Miami Today: Week of Thursday, January 14, 2016

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2016

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

WWW.MIAMITODAYNEWS.COM $4.00

HEALTH UPDATE

Bills could alter the way surgery is handled within Florida, pg. 14 FINAL PERMIT GRANTED: Installation of temporary floating foam docks began last week for the Miami International Boat Show’s new home on Virginia Key. The US Army Corps of Engineers issued the show its third and final environmental permit, ensuring that the annual event will move forward as planned at Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin. The environmental permit is for the in-water portion of the show, put on by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. The boat show received its other in-water environmental permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on Dec. 11, and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners voted to approve the show’s Class 1 special event permit on Dec. 15. Multiple, air-conditioned and open-air clear span structures will house the upland exhibits adjacent to the in-water portion of the show. The 75th annual Miami International Boat Show takes place Feb. 11-15.

State of medical reimbursement becoming more complex, pg. 15

THE ACHIEVER

BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

SURTAX SPLIT: Miami-Dade County could seek $130 million in bonds to advance affordable housing and give each of the 13 county commission districts $10 million of the proceeds under a proposal by Commissioner Dennis Moss to go today (1/14) before the commission’s Economic Prosperity Committee. The bonds would be repaid from the county’s Affordable Housing Surtax Program revenues, acquired as a surtax on documents that transfer interest on real estate in the county. The surtax program was established in 1984 to assist very low to moderate-income families to buy housing. Mr. Moss says in his resolution that his suggestion could provide an “immediate and substantial source of funding to address the need for affordable housing.” The resolution, if passed by the full commission, would ask the mayor to analyze the concept’s feasibility and report back within 60 days. FACING MATCH POINT: Attorneys for the Miami Open tennis tournament organizer International Players Championship filed a request with the Third District Court of Appeal for a 14-day extension, which ends Jan. 21, to move for rehearing and a written opinion explaining its recent decision involving the Open. On Dec. 23, a three-judge panel in the appeals court upheld a lower court’s judgment against the tournament organizer, thereby preventing it from upgrading the Crandon Park facility where the Miami Open is held. The decision did not include a written opinion.

Kirk Wagar

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

Miamian runs team of 300 as ambassador to Singapore The profile is on Page 4

Hold land bare as port needs clarify, mayor says BY SUSAN DANSEYAR

Mayor Carlos Gimenez says since we can’t foresee the best use of valuable PortMiami land in coming years, it’s most responsible to hold bare land unused for a while. After speaking with port officials, he told Miami Today on Tuesday, he realized there was no reason to negotiate with Miami officials about city deed restrictions on port land during a Jan. 5 meeting. Instead, after learning that Port Director Juan Kuryla and Deputy Director Kevin Lynskey advised the port’s 36-acre southwest corner remain untouched until a use can be found to enhance port operations, Mr. Gimenez told Miami City Manager Daniel Alfonso and city attorneys that the county won’t pursue commercial development proposed there but only ventures tied directly to maritime use. “We don’t know what the future holds,” the mayor said Tuesday. “The best use is to keep [the corner] as it currently is for future expansion that we may not know today will be necessary.” The county and its port officials need to see results of the Panama Canal’s expan-

AGENDA

Across bay light rail tie gains steam

Mr. Gimenez said reports of a ferry Commissioners say they don’t want to be put service between Miami and Cuba from in corner on how to use vacant port land, pg. 12 sion, Mr. Gimenez said, and discuss ideas the port’s partners have for developing the coveted corner. “We have to first determine if the large ships coming in postPanama Canal expansion will have an impact on our seaport,” he said. “We’ll need to conduct a study of these factors and then decide what’s best for PortMiami.” A 2011 plan describing potential uses came when the port needed money and was about to issue new debt, Mr. Kuryla said. “Now, we don’t need the revenue to cover debt,” he said Tuesday. Between 2010 and 2013, port revenue soared 31%, he said, while expenses rose far more slowly. Since the corner’s development is no longer vital for revenue, Mr. Gimenez said, “the prudent course is to hold it for a while until we know the best port use for the future.” PortMiami doesn’t generate property taxes, the mayor said, but does support 200,000 jobs. “Along with our airport, the seaport is one of our biggest economic engines, so it’s important to manage it properly.”

PortMiami were premature. “That’s an example of a port use, but I’m not saying a ferry is the best one,” he said. “We have no plans to issue proposals for interest, but that does not mean in the future it might not happen.” Mr. Kuryla said he’s received inquiries from firms in the past year that have licenses to operate ferries. A few, he said, have proposed service from the seaport but haven’t submitted plans. Ferry service would require infrastructure work on the southwest corner along with studies of environmental impacts of the needed dredging. If a ferry terminal turns out to be a viable land use, Mr. Gimenez said, the line would decide where ferries would travel. He acknowledged that a few commissioners have voiced desire to examine proposed commercial uses of the valuable port land despite the possibility of litigation. The mayor said that “if the commission decides something else [contrary to sticking with maritime use], I’ll have to have negotiating meetings with the City of Miami.”

A long-debated plan for passenger rail linking Miami and Miami Beach appears to be regaining traction on both sides of Biscayne Bay. At its first 2016 meeting, the Miami City Commission is to consider today (1/14) an agreement with Miami Beach, the county and the Florida Department of Transportation for the beach corridor direct connection, called Bay Link. It’s on the agenda from Commissioner Francis Suarez to discuss and from Mayor Tomás Regalado to act. The city manager would be authorized to sign a memo of understanding with the county, state and Miami Beach to advance the light rail link, debated for decades, connecting Miami Beach with the mainland via the MacArthur Causeway. The major transit project comes with a major price tag; in 2014 dollars an estimated $532 million to build and $22 million a year to run and maintain. What may have spurred renewed energy was a company’s unsolicited proposal to Miami Beach in August to build and run a light rail system for South Beach. In December, Miami Beach commissioners considered a similar resolution for a memo of understanding with the other parties but instead accepted receipt of the unsolicited proposal from Greater Miami Tramlink Partners for a light rail/modern streetcar in Miami Beach and authorized officials to solicit alternative proposals for the city project. Meeting minutes note Miami Beach officials’ intent to continue to work with the state, county and City of Miami to pursue funds for the city project “and to pursue aggressively the remainder of the Direct Connect Project.” The memo would have sought federal funds and required Miami Beach to pay $417,000 toward a $10 million federal environmental study. Miami’s resolution would also call for a $417,000 allocation.

BECKHAM SOCCER LAND TALKS HAVEN’T KICKED IN ...

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CITY MAY CALL ON STATE FOR MIAMI CIRCLE’S CARE ...

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ADDING TO RIVERWALK WOULD GIVE BUILDING LIFE ...

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HOME RESALE GAINS REPORTED MOSTLY AT TOP END ...

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VIEWPOINT: WHERE DID 12 MILLION BUS RIDES GO? ...

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CITY MAY GIVE PARKING LOTS BUTTERFLIES AND LED ...

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DOWNTOWN’S TWO-LANE TRIP TO PROMENADE FUNDS...

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RESTAURANT IN GROVE PARK IN EX-CHAMBER HOME ...

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