Miami Today: Week of Thursday, April 27, 2017

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

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GOLD MEDAL AWARDS

Six Gold Medalists honored for accomplishments, pg. 9 NEW MIAMI BEACH BRIDGES: County commissioners have approved a permit for Miami Beach to install two new bridges over tidal waters of Collins Canal at West Avenue and Lincoln Court. The work will be on the south side of Collins Avenue and along Dade Boulevard on the north side of Collins Canal. The Lincoln Court pedestrian bridge is part of a city-wide Baywalk project for pedestrian and bicycle access throughout the city and will connect the cul-de-sac at the northern terminus of Lincoln Court with Dade Boulevard.

Jorge Pérez receives acclaim as Lifetime Achiever, pg. 10

The Achiever

By Catherine Lackner

SAVING ON INTEREST: Miami-Dade County planned to offer $$82.04 million in public facilities revenue refunding bonds this week to refund outstanding bonds issued in 2005 and 2009 to save on the interest the county pays on the debt. The bonds are being issued for Jackson Health System. Fitch Ratings rated the bonds AA- with a stable rating outlook. The bonds were to be offered via negotiation. MOBILE FINGERPRINT SCANNERS: Miami City Manager Daniel Alfonso has been told to study the feasibility of procuring hardware, software and maintenance and service contracts for mobile fingerprint scanners for police patrols. The city commission approved the study April 13, directing him to identify funds to procure the devices this fiscal year. The resolution says biometric technology for scanning fingerprints in the field is becoming cheaper, more accessible, and provides ready access to vital data in challenging environments such as crime scenes. The technology would enable police to capture forensic-quality biometric data for comparison against stored fingerprints in federal, state or local Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems, minimizing time to obtain information and speeding immediate action, it says. FOR RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY: Miami is receiving a grant to pay a resilience officer. City commissioners accepted $168,233.31 a year for two years from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc. on the behalf of the 100 Resilient Cities Initiative to pay the salary and benefits of a chief resilience officer starting last Oct. 31. The organization will also contribute in-kind technical assistance and capacity development for three years. PINECREST UPGRADED: Pinecrest’s $2.9 million in Florida Municipal Loan Council revenue bonds issued in 2011 got a rating upgrade from AA to AA+ from Fitch Ratings and were given a stable outlook. Fitch notes that the village with a population of 19,452 has a per capita income nearly triple the average of Florida as a whole.

Chris Marlin

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

Targets realty buyers abroad, EB-5 investors for Lennar The profile is on Page 4

City may build downtown fire station, sell old one By John Charles Robbins

A new fire station in the heart of downtown Miami is in the works to possibly replace Station 1 at 144 NE Fifth St., the city’s oldest firehouse. City commissioners are today (4/27) to consider buying 13 NW Sixth St., in the shadow of the former Miami Arena site, with the intent to develop a new fire station. The station would be next door to Miami Worldcenter, MiamiCentral transportation hub with Brightline and Tri-Rail passenger train service, and the Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo Center. The resolution would authorize the city manager to execute a purchase and sale agreement between the city and AT&T Communications Inc. to acquire land on Northwest Sixth Street for $3.45 million. The purchase is contingent upon the city getting two written appraisals from licensed appraisers confirming that the value of the property is at least the stated purchase price. If approved, the resolution would authorize the city manager to negotiate and execute all documents and allocate up to $3.537 million

Park impact fees can go to Baywalk

from a source to be determined to cover the acquisition, including the cost of survey, environmental report, title insurance and closing. A background memo says that pursuant to an October 2015 commission action, the city will acquire title to the parcel abutting 13 NW Sixth St. “The purchaser plans to assemble the property containing 10,586 square feet along with 20,468 square feet of Parcel 3 to develop a new City of Miami Fire Station. The total size of the property and Parcel 3 is approximately 31,054 square feet,” the memo says. In October 2015, Miami Today reported about a land swap between the City of Miami and an affiliate of All Aboard Florida that could one day lead to a new fire station. The commission approved an agreement with FDG Rail Holdings 25 LLC and AAF Miami TOD Holdings LLC. It involves a land exchange of two city-owned properties, about 0.18-acre and about 0.32-acre, for FDG-owned property, about 0.50-acre at 435 NW First Court. All Aboard Florida will also pay the city $500,000 and “shall be granted certain crossing rights to allow AAF to use that certain

portion of NW 8th street including subsurface and air rights,” says the agreement. This was to aid the company in construction of the new MiamiCentral train station and related development, currently under way. At the time, City Manager Daniel Alfonso said staff was working with AT&T to get more land nearby for a fire station to replace Station 1. In summer 2016, commissioners rezoned land under Station 1 to make it even more appealing for sale. The land use designation was changed from Major Institutional, Public Facilities, Transportation, and Utilities to Central Business District. And the site was rezoned from Civic Institutional to Urban Core Transect Zone - Open. Planning Director Francisco Garcia had said the site is in the urban core and the proposed changes are to make it available for sale-development. A potential buyer for the site could be Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus, which hugs the city’s land on two sides. The two-story fire station is on Northeast Fifth Street between Northeast First and Second avenues.

Miami’s Downtown Development Authority is putting together a request for proposals for the design of “a unifying element” to connect and identify all of the parts of Baywalk, a proposed 7-mile open pedestrian and bike trail alongside the water that is to run from Brickell to the Julia Tuttle causeway. Authority directors have eyed park impact fees – payments developers make to the City of Miami to mitigate a project’s effects on the infrastructure – as a means to fund Baywalk. About $80 million has been collected in the parks fund since 2011, though some of that has been allocated or committed, authority chair Miami Commissioner Ken Russell has said. “That account is pretty flush, and if we don’t find sites for parks, that money will go somewhere else,” he has said. There is some good news, directors heard Friday. “Staff has learned that park impact fees can be used on Baywalk, but we’re not sure they can be used on private property,” said Patrice Gillespie Smith, authority senior manager of planning, design and transportation. “The whole team is excited about it.” Her department will investigate, she said. Most of the proposed path runs through private property, and owners fear liability, though the city has offered to indemnify them. Last year, the Miami Women’s Club, Sea Isle Marina, Epic Marina and the First Presbyterian Church all agreed to allow the walkway to go through their properties, a major boost to the project. As he has suggested in the past, Mr. Russell said Baywalk needs a marketing campaign. “That’s what we’re working on with the RFP,” said Alyce Robertson, authority executive director. “If we can identify a unifying element, we can build a brand around that.” Ms. Smith suggested the authority construct a one-block model to showcase what the finished product will look like. “We could hold a rally, a charette” or another event to publicize the project, Mr. Russell said. “I think it would be a good spend of the DDA’s money.”

DOWNTOWN FUNDS ADS TO SHORE UP HOTEL BOOKINGS ...

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CONVENTION HOTEL PLANS TAKE ANOTHER STEP AHEAD ...

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NORTH MIAMI BEACH GETS OK FOR CIRCULATOR BUSES ...

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JACKSON ADDING MORE PROTECTION FOR PATIENT DATA ...

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VIEWPOINT: COUNTY SELLS OUT CHEAP TO CASINO FIRM ...

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$275 MILLION BONDING FOR MIAMI MAY HEAD TO VOTERS ...

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COUNTY PUMPS MONEY INTO WATER, SEWER EQUIPMENT ...

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BRICKELL BRIDGE LANES: ANNOYANCE THAT WON’T QUIT ...

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TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

MIAMI TODAY

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Key beaches get new sand as trucks roll

State to fund airport work in Opa-locka

Beach nourishment to add 19,000 cubic yards of sand to about 6,000 linear feet of Key Biscayne’s shoreline is moving south, spreading out from the Oceana condo. Eastman Aggregate Enterprises, the contractor, has been delivering sand mined in Central Florida since the first week of April. The trucks arrive via Crandon Boulevard and come from Sonesta Road to enter the beach, dump sand, and then leave the beach and return to Sonesta Drive via Atlantic Road. Other equipment transports and grades the new sand moving northwards and southwards along the beach. Work is expected to end in the first to second week of May. Since May 1 is start of marine turtle nesting season, Miami-Dade County’s marine turtle expert will monitor the beach before work begins for nests and mitigate any

By Susan Danseyar

Equipment in front of the Oceana condo is spreading 19,000 cubic yards of new sand on Key Biscayne.

that are found while the project is underway. Work hours for sand delivery and distribution on the beach are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Work crews and heavy equipment – dump trucks, bulldozers, excavators and auxiliary vehicles – are on the beach near Oceana and where sand distribution is occurring. An ATV pilot vehicle drives in front of dump trucks hauling sand along the beach.

About 150 trucks daily enter the village starting at 7 a.m. to deliver sand and travel along Crandon Boulevard. Eastman Aggregates has project managers on site daily. EAC Engineering and Moffat & Nichols staff act as the project manager for the village to monitor progress. The eastern boundary of the Village of Key Biscayne is 6,440 yards, or approximately 1.25 miles, of Atlantic Ocean beachfront.

Although the shoreline seaward of the mean high tide line is the property of the State of Florida, the village maintains the beach area from the upland dunes to the waterline. Examination of historical data shows that the central reach of the Key Biscayne beach – the sections that borders the village – experiences about 7,000 cubic yards of erosion and 5 feet of shoreline loss per year.

North Miami Beach gets OK for circulator buses By Susan Danseyar

Miami-Dade commissioners have approved an agreement for city-circulator services between Miami-Dade and the city of North Miami Beach through the Department of Transportation and Public Works. The city circulator trolley is a free-fare service. North Miami Beach, which will cover all operating and maintenance costs, said the service will be funded from the city’s share of the county transportation surtax, according to a memo by Deputy Mayor Alina Hudak. She said this is the first agreement between the county and North Miami Beach for public transportation services. North Miami Beach is currently served by several county bus routes, Ms. Hudak wrote in a memo to commissioners. On Jan. 17, the city commission held a public

hearing and adopted legislation approving an agreement with Miami-Dade for the public transportation service. The stated objective is to “reduce traffic congestion on city roadways while enhancing connections with county transit services.” A requirement of the agreement is that Miami-Dade have the right to bid for the service should North Miami Beach outsource the operation of its transit service. Key provisions of the agreement include: ■The city will adhere to all county, federal, state and local transit operating and reporting requirements. ■The agreement is for five years and is subject to two five-year automatic renewals. Each party has the right to terminate. ■The Department of Transportation and Public Works and North Miami Beach will work together to exchange route and schedule information for riders.

■The city’s route will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday. ■Some of the bus stops include Greynolds Park, North Miami Beach City Hall, the Spanish Monastery, the US Post Office, Florida International University, Nova University, North Miami Beach Library, Walmart, Publix, Shoppes at Skylake and the mall at 163rd Street. ■North Miami Beach is responsible for bus stop amenities such as bus shelters and benches at all bus stops within the city. If North Miami Beach charges a fare, the agreement requires that the city pass legislation for a fare structure including acceptance of all county transit passes, transfers or identification allowing an eligible passenger to ride the service without paying an additional fee (Patriot Passport and Golden Passport) or for half fare (kindergarten-12th grade students).

Miami-Dade County commissioners have accepted an agreement for Florida’s Department of Transportation to construct an engine run-up pad at Miami Opalocka Executive Airport costing $1.4 million. The total cost of the engine run-up pad design and construction is estimated at $1.75 million, according to a memo by Deputy Mayor Jack Osterholt. The joint agreement will cover 80% of that cost and the remaining 20%, which is $350,000, will be funded from the Miami-Dade Aviation Department’s reserve maintenance budget. Routine aircraft maintenance requires engines to be tested at take-off power to ensure safety and effectiveness, Mr. Osterholt wrote. Currently, Miami Opa-locka ExecutiveAirport doesn’t have a designated run-up area where pilots can perform run-up checks of their engines. “This activity is performed on active taxiways or runways which requires closures, affects aircraft ground movements and limits airport operations,” Mr. Osterholt said in his memo to commissioners. The work for this project consists of designing and constructing a designated asphalt pad for aircraft engine run-ups. Designated as a reliever to Miami International Airport, Opa-locka Executive Airport doesn’t have landing fees. According to Miami International’s website, Opa-locka Executive Airport offers a wide range of aircraft repair and maintenance services, including airframe, power-plant repairs and US Customs service on the airfield. The site states the Opa-locka airport is home to the busiest US Coast Guard Air/ Sea Rescue station.

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MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

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

County in bed with casino giant Genting, sells out cheap

County commissioners sold out the area around the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts to one of the globe’s biggest casino operators last week and knew exactly what they were doing. Michael Lewis To fund a small sliver of a vast mass transit upgrade, they took from Malaysian giant Genting a free bus station and $10 million up front plus long-term rent in return for partnering with Genting, which has touted what was going to be the world’s largest casino on our bayfront. And you think native Americans were duped when they allegedly got $24 in beads for Manhattan! Commissioners took turns patting themselves, county staff and their new Genting partners on the back for the wonderful, wonderful deal. Which proves that Genting will certainly succeed once gambling opens: there are so many suckers to fleece. And while the commissioners initially tried to talk only about getting a better bus depot and a payment in return for use of the air rights above for a 300-room hotel with never a mention of who their real partners are or what they plan, eventually some of them dropped the pretense of this being any normal deal the county has ever made. Of course it’s not at all normal. The county is in a 50/50 partnership for retail on the ground floor of the building with

Genting, plus a 90-year lease of the air rights. The more money people lose gambling, the more money the county will get – though it will be a pittance of the costs to this community as it eventually finds government in the position of partnering with a firm that wants wide-open gambling in Miami’s cultural heart. Genting clearly will leverage its county partnership to build support for changes in state law to allow the now-illegal casino. Genting bought the old Miami Herald site for $236 million for its casino resort and by contract paid off the last $8 million only after years of being able to count on the Herald to not get in its way in seeking state gambling approval. That ploy didn’t win only because the rest of Florida wasn’t playing to legalize full casinos here. Now it’s the same thing, but for a lot less money: the county has been bought off for $26 million plus some profit-sharing or rent for the next 90 years in return for not only the county’s air rights to build but the county as – from Genting’s perspective – a partner or at worst a neutralized government as gambling interests seek state approvals for a casino downtown. For Genting to open a casino over the bus terminal it’s building – it’s planning all the casino space right above the terminal, topped by hotel rooms – it would need a county OK as landlord once it gets a state gambling OK or moves forward without approval. Now the county landlord is on its payroll. In fact, it was exactly one year ago today that Genting asked the 11th Judicial Circuit Court for a declaration that if it brought gambling to the area where the bus terminal-hotel-future casino is to rise there’d be no criminal penalties even if gambling was illegal. That declaration has

yet to come, but Genting is rolling the dice with the county. What is hailed as a wonderful deal is anything but. It opens the doors to every negative social consequence of a vast gambling operation that even Genting acknowledged when it announced that it would build a massive casino resort where the Herald building then stood. Genting executives promised the resort would cater only to outside high rollers because gambling would destroy the community if locals played. But then Genting bought the old Omni mall and pledged to make it another casino – just for the locals. Presumably social ills wouldn’t penetrate the Omni’s walls. Now Genting is to build adjacent to the Omni and west of the old Herald just a hotel with enough room for a casino. Put it all together and all three sites are in play. At least Commissioner Joe Martinez was honest about what commissioners were actually doing when they put the county into a profit-sharing partnership with Genting. “I am willing to live with a casino there, because it will be coming,” the former county policeman told fellow commissioners last week. “And I am willing to live with other issues that will be coming…. This is an awesome deal as long as you know everything that can come and you can live with it.” When people in a year or two say they are shocked by what the deal brings, he said, “know it today.... This deal is really, really good. I’m just curious to see what’s going to happen in a couple of years. But we’ll find out. Stay tuned.” For a preview of what’s coming, take a look at what happened in Atlantic City, NJ, where casino gambling was going to save a sinking city. With gambling’s help, it sank.

All the commissioners should have known that by taking Genting for a partner they were complicit in aiding gambling. When Daniella Levine Cava asked the others if they would require in their legislation a super-majority vote to bring a casino to the bus depot site once the state legalizes it, nobody would join her. They’re already Genting partners. Bruno Barreiro made it clear: don’t try to prohibit a casino on the site, just ask for a cut of Genting’s gambling take. “If they’re going to make money, we want our transit system to be subsidized or they’ll help subsidize our ridership. There’s no reason why not to.” Of course, as attorney Manny Prieguez, who represents Magic City Casino, then told the commission, there is good reason not to: the county already gets 2.5% of the gross of every pari-mutuel gaming site in the county, with an agreement that he said would probably outlaw a side deal with Genting. But as Audrey Edmonson, the commission front person for Genting who drove the deal, told her colleagues, “You have to give a little to take a little… It’s a good project…. We’re getting everything ahead.” That “everything” is a $16 million bus terminal with air conditioning for passengers and drivers and $10 million up front in cash. If you’re going to sell out your community’s future, commissioners, you sold way too cheap. The Herald, after all, got $236 million, with $228 million of it up front. Oh, the county got one more thing: Genting attorney Al Dotson Jr. pointed out that the gambling giant will close Northeast 14th Terrace and it’s going to give the county half of our own street absolutely free. What a deal!

‘New Meaning’ manifesto calls for ignorance and arrogance Right now, all over this beautiful country, there are people finding a new reason to be alive. There is promise in the air. Converging groups are creating a revolutionary philosophy of meaning. Rebelling against Isaac Prilleltensky traditional and constraining norms, these communities are finally asserting their worth and beliefs. Their new credo is about the pursuit of significance and spirituality. This may be the most substantive ideological shift we have seen in years, a social movement of unprecedented proportions. What unites the movement is radical social change, innovation and a fast return to the African Savannah, when the frontal cortex was the size of a microchip, and emotional regulation hadn’t been invented yet. People in the movement are openly asserting their right to be duped, wrong and uninformed; and to be led by hateful, deceitful and oblivious leaders. Quoting a variety of sources, from post-modern to conspiracy theorists, they claim that truth is an invention of elites. Leaders of the movement maintain that the best way to achieve meaning in life is through their platform. To make sure that no shred of establishment is left intact, their manifesto is written in clear and contrasting language. The document reads as follows:

The Writer

Isaac Prilleltensky is the author of “The Laughing Guide to Well-Being: Using Humor and Science to Become Happier and Healthier.” You can follow his humor writing at his blog www. thelaughingguide.com We, the people, prefer Fast instead of slow: We have tried to find meaning in life for a long time, and the process has been very slow. We are tired of it. As everybody knows, fast is better than slow. We promise to expedite your way to transcendence. In keeping with new technologies, we can accelerate how to make you feel good, important and superior. The movement is an incubator of big, bigly, great, greater, better and faster things. It is the greatest startup ever. We discovered the shortcut to the meaning of life. Enough with the deliberate, methodic and incremental way to make change. We want to feel like we matter now. Our leaders are making us feel great today, not tomorrow, not next year, today! Adrenalin has never flowed so fast through our whatever. Dishonesty instead of integrity: There is a long list of athletes, celebrities, politicians, generals, bankers and businesspeople who lie, cheat, evade taxes and get away with murder. We want some of that too.

Fairness is treating all of us equally. If they can get away with murder, why couldn’t we? We want them to teach us how to be famous, write books and appear on TV. Our movement is open to all dishonest people, except journalists, of course, because we have standards. Ignorance instead of knowledge: Let me tell you, we could really use a little more bread and circus here. And make sure it is white bread. None of this gluten-free, whole wheat BS. Arrogance instead of humility: Mother Theresa is a thing of the past. On TV, all the arrogant people win. We are going to win again. Ah, yes, and our leaders alone can fix things. Wrong instead of right: What is right, anyways? Who is to say that right is better than wrong? All we hear from pundits and professors is “on one hand this, but on the other hand that.” What good is that? Look at what doing the right thing has done for us – nothing! Besides, doing the right thing is hard, and who needs hard when you can do easy, fast and simple. This is what we love about our leaders: they keep it simple. Hate instead of love: Hate is fast, wrong and supported by lies. You want adrenaline to flow through your whatnot? Try a little hate mixed in with xenophobia (we know long words too). Vulgarity instead of civility: Civility is old. We like new. We liberated ourselves from the monarchy a long time ago. Do you ever see the Queen laughing? Mockery is

fun, and fast, so it must be good. Exclusion instead of integration: This is like football. Do you want us to love our opponents? Our country is our team. Exclusion is wrong, fast and driven by hatred. Luscious! Lies instead of truth: The Department of Justice is a big waste of money. Think about how much we could save if we did away with facts. No commissions of inquiry, no expensive lawyers, no reports. You want a cleaner environment? Stop printing lengthy reports about who lied and who told the truth. After all, you are only going to get lies, lies, and alternative lies.

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MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

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Six Gold Medalists, lifetime achiever Jorge Pérez honored Three accomplished individuals and three prominent organizations accepted Gold Medal honors highlighting their outstanding contributions to Greater Miami at Miami Today’s Gold Medal Awards dinner last week. During the ceremony, longtime development and arts leader Jorge Pérez accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award for his past and current contributions to the community. Seven judges selected the Gold MedalAwards winners from among victors in local and national competitions held last year – only top-level recipients were eligible for consideration for entry in the Gold Medal competition. Miami Today and dinner sponsor Coastal Construction Group chose and then honored Mr. Pérez as Lifetime Achiever. In balloting for the top organization, judges selected Miami International Airport for the Gold Medal. The airport in 2016 received major awards for its services and amenities from the American Association of Airport Executives, the National Association of Counties and the Airports Council International North America. Miami-Dade CountyAviation Director and CEO Emilio T. González accepted the award for the airport, making it clear to the applauding audience that he was speaking for every airport employee. Teresa Valdes-Fauli Weintraub, financial adviser and managing director of Gold Medal sponsor Merrill Lynch, made the presentation to Mr. González. Donald Slesnick, managing partner of the law offices of Slesnick & Casey and the honorary consul of Australia in Miami who in 2016 received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Bar Association’s Small Firm & General Practice Division, was honored with the Gold Medal for an individual. Judy Saavedra, sales and marketing director of sponsoring Century Homebuilders Group, presented the award to Mr. Slesnick. The Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority won the Silver Medal for an organization

Photos by Sergio Alsina

Gold Medal award winners and sponsors join after last week’s awards ceremony and dinner at the JW Marriott Marquis in downtown Miami.

based upon four major awards in 2016: being voted North America’s Leading Tourist Board 2016 and World’s Leading City Tourist Board 2016, and also being honored with the Travvy Award for Best Wedding Destination, US and Canada, by Travalliance and the Silver Magellan Award for Best Beach Destination, US and Canada, by Travel Weekly. Authority Executive Director Grisette Roque accepted the award from Robert Hohenstein, president and CEO of the sponsoring Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition Inc. The Silver Medal for an individual went to Alice N. Bravo, director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works, who in 2016 received the Alvah H. Chapman Jr. Award of Excellence in the Young Leaders Category from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Bravo accepted the Silver Medal from Marie Bertot, emergency preparedness communicator and strategic public relations manager of sponsoring Florida Power & Light. The Bronze Medal for an organization went to United HomeCare Services, which last year and for 38 consecutive years was designated Community Care for the Elderly

Lead Agency for Miami-Dade and Monroe counties by the state. Presenting the award to United HomeCare Services President & CEO Carlos L. Martinez was Manny Crespo, shareholder of sponsoring Greenspoon Marder law firm. The Bronze Medal for an individual was presented to Elaine Bloom, president and CEO of Plaza Health Network, who earned the 2016 Women Empowering & Embracing Women Award from the Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Hispanic Women’s Society Network. Also in 2016, she became the first woman inducted into the Florida International Bankers Association Hall of Fame for her achievements in the industry’s growth. Presenting the award to Ms. Bloom, who came out of retirement in 2015 to became president and CEO of Plaza Health Network, was Michael Wohl, partner in the award-sponsoring Pinnacle Housing Group. Jorge Pérez, by accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Gold Medal competition, followed a group of Miami luminaries. Earlier winners were, chronologically, Judy Drucker,Adolfo Henriques, Merrett Stierheim, Phillip and Patricia Frost, Sen. Bob Graham, Aaron Podhurst, Arthur Hertz and Maurice Ferré. In accepting the LifetimeAchievement Award, Mr. Pérez noted that as an urban specialist he might have chosen New York or Chicago as places to build a career. But, he said, those communities were already finished by and large, whereas in Miami he found the opportunity to help build the community – as he certainly has – and make his mark here. Mr. Pérez was recognized as both a long-time developer of both the skyline and Miami housing and a contributor to the arts, most notably at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, Anne Bloom of Bloom Mediation in Fort Lauderdale points with pride to which he contributed not only to her mother Elaine Bloom’s name as a Gold Medal awards winner. funding but his entire collection of

Cuban art. Mr. Perez, chairman of The Related Group for nearly 40 years, began his career in Miami with city government, working to add to the supply of affordable housing. Over the decades he developed some of Miami-Dade’s best recognized residential towers at the upper end of the economic spectrum, but he never lost focus on his original vision: to “bring housing to all income groups, from the lowest to the highest.” As he said in a Miami Today profile interview several years ago, his philosophy is simple: “Never compromise. Always seek excellence.” Michael Lewis, publisher of Miami Today, and Carmen BetancourtLewis, Miami Today vice president, presented the LifetimeAchievement award to Mr. Pérez on behalf of dinner sponsor Coastal Construction Group and Miami Today. Judges who selected the Gold Medal Awards were Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, president of Florida Memorial University; Jaret Davis, chairman of the Beacon Council and co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig; Wendy Kallergis, president and CEO of the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association; Bruce Orosz, chairman of the Greater Miami

Convention & Visitors Bureau and president of ACT Productions; Alfred Sanchez, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce; Mark Trowbridge, president and CEO of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce; and J. Antonio Villamil, founder and principal of the Washington Economics Group. Judges based selections on: ■The importance of achievements for which nominees had received awards in the past year. ■The stature of those recognizing organizations. ■The long-term impact of the honorees’ achievements on this community. Miami Today 18 years ago established the Gold Medal Awards to honor The Best of the Best, choosing among honorees that already had received from peers top honors in the prior year. Trophies were presented after an invitation-only reception and dinner on the 19th floor of the JW Marriott Marquis downtown, which has been the site of the past six dinners. Past Gold Medal Award winners, the judges and leaders in business and government, as well as an international delegation of consuls general, attended to salute the honorees.

Jorge Pérez, Related Group CEO, accepts the Lifetime Achievement award from the publishers, Michael and Carmen Betancourt Lewis.


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MIAMI TODAY

GOLD MEDAL AWARDS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

Jorge Pérez wins lifetime honor for development, arts role By Marilyn Bowden

Internationally recognized as a visionary developer, Jorge M. Pérez, chairman, CEO & cofounder of The Related Group, is the force behind many of the iconic residential developments that comprise Miami’s skyline. He’s also a longtime patron of the arts, perhaps most visibly through generous donations to the coffers and collections of The Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of MiamiDade County, often referred to as PAMM. For these contributions to the Greater Miami community, Mr. Pérez is Miami Today’s 2017 Lifetime Achiever honoree. The Related Group was launched in 1979 as a builder of affordable housing. Though the company’s portfolio has since expanded to include ultra-luxury projects, it has never lost that original focus. “I’m a believer in 24-hour citPhoto by Marlene Quaroni ies,” Mr. Pérez says, “but many Jorge Pérez is internationally recognized as a visionary developer for his residential towers of Miami. cities, including New York, Lon-

Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree Congratulations to our friend,

Jorge Pérez for all that you have accomplished in the city of Miami and beyond

Courtesy of Residences by Armani / Casa

Coastal Construction and the Murphy family are proud to support

Miami Today’s Gold Medal Awards

“It’s Not Just Business… It’s Personal.” COASTALCONSTRUCTION.COM

don and now Miami, are becoming 24-hour cities for the very rich. So it’s important to us to bring housing to all income groups, from the lowest to the highest.” However, as building and land costs escalate and government subsidies shrink, producing affordable housing is becoming more difficult. “We work with the city,” he says, “to try to find programs offering such things as density bonuses or reduced taxes.” Before turning to development, Mr. Pérez was the city’s economic development director, and his vision of Miami’s future aligns with city initiatives. For example, he says, “we very much applaud the city’s efforts to encourage affordable housing around transit hubs.” He cites eased parking requirements for development in these areas. Related, he says, tries to keep parking spaces to a minimum in high-density projects. “We’re also building micro units ranging from 350 to 650 square feet with more common areas such as club rooms and exercise rooms, because they are more affordable for younger professionals.” One thing Related’s affordable housing projects do not skimp on is art. “Art,” Mr. Pérez says, “is an extremely important part of our building process, particularly in the past decade. From the moment we find a piece of land and develop the architectural concept, we have two full-time curators who meet with the design team and are responsible, working with the developers, to select the art for those places. It’s not interior-designer art, chosen because it matches the couch. We look for museum-quality, serious art for our buildings in every price range.” Beauty and sustainability are key to Related’s mission. “I like to think our contribution to the urban fabric,” he says, “has been to make Miami a better, more self-sufficient city – one that does not contribute to global warming and the misuse of natural resources – and that at the same time we are contributing to the beauty of the city.” Mr. Pérez, raised by Cuban parents in Argentina and Colombia, says his interest in art “goes a long way back. When I was in high school, my mother would drag me to museums and galleries and artist’s studios. “When I came to the US for college, whenever I had a little extra money I would buy whatever I could afford – mostly lithographs at that time. “I can spend hours poring over art books and architectural books. The whole design world is very important to me – everything that relates to thought processes expressed in physical terms.” A longtime collector of Cuban art, Mr. Pérez says he began visiting Havana a few years ago to meet the artists, many of whom are now good friends. With the recent donation of 160 pieces, he says, his entire Cuban collection has now been given to PAMM. Selected pieces will be on view starting June 16 in “On the Horizon: Contemporary Cuban Art from the Jorge M. Pérez Collection.”


TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

MIAMI TODAY

17

Jackson adds another layer of protection for patient data By Catherine Lackner

Jackson Health System has just launched the Fair Warning monitoring system to add another layer of protection for patient data, said Judy Ringholz, the system’s vice president of compliance and ethics and its chief compliance officer. Speaking Tuesday to the Public Health Trust, the system’s governing body, Ms. Ringholz said the automated service has a number of features that protect patients’ financial and health data. It constantly monitors, by name and user ID, who is accessing patient files, who is printing documents excessively, and whether that person has a business role

that would legitimize the usage. “UHealth has this and seems very pleased with it,” Ms. Ringholz said. Representatives of the University of Miami health service have offered to walk Jackson Health System employees through the program, she said. Mojdeh L. Khaghan, trust vice chair and a lawyer in Miami Beach, compared it to a credit card company’s flagging suspicious activity. “It looks at trends,” said Don Steigman, the system’s chief operating officer. “We can set a patient account to a higher security level if necessary,” perhaps in the case of a celebrity patient. Protecting patient data has never been more crucial, Ms. Ringholz said.

The federal government has changed in the way it enforces HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996), she said. “Until now, it was their philosophy to work with the organizations to help develop better privacy protections. It wasn’t punitive. Now they feel we’ve had enough time to adopt it, and they are enforcing it to the tune of large penalties.” Not only did Tenet Healthcare pay a record $513 million fine for paying kickbacks to solicit patients, but its CEO, John Holland, was indicted, Ms. Ringholz said. “Historically, if an organization agreed to a settlement, the government wouldn’t pursue [further

legal action]. This makes executives take heed.” Patients are also concerned about whether their personal data will be protected, she said. Industry surveys show that 60% of patients will travel away from home to protect their privacy, 28% will postpone treatment until their concerns are addressed, and 85% will choose a healthcare provider based on that person’s or organization’s reputation for keeping information secure. Employees were notified of the new monitoring software via email and in other communications in early April. “We have a stringent privacy policy, so the workforce is on notice,” Ms. Ringholz said.

$275 million bonds for Miami city needs may go to voters By John Charles Robbins

If all goes as planned, City of Miami voters in November will be asked to approve a general obligation bond proposal designed to fund needed capital improvements for the foreseeable future. Mayor Tomás Regalado says a general obligation bond is under consideration because the city has infrastructure needs of significant magnitude. The mayor and administrators brought a similar proposal last year and commissioners shot it down, with at least two complaining that they’d not been consulted. This time around, before they take the proposal on the road for community meetings, the mayor and city manager’s staff wanted input from the five elected commissioners. No serious opposition was expressed at the April 13 meeting, though some commissioners suggested the estimates for certain work weren’t nearly high enough for what will be needed. The biggest complaint came on the anticipated $20 million for road improvements. Commissioner Francis Suarez said if the $20 million were split evenly, each district would have only $4 million for road improvements over the 25- to 30-year life of the bond payback and it simply isn’t enough. “I have huge needs in my district,” he said. Mr. Suarez noted there’s no money in the latest proposal for transportation issues, mentioning as an example a tunnel under the Miami River to help alleviate

traffic jams on Brickell Avenue. Mr. Suarez also expressed concern about a huge difference in the amount earmarked for sea level rise mitigation in the 2016 proposal and the latest proposal, up from $30 million to $100 million. He said he didn’t believe the problem had worsened by 70% in that time. Commissioner Ken Russell said he looked at the latest proposal as “a starting template” and was looking forward to a more public process this time with open communication with the administration. “We will absolutely have to pick our battles,” said Mr. Russell, referring to how the money would be spent. The mayor said getting the bond request in front of voters this fall is very important, as is doing so without increasing the property tax rate. “But I’m not going to tell you the world is going to end if we don’t,” said Mayor Regalado. “It is something we should do. It is something we should want to do,” he said. To generate some debate on possible ways to spend funds raised by the bonds, Mr. Regalado and Budget Director Christopher Rose presented projects amounting to $275 million. Areas they identified as high priority included public safety and threats posed by climate change and sea level rise. These require immediate attention, the report says, and a general obligation bond can make improvements to those areas “achievable.”

Budget and bonds Miami’s Office of Management and Budget has scheduled meetings to hear from residents on both a general obligation bond proposal and the city’s budget. Each meeting begins at 6 p.m. The meetings are: ■May 8, City Hall chambers, 3500 Pan American Drive. ■May 9, Coral Gate Park, 1415 SW 32nd Ave. ■May 15, Charles Hadley Park, 1300 NW 50th St. ■May 16, Little Havana NET Office, 1300 SW 12th Ave. ■May 17, Juan Pablo Duarte Park, 2800 NW 17th Ave. Details: (305) 416-1500. The list of possible projects included $54 million for public safety: ■Police and fire equipment, $17 million. ■Police and fire infrastructure, $20 million. ■Fire and Rescue Training Center, $17 million. The list included $140 million for resiliency and drainage: ■Sea level rise mitigation and flood prevention, $100 million. ■Roadway improvements, $20 million. ■Workforce housing, $20 million. The list included $81 million for neighborhood parks and infrastructure: ■City-wide pool facilities, $18 million. ■Historic preservation, $17 million.

■City-wide park improvements and safety features, $40 million. ■Community trails and bikeways, $6 million. City officials plan community meetings soon to get public input. What needs do they see? Should more funding be earmarked for roadway improvements and affordable housing? What’s on the list that shouldn’t be, and vice versa? A proposed timeline shows commissioners deciding on projects and ballot language June 22. Campaigning to approve the bond would be from late June through the Nov. 7 general election. The city received good news recently in regard to the bond market. Multiple groups of bonds issued by the city and their risks have been upgraded by Fitch Ratings, including general obligation refunding bonds issued in 2002, which were upgraded to AA- from A+. These bonds are backed by the city’s full faith and credit. The April 13 presentation noted that like many cities, Miami has aging infrastructure – parks, roads, fire and police stations, and drainage needs. This aging infrastructure affects the quality of life of residents and visitors, the mayor said. The presentation said the millage rate won’t rise as a result of the bonds being issued, and may in fact be lowered over time. Bonds will be repaid over 25 to 30 years like a mortgage, sharing the costs with future taxpayers who will use these city-wide improvements, the presentation said. Without the general obligation bond, the city might eventually

have to raise the operating millage rate to address the needed projects or forgo many of these projects, said Mr. Regalado. The mayor said the work resulting from the general obligation bonds will create jobs and help meet needs throughout the city. And he stressed the importance of having money on hand to match any future federal infrastructure funding allocations, to have “shovel-ready” projects, from flood prevention to roadway improvements and more. The mayor said climate change and sea level rise will impact the city many years in the future. Mr. Regalado, who is term-limited and in his last year in office, said he won’t be alive in 50 years and may not see the impact of rising oceans, but “It’s not about me.” He said it’s for future generations that leaders need to plan and act now. Mr. Regalado said he was hoping for direction from commissioners about the scope of the general obligation bond request. Mr. Russell said there was some confusion about the bond proposal process, because he said he didn’t know the administration was awaiting some sort of commission action. “This is a decision of the voters, not us,” he said. Mr. Russell said it’s important to include the public and “get the residents to understand” the needs. “The voters will be OK, but only if they are included in the process,” he said. “You’re right… the last word is from the people,” the mayor said. “I don’t believe this is controversial and it needs to be done.”

South Miami free circulator trolley heads for public hearing By Susan Danseyar

County commissioners last week deferred a decision on an agreement with South Miami for free circulator trolley service and plan to discuss the legislation May 2 in a public hearing. According to a memo by Deputy Mayor Alina Hudak, this agreement between Miami-Dade and the City of South Miami is through the county’s Department of Transportation and Public Works for the trolley to reduce traffic congestion on South Miami roadways and to enhance connections with county transit. This first agreement between the

county and South Miami is essentially the same as those the commission has approved with several other municipalities. The five-year agreement would be subject to two five-year automatic renewals. Miami-Dade and South Miami could terminate the agreement with or without cause. South Miami would be responsible for all operating and maintenance costs and said the service would be funded by its share of county transportation surtax receipts. Several county bus routes now serve South Miami, Ms. Hudak wrote. Last Dec. 6, South Miami’s city commission approved the agreement with the county

for public transportation. Key provisions of that agreement include: ■The city route will operate Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 5 p.m. to midnight; on Saturday, it will run from 2 p.m. to midnight; and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. There will be three round-trips per hour. ■Some bus stops include Mack Cycle across from City Hall, Larkin Hospital, the US Post Office, Murray Park Aquatic Center, Shops of Sunset Place and CVS. ■The Department of Transportation and Public Works and South Miami will exchange route and schedule information for the benefit of riders.

■South Miami is responsible for amenities such as bus shelters and bus benches at all stops within the city. Responsibility includes Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility. ■Service will be free. Should South Miami charge a fare, the agreement requires the city to enact a structure to include the acceptance of all county transit passes, transfers or identification allowing an eligible passenger to ride without paying an additional fee (Patriot Passport and Golden Passport) or for half fare (kindergarten-12th grade students). ■South Miami will adhere to all county, federal, state and local transit operating and reporting requirements.


TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

MIAMI TODAY

23

Brickell Bridge traffic lanes a controversy that won’t quit By Catherine Lackner

What started as an attempt to make bicyclists and pedestrians safer has mushroomed into a controversy that seems to have no resolution, observers say. Several years ago, the Florida Department of Transportation floated four alternatives to calm traffic on and near the Brickell Avenue Bridge for the sake of those on bike or on foot, and also to protect buildings from errant vehicles. Alternative 1 would have left all lanes on the Brickell Bridge as they were (three northbound and three southbound) and would have erected a barrier wall in front of the Wells Fargo Center on the north side of the Miami River. Alternatives 2 and 3 would have made changes to the right turn lane northbound and the left turn lane southbound. Alternative 4 was to modify a lane, either

north- or southbound, or both. It was to be a trial program, the department said. For reasons that no one seems to understand, the transportation department implemented alternative 4, closing a northbound lane. A sidewalk-widening project then consumed a southbound lane. “I’m writing to express my opposition to FDOT’s current ‘trial project’which resulted in the elimination of a northbound vehicular travel lane on the Brickell Bridge,” wrote Horatio Stuart Aguirre, chair of the Miami River Commission, on Aug. 12, 2013. “The new need for drivers to merge from three lanes down into only two… while driving on top of the Brickell Bridge, makes backup longer and takes more time to restore traffic flow” after a bridge opening, said his letter, written to Gus Pego, then District 6 secretary for the state transportation department.

The project also included the installation of a pedestrian and cyclist crossing light at the north foot of the bridge, but a May 12, 2015, letter to Mr. Pego from Jose Felix Diaz, Florida House representative for District 116, says that hasn’t worked. “I respectfully request that FDOT’s… alternative 4 be replaced with alternative 1, which would restore desperately needed vehicular lanes and still provide the safety improvement on, and adjacent to, the bridge. “It is my understanding that the FDOT video camera focused on the northeast side of the bridge frequently views cars running the ‘no right on red’ traffic light when the pedestrian or [cyclist] is crossing the intersection, incorrectly thinking it’s their turn, because the traffic light is red and the flashing beacon is indicating that it’s safe to cross. “On March 24, 2105, the MPO’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee passed

a unanimous resolution to recommend that FDOT suspend [the project] pending an area-wide study of see the impacts of the lane reduction,” his letter said. On May 12, 2015, Mr. Aguirre wrote again, this time to the Miami city commission. “The community has been begging FDOT to please restore the removed lanes on and adjacent to the Brickell Bridge, and replace it with FDOT’s alternative 1, which still provides safety improvements without the unintended and negative consequences.” He attached letters of support from Joseph Bier, executive manager of the Epic Residences; and Bob Murray, general manager of the James L. Knight Center; attesting to the traffic snarls that have frustrated residents, guests and employees at the two properties. Comments from the state transportation department were requested but not available by press time.

T he L ast W ord Styrofoam and its cousins face ban in Miami’s city parks and beaches

EXHAUST REMOVAL SYSTEM: Miami city commissioners approved an agreement with Garrison Mechanical Service Corp., d/b/a Garrison Mechanical, to design and install an Airhawk Exhaust Removal System at Fire Station 12 for $86,683.09. Garrison is the sole authorized dealer in Southeastern Florida, and the vote required commissioners to approve the city manager’s finding of a sole source and waiving the requirements for competitive sealed bidding procedures. A background memo notes that in 2015, through an invitation to bid, the fire-rescue department purchased 10 Airhawks that were installed within Fire Stations 1 through 10. The use of the same system in Fire Station 12 “will ensure the uniformity among all the exhaust removal systems owned by [the department], which will in turn, reduce the cost and complexity of required maintenance for these critical life-safety devices,” the memo says.

DIRTY GARAGE SCRUB DOWN: The city’s Off-Street Parking Board has approved a contract with Imex Innovative Co. for pressure washing at the more than dozen garages the Miami Parking Authority owns or manages. The company offered the services for $22,548 a year, the low bid from among 10 firms. The next lowest, from Integrity Janitorial Services Group, was $128,539. Staff asked for permission to go with Integrity if not satisfied with Imex’s work, and that was part of the board’s vote. An assistant city attorney said the authority has the right of termination as the work is performance-based. RIVER CHAMPION HONORED: The Miami River Commission’s 21st annual Miami Riverday festival at Lummus Park honored Capt. Beau Payne, who died recently. Joined by Capt. Payne’s family and friends, Mayor Tomás Regalado presented a City of Miami Proclamation of Captain H. Beau Payne Day. Capt. Payne was one of the leaders in the fight to save the Miami River from overdevelopment, according to the proclamation. He was the owner of P & L Towing (a tugboat company) and other marine-related businesses. Tomás Regalado

SCIENCE MUSEUM TO OPEN: The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science will hold its grand opening May 8 in downtown Miami’s waterfront Museum Park. Details: (305) 434-9600. AMIGOS AT THE PARK: Miami commissioners have authorized the city manager to execute a park programming agreement with Amigos Together For Kids Inc., to continue to provide after-school instruction and program management, family events, cultural, and recreational activities for youth at Jose Marti Park. The city has previously entered into agreements with Amigos, a Florida not-for-profit organization, to provide after-school instruction and program management, and more, at the park. The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation has found Amigos to be the most qualified firm to continue to provide after-school services there. The period of the new agreement is from May 12, 2017, to May 11, 2022, at a cost to the city of $12 a year. PROTECTING TRIBAL LANDS: Miami-Dade commissioners have urged the National Park Service not to invest further funds in the River Greenway project until concerns of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians have been taken into consideration. The legislation also urges the National Park Service and US Department of Transportation to instead re-direct funds and resources to other projects for greenways and pedestrian/ cycling trails in Miami-Dade. In 2009, the National Park Service, in collaboration with the Naples Pathways Coalition, submitted a grant proposal to the US Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration to fund a feasibility study and master plan for the River of Grass Greenway, a proposed multi-use pathway across the Florida Everglades along Tamiami Trail (US 41). Commissioners endorsed the River of Grass Greenway but stated it would be developed and constructed in consultation with the Miccosukee Tribe, which has concerns about the impacts to tribal lands, including safety due to proposed narrowing of the Tamiami Trail at structures and bridges. WASHINGTON FLY-IN: Members of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce will fly to Washington May 21-23 to visit federal agencies, members of Congress and staff to stress issues of importance to business in South Florida. Early registration of $200 for members or $250 for non-members, not including airfare and hotel, ends May 8. Details: Kiel Green, (305) 577-5469.

By John Charles Robbins

Miami commissioners are considering a ban of polystyrene foam products at city parks, beaches and recreational facilities. On today’s (4/27) commission agenda is the first reading of an ordinance prohibiting expanded polystyrene products (commonly known as Styrofoam) in parks and recreation facilities, including beaches. The legislation would provide a 12-month temporary grace period for current city contractors and establish an environmental education zone in historic Virginia Key Beach Park in connection with prohibitions on polystyrene. Miami follows the lead of neighboring municipalities that have restricted or banned polystyrene products. The legislation is sponsored by Vice Chairman Ken Russell. Polystyrene is a petroleumbased plastic, the ordinance says, and containers made of the material are detrimental to the environment because they don’t fully degrade, introduce unsafe chemicals into the environment, create hazards for land and marine animals due to ingestion, and create impediments to waste reduction and recycling goals, while

Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and Miami Beach now have similar bans.

adding unsightly litter. The city strives “to preserve the positive environmental qualities of numerous parks and recreation facilities, including beaches,” the ordinance reads. “The city desires to further preserve the positive environmental qualities of its parks and recreation facilities, including its beaches therein, by encouraging the use of reusable, recyclable, or compostable alternatives to polystyrene containers,” it continues. The city’s Department of Parks

and Recreation and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board have recommended banning polystyrene in all city-owned parks and recreation facilities. Other areas restricting or prohibiting polystyrene include Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and Miami Beach. Miami-Dade County commissioners have banned polystyrene in certain circumstances in parks, recreational areas and marinas operated by the county. That county ban takes effect July 1.

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REQUEST FOR BIDS: COMANCO Environmental Corporation invites Contractors to bid on the CONSTRUCTION OF SOUTH DADE LANDFILL CELL 5 (Project No: 14S003). Certified SBE Contractors are encouraged to participate. Plans & specifications may be obtained by contacting Dan Morris at dmorris@comanco.com or 813-988-8829, Bids will be received until Monday, May 8, 2017, at 5 pm.

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

MIAMI TODAY

Congratulations to our 2017 honorees GOLD: Don Slesnick SILVER: Alice Bravo BRONZE: Elaine Bloom GOLD: Miami International Airport SILVER: Miami Beach Visitor & Convention Authority BRONZE: United HomeCare Services

Lifetime Achievement Honoree Jorge Pérez

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