Miami Today: Week of Thursday, December 3, 2015

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

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HEALTH UPDATE

New Jackson urgent care hub targeted to North Dade, pg. 13 MODERATE CONSUMER PRICE RISE: Consumer prices in South Florida rose 1.1% in the year ended Oct. 31, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Hidden deep in the report was the 30% gasoline price fall that held down overall price gains. The largest percentage gains year over year were a 6.3% increase for medical costs and 5.9% rise for residential rents. Total housing costs rose 3.6%, including those rent hikes. Another large decline was the 4.1% drop in electricity costs in South Florida. The cost of food and beverages rose 2.5% in the 12 months, clothing costs rose six-tenths of a percentage point and education and communication costs rose 1.2%.

Recreational costs in the region fell two-tenths of one percent.

Doctors turn decades of plans into ambulatory center, pg. 14

THE ACHIEVER

BY SUSAN DANSEYAR

BOOSTING HOME OWNERSHIP: County commissioners passed legislation to use Miami-Dade documentary surtax funds to establish a homebuyer loan program that could provide up to $100,000 in loans to eligible residents. The homebuyer loan program is designed to assist low- to moderate-income residents, whose household income is up to 140% of the area median income. For a single-person household, that’s about $69,000. The homebuyer loan program, which will be administered by the county’s Department of Public Housing and Community Development, targets specific areas, but is available for use in any part of Miami-Dade. It provides incentives for young professionals to establish permanent residence in the county. The second mortgages have a 2% fixed interest rate for properties anywhere in Miami-Dade and an even lower 1% in selected neighborhoods.

FIXING SLIDES: Three companies have been lined up for repairs at City of Miami park playgrounds. The Department of Procurement recommended awarding work to bidders Chopper Construction Corp. (primary), Leadex Corp. (secondary), and PlaySpace Services Inc. (tertiary).

Funds will be allocated from the Department of Parks and Recreation for a contract period of five years. The estimated annual contract cost is $180,000, for a total of $900,000 over the five-year contract.

BETTER CONNECTION: Florida Power and Light Co. plans electrical improvements to the City of Miami’s Hadley Park Youth Center at 1300 NW 50th St. City commissioners approved a perpetual, non-exclusive 10foot wide easement of 3,308 square feet of city-owned property. The easement will be used to construct, operate and maintain an underground electric utility facility.

Sheryl Woods

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

Leads merged YMCA toward 50% growth in decade The profile is on Page 4

A first step to spotlight campaign contributions

BY SUSAN D ANSEYAR

As county commissioners gave preliminary approval 8-3, some Miami-Dade residents on Tuesday welcomed legislation that would require elected officials and candidates to report solicited campaign contributions or be penalized.

Residents who spoke said the requirement would be a good start in mitigating the county’s image as a “banana republic” and inspiring young and currently-discouraged people to vote in local elections.

Opposing votes were cast by Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Audrey Edmonson and Xavier Suarez. The legislation is tentatively scheduled for a Jan. 12 hearing before the Strategic Planning & Government Operations Committee.

If the committee passes it and the full commission then approves, the campaign treasurer of every candidate for MiamiDade county or municipal office would file, in addition to contribution and expenses, an electronic report listing every contribution the candidate solicited along with the donor’s name, the amount, and a description of the relationship between the

AGENDA

Aging taxis head to new lease on life

contributor and candidate.

Elected county or municipal officials who aren’t candidates for another post would file a monthly report, beginning a year before taking office, on solicitation activities on behalf of any political committee, listing the same information as those running for office.

Candidates or officials who failed to file by the due date would be fined $50 a day for the first three days and $500 thereafter for each late day. Fines wouldn’t be an allowable campaign expense and could be paid only from personal funds of the candidates and officials.

The legislation, sponsored by Daniella Levine Cava, states that requiring officials and candidates to disclose fundraising activities would shine needed sunlight on the process and allow voters to make informed decisions.

Members of the public who spoke in favor of the proposed ordinance said it’s now difficult to learn where candidates get their money, and this legislation would aid their research.

Maydee Martinez, an Honors College student at Miami Dade College and co-founder

of Engage Miami, which aims to increase youth civic participation, said it’s hard for her to convince peers to vote.

She talked of speaking to a group of students about registering to vote and learning the genesis of their disinterest.

One student, she said, told her that politicians are “corrupt and money-hungry monsters,” which was the primary reason he had no interest in local politics.

“Many are put off by the system,” Ms. Martinez said. “This is a first step in building confidence and engaging the millennial vote.”

A former civics and history teacher in the New York City school system, David McDougall, said he now devotes time to getting young people to vote.

When he was teaching, Mr. McDougall said, he often referenced a quote by political theorist Sheldon Wolin: “This great achievement of self-government was to transform politics in sight and speech; power was made visible; decision-making was opened so the citizens could see its workings; ordinary men personified power, spoke to it unservilely, and hold themselves accountable.”

Old taxis in Miami-Dade may once again get the chance to grow older now that commissioners voted Tuesday to extend their life two more years.

The legislation by Barbara Jordan passed unanimously on first reading. It’s scheduled for a hearing before the Transit & Mobility Services Committee Jan. 13 before eventually coming back to the full commission for final action.

If passed, taxis required to be retired Dec. 31 will be allowed to operate until Dec. 31, 2017.

The change passed without discussion, as is often the case on first readings. However, commissioners have regularly extended the life of taxis on MiamiDade streets.

In fact, should the legislation ultimately pass, this would be the sixth year in a row that the commission would spare older cabs from requirements that they be taken off the road.

Cabs by ordinance may not be more than 8 years old, but this legislation would amend code to provide the two-year extension for any permitted cabs.

Although no one spoke against the legislation Tuesday, complaints against aged taxis have echoed in the past.

Aviation Director Emilio Gonzalez in a number of public appearances called for a revolution in the Miami-Dade cab industry on grounds that its failures reflect badly on Miami International Airport and deter air travel to Miami.

In November 2013, Mr. Gonzalez told the Consular Corps of Miami at a lunch that “our abysmal cab service is costing us, one tourist at a time.”

During a July 2012 meeting of the county’s Regional Transportation Committee, administration staff said the visitor industry was also expressing concern about the age of cabs and quality of service.

Commissioner Sally Heyman said then that “image is everything” and the public should not be getting into an 8- or 9-year-old car.

JUDGES TO HEAR ARGUMENTS ON KEY’S TENNIS CENTER ... 2

TORRID RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION PACE SLOWS DOWN ... 12

WILL REGION’S SEAPORTS SAIL TOWARD CONVERGENCE? ...

3

FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, MIAMI AIMS TO REGULATE DRONES ... 17

VIEWPOINT: PINPOINTING WHAT SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS ... 6

GROVE WATERFRONT HEADS TOWARD WHOLE NEW LOOK ... 18

LIGHT RAIL TO BEACH FOLLOWS FEDERAL FUNDS TRACK ...

WYNWOOD WANTS MANA PLAN TO PLAY BY AREA RULES ... 23

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MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

THE INSIDER YWCA GETS GRANT FORGIVENESS: County commissioners unanimously agreed Tuesday to waive the remainder of the YWCA’s match for a $2.5 million grant from MiamiDade to construct an early learning and intergenerational center in Miami Gardens. The 24,000square-foot facility has already been completed and came in a little under its original budget, said Jennifer Moon, director for the Office of Management and Budget. She told the commission that the YWCA has raised its entire match but doesn’t need to use all of Jennifer Moon it for the center. Rather, she said, the YWCA would rather use the extra money for programs. The Y committed in November 2008 to providing $2.5 million of its funds to complete the project and, since that time, has contributed $1,587,545. In a July letter, the non-profit asked for forgiveness of paying its full share for the building, which then was 94% completed, saying federal, state and local funding that it would use to match the county’s money has been cut.

ROOM TO MANEUVER: An easement was granted for a new sidewalk Tennis tournament organizers want to add three permanent stadiums to the present one in the park. as part of the expansion of the Mater Grove Academy on the Boys and Girls Club property at 2805 SW 32nd Ave. in Miami. In February, the city’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board approved an exception to allow expansion of the facility for the Greater Miami Boys’ Club Foundation Inc. The Boys and Girls Club consultant, city staff and Miami-Dade County traffic engineers determined that the best site for the school bus drop-off is along the Southwest 31st Avenue side of the property. BY SUSAN DANSEYAR Dade government, by many spe- participated in the settlement neHowever, the Southwest 31st Avenue right-of-way is six inches too cific and deliberate acts spanning gotiations.” narrow for a bus lane and the required traffic lane and sidewalk. The The tournament organizer has the last quarter century, steadily A three-judge Third District easement that city commissioners granted Nov. 19 will add six inches on Court of Appeal panel is to hear has abandoned its control and made much of a 2012 referenthe Boys and Girls Club property for sidewalks.

Appellate judges to hear arguments on expansion of tennis tourney site

oral arguments Dec. 9 concern- governance of the totality of Crandon Park and carelessly ceded that control to Mr. Matheson.”

In August, Mr. Barrett told Miami Today that Mr. Matheson is virtually holding the tournament organizer hostage with what he claimed is Mr. Matheson’s insistence on determining the use Schumacher’s September ruling of what really belongs to the in favor of the Matheson family’s public.

Mr. Barrett also said he could effort to keep the park as it is not believe that now. the mayor beThe family donated the land lieves 800 for Crandon Park in 1940 and acres should does not want tournament use be controlled expanded for more stadiums. by one person International Players Championand said he ship, however, maintains one thought Mr. permanent stadium isn’t enough Gimenez to keep the tournament going and Adam Barrett would want wants to add three permanent the park to be controlled by elected stadiums in the park.

In April 2014, the tournament officials to do what’s in the best organizer filed a seven-count law- interest of the public.

The county’s policy is to not suit against Miami-Dade County and the Matheson family, claim- specifically comment on pending ing they had committed “fraud litigation, said Michael Spring, on the court” in a 1993 settlement advisor to the mayor. In August that created the Crandon Master he told Miami Today that the Plan, which protects the 32-acre county is proud of its stewardCrandon Tennis Center from fur- ship of our “outstanding parks department,” including its largest ther commercial development.

All seven claims failed because park, Crandon.

“We strive to balance the needs they were filed too late. Mr. Schumacher found that the chief of all park users with the restricclaim of fraud on the court by tions in place on the development entering into a settlement agree- and use of Crandon Park,” Mr. ment and creating the master plan Spring wrote. “We continue to be very supportive of the Miami was “fanciful at best.”

In short, Bruce Matheson said, Open and are working cooperathe International Players Cham- tively with the tournament to enpionship is attempting to over- sure the ongoing success of this turn a 20-year-old settlement major sports event.”

On Monday, Mr. Matheson told agreement and a 15-year-old fiMiami Today the tournament is nal judgment.

On Dec. 9, the three-judge not in jeopardy because it has panel in the Third District Court eight years left on its contract of Appeal will give attorneys 10 with Miami-Dade and does not minutes each to argue and ex- intend to renege.

“Adam Barrett testified under plain their stance on the appeal.

The panel will ask questions and oath during the Miami Open’s then ponder the case. Their deci- lawsuit against the county and my family that the tournament sion could take months.

Mr. Matheson, who represents has no plans to breach the rethe family, told Miami Today this maining eight years of its conweek that the tournament is not tract with the county, has no in jeopardy as director Adam plans to relocate the tournament Barrett claimed in a May 5 letter and has made no effort to find to county Mayor Carlos Gimenez. another venue.”

He said the tennis promoters Mr. Barrett told the mayor the Miami Open is here for the short have known of prohibitions from term but its very existence hangs further development of Crandon in the balance because “Miami- Park since 1993 “because they

JOB TRAINING DOLLARS: Commissioners agreed to allocate up to ing control of Key Biscayne’s $30,000 from the City of Miami’s Anti-Poverty InitiaCrandon Park, where the Miami tive Program to the Associated Builders and ContracOpen tennis tournament has been tors Inc. Florida East Coast Chapter for local job skills played since 1987. training. This is from District 4 Commissioner Francis Suarez’s share of the anti-poverty fund. The resoluAt issue next week in this ontion notes that the anti-poverty initiative was created going litigation is tournament orto assist low-income residents. The allocation is ganizer International Players expected to help about 38 persons with tuition and Championship’s February appeal other job training costs. “It’s a great idea,” said seeking to reverse Judge Marc Francis Suarez Commission Chair Wifredo “Willy” Gort.

A NEW PLAT: City acceptance of a proposed plat clears the way for construction of two single-family homes on waterfront property. Miami commissioners on Nov. 19 accepted the plat of Leeward Cove, along the north side of North Venetian Drive on Biscayne Island. The Plat and Street Committee – composed of the Departments of Public Works, Planning and Zoning, Building, Police, Fire-Rescue and Solid Waste, with representation of the law department – has reviewed the tentative plat and determined its conformance to subdivision regulations. The intent is to create two lots for the construction of two single-family residences. The platted area consists of about 18,000 square feet.

TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS: The Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization is seeking creative ideas for transportation planning studies designed to alleviate congestion on highways, transit, freight, air and sea. Ideas selected will be recommended for adoption by the organization’s governing board and then included in the United Planning Working program. Submissions, accepted until Jan. 29, can be filled out online at https:/ /www.surveymonkey.com/r/CallforIdeas2016 or sent to Miami-Dade MPO, Attention: Oscar Camejo, Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW First St., Miami 33128; erockwell@miamidadempo.org; (305) 375-4950.

GOVERNMENT GARB: Uniforms for City of Miami employees will be purchased from Global Trading Inc. as part of a contract city commissioners approved. On July 29 the Department of Procurement sought bids; one arrived by the deadline. The department recommended Global Trading as the sole responsive and responsible bidder. The initial contract is for three years, with an option to renew for two one-year periods. The estimated annual cost of uniforms is about $43,000. The total fiscal impact for the term of the contract, including the option years, is $215,000.

PROTECTION FOR REFUGEES: Miami city commissioners are urging President Obama and Congress to protect Venezuelan refugees in the US and adjust their immigration status, as called for in the Venezuelan Refugee Assistance Act. The resolution approved Nov. 19, brought to the commission by Mayor Tomás Regalado, says in part, “Venezuelan refugees living in the United States will suffer terrible humanitarian consequences under physical, moral, and psychological hardships if they are removed from the United States after arrival and returned to Venezuela.” It also Tomás Regalado says that Venezuelans who have fled to Miami are now an integral part of the city’s cultural fabric and are “vital to our region’s economic growth due to the countless local businesses and millions of dollars they have invested into our community.”

ROBBERY INTERVENTION: Miami city commissioners approved a mutual aid agreement with Miami-Dade County for mutual aid in robbery intervention investigations with the county’s Robbery Intervention Detail Task Force, to apprehend and prosecute criminals in robberies that cross jurisdictional boundaries. The legislation recognizes that although the city entered into a standard mutual aid agreement with the county in 2010, the latest agreement is specifically for the Miami Police Department’s participation on the Robbery Intervention Detail Task Force.

HOMELAND SECURITY MONEY: A grant from the US Department of Homeland Security - Federal Emergency Management Agency will help fund the City of Miami’s Urban Search & Rescue Program. Commissioners accepted the $1,244,082 grant for the year that began Oct. 1.

CORRECTION: In a story about foreign visitors to Art Basel in last week’s issue, Vanessa Grout’s title was omitted. She is president of CMC Real Estate.

dum held to garner support for the proposed expansion, but Mr. Matheson said the ballot did not tell the voters that the expansion was prohibited.

“The referendum also did not tell the voters that it would require the county to pay the International Players Championship $1.8 million a year to take over management of the public tennis center,” he said. Moreover, he said, the county would pay $1 million a year to a capital improvement fund for 14 years, pay up to $8 million in environmental remediation and would excuse the tournament organizer from its obligation to having to pay 10% of its revenues to Miami-Dade to support Crandon Park.

Mr. Matheson sued the county over the referendum, a case pending in the Third District Court.

“For the past 25 years and encompassing four lawsuits, the Matheson family has been fighting to protect Crandon Park from unlimited commercial exploitation and to preserve it for future generations of citizens from Miami-Dade County,” he said, pointing out that the appeal court called the park “a sylvan spot of tranquility.”

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

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Photo by Maxine Usdan

PortMiami has lobbied in DC with Port Everglades, said Juan Kuryla. PortMiami was 13th in the nation in container traffic in 2014, the US Department of Transportation says.

Will region’s seaports sail toward a convergence of effort?

BY CARLA VIANNA

Two former rivals recently joined forces in an alliance to stave off competition from neighboring West Coast ports.

The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma created the Northwest Seaport Alliance in August aiming to regain market share in what has become an increasingly competitive seaport industry.

Port Everglades Director Steven Cernak says he wouldn’t be surprised if a similar conversation transpires between the Broward County-based port and PortMiami in the future.

Comparable to how major shipping lines have shaken off competition by forming megaalliances, Mr. Cernak predicts seaports will eventually converge in a similar way.

“It’s not something that’s going to happen tomorrow,” he said, nor will it happen during his tenure.

Although competition exists within the 30-mile gap between the two, the South Florida ports have been working together for a number of years.

“We were just together,” said PortMiami Director Juan Kuryla in early November. Officials from both ports as well as Florida East Coast Railway representatives recently traveled to Asia to promote Florida’s ports at the TPM Asia Conference, an event geared toward the logistics and shipping industries.

“We’re promoting our ports as the ports of entry for Asian trade,” Mr. Kuryla said. Whether ships call at Port Everglades or PortMiami, the FEC rail line runs through both. The cargo will reach its final destination either way. It’s up to the shipping line to choose whichever port is the best fit. But as long as that ship is sailing through a Florida port, Mr. Cernak said, it boosts the state’s overall economy.

“We’re entering a phase that [is] more about regional focus,” Mr. Cernak said during a panel discussion at the Air & Sea Cargo Americas convention this month.

“Sure, we like to think competitively with each other. That’s the private sector making that possible.”

As ports around the world are faced with a changing industry molded by shipping alliances and the deployment of massive ships, Port Everglades turns its focus to Florida and the Southeast with this mantra in mind: what’s good for either port is good for the region.

“We have been with [Port Everglades] to Washington to speak or lobby on issues relating to not only both ports, but to all ports in the State of Florida,” Mr. Kuryla said.

Currently, 65% of all products heading to the East Coast come into the US via the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, said PortMiami’s Eric Olafson, who oversees cargo development.

“They say within a year and a half, it’s going to turn to 50-50,” he said.

Exactly two years ago, Port Everglades and PortMiami entered a pilot program backed by the US Department of Agriculture to allow the shipping of blueberries and grapes directly to South Florida from Peru and Uruguay. Historically, this was a venture deemed illegal by decades-old legislation.

In aims to prevent infestations of fruit-flies and other pests, perishables coming from Central and South America are shipped past South Florida up to cooler northern ports above the 39th parallel line, like Philadelphia, to undergo a “cold-treatment process.” The perishables are then sent back down to Florida via truck.

Thanks to advancements in technology, these fruits, vegetables and other perishables can now be treated for pests onboard a ship, which allows shippers to call on ports below the 39th parallel.

The less that cargo is handled and the quicker it gets to market, the cheaper the process.

“It’s changing the way goods are moving logistically,” Mr. Cernak said.

Meanwhile, both ports are enjoying higher cargo volumes and welcoming larger ships.

During fiscal 2014, Port Everglades ranked No. 11 in container traffic among US ports, followed by Jacksonville at No. 12 and Miami at No. 13, according to the US Department of Transportation.

“We view our competition really as Savannah,” Mr. Kuryla said. The Port of Savannah ranked No. 4 among US ports in 2014, receiving more than triple the containers that Florida ports got.

“We want that business,” Mr. Kuryla said.

This past fiscal year, both ports set records in containerized cargo volumes. PortMiami reported a 15% increase in container traffic for its year ending Sept. 30, while Port Everglades

reported a 5% increase.

Port Everglades bested PortMiami’s 1,007,800 containers by about 52,700.

While PortMiami focuses on more centric, east-west trade lanes, Port Everglades is a predominantly north-south port, Mr. Cernak said. Beverages and wood pulp were PortMiami’s top imported and exported commodities, respectively, in 2014.

In terms of container volumes, fruits and grocery products were the top imported and exported commodities, respectively, at Port Everglades.

Also a major importer of fuel, Port Everglades reported a 4%

growth in fuel volume entering the port. Despite a push for more fuel-efficient cars, Mr. Cernak said, fuel consumption grew, a factor he attributes to the expanding South Florida population and healthy economy. About one-third of Florida’s fuel needs are met by petroleum stored and distributed by companies at Port Everglades.

Like PortMiami, Port Everglades has a list of ongoing and future infrastructure projects to better accommodate the growing number – and size – of ships expected to visit this coast in coming years.

Although behind on deepening

its channel to accommodate fully-laden larger ships, Port Everglades has concluded an 18year study and is now designing the $374.1 million dredging project. The port plans to deepen and widen its channel from an existing 45-foot deep, 500-foot wide channel to 55 feet deep and 800 feet wide. Construction is to be completed in 2022.

Another project the port has taken on is to lengthen the existing deepwater turnaround area for cargo ships from about 900 feet to 2,400, which would allow for up to five new cargo berths.

The $269.4 million project is to be completed in 2019.

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MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

MIAMITODAY Miami Today is an independent voice of the community, published weekly at 2000 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 100, Miami, Florida 33133. Telephone (305) 358-2663

What Small Business really needs – and from whom Big Business doesn’t seem to have a clue about Small Business.

We just got an e-mail that American Express had proclaimed Small Business Saturday “in response to small business Michael Lewis owners’ most pressing need: getting more customers during the busy holiday shopping season.”

Maybe that’s the most pressing need from the perspective of the guys who issue credit cards that cost Small Business the highest transaction fees, about 3.5%, but if you ask Small Business owners about their most pressing need, adding holiday customers will definitely not be it.

In multiple surveys of Small Business needs, in fact, adding holiday shoppers didn’t appear. What was near the top of every list, however, was access to financing. A business that can’t borrow is a business in peril.

That’s why a Wall Street Journal report Friday was of such concern. To quote the paper, “the biggest banks in the US are making far fewer loans to small businesses than they did a decade ago, ceding market share to alternative lend-

ers that charge significantly higher rates.”

That means that a Small Business, already at a disadvantage to the big boys, also pays far more to borrow, increasing its costs relative to far larger competitors.

The big banks explain that a $100,000 loan doesn’t make economic sense when they can lend $1 million at the same administrative cost. So, the paper reported, the 10 largest banks last year loaned 38% less money to Small Business than they did in 2006.

That might make sense to the big banks today, but you can question the long-term wisdom of writing off Small Business from the banks’ own perspective, much less the nation’s, since more than 53% of all jobs are in small businesses.

Take a lesson from history why banks shouldn’t put all their eggs in the big basket and expect to prosper in the long run.

During World War II, paper was rationed, as were most commodities. But newspapers were so important in holding communities together that the government decided that every newspaper had to get a supply, however meager, to use as it saw fit.

In Miami all the large advertisers had relied on the Miami News, so that paper allocated a page to each of the dozen biggest, freezing out small businesses that needed advertising as their lifeline.

The far smaller Miami Herald didn’t have

big advertisers, so it split up its limited ad space, guaranteeing all local businesses a bit.

After the war, the dozen top advertisers remained in the News, but in the postwar boom the many small businesses that had been in the Herald stayed there and grew and grew – until the Herald became the larger and more prosperous paper.

Could big banks be making the same mistake of relying only on big guys? The facts suggest that it’s possible.

Without trying to define Small Business exactly – it takes the US Small Business Administration five pages to do it, with different worker and sales numbers as the top limit for each industry – the rough standard is fewer than 500 workers.

By that standard, 99.56% of all US businesses are Small Business, so banks are targeting less than one-half percent of all businesses to make loans. If we define Small Business as fewer than 250 employees, then big banks are missing only 99.09% of all businesses.

By skipping over those Small Business customers, big banks are also missing the segment that is actually growing jobs, not losing them, while propping up a declining category.

In the first quarter of 2015, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nation added just 238,000 net jobs. Of nine business sizes, the bureau found that only the largest – those with 1,000-

plus workers – actually had a net job loss, losing 72,000. The rest of all US businesses – the small and midsize – totaled a 310,000-job gain.

Miami’s economy relies on Small Business growth. In choking credit, we slow growth. Meanwhile, the big banks funnel lending to the one group that is contracting – the biggest businesses. Are we, like the Miami News, putting more and more eggs in the wrong basket?

Some of big banks’ decision-making as to where to lend is driven by regulations that have grown far more stringent, ostensibly to protect us. It costs less paperwork per dollar the larger the loan gets, and banks are buried in federal regulations. We sympathize.

But at the point regulations choke off credit to the sector that not only needs funds most but actually uses them to add jobs and Gross Domestic Product far faster than the largest businesses that are already mature and less likely to grow, it’s time to retool the regulations.

Perhaps we could tier businesses, with smaller businesses forced to jump through fewer hoops for smaller loans, thus making it less costly for big banks to serve them. Alternatively, regulators could provide “bonuses” of less paperwork overall for banks that serve more small clients.

But as of now, regulations deter job growth.

Maybe it’s not just Big Business that doesn’t understand Small Business needs.

Maybe Big Government doesn’t either.

Before transit grows, here’s how to loosen the traffic noose Being semi-retired I don’t go downtown every work day like I used to, but when it is necessary traffic congestion is a terribly frustrating experience.

I feel badly for the tens of thousands of employees who must Merrett Stierheim drive downtown or to other work locations every day and then go through that torturous experience again trying to get home, to say nothing about the non-working public who find it necessary to drive on our congested streets.

Traffic congestion truly prevails everywhere in Miami-Dade.

The media has fully reported on the increasing level of complaints and frustration that are certainly not limited to the downtown area, and our political leaders have joined the hue and cry demanding solutions.

For those bus riders who complain about schedule failures, traffic congestion is most often the villain. The big problem is that major transportation infrastructure takes years to fund, design and build.

As county manager, for example, it took us nine years to build Metrorail and the peoplemover, plus another four years after it was approved by voters in 1972.

There are some actions, certainly not original from me, that major employers should study that could relieve traffic congestion much more quickly than major construction.

Some of these are: Stagger work hours, such as from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.,

The Writer Merrett R. Stierheim is a former Miami-Dade County manager (twice), public school superintendent, Miami city manager and Doral city manager. with half hour lunch breaks. The earlier work starts, the quicker one can get downtown and the quicker one can get home. The same holds true for later work starting times.

Any work schedule that avoids peak rush-hour traffic between 7:45 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. will provide some relief from the most serious traffic congestion. In many cases this is certainly doable with study and direction from senior management.

The benefits for the worker are demonstrable – less frustration in congested traffic, longer life span, lower gas consumption and air pollution, more time at home with family, etc.

The difference in traffic density throughout the county when school is in or out of session is truly amazing – like night and day! Hopefully, the public school system is studying this issue, because varying the hours when children are in school could have a significant impact on traffic congestion.

That study should include private, charter and parochial schools. Elementary school hours starting at 7 a.m. or 9 a.m. would have a significant impact. I noted that England is experimenting successfully with high school hours from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Interestingly, the claim is that students seem to like that schedule better, being able to sleep longer in the morning.

Four-day, 10-hour work days, if uni-

versally applied and staggered, would reduce 20% of rush hour traffic. Any combination, such as a 4½-day work week, will reduce congestion, with obvious benefits for workers and motorists.

Serious study should be given to the range of benefits for work being accomplished at home, where technology has made this increasingly possible. Whenever practical, the employer doesn’t need office work stations at $30 to $50 per square foot, could have fewer parking spaces, use less A/C power and lower office expenses. Of course, any combinations also work, with so many hours or days working at home and the balance in the office, not to mention the substantial financial savings and other benefits for employees.

Build more parking garages at highdemand Metrorail stations, add transit cars and reduce headway times to increase rush-hour capacity. This is particularly true on the south leg, where garages are full quite early. That has discouraged the use of a very efficient means of public transportation and increased congestion on US 1.

Study should be given to increasing ridership on the north leg of Metrorail, which has never generated the ridership originally predicted, the objective being that any system that diverts traffic off I95 to Metrorail will help!

Regulate, and where practical prohibit, delivery trucks in congested business districts during rush hours and enforce it.

These ideas and others should be researched to nail down potential benefits.

Then we need concerted public and private leadership, because, have no doubt, traffic congestion will definitely increase exponentially before there can possibly be major relief.

Our county and city leaders and the larger chambers of commerce should take the lead and convene meetings with major public and private employers towards the objective of encouraging feasibility studies of these and other ideas.

It is certainly worth the effort, because the staggering cost of Miami-Dade traffic congestion, physiologically, financially and environmentally, is a terrible waste and will continue to mount.

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12

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

After torrid pace, construction slows, particularly residential

BY CARLA VIANNA

The last three months of the year are pointing to weaker construction activity, specifically within the residential realm, as fewer major projects are predicted to break ground within the next month compared to last year, when a number of mega-projects began development in November and December.

Dodge Data & Analytics, which tracks construction data across the US, reported a 47% decrease in the values of nonresidential construction starts this past October compared to October of last year in the tri-county area, signifying a decrease in starts since September. In September, nonresidential construction was up 25% yearover-year.

Residential construction starts were 53% lower this past October than October 2014, according to Dodge. “While October construction was relatively weak, the value of construction [in Miami] is still up over 2% year-to-date through October relative to 2014,� said Anne Thompson, economist at Dodge.

The overall slowdown in both residential and nonresidential can be explained by looking at the number of major projects started in October 2014 compared to

Photo by Maxine Usdan

Residential project Midtown 5 rises. Dodge reports value of residential construction starts down 53%.

those that broke ground this past October.

Four Miami projects that broke ground in October 2014 were valued above $50 million, three of which were valued between $144 million and $200 million, Ms. Thompson said. The four projects were Brickell Heights, Echo Brickell and the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida, which was composed of two pieces.

This past October the three largest projects started were valued between $46 million and $50 million. “The end of the fourth quarter last year was pretty strong,� said Ms. Thompson, hoping the fourth quarter of this year will follow suit.

Last year, three of the six largest projects that started broke ground in the last two months of the year: One Brickell City Centre,

Public Notice NOTICE IS GIVEN that meetings will be held before the following Committees on the dates stipulated below in the Commission Chambers, located on the Second Floor, of the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW First Street, Miami, Florida, wherein, among other matters to be considered, a public hearing will be held relating to the following proposed ordinances/ resolutions: Strategic Planning & Government Operations (SPGO) Cmte. Meeting – Tuesday, December 8, 2015 a 9:30 AM Unincorporated Municipal Service Area (UMSA) Cmte. Meeting – Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 2:00 PM t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP [POJOH BOE TJHOT providing deďŹ nitions and standards for illumination relating to signs; providing for digital signs; amending Sections 33-84, 33-96, 33-96.1 of the Code t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP [POJOH providing for increased height and length in recreational vehicle and boat storage; amending Section 33-20 of the Code t 0SEJOBODF SFWJTJOH [POJOH BOE PUIFS MBOE EFWFMPQNFOU SFHVMBUJPOT modifying procedures for ďŹ ling zoning applications; amending Section 33-304 of the Code Transit & Mobility Services (TMS) Cmte. Meeting – Wednesday, December 9, 2015, at 9:30 AM t 3FTPMVUJPO approving an amendment to the Board requested major roadway and neighborhood improvement projects listed in Exhibit 1 of the People’s Transportation Plan and the ďŹ ve year implementation plan by extending the limits of the Caribbean Boulevard Project t 3FTPMVUJPO approving the 2015 update of the ďŹ ve year People’s Transportation Plan (PTP) implementation plan t 3FTPMVUJPO BQQSPWJOH UFSNT PG BOE BVUIPSJ[JOH UIF $PVOUZ .BZPS $PVOUZ .BZPS T EFTJHOFF PS .JBNJ %BEF 5SBOTJU %JSFDUPS to execute and ďŹ le a grant application for $5,570,526.00 with the United States Department of Transportation Federal Transit t 0SEJOBODF amending by a two-thirds vote of the commission membership Section 29-124 of the Code of MiamiDade County to expand Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust review to all contracts procured by or on behalf of Miami-Dade Transit regardless of funding source.

Metropolitan Services (MS) Cmte. Meeting – Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 2:00 PM t 0SEJOBODF SFRVJSJOH XBSOJOH TJHOT SFMBUFE UP TBMFT PG BMDPIPMJD CFWFSBHFT providing for signs in business establishments selling alcoholic beverages for consumption on or off the premises; QSPWJEJOH GPS DPOUFOU PG TJHO to include prohibition on the sale to minors Trade & Tourism (TT) Cmte. Meeting – Thursday, December 10, 2015 at 9:30 AM t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUFE UP VONBOOFE BJSDSBGU TZTUFNT BOE DPVOUZ BJSQPSUT creating Section 25-11 of the Code prohibiting the operation of unmanned aircraft systems above any county airport or within one mile of a county airport runway QSPWJEJOH EFmOJUJPOT FYFNQUJPOT QFOBMUJFT BOE BQQMJDBCJMJUZ BNFOEJOH Section 8cc-10 of the Code BNFOEJOH UIF TDIFEVMF PG DJWJM QFOBMUJFT Economic Prosperity (EP) Cmte. Meeting – Thursday,December 10, 2015 at 2:00 PM t 3FTPMVUJPO BVUIPSJ[JOH pursuant to the provisions of Section 17-02 of the code of Miami-Dade County, a loan not to exceed $2,342,208.88, of Home Investment Partnerships Program (‘’HOME’’) program income funds and documentary surtax program (‘’surtax’’) program income funds to Superior Manor Apartments, LTD., or other related entity of the Urban League of Greater Miami, Inc., for development of the Superior Manor Apartments Affordable Housing Project "MM JOUFSFTUFE QBSUJFT NBZ BQQFBS BOE CF IFBSE BU UIF UJNF BOE QMBDF TQFDJm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agendco@miamidade.gov.

One Thousand Museum and Melody.

When asked whether this year will also close out strong, Ms. Thompson said there weren’t a whole lot of major projects that looked like they were going to break ground soon. “Therefore, the coming two months will likely lag behind last year,� she said.

While New York tops the list in multifamily construction, comprising more than 26% of the nation’s multifamily contract value in the first ten months of 2015, Miami was second at 5.2%, she said, adding that construction activity in New York has also slowed a bit.

The construction value of contracts is still up 7.6% in Miami compared to 2014. “Miami is a place that is growing up very fast,� said Carlos Melo, principal of the Melo Group, which is currently building Aria on the Bay, a condo tower in the downtown Arts & Entertainment district. “If you see a little [slowdown], it’s not forever. It’s a moment.�

The city is attracting developers from all over the world, many of whom have never developed in

CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING A public hearing will be held by the City Commission of the City of Miami, Florida on December 10, 2015 at 9:00 AM at City Hall, located at 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida 33133 for the purpose of granting the following: A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, BY A FOUR-FIFTHS (4/5THS) AFFIRMATIVE VOTE AFTER AN ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARING, RATIFYING, CONFIRMING, AND APPROVING THE CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION AND WRITTEN FINDINGS, PURSUANT TO SECTION 18-85 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED; WAIVING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED BIDDING METHODS AS NOT BEING PRACTICABLE OR ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE CITY OF MIAMI FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND BEAUTIFICATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD; APPROVING THE AWARD OF SAID SERVICES TO GREATER MIAMI SERVICES, CORP., FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 1, 2016 THROUGH DECEMBER 3, 2016, AT AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $174,000.00; WITH FUNDS ALLOCATED FROM THE GENERAL FUND; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT, SATISFACTORY TO THE CITY MANAGER , IN A LEGAL FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATORNEY, FOR SAID PURPOSE. All interested persons are invited to appear and may be heard concerning this item. Should any person desire to appeal any decision of the City Commission with respect to any matter considered at this meeting, that person shall ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including all testimony and evidence upon which any appeal may be based (F.S. 286.0105).

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons needing special DFFRPPRGDWLRQV WR SDUWLFLSDWH LQ WKH SURFHHGLQJ PD\ FRQWDFW WKH 2IÂżFH RI WKH &LW\ &OHUN at (305) 250-5361 (Voice) no later than two (2) business days prior to the proceeding or TTY users may call via 711 (Florida Relay Service) no later than three (3) business days prior to the proceeding.

)"37&: 367*/ $-&3, $)3*4501)&3 "(3*11" %&165: $-&3, For legal ads online, go to http://legalads.miamidade.gov

Miami, Mr. Melo said. The projects backed by less-experienced developers, or those who aren’t 100% familiar with the local market, he said, might have a tougher time getting off the ground.

But with the new down payment structures, he said, there’s no fear in overbuilding. “Now, you have to produce with the demand that the market has,� he continued. “If the market needs more, you’re going to have more units. If the market has less demand, it’s not going to be overbuilt because you’re never going to start those buildings.�

Recent figures show the sale of luxury condos has slowed. Sales decreased 14.8% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2015, from 237 to 202. The median number of days on the market for luxury condos increased 38% to 101 days compared to the same period last year, according to the Miami Association of Realtors. “There’s no way to start construction without enough sales,�

Mr. Melo said. “This is what is going to regulate the market.�

MacAdam Glinn, account manager and senior VP for construction firm Skanska’s South Florida operations, acknowledges a slowdown in the condo construction market but sees no halt in infrastructure projects within the company’s core industries: aviation, education and healthcare.

He pointed to the winding down of major infrastructure projects like that of the State Road 826 and State Road 836 Interchange. “A lot of that really big flat work, the civil work, has slowed down in addition to the residential,� Mr. Glinn said.

Miami area construction jobs were down 3.4% in September year-over-year, according to the US Department of Labor. Mr. Glinn said that’s a product of the decrease in civil projects going on. “While there might be cooling in the residential market and there might be some mega civil projects that are winding down,� he said, “every other corner of the market is still blazing hot.�

Todd B. Hannon City Clerk #22741

14

HEALTH UPDATE

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

Doctors turn decades of plans into ambulatory surgery hub

BY CARLA VIANNA

For years physicians at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, formerly Miami Children’s, pondered the idea of creating a freestanding pediatric surgery center devoted solely to South Florida’s young population in need of quick outpatient surgery services.

The concept came to fruition this year with inauguration of the hospital’s Ambulatory Surgery Center, the first of its kind in the region. Plans for such a center are more than 20 years in the making, said Chad Perlyn, the center’s medical director and board chairman. “The notion of wanting to have an outpatient ambulatory surgery center for the children of South Florida has been very real and a goal of many generations of physicians who are involved with the hospital,� Dr. Perlyn said. “A group of us got together and said now is the time. The hospital felt the same.�

In collaboration with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, a group of physicians launched and now run the center from two leased acres on Florida International University’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus in west Miami-Dade County. Although FIU is not an owner of the center now, Dr. Perlyn said the potential for further partnership exists. The medical facility will be used by FIU students for educational purposes.

The Ambulatory Surgery Center is co-owned by a group of

Ambulatory center on two leased acres at Florida International University can handle 3,000 cases a year.

about 20 physicians and the main hospital, which is a standard model for surgical centers throughout the US, Dr. Perlyn said. It employs about 30 physicians, most of whom are also employed at the main hospital. “Nothing changes. In terms of the quality of care, the standard of excellence, the continuity of care, the ability to seamlessly integrate electronic records between the hospital and the center, the safety protocol; everything we do at Nicklaus Hospital, we follow the same protocol and procedures at the

surgery center,� he said. “It lets a surgical center become an extension of a main hospital.�

A separate center – co-owned by practicing physicians – to care for children in need of less complex outpatient procedures has a slew of benefits; the center’s founding physicians said.

First, the center has the capacity to handle 3,000 to 4,000 cases per year that would previously have been handled at the main hospital. “There was a shortage of operative availability and time,�

said Craig Spurdle, an attending pediatric orthopedic surgeon who works at the surgical center. The volume of cases at the main hospital was tremendous, Dr. Perlyn said. The new center helps to shrink the waiting list and waiting times for children in need of more invasive procedures done at the main hospital and others needing minor surgery at the center.

Separating the two also increases physician efficiency.

Second, the project allowed physicians to create a less stressful environment for fami-

lies and their children, who would be at the center for a short period during minor procedures.

Dr. Perlyn also pointed out another practical benefit: having outpatient procedures done at an outpatient center is less costly than doing so in an inpatient hospital setting. “When physicians have a real understanding of the financial implications of running a center, the efficiency of care and the cost savings change dramatically,� he said, using a pack of sutures to illustrate his point.

In a typical operation room setting, a nurse preps everything for the surgeon, which can mean opening five to ten packets of sutures. Whether or not the five to ten packets are actually needed isn’t known until the surgery is underway. In a surgical center, however, it’s a more “use as you need� type model, Dr. Perlyn said.

Once physicians grow accustomed to that mindset, they carry it with them outside the center’s environment.

Another added benefit of having physician involvement, Dr. Spurdle said, is that the center was designed by individuals who know how pediatric operations work. Having physician input makes the environment safer. “The surgical center model is increasing in South Florida,� Dr. Perlyn said. “We do hope that in the future we are able to take this model and bring it to other communities.�

Some doctors reenter insurance market, others go uncovered

BY CARLA VIANNA

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Although healthcare industry professionals regard South Florida as a litigious community, Florida doctors aren’t required by state law to purchase medical malpractice insurance.

The state does require physicians to prove they’re able to afford a malpractice lawsuit loss, said Linda Quick, president of the South Florida Hospital &

Healthcare Association. Doctors are given several options, other than purchasing insurance, to comply with the financial responsibility requirement.

Florida doctors have historically struggled against malpractice insurance requirements due to the extreme premiums they’re required to pay in this state. “Yes, we have a lot of doctors that don’t have it, but we still have quite a few who do,� Ms.

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Quick said. Legislative reform has helped push prices down, so some physicians have reentered the insurance market.

Still, South Florida is home to a highly litigious climate, said Hollywood-based attorney Mitchell Green. This causes the state’s malpractice insurance premiums to be higher than other parts of the country.

The malpractice insurance market goes through loose and tight cycles, he said. When the market loosened up several years ago, meaning premiums were relatively affordable and stable, more doctors opted for coverage. “There hasn’t been as much of a malpractice crisis as there had been in a past,� Mr. Green said.

Aside from being viewed as a litigious environment, South Florida is also known as a region where doctors practice defensive medicine. The two characteristics go hand-in-hand. Defensive medicine is a phenomenon that occurs when doctors order more tests than may be necessary to avoid lawsuits. “They practice almost in malpractice defense mode,� Mr. Green said.

Steve Sonenreich, president and CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center, acknowledges that a large number of Miami-Dade County physicians practice without malpractice insurance, but he contends the lack of cover-

‘Yes, we have a lot of doctors that don’t have it, but we still have quite a few who do.’ Linda Quick age isn’t what pushes up local healthcare costs. “Where the correlation lies is being in an area that is overpopulated with personal injury attorneys,� Mr. Sonenreich said. “That drives defensive medical practice. Physicians may be ordering tests that they ordinarily would not order if there was not a concern about hyper-litigation.�

So why is Miami the place to be for personal injury attorneys? “It’s an attractive place to live,�

Mr. Sonenreich said.

Mr. Green said litigious climates are more common in bigger cities than in smaller towns, where the doctor might have

more time to build a relationship with the patient. One of the main reasons why patients sue, he said, is because they simply didn’t like the doctor. “Laws of the State of Florida seem to allow for these lawsuits,� Mr. Green said.

A patient who knows his or her doctor well and has created an ongoing relationship with that physician would be less inclined to blame him or her when everything doesn’t turn out perfectly, Ms. Quick said.

She pointed to a number of factors that make the region prone to lawsuits: the population’s high expectations when it comes to healthcare; the marketing activity of local doctors leading patients to believe in the “miracles of medicine�; the cultural and economic factors of a community in which a relatively small payout on a malpractice claim is considered a significant amount of money for certain patients; and the high number of medical institutions and services offered here.

Mr. Green believes defensive medicine will be further clipped by healthcare reform.

Today, he said, there is a shift in healthcare toward cost containment. As the industry is driven by quality and cost, the physician practicing defensive medicine will be increasingly seen as an outlier. This shift in focus, he said, is pushing physicians to order tests more productively.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

HEALTH UPDATE

MIAMI TODAY

15

Health cost rise expected: employers 4.7%, individuals 9.5%

BY SUSAN D ANSEYAR

Health care costs for Florida employers in 2016 will rise an estimated 4.7% per person and premiums for individuals buying their own medical plans in compliance with the Federal Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act will rise an average 9.5%, industry watchers say.

According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, 19 health insurance companies submitted rate filings in May for the office’s review, which consisted of individual major medical plans to be sold on and off the exchange – the marketplace where one can view various plans.

In Florida, the federal government runs the exchange. An off-exchange plan is a health insurance policy that is purchased directly from the carrier or through an agent or broker.

Amy Bogner, director of communications for the insurance regulation office, reports that of the 19 individual market carriers that submitted proposed rates for the Affordable Care Act-compliant plans, 10 offer only plans outside the exchange.

In August, the insurance regulation office released final rates along with original proposals

that didn’t disclose rate hikes unless they were above 10%.

Three carriers had final rates that were the same as proposed in May; of the remaining 16, 10 had final rates lower than originally proposed and the other six were higher.

The weighted average approved rate increase in the individual market in Florida is 9.5%, Ms. Bogner reported. For plans in the exchange, rate changes for 2016 vary from a decrease of 9.7% for Florida Health Care Plan Inc. to an increase of 16.4% for UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc. A few weeks before open enrollment started Nov. 1 for a 2016 insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace, Cigna announced it wouldn’t participate in the exchange. Ms. Bogner reports the carrier cited “fraudulent billing by substance abuse clinics and labs in Florida.”

Cigna said it didn’t realize how significant the fraudulent claims were until after the deadline to submit plans for 2016, Ms. Bogner states on the insurance regulation website. “Once they determined the scope of the problem, they made their decision to pull out of the exchange market for a year,” she said. Cigna plans to re-enter the

‘They close the panels because they don’t care what they pay.’

Lee F. Lasris Florida exchange in 2017 with a new suite of plans available.

Small and large businesses in the state are also facing increased costs to insure their employees.

According to a recent survey conducted by Mercer Health and Benefits LLC, a Rhode Islandbased company that provides health benefits consulting and brokerage services, 99 Florida companies that responded said they expect a 4.7% increase for 2016 in cost per individual after adjustments are made to their health care coverage plans. The survey found employers nationally are expecting an average

cost increase per individual health coverage plan of 4.3%.

Lee F. Lasris, a board certified health law attorney and a founding partner of the Florida Health Law Center, said he can’t remember a time when there weren’t insurance increases.

And he sees the trend continuing in the state, saying insurance companies are largely responsible because they don’t take advantage of using lowercost providers nor monitor factors that are causing rates to rise. Rather, Mr. Lasris said, the insurance companies just pass the increase off by raising their premiums.

Mr. Lasris said he has clients who are willing to provide services for a lower cost but it’s difficult for them to get contracts with the insurance companies, which constantly negotiate with large hospital systems.

He referenced a high-tech diagnostic imaging provider that offered prices that were a third of what an insurance company was paying a large hospital. However, Mr. Lasris said, in his experience the insurance companies refuse to negotiate with doctors and quality groups willing to take less for their services.

“They close the panels because they don’t care what they

pay,” he said. “[The insurance companies] just raise the premium rates.”

Part of the federal Affordable Care Act requires that 85% of an insurance company’s premiums paid by large employers go toward benefits; only 15% can go toward administrative costs.

The law requires that 80% of premiums for smaller employers and individuals cover benefits; only 20% can go toward administrative costs.

Mr. Lasris says he believes that’s one of the main reasons health care companies don’t negotiate with lower-cost providers. The more money they can charge in premiums, he said, the bigger the administrative slice grows.

A number of states have a statute requiring insurance companies to accept any willing provider. However, Mr. Lasris said, Florida law allows insurance companies to refuse providers.

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reminds individuals that Dec. 15 is the deadline to enroll in or change plans for new coverage to start Jan. 1. Jan. 15 is the last day to enroll in or change plans for new coverage to start Feb. 1.

Details: http:// www.floir.com

ATTENTION MEDICARE PATIENTS An Important Message From Baptist Health South Florida

Photo by Maxine Usdan

Miami trolleys not only serve the health district, they advertise health.

Transit gears to health district

BY CATHERINE LACKNER

To serve the growing Health District around Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami-Dade Transit – which serves the area with two Metrorail stations, the Civic Center Station at 1501 NW 12th Ave. and the Santa Clara Station at 2050 NW 12th Ave. – has initiated two new express bus routes for workers who commute from Broward County.

What’s being called the 95 DadeBroward Express “provides a rapid, reliable connection, during peak-service hours on weekdays, with service every 30 minutes,” said a country transit release.

The bus picks up passengers from Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale from about 5:30 to 9 a.m. and brings them to the Civic Center Metrorail station. Returntrip service begins at 3:05 and runs until 8:05 p.m. from the Santa Clara Metrorail station, with a stop at the Civic Center Metrorail station, then back to Broward Boulevard.

A second route departs from Sheridan Street beginning at 5:20 and continuing to 8:50 a.m. and ends at the Civic Center Metrorail Station. The return trip departs

from that Metrorail station beginning at 3:10 and continuing until 8:10 p.m. The buses travel in express lanes, which generally results in time savings. The fare is $2.65.

The City of Miami trolley is a common sight around the Health District, with stops at the Civic Center Metrorail Station, UM’s Miller School of Medicine, the Ryder Trauma Center, MiamiDade College Medical Campus, Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center, UM’s Life Sciences Park, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Jackson Memorial Hospital, UM Biomedical Research Institute, the Richard Gerstein Justice Building, Marlins Stadium, the Sylvester Cancer Center and UM’s Hospital. The free service runs Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Details: Miami-Dade Transit: (305) 891-3131 or online at www.miamidade.gov/transit, where consumers can download the free Miami-Dade Transit Tracker app. Miami trolley: (305) 416-1132 or online at www.miamigov.com/trolley, which also offers a free app.

Take advantage of open enrollment, and take the necessary steps to keep enjoying the best quality of care. Baptist Health, the largest healthcare provider in the region, offers a network of convenient facilities, world-class, Board-certified physicians and high-quality, compassionate medical care. Don’t sleep on it; make sure your health insurance plan includes Baptist Health, Baptist Health Medical Group and Baptist Health Quality Network doctors.

Choose your insurance plan wisely.

Choose a plan that includes Baptist Health.

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

17

In concern for public safety, Miami moves to regulate drones

BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

Miami is moving to regulate drones as their popularity skyrockets.

City Commissioner Frank Carollo introduced a proposed ordinance, which passed on first reading Nov. 19.

Drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems or UAS, need to be controlled, Mr. Carollo said.

He’s worried the Miami sky will become filled with drones, endangering public safety.

Mr. Carollo pointed out that Miami, with warm and usually welcoming weather year around, has a host of popular outdoor events that attract thousands of participants. Those include the annual Calle Ocho Festival, Miami International Book Fair and the nationallytelevised New Year’s Eve show hosted by entertainer PitBull.

Administrators are to have a finished version of drone regulations for the Dec. 10 commission meeting.

“Mr. 305” is set to host the “It’s all about public safety,” Dec. 31 show from Bayfront said Officer Marcos Perez with Park for the second year in a the Miami Police Department’s row, a concert that’s televised Office of Emergency Managelive, according to Mr. Carollo. ment and Homeland Security.

Mr. Carollo says he believes At a terrorism awareness condrones will be one of the more ference the office hosted in Seppopular gift items this Christtember, one topic was a briefmas, so the timing of his legising on drones from Federal Avialation is important. The admintion Administration officials. istration was directed to have a Mr. Carollo said he’s workfinished version ready for a fiing with Officer Perez and othnal vote Dec. 10. ers to draft the legislation.

Mr. Carollo said he wants to Officer Perez said Miami was avoid a situation where several one of the first US cities to use drones – fresh out of wrap‘It’s no longer a toy ‘The intent... is not the computers in police patrol cars, pings as Christmas presents – and could be very enforcement part, it’s the and the city can again be at the hover over the assembled forefront by having one of the public safety part.’ masses at Bayfront Park on New dangerous.’

Year’s Eve. Wifredo “Willy” Gort nation’s first ordinances to conFrank Carollo trol drones.

He called drones “a motor Referring to the New Year’s vehicle of the air” and said police need ways to locate the or posing a threat to the public. Eve event in Bayfront Park, on Dec. 31.”

Commission Chair Wifredo In addition, authorities need a Officer Perez said “we can’t owner-operator of a drone, particularly if it’s violating the law tool to bring it down safely, he said. afford to have a drone go down “Willy” Gort said now is the

time to meet potential problems in advance.

“It’s no longer a toy,” he said of drones, “and could be very dangerous.”

Mr. Gort asked police to be prepared to show commissioners how they plan to enforce the new rules. He said he’d like to require drone operators to register.

Mr. Carollo said the ordinance will get tweaked before the final vote, giving consideration to impounding drones temporarily versus confiscating them.

“The intent here is not the enforcement part, it’s the public safety part,” Mr. Carollo said.

The proposed ordinance notes that declining cost has made drones increasingly popular and available to citizens and hobbyists, and that they can be equipped with high-definition cameras, night-vision cameras and infrared scopes, “as well as with combustive or explosive composites and materials.”

Flying a drone over or near heavily populated areas can create “an unnecessary risk of accident, opportunity for counter surveillance, the delivery of harmful substances, or a terror attack in a densely populated area,” the proposed ordinance says.

The city would regulate drones within a half-mile of events in parks, stadiums, open spaces, plazas and streets that attract large groups. They couldn’t be flown within or over sporting or large-venue special events, the ordinance says.

It states, “This ordinance is not intended to preempt FAA rules, but to operate in conjunction with those rules to promote public safety while recognizing the limitations in the FAA’s enforcement capabilities.”

Governments unite for free shuttles to link Art Basel events B Y CATHERINE L ACKNER

Miami-Dade Transit has teamed with the cities of Miami and Miami Beach and the Wynwood Business Improvement District to offer a free shuttle bus to Art Basel patrons this year.

The pilot Miami-Dade Art Express route rolled out Dec. 1 “to help alleviate traffic congestion during one of the busiest weeks in Miami-Dade County,” said a Miami-Dade Transit release, The shuttles will travel along the

Julia Tuttle Causeway until Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with service approximately every 20 minutes.

Stops include the Miami Beach Convention Center, Northeast First Avenue and Northeast 38th Street in the Design District, Northeast 29th Street and Northeast First Avenue in Midtown, and Northwest Second Avenue and Northwest 29th Street in Wynwood.

There are free Wi-Fi, mobile device charging stations and bike racks on buses.

“This will get circulation throughout all the various areas” of arts events, said Joe Furst, Goldman Properties managing director for Wynwood and co-chair of the Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID). He noted that the closure of the Venetian Causeway for repairs makes traffic even more challenging this year.

“We as a BID are always concerned about traffic, and having the county step up like this is something we absolutely support. We need to work to-

gether – Wynwood, Midtown, the Design District, Miami and Miami Beach – and this is the first step in that process.”

In addition, Miami-Dade Transit announced that it will extend its Metrorail and Metromover service to 1 a.m. through Dec. 6. “These efforts are just one example of the many ways in which Miami-Dade Transit is trying to help ease traffic flow while creating awareness of the benefits of using transit services,” the transit department’s release noted.

Events showcase Miami African-American arts, entertainment

BY CATHERINE LACKNER

To showcase Miami’s African-American arts and entertainment community and in celebration of Miami Heritage Month, the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency, the office of Miami Commissioner Keon Hardemon, the Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, and local establishments will host a collection of events this week.

Through Dec. 6, the Urban Collective will stage the Art Africa Miami Arts Fair at the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex at 819 NW Second Ave.

The multidisciplinary exhibition presents an array of visual works that pay homage to Africa and its descendants’ contribution to the art world. It’s free and open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Black Archives also presents “No More Blues,” a photographic anthology

by Cendino Temé dedicated to advocacy and change for black lives, at the Ward Rooming House Gallery at 249 NW Ninth St. It is also free and open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

On Dec. 4, The Art of Conversation reception takes place from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex. That venue will also host its traditional “first

Friday” events, including Miami’s Best Amateur Night Showcase, this time with an Art Basel theme and hosted by comedian Chello, that night beginning at 8 p.m.

Also featured are live music by Jody Hill and Deep Fried Funk, with DJ K-Chin.

From 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Dec. 5, at the Ward Rooming House, “Expressions,” an evening of spoken word and live jazz, will be presented.

Until Dec. 5, patrons 21 and older can enjoy the Soul Basel Lounge, an outdoor cigar bar, from 6 p.m.-11 p.m. also at the Ward Rooming House. It’s free and offers a cash bar.

Also until Dec. 5, the Overtown Media Hub at 175 NW 14th St. offers the Urban

Experience, a series of events to exhibit contemporary African American Art fused with urban street culture. This series combine multi-media into a platform that is positioned to become an influential media outlet.

Sunday, Dec. 6, brings the conclusion of the Art Africa Miami Fair 2015 with a Soul Basel VIP champagne brunch from noon to 2 p.m. at the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex. It’s billed as a “who’s who” of Miami’s African-Americans community.

Details: www.miamicra.com/ seopwcra/docs/Marketing/ Soul%20Basel%20Publication.pdf.

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TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015

Grove waterfront heads toward whole new look with restaurants, garage B Y J OHN C HARLES R OBBINS

Miami officials are moving ahead with contracts to begin a major rebuilding of the Coconut Grove waterfront that will add a parking garage hugged by retail shops.

City commissioners took three steps Nov. 19 to advance the Grove Bay project.

They approved an agreement between the city and the Miami Parking Authority; a parking facilities agreement between the city, parking authority and Grove Bay Investment Group LLC assigning the obligation to The parking authority garage will serve the area. A third level is being added to total 333 parking spaces. construct and operate a garage at 3385 Pan American Drive and 51 Charthouse Drive; and an access easement and indemnification agreement among the city, Grove Bay Investment, and Grove Harbour Marina and Caribbean Marketplace LLC allowing for improvement and re-alignment of Charthouse Drive.

The parking authority had approved the contracts in October.

The proposal to redevelop the city-owned waterfront north and east of City Hall includes two formal restaurants, Shula’s and Oceana, and a causal restaurant, Pub & Grub, in addition to waterfront retail and the garage.

In the summer of 2013, the city commission agreed to lease about 7 waterfront acres to Grove Bay Investment Group LLC for $1.8 million a Formal restaurants Shula’s and Oceana and casual restaurant Pub & Grub will join new retail stores. year upon completion, and about $17.9 million of privately-funded improvements to redevelop a marina, construct restaurants, improve the public baywalk, fund part of the garage and make other improvements.

City voters approved the plan in November 2013, but litigation stalled work on the project for two years.

The plan is to remake the waterfront in an area that for years was home to Scotty’s Landing and the Chart House restaurants.

Commissioners approved the contracts but Commissioner Frank Carollo had several questions regarding the garage.

The Grove Bay Parking Garage is planned to rise north of City Hall on Pan American Drive. It had been designed with two levels, with ground floor retail, providing enough area to accommodate about 228 vehicles. The garage is now being redesigned with a third level, bringing total parking spaces to about 333, according to the parking authority.

Mr. Carollo asked who will pay for the garage.

Grove Bay Investment Group is contributing $4 million toward its total price tag of about $8 million, the parking authority says.

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City Rolando Tapanes, authority director of planning and de-

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velopment, said funds needed to build the garage are in the parking agency’s budget.

This year’s sale by the authority of its Oak Avenue garage in the Grove for $16 million will help offset costs associated with the Grove Bay garage, Mr. Tapanes told the commission.

Mr. Carollo wanted to know where the remaining revenue from the Oak Avenue garage sale would be spent.

Mr. Tapanes said some of the money was returned to the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District in return for a contribution the district made to get the Oak Avenue garage built. The rest has been earmarked for projects in the Grove, said Mr. Tapanes.

In November, the parking board instructed authority CEO Art Noriega to use the sale proceeds for these parking projects: Coconut Grove Playhouse Project.

Grove Bay Parking Plaza.

Coconut Grove Business Improvement District infrastructure improvements.

Regatta Park Phase II – Visitor Parking Lot. The resolution came at the request of Mr. Noriega to back up his promise that every penny gained from the sale of the Oak Avenue Garage will be spent on new projects in the Grove.

The parking agency is hoping to break ground on the Grove Bay Parking Garage in June or July.

Part of the lease agreement between the city and developer calls for the parking authority to build the garage, replace existing parking spaces that had served the Dinner Key Auditorium (old expo center) and “provide convenient parking for the patrons of the existing and proposed development contemplated by the lease.”

The authority will build and manage the garage and share no parking revenue with other parties.

The authority will also be creating about 80 parking spaces for city marina users.

The site plan for the reworked waterfront reconfigures Charthouse Drive, which currently extends off of South Bayshore Drive between two hangars and ends at the water.

The plan shows that area rebuilt as part of off-street parking and an open area that leads to the water.

The easement approved Nov. 19 notes that Grove Bay has proposed making improvements to Charthouse Drive, which include a change to its alignment to conform to the plans it submitted to the city.

The legislation says the city will derive substantial benefits from the development and operation of the improvements contemplated by the Grove Bay lease.

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