOTION. YOU DIDN'T GET A SECOND? NO, I HAVE NOT FINISHED MAKING A MOTION. THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT WORKS. I HAVEN'T EVEN SPOKEN.

COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER, YOU CAN'T RUN THE MEETING. I RUN THE MEETING. SO YOU'VE HAD EVERY OPPORTUNITY. YOU PUT YOUR MOTION ON THE FLOOR. I DIDN'T PUT MY MOTION ON THE FLOOR. I WAS ABOUT TO, AND I GOT INTERRUPTED. CAN I FINISH MY MOTION, COMMISSIONER? YES OR NO? FINISH. OKAY, I MOVE TO GO AHEAD AND AMEND MY MOTION TO. I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T DO. I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T MAKE A MOTION. I'M GOING TO AMEND THE ACTUAL RESOLUTION THAT WAS PRESENTED, THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS PRESENTED. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO AMEND TO GO AHEAD AND ASK MY COLLEAGUES HERE FOR AUTHORIZATION TO PRESENT THIS TO THE ATTORNEY, TO THE GENERAL, TO THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, NOT TO THE STATE ATTORNEY, TO ATTORNEY GENERAL. I'M SORRY, AS SUGGESTIONS, AS COMMISSIONER LATTA SUGGESTED, NOT ONLY TO TO HIM, BUT TO ALSO THE FLORIDA COMMISSION OF ETHICS AND THE MIAMI-DADE COMMISSION OF ETHICS.

BEFORE YOU GUYS DECIDE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CENSURE ME AGAIN, IF YOU SEE NO ISSUES, WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT LEGAL. UNLESS YOU WANT TO KEEP ON GETTING DONATIONS FROM DEVELOPERS AND THEN VOTING ON THEIR PROJECTS. THAT'S MY MOTION. WE HAVE A SECOND. THROUGH THE MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO JUST MAKE A COMMENT. I THINK MY COMMENT IS I THINK, WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE VOTES TO PUT THIS FORWARD, BUT I THINK YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION THAT YOU HAVE A GREEN LIGHT TO GO TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND HAVE THE DISCUSSION. I THINK LAURA AND THE VICE MAYOR BOTH AGREED THAT THAT WAS OKAY WITH THEM. OKAY. SO THROUGH THE MAYOR. YEP. A COUPLE OF THINGS. RIGHT. SO, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ SAID IT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT. I'LL REPEAT IT. OKAY. I GUESS IT WENT OVER EVERYONE'S HEAD. IT'S A RATHER RHETORICAL, IF NOT A SARCASTIC COMMENT ON MY PART.

YOU HAVE A COMMISSIONER WHO'S BRINGING IN ORDINANCE BEFORE THIS COMMISSION THAT ON ITS FACE WOULD BE VOID BASED ON STATE STATUTE IF IT WOULD BE APPROVED. SO WITH COMMISSIONER CASTRO HAVING ALREADY HAD A HISTORY OF GOING TO THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SEEK AN OPINION WITH RESPECT TO THE COMMISSION'S INTENDED ACTION, WITH RESPECT TO A RESOLUTION OR AN ORDINANCE, RHETORICALLY, I'M THINKING YOU SHOULD GO, COMMISSIONER CASTRO, AND ASK FOR THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO PROHIBIT YOU INTRODUCING YOUR OWN ORDINANCE, BECAUSE ON

[03:15:06]

COMMISSIONER CASTRO, CAN I, I APPRECIATE JUST A SECOND, MAYOR, IF I MAY, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT ME BEING A GOOD FATHER AND A GOOD HUSBAND, AND THAT I HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU. I HAVE ONLY HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU OFF THE DAIS AND ON THE DAIS, BECAUSE WE DISAGREE DOES NOT MEAN THAT I DON'T HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.

AND BECAUSE I'M ASKING YOU TO WITHDRAW THE STATEMENT THAT HE'S GUILTY BECAUSE I CARE NOT ONLY ABOUT YOU, BUT ABOUT THIS BODY'S IMAGE AND HOW IT PORTRAYS ITSELF TO THE CITY. IF I DISAGREE WITH YOU, DON'T MISTAKE THAT FOR BEING I DON'T LIKE YOU. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING PERSONAL. I AM AN ATTORNEY. I HAVE BEEN ON RETAINER FOR MOST OF MY 30 PLUS YEARS AS AN ATTORNEY. I AM MAKING IT PERFECTLY CLEAR I'M NOT ON ANYONE'S RETAINER OR CARRYING ANYBODY'S BUCKET OF WATER ON THIS DAIS. ANYTIME I'VE TAKEN A VOTE, I CAN GIVE YOU, AND I HAVE GIVEN NOT ONLY ONE, BUT PROBABLY THREE REASONS THAT ARE LEGALLY SUFFICIENT FOR WHY I'VE TAKEN THE VOTE THAT I'VE TAKEN IN THIS INSTANT. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO REPEAT MYSELF. YOUR ORDINANCE IS DEAD ON ARRIVAL, AND NOT BECAUSE THEY'D LIKE YOU OR DISLIKE YOU.

BECAUSE I CAN'T CHANGE THE LAW. AND THE VICE MAYOR SAID, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO SO, PLEASE TAKE IT TO THE FLOOR OF THE LEGISLATURE. THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO FIND YOUR BEST SHOT. BUT I WILL NOT SUPPORT YOU IN THIS ORDINANCE. AND I'VE TRIED ONLY TO BE RESPECTFUL, PROFESSIONAL, AND FRIENDLY THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD OF TIME. THAT'S WHY I'VE SAID WHAT I'VE SAID AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. SO MOVING ON. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT NEITHER AM I ON YOUR PAYROLL OR YOU'RE ON MY PAYROLL. JUST ANOTHER SWIPE AT NOT ONLY MYSELF, BUT ALSO THE POSITION OF MAYOR. ANOTHER BLACK EYE HERE IN THE CITY. ALL THE THEATRICS, AND WE ARE ALL PLAYERS IN THE THEATER OF INSTAGRAM AND SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH IS A SHAME BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE FOLLOWERS ARE ALL BOTS. THEY'RE NOT EVEN RESIDENTS. AND IT'S EVIDENTLY CLEAR FOR ANYONE

[03:20:05]

[F.-2. 26-2078 A Resolution of the City Commission directing staff to explore opportunities with visitor transportation operators and other hotel and hospitality partners to develop Coral Gables stops or itineraries to increase visitor foot traffic and support the city's local restaurants, retailers, and small business. (Sponsored by Commissioner Castro)]

SO GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE IN ORDER TO ATTRACT TO BRING MORE FOOT TRAFFIC AND RESTAURANTS AND RETAILERS, MORE FOOT TRAFFIC TO OUR RESTAURANTS AND RETAILERS.

SO IN MARCH OF 2024, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT CONNECTED WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE BIG BUS TOURS AT THE GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU WORKSHOP THAT WE HAD AND NETWORKING EVENT. AND WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT IT BECAUSE AT SOME POINT IN TIME, THERE WAS A BUS TOUR COMPANY THAT WAS IN CORAL GABLES, AND WE ASKED THEM ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THEM COMING BACK AND SEEING IF THEY COULD BE. WE COULD BE ADDED TO AN EXISTING MIAMI ROUTE. WE SUBSEQUENTLY MET WITH THE COMPANY'S LOCAL LEADERSHIP. WE DEVELOPED TWO POTENTIAL ROUTE OPTIONS FOR THEM AND FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION. WE ALSO PROVIDED INFORMATION ON OUR DOWNTOWN VISITOR ACTIVITY, THE PEDESTRIAN COUNTS, THE HOTELS THAT ARE IN THE AREA, THE RETAIL SHOPS THAT WERE THERE, ANYTHING THAT WOULD DEMONSTRATE TO THEM THE POTENTIAL MARKET THAT WE HAVE HERE IN CORAL GABLES? WE CONTINUE THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND WE FOLLOWED UP WITH THEM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. AND ULTIMATELY, WE GOT THE FEEDBACK THAT BIG BUS ADVISED US THAT WHILE THEY RECOGNIZE THE STRENGTH OF HAVING A ROUTE AND THE THE STRENGTH OF CORAL GABLES VISITORS AND TRAFFIC PATTERNS, THEY COULD NOT COMMIT TO EXTENDING THE ROUTE AT THAT TIME. THEIR PRIMARY CONCERN WAS THE ADDITIONAL OPERATING COST, THE ADDITIONAL TRAVEL TIME THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO ADD CORAL GABLES TO THE END OF THEIR ROUTE, AND THE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT HOW MANY PASSENGERS WOULD ACTUALLY USE THE STOP. THE EXPERIENCE WAS HELPFUL BECAUSE IT DID IDENTIFY SOME OF THOSE TOUCH POINTS. AND SO WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE. SO MOST RECENTLY, ONE OF MY STAFF MEMBERS ALSO ATTENDED ANOTHER GM CVB EVENT WHERE WE GET TO MEET SOME INDUSTRY PARTNERS. AND WE MET ANOTHER DIFFERENT TOUR OPERATOR THERE. WE RAISED AGAIN THAT POSSIBILITY. THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED AND WERE NOW SETTING UP MEETINGS TO DISCUSS HOW TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY POSSIBILITY OF THEM COMING TO CORAL GABLES. THAT'S THAT'S PERFECTLY I MEAN, YOUR ANSWER COULDN'T MAKE ME ANY HAPPIER. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY NEEDS. THIS IS WHY I BROUGHT THIS FORWARD FROM MY OPINION. WHEN YOU HAVE A TOUR BUS AND YOU HAVE TOURISTS GOING TO A TOUR BUS AND THEY DROP THEM OFF FOR TWO HOURS ON GERALDO OR MIRACLE MILE, WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO DO IS EITHER TRY OUR FOOD, GO TO OUR RESTAURANTS AND SHOP. SO BASICALLY THEY'RE JUST COMING TO SPEND MONEY FOR TWO HOURS. AND I THINK IT'D BE GOOD TO FIND A DEDICATED LANE WHERE WE'RE NOT REALLY GOING WELL, NUMBER ONE, WE'RE NOT DAMAGING ANY OF THE TREES BECAUSE I KNOW THE BUS IS A LITTLE HIGHER, BUT THAT WE'RE NOT ALSO STOPPING ANYWHERE WHERE THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS ARE. LET'S TRY TO ONLY STAY IN THE LIKE MOST COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL STREETS, SO THAT THERE'S NO LIKE NOISE COMPLAINTS COMING FROM RESIDENTS. BUT I THINK THIS WOULD BE HIGHLY BENEFICIAL. AND PLEASE UPDATE ME WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS NEW

[03:25:04]

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I'LL GO AHEAD AND I'LL MOVE IT. I'LL SECOND. I'LL SECOND. MR. CLERK, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, MR. MAYOR. RITA CRUZ. GOOD AFTERNOON. MARIA. MRS. MARIA CRUZ, 1447 MILLER ROAD, (305) 323-2154. I HAD NOT BEEN WALKING AROUND MIRACLE MILE FOR A WHILE TILL I HAD SOME COMPANY A FEW DAYS AGO. LET ME TELL YOU, THERE'S SOME TIMES OF THE DAY THAT MIRACLE MILE IS DEAD. VERY FEW PEOPLE, EXTREMELY, VERY FEW PEOPLE. SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA. WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT HELPING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. I THINK THIS WILL BRING THIS WILL BRING TRAFFIC THAT NORMALLY WOULD NOT COME BY MAKING THIS EASY. OKAY, SO I REALLY THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND I THINK YOUR BUSINESSES WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

FOR THE MAYOR. YES. I'M GOING TO SUGGEST TO THE COMMISSIONER SLIGHT REWORDING TO RECOGNIZE THE EFFORTS THAT STAFF HAS CONTINUOUSLY BEEN MAKING TO SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS, INSTEAD OF DIRECTING THEM TO DO IT, TO REWORD IT, TO SAY THAT STAFF SHALL CONTINUE THEIR EFFORTS ON TRYING TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ESTABLISH ONE OR MORE APPROPRIATE TOUR BUS DROP OFF AND PICK UP LOCATIONS IN THE CITY. BECAUSE THE WORDING AS IT IS RIGHT NOW SOUNDS LIKE STAFF HAS NOT BEEN DOING ANYTHING, AND THAT IS NOT AN ACCURATE STATEMENT, SO I'LL SUPPORT IT WITH THAT CHANGE. THAT'S A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT REQUEST. I AGREE TO THAT, MR. CLERK. VICE MAYOR ANDERSON YES. COMMISSIONER CASTRO. YES. COMMISSIONER FERNANDES. YES.

COMMISSIONER. LARA. YES. MAYOR LARGO. YES. THANK YOU, MADAM DIRECTOR, I APPRECIATE YOU.

[F.-3. 26-2105 A Resolution of the City Commission referring certain matters for review by the Inspector General. (Sponsored by Commissioner Castro)]

[03:30:05]

OKAY. I DIDN'T ASK FOR A MOTION, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, WILL YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE, PLEASE, ON WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS? SO, MAYOR, A COUPLE OF COMMISSION MEETINGS AGO, YOU HAD ASKED FOR AN UPDATE ON THE INSPECTOR GENERAL MATTER, AND WE PROVIDED YOU AN UPDATE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD SOME DECISIONS. THIS COMMISSION HAS SOME DECISIONS TO MAKE AS TO THE FUNCTION, THE TERM, THE SPECIFY THE QUALIFICATIONS, ETC. AS TO WHAT YOU ALL WANT TO DO. AND YOU ASK THAT WE SCHEDULE A SUNSHINE MEETING. I KNOW THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS WORKING TO SCHEDULE THAT. YOU SPECIFICALLY WANTED THAT TO OCCUR AFTER THE SUMMER, SO I KNOW THE CLERK HAS BEEN. WILL YOU DO ME A FAVOR, MR. CLARK? DO YOU HAVE DO YOU HAVE A VIDEO YOU WANT TO SHOW WE CAN CUED UP YOUR VIDEO. YES, MR. MAYOR. IF CABLE TV CAN PUT UP THE MAYOR'S VIDEO. AND WHILE WE WAIT ON THAT, I JUST WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, AGAIN, IT'S ELECTION SEASON AND WE GOTTA TRY TO GET AS MUCH POSITIVE ENERGY OUT THERE. COMMISSIONER CASTRO WAS ONE OF THE STAUNCHEST ADVOCATES AGAINST AN INSPECTOR GENERAL ACTUALLY VOTING AGAINST IT. WHEN MYSELF AND THE VICE MAYOR BROUGHT IT FORWARD, THE REASONING WAS BECAUSE WE COULDN'T AFFORD IT. WE WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY, THANK GOD.

WHEN THE COMMISSION TURNED AND COMMISSIONER ALLADA CAME ON BOARD, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE SUPPORT TO BRING IT BEFORE THE VOTERS AND THE VOTERS VIA A REFERENDUM THAT I SPONSORED, OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTED AN INSPECTOR GENERAL. THE RECORD MUST BE REMEMBERED. IT JUST CAN'T BE USED ARBITRARILY TO YOUR WHIM. SO. THE CLERK IS HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE, WHICH IS PERFECTLY FINE WITH THE VIDEO. THE VIDEO IS OF ME ASKING, HERE YOU GO. ON ANOTHER NOTE, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE ISSUE OF THE REFERRAL. GIVE ME ONE. NO, THAT'S NOT THE ONE.

I'M TALKING ABOUT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL. WE'RE NOT GOING TO WAIT TILL THE END. WE'RE GOING TO DO IT NOW. OKAY? GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD. CONTINUE. BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT COMES FROM ME. OKAY. SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. SO YOU'RE PASSING THE GAVEL. YES, I AM FOR THIS ONE ITEM. I'M PASSING THE GAVEL. I'VE BEEN HERE 14 YEARS. OKAY, I'M PASSING THE GAVEL. AND THAT IS THE MOTION IS THAT I ASKED THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITY MANAGER TO WORK IN TANDEM TO ENSURE THAT THIS ISSUE IS REFERRED. THE FACT THAT WE HAD INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD SHOWED UP HERE, AND NOT ONLY IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, SHOWED UP HERE AND LIED TO THE COMMISSION THAT THEY WERE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY. BEAUTIFUL. I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT GETS REFERRED TO THE NECESSARY AUTHORITIES, WHETHER IT'S CATHY FERNANDEZ RUNDLE, WHETHER IT'S THE ETHICS COMMISSION LOCALLY AND AT THE STATE, WHATEVER IT NEEDS, WHATEVER ENTITIES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED OR MULTIPLE ENTITIES NEED TO BE REFERRED TO, PLEASE AND THEN COME BACK WITH US, COME BACK AND PROVIDE US WITH A MEMO THAT ADDRESSES NOT ONLY THE OUTCOME, BUT THE STEPS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN. OKAY. SO SO MAYOR, IF I UNDERSTOOD THE MOTION, I THINK IT WOULD BE. AND AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, IT'LL BE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL WORK WITH THE MANAGER, BUT IT WILL BE THE MANAGER TO MAKE SURE THAT THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IT'S REFERRED TO THE APPROPRIATE AGENCY. YES. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT.

OH, MY POINT IS THAT THAT WAS NOT THE APPROPRIATE VIDEO. THAT VIDEO WAS OBVIOUSLY IN REGARDS TO MR. LAVA. 110. THAT VIDEO WAS OKAY. THAT VIDEO WAS IN QUESTION TO 110 PHOENICIA. I WAS THE ONE THAT REFERRED THE ITEM AS WE HEARD EARLIER FROM FROM OUR CHIEF, THE VIDEO THAT I WAS HOPING WOULD BE SHOWN, WHICH IS OKAY, IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL. IT'S ON. IT'S ALREADY PUBLIC RECORD. ANYWAYS, WAS THE ISSUE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THE INSPECTOR GENERAL ONLINE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AND HOW THE INSPECTOR GENERAL CAME ABOUT, WHICH I WAS MY WHICH I SPONSORED. AND I'M VERY PROUD TO HAVE SPONSORED THAT ALONG WITH THE VICE MAYOR, TO GET THAT ON THE TO GET THAT BEFORE BEFORE THE VOTERS AND REALLY SEE THAT COME TO FRUITION. SO I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY THIS WAS BROUGHT UP, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, MAYBE TWO MONTHS AGO. THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT. ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, I BROUGHT IT UP

[03:35:02]

AND I WANT TO THANK THE RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE HERE WHO SUPPORTED IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. SO. BUT IT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE. WE HAVE TO HAVE A SUNSHINE MEETING.

SO WHAT I MOVED WAS THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS AFTER THE, THE, THE OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED THAT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL WAS GOING TO LOOK INTO. LOOK INTO WHAT? IT JUST HAPPENED. YEAH. WHICH I ALREADY REFERRED IT NOT TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL. YEAH, I DID TO ALL THE REFERRED TO ALL THE. IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AGAIN.

IT SAYS VERY CLEARLY, I REFERRED IT ALREADY. IT'S DONE. OKAY. THE FIRST MISTER, MISTER MANAGER, EXCUSE ME ONE SECOND. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND WAIT. IF I JUST SAID THE FIRST THING THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO, THE GENERAL IS GOING TO LOOK AT THAT WAS MY MOTION. WAS THIS ITEM IS A YES OR NO. EITHER YOU'RE ON BOARD OR YOU'RE NOT ON BOARD. OKAY. THAT'S IT.

LISTEN, IT'S ALREADY BEEN REFERRED. I REFERRED IT TO THE MANAGER, TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.

IT SAYS IT TO ALL, ALL CORRESPONDING AGENCIES. IT'S VERY CLEAR. I JUST PLAYED YOU A VIDEO, WHICH IS ONE OF THE TWO. I WAS ON ANOTHER VIDEO THAT I WANTED TO SHOW ABOUT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, BUT IT'S VERY CLEAR AS DAY. IT'S ALREADY BEEN REFERRED TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL. IT'S ALREADY BEEN REFERRED TO KATHY FERNANDEZ. IT'S ALREADY BEEN REFERRED. OUR POLICE CHIEF IS ADDRESSING. HE'S INVESTIGATING. LET THE LET THE COURSE MOVE FORWARD. LET HIM FINISH HIS INVESTIGATION. AND THEN IT WILL BE SENT TO ALL CORRESPONDING AGENCIES, BOTH LOCAL HERE AT CORAL GABLES COUNTY. STATE. AND IF WE REQUIRE TO GO TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, GO TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. I AM ALL ON BOARD AND HOLDING THESE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. IF SOME. IF THE LAW WAS BROKEN, IT'S VERY CLEAR IT'S IN THE VIDEO. OKAY. THE MAYOR, I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO VOTE ON THIS, OKAY, BUT I MADE A MOTION AND MY MOTION IS THAT THIS IS GOING TO GET REFERRED AND FIRST VIEWED BY THE THE FIRST THING THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IS GOING TO DO, I AM HERE TO REPRESENT ONCE AGAIN THE RESIDENTS OF CORAL GABLES.

THIS IS SOMETHING THEY SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED, NOT ONLY TO ME, BUT PROBABLY TO ALL OF YOU. SO ONCE AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND YOU DON'T WANT TO VOTE FOR THIS, BUT THERE IS A MOTION AND I HOPE THAT I CAN GET A SECOND WITH THE VIDEO YOU JUST SHOWED RIGHT THERE. IT DID NOT SAY INSPECTOR GENERAL. OKAY, SO THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE. YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND REQUEST A SECOND. AND IF THERE'S NOT A SECOND, THAT'S PERFECTLY OKAY. I SEE WHERE THIS COMMISSION STANDS. MR. CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE, PLEASE REPLAY THE VIDEO, PLEASE? AND CABLE TV, REPLAY THE VIDEO. THE ISSUE OF THE REFERRAL. GIVE ME ONE SECOND. I KNOW, I KNOW, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO. WE'RE NOT GOING TO WAIT TILL THE END. WE'RE GOING TO DO IT NOW. OKAY? BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT COMES FROM ME. OKAY. SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. SO YOU'RE PASSING THE GAVEL. YES, I AM FOR THIS ONE ITEM. I'M PASSING THE GAVEL. I'VE BEEN HERE 14 YEARS. OKAY, I'M PASSING THE GAVEL. AND THAT IS THE MOTION IS THAT I ASKED THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITY MANAGER TO WORK IN TANDEM TO ENSURE THAT THIS ISSUE IS

[03:40:03]

DESPITE THE TIMING AND SO FORTH. THE LINK IS THERE THAT SHE BELIEVES THAT THE PEOPLE WHO CAME AND IT SEEMED TO ME PRETTY OBVIOUS THEY WERE NOT BEING TRUTHFUL. THEY WERE LYING ABOUT WHERE THEY WERE LIVING AT THE TIME THAT THEY CAME AND STATED THEY WERE RESIDENTS OF CORAL GABLES, THAT THERE'S SOME LINK BETWEEN THAT AND THE MAYOR. AND NOW WE HAVE AN ATTEMPT ON THIS RESOLUTION TO REFER IT TO AN OFFICE THAT HAS NOT YET EVEN BEEN FULLY OPENED. RIGHT.

[03:45:03]

[F.-4. 26-2108 A Resolution of the City Commission establishing a Senior Relief Grant Fund for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and directing City staff to identify a source of funding. (Sponsored by Commissioner Fernandez)]

ONCE WE GET THE THE OFFICIAL ROLE FROM THE COUNTY. AND FOR CLARIFICATION, THE VETERANS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS FOR ITEM F FIVE. I'M SORRY. YES. THANK YOU. OKAY. THROUGH THE MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I KNOW THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS VIEWED VERY POSITIVELY BY OUR LEGISLATORS AS A WAY THAT WE WERE GIVING BACK TO THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. TO THE MAYOR. I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS. I HAVE THE FOLLOWING ASK, BECAUSE WE HAVE A BUDGET MEETING THAT STARTS AT FIVE, THAT WE BRING THIS BACK RIGHT AFTER WE FINISH, YOU KNOW, THE SECOND BUDGET MEETING, BECAUSE UNLESS OUR MILLAGE RATE IS REINSTATED, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOME VERY SERIOUS CUTS. THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, IN ORDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET. SO THAT'S THAT'S MY ONLY ASK. I AM SUPPORTIVE OF IT, BUT I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO BRING IT BACK. OKAY? IT'S A TIME. IT'S A TIMING ISSUE. IT'S TIMING ISSUE. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE OUR MILITARY ESTABLISHED TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING GOING FORWARD. AND THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN THROUGH THE MAYOR. I THINK THERE IS A TIMING ISSUE BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE DONE PRIOR TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND THAT'S USUALLY WHY WE DO IT IN SEPTEMBER. SO WE'RE USING CURRENT FISCAL YEAR FUNDS, NOT NEXT YEAR'S. I'M GONNA MAKE A FEDERAL AMENDMENT, MAKE THE MOTION CONTINGENT UPON THAT. WE REINSTATE THE CURRENT MILLAGE RATE SO THAT WE CAN HELP THOSE WHO NEED THE HELP THE MOST. AND I AM FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT TYPE OF THING. WE SUPPORTED THE REDUCTION ON A GARBAGE FEE BECAUSE AGAIN, IT HELPED THE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL THE MOST, INSTEAD OF THE PEOPLE THAT WILL REAP THE MOST BENEFIT, WHO HAVE THE MOST. SO CAN WE MAKE IT CONTINGENT? IF I CAN, I'LL BE HAPPY TO DEFER TO NEXT MEETING. WE DO HAVE A BUDGET DISCUSSION TODAY. YES, SO I'D BE HAPPY TO DEFER TO NEXT MEETING IF THAT'S. YEAH.

OR WE CAN MAKE IT A CONTINGENT MOTION THAT IF THE MILLAGE RATE IS SUSTAINED THIS YEAR, I'M FINE WITH THAT. I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. AND WE CAN TAKE THE VOTE TODAY. I'M IN FAVOR 110%. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS OBVIOUSLY OUR FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY TO OFFER. AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT, GREAT PROGRAM. I GET A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO TELL ME, THANK YOU, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED. SO ARE YOU WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? I'LL ACCEPT THE AMENDMENT. OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION. SECOND, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, MR. CLARK? NO, MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MADAM DIRECTOR. COMMISSIONER CASTRO. YES. COMMISSIONER.

FERNANDEZ. YES. COMMISSIONER. LARA. YES. VICE MAYOR ANDERSON. YES. MAYOR LARGO. YES. THANK

[03:50:04]

[F.-5. 26-2109 A Resolution of the City Commission establishing a Veterans with Disabilities Relief Grant Fund for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and directing city staff to identify a source of funding. (Sponsored by Commissioner Fernandez)]

VICE MAYOR ANDERSON. YES. COMMISSIONER. CASTRO. YES. YES. MOVING ON TO ITEM F EIGHT.

[F.-8. 26-2037 Update on No Bicycle, Skateboard, Scooter on Sidewalk Signage on Ponce de Leon Blvd. (Sponsored by Vice Mayor Anderson)]

SO TO THE VICE MAYOR'S POINT, THIS IS A CONVERSATION WE'VE BEEN HAVING ABOUT EXTENDING THE NO RIDE ZONES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE SET UP, BOTH THROUGH THE RENTAL SCOOTERS BIRD AND THEN ALSO THROUGH THE SIGNAGE THAT WE HAVE POSTED. SO JUST AS A REMINDER, WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE THAT WE HAVE POSTED ON MIRACLE MILES, THIS CURRENT SIGNAGE AND THE SECTION OF THE CODE THAT REFERS TO WHERE IT'S PERMISSIBLE UPON ALL SIDEWALKS, UNLESS OTHERWISE PROHIBITED BY OFFICIAL POSTING, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS THROUGH THE, THE, THE EXISTING SIGNAGE. SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE WORKED WITH BOTH BIRD AND WE'VE POSTED THE SAME SIGNAGE WE HAD ON MIRACLE MILE NOW IS ON PONCE, EXTENDING FROM ALHAMBRA TO ALMERIA. SO COVERING THE HIGH FOOT TRAFFIC AREA AND ALL THE STOREFRONTS. SO WE'VE EXTENDED THAT NOW TO INCLUDE MIRACLE MILE, GIRALDA PLAZA. IT ALSO INCLUDED OUR PUBLIC PARKING GARAGES. AND ALSO, LIKE I SAID, ON PONCE FROM ALHAMBRA TO ALMERIA. SO WE HAVE THAT OFFICIAL SIGNAGE NOW POSTED. WE WERE ABLE TO POST THAT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND WORKED WITH BIRD TO BE ABLE TO PUT THAT WITHIN THE APP. SO IF ANY OF THE SCOOTERS ENTER ANY OF THOSE ZONES, THE RENTAL SCOOTERS, THE THROTTLE WILL NOT WORK, IT'LL DECELERATE, AND THEN IT'LL ALSO RECEIVE AN AUDIBLE WARNING TO RETURN TO WHERE THERE IS A RIDE ZONE, A PERMITTED RIDE ZONE. I JUST WANTED TO PAN OUT AND SHOW KIND OF CITY WIDE ALSO WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE DOWNTOWN, BUT WE ALSO HAVE WHERE THERE ARE SLOW RIDE ZONES AROUND THE GOLF COURSES. AND AGAIN, WHEREVER WE HAVE PARKING GARAGES. SO THESE ARE ALSO AREAS THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD WITHIN THE BIRD APP TO BE ABLE TO EDUCATE USERS WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY. AND AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE SAFETY OF, OF, OF THE PEDESTRIANS AS WELL. I ALSO TOOK THIS SCREENSHOT FROM THE APP SHOWING THE REMINDERS THAT WHEN FOLKS GO TO RENT THE SCOOTERS, THE REMINDERS THAT THAT POP UP IN THE APP TO FOLLOW THE POSTED SIGNAGE, RESPECT THE NO RIDE ZONES, OBVIOUSLY NO TANDEM RIDING AND MAKE SURE THE DEVICES ARE PARKED CORRECTLY AND ALWAYS PUT SAFETY FIRST. YOU CAN ALSO SEE SOME OF THE MESSAGING THAT IS ON THE SCOOTERS THEMSELVES. AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, THE VICE MAYOR. YOU ASKED US TO LOOK INTO POSTING A CONTACT INFORMATION. IF THERE ARE SCOOTERS THAT ARE PARKED INCORRECTLY. SO BIRD HAS ALREADY STARTED PUTTING THESE STICKERS ON ALL THE SCOOTERS THEY HAVE DEPLOYED THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WHERE THERE IS A DEDICATED EMAIL ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER, WHERE IF A RESIDENT OR SOMEONE NOTICES THAT THERE'S A SCOOTER PARKED INCORRECTLY, THAT THEY CAN NOTIFY THEM. USUALLY WE CATCH IT, BUT SOMETIMES THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT THAT THEY NEED TO GO OUT AND REBALANCE. AND THIS IS NOW AN ADDITIONAL LAYER FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND CONTACT THOSE INDIVIDUALS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE CHIEF WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE PRIVATE SCOOTER SIDE AND WHAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON AS FAR AS EDUCATING AND ENFORCEMENT.

MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, WE ACTUALLY DID THREE OPERATIONS SINCE THIS CAME INTO PLAY. WE DID A JOINT OPERATION WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, MOTORCYCLE DETAIL AND OURS. AT THAT POINT, WE WROTE 86 CITATIONS. THEY WERE NOT E-BIKE RELATED, 18 WARNINGS IN EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT FOR THE E-BIKE INDIVIDUALS. WE WE IMPOUNDED EIGHT SCOOTERS. SECOND, TWO TIMES. WE ACTUALLY WORKED IT WITH OUR MOTOR UNIT AS WELL. SO THE TOTAL COMBINED FOR THE THREE WEEK PERIOD, WE WROTE 114 CITATIONS, 29 EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT, EIGHT SCOOTERS OF THOSE TO DATE, WE'VE HAD ONLY TWO CIVIL CITATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED DURING THE INITIATIVE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY RIDING ON THE ON THE SIDEWALKS ITSELF AND USING OUR CITY CODE. WELL, I APPRECIATE

[03:55:01]

DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATE FOR US ON THE ILLUMINATION IDEA THAT I THREW AT YOU? WE HAVE ACTUALLY A PHOTO OF THE PROTOTYPE. THE LAST TIME WE DEMONSTRATED THE PROTOTYPE OF THE SIDE, THE SIDEWALK SAFETY SENSOR, IT WAS ONLY THE ELECTRONICS THAT WE WERE TESTING AT THE LAB. NOW WE HAVE A PROTOTYPE THAT YOU SEE THERE. THIS WAS A THIS IS A WATERPROOF ENCLOSURE THAT WAS 3D PRINTED BY OUR TEAM THERE AT THE LAB. WE ARE TESTING IT AT THE 72ND AVENUE FACILITY, SIMULATING A SIDEWALK AND HAVING THE ENGINEERS USING DEVICES. MATT IS GOING TO GET SOME SOME SCOOTERS LOANERS SO WE CAN TEST IT. AND SO IT IS A WORKING PROTOTYPE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO TEST IT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CALIBRATE THE SENSORS WELL, BUT IT LOOKS BETTER THAN THE LAST TIME THAT I SHOWED IT TO YOU. IT WAS MOSTLY THE ELECTRONICS THERE AND THE CIRCUIT BOARDS. NOW IT'S A WORKING PROTOTYPE WITH A WATERPROOF ENCLOSURE THAT WAS 3D PRINTED IN OUR IN OUR LAB. SOON IT'S GOING TO BE. THAT'S THAT'S IMPRESSIVE. YOU KNOW, UNIVERSITIES AND STUFF WILL PATENT STUFF LIKE THIS MAKE IT PROPRIETARY. SO I'M VERY, VERY IMPRESSED WITH ALL THE EFFORTS OF YOUR TEAM. AND THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. THROUGH THE MAYOR.

YES. I'M SORRY, VICE MAYOR. I'M NOT SURE I FOLLOWED WHAT THAT BOX DOES THAT'S BEING TESTED RIGHT NOW. WHAT DOES IT DO IS FROM THE IDEA, FROM THE VICE MAYOR, BASICALLY, IT'S A SIDEWALK SAFETY SENSOR THAT WILL MEASURE IF SOMEBODY IS RIDING AN UNAUTHORIZED DEVICE, LIKE A BIKE OR A SCOOTER OR ANY MICROMOBILITY DEVICE. AND WE'LL MEASURE THE SPEED, OF COURSE, AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME SORT OF ELECTRONIC DISPLAY TO DISPLAY SLOWDOWN OR UNAUTHORIZED DEVICE TYPE OF THING USING AI. BASICALLY, IT'S A COMPUTER VISION SYSTEM WITH AI, AND THE LAST TIME I SHOWED IT HERE WAS WHEN WE WERE CELEBRATING OUR LABORATORY TEAM WITH THE INTERNS, AND IT LOOKED MOSTLY LIKE A BUNCH OF ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT BOARDS. IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE LIKE A FINALIZED PROTOTYPE. SO THE IDEA CAME TO ME BECAUSE WE HAVE SPEED DETECTION SIGNS ON BIRD ROAD AND OTHER PLACES THAT DETECTED AND DISPLAY THE SPEED OF VEHICLES. AND THIS IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO DISCERN THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE WALKING VERSUS THAT TYPE OF MOBILITY MODE VERSUS AN EIGHT MILE PER HOUR SPEED LIMIT THAT EXCEEDS WHAT A HUMAN BEING CAN DO ON TWO LEGS. SO YOU'RE ON A SCOOTER, YOU'RE ON A SKATEBOARD, YOU'RE ON A BICYCLE. AND IT FLASHES AND REMINDS, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE FINAL DESIGN, BUT IT'S GOING TO ILLUMINATE THESE SIGNS AND WARN PEOPLE THAT YOU CANNOT YOU'RE IN A NO RIDE ZONE. YOU CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE THE REALITY IS WE WHILE WE HAVE THE BIRD SCOOTERS, THERE'S A LOT OF PRIVATE SCOOTERS OUT THERE ALL OVER THE CITY, AND PEOPLE ZIP AROUND AND THERE ARE PLACES THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE ZIPPING, LIKE IN FRONT OF STOREFRONTS WHERE THEY CAN HURT FOLKS OR ON SIDEWALKS OR PEDESTRIANS ARE WALKING. THESE DEVICES BELONG IN BIKE LANES OR ON THE STREET. THANK YOU. MAYOR. YES, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP THAT REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION, WHICH WAS THE GARAGES, BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A GARAGE THE OTHER DAY AND THERE WAS A SCOOTER THAT JUST CAME FROM OUT OF NOWHERE. AND IT'S A REAL RISK BECAUSE THEY'RE COMING DOWN THOSE RAMPS REALLY QUICKLY. AND UNLESS YOU'RE REALLY PAYING ATTENTION, THEY CAN REALLY BLEND INTO THE CARS. SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING THAT HERE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A LUNCH AT 2:00? YES, PLEASE. MR. MAYOR, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, I HAD A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THIS ITEM, GONZALO SANABRIA. YES. GOOD AFTERNOON SIR. MR. KEY, AND MY COMMENTS ON F NINE THE FOLLOWING. SO MY APOLOGIES. IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU. IT'S COMING UP RIGHT NOW. YES. I'M GOING TO SIT DOWN AGAIN.

THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO SAY I GIVE YOU PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT.

[F.-9. 26-2038 Discussion regarding waterway regulations and enforcement. (Sponsored by Mayor Lago)]

[04:00:04]

SINCE APRIL OF 2022, WE HAVE 246 DOCUMENTED INSPECTIONS, 178 CONFIRMED CASES THAT WERE CREATED JUST FROM THE WATERWAY, PATROLS FROM OUR TIME SPENT ON THE WATER AND MOST OF THE WORK THAT WE IDENTIFY BACK THERE, OR MOST OF THE ISSUES THAT WE FOUND HAD TO DO WITH WORK WITHOUT PERMITS OR OBSTRUCTION OF THE WATERWAY, WASTE DISCHARGE RAFTING, MANGROVES THAT ARE ENCROACHING, TREES THAT ARE ENCROACHING. I THINK EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS THAT I, I'M, I'M A MARINER MYSELF AND I CAN APPRECIATE THE WATERWAY. I KAYAKED IT MYSELF MANY TIMES, AND I KNOW HOW FRUSTRATING IT COULD BE WHEN THE MANGROVES ARE BLOCKING THE WAY AND YOU HAVE TO KIND OF FIND A LONG WAY AROUND SOMETIMES. AND THAT'S LESS THAN DESIRABLE. BUT WE WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK WE DO. WE'VE TRIED TO DO MORE PATROLS. AND I FEEL LIKE NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE GET OUT THERE, WE NEED TO GET OUT THERE MORE. SO THAT'S MY THAT'S THE END. THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. AND MY, MY MAIN POINT, OKAY, JUST LIKE WE HAD COMMISSIONER FRANS BRING AN ISSUE THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY TO OUR DISABLED VETERANS. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY ANYTHING FROM OUR ELDERLY, BUT ESPECIALLY OUR DISABLED VETERANS. THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE I WANT TO WHERE I WANT TO ADD ADDITIONAL MONIES SO THAT THE MANAGER CAN SAY, LET'S GET OUT THERE, BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE THE MONEY. SO KEEP IT IN PLAY, KEEP IT IN THOUGHT AS YOU GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. THIS IS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO SPEND MORE TIME AND FOCUS MORE, BECAUSE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY.

WE'RE GETTING CALLS. YOU CAN JUST DO A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST. YOU CAN SEE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WRITING ME EMAILS. THEY PROBABLY WRITTEN THEM YOU, YOU KNOW, TO YOU ALSO. AND I LIVE NEAR THE WATERWAY. I DON'T LIVE ON THE WATERWAY, BUT I LIVE RIGHT THERE. STONE'S THROW AWAY.

[04:05:03]

DOUGLAS. EXCUSE ME, MR. DIRECTOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I APPRECIATE I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORTS ON THIS. THANK YOU. MAYOR. GREAT WORK ITEM, F10 COMMISSIONER LATTA. OH, YES, SIR. I'M SORRY, I FORGOT. THAT'S RIGHT. PUBLIC COMMENT. GONZALEZ-SANABRIA 944 SAN PEDRO AVENUE IN BEAUTIFUL GABLES BY THE SEA. FOR THE LAST 26 YEARS. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT THERE, MR. MAYOR. YES, SIR. ON THIS ITEM. I APPRECIATE THE BENEFIT OF HAVING NOTIFYING ALL THE WATERFRONT PEOPLE A POTENTIAL THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO REPAIR OR RECONDITION ON A BENIGN MANNER AT THE POINT, LIKE YOU SAID, A PAMPHLET OF SOME SORT OF INFORMATION THAT ALLOWS THEM TO GIVE HIM TIME TO RECONSIDER WHAT THEY HAVE DONE OR TO GET THE PERMIT PROPERLY. NOW YOU HIT THE YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. IT'S ABOUT RECONDITIONING. I THINK RECONDITIONING IS A BIG ISSUE, AND I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW I GOT YOU. THEY JUST DON'T KNOW I GOT YOU. BUT LET ME LET ME ADDRESS SOMETHING ELSE. WE HAVE A NO WAKE ZONE. SIGNS THAT HAVE DETERIORATED THE LAST FOUR YEARS IN GABLES BY THE SEA. AND I MET SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST 3 OR 4 YEARS WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR HERMES DIAZ, WHO SAYS THAT HE HAS THE BUDGET TO REPLACE US. NO WAKE ZONE SIGNS IN GABLES BY THE SEA. TO THIS DAY, IT HASN'T HAPPENED.

SO WHY YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT'S BENEFICIAL AND PRODUCTIVE TO THE WATERWAYS? YOU ALSO NEED TO CONSIDER THE SOME CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY NEGLECTED. THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS, AS YOU KNOW, THROUGH SEVERAL YEARS OF EFFORT, WE WERE ABLE TO CONSTITUTE A COMMITTEE CALLED THE SOUTH HOA GABLES WATERFRONT COMMITTEE, THANKS TO YOUR HELP AND THAT OF VICE MAYOR ANDERSON, THAT COMMITTEE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO BY THIS PEOPLE. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEY BE AWARE, BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL THIS 11 HOA'S THAT COVER THE WHOLE AREA SOUTH. MR. MAYOR, WE HAVE 43 MILES OF WATERFRONT FRONTAGE IN THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES. WE ONLY HAVE TWO POLICE PATROL BOATS. WE RARELY SEE THEM. WE HAVE REQUESTED FOREVER AND A DAY TO INCREASE THAT. IN TERMS OF MANAGEMENT, IN TERMS OF WORKFORCE, IN TERMS OF TIME, IN TERMS OF VISIBILITY. AND NOTHING HAS EVER HAPPENED

[04:10:06]

[F.-10. 26-2039 Update regarding the Development Services Department Same Day Permit Program. (Sponsored by Commissioner Lara)]

YES, I'M PLEASED TO DO SO. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS AND FOR GIVING US THE IDEA TO DO THIS. A YEAR AGO, WHEN THIS COMMISSION ALLOWED US TO BRING IN THE EXTRA STAFF, WE COULDN'T HAVE CONTEMPLATED ANYTHING LIKE THIS AT THAT TIME. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE REDUNDANCY IN THE STAFF. AFTER WE WE GOT THE IDEA, WE STARTED BRAINSTORMING AND I DO HAVE A POWERPOINT PUT TOGETHER FOR THIS, WHERE WE IDENTIFIED THE TYPES OF PERMITS WHERE WE COULD GET THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK. THERE'S THE MOST VOLUME OF RESIDENTS THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM. THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE. NOW. WE HAVE EXTRA PEOPLE. NOW IF SOMEBODY GOES ON VACATION, WE CAN STILL DO THIS. IF SOMEBODY GETS SICK, WE CAN STILL DO THIS. WE HAVE BACKUPS FOR THE BACKUPS SO THAT THESE SPECIFIC PERMITS, WE ANALYZE THE VOLUME. WE MADE SURE THAT WE COULD DO IT EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN DONE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, AND I'M PLEASED TO SHARE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WE IMPLEMENTED IT AND IT'S WORKING.

IT'S COMING. THE PERMITS ARE GOING OUT ON THE SAME DAY IF THEY GET APPROVED. AND WE IDENTIFIED ROOFING PERMITS, DOORS AND WINDOWS, PAINT, ASPHALT, DRIVEWAYS, AND SMALL INTERIOR PROJECTS LIKE KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS OR NON-STRUCTURAL INTERIOR REMODELS, THINGS THAT ARE RELATIVELY SIMPLE BUILDING CODE WISE, ZONING WISE, PUBLIC WORKS WISE. AND AND THAT THE VOLUME WAS THERE THAT WE COULD HANDLE IT THE SAME DAY RELIABLY. YOU CAN COUNT ON IT. SO THE WAY IT WORKS IS ANYBODY WHO UPLOADS AND PAYS THEIR UPFRONT FEE BEFORE 8 A.M. AUTOMATICALLY GET IN THIS PROGRAM. WE WILL DO IT FOR YOU THAT SAME DAY. WE WILL COMPLETE THAT REVIEW CYCLE. IF IT DOES GET APPROVED BY ALL THE TRADES THAT SAME DAY, IT WILL BE INVOICED BY THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS, IN WHICH CASE THE APPLICANT COULD THEN PAY THE INVOICE AND AT MIDNIGHT THE PERMIT WILL BE ISSUED. AND IF YOU DON'T MAKE IT IN BY 8:00 IN THE MORNING TODAY, IT'LL BE IN THERE FOR THE NEXT DAY ALREADY. AS LONG AS YOU PAY YOUR UPFRONT FEE BY THE NEXT DAY, WE WILL GET IT DONE FOR YOU THE NEXT DAY. IT'S VERY SIMPLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS HERE. OBVIOUSLY IN CORAL GABLES WE DO HAVE A BOARD OF ARCHITECTS, SO SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL APPLY THINKING IT'S A RELATIVELY SIMPLE THING. AND THEN ONCE WE LOOK AT IT, WE REALIZE, OH WOW, THERE'S ACTUALLY STRUCTURAL IN THIS ONE. OR WOW, THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTS. WE CAN'T JUST ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVE IT.

THEN OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LEAVE THEM IN THAT PROGRAM. THAT PROJECT WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE NORMAL ROUTE. AND THEN OTHER WE HAVE A COUPLE OTHER EXCLUSIONS. IF IT'S A PRIVATE PROVIDER PROJECT, IF IT NEEDS STRUCTURAL OR SIGNIFICANT MECHANICAL REVIEW, WE EXCLUDED SUB PERMITS AND ANYTHING THAT'S UNDER A MASTER BECAUSE THOSE DON'T REALLY HOLD UP THE PROJECT. YOU CAN STILL DO OTHER THINGS WHILE YOU WAIT FOR THAT. AND IF IF THERE'S SOME OF THE HIGH END CORAL GABLES KITCHENS, IT'S LIKE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN. THEY'LL HAVE HOODS AND FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE COULDN'T INCLUDE ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN HERE. SO

[04:15:06]

I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO PULL MORE RECENT NUMBERS. WE HAD 117 PERMITS THAT HAD GONE THROUGH THE PROGRAM SAME DAY WITH 230 REVIEWS WITHIN THOSE 117 PERMITS. SO IT'S BEEN A SUCCESS.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO MAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAPPY. THEY'RE GOING TO SEE THAT CERTAIN THINGS CAN GO THROUGH VERY QUICKLY, AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF IT. WELL, I I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT THE DEPARTMENT SERVICES HAS DONE IN THIS PROJECT. IT IS A PILOT PROGRAM. SO IF I MAY, MR. MAYOR, ASK THE CITY MANAGER, DO YOU KNOW OR DOUG, DO YOU KNOW HOW WE'RE GETTING THE WORD OUT TO THE RESIDENTS REGARDING THIS PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE SAME DAY PERMIT BEING ISSUED THROUGH THE MAYOR? YES, COMMISSIONER. THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM AND WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING IT OUT NOW. WE HAD SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH. WE'RE WORKING WITH INTER GOV, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT THE MOST USER FRIENDLY PROGRAM, BUT IT'S THE ONLY ONE OUT THERE.

AND SO WE'VE HAD TO DO WELL, ACTUALLY, WE'RE UPGRADING THAT PROGRAM AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT. WE'RE WE'RE IN DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF IT THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S AN INTERESTING PROGRAM. IT'S MUCH MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN THE ONE I HAD IN WHEN THE ONE IN CITY OF MIAMI, I BELIEVE, WHICH WE DID INTERNALLY. BUT THAT'S THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE. IT WORKS OFF OF ORACLE, AS I MENTIONED. AND THAT'S, THAT'S QUITE A COSTLY BASE TO WORK OFF OF. BUT WE, WE INTEND TO, TO MAKE THIS THIS IS THIS IS NOW PERMANENT. AND WE'LL BE PUTTING IT OUT NOW THROUGH, THROUGH THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS. AND WE ARE WE WILL EXTEND THIS AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN PERMITS THAT DO NOT DEAL WITH BOARD OF ARCHITECTS OR DO NOT DEAL WITH ANY. WITH LIFE SAFETY ISSUES THAT CANNOT BE DEALT WITH ON A ON A MORE COMPRESSED SCALE. WELL, I'D LIKE TO SEE SUPPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO WORK THROUGH THE CITY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE TO SEE IF WE CAN PUBLICIZE THIS. NOW THAT WE'VE WORKED OUT SOME OF THE INITIAL BUGS OR, YOU KNOW, GETTING IT OFF THE GROUND, BECAUSE THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT I'M HOPING WILL YIELD THE BENEFITS THAT WE ALL BELIEVE IT WOULD HAVE BECAUSE THE THE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SEEMS VERY COMMON SENSE. AND LIKE YOU SAID, DOUG, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY MAYBE A YEAR AGO TO DO IT. BUT NOW THAT WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT, WE'RE DELIVERING REAL RESULTS FOR THE RESIDENTS. WE'RE PROVIDING THEM, LIKE I WOULD SAY, SIMILAR TO THE TRASH. YOU KNOW, IT'S SORT OF LIKE WE'RE PROVIDING CONCIERGE BENTLEY TYPE SERVICE ON THE THINGS THAT EVERY DAY EVERYBODY WILL NEED. THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE SOMETHING PARTICULARLY COMPLICATED, DOESN'T INVOLVE A HISTORIC HOME. IT DOESN'T INVOLVE SOMETHING ON A COMMERCIAL GRADE LEVEL. BUT THE EVERYDAY THING TO HELP THE RESIDENTS GET WHAT THEY GOT TO GET DONE, DONE, AND, AND, AND SHOWCASE OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE SO FANTASTIC. SO IF WE CAN GET SOME PUBLICITY FOR THIS SO THE RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND AND KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THIS BENEFIT AVAILABLE TO THEM, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. TO THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR, EXCUSE ME, MR. MAYOR.

I MEAN, I FULLY SUPPORT THAT, AND I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT NEEDS TO BE PUBLICIZED IS THE FACT THAT THIS IS NOT ANY ADDITIONAL COST. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO PAY AN EXPEDITING FEE. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO PAY A SEPARATE FIRM. THIS IS YOUR STANDARD PERMITTING FEE. AND WE DON'T CHARGE ANYTHING EXTRA FOR ANY OF OUR PERMITTING PROCESSES OTHER THAN THE STANDARD FEE. THAT'S A GREAT POINT. THAT'S A GREAT POINT BY THE VICE MAYOR.

AND IF I MAY, I KNOW THE MANAGER WANTS TO JUST SAY A FEW WORDS TO TO COMMISSIONER LALA'S POINT. CAN WE HAVE THIS ON LIKE THE NEXT NEWSLETTER ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA? CAN WE PUT IT ON INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, A NEWSLETTER, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE? YES, MA'AM.

I THINK WE'RE READY NOW TO DO SO. WE'RE PAST THE THE DEPLOYMENT STAGE RIGHT NOW. AND WE WE'RE WE'RE HAPPY TO DO SO. IT'S ALSO, AS VICE MAYOR SAID, IT'S NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE. AND AND ALSO, WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN STREAMLINE OTHER THINGS TO TRY TO TRY TO PUT A PORTION OF THOSE THINGS INTO THIS PROGRAM. SO SO WE ARE WE'RE NOT ONLY READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT STREAMLINING AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN OTHER AREAS. WONDERFUL. GREAT WORK, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU, MR. DIRECTOR. I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS. AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR LEADING THE CHARGE. ITEM F 11. MR. MAYOR, BEFORE YOU MOVE FORWARD, MR. GONZALEZ-SANABRIA, I WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. THANK YOU.

I THINK EVERYBODY HERE AGREES THAT ONE OF THE OBSTACLES. WOULD YOU MIND PUTTING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS AT 944 SAN PEDRO AVENUE IN BEAUTIFUL GABLES BY THE SEA? ONE OF THE OBSTACLES. ANYBODY GETTING A PERMIT HERE IS THE TIME. COMMISSIONER LARA AND OTHER

[04:20:08]

[F.-11. 26-2041 Discussion regarding the City Hall construction fence project. (Sponsored by Mayor Lago)]

SO, MR. MANAGER, I DON'T THINK YOU NEED ACTION. RIGHT. JUST RECOMMENDATION. YES, MAYOR. WE WILL TAKE ACTION ON THAT. I THINK IT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA. THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY

[F.-12. 26-2071 Inaugural Coral Gables Salute to Veterans event update and presentation. (Sponsored by Commissioner Lara)]

YES. SO ITEM F 12 IS THE UPDATE REGARDING THE INAUGURAL CORAL GABLES SALUTE TO VETERANS, THE EVENT UPDATE AND THE PRESENTATION. THE FED'S GOING TO BE PROVIDING US MOMENTARILY.

VERY PROUD OF THIS. I SPONSORED THIS AND I THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR SUPPORTING THE INAUGURAL NOVEMBER 11TH VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION IN THE CITY. BEAUTIFUL. IT IS A PARTICULARLY MOMENTOUS OCCASION. INAUGURALS TYPICALLY ARE BECAUSE THEY'RE THE VERY FIRST. BUT WE WOULD BE DOING THIS ONE ALSO ON THE ANNIVERSARY, THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF OUR COUNTRY. SO IT'S A PARTICULARLY SPECIAL DATE, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT CORAL GABLES HAS A VERY STRONG TRADITION OF SERVICE. AND THIS IS YET ANOTHER. VERY WELL

[04:25:07]

[04:30:03]

THERE'S ANOTHER CRAFT. WE ALSO WITH FACE PAINTING, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT PATRIOTIC COLORS AND THOSE KIND OF DESIGNS THAT LEND ITSELF TO VETERANS DAY. SO WE'LL HAVE THAT. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF OUR INTERACTIVE GAMES THAT WE HAVE AT CERTAIN OTHER EVENTS THAT WE'LL PUT THOSE OUT, AND ALSO A COUPLE OF OTHER PATRIOTIC CARNIVAL GAMES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER. SO WE'LL HAVE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE STREET THAT'LL TIE IN THE CONCERT, AND IT'LL HAVE FAMILIES ABLE TO GO THROUGH AND WORK THROUGH THE ENTIRE STREET IN THE EVENT THIS IS OUR MARKETING PROMOTION EVENT FLYER THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HANDING OUT PRETTY SOON. WE GOT THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT WITH MARTHA PANTENE. SHE HELPED US AND OUR OUR MARKETING STAFF TO PUT THIS TOGETHER. AND THEN WE LOOKED AT A COUPLE OF THEMED GIVEAWAYS AND KEEPSAKES OF APPRECIATION THAT WE WANT TO GIVE TO PEOPLE THAT COME TO THE EVENT. THERE'S A DOG TAG, WHICH WE, WE DESIGNED, AND ALSO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF LAPEL PINS. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER KEEPSAKE, WHICH WE'LL KEEP A SURPRISE FOR NOW FOR OUR OUR SPECIAL GUESTS ON THE DAY OF. ONE OF THE LAST THINGS THAT WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HIGHLIGHT IS WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO GET ASSISTANCE IN WAYS THAT OUR MERCHANTS ON THE PLAZA CAN PARTICIPATE, WHETHER IT'S VETERAN DISCOUNTS, VETERANS DAY MENUS, THEMED STOREFRONT DISPLAYS, PROMOTION IF THEY WANT TO HAVE A GIVEAWAY OR AN ACTIVITY SPONSORSHIP, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AND SEE IF WE CAN COORDINATE AND REALLY THEN PROMOTE THE EVENT THROUGHOUT THE STREET. THE LAST FEATURE OF THIS EVENT, WHICH ALSO COMES INTO PLAY WITH THE CITY'S CELEBRATION OF THE 250TH BIRTHDAY OF OUR COUNTRY, IS WE WILL HAVE THE US FLAG INSTALLATION, AND THAT'S KIND OF A AN ILLUSTRATION OF WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE. AND I THINK THAT'LL BE A A GREAT FEATURE THAT TIES IN THE EVENT THE PLAZA AND THE CELEBRATION. SO THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND WE HOPE YOU ARE TOO. COMMISSIONER, IF I MAY. SO I'M SUPER EXCITED. I WAS TALKING TO MARTHA ABOUT THIS BEFORE. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAD BROUGHT BEFORE THE OPPORTUNITY ABOUT DOING THE FLAGS AND DOING AN EVENT. ON USING THE STRUCTURE THAT'S UP, BUT YOUR YOUR IDEA, YOUR CONCEPT BLOWS EVERYTHING AWAY, TAKES IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL. SO WHAT I HAD PROPOSED WAS, AND I WAS TALKING TO MARTHA WAS OBVIOUSLY CELEBRATING OUR CENTENNIAL, MAKING THIS LIKE ONE OF THE LAST EVENTS, NOT CENTENNIAL, EXCUSE ME, 250 YEARS OF AMERICA. I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE WE HAD THE STRUCTURE UP AND IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. THE MANAGER AND THE WHOLE TEAM WAS GETTING QUOTES FOR FOR FLAGS.

BUT I MEAN, NOW IT'S ANOTHER LEVEL. NOW IT'S I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THIS. THIS IS GOING TO BE COOL. THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY GOOD. SO I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND, AND FRED, YOUR TEAM AND MARTHA AND BELKIS AND WHOEVER WORKED ON THIS, THE MANAGERS TEAM, ACM, DCM, BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING SPECIAL. WELL, I APPRECIATE THOSE KIND OF REMARKS, BUT LIKE YOU JUST SAID, RIGHT? SO IT'S EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT'S HELPED OUT, YOU KNOW, PARKS, COMMUNICATIONS, RIGHT? ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, EVERYBODY HAS REALLY GOTTEN BEHIND THIS, BEEN SUPER ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DO THINGS IN CORAL GABLES, RIGHT, WE DO THEM BIG, WE DO THEM RIGHT. AND WE BECOME THE ENVY OF EVERYONE AROUND US. AND WHAT BETTER REASON, WHAT BETTER CAUSE? WHAT BETTER TIME THAN THIS INTERSECTION OF AN INAUGURAL HAPPENING ON THE 250TH BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED STATES TO CELEBRATE THE VETERANS? SO, IF I MAY, ON THAT POINT, I HAVEN'T CHECKED, BUT I KNOW THAT WE DON'T. I PUT TOGETHER A FUND THAT HAS ABOUT $100,000 A YEAR TO DO CONSULATE CELEBRATIONS. DIA DE MUERTOS, BARRANQUILLA. WE ALSO DID SEVILLA. AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN SHORT ONE EVENT, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MONEY'S BEEN ACCUMULATING IN THAT IN THAT ACCOUNT. HAS THAT MONEY BEEN ACCUMULATING THAT ACCOUNT. CAN WE FIND OUT IN THE BUDGET YOU DON'T ACCUMULATE. EXCUSE ME. WE DON'T ACCUMULATE THE MAYOR. WE JUST BUDGET. I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO SEE IF WE CAN ALLEVIATE THE PRESSURE ON, ON, ON THE COST. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE'RE SO WE'RE SO RIGHT NOW ON, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND EVERY CORNER, YOU KNOW,

[04:35:02]

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. PERFECT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. DIRECTOR F 14. MAYOR, YOU SAID WE WERE GOING TO LUNCH AT 2211. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO IF I'M GOING TO FINISH UP F-14, F-15 AND. 16 AND THEN WE'LL GO TO LUNCH AND WE'LL DEAL WITH THE CITY MANAGER. ADAM IS F-14 MINE.

YES. MY SUGAR IS GOING LOW, SO I NEED TO I NEED TO GO HAVE LUNCH. SO IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND SKIP MINE, AND I MEAN, I CAN WAIT HERE, BUT I'M NOT LIKE, I'M ALREADY STARTING TO SWEAT. OKAY, WELL THEN WE'LL WE WILL COME BACK IN WHAT IS AN APPROPRIATE TIME FOR EVERYBODY SO THEY CAN MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S IN ONE PIECE. HOW IS IT 30 MINUTES. 30 MINUTES IS GOOD. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL SEE MR. . RECORDING IN PROGRESS. ALL RIGHT. WELCOME BACK. WE WILL

[F.-14. 26-2107 Update regarding the investigation into alleged false testimony provided during the August 26, 2026 City Commission Meeting. (Sponsored by Commissioner Castro)]

AT 14 IS A DISCUSSION. LET ME GO AHEAD AND READ WHAT IT ACTUALLY SAYS HERE. IT'S AN UPDATE REGARDING THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE FALSE TESTIMONIES PROVIDED DURING THE AUGUST 26TH CITY COMMISSION MEETING. I KNOW THAT WE TOUCHED BRIEFLY ON THIS DURING PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, SO I'M GOING TO JUST ASK YOU TO REPHRASE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT VERY BRIEFLY. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS CURRENTLY AN OPEN INVESTIGATION, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. WHICH AGENCY HAS IT? THE CORAL GABLES POLICE DEPARTMENT INTERNAL AFFAIRS SECTION. AT WHAT POINT ARE WE GOING TO REFER IT TO THE STATE ATTORNEY, FDLE, OR ANOTHER AGENCY WHEN ALL THE SWORN STATEMENTS ARE TAKEN BY THE INDIVIDUALS IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND EVERYONE IS IDENTIFIED, THEN THE FINDINGS WILL GO TO ME AND THEN I WILL DECIDE WHICH DEPARTMENTS THAT WILL GO TO, WHETHER IT BE THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE STATE, FDLE, PREPONDERANCE OF OF NON TRUTHFUL FACTS OR AN IG'S OFFICE STATE ETHICS. CITY COUNTY ETHICS. AND ARE YOU ABLE TO TELL ME AT WHAT STAGE WE ARE ON RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS AT LEAST

[04:40:01]

IT'S DECLARED BY THE STATE AND WE WOULD BE IN VIOLATION OF STATE LAW. SO BEFORE ANYTHING IS DONE, I NEED FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY AND I NEED FROM THE ADMINISTRATION TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THESE FIVE ASHES AS AS APPROXIMATELY FIVE URNS OF ASHES THAT ARE IN THIS PROPERTY BEFORE ANY OTHER PERMITTING GOES FURTHER. WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW IS DOCUMENTS FROM THE STATE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THESE WHERE THESE REMAIN TODAY AND. I BELIEVE THIS NEEDS TO BE DETERMINED BEFORE THE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE AS WELL. THROUGH THE MAYOR. YES. A QUICK QUESTION, COMMISSIONER. ARE YOU. I CAN'T READ IN EITHER THAT DOCUMENT FROM THE DISTANCE OR ON MY SCREEN. OR DOES THAT DOCUMENT PURPORT TO STATE THAT THERE ARE FIVE URNS BURIED UNDERGROUND, OR ARE THEY LOCATED INSIDE A ROOM LIKE ON THE PROPERTY? I WOULD LOVE TO INVESTIGATE THAT. I DON'T THINK IT CLEARLY STATES THAT THERE.

IT DOES STATE THERE THAT IT'S THERE ON THE PROPERTY THROUGH THE MAYOR. YES. THROUGHOUT THE FIVE YEAR HISTORY OF THIS PROJECT, I HAD MET NUMEROUS TIMES WITH FOLKS AND TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE FINAL DISPOSITION IS GOING TO BE OF VARIOUS THINGS ON THE PROPERTY.

THERE WERE PLAQUES THAT THE DEVELOPER HAD AGREED TO HAVE DONATED TO THE WAR MEMORIAL YOUTH CENTER, SO THEY CAN BE PROPERLY DISPLAYED FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY, AS OPPOSED TO IN A PLACE THEY'VE NEVER BEEN SEEN. THERE IS RELIGIOUS STATUES THAT WERE OFFERED TO AND WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO A CATHOLIC CHURCH, AND THE. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE URNS THAT DID EXIST, THAT THE DEVELOPER HAD REACHED OUT TO THE FAMILY. THE.

THAT. IT WAS A COMPLICATED PROCESS, AS THE DOCUMENT YOU PUT UP WAS FROM 2022. IT'S NOTHING RECENT AND THAT THOSE WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE LOCATION SOMEHOW WITH THE FAMILY INVOLVED. THAT'S ABOUT ALL THE INFORMATION I HAVE FOR YOU THAT WILL HELP STAFF GET CONFIRMATION OF THOSE THOSE MATTERS. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE DEVELOPER'S ATTORNEY I KNOW IS AWARE OF THOSE FACTS AND CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAILS. OKAY, SO THE STATE RECORD BEFORE YOU, WE'RE GOING TO LET ME RUN THE MEETING. WE RUN THE MEETING. SO YOU PUT THIS OUT THERE INTO THE UNIVERSE. THE DOCUMENTS ARE THERE. WE'VE GIVEN IT TO THE OPEN INVESTIGATION. I DON'T WANT TO GET I DON'T WANT TO ENGAGE IN ANY OTHER CONVERSATION OUT OF RESPECT FOR WHAT'S WHAT. I CALLED FOR THE INVESTIGATION THAT I CALLED FOR, LET THE

[04:45:03]

OKAY. THROUGH THE MAYOR, I, I RESPECT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I WASN'T DONE. OKAY. I WANT THIS DOCUMENT ENTERED INTO THE RECORD AS PART OF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION. I ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHERE THESE REMAIN TODAY AND IF THERE'S ANY DOCUMENTATION ESTABLISHING WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM. AND I ALSO WANT TO QUOTE WHAT IT SAYS RIGHT THERE ON THE DOCUMENTS.

IT SAYS FIVE GRAVES. GRAVES CONSISTS OF APPROXIMATELY FIVE URNS WITH ASHES. SO WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE THIS IS. OKAY. YOU DONE? I'M DONE. OKAY, PERFECT. SO TO THROW YOU A LIFELINE, BUT YOU WOULDN'T LISTEN. SO NOW I HAVE TO. COMMISSIONER CASTRO, I WANT TO ADDRESS THE ALLEGATIONS CONCERNING PEOPLE WHO SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF CRYSTAL RESIDENCES.

IF ANYONE GAVE A FALSE ADDRESS OR CLAIMED TO BE A CORAL GABLES RESIDENT WHEN THEY WERE NOT, I FIND THAT ABHORRENT. PEOPLE WHO COME BEFORE THIS COMMISSION OWE US THE TRUTH, REGARDLESS OF WHICH SIDE OF AN ISSUE THEY SUPPORT. THAT IS WHY I SUPPORTED REFERRING THESE ALLEGATIONS IMMEDIATELY. FOR INVESTIGATION. WE NEED FACTS AND ANYONE WHO MISREPRESENTED THEMSELVES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IMMEDIATELY AND TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER MATTER I THINK WE MUST CONFRONT IF WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT HONESTY AT COMMISSION HEARINGS. I HAVE A VIDEO FROM PRIOR MEETINGS IN WHICH YOUR ATTORNEY, YOUR PERSONAL ATTORNEY, DAVID WINKER, DESCRIBED HIMSELF AS A CORAL GABLES RESIDENT AND WAS CHALLENGED ABOUT THAT CLAIM. MR. WINKER IS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT. GIVEN THAT STANDARD, HE IS ASKING US TO APPLY TO OTHERS, I BELIEVE THE PUBLIC DESERVES TO SEE THAT EXCHANGE AND I'M PREPARED TO PLAY IT. MR. CLERK, PLEASE PLAY THE RECORD. MISTER. MISTER, MISTER, ARE YOU SPEAKING AS THE ATTORNEY FOR SOMEBODY OR AS A RESIDENT? I AM SPEAKING, LET'S RESTART. LET'S RESTART IT SO PEOPLE CAN HEAR THE BEGINNING, SIR. AS A RESIDENT OF CORAL GABLES.

MISTER, MISTER, MISTER, ARE YOU SPEAKING AS THE ATTORNEY FOR SOMEBODY OR AS A RESIDENT? I AM SPEAKING IN TWO CAPACITIES. I AM SPEAKING AS A RESIDENT OF CORAL GABLES. YES. OKAY. AND OKAY, SO LET'S STOP IT RIGHT THERE. SO COMMISSIONER CASTRO JUST TOLD ME RIGHT NOW THAT HE SHE WANTED TO MAKE A POINT ON THE RECORD, AND IT WAS ENTERED INTO THE RECORD A FEW SECONDS AGO. WELL, HE HAS AN OFFICE HERE IN CORAL GABLES. HE CLEARLY SAYS HE'S A RESIDENT THERE. HE LIES UNDER OATH. MR. CLERK, PLEASE PROCEED. IF CABLE TV CAN PROCEED WITH THE VIDEO AND REGISTER TO LOBBY ON BEHALF OF THE PONCE NEIGHBORS. OH. WHO'S THAT? AND WHO'S THE PONCE NEIGHBORS? IS THAT AN ASSOCIATION? YES, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MADE UP OF THE CRAFT SECTION. MR. WINKLE, YOU'RE SPEAKING AS A RESIDENT. COULD YOU PLEASE ALSO STATE YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD? MY HOME ADDRESS IS 2222 SOUTHWEST 17TH STREET. MISTER.

MISTER, MISTER, ARE YOU SPEAKING AS THE ATTORNEY FOR SOMEBODY OR AS A RESIDENT? OKAY, PRETTY CLEAR AS DAY. SO HE SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN IT. AND THE FACTS SHOULD BE EXAMINED BY THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES. THE SAME STANDARD MUST APPLY TO EVERYONE WHO SPEAKS BEFORE THE COMMISSION. PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULDN'T THROW STONES. I WILL NOT EXCUSE A FALSE STATEMENT BECAUSE IT CAME FROM SOMEONE WHO SUPPORTED A PROJECT I SUPPORTED, AND I WILL NOT OVERLOOK ONE BECAUSE IT CAME FROM SOMEONE WHO OPPOSED IT. LET THE INVESTIGATION DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED. MY VOTE ON CRYSTAL RIVER STANDS ON THE MERITS OF THE PROJECT, AND MY CONVICTION THAT THIS IS THE BETTER PATH FOR CRYSTAL ACADEMY AND OUR CITY. MR. CHIEF, SIR, WE HAVE AN OFFICER OF THE COURT, A LICENSED ATTORNEY, STATING THAT HE'S A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT NONRESIDENTS STATING THAT THEY'RE RESIDENTS OF CORAL GABLES. SAME THING HAPPENED HERE WITH A CITY WITH WITH AN ATTORNEY. HOW DO WE HANDLE IT, SIR? I HAVE TO CHECK ON THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON WHEN THE STATEMENT WAS MADE, SINCE I BELIEVE THAT WAS PROBABLY DURING COVID, WE'D

[04:50:02]

SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I CAUTION ALL OF YOU THAT I DON'T KNOW THE APPROPRIATENESS OF OF OPENING THIS ADDITIONAL MATTER. MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, WE'RE NOT OPENING ANY ADDITIONAL. THIS IS ALL THEATER FOR THE GRAM. THIS IS FOR THE BOTS TO HAVE A FIELD DAY LATER ON AND JUST GO ABSOLUTELY NUTS IN REGARDS TO THIS. THIS IS A DESPERATION EFFORT TO GET REELECTED. AND IT'S THE CONSTANT RHETORIC. IT'S ALREADY UNDER INVESTIGATION. I CALLED FOR IT TO BE UNDER INVESTIGATION. AGAIN, IF THERE ARE ASHES OR ANY REMAINS, PLEASE SHOW IT TO THE POLICE CHIEF, THE CITY MANAGER AND THEY WILL BE DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY IN A IN A WAY THAT IS RESPECTFUL OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO PASSED AWAY. AND IT WILL BE ADDRESSED. BY THE WAY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. THEY. MISTER, MISTER, MISTER CHIEF, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE HAD THIS AN ISSUE WHERE WE'VE. YOU KNOW, SOMEONE PASSES AWAY AND THEY LEFT AN URN THAT WAS FROM A LOVED ONE THAT WAS THERE IN THEIR HOUSE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT NEW. IT'S HAPPENED IN FAMILIES BEFORE, BUT THIS IS LIKE, AGAIN, THIS IS WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE THIS AS DIFFICULT AS POSSIBLE AND MUDDY THE WATERS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

AND IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE. CHIEF, WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND THROUGH THE MAYOR? MANAGER. I'M SORRY. EXCUSE ME. MAYOR, THIS FORM IS FROM 71222. IT'S ALMOST FOUR OVER FOUR YEARS AGO.

THROUGH THE MAYOR. YES, MISTER. YES, MADAM. VICE MAYOR, THIS DOCUMENT WAS PART OF OUR QUASI JUDICIAL HEARING. IT WAS PRESENTED. I WAS AWARE, I ALSO WAS AWARE THAT THE URNS HAD ALREADY BEEN REMOVED. AND IT JUST LIKE THE REPORT I GOT ON ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT SITE THAT THERE WERE BONNETED BAT SEEN. AND I LEARNED FROM DURHAM THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE TYPES OF REPORTS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO STOP DEVELOPMENT. KNOW BONNETED BATS WERE ON THAT SITE. THIS MATTER WAS ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF YEARS AGO BY THE DEVELOPER, JUST LIKE I. EVERY TIME THAT THERE'S A DEMO COMING THROUGH, I TALK TO THE DEVELOPER ABOUT MAKING SURE ALL THE FERAL CATS ARE LOCKED OUT FROM BELOW THE BUILDINGS. IT'S SEALED SO NOTHING GETS KILLED IN THE PROCESS. THROUGH THE MAYOR. YES. TWO OF THESE. WILL YOU JUST TELL ME THE VICE MAYOR SPEAKING. ARE YOU DONE, MADAM VICE MAYOR? I'M JUST TRYING TO FINISH BEFORE I STEPPED ON. OKAY. YOU KNOW, JUST. THERE'S A LACK OF DECORUM. IT'S IN THE RECORD. IT WAS CONSIDERED. IT'S DONE. I RECALL SEEING THE CEMETERY FORM DURING THE MEETING ITEM ITSELF. THE MAYOR? YES. SO BACK THEN WAS SERGIO PINO WAS THE OWNER OF THIS PROPERTY. HE DID GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS TWO OF THESE ASHES. THERE'S STILL THREE REMAINING. HE DID SPEAK TO THE FAMILIES OF OR TO THE FAMILIES OR, OR TO THE PEOPLE RELATED TO THESE TWO HUMAN REMAIN ASHES. THERE WAS AGREEMENT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE REMOVED. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WERE REMOVED OR NOT. I'M STILL TALKING ABOUT THERE'S STILL THREE LEFT NOW ABOUT ATTORNEY DAVID WINKER. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I SEE THAT VIDEO, BUT I'M ALSO GOING TO PUT ON THE RECORD, SINCE HE WANTS TO GO AHEAD AND SAY THAT THERE WAS FALSE TESTIMONY, THAT WHEN WE ASKED FOR HIS ADDRESS, IF I HEARD CORRECTLY, IT WAS 2222 SOUTHWEST 17TH STREET. AND I THINK ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL HERE ON THIS DAIS WOULD KNOW THAT IT'S NOT A CORAL GABLES ADDRESS. NOW, THERE'S A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT DO COME UP HERE AND SAY THEY ARE CORAL GABLES RESIDENTS, BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDER THE

[04:55:03]

OKAY, THAT IS COMICAL. AND THEATER AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. OKAY. DAVID WINKER IS AN ATTORNEY. OKAY. VICE MAYOR MIKE MINA ASKED HIM A VERY CLEAR AND SIMPLE QUESTION. IT WAS NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND. IT WAS NOT UTTERED IN A FOREIGN TONGUE. IT WAS. ARE YOU A RESIDENT? ARE YOU SPEAKING AS A RESIDENT OF CORAL GABLES? HE SAID YES. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, HE KNOWS HE WASN'T A RESIDENT. SO WHEN THEN CITY ATTORNEY MIRIAM RAMOS ASKED, CORRECT THE RECORD AGAIN TO MAKE SURE. ARE YOU A RESIDENT? PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR ADDRESS. HE PROVIDED HIS ADDRESS BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE KNEW AT THAT MOMENT THAT HE HAD BEEN CAUGHT. OKAY. AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO LIE AGAIN ON THE RECORD. I WAS ON THAT COMMISSION. YOU WEREN'T THERE.

I WAS THERE WHEN I HEARD. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT, BUT THE VICE MAYOR WAS TAKING CARE OF IT AS AN ATTORNEY, AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY WENT AND WANTED TO DOUBLE DOWN AND MAKE SURE THAT HE ANSWERED ON THE RECORD HIS ADDRESS. SO PLEASE DON'T TELL ME BECAUSE I WAS THERE. I HEARD IT VERY CLEARLY AND EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT IT. BUT AGAIN, IN TYPICAL DAVID WINKER FASHION, HE GETS AWAY WITH MURDER BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE DOES. AND THAT'S YOUR ATTORNEY.

THAT'S YOUR ATTORNEY. THAT'S NOT AGAIN, NOT MY ATTORNEY. THAT'S YOUR ATTORNEY WHO LIED UNDER OATH HERE. SO I WOULD LIKE THAT REVIEWED, PLEASE, TO MAKE SURE AND TO MAKE IT PART OF THE RECORD. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, JUST LIKE IF THEY'RE ASHES HERE, WHETHER IT'S THREE INDIVIDUALS OR FIVE, THEY NEED TO BE REMOVED IN A PROPER WAY. AND FAMILIES NEED TO BE CONTACTED WHATEVER THE PROPER WAY, THE PROPER PROTOCOL, IT'S OUT OF MY SCOPE. I'VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE. IT NEEDS TO BE HANDLED IN A HUMAN, DECENT WAY WHERE THESE INDIVIDUALS, YOU PAY THEM WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT AND YOU TRY TO CONTACT THEIR FAMILIES. BUT I IMAGINE IN CERTAIN INSTANCES, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY OR HAVE SEEN OR HAVE STUDIED THIS, WHEN YOU CAN'T FIND THE NEXT OF KIN, THERE HAS TO BE A PROCEDURE.

YOU DON'T JUST TAKE THE ASHES HOME WITH YOU. YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK YOUR WIFE WOULD BE TOO HAPPY ABOUT THAT. NO, THEY LEAVE THEM IN THE PROPERTY ROOM. THEY LEAVE THEM IN THE PROPERTY ROOM. THAT'S. AND IF I COULD JUST CLARIFY SOMETHING ON BOTH SIDES. THE STATEMENTS IN THESE QUASI JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS, WHETHER THE ONE THAT WE REFERRED TO TODAY, I KNOW THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS ALSO SAID THIS AND WHAT THE THE BAR IS FOR PERJURY, OKAY. IT HAS TO BE A MATERIAL FACT THAT WAS LIED ABOUT TO SEE IF, IN FACT, IT RISES TO THE LEVEL OF THAT BAR PERJURY TO GET INTO FINDING THE ASHES. IT IS I CANNOT THINK, AS I STAND HERE TODAY, I CANNOT THINK OF A CRIMINAL IMPLICATION OF WHAT WE ARE PONDERING HERE. SO IT WOULD NOT. AND IF I HAD THE CONVERSATION, IF YOU DIRECT THE MANAGER TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, I CAN TELL YOU IN QUITE CANDOR WHAT THAT CONVERSATION IS GOING TO BE. IT IS NOT WITHIN OUR PURVIEW AS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO FIND OUT ABOUT WHERE THOSE WHY THOSE ASHES ARE THERE AND SHOULD THEY BE REMOVED. THERE'S NO CRIMINAL NEXUS THAT I CAN THINK OF AS I STAND HERE TODAY TO SAY, YES, IT WAS CRIMINAL THAT WE'RE GOING TO TEAR THIS DOWN, BECAUSE THEN I'D BE POINTING THE FINGER AT ALL OF YOU WHO VOTED FOR THIS. SO I DON'T SEE ANY WAY THAT I COULD INVESTIGATE THAT. AND HONESTLY, LOOKING AT THE STATEMENTS WAS MADE THAT DAY OR BACK IN 2022 OR 19 IS, WAS THE FACT THAT SOMEBODY SAID THEY WERE A RESIDENT OR A NONRESIDENT GERMANE TO THE ISSUE AT THE TIME? IF IT LEADS TO THAT PERSON'S CREDIBILITY, THAT IS AN ETHICS CONSIDERATION THAT THIS BODY NEEDS TO TAKE UNDER CONSIDERATION. IT'S THE SAME LOGIC THAT YOU ALL TOOK WHEN YOU VOTED UP OR DOWN ON THIS SECOND ISSUE, OR THE SAME PROPERTY THAT WERE THE ADDRESSES THEMSELVES THAT WERE NOT APPEARED TO BE TRUTHFUL.

CHANGE YOUR DECISIONS. AND I THINK SOME OF YOU WERE VERY CLEAR ON THE RECORD. WE ARE GOING TO INVESTIGATE THAT. WE ARE INVESTIGATING THAT. THE COMMISSIONER AS FAR AS THOSE URNS, I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT THIS IS WHAT IT IS. WE LOOK AT IT AS PROPERTY. I MEAN, IT'S LIKE IT'S AN. SO THERE THERE IS A PROPERTY, THERE IS AN URN FULL OF ASHES OF HUMAN REMAINS.

SO IF IN FACT IT WAS NOT REMOVED, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS CRIMINAL BECAUSE THE

[05:00:07]

THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER LARA, YOU WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS. I DO. ITEM 14 IS AN UPDATE REGARDING THE INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED FALSE TESTIMONY PROVIDED DURING THE AUGUST 26TH COMMISSION MEETING. IN CHIEF. YOU GAVE US AN UPDATE, LIMITED AS IT WAS, BECAUSE YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INVESTIGATION. SO IT SHOULD BE, IN ALL FAIRNESS, US LISTENING TO THE CHIEF SAY WHAT THE STATUS OF THE INVESTIGATION IS, IS THAT'S WHAT THE ITEM WAS FOR. I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS PROPER TO BRING UP CALLING IT NEW EVIDENCE RECEIVED THE NIGHT BEFORE, WHEN I BELIEVE IT WAS ALSO PART OF THE RECORD DURING THE AUGUST 26TH MEETING ANYWAY. AND IF IT WAS NEW EVIDENCE, I CAUTIONED MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES BRINGING UP AND DISCUSSING NEW EVIDENCE.

IF THAT WAS THE CASE DURING A PUBLIC COMMISSION MEETING, MIGHT BE THE WORST IDEA OF THE DAY. BECAUSE IF THERE REALLY IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE INFORMATION AS BEING WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION UNDER INVESTIGATION, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CHARGED WITH THE INVESTIGATION. IT SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO THEM, NOT AIRED IN A PUBLIC FORUM, WHICH CAN INFLUENCE, TAINT OR. AFFECT NEGATIVELY WHATEVER INVESTIGATIONS UNDERWAY. THIS IS JUST COMMON SENSE. YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T BRING UP NEW INFORMATION. THAT'S EVIDENTIARY IN NATURE IN A PUBLIC FORUM UNLESS THERE'S AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE. RIGHT. AND I WILL HOLD MY TONGUE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ALSO KIND OF OBVIOUS WHAT THE ULTERIOR MOTIVE IS HERE. IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF GRANDSTANDING. COMMISSIONER CASTRO, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? I'M NOT ASKING HOW MUCH, BUT ARE YOU PAYING DAVID WINKER FOR THE LEGAL SERVICES HE'S PROVIDING YOU? I PAID HIM IN THE PAST. RIGHT NOW HE'S NOT REPRESENTING ME. I PAID HIM PROBABLY A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. OKAY. NOW, THE REASON I'M ASKING IS TEMPORARILY, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT, YEAH.

I GUESS DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THERE WAS SOME EIGHT, 7 OR 8 CONTINUOUSLY SOUGHT BY YOU AND MR. WINKER, IT SPANNED MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE SEVEN MONTHS OR SO BEFORE YOU GAVE A STATEMENT, AFTER THE DETERMINATION OF A PROBABLE CAUSE WAS ISSUED AGAINST YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS CONTINUOUSLY PROVIDING YOU ANY LEGAL ADVICE. SO YOU'RE SAYING FOR THE LAST YEAR OR SO, HE HASN'T PROVIDED YOU WITH ANY LEGAL ADVICE. OKAY. THE WHEN HE HE WENT UP THERE WAS, WHAT IS IT, SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS AGO. BUT YOU ASKED ME WHEN I PROVIDED PAYMENT. IT WAS PROBABLY A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. NO. I ASKED YOU IF YOU'VE PAID HIM FOR LEGAL SERVICES. YES, I HAVE PAID HIM FOR LEGAL SERVICES, BUT NOT IN THE LAST YEAR. NO I HAVEN'T, I PAID HIM WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THE MIAMI DADE ETHICS COMMISSION.

AND YOU'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THAT FOR THE FOR THE STATE, RIGHT? YES, BUT THE MIAMI DADE IS FINISHED. THAT WAS THE RETAINER THAT I GAVE HIM. OKAY. AND RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO CONTINUE WITH HIM OR NOT. THERE'S NOT A HEARING SET. I HAVE NOT HIRED HIM FOR THE REMAINING OF. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S LEFT TO DO. OKAY, WELL, I WAS JUST ASKING IF HE WAS PROVIDING YOU LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR WHICH YOU PAID HIM IN IN I WOULD SAY IN THIS YEAR. NO, NOT THIS. WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JANUARY. I GUESS IT COULD. WELL I DIDN'T MAKE ANY PAYMENTS IN JANUARY. NO. THIS YEAR THERE HAS BEEN NO PAYMENTS. DO YOU OWE HIM ANY MONEY? AS OF RIGHT NOW? NO. AND PART OF THE REASON WHY I'M BRINGING THIS UP IS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN VALUE, WHETHER IN TERMS OF MONEY OR THINGS OF VALUE IN KIND, THAT YOU'RE BEING PROVIDED BY SOMEBODY THAT'S REPRESENTING AN ENTITY OR AN INDIVIDUAL THAT'S BEFORE THE COMMISSION SEEKING A VOTE. ABSOLUTELY NOT. ALL RIGHT. GOOD TO HEAR. ALL RIGHT. NOW THAT WE'VE CLEARED THAT UP AGAIN, I LEAVE THAT VIDEO AND MY STATEMENT IN REGARDS TO MR. WINKER ON THE RECORD, I WOULD ASK FOR THE MANAGER AND FOR THE POLICE CHIEF AND FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY TO PLEASE MOVE FORWARD ON WHAT I BROUGHT HERE BEFORE YOU, AND PLEASE REPORT BACK TO THE COMMISSION THROUGH THE MANAGER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[F.-15. 26-2110 Update on the extension of allowable trolley life. (Sponsored by Vice Mayor Anderson)]

[05:05:07]

[F.-16. 26-2111 Discussion regarding International Coastal Clean-up and Land Based Sources of Recyclables and Trash in Drains, Waterways and Bay. (Sponsored by Vice Mayor Anderson)]

SO YEAH, WE'LL BE OUT. YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE A NUMBER OF EVENTS OVER THE YEARS ACTIVATING OUR COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND HELP US WITH CLEANUPS. SO WE'LL BE AT THE COCOA PLUM CIRCLE THIS SATURDAY IN HONOR OF INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP FROM 9 TO 12, WE INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT. WE ALWAYS HAVE A GREAT TURNOUT, OVER 100 PLUS COUNTRIES. IT'S THE LARGEST SINGLE DAY WATERWAY CLEANUP THAT HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND THERE'LL BE 70 PLUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT MIAMI DADE COUNTY THAT ARE BEING ACTIVATED AS PART OF THIS EVENT.

SO WE WILL BE, LIKE I SAID, AT THE COCOA PLUM CIRCLE. AND YES, TO TO YOUR POINT, VICE MAYOR SHERRY AND OTHER RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN THIS CONVERSATION AND REALLY BROUGHT

[05:10:01]

ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO. MATT, WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. AMAZING WORK ON ALL FRONTS. IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COME AND I'M GOING TO SAY IT OUT THERE, WHAT NOBODY WANTS TO SAY. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING TO THIS COMMUNITY FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND FOR SOME REASON, THEY THEY LACK THE RESPECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND FOR THE COMMUNITY. WE JUST GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AND NOT LOSE FAITH ON THAT FRONT. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, MY DAUGHTER'S, I'VE SHOWED YOU PICTURES BEFORE THEY GO OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY PICK UP GARBAGE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY ALWAYS TELL ME IS, HEY, WE'RE OUT HERE LAST WEEK AND THERE'S GARBAGE AGAIN. AND I GO, YEAH, THIS IS THE WAY IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE. WE GOT TO CONTINUE TO DO IT. SO WE'RE SETTING, WE'RE SETTING THE BAR AS HIGH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. I JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO GET DISCOURAGED. AND I WANT TO THANK THE VICE MAYOR FOR, FOR LEADING THE WAY ON THIS FRONT.

MR. CLARK, DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? YES. MR. MAYOR GONZALEZ-SANABRIA MR. CLERK, WOULD YOU PUT UP THAT PICTURE THAT I SENT YOU, PLEASE? THE SCREEN. IF CABLE TV COULD SHARE MY SCREEN. OKAY. WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS SARGASSUM. IT ORIGINATES IN THE COAST OF AFRICA, AND IT COMES ALMOST ON A YEARLY BASIS IN EVER INCREASING NUMBERS, AND GAVE US BY A SEA. IT CHOKES OFF ALL THE SEA LIFE INSIDE OUR WATERWAYS. IT DOES FISH KILLS. IT NEGATES OXYGEN TO SEA LIFE. THERE'S A SOLUTION TO THIS VERY VIABLE SOLUTION. IN FACT, I SPOKE A LIGHTLY ON THE SUBJECT WITH CITY MANAGER ELYSIUS, AND THAT IS THAT SARGASSUM ACTUALLY MAY HAVE A USE FOR FERTILIZER, MAY HAVE A USE FOR BEING COMPACTED AS A BUILDING MATERIAL. AND IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, THEY'RE BEING USED AS THAT. WE DO HAVE, I UNDERSTAND, FROM PUBLIC WORKS A POTENTIAL BOAT THAT CAN GO AND HARVEST SOME OF THIS, BUT THE QUANTITIES OF SARGASSUM ARE SO VAST THAT IT'S REALLY DOING ALMOST IRREPARABLE HARM TO OUR WATERS. THEY'RE MURKY. THERE'S NO SEA LIFE LEFT, AND EVEN NAVIGATION ITSELF IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE WHO KNOWS WHAT LIES BEYOND AND BEHIND AND UNDER THAT SARGASSUM, WE HAVE A RECURRING BUDGET ITEM EVERY YEAR, MR. MAYOR, OF $5 MILLION FOR SEA LEVEL RISE. IT HAS NOT BEEN TAPPED. I SUGGEST THAT THE COMMISSION LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THOSE FUNDS TO ATTACK THE IMMEDIATE NEED OF SARGASSUM INVASION AND SAVE THE SEA LIFE AND THE FISH KILLS WITHIN OUR COAST. DON'T DELAY. DON'T LET IT HAPPEN. DON'T BE REACTIVE.

BE PROACTIVE. ALSO, THERE'S THIRD PARTY, THE THIRD PARTY CONTRACTORS THAT MAY BE

[05:15:06]

AND, AND IT MOVES DOWN, DOWN THE COAST. SO IT'S A, IT'S AN INTERESTING DILEMMA. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS CAUSED BY NOT KNOWING EXACTLY THE CONSEQUENCES OF DOING CERTAIN DESIGNS. SO MY, I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I ALSO WANT TO KIND OF JUST GET GRANULAR ON THAT MONEY THAT IS IN THAT ENTERPRISE FUND, BECAUSE I WAS HERE ON THE COMMISSION, I THINK IT WAS TEN YEARS AGO, I, I WANT TO GET THE EXACT DATE WHEN WE SET UP THAT ENTERPRISE FUND FOR SEA LEVEL RISE. I THINK IT WAS DURING JIM CASON'S TIME, MAYOR KAYSEN'S TIME, I BELIEVE. SO THAT MONEY, WHAT CAN IT BE USED FOR? FOR INFRASTRUCTURE? CAN IT BE USED? THE IDEA OF THAT MONEY IS ABOUT $34 MILLION NOW, AND THE IDEA OF THAT MONEY WAS TO EVENTUALLY HAVE $100 MILLION IN THE FUTURE. SO THAT SO THAT WE COULD DEAL WITH WITH SEA LEVEL RISE. AND AND I'M NOT I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S IN. AND IT WOULD DEPEND IF SEA LEVEL RISE IS VERY HIGH. IT'S IT'S I DON'T KNOW, IT'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY. IT'S RISE IS LOW. THEN CERTAINLY THAT THAT WOULD BE MONEY TO ADJUST, ADJUST, YOU KNOW, SANITARY SEWERS THAT JUST CATCH BASINS AND JUST ADJUST CERTAIN LOW LYING STREETS AND THINGS LIKE THIS. BUT, BUT THE, THE IDEA THAT IT WAS FOR COASTAL MAINTENANCE. NO. OKAY. I WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEN I'M GOING TO START GETTING CALLS FROM PEOPLE SAYING, HEY, LET'S START USING THAT MONEY TO BUY MULTIPLE OF THESE VEHICLES AND OR HIRE MORE PEOPLE OR HIRE THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO CLEAN UP. BECAUSE I AGREE WITH THE GENTLEMAN WHO JUST SPOKE, WE WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO GET THAT OUT OF THERE. STENCH IS HORRIBLE, YOU KNOW, IT AFFECTS THE SEA LIFE. BUT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT, AGAIN, WHERE THE MONEY CAN BE USED LEGALLY. COMMISSIONER LARRY, YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? I THINK YOU SUMMED IT UP PRETTY WELL. I MEAN, I I'VE PERSONALLY MET WITH RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN GABLES ESTATES, FOR EXAMPLE, NO DIFFERENT THAN GABLES BY THE SEA AND THE OTHER ONES THAT ARE LYING ON THE ON THE WATER. IT IS OFFENSIVE. IT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL PROBABLY DAMAGE PROPERTY VALUES REALLY, WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO IT, I KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN SPECTACULAR HOMES RIGHT THERE ON THE WATER, WHO HAVE MOVED OUT, AND PART OF THEIR REASONING FOR LEAVING IS BECAUSE IT IS INEVITABLE AND IT IS CONSTANT, THAT THERE'S AN INVASION IN THE WATER IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THEIR HOMES. AND AS SOON AS THEY OPEN THE DOOR TO THEIR OWN BACKYARDS, THEY GET HIT WITH THE STENCH. AND THEN THERE'S THERE'S THE IMPACT OBVIOUSLY, TO TO THE SEA LIFE THAT'S THERE. AND, AND, AND IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION TO TRY AND REMOVE IT. I MEAN, ISN'T IT AT SOME POINT JUST GETTING OUT THERE, A BARGE FILLING THE BARGE AND THEN TOWING IT. AND THEN WHEN YOU TOW IT SOMEWHERE THAT'S EXPENSIVE AND THEN WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE IT? AND THAT'S EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE AND IT'S JUST GOING TO COME RIGHT BACK ANYWAY. SO I, I, I KNOW WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM. I'M HAVING SOME TROUBLE IDENTIFYING A SOLUTION, BUT WHERE WE'RE RAISING AWARENESS HERE OF THE, OF THE PROBLEM, WE

[05:20:05]

I KNOW THERE'S SOME RESTRICTIONS ON, ON CONTROLLING THE HARVESTING IT OUT IN THE OCEAN BEFORE IT GETS TO US. I BELIEVE THOSE ARE FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS. DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT, BUT OUR STAFF CAN LOOK INTO IT FURTHER. MY SUGGESTION IS BECAUSE IT'S A MATERIAL THAT ROTS, AND IF IT IS USEFUL FOR FERTILIZER, TALK TO UNIVERSITY, TALK TO OTHER VENDORS, OTHER RESOURCES ABOUT TURNING THIS INTO A PRODUCT. JUST LIKE WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR YARD WASTE, WE CAN TURN IT INTO A, YEAH, DO SOMETHING WITH IT. SO THERE'S INCENTIVE FOR FOLKS TO DO IT BECAUSE IF IT IS GOOD FOR FOR FERTILIZER, IT MAY BE CHEAPER FOR THEM TO HARVEST THIS INSTEAD OF DIGGING FOR PHOSPHATE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, TURNING MORE LAND INTO USELESS LAND. SO IT'S SOMETHING TO EXPLORE. SO I'M GOING TO ASK, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND SEE IF THERE'S SOME OTHER VIABLE SOLUTION BECAUSE YES, AS THIS DECAYS, IT SUCKS THE OXYGEN OUT OF THE WATER. AND OF COURSE IT HAS THE DECAYING FACTOR ON IT, THE METHANE IT, IT EXUDES INTO THE OCEAN, THE SMELL THAT COMES WITH METHANE. IT'S JUST WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO DEAL WITH IT. BUT THERE SHOULD BE A VIABLE WAY ECONOMICALLY, MR. MANAGER. MAYOR. THANK YOU. MAYOR. YES, WE WILL. WE WILL CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT, VICE MAYOR. BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS IT'S A WIND DIRECTION ISSUE. IF THE WIND DIRECTION IS JUST RIGHT, IT GETS RIGHT INTO THESE AREAS AND IT CAN'T GET OUT. AND SO THAT'S WHY SOMETIMES IT'S BETTER, SOMETIMES IT'S WORSE. IT'S REALLY A WIND DIRECTION ISSUE.

AND IT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, FROM CONSTRUCTION, IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE GETTING IT OUT VERY,

[J.-1. 26-2095 A Resolution of the City Commission amending Resolution No. 2025-466, which established the 2026 regular meeting schedule of the City Commission pursuant to Section 2-30 of the City Code, entitled "Regular Meetings; Special Meetings," to cancel the November 17, 2026 regular City Commission meeting due to the Coral Gables Municipal Election.]

BUT EVEN IF THERE IS NO RUNOFF, THE NEW COMMISSION WOULDN'T TAKE THEIR OATH UNTIL DECEMBER 4TH. OKAY, UNLESS THERE'S AN EMERGENCY AND THE COMMISSION DOESN'T FEEL ANY WAY. I MEAN, WE CAN CANCEL THE NOVEMBER MEETING RATHER THAN HAVE A MEETING WITH COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE NO LONGER IN OFFICE. I HAVE A MOTION. MOVE IT. SECOND, ANY ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, MR. CLERK?

[H.-1. 26-2050 A Resolution of the City Commission amending Ordinance No. 2015-17, as amended, to add and amend fees by the Development Services Department and Historical Resources and Cultural Arts Department, and clarifying payments cycles in the Finance Department; providing for severability, and effective date.]

THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING DIVISION FEE SCHEDULE TO UPDATE THE PUBLIC HEARING NOTIFICATION FEE OF $150 TO BE APPLIED TO EACH REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARING. FOR CONSISTENCY, THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT PUBLIC HEARING NOTIFICATION WILL ALSO BE UPDATED FROM THE OBSOLETE PER ENVELOPE FEE TO A FLAT $150.

ALSO, STAFF PROPOSES TO INCLUDE A BOARD OF ARCHITECTS CONCEPTUAL FEE FOR $250 FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS IN $2,000 FOR COMMERCIAL, MIXED USE AND MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS, HISTORICAL RESOURCES AND CULTURAL ARTS IS ALSO UPDATING THE PUBLIC HEARING NOTIFICATION FEE FROM THE PER ENVELOPE FEE TO $150, AND MINOR. OTHER MINOR UPDATES TO ZONING DISTRICTS ARE ALSO PROPOSED, AND THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS CLARIFYING THE PAYMENT CYCLE FOR FALSE ALARM BUILDINGS TO CORRECTLY REFLECT AS CALENDAR YEAR. THERE'S NO ACTUAL FEE CHANGE TO THE FEES.

OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION? MOVE IT. SECOND MR. CLERK, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? YES. MR. MAYOR MARIA CRUZ. MRS. MARIA CRUZ, 1447 MILLER ROAD (305) 323-2154. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE ATTACHMENT THAT WAS ON THIS ITEM, H ONE, INCLUDED CITY CLERK'S FEES. IT WAS NOT LIMITED TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND CULTURAL ARTS. THERE'S LIKE A BOOKLET AND IT HAD THE CITY CLERK'S FEES ALSO. ALL RIGHT, MR. CLARK. SO MR. MAYOR, WE'LL HAVE WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND

[05:25:08]

[H.-3. 26-2096 A Resolution of the City Commission accepting the recommendation to waive the competitive bid process of the Procurement Code and contract with HG Construction Development & Investment, Inc. for the Phillips Park Renovation Project, located at 90 Menores Avenue, in an estimated amount of $900,000 or not to exceed the available budget, pursuant to Section 2-691 of the Procurement Code, titled "Special Procurements/Bid Waiver."]

OKAY. SO WILL THAT HOLD US UP FROM OPENING THE PARK, YOU THINK, OR. NO, I DON'T THINK SO.

I THINK WE CAN OPEN THE PARK IN CERTAIN AREAS. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE CLAMORING FOR THAT PARK. OKAY. ANY ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR MOTION? MOVE IT. I'LL MOVE IT. MR. CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, MR. MAYOR, ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION. A SECOND VICE MAYOR ANDERSON. YES. COMMISSIONER CASTRO. YES. COMMISSIONER. FERNANDEZ. YES. COMMISSIONER.

YES. MAYOR. YES. FINAL ONE OF THE DAY H TWO. UNLESS I MISSED SOMETHING. MR. CLARK, THERE IS AN H FOUR AS WELL. OH, THERE IS H4H5 WE. DID YOU WANT TO. OH YES. I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT H

[H.-4. 26-2040 Building Department Technologies and Information Update.]

MR. DIRECTOR BACK AGAIN. AND TO THE MAYOR. YES SIR. IF I MAY SAY MAYOR, WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVELY IMPROVING ALL THE METHODOLOGIES IN IN IN IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT. AND SO WE, WE WANT TO PRESENT WHERE WE WHERE WE ARE SO FAR. AND WE ARE ACTUALLY AT, AT THE POINT WITH THAT WE'RE USING DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF, OF VINEGAR. WE DECIDED TO USE VERSION ONE AND VERSION 1.1, 1.2. SIMILAR TO, TO WHAT WE WERE DOING. I REMEMBER WE DID THAT IN BUILDING AND I THINK IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE. SO SO FOLKS KNOW THAT THAT THAT THINGS ARE MOVING FORWARD. PERFECT, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON. DOUG RAMIREZ, ACTING DEVELOPMENT SERVICE DIRECTOR AS THE MANAGER, SAID, WE ARE NOW COMING OUT WITH GABLES PERMITTING 2.0, WHICH IS THE RESULT OF ALL THE ADDITIONAL WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST YEAR. I'VE REPORTED ON SOME OF THIS BEFORE, BUT TODAY'S PRESENTATION FOCUSES MAINLY ON THE TECHNOLOGIES AND THE INFORMATION IN THE SYSTEM THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO UPDATE. YES, AND I'M GOING TO JUMP THE GUN, AND I REQUEST THAT MY COLLEAGUES DO THE SAME THING, AND I'M GOING TO ASK THE MANAGER TO DO THIS. I'M GOING TO SEND OUT A LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS THIS WEEK WITH THIS PRESENTATION, SO THAT PEOPLE WHO ASK US EVERY SINGLE DAY ABOUT PERMITTING ISSUES, THE WORK THAT COMMISSIONER LARA MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT SMALLER PERMIT PERMITS, I'M GOING TO INCLUDE THAT IN MY LETTER. SO WE SHOULD REALLY FOCUS AND SHOWCASE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOUR TEAM HAS BEEN DOING, BECAUSE I BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE TELLING ME HOW QUICK CERTAIN PERMITS ARE BEING TURNED AROUND. AND I WANT TO SHOWCASE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. OKAY. THE MAYOR. YES, SIR. AND ALSO BY, BY DOING THIS, WE CAN WE CAN PUT OUT INFORMATION IN COMMUNICATIONS. WE OTHER PEOPLE'S PERMITTING. 2.2.1 IS COMING OUT. 2.2 IS COMING OUT. AND, AND I THINK IT IT'S VERY GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH ALL THESE EFFICIENCIES AND TRYING TO, TO MAKE THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND GOV AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE AND MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE SEND THIS OUT, I'M GOING TO DO IT. SO JUST FOLLOW WHAT I'M DOING. I'M SENDING IT TO THE CHAMBER, AND I'M GOING TO COLLABORATE WITH THE CHAMBER AND SAY, SEND THIS OUT TO ALL THE BUSINESSES, SEND THIS OUT TO EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, EVERYBODY THAT WE KNOW SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND. LISTEN, WE'RE EVOLVING IN REGARDS TO PERMITTING. MAKE SURE YOU'RE READY WHEN YOU COME TO SUBMIT BECAUSE THERE MAY BE CHANGES AND THERE MAY BE SOME PROTOCOL UPGRADES. SO I JUST WANT TO GET IT OUT THERE BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK. WE HAVE A TEAM THAT'S VERY DEDICATED TO THE TECHNOLOGY. WE HAVE AN ENTIRE TECHNOLOGICAL TEAM DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE SERVICES OF GOV AND OUR INFORMATION. SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO REPORT ON WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO. SO. ESSENTIALLY, WE'VE WE'VE TRIED TO AUTOMATE EVERYTHING WE COULD POSSIBLY THINK OF THAT THE TECHNOLOGY WILL ALLOW US TO AUTOMATE. WE'VE TRIED TO CREATE CUSTOMER FRIENDLY PERMIT TYPES SO THAT THE APPLICANTS WILL BE

[05:30:01]

AND ALL OF THESE DEPARTMENTS HAVE TO WORK HAND IN HAND FOR PERMITS TO BE ISSUED. I ALWAYS LIKE TO BRING THIS UP BECAUSE WE'RE WE'RE VERY PROUD OF OUR PHONE CALL VOLUMES AND HOW QUICKLY WE GET TO OUR CALLERS, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME DWELLING ON IT.

YOU'VE SEEN IT BEFORE, THE LOBBY AS WELL. I REMEMBER WHEN I STARTED AT THE CITY ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO, THE THIRD FLOOR OF CITY HALL, WE KEPT PACKED. IT WAS FULL OF PEOPLE, AND WE WOULD ALL JUST GO OUT THERE WITH 5 OR 6 PEOPLE AND TRY AND GET EVERYBODY OUT OF THERE. AND THEY HAD PLANS. AND IT WAS JUST NOW THAT WE WENT DIGITAL AND WE'VE HAD WE HAD A CHANCE TO WORK ON THIS. I MEAN, THE NUMBERS ARE THERE. YOU SEE OVER 1200 PEOPLE COME TO OUR LOBBY EVERY MONTH, AND ON AVERAGE, THEY'RE IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES. SOMEBODY'S ALREADY HELPING YOU. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY HAPPY WITH THAT. NOW, THE, THE BIG THING THAT WE DID STARTED ON MAY 6TH. WE INTEGRATED OUR AI VOICE AGENT. WE CALL THEM GEORGE. SO IF YOU CALL THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, YOU GET THIS VOICE, THE GEORGE TRIES TO HELP YOU. AND THEN YOU COULD SAY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AND GEORGE CAN. GEORGE'S PROGRAM WITH ALL THE INFORMATION FROM OUR WEBSITE. AND IT DID A GREAT JOB HELPING US FEED GEORGE WITH THE DATA SO THAT HE COULD TELL PEOPLE, IF YOU ASK, OH, WHAT DO I NEED TO PROVIDE FOR A. I WANT TO BUILD A POOL. WHAT DO I NEED? GEORGE WILL TELL YOU, YOU NEED TO DO A, B, C, AND D AND WHAT KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH IT. ALSO, IF YOU SAY, OH, I NEED TO SPEAK TO SO AND SO, THEN GEORGE WILL HELP YOU GET YOUR PHONE CALL TRANSFERRED TO SO AND SO. SO YOU COULD ACTUALLY TALK TO A REAL PERSON. NOW, THE BIG THING WITH GEORGE IS ESPECIALLY FOR OUR, OUR PERMIT CLERKS WHO HANDLE THE VOLUME OF THE PHONE CALL RESPONSES IS THAT SINCE GEORGE WORKS 24 OVER SEVEN, HE COULD BE ANSWERING PHONES OVER THE WEEKEND, AT NIGHT, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, SO PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO CALL DURING THE DAY AND WAIT UNTIL MONDAY MORNING WHEN WE COME TO WORK.

AND THEN THOSE CALLS DON'T COME IN. AND NOW OUR STAFF IS ABLE TO WORK ON OTHER THINGS AND BETTER UTILIZE THEIR TIME, RIGHT? SINCE MAY 6TH, WHEN GEORGE WENT ONLINE, HE'S ANSWERED MORE THAN 14,000 CALLS. WE'VE ESTIMATED THAT THOSE PHONE CALLS HAVE SAVED STAFF OVER 1000 HOURS. SO, I MEAN, GEORGE SPEAKS TO MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY CUSTOMERS THAN STAFF HAS BEEN SPEAKING TO NOW, AND ROUTES THE CALLS AND HELPS US REDUCE THE THE TIME THAT STAFF IS TALKING. SO LIKE, OBVIOUSLY ONCE YOU DO THAT, YOU HAVE YOUR RESOURCES CAN WORK ON THINGS LIKE TURNING PERMITS AROUND FASTER, WHICH THE RESIDENT EARLIER ASKED US TO TRY AND FIND WAYS TO DO. WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT WAYS TO DO THAT. SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, TO COME COME UP WITH PROCESSES THAT WILL STREAMLINE IT FOR EVERYBODY. THAT'S OUR GOAL. I'M NOT GOING TO REITERATE ABOUT THIS ONE BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER TODAY, SAME DAY PERMIT PROGRAM. AND THEN LASTLY, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE INSPECTION QUEUE TRACKER. MR. MAYOR, I'M SURE YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS LIKE. YOU CALL FOR AN INSPECTION, YOU HAVE TO WAIT ALL DAY LONG FOR SOMEBODY TO COME. YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'RE COMING. YOU CAN'T GO DO ANY OTHER BUSINESS BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAS TO BE PARKED THERE. WELL, NOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY CHECK ONLINE. YOU CAN FIND OUT.

HEY, I'M THE SIXTH IN THE LINE. THERE'S FIVE OTHERS BEFORE ME. I HAVE TIME TO MAKE THAT HOME DEPOT RUN AND GO TO THE OTHER JOB SITE BEFORE. OH, THERE'S ONLY TWO LEFT. I BETTER GET BACK. EVER SINCE WE STARTED DOING THIS, WE'VE HAD OVER 15,000 INSPECTION INQUIRIES.

[05:35:03]

[H.-2. 26-2068 A Resolution of the City Commission authorizing the issuance of not to exceed $40,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of Capital Improvement Revenue Bonds, Series 2026E to finance the costs of the construction of certain capital improvements and to pay associated costs of issuance; providing that such Series 2026 Bonds shall be a limited obligation of the issuer payable solely from non-ad valorem revenues budgeted and appropriated as provided herein; making certain provisions and delegating certain responsibilities with respect to the notice, bidding and sale of the Series 2026 bonds to the Mayor and Finance Director; appointing a Municipal Advisor, Paying Agent and Registrar for the Series 2026 Bonds; approving the forms of the summary notice of sale and official notice of sale with respect to such Series 2026 Bonds; authorizing the preparation and use of a Preliminary Official Statement and authorizing the execution and delivery of a final Official Statement, Paying Agent and Registrar Agreement and continuing disclosure certificate; providing for compliance with certain continuing disclosure requirements; providing for the rights, securities and remedies for the holder of such Series 2026 Bonds; making certain covenants and agreements in connection therewith; and providing an effective date.]

MAKING CERTAIN PROVISIONS AND DELEGATING CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES WITH RESPECT TO THE NOTICE, BIDDING AND SALE OF THE SERIES 2026 BONDS TO THE MAYOR AND FINANCE DIRECTOR APPOINTING A MUNICIPAL ADVISOR, PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR FOR THE SERIES 2026 BONDS.

APPROVING THE FORMS OF THE SUMMARY NOTICE OF SALE AND OFFICIAL NOTICE OF SALE WITH RESPECT TO SUCH SERIES 2026 BONDS AUTHORIZING THE PREPARATION AND USE OF A PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF OF A FINAL OFFICIAL STATEMENT, PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR AGREEMENT AND CONTINUING DISCLOSURE CERTIFICATE PROVIDING FOR COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN CONTINUING DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS. PROVIDING FOR THE RIGHT SECURITIES AND REMEDIES FOR THE HOLDER OF SUCH SERIES 2026 BONDS, MAKING CERTAIN COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MADAM DIRECTOR, GOOD AFTERNOON. DIANA GOMEZ FINANCE DIRECTOR SO THIS RESOLUTION AUTHORIZES THE CITY ISSUE $40 MILLION IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT REVENUE BONDS TO FINANCE THE RESTORATION, RENOVATION, CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPPING THE CURRENT CITY HALL BUILDING AND RELATED ISSUANCE COSTS. THE FINANCING WILL BE A TAX EXEMPT FINANCING WILL BE PAYABLE FROM LEGALLY AVAILABLE NON-AD VALOREM REVENUES AND NOT SECURED BY AD VALOREM TAXES. THIS DEBT WILL HAVE A 15 YEAR MATURITY. THE CITY HAS RECURRING REVENUE SET ASIDE IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS DEBT SERVICE. IT WILL BE PAID FOR FROM THE FUNDS SET ASIDE FOR THE PRIORITY PROJECTS PROGRAM. THAT SERVICE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $3.6 MILLION A YEAR. THE CURRENT ESTIMATED ALL IN TRUE INTEREST COST IS APPROXIMATELY 4%, BUT APPROVAL OF THIS RESOLUTION GIVES THE CITY THE FLEXIBILITY TO COMPLETE THE REQUIRED ADMINISTRATIVE STEPS, INCLUDING FINALIZING DOCUMENTS AND OBTAIN RATINGS, AND THEN TIME THE ACTUAL BOND SALE BASED ON MARKET CONDITIONS. THE BONDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SOLD THROUGH A COMPETITIVE SALE PROCESS IN LATE OCTOBER, WITH THE AWARD GOING TO THE UNDERWRITER THAT PROVIDES THE LOWEST TRUE INTEREST COST SO THAT FUNDS CAN BE AVAILABLE. IN NOVEMBER. THERE WAS A CORRECTION IN THE RESOLUTION UNDER THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT, SO WE REQUEST THAT WE STRIKE THE LAST SENTENCE THAT INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A REPLACEMENT OF CITY HALL. SO THAT WAS THERE WAS A LAST SENTENCE THAT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE. SO WE REMOVED IT FROM THE RESOLUTION. OKAY, MR. MANAGER, MR. MAYOR, THIS WE HAVE WORKED VERY WELL WITH THORNTON CONSTRUCTION. WE ARE PLANNING ON BRINGING THE CONTRACT TO THE COMMISSION ON THE MEETING ON THE NEXT MEETING, THE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 29TH.

THIS CONTRACT PROVIDES NOT ONLY COSTS FOR THE PROJECT, BUT ALSO A CONTINGENCY OF $2.5 MILLION FOR THE CONTRACTOR AND $2.5 MILLION FOR THE CITY. THE CONTRACTOR CONTINGENCY ALSO HAS TO BE APPROVED BY BY THE CITY. THE IDEA IS TO. SINCE WE HAVE. SINCE WE ARE DOING RESTORATION AND. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO HAVE CONTROL OF SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL COSTS. AND IF THOSE COSTS DO NOT OCCUR, THEN THEY. THEY ARE RETURNED TO THE CITY. WE. WE FEEL AND WE FEEL THAT

[05:40:02]

OKAY, I'LL MOVE IT. I'LL SECOND. MR. YES, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. YES. COMMISSIONER LATTA, VICE MAYOR ANDERSON. YES, MAYOR. YES. THANK YOU, MR. MANAGER. WE DON'T GET THIS FAR WITHOUT YOU AND YOUR FINANCE TEAM, ACM, DCM, ALL THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM. SO I APPRECIATE THIS HAS BEEN A HEAVY LIFT AND EVERYONE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR MULTIPLE DECADES, AND IT FINALLY WILL GET DONE. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SIR. VICE MAYOR, POCKET ITEM. I WANTED TO BRING A MOTION TO URGE AND THE UNDERLYING TEAM AND OUR CITY STAFF TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER. I KNOW THERE WAS SOME LAG BETWEEN REQUESTS THAT THE CITY MADE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION AND THAT THAT WE HAVE A MEETING BETWEEN STAFF AND UNDERLYING TEAM TO TRY TO LAND THIS PLANE BEFORE THE THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING. AND THE THE OTHER ASK THAT I HAVE IN THIS MOTION IS THAT THAT THE RECOMMENDATION ALSO BE CONTINGENT ON MAINTAINING OUR CURRENT MILLAGE RATE, BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S TOO UNPREDICTABLE ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO MANAGE TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE UNDERLYING. SO THAT'S MY MOTION. I'LL SECOND THAT. AND I AUTHORED THIS LEGISLATION OVER TEN YEARS AGO, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO. AND I'M INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DELIVER THE UNDERLYING. BUT WE WERE NOT WE WERE NEVER ASKED TO PAY FOR OVERHEAD AND MAINTENANCE. AND SO THAT RIGHT NOW, OBVIOUSLY, AS A RESULT OF THE COUNTY'S POSITION, OUR BACKS ARE AGAINST THE WALL. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOR THE FOR THE THREE MILES THAT BIFURCATE THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES, THAT WE OFFER THE BEST, THE QUALITY THAT RESIDENTS HAVE COME TO EXPECT FROM THE CITY. BEAUTIFUL. IT'S GOT TO BE SAFE. IT'S GOT TO BE BEAUTIFUL. AND IT'S GOT TO BE INVITING. AND I HAVE DEEP CONCERNS THAT IF THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES IS NOT.

STEP IN, WE WILL NOT GET ANY OF THOSE THREE. SO BUT I HAVE CONCERNS AND I'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH THE ACM, THE DCM, THE MANAGER, OUR STAFF, I'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH BOARD MEMBERS.

I'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS THIS WEEK, BREAKFAST WITH MULTIPLE BOARD MEMBERS OF THE UNDERLYING.

I'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR WE NEED A BOARD SEAT, POTENTIALLY EVEN MORE THAN ONE BOARD SEAT, I THINK MAYBE MORE THAN ONE BOARD SEAT. I WILL NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, VOTE TO FUND AT A FIVE YEAR CLIP OR A TEN YEAR CLIP. I WILL FUND YEAR TO YEAR BECAUSE AGAIN, ONCE I'M NO LONGER IN THIS COMMISSION, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CITY MANAGER AND OUR COMMISSION AT THAT POINT IS NOT TIED TO A TEN YEAR FUNDING STRATEGY. WE NEED TO HAVE THE LEVERAGE, AND I HATE TO USE THE WORD LEVERAGE TO BE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE AND UPHOLD THE STANDARDS THAT WE DESERVE HERE IN THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES. SO AND I HAD A MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS, AND I ACTUALLY GAVE AN INTERVIEW THIS MORNING TO THE HERALD, AND WE TOUCHED ALL THESE POINTS. AND I WAS VERY CLEAR THAT WE WANT TRANSPARENCY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE AND I WILL NOT GIVE A CPI INCREASE IN THE FIRST YEAR. SO THERE ARE MANY ISSUES THAT ARE STILL IN PLAY, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU'RE COMING BACK TO THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES AFTER YOU CAME TO ME TEN YEARS AGO AND LISTEN, I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS. I THINK MEG DAILY WALKS ON WATER. SHE'S AN AMAZING PERSON, BUT I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROTECT THE CITY. WE'RE. WE HAVE AN IMPENDING AN IMPENDING $6 MILLION REFERENDUM ON AMENDMENT THREE THAT'S FORTHCOMING. THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE CITY TO THE TUNE OF 6 MILLION. THE FIRST YEAR, 12 MILLION, ALMOST $12 MILLION THE SECOND YEAR. MR. MANAGER, AM I RIGHT ABOUT RIGHT ON THAT? YES. YES, MA'AM. $5.7 MILLION AND 11.4, 11.4. I WANT TO BE CLEAR ON THAT. PLUS THE COLA, WHICH IS A $2 MILLION COST A YEAR, 25%. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE ISSUES NOW IN THE BUDGET, 25% INCREASE IN OUR HEALTH CARE COSTS. WE HAVE TWO UNION NEGOTIATIONS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY EMBARKED ON. WE HAVE MEETINGS NEXT WEEK AND THE FOLLOWING WEEK. SO WE HAVE A LOT ON OUR PLATE AND THE COST CONTINUES TO GO UP. BUT OUR RESIDENTS REQUIRE AND DEMAND EXCELLENCE. THEY REQUIRE AND DEMAND EXCELLENCE. SO WE ARE TRYING TO THREAD A NEEDLE HERE AND WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL. AND I WILL NOT ENCUMBER THE CITY. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IT A YEAR TO YEAR BASIS. SO THAT KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE DO WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI AND OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, WE HAVE TO COME COME TOGETHER EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION. AND I THINK THAT I WOULD LIKE TO,

[05:45:03]

THAT'S NOT A ONE TIME COST. THAT'S NOT A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT. THAT'S A REOCCURRING COST FOR THIS PROJECT. AND THAT ASSUMES THAT THE, THE DONATIONS FOR THE UNDERLYING WILL WILL AMOUNT TO THE OTHER 50%. AND ALSO THERE'S, AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE'S A GOVERNANCE ISSUE. I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING $1 MILLION OR WHO KNOWS, MAYBE MAYBE DOUBLE THAT, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE DONATIONS COME IN. AND THEN I THINK, I THINK GOOD GOVERNANCE IS, IS PART OF WHAT IS WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN. AND SO WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE ARE REVIEWING WHAT, WHAT THE PROPOSALS ARE FOR GOVERNANCE, FOR MAINTENANCE, FOR SECURITY, FOR, FOR, FOR INSTANCE, INSURANCE, HURRICANE INSURANCE, LIABILITY INSURANCE, ALL THOSE ISSUES. WE ARE REVIEWING THAT NOW AND WE INTEND TO MEET WITH THE UNDERLYING TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A, WITH AN AGREEMENT THAT WE FEEL WE CAN PRESENT TO YOU. AND AS, AS, AS, AS GOOD STEWARDS OF, OF THE, OF OUR RESIDENTS MONEY. THE MAYOR. I AGREE WITH YOU ON EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE ASKING. I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN INCORPORATE IT INTO THE RESOLUTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE NOW AS BOTTOM LINE, WHAT WE NEED GOING FORWARD TO GIVE MORE STRENGTH TO THE MANAGER WHEN HE SITS AT THE TABLE TO TALK TO THEM, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE COMMISSION STANDS TOGETHER ON THIS, THAT THIS IS WHERE WE STAND AS A COMMISSION GOING FORWARD. THE VICE MAYOR MADE A MOTION. SHE'S SHE'S A SPONSOR, BUT SHE'S THE ONE THAT'S BRINGING THE ITEM FORWARD. SO I, I, I, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH YOU. AS LONG AS WE CAN ALL COME TO THE TABLE, I THINK AND WE AGREE ON THAT. AND BUT I DON'T WANT TO TRAMPLE ON YOUR ON YOUR RIGHT. RIGHT. I MEAN, I, I MEAN, THIS IS REALLY A DIRECTION FOR THE UNDERLYING AND THE CITY TO SIT DOWN TOGETHER. I KNOW THAT THE, THE RECORDS ARE BEING LOOKED AT RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE PROVIDED. THE IDEA IS NOT TO HAVE SUCH A LONG GAP AND I FULLY I FULLY SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE MANAGER'S OFFICE IS TRYING TO DO HERE, TRYING TO TRIM COSTS FOR UNDERLYING OPERATIONS. ALL OF US HAVE TO DO BELT TIGHTENING. OKAY. BUT STILL DELIVER, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHEST QUALITY POSSIBLE. I MEAN, BECAUSE THIS PARK IS UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY BECAUSE IT'S SUCH CONDENSED AND IMPACTFUL AREA. IT'S NOT A MOW AND BLOW TYPE OF PARK. YOU HAVE AN INTENSE AMOUNT OF VEGETATION. YOU HAVE A A LOT OF VARIETY GOING ON. IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SECURITY SYSTEM BECAUSE YOU HAVE SECURITY AGENTS GOING UP AND DOWN TO MAKE SURE. AND I KNOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS DOING THIS NOW, BUT THESE SECURITY OFFICERS MAKE SURE THAT THEY KEEP THE MOTORIZED UNITS OFF THE BIKE PATH BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE DANGEROUS. IT IS DIFFERENT. BUT THIS IS WHY HAVING THE QUALITY STAFF THAT WE DO NOW IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW ALL THE ASPECTS OF THE UNDERLYING. I'VE SPENT ENOUGH TIME ON THE UNDERLYING TO APPRECIATE THE GREAT DIVERSITY OF OFFERINGS THAT IT MAKES, NOT JUST IN OUR CITY, BUT THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR AND WHY IT'S IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING FOR THE ENTIRETY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, AND WE CAN CARRY THAT CONVERSATION FORWARD IN THE FUTURE WITH THE COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS NOTHING THAT BECOMES A POLITICAL HOT POTATO.

BUT BUT THE COUNTY IS SERIOUS ABOUT CONTRIBUTING TO TO THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF THE ENTIRETY OF THIS. THIS IS ON COUNTY LAND. SO ARE YOU ARE YOU OKAY WITH SOME OF THE

[05:50:04]

MOTIONS NOW JUST REMINDERS. THEN GO AHEAD. I HAVE ANOTHER POCKET ITEM ALSO. DO YOU WANT TO FINISH UP ITEM? BRING YOUR POCKET ITEM. PERFECT. MADAM. CM THROUGH THE MANAGER. WILL YOU PLEASE JOIN US? SO I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT I DON'T LIKE TO BRING UP POCKET ITEMS. I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT MAKING THE DEADLINE. WE. WE WERE NEGOTIATING TO THE WEE HOURS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BRING THIS IN, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION ON POTENTIALLY A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART THAT WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS GET SUPPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT IT TO OUR BOARDS. AND THE STAFF HAS DONE AN AMAZING PRESENTATION, AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT VERY DILIGENTLY. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN SHOWCASE IT AND GET SUPPORT FROM THE COMMISSION JUST TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS CAROLINA VESTER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. AND WITH ME, I HAVE CATHERINE CATHERS, WHO WILL PRESENT BOTH THE ART AND THE ARTIST BEFORE I START OR BEFORE CATHERINE STARTS. LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, THIS WAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE WERE PURSUING FOR ALMOST MORE THAN A MONTH, AND THEN IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS NOT IN OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE PURSUING. IT LOOKED LIKE THE SELLER WAS GOING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. AND THEN OVER THE WEEKEND, WE GOT SOME GOOD NEWS. SO THIS IS THE REASON IT WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT ON THE AGENDA. BUT CATHERINE HAS A PRESENTATION READY. GOOD AFTERNOON. CATHERINE CATHERS, ARTS AND CULTURE COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY AGAIN. SO WE JUST WANT TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PIECE, SHOW YOU SOME IMAGES. SO THIS IS WHERE IT IS CURRENTLY LOCATED AND A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST, RICHARD SERRA, A VERY PROMINENT AMERICAN ARTIST IN HIS EARLY WORK IN THE STEEL MILL, INFORMED HIS LATER WORK, WHICH HIS PARTICULAR PIECE ALSO EXEMPLARS. HE'S BEST KNOWN FOR THESE VERY, EXTREMELY LARGE SCALE ABSTRACT STEEL SCULPTURES AND WITH MOTIFS OF ARCS, SPIRALS, ELLIPSES, AND LARGE RECTANGLES. HE'S EXHIBITED EXHIBITED IN DOCUMENTA, THE VENICE BIENNALE, THE WHITNEY BIENNIAL, AMONG MANY OTHERS, AND HIS WORKS ARE ALSO EXHIBITED AND IN PROMINENT COLLECTIONS, INCLUDING THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, THE MET, WHITNEY MUSEUM OF ART, THE GUGGENHEIM, AND MANY, MANY MORE. SO AGAIN, SOME OTHER IMAGES SHOWING IT. YOU GET A SENSE OF THE SCALE. SO THE PIECE IS TITLED FIN. IT'S FROM 1989. IT IS MADE OF HOT ROLLED STEEL, A VERY LARGE C. THE DIMENSIONS THERE AND VERY HEAVY WEIGHS ABOUT 18 TONS. IT IS A SINGULAR UNIQUE WORK AND AN ADDITION OF ONE. AND IT WAS COMMISSIONED FOR THE BUILDING IN ITS CURRENT LOCATION. A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ARTWORK. IT REALLY FOLLOWS THE ARTIST'S ESTABLISHED BODY OF WORK, WHICH IS KNOWN FOR BEING BOLD, TOWERING, VERY FORMAL AND INTENTIONAL COMMAND OF THE SPACES OUT THERE IN THE PIECE CONVEYS THAT SENSE OF IMPORTANCE, FORMALITY AND GRACE. AND LIKE OTHER SERRA MONUMENTAL SCULPTURES, THE PIECE HAS AN ELEGANT CURVE AND TILTS SLIGHTLY BACKWARDS. AND WHILE THE WORK WAS COMMISSIONED FOR INDOORS AND HAS BEEN IN THE SAME LOCATION SINCE IT WAS COMMISSIONED AND INSTALLED, THE MATERIAL DOES SUGGEST THAT PROPER TREATMENT WILL ALLOW FOR A TRANSITION TO AN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS WHAT WE WOULD PURSUE IT FOR. WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE A SAMPLING OF WHAT OTHER WORKS ARE LIKE THAT ARE KIND OF A SIMILAR SCALE. AND THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE ARTIST'S WORK, THIS ONE IS CURRENTLY AT THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM. BALBOA. HE HAS A WHOLE SPACE JUST TO HIMSELF. THAT'S IN THE THAT'S IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF THE GUGGENHEIM, WHICH IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THE GUGGENHEIM, IT'S

[05:55:01]

AND THIS IS LIKE ONE OF THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS WHY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE GO TO THIS MUSEUM.

YEAH. YOU CAN SEE THE, THE VARIETY OF SCULPTURES WHICH WHICH REALLY ARE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT HIS OTHER WORKS ARE THAT WE'LL ALSO SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF. SO THIS PARTICULAR SHOT WE INCLUDED, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS A SIMILAR SCALE AS FAR AS THE VERTICALITY OF THE PIECE AND THAT THE THE PIECE ON THE FAR LEFT HAS KIND OF A SIMILAR THAT SIMILAR BACKWARD TILT AND ARCH. IT'S A VERY LARGE SCALE OUTDOOR PIECE IN NEW ZEALAND. I WOULD LOVE TO GO SEE IT. MAYBE A RESEARCH TRIP OR SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW. WE CAN GO TOGETHER. YEAH, I WAS JUST YOU BEAT ME TO THAT ONE. THIS IS A PIECE TITLED JOE, WHICH WAS IN 2000. IT'S A PIECE I'M FAMILIAR WITH FROM WHEN I WAS LIVING IN SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI. IT'S AN AMAZING MUSEUM PIECE. THE FOUNDATION, SOME OLDER WORKS AND WORKS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE AROUND THE SAME TIME PERIOD AS THIS ONE IN THE NASHER SCULPTURE CENTER IN TEXAS. SO YOU CAN SEE THESE WORKS ARE ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. SO WILL YOU WILL YOU EXPOUND A LITTLE BIT ON THE NASHER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NASHER? SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW SIGNIFICANT IT IS OF AN INSTITUTION LOCATED IN TEXAS. SURE. I MEAN, IT'S REALLY ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT OUTDOOR SCULPTURE GARDENS IN THE UNITED STATES. A LOT OF THE WORK THAT RICHARD SERRA HAS DONE, HAS DONE, HAS BEEN DONE SPECIFICALLY FOR OUTDOOR LOCATIONS. AND WE DON'T HAVE I DON'T HAVE AN IMAGE OF ANOTHER ONE THAT THAT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE COMING. BUT THAT'S VERY TYPICAL OF HIS WORK. THEY'RE VERY SITE SPECIFIC, AND THAT IS DEFINITELY, AS SAMIR SAID, A VERY PROMINENT OUTDOOR SCULPTURE GARDEN. IT TILTED ARC, VERY FAMOUS PIECE FROM 1981 AND TWAIN AGAIN IN IN SAINT LOUIS. SO THAT'S IN NEW YORK. AND THEN I, I ASKED IF I MAY TO LAST NIGHT WHEN WE WERE CONVERSING FOR THE PRESENTATION, TO KIND OF PUT THINGS A LITTLE BIT INTO CONTEXT HERE LOCALLY, WE'RE A VERY YOUNG CITY, WE'RE A VERY YOUNG COMMUNITY. SO WE DON'T HAVE JUST THE DEPTH IN OF COLLECTING AND INSTITUTIONS.

WE'RE GROWING AND WE'RE GROWING FAST. PEOPLE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN ART HERE NOW, BUT THE BRAMANS AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE THE BRAMANS NORMAN AND IRMA BRAMAN, WHICH I'VE ONLY MET A FEW TIMES, HAVE REALLY BEEN A BEACON, A LIGHT HERE IN REGARDS TO THE ART COMMUNITY.

THEY HAVE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ART COLLECTIONS IN THE WORLD. THEY ARE HUGE CALDER COLLECTORS. THEY HAVE A RICHARD SERRA, WHICH YOU'RE SEEING, AND IF YOU DRIVE BY THEIR HOME ON THE WAY TO. BAR HARBOR AND YOU'RE HEADING OVER THE BRIDGE, YOU WILL SEE THEIR HOME, WHICH IS LOCATED IN INDIAN CREEK, AND THAT RICHARD SERRA IS LOCATED RIGHT THERE IN THE FRONT, PROMINENTLY LOCATED. AS YOU DRIVE OVER THE BRIDGE, YOU CAN SEE IT, AND IT'S PROBABLY BEEN THERE SINCE 2004, 2005, SINCE THEY PURCHASED THE WORK. SO THEY'RE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT COLLECTORS OF ART IN THE WORLD. THEY'RE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA, ESPECIALLY FLORIDA, BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY THEY REALLY INVEST HEAVILY IN PHILANTHROPY IN THE ART COMMUNITY. SO I'VE ALWAYS BEEN I'VE ALWAYS ADMIRED THIS WORK.

AND THE FACT THAT THEY PURCHASED THAT WORK FOR THE PUBLIC TO ENJOY. AS YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, YOU CAN SEE IT PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED. SO IT'S BASICALLY LIKE A MUSEUM BECAUSE THEY ALSO HAVE ANOTHER WORK BY CALDER ADJACENT TO IT CALLED RED ROCKET, WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT WORK BY CALDER. SO I WANTED TO SHOW THAT LITTLE, YOU KNOW, VERY THE MOST PROMINENT LOCAL COLLECTOR, NORMAN BRAMAN, AND HIS LOVELY WIFE HAVE A RICHARD SERRA IN THEIR LAWN, PERMANENTLY INSTALLED. AND THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO END WITH THE IMAGE AGAIN OF THE PIECE, JUST TO REMIND YOU. SO I BELIEVE THE INTENT, MR. MAYOR, IF YOU WANT TO. YEAH, THE INTENT IS SIMPLE. I JUST WANT THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER ALLOWING US TO REFER THIS TO THE BOARDS. BY THE WAY, THIS ALREADY WENT. THEY JUST KIND OF TESTED THE WATERS AND THEY WENT TO THE ARTS ARTS ADVISORY, ARTS ADVISORY, AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE QUORUM, SO THEY DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE A VOTE. BUT I MY UNDERSTANDING, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN. THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY ENJOY THE WORK. THEY ENJOY THE ARTIST. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH PURSUING. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. AND THAT'S JUST MY INTENT. AND IT WILL COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION. THIS IS JUST ASKING FOR OUR BOARDS TO REVIEW IT, GIVE US THEIR INPUT, GIVE US THEIR FEEDBACK, AND THEN IT'LL COME BACK TO US FOR FINAL APPROVAL.

THERE IS NO LOCATION DESIGNATED, BUT I WOULD LOVE, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE POTENTIALLY

[06:00:04]

JUST CURIOUS, WHERE IS THIS ARTIST FROM? BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, BEING THAT I HAD FAMILY FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA AREA, MY MIND IMMEDIATELY GOES TO PITTSBURGH BECAUSE IT USED TO BE STEEL. YEP, ABSOLUTELY. PRODUCTION AREA. YEAH. SO AMERICAN ARTIST YES. WAS IN THAT AREA. HE ACTUALLY WENT AND STUDIED, I BELIEVE IN FRANCE FOR HALF A DOZEN YEARS OR SO, CAME BACK TO THE STATES, WAS A CONTEMPORARY OF ALL THE MAJOR ARTISTS IN NEW YORK AROUND THE SAME TIME, INCLUDING FRANK STELLA. SO DEFINITELY IN THAT AREA. YEAH. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US TO THE MAYOR. SO, VICE MAYOR, I JUST DID A QUICK LOOK AND HE'S FROM BORN AND RAISED IN SAN FRANCISCO. APPARENTLY RICHARD SERRA. SO I THINK IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND DEFINITELY WORTHY OF A OF A LOOK SEE AND AUTHORIZATION TO PURSUE AND SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO BRING ONE OF THESE INTO OUR COLLECTION IN THE CITY. AND AS THE MAYOR SAID, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ELEVATE AND, AND PROVIDE A PERMANENT HOME FOR SOMETHING THAT OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR TOURISTS TO THE CITY CAN ENJOY AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. YOU KNOW, I, WE, WE CAN CONSIDER A TOUR OF IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S KIND OF BIG, BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT I CAN ENVISION MAYBE SOMEWHERE NEAR THE CORNER OF CORAL WAY AND GRANADA MIGHT BE A GOOD SPOT TO LEAVE IT FOR JUST A LITTLE BIT. AND THEN BEFORE IT FINDS ITS PERMANENT HOME, JUST SOMEPLACE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SEE IT AS THEY DRIVE BY OR WALK BY THE MAYOR FOR, FOR CONTEXT, THAT IS THE INTERSECTION WHERE THE LIVES. SO IT'S A LITTLE A LITTLE BIASED ON THAT ONE. AND FOR, FOR PUBLIC THAT'S NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES FUND. THE POTENTIAL FUND FOR THIS CANNOT BE USED FOR ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN THE PURCHASE OF ART. IT'S NOT TAXPAYER DOLLARS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN FOR YOUR EFFORTS. AND THE ASK HERE TODAY IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID WITH THE FRANK STELLA IS TO PURSUE A LETTER OF INTENT SO THAT WE CAN ENGAGE THE SELLER. LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE WERE CLOSE TO LOSING THIS PIECE AS IT WAS GOING TO BE GOING TO THE AUCTION HOUSE. IT IS CURRENTLY IN NEW YORK ON, I BELIEVE, THE 12TH FLOOR, AND WILL REQUIRE AN EXTENSIVE DEINSTALLATION AND TRANSIT. SO WE ARE NEGOTIATING TO BE THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT INCLUDED IN THE FINAL SALE PRICE SO THAT THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE CITY TO DE-INSTALL THE PIECE, TAKE IT DOWN FROM THE 12TH FLOOR AND SHIP IT TO US. SO MOVED MOTION THROUGH THE MAYOR. MAYBE THE SHIP CAN CLIMB UP THE BUILDING AND BRING IT DOWN. I THINK IT COULD ALSO BE A GOOD LOCATION AT LEE LINCOLN PARK BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT OFF OF US. ONE ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THE CITY, A VERY VISIBLE LOCATION, AND THAT COULD BE THE FOCAL POINT OF THAT ENTRY INTO CORAL GABLES AT THAT LOCATION. JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT. I'LL SECOND. WELL, DON'T TEASE ME. THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S IN MY HOUSE. THAT'LL BE AMAZING. WOW. OKAY, I'LL LEAVE IT UP TO THE BOARD. I LEAVE IT UP TO THE MANAGER. MAYBE WE GET THAT MANAGER TO STAY A LITTLE BIT LONGER. WHAT DO YOU THINK? ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND COMMISSIONER LAUDER. YES. VICE MAYOR ANDERSON. YES. COMMISSIONER CASTRO, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ. YES. MAYOR. YES. IF I MAY, I PROMISED THE ACM I WAS GOING TO BRING THIS UP. SHE'S CORRECT. IT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UP. MR. MANAGER, I'D LIKE TO WORK ON WITH THE ACM, IF POSSIBLE, A CONFIGURATION MOVING FORWARD FOR A FUNDING STRATEGY IN REGARDS TO MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC ART. MY OPINION IS 9010. SO 90% FOR ACQUISITION, 10% FOR MAINTENANCE. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE PROPER MONIES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE CAN EVER SAY THAT ART IN OUR CITY IS NOT MAINTAINED, AND WE'RE WAITING

[06:05:04]

I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. ANYTHING ELSE? FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER, MADAM VICE MAYOR, TWO THINGS YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP THIS SATURDAY, 9 A.M. COCO PLUM CIRCLE. YOU CAN BRING YOUR KAYAK OUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN ME IN THE WATER OR PARTICIPATE ON LAND BASED. IT'S EXTREMELY EDUCATIONAL TO SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE. AS A RESULT OF THE PRIOR YEAR'S CLEANUP, I SAW THAT THAT THERE WAS THIS PLASTIC GRAFFITI AND AN INSPIRED. THE ITEM TO.

FOR THE PINATAS. WHAT THE HECK DO THEY CALL THAT GRAFFITI? BUT THE PLASTIC CONFETTI, CONFETTI, THE OTHER WORD WITH THE ENDS WITH AN I. SO THAT INSPIRED THAT. SO IT'S VERY EDUCATIONAL ON THAT. AND PLUS YOU GET TO SPEAK WITH A LOT OF YOUR RESIDENTS THAT ARE MOVING AND SHAKING IN THAT DIRECTION. THE SECOND ITEM IS OCTOBER 2ND. IT'S THE WINE AND FRIES EVENT TO SUPPORT THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE. IT'S THE. THE MOTTO FOR THAT HOUSE IS GIVE HOPE A HOME BECAUSE IT INDEED GIVES HOPE TO MANY FAMILIES WHO ARE SUFFERING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES WITH THEIR CHILDREN GOING THROUGH SERIOUS ILLNESSES, SURGERIES, TREATMENT. THEY HAVE A PLACE TO STAY, THEY HAVE A PLACE TO SLEEP, HAVE A PLACE TO GET A WARM MEAL AND GO BACK THE NEXT DAY TO BE WITH THEIR CHILDREN WHILE THEY'RE GOING THROUGH SERIOUS MEDICAL EVENTS. SO I'M GOING TO SHARE THIS, THIS INVITE OUT THROUGH OUR COMMISSION AIDES. I'M GOING TO ASK FOR YOU ALL TO SHARE IT OUT WITH FOLKS. AGAIN, THE EVENT IS ON OCTOBER 2ND AT THE COCOPLUM WOMEN'S CLUB. IF YOU CAN'T GO, THERE'S ALSO WAYS TO DONATE ON ON THE LINK ITSELF. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CASTRO. SINCE MY ORDINANCE WASN'T APPROVED TO GO AHEAD AND BAN DEVELOPER CONTRIBUTIONS FOR PROJECTS THAT WERE BEFORE US OR THAT ARE BEFORE US FOR A VOTE MOVING FORWARD, FOR EVERY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT COMES BEFORE THE CITY, I WANT TO PUT ON THE RECORD THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE MONEY AND SHOW RESIDENTS WHO IS FUNDING THOSE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE BEFORE US, AND WHO IS APPROVING ANOTHER OUT OF SCALE BUILDING AFTER A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES. SO MOVING FORWARD FROM THE DAY OF TODAY, ANY TIME A PROJECT COMES BEFORE US, BELIEVE ME, THERE WILL BE A SEPARATE ITEM ON THE AGENDA SHOWING ANY CONNECTION TO PACS OR TO YOUR OWN CAMPAIGN ACCOUNT OF ANYBODY INVOLVED IN THAT PROJECT THAT IS FUNDING YOU. THEN YOUR VOTE IS GOING TO BE DISPLAYED THERE AS WELL. THE NEXT THING I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS IN IN AN ATTEMPT TO EMBARRASS ME ON ITEM E ONE, THE MAYOR APOLOGIZED ON BEHALF OF THE CITY TO THE APPLICANT BECAUSE WHAT WAS I DOING? I WAS FOLLOWING THE MONEY. I NOTED THAT ROBERT BEJAR GAVE HIM A $1,000 CONTRIBUTION BEFORE THE VOTE. HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT THAT WASN'T PART OF THE PROJECT, BUT EVIDENCE RIGHT HERE STATES DIFFERENT. OKAY, WHAT DOES THIS SAY EXACTLY? ROBERT BEJAR IS

[06:10:02]

OKAY, COMMISSIONER. YEAH. SO BY THE WAY, VICE MAYOR, THAT WINE AND FRIES SOUNDS LIKE SUCH AN APPETIZING THING TO ATTEND. IT'S IN OCTOBER. PLEASE DO REMIND ME AGAIN. WHILE I WOULD LOVE TO DONATE, I'D RATHER GO IN PERSON AND ENJOY THE THE FRIES. I'LL SAY NOT SO MUCH.

THE WINE, THE FRIES. THEY'RE FRESH. OH, NOW, NOW YOU'RE KILLING ME. YEAH, THAT'S NOT FAIR. FOR THE SAKE OF GOOD ORDER, I WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY TODAY WE HAD SUCH A GREAT PRESENTATION REGARDING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS HERE IN CORAL GABLES. SO FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, NO ONE'S GOING TO SAY NO. IF YOU COME TO THE DOOR AT BAY 13 ON SEPTEMBER 19TH, THAT'S THE SATURDAY FOR THE CORAL GABLES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 40TH REUNION BASH. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MY COLLEAGUES FROM MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY MOONS AGO AND, AND MEET SOME NEW PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE GOING TO BE SHOWING UP. SO THAT'S THIS SATURDAY AT BAY 13. AND THAT'S ALL I GOT FROM THE UPDATE. WHAT TIME? WELL, IT STARTS AT 630 AND IT GOES ON TILL DOT, DOT DOT. COMMISSIONER. NOTHING FROM ME TODAY. OKAY. SO I DO WANT TO APOLOGIZE. TO THE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS HERE BEFORE A SECOND TIME, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WHERE MAYBE THINGS WERE LOST IN TRANSLATION, BUT THAT GENTLEMAN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CRYSTAL RESIDENCES. THAT THAT THAT THAT THAT GENTLEMAN. STOP, STOP, STOP THAT GENTLEMAN. THE GENTLEMAN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CRYSTAL RESIDENCES. THE LAND USE ATTORNEY ON CRYSTAL RESIDENCES IS JORGE NAVARRO. HE IS AN ATTORNEY REPRESENTING A COMPLETELY SEPARATE PROJECT.

YOU CONFUSING HIM WITH A FAMILY MEMBER THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH CRYSTAL RESIDENCES? THIS GENTLEMAN DID NOT GIVE ME A CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION. SO AGAIN, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO HIM FOR HIM BEING CONFUSED FOR SOMEBODY ELSE. NO PERSON SHOULD BE ATTACKED LIKE THAT. WHO IS COMING HERE ON A SEPARATE, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MATTER. SO FOR A SECOND TIME, YOU'RE CORRECT. I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO THIS GENTLEMAN BECAUSE HE'S BEING TARRED AND FEATHERED FOR THE THEATER THAT IT IS POLITICS. SO MOVING FORWARD, THE PROOF IS RIGHT HERE. IT'S 301 MADEIRA.

IT IS THE PROJECT YOU VOTED ON. YOU MET WITH HIM. OKAY. YOU AND THE CITY MANAGER MET WITH HIM.

IT'S RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF YOU. HERE. THIS IS NOT THIS IS NOT CRYSTAL RESIDENCES. EXACTLY.

IT'S NOT. IT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU. BUT YOU'RE GETTING CONFUSED. I'M NOT GETTING CONFUSED. NOT WHAT WE VOTED ON. WE VOTED ON THE 300. THE $300,000 UNDERLINING. THIS IS IT RIGHT HERE. AND LISTEN, JUST STOP. THAT'S WHAT WE STOP. YOU'RE EMBARRASSING YOURSELF IN THE CITY. I'M NOT EMBARRASSING MYSELF. AND YOU NEED TO STOP SAYING THAT, OKAY? YOU'RE EMBARRASSING YOURSELF. THIS IS THE DOCUMENT. IF YOU HAVE EYES TO READ IT, READ IT, AND STOP EMBARRASSING YOURSELF. COMMISSIONER, STOP. STOP. JUST RELAX. AS WAS STATED BEFORE BY OUR CITY ATTORNEY, ANYONE CAN DONATE TO AN INDIVIDUAL'S CAMPAIGN. AND I REITERATE AGAIN ON THE RECORD, I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO GET ON THE INTERNET AND I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET YOUR BOTS TO BUILD YOU UP AND PUSH US FORWARD. YOU HAVE ACCEPTED MONIES FROM DEVELOPERS ALSO. ONE, YOU HAVE NO ONE AND YOU HAVE STATED ON THE RECORD. YOU HAVE ONE AND IT'S NOT ILLEGAL. YOU CAN NEVER, EVER HAVE ACCEPTED ANY MONEY FROM A DEVELOPER. YOU HAVE. DO NOT SHOW THE EVIDENCE. SHOW THE EVIDENCE. MARIA LONGO, WHO GAVE YOU $500 AT THE LAST AT YOUR LAST REPORT, IS A DEVELOPER WHO ADMITS TO BEING THE PERSON WHO PUT ALL THE PROJECTS TOGETHER FOR DEVELOPERS. SO. AND YOU ACCEPTED MONEY FROM HER, AND WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT'S GOING. SO YES, SHE IS IN REAL ESTATE. SHE SHE OKAY. AN ANECDOTE. NO, DO NOT DO NOT ACCUSE ME OF STOP, STOP DON'T DON'T DON'T INTERRUPT. NOT ACCUSE ME. DON'T DON'T. I'M RELAX. NO, I'M NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN. SPIRALING. YOU'RE SPIRALING. OKAY, I'M.

CALM DOWN, I'M SPIRALING. CALM DOWN. I WILL NOT LET YOU ACCUSE ME OF SOMETHING. COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER. CALM DOWN. OKAY? WHEN I SAY I'M GOING TO DO SOMETHING, OKAY? I'M SPIRALING.

[06:15:05]

AND THE OPENING OF THEIR MUSEUM, WHICH IS EXCEPTIONAL. AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU GO AND YOU VISIT IT. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU GO AND VISIT IT. ESPECIALLY TAKE CHILDREN, TAKE NON CUBANS SO THAT THEY CAN ENJOY AND SEE THE COURAGE. MY MOM'S UNCLE CARLOS, WHICH IS THE REASON THEY NAMED MY BROTHER CARLOS, SERVED TWO YEARS IN PRISON IN CUBA AND HE WAS A BAY OF PIG SURVIVOR. WHILE HIS WIFE WAS NOT BECAUSE SHE COMMITTED SUICIDE DURING THOSE TWO YEARS THAT HE WAS INCARCERATED IN CUBA. SO THE NEXT STEP IS HOPEFULLY TO BUILD A MUSEUM ON THE SAME LEVEL AS THE BRIGADISTAS DID TO HONOR OUR CUBAN HERITAGE AND THE MEMBERS OF PETER PAN. SO I ASK YOU TO GET INVOLVED. AND LAST WEEK I WAS ASKED TO BE ON THE BOARD OF PETER PAN, AND I'LL BE BRINGING MORE INFORMATION. AND I HOPE TO HONOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH TO THIS COMMUNITY. SO IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE A LOT OF PETER PAN MEMBERS HERE IN CORAL GABLES, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN, ALONG WITH OUR CITY MANAGER, I HOPE THAT WE CAN DO SOMETHING TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS. IN CLOSING, MY LAST ITEM IS, AS WE NEAR MORE AND MORE AMENDMENT THREE, I ASKED PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT AMENDMENT THREE. I THINK IT'S A WORTHY OPPORTUNITY TO PAY RESPECT TO THOSE WHO HAVE PAID THE MOST TAXES IN OUR COMMUNITY, THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED IN THEIR HOMES FOR 30 AND 40 YEARS DESERVE A LITTLE RELIEF. LIKE WE GAVE RELIEF TODAY IN TWO SEPARATE OPPORTUNITIES THAT COMMISSIONER FERNANDES SPONSORED. SO WE WILL BE DEALING WITH THAT ISSUE NOW IN NOVEMBER DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME. BUT I WILL BE SUPPORTING THAT AMENDMENT THREE, AND I WANT TO BE VERY VOCAL ON THAT. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING.

YES, SIR. ON YOUR DISCUSSION, YOU SAID ON THE MUSEUM BOARD FOR THE COMMISSION, I DO. COULD THE MUSEUM PERHAPS HAVE AN EXHIBITION ON PEDRO PAN? THAT WOULD BE AMAZING, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE CORAL GABLES RESIDENTS. AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO SHOWCASE IN THE MUSEUM. I LOVE THAT, I LOVE THAT IDEA. I'LL BRING IT UP TO THEM. AND I ALSO WILL BE PRESENTING HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT COMMISSION, WHICH IS PUTTING A FINAL BOW ON IT, THAT IN DECEMBER I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR FOUR YEARS, A SHOW AT THE MUSEUM, WHICH WILL BE 20 COLLECTORS, 20 WORKS, AND IT WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ART COLLECTORS, NOT ONLY IN SOUTH FLORIDA, BUT IN THE WORLD, ARE GOING TO BE EXHIBITING ONE OF THEIR WORKS, WHICH TELLS A STORY ABOUT WHO THEY ARE. IT MAY NOT BE THE MOST EXPENSIVE OR LARGEST WORK IN THEIR COLLECTION. THAT'S NOT THE POINT. BUT WE HAVE. EVERY MAJOR COLLECTOR IN SOUTH FLORIDA WILL BE PROVIDING A WORK FOR A FEW MONTHS, AND THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CORAL GABLES MUSEUM. SO WE CONTINUE TO GARNER A LOT OF SUPPORT AND INTEREST FROM THE ART WORLD. AND I'M GOING TO BE INVITING THE COMMISSION AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO COME AND ENJOY THIS FREE EXHIBITION, WHICH WILL BE UP DURING ART BASEL, AND I THINK WILL BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AGAIN TO REALLY SHINE A POSITIVE LIGHT ON THE MUSEUM AND THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THROUGH THE MAYOR. YES, SIR. DON'T WORRY, IT'S ALL GOOD. I JUST LOVE COMING IN RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LIKE, FOR THE SAKE OF GOOD ORDER, I JUST WANT TO SAY I HOPE IT IS FOR THE LAST TIME. BUT I STARTED OFF AGAIN, THIS MEETING, ASKING, IMPLORING MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO WORK TOWARDS BEING UNIFIED, AVOID TAKING ANY STEPS TO DIVIDE US.

[06:20:05]

SECOND CLERK ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. CLOSE THE MEETING NOW. REOPEN FOR THE ANDALUSIA GARAGE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION. WE HAVE ONE ITEM.

IT'S A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION SITTING IN ITS CAPACITY AS THE ANDALUSIA GARAGE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS, RATIFYING PRIOR ACTIONS BY THE CITY, THE CITY COMMISSION, THE ASSOCIATION, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THE CITY MANAGER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN DOCUMENTS ON ITS BEHALF AND TAKE ACTIONS RELATED TO THE MANAGEMENT, OWNERSHIP AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PROPERTY, APPROVING THE USE OF OPERATING EXPENSES THROUGH THE CITY BUDGET, ELECTING OFFICERS AND UPDATING ANY RELEVANT DOCUMENTATION. MAY I HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE IT. SECOND, MR. CLERK, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. CLOSE THE MEETING NOW. WE'LL OPEN UP THE 250 ARAGON CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION. WE HAVE A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION SITTING IN ITS CAPACITY AS A 250 ARAGON CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS RATIFYING PRIOR ACTIONS BY THE CITY, THE CITY COMMISSION, THE ASSOCIATION, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THE CITY MANAGER. AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN DOCUMENTS ON ITS BEHALF AND TAKE ACTIONS RELATED TO THE MANAGEMENT, OWNERSHIP AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PROPERTY. APPROVING THE USE OF OPERATING EXPENSES THROUGH THE CITY BUDGET, ELECTING OFFICERS AND UPDATING ANY RELEVANT DOCUMENTATION. MAY I HAVE A MOTION? MOVE IT. SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. ALL RIGHT, BEFORE WE ADJOURN, WE HAVE OUR FIRST BUDGET HEARING AT 501. SO WE HAVE A GOOD 25 MINUTES. PLEASE ENJOY THAT TIME WISELY,

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.