Miami Today: Week of Thursday, June 1, 2017

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

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TODAY’S NEWS

New Parks305.org eases hunt for activities, pg. 27 WATSON ISLAND DEFAULT FOUND: Miami city commissioners unanimously Tuesday afternoon found a developer in default of a ground lease of city-owned property on Watson Island after 15 years of little to no construction of mega resort Island Gardens. As sponsored by Ken Russell, commissioners directed the city manager “to issue a notice of default to Flagstone Island Gardens LLC… due to failure to commence construction as required by these agreements; and further directing that the city attorney and independent auditor general conduct an analysis of these and any other related agreements with Flagstone to determine if there are other breaches.” The intent is that the city reclaim the property. The vote came at the end of a more than four hour special meeting. The lease was the only topic.

Aerial easement for railway rolls fast in city hall, pg. 39

The Achiever

CITY OKS $4 MILLION SETTLEMENT: Years of battles over who owed what in a deal between the City of Miami and Hyatt Equities LLC were resolved by a May 25 commission vote. Hyatt leases city-owned waterfront and runs a hotel attached to the James L. Knight Convention Center. The city and Hyatt have begun talks about a new long-term lease. Administrators said a new lease wasn’t contingent on resolving financial disputes with Hyatt.

Commissioners approved a “reconciliation agreement” calling for Hyatt to upgrade the Knight Center and hotel fire alarm system, replace tiles outside the convention center, and repair water damage to the hotel on the ground level. In exchange, the city must pay Hyatt up to $2,268,279 for the city’s portion of the alarm system, tile repair and “other life safety issues.” The settlement also calls for the city to pay $778,722 for its portion of disputes regarding maintenance costs and concession fees, and pay Hyatt $972,725 for the city’s portion of disputes on chiller overpayment, depreciation credit and design fees. The latter two and will be “credited to rent payments made

by Hyatt.”

MERGER IN THE BAG: Dade Paper & Bag Co., a distributor of food packaging, paper products, foodservice disposables, and janitorial & sanitary supplies based in Miami, has entered into an agreement to combine with Imperial Bag & Paper Co. LLC, a Jersey City, NJ-based distributor of disposable food service and janitorial supplies. The combined business will have total revenues over $1 billion. The transaction is expected to close in June. Said Frank Sansone, Dade Paper & Bag chief operating officer, “With Imperial we will soon be able to offer our customers a broader product offering and service across a wider footprint.” Founded in 1939, Dade Paper & Bag primarily services the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic markets from Florida to Maryland, with additional locations in the Tri-State and Northeast regions.

Hilda Fernandez

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

Steps into homeless fight as new Camillus House CEO The profile is on Page 4

13 named to study county charter revamp, 2 to go

By Susan Danseyar

Thirteen people have been appointed to a task force that will study Miami-Dade’s charter, its equivalent of a constitution, and recommend changes to put before voters.

The group is likely to have its first meeting the last week in June.

As of May 24, the appointees are Alice Burch, George M. Burgess, Jeff P.H. Cazeau, Robert Cuevas, Carlos Diaz-Padron, Maurice Ferré, Andre Luis Gazitúa, Luis E. Gonzalez, Marlon Hill, Neisen Kasdin, William H. Kerdyk Jr., Maria Lievano-Cruz and Eric Zichella.

The county commissioners who have yet to make appointments are Bruno A. Barreiro and Javier D. Souto, according to a member of Daniella Levine Cava’s staff who sent a notice from the clerk of the commission.

Those who have made appointments include Ms. Levine Cava, Vice Chair Audrey Edmonson, Barbara Jordan, Jean Monestime, Rebeca Sosa, Joe Martinez, Xavier Suarez, Chairman Esteban Bovo Jr., Dennis Moss, Sally Heyman and Jose “Pepe” Diaz.

In May, commissioners rejected Mr. Bovo’s attempt to exclude registered lob-

byists and anyone having commercial contracts with the county. Although a few commissioners agreed with Mr. Bovo, others questioned why the requirement wasn’t set before they made appointments and puzzled over how to define a lobbyist.

Mr. Bovo said he initiated a conversation about prohibiting lobbyists in 2012 when the commission last had a charter review and it was his oversight not to do so this year. His main reason for excluding lobbyists, he said, was that the public wants to be sure government is working in the most open and efficient way and he didn’t want questions about whether the people studying Miami-Dade’s charter have special interests.

The members named so far who are lobbyists include Mr. Gazitúa, head of lobbying firm Gazitúa Letelier, and Mr. Burgess, the last county manager Miami-Dade had under its former government structure who left in 2011 and is now senior government consultant of Becker & Poliakoff.

On March 21, commissioners created the task force to review the charter, which requires a study every five years. Once the task force begins meeting and recommends

proposed amendments to the charter, commissioners can allow the public to vote on any or all of the recommendations. However, the commission has the final say on what goes to voters.

At least eight members (a simple majority) of the required 15 must be appointed before the group can begin meeting. So far, the group has not met, County Attorney Oren Rosenthal told Miami Today. The first meeting will probably take place during the last week in June, said Nicole Tallman, director of policy and legislative affairs for the administration.

Other details include: nThe task force will sunset on the 363rd day after its authorization unless it’s extended by an ordinance. nIt will submit its written recommendations to the commission no later than 360 days after legislation is approved. nThe task force will conduct public hearings in the review process. nThe members will select the task force chair. nThe task force will be staffed by the administration or designee (county attorney or county clerk).

Hotels take big rebound in weak ’17

Miami-Dade’s hotel industry rebounded across the board in April from April 2016, showing gains in every category in what has been a mostly down year, the STR Trend Report shows.

Notably, the biggest gain was in total revenue, just a tick under $280 million for the month and nearly $21 million more than April 2016. That 7.9% revenue gain was tempered by the fact that the county in April had 427 operating hotels and 55,354 rooms, up from 408 hotels and 52,922 rooms in April 2016.

Climbing numbers translated into more jobs: the leisure and hospitality sector gained 1.8% in jobs from April 2016, reaching the highest total ever in the county at 145,600 workers in the sector, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Numbers were good across the board in the industry. Occupancy averaged 81% nightly, up 0.9% from the prior April. The average daily rate for a Miami-Dade hotel room was $207.94, up 2.3% despite increased competition from the new hotels. The actual revenue per available room rose 3.2% over the 12 months to $168.51. And while room supply rose 4.6%, demand rose 5.5%, STR reported.

The positives were in contrast to mostly negatives for the year to date, even including April’s gains.

So far in 2017 occupancy averages 81.7%, a decline of six-tenths of a percent from the same point in 2016.

Yearly rates have also been a disappointment, with the average daily rate of $222.31 down 5.5% from the first four months of 2016, and the actual revenue per available room down 6.1% at $181.61.

For the year as a whole, while the supply of rooms for the first four months totaled just over 6.6 million beds in all Miami-Dade hotels, up 4.9%, demand was just under 5.4 million rooms, a gain of 4.2% but not enough to match growing supply.

Miami-Dade hotel revenue for the first four months of 2017, according to STR, was just over $1.2 billion, down 1.6% from April 2016.

MAYOR CREATES URBAN DEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY TEAM ...

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DORAL NOW STATE’S FASTEST-GROWING BIG COMMUNITY ...

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JACKSON BONDS REFUNDING SAVES $15 MILLION INTEREST ...

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MAYOR CITES HIS OWN CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN BIDDING ...

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NONRESIDENTIAL LEADS A CONSTRUCTION STARTS SPURT ...

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SOUTH DADE ARTS VILLAGE RESPONSE DEADLINE NEARS ...

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VIEWPOINT: RAIL CUTS BEFORE SMART PLAN LOOK DUMB ...

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MIAMI BANS FOAM CONTAINERS IN RECREATION AREAS ...

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MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

The Insider BANK TARGETS AVENTURA: Coral Gables-based Banesco USA has applied to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to open a branch at 2950 NE 27th St. in Aventura. The bank, organized in 2006, reported assets of $982.668 million as of March 31. The comment period on the application ends June 6.

BIG WISH LIST: After holding several community meetings on a $275 million general obligation bond proposal, City of Miami administrators are working to compile the long wish list of projects and programs for the city commission meeting on June 22. City officials have identified infrastructure needs of significant magnitude, including police and fire department needs, roadway improvements, affordable housing, historic preservation and more. The plan is to have a general obligation bond proposal go on the November ballot. Commissioner Ken Russell on May 25 commended the administration for this year’s com- Ken Russell munity outreach. Commissioner Wifredo “Willy” Gort said: “We have to look at city-wide impacts … We have to prioritize what’s best for the city as whole.”

CORAL WAY STREET WORK: Improvements to a street in a residential area near Coral Way won Miami City Commission approval. A contract with Maggolc Inc. was approved for $343,236.25 in improvements plus a 10% contingency for a total not to exceed $377,559.87. Maggolc was deemed the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The project is on Southwest 27th Street from Southwest 32nd to 27th avenues and Southwest 31st Court from Southwest 27th Street to Southwest 27th Terrace. The work consists of reworking and regrading the road, milling and resurfacing, drainage system installation, sidewalk replacement, repair of driveway approaches, striping, signage, tree planting and ADA compliant ramps.

HEALTHY MAJORITY: By a unanimous vote, the Public Health Trust, which governs the Jackson Health System, elected its entire board of trustees for another two-year term. They are Joe Arriola, chair; Mojdeh L. Khaghan, vice chair; William J. Heffernan, treasurer; and Dr. Irene Lipof, secretary. At large members are Robert Zarco, Walter T. Richardson, Ph.D., and Rep. Bryan Avila, a state legislator from Miami-Dade County.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS: Two or more City of Miami commissioners are to participate in a discussion today (6/1) regarding affordable housing in the West Grove. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at Greater St. Paul AME Church, 3680 Thomas Ave. Commissioner Ken Russell, who represents the Grove, earlier directed the city administration to look for West Grove property suitable for affordable housing projects. Other measures have been pursued to assist long-time West Grove residents facing evictions, including emergency housing funds.

Joe Arriola

LOCAL HERO: County Commissioner Barbara Jordan was honored as the first annual “Head Start Hero” by the Miami-Dade County Community Action and Human Resources department. Ms. Jordan received a proclamation that declared May 16 the “Honorable Barbara J. Jordan day” in Miami-Dade County.

EXPENSIVE IMMOBILITY: Miami city officials have been hearing a fresh wave of complaints from people who’ve had parking boots lock their car wheels until Barbara Jordan they paid a hefty fine. Commissioners and Art Noriega, CEO of the Miami Parking Authority, discussed the issue at a city commission meeting. “I’ve gotten a lot of complaints about these boots. I don’t know if there’s anything we can do about it,” said Commissioner Francis Suarez. Mr. Noriega pointed out that boots may Art Noriega be used in private parking lots only. He said he’s heard a lot of complaints about them, “especially in the Grove lately,” and he’s working on a proposal to “put more teeth in enforcement of the booting contractors, in terms of how they handle signage, how they notify violators, the turn-around time, how payment can be made” and so on.

“Signage is the biggest issue. It’s a little predatory right now and we need to deal with that.” Commissioner Ken Russell, who represents Coconut Grove, said: “I’d be glad to sponsor that legislation when it’s ready and I’m glad to work with you on it. Predatory parking enforcement is one of my pet peeves.”

PITCH IN: The Miami Marlins are seeking volunteers when they host the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Summer July 7-11 at Marlins Park. Volunteers are needed to assist with events: the MLB All Star FanFest, MLB transportation, MLB gala and pre-game celebration. Volunteers are also needed to work with local hotels to assist baseball fans by guiding them, distributing gift bags and assisting MLB staff members in hospitality rooms for VIP guests. Details: https://securea.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2017/volunteer.jsp VAMPING VIZCAYNE: Coral Gables-based CREC has been appointed the exclusive leasing agent for 43,301 square feet of retail space in The Vizcayne at 200 Biscayne Blvd. The complex comprises the retail space and 849 condominium units in two residential towers. Current ground-floor tenants include Orangetheory Fitness, CVS, Smoothie King, Zona Fresca and The Learning Experience.

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’: A Florida non-profit environmental protection group will benefit from City of Miami generosity. The city commission has agreed to donate a used pickup truck to Urban Paradise Guild Inc. The city’s Department of General ServicesAdministration decommissioned the 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 truck and the city’s chief procurement officer declared it surplus. The guild is committed to offering long-term solutions to long-range problems, educating on sea level rise, working with critical and endangered habitats, and more.

The truck is to transport seeds, seed packages, and forestry and coastal plants for plantings. The resolution was sponsored by Vice Chairman Ken Russell.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017

Mayor creates urban area task force

By Susan Danseyar

Mayor Carlos Giménez is creating a task force to look at urban areas and evaluate whether they’re up to date with Miami-Dade’s development master plan.

The county’s Comprehensive Development Master plan (CDMP) future land use plan map indicates four urban areas where expansion may occur if certain land use criteria are met and if there’s a need for urban development beyond the urban development boundary, the mayor wrote to commissioners.

Urban expansion areas were first shown on the CDMP land use map plan in 1983 and modified in 1990, but only slightly.

Important changes since then would affect development of the urban expansion areas, the mayor wrote. Those include authorizing the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration plan, development of the county’s west well field, increased understanding of the impacts of climate change and more effort to improve compatibility around military installations.

Miami-Dade is beginning the comprehensive review and update of the CDMP, known as the Evaluation and Appraisal report, which the county is required to do every seven years.

It includes an evaluation of

Miami-Dade’s progress carrying out the CDMP and recommends changes to it.

To make sure the process has input from all who are interested, Mr. Giménez is creating the mayor’s Urban Expansion Area task force, which will hear public comment during three sessions on environmental concerns, agriculture and rock mining considerations and development.

Staff from the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources’ Planning Division will help run the task force meetings and input sessions.

The task force will include one representative each from several organizations: ■1000 Friends of Florida.

■Tropical Audubon Society.

■Urban Environment League.

■Nova Southeastern Shepard Broad Law Center.

■Sierra Club.

■Agricultural Practices Advisory Board.

■Redland Citizens Association.

■Rock mining representative.

■Builders Association of South Florida.

■Latin Builders Association.

■Florida East Coast Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. ■Florida Home Builders Association.

■Homestead Air Reserve Base representative.

■Property owners’ representative from eastern urban expansion area.

■Property owners’ representative from western urban expansion area.

■Community Council 11 (West Kendall).

■Community Council 14 (Redland).

■Community Council 15 (South Bay).

Community Councils were created to make zoning and land use decisions in a setting more accessible to the community.

The purpose of the task force is to provide recommendations for consideration by the Planning Advisory Board and county commission on changes to the current boundaries of the urban expansion areas, creation of new urban expansion areas and changes to criteria that should be considered for applications requesting expansion of the urban district boundary.

The mayor wrote that he anticipates the task force will complete its work and end within seven months but won’t exceed one year.

D e t a i l s : h t t p : / / w w w. miamidade.gov/mayor/library/memos-andreports//2017/05/05.16.17C re a t i o n - o f - t h e - M a y o r s Urban-Expansion-Area-TaskForce.pdf

County bond deal saves $15 million In a transaction expected to close today (6/1), Miami-Dade County is expected to sell $81.215 million in refunding bonds for Jackson Health System debt that will save the county more than $15 million in interest over the lifetime of the bonds.

The county commission authorized the action Jan. 24.

The debt service savings translate into a net present value of almost $9.4 million, Mayor Carlos Gimenez wrote in a memo to county commissioners.

The county received aAA- rating with a stable outlook from Fitch Ratings, to which the county paid $40,000, and a rating of Aa3 with a stable outlook from Moody’s, to which the county paid $45,000 for its study. Overall, the county spent a bit more than $505,000 on fees for the transaction.

In its summary of the transaction and underlying strength of the county, Fitch noted that the taxable assessed value of the county for fiscal 2017 is more than $250 billion, “an almost 9% annual increase which also surpasses the prior peak-year value recorded in fiscal 2008,” as the Great Recession was taking hold.

Fitch says that new construction reportedly added $5 billion to the tax base, with the balance of the gain from property appreciation as recovery continued. But, the firm wrote, “Fitch believes the tax base is exposed to the risk of higher than average declines in a downturn, as was the case during the Great Recession when [taxable assessed value] fell almost 25% in aggregate from fiscal 2009-2012.”

But, the report says, “Fitch believes general fund revenues will likely outpace historical growth

The county is to sell bonds today to refund bonds for Jackson Health.

in the near to intermediate term.”

In assessing the ability of the county to raise more revenue, Fitch estimated that “the county can generate approximately $625 million in additional property tax revenue under the countywide tax rate cap and $510 million within the “ unincorporated municipal service area that covers about 45% of county residents who live outside of cities, towns and villages. That would be more than a 50% tax increase from the general fund revenues of $2.1 billion in fiscal 2016.

Moody’s noted in its data that the county’s net direct debt today is more than $4.6 billion. “The county’s debt burden will likely remain manageable given moderate non-enterprise borrowing expectations,” Moody’s analysts wrote. The county’s $21.8 billion multi-year capital program, Moody’s said, is heavily weighted toward water & sewer and transportation debt “and includes projects that may not be funded.”

We want to hear from YOU! Phone: (305) 358-2663 Staff Writers: Camila Cepero ccepero@miamitodaynews.com Susan Danseyar sdanseyar@miamitodaynews.com John Charles Robbins jrobbins@miamitodaynews.com Letters to Editor editor@miamitodaynews.com People Column people@miamitodaynews.com Michael Lewis mlewis@miamitodaynews.com

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

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New Parks305.Org makes it easier to find activities in area

By Marilyn Bowden

Parks305.org, a new website and app rolled out last month, will make it easier for users to find sports activities and amenities in any city, county, state or federal park throughout MiamiDade, says Maria Nardi, deputy director of the county’s Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department.

“The goal of this website when we started it a couple of years ago,” she says, “was to provide the community with greater access to parks and recreation, as a way to help the community live healthier lives and connect everyone to nature and the outdoors. We wanted to provide the community with one-stop shopping – sort of a Yelp for parks. If you enter soccer or swimming or whatever, all the parks in the county where you can find it will come up, regardless of jurisdiction.”

As a bonus, Ms. Nardi says, the site also serves as a way for the stakeholders involved to share resources and dialogue about what is needed. The project required the cooperation of 35 municipalities, unincorporated Miami-Dade, three state parks and two national parks.

For example, she says, “if one city is building a baseball field and the city next door is

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

The goal of the site is to make it easier to live healthier lives and connect with nature, said Maria Nardi.

planning to build one, maybe that second city can provide something else instead, and they will both benefit.”

The project involved a number of partnerships at the local, state and national levels.

The South Florida Parks Coalition – an alliance of mu-

nicipal, state and federal park agencies whose mission is to foster a seamless, connected and sustainable parks system for the entire region – participated as part of its work to implement the county’s Parks & Open Space Masterplan, which Ms. Nardi describes as “a vision of a con-

nected system of parks, public places, natural green spaces and streets designed as linear parks that promote walkability and cycling.

“We have learned that successful cities in so many parts of the country are those that connect people to great public spaces.”

The University of Miami’s Built Environment, Behavior & Health Research Group, she says, contributed direction on the design and overall layout of the site, as well as healthy messaging content.

“We also have an ongoing partnership with the Florida Department of Health in MiamiDade County,” Ms. Nardi says, “to promote healthy living and healthy lifestyles through the Make Healthy Happen Miami campaign.”

The local health department provided funds to create the Parks305 website from grant money awarded by the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention through its Partnerships to Improve Community Health Initiative, which is in turn part of a US Department of Health & Human Services program “to support public health efforts to reduce chronic diseases, promote healthier lifestyles, reduce health disparities and control health-care spending,” according to its website.

Ms. Nardi says the grant pays for an outside consultant to host the site for its first year; “after that, the county probably will take over operation and maintenance.”

Details: parks305.org.

Working together.

South Florida construction jobs increased 3.9% in year ended in April.

Construction starts soaring, led by nonresidential work Construction starts in South Florida rose 80% in April from April 2016 levels, spurred by non-residential construction that was four times as great in dollar value as in April 2016.

Construction jobs in the tricounty area of Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties also rose in April to meet the demand, with employment rising 3.9% from a year earlier to 125,000 construction jobs, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But the growth seemed skewed toward the northern two counties, with Miami-Dade construction jobs declining year over year 1.8% to 43,000 jobs.

Meanwhile, construction jobs throughout Florida were booming, with a 7.4% gain in the 12 months ending in April to surpass the half-million mark at 502,000. That

total was the highest construction employment in the state since July 2008 as the Great Recession was dragging construction work down from earlier peaks.

In South Florida, for 2017 so far it’s clear that nonresidential construction starts are leading the gains. For the first four months of the year nonresidential starts in the three-county area were up 24%, with a total value of more than $1.64 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics, which closely tracks the industry.

During the same period, Dodge reported, residential starts fell 31% in South Florida from a year earlier to more than $3.31 billion.

Nonetheless, in April, as nonresidential work was booming, residential starts in South Florida did manage a 3% gain for a value of over $938 million for the month.

Medica offers the Baptist Health network of services.

Other providers are available in our network.

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MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 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

Rail cuts put SMART transit plan into the DUMB column As Miami-Dade strives to add six transit legs in a socalled SMART plan, it’s a DUMB move to cut service on its newest rail line, the one that carries airport passengers.

The county last week cut weekend Or- Michael Lewis ange Line runs in half less than five years after it opened the half-billion-dollar, 2.4-mile link to Miami International Airport – our only significant gain from a 15-year-old transit sales tax.

At the same time, the system reduced late-night and early-morning hours of Metrorail and Metromover, saying those times are least utilized and “keeping the system open late has become cost prohibitive because of the low demand during those hours.” Then the county tacked on added bus hours in partial compensation.

We know that rail and mover usage was low from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and midnight to 2 a.m. weekends and 11 p.m. to midnight weekdays. In fact, if the system is being run to break even, the only solution is to

shut the whole thing down right now.

But while it might have been smart fiscally to cut hours on the whole system and to reduce Orange Line frequency to every 30 minutes weekends instead of every 15 to save money, it’s not smart when the county is trying to sell us on adding six more transit legs in the SMART plan that would be mostly rail.

That’s why we call this move the DUMB plan – meaning Don’t Undercut Mobility’s Backing.

Why in heaven’s name would we want to add more rail when the county has cut service on what it says is “considered the centerpiece of the People’s Transportation Plan” that we’re still paying for?

Yes, in the county’s most current report Metrorail use fell 8.1% in the 12 months ended in February. But Miami International Airport boardings on the Orange Line fell only 7% – in other words, the airport stop performs better than the system as a whole, it’s our long-sought pledge to air passengers, it’s our newest service and the most expensive per mile, yet we cut early and late hours and halved weekend service?

For the year, Orange Line weekend service fell 3.8%, far less than the system as a whole. That line serves our airport.

Of all the service to cut most drastically, that isn’t SMART if you’re telling us at

the same time that we need to fund much more rail that we then cannot afford to operate fully either.

In February 1,417 people boarded Metrorail at the airport on an average Saturday, and probably about the same number got off there – 2,834 users in all. Sunday numbers were almost identical.

Those totals are larger than at 16 other stations on the 23-station system on a typical Saturday. Cut operations in half weekends and many air travelers will find the system nearly useless. That includes millions of cruise passengers who predominantly board and leave ships on weekends and come here by air.

The aim ought to be to develop the mass transit habit. That would get cars off roads.

Instead, we’re making rail service less frequent. In New York, where subways are king, service runs 24/7 all the time.

Sure, we’re not Manhattan, but if we can’t run what we have now as conveniently as possible, why should taxpayers expect full operation from new lines that also are going to lose money?

Transit use is only going to become more difficult when planned bus system cuts arrive in November. The cuts are fiscally sound – on some routes, it’s cheaper to call Uber for every rider at county expense that keep going. But again, it’s far harder

to rely on transit that doesn’t run as often or go as many places.

We have only a few tools to build transit use: speed, comfort, convenience, connectivity, maximum operating hours, maximum area coverage and the image that transit is for everybody. Reduced operating hours cut into convenience and look like we’re throwing in the towel on transit.

If you’re going to train Miamians to ride the train, it’s got to be there when we want it. If there’s no late-night Metromover or Metrorail, we must ride the roads. That’s bad rail transit training.

It may be smart to save transit costs, but that’s short-term thinking if we believe that lack of revenue might also limit SMART lines’ operations. The more transit we build, the more losses the county must fund.

Where will that money come from, and why don’t we tap it now to keep what rail we have as functional as possible?

Bottom line: without consistent and reliable funding of losses, transit will never replace sitting fuming in traffic in your private car.

We favor the SMART plan’s very useful transit legs, but only after the county can prove to the public that it can fund consistent and frequent operations as well as construction. Otherwise, forget about it and save the billions to build.

systems exist to improve quality of life, to support business and the economic development and jobs they provide, to support sustained property values and a strong tax base, to give citizens transportation choices, and to leverage smarter land use patterns.

By “smarter” we mean more compact to allow population growth without disproportionate sprawl and environmental destruction and loss of farmland, and to bring communities closer together to support local commerce and make it efficient to deliver municipal services. In turn, a more compact form supports a better menu of transit services – it’s a virtuous circle.

Highway building projects of the kind Mr. Ferré seems to support, a relic of the past, do the opposite. They exacerbate suburban sprawl and jobs dispersal, aggravate car dependence that drains money from households, shrink the menu of transportation choices, lengthen trips, induce more driving, increase public costs, and make the whole of government less efficient. Put simply, the solution to congested roads is not more pavement.

And here’s the dirty little secret: new expressways are not built to relieve congestion, either – they’re built to facilitate suburban real estate development and

tighten the automobile’s grip on American consumers.

County leaders unanimously back the SMART Plan (Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit) to develop rapid transit corridors to Miami Beach, FIU’s west campus, along Kendall Drive, 27th Avenue, the South Dade Transitway and along the coast to Aventura. These projects have advanced to the phase of evaluating specific costs and potential sources of funding for each.

The Transportation Trust has committed to work collaboratively with all partners, including the private sector to develop a funding strategy to use trust funds to implement SMART. Transportation Trust funds are being deployed now to upgrade the county’s bus, Metrorail and Metromover fleet. Look for 300 new buses and a new fleet of Metrorail cars – sleek, clean, Wi-Fi equipped and ready to accommodate bikes – to come on line in fall. These upgrades will increase reliability and the user experience.

In short, it’s not too late to make the turn to transit. There is no feasible, longterm alternative.

There’s no feasible long-term alternative to mass transit plan In 2000, Blockbuster considered acquiring Netflix, a startup, for $50 million.

Blockbuster took a pass. Ten years later Blockbuster was in bankruptcy. Netflix today has a $68 billion market value. It’s dangerous to miss a turn.

Maurice Ferré’s op-ed “Will fixed rail decongest Miami-Dade County roadways?” argues for continued investment in pavement – more and wider roads – arguing that “Americans will not give up their cars” and that “Miami Transit will not go to where you are, nor where you want to go.”

The Citizens Independent Transit Trust is committed to expanding transit to come where you are and take you where you need to be. The issue of American’s obsession with cars is resolving itself.

Data trends demonstrate that the American love affair with cars is waning. The percentage of Americans with a driver’s license overall is declining, dramatically so for teens. According to the Michigan Transportation Research Institute, in 2014, just 24.5% of 16-year-olds had a license, a 47% decrease from 1983. For 19-year-olds, only 69% had licenses in 2014, compared to 87.3% in 1983.

Why the decreasing interest? One theory is that operating a vehicle takes young people away from smartphones, where they are fully connected to their social network. Board any train and notice all the young people refreshing Facebook and you get the picture.

So why, as Mr. Ferré notes, is transit ridership down? The three most widely cited causes are cheap gas, ride-share apps (which, in the case of Uber Pool or Lyft Line, is simply mass transit by another name) and, most importantly, our failure to invest in maintaining and upgrading our transit infrastructure.

For instance, Miami-Dade’s aging bus fleet gives rise to reliability problems which, in turn, create an enormous disincentive to using transit. Overall trip-time

The Writers

Paul Schwiep is former chair of The Transportation Trust, Victor Dover is principal of Dover, Kohl & Partners and Tony Garcia is principal of Street Plans Collaborative. and predictability are significant factors affecting whether a “choice rider” – someone who could drive, or not – elects to use transit. A stalled bus wrecks both.

Meanwhile, transit agencies that have invested in providing reliable and streamlined customer service, logical and intuitive transit routes that are coordinated with local shuttles and efficient user apps have expanded, notwithstanding cheap gas. Seattle and Houston are examples.

Mr. Ferré suggests that Miami-Dade’s suburban sprawl impedes effective transit.

However, with over half of our population living on 15% of the land, we’ve surpassed densities that clog roadways, even supersized highways. What differentiates cities with effective mass transit like London or Paris from Miami is not density, but that these cities invested long ago in transit systems that move substantial numbers of people in urban environments, and they continue to upgrade them – London’s new 73-mile CrossRail line, which includes two new tunneled lines through central London, is an example.

Those investments evidence an understanding that public services (like schools and hospitals) should not be judged by how much revenue they generate, but by the value they enable. Providing transit is not merely about reducing congestion.

It’s about giving people transportation choices. As Miami grows, our highways and roads can’t keep up. This is fundamentally a problem of geometry, not of cost or congestion.

Transit systems do not exist to “relieve congestion,” as Mr. Ferré claims. Transit

miamitodaynews.com

Letters to the Editor Adding green downtown

Our beautiful Bayfront Park is being changed into an event venue (Ultra Music Festival, Rolling Loud, various races, etc.), and it is closed off to the public for weeks at a time before, during and after these events.

As a downtown resident I would welcome more green space, however it is achieved.

Jacqueline Johnston

FOUNDED JUNE 2, 1983 VOLUME XXXV No. 1 ENTIRE CONTENTS © 2017

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MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017

Doral state’s fastest-growing big city, Miami ranks eighth Doral was the fastest-growing large city in Florida during the current decade and eleventhfastest in the nation in the period, according to new US Census data analyzed by the FIU Metropolitan Center.

Miami was the state’s eighthfastest growing city in the same six-year span, with a population growth of 13.1% – almost 53,000 people, the study found.

Miami-Dade County’s total population grew 8.2% during the period, yet during the single year from 2015 to 2016, a startling 22 of the county’s municipalities actually lost population slightly – though no other as high a percentage as the nine-tenths percent loss of the 843-resident Town of Medley.

The figures did not surprise the Metropolitan Center’s Dr. Maria Ilcheva, whose doctorate in political science is being put to use directing surveys and polls in seeking public policy solutions for the community. She sees the data as a part of the “ultimate baseline for any decision” that governments here make.

“What we’ve been observing at the county and region level is continued by the city data,” she said.

“What is notable is... who is staying here continuously,” she said.

The welcome sign is definitely out in Doral, where population grew faster than any other big Florida city.

Miami-Dade’s population, the Metropolitan Center has found, is growing primarily because of those who come here from elsewhere and the increase of population due to births over deaths, because the influx from Europe, Latin America and the North is more than offsetting the outflow of Miami-Dade residents who are moving elsewhere.

That influx from abroad is particularly visible in fast-growing

Doral, which grew 26.1% so far this decade, Dr. Ilcheva said. She speaks of “the silent population” – the people who do not have stable jobs, who invest, get temporary work permits yet may not be here over a long period of time. That same pattern, she said, is visible in downtown Miami, Brickell and Coconut Grove – all in the fastgrowing City of Miami, which grew 13.1% so far this decade and 2.9% in just the past year.

CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ANY PERSON WHO RECEIVES COMPENSATION, REMUNERATION OR EXPENSES FOR CONDUCTING LOBBYING ACTIVITIES IS REQUIRED TO REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST WITH THE CITY CLERK PRIOR TO ENGAGING IN LOBBYING ACTIVITIES BEFORE CITY STAFF, BOARDS AND COMMITTEES OR THE CITY COMMISSION. A COPY OF THE APPLICABLE ORDINANCE IS AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK (MIAMI CITY HALL), LOCATED AT 3500 PAN AMERICAN DRIVE, MIAMI, FLORIDA, 33133.

AT THE SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY JUNE 08, 2017, AT 9:00 A.M., IN ITS CHAMBERS AT CITY HALL, 3500 PAN AMERICAN DRIVE, THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION WILL CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING ITEM RELATED TO THE REGULAR AGENDA: A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENTS, ACCEPTING THE PLAT ENTITLED “RESIDENCES AT VIZCAYA”, A REPLAT IN THE CITY OF MIAMI, SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE PLAT AND STREET COMMITTEE AND THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN CITY CODE SECTION 55-8, AND ACCEPTING THE DEDICATIONS SHOWN ON SAID PLAT, LOCATED ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERLY SIDE OF WEST GLENCOE, BETWEEN SOUTH BAYSHORE COURT AND EAST GLENCOE, AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE SAID PLAT; AND PROVIDING FOR THE RECORDATION OF SAID PLAT IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA. COPIES OF THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION ARE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, SURVEY AND LAND RECORDS SECTION OF THE CONSTRUCTION DIVISION, LOCATED AT 444 SW 2ND AVENUE, 4TH FLOOR, DURING REGULAR WORKING HOURS. PHONE 305-416-1232.

THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION REQUESTS ALL INTERESTED PARTIES BE PRESENT OR REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING AND MAY BE HEARD WITH RESPECT TO ANY PROPOSITION BEFORE THE CITY COMMISSION IN WHICH THE CITY COMMISSION MAY TAKE ACTION. SHOULD ANY PERSON DESIRE TO APPEAL ANY DECISION OF THE CITY COMMISSION WITH RESPECT TO ANY MATTER TO BE 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 ACCOMMODATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCEEDING MAY CONTACT THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK AT (305) 250-5361 (VOICE) NO LATER THAN FIVE (5) BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO THE PROCEEDING. TTY USERS MAY CALL VIA 711 (FLORIDA RELAY SERVICE) NO LATER THAN FIVE (5) BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO THE PROCEEDING.

TODD B. HANNON CITY CLERK # 28761

Surprisingly, the county’s second-fastest growth in the decade was in West Miami, which grew in population 24.6% so far this decade and 7.4% in the past year to 7,459 residents. Next was North Bay Village, increasing 15.3% to 8,262 residents.

Both the City of Miami and Bal Harbour grew 13.1%, though the scale is somewhat different – Miami now has 453,579 residents and Bal Harbour 3,050.

The next-fastest growth this decade has been in Homestead, where population has escalated from 60,512 to 67,996, an 11.8% gain. The only other double-digit municipal growth in the county has been Cutler Bay, which has grown 10.5% in the decade to 44,707 residents.

Both Doral and Coral Gables have been seeking seats on the county’s Transportation Planning Organization, which requires a 50,000-population total for eligibility. While Doral’s 57,947 total is comfortably above the line, Coral Gables lost two-tenths of a percent of its population in the past year to 50,815, which may be too close for comfort in its quest for a seat at the table.

While Miami-Dade has significant growth this decade at 8.2%, at the municipal level, Dr. Ilcheva noted, most of the fast-growing cities in the state are on the West Coast – where Fort Myers grew 23.6% and Bonita Springs 23% – and in Central Florida, where Kissimmee grew 16.2%, Orlando 15.7%, Winter Garden 20.2%, St. Cloud 27.6%, Ocoee 24.7% and Apopka 17.9% She attributes that growth to generally better housing affordability and more jobs creating good wages. Those two factors, she said, tend to attract more domestic migration.

Dade real estate resales for April top $1 billion

Sales volume for Miami-Dade real estate resales – which do not include new condos – topped $1 billion in April, the Miami Association of Realtors reported last week.

The total of $1.01 billion was on 2,303 total residential sales, the association reported, down 4.8% from sales volume in April 2016. That would produce a mean sales figure of $438,000-plus for all resales.

The association said that said that in sales, median single-family home prices in the county were $320,000 and median condo prices were $229,000.

In number of sales, singlefamily home resales in April increased 3.7% from April 2016 to 1,192 homes. But condo resales fell 12.5% to 1,111, according to the association’s figures.

“A lack of local buildable land puts high value and demand for existing Miami single-family homes,” said Christopher Zoller of brokerage EWM, the association’s 2017 chairman of the board. “Existing condominiums, meanwhile, have seen five-plus years of price appreciation.”

The association wrote that “the lack of access to mortgage loans is also impacting the existing condominium market. Of the 9,307 condominium buildings in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, only 12 are approved for Federal Housing Administration loans, down from 29 last year.”

Mid-market transactions are fueling the rise in Miami’s singlefamily home sales, the association said. Transactions for properties listed between $200,000 and

‘A lack of local buildable land puts high value and demand for existing Miami single-family homes.’

Christopher Zoller $600,000 jumped 13.2% in April from April 2016 to 821 sales. Midmarket sales, the association said, account for 68.9% of all singlefamily home resales.

Homes are lingering longer on the market, however, and condominiums linger ever longer.

The average time between listing a single-family home and closing the sale was 101 days in April, up 7.4% from a year earlier.

For condos, however, the time was 119 days, up 8.2% in a year.

And inventories of condos on the market for resale continue to build up, increasing 9.2% over the year to a whopping 15,307 on the market. At current sales rates, this is a 13.8-month supply, clearly a buyer’s market. Single-family home inventories fell 2.2% over the year to 6,182 active listings, a 5.6-month supply.

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017

MIAMI TODAY

39

Citing his conflict of interest, mayor hands Bovo a land deal In a seldom-seen handoff, Mayor Carlos Gimenez has turned over to County Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo Jr. the mayor’s responsibility for the possible award of projects to develop 250 acres of county-owned land in South Dade.

The mayor acted last week in an unusual memo to Mr. Bovo and commissioners that said “I believe I have a conflict of interest” because on the day he wrote he became aware that his son and daughter-in-law were involved in private development ideas for the land.

The parcels involved are part of 601 acres of surplus land that the US Air Force turned over to the county from the defunct Homestead Air Force Base for the purpose of county economic development.

The county then and now has seen the land as a catalyst to spur development there and nearby in South Dade, which was left economically depressed after the

Carlos Gimenez cites his conflict.

ravages of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Part of the land was long tied up in now-concluded litigation over an earlier proposed development plan on the highly coveted site.

The 250 acres were the subject of a county call for expressions of interest in “development projects surrounding Homestead Air Reserve Base” issued through the Internal Services Department.

The county issued the request

March 27, and letters were to be received May 23.

On May 24, Mayor Gimenez wrote that on that day “I became aware that my son, Julio Gimenez, and my daughter-in-law, Tania Cruz, are involved in the Expression of Interest… Because of my family’s involvement in the [expression of interest], I believe I have a conflict of interest. Therefore, I will not be participating in any decisions regarding this” expression.

The mayor then quoted the county charter as saying that when the mayor informs the chairperson in writing of a contract conflict of interest, the chairperson “shall have all authority provided by this charter or the [commission] to solicit, evaluate, award or recommend the award of such contract…”

The mayor informed Mr. Bovo to refer any questions on the matter to Deputy Mayor Jack Osterholt.

The use of the land may differ among its four parcels. Two parcels, one of 30 acres and one of 46,

Esteban Bovo Jr. handed project.

are zoned for heavy industrial uses and surround the newly developed FedEx commercial project. The third parcel, 50 acres, once held homes that Hurricane Andrew destroyed. The fourth, 125 acres, “is unconventional in design and shape,” the county’s solicitation for interest noted, and may be divided into several uses. It’s now zoned for agriculture.

The solicitation makes clear that the county may ultimately

choose one or more firms. It states that “the county envisions projects which encourage the growth of commercial businesses, warehouses and distribution centers, and technology-based headquarters which would require vast acreage for development, and business parks that include office buildings and franchised hotels.”

The request also states that “the county welcomes ideas from respondents which can potentially have a significant impact on the growth of Homestead.”

The solicitation makes clear that the proposals of two to five pages were to be conceptual and in no way specific – “excessive detail is neither warranted nor requested” – but should list the number of jobs to be created, their salary levels, overall project costs, financing details and economic benefits to the county.

The county makes clear that the next step is likely to be competitive solicitations. No dates were listed.

Responses falling due for South Dade Arts Village proposal

By Susan Danseyar

Responses are due in two weeks to a request for developers and businesses interested in developing a South Dade Cultural Arts Village, which is expected to increase visitors to the area.

Miami-Dade County issued the request Feb. 15 for the property, about 8.76 acres in the South Dade Government Center in the town of Cutler Bay. In May 2016, county commissioners directed the administration to solicit ideas for the village. The legislation was cosponsored by Dennis Moss and Daniella Levine Cava.

A representative for Tara Smith, director of the Internal Services Department,

confirmed the expression of interest went out. As a result of the expression of interest, she told Miami Today on Tuesday, the next step could be a competitive solicitation.

Last May, Mr. Moss said he and Ms. Levine Cava wanted to stimulate the development of restaurants, offices, workforce housing and artist lofts to increase visitors to the South Miami Dade area and Cutler Bay. The site is near Southland Mall and the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center.

The request for interest states all development opportunities will be considered, including developing a town, open-air or lifestyle center with extensive retail, banking, hospitality, entertainment, dining, market-rate apartments or public event space; offering development ideas

for only a portion of the property, such as development rights above any retail use, or a separate office or hotel standalone areas, or for only a single bay in-line retail use or outparcel.

According to the request for interest, the site is strategically located with easy transit access to residential areas, employment centers, and the South Dade TransitWay with an expanding community, and a strong demand for new development.

“The property’s visibility and accessibility to and from the Florida Turnpike, and immediate proximity to a major cultural arts venue, various governmental agencies and government buildings, a shopping mall, and a new Mercedes-Benz dealership make the property an attractive destination for devel-

opment in Miami-Dade,” the request says.

“Southwest 211th Street, which leads to and from exits of the Florida Turnpike, is the street adjacent to the subject property, giving hoteliers and retailers enormous exposure to the traveling public. The property is on the side of the street leading to the exit for the Turnpike.”

In addition, the request states, the Florida Turnpike exits for Southwest 211th Street and Southwest 216th Street are just six exits away from Florida City, and the start of the Florida Keys, about 11 miles.

Details:https://fcp3.org/miami-dadecounty-expression-of-interest-for-thesouth-dade-cultural-center-plaza-cultural-arts-village/

Aerial easement for rail station rolls through city

By John Charles Robbins

Not only is MiamiCentral and its Brightline passenger rail service designed to help unclog congested roadways, but the elevated train station also serves to keep street traffic downtown on the move.

In order for All Aboard Florida to build its elevated transportation hub, and make direct connections to Miami-Dade County’s Metrorail and Metromover trains at Government Center Station, air rights needed to be secured.

One of the last air space right-ofways – or aerial easements – was approved May 25 by Miami city commissioners.

The resolution authorizes City Manager Daniel Alfonso to execute an aerial easement with DT Miami LLC for All Aboard Florida railroad terminal encroachments over and across city right-of-way known as Northwest Third Street, between Northwest First Avenue and MiamiDade County Metrorail north corridor right-of-way.

A background memo on the resolution says DT Miami received approval from the county to build a project that includes a terminal of the All Aboard Florida passenger rail system, office, retail and residential development, known as MiamiCentral.

The county’s approval requires construction of an elevated pedestrian connection between the project and the adjacent Government Center Station.

The airspace easement will make the connection possible.

The resolution says the city wants to grant DT Miami an easement so it can construct, maintain and access the improvements “to allow safe and reasonable aerial access between the station and connecting adjacent parcels to the station, to the Miami-Dade Governmental Center Metrorail Station.”

MiamiCentral is under construc-

tion across several city blocks paralleling Northwest FirstAvenue. Work began in 2014 just north of the county courthouse and the county’s Stephen P. Clark Center, bringing a major transportation hub to the footprint of the city’s first train station.

MiamiCentral is on track for an opening this year, followed by development of apartments, shops, offices and other companion commercial uses.

The new rail station is being integrated with county Metrorail and Metromover systems, and is being considered a transit hub for the city with connections to buses, trolleys, taxis and more.

Its primary function is home to a new passenger rail service called Brightline. MiamiCentral will also house a Tri-Rail link.

In March, express passenger rail service Brightline announced target dates for service launch in South Florida, with introductory express service between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale beginning in late July, followed by service to Miami in late August.

Just west of the main construction, All Aboard Florida is building a mixed-use project known as 3 MiamiCentral that will bring a grocer, along with office and retail uses to the Overtown neighborhood.

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40

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017

To keep fliers happy, airport won’t offer free luggage carts

By Susan Danseyar

Miami International Airport officials who were looking into offering free luggage carts or reducing charges for them have decided it wouldn’t be good for customer satisfaction.

The Miami-Dade Aviation Department has determined that offering luggage carts free or at a

lower rate would negatively impact customer satisfaction “because of the inability to replenish the carts in a timely and efficient manner when usage increases,� said Aviation Department Deputy Director Ken Pyatt in an email Tuesday. “MIA’s Concourse D has the single-busiest US Customs and Border Protection [CBP] facility of any airport in the country, currently averaging 1,000

international passengers per hour. “Our current luggage cart operation does not have the capacity to retrieve and return a sufficient supply of carts if they are offered for free or at a reduced rate. Other top US gateway airports charge for luggage carts in their CBP facilities as well, for the same reason.�

In May 2016, Mr. Pyatt said he would work with other officials at the

Public Notice NOTICE IS GIVEN that a meeting of the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners will be held on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, at 9:30 AM, in the Commission Chambers, located on the Second Floor of the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 N.W. First Street, Miami, Florida, wherein, among other matters to be considered, a public hearing will be held at such time that the item is called on the following: Resolutions and Ordinance: t 3FTPMVUJPO BQQSPWJOH UIF QMBO GPS UIF 8FTUDIFTUFS $VMUVSBM "SUT $FOUFS MPDBUFE JO 5SPQJDBM 1BSL BU 48 4USFFU JO DPNQMJBODF XJUI 4FDUJPO PG UIF $PEF t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t 3 FTPMVUJPO BQQSPWJOH BEPQUJOH BOE DPOmSNJOH QSFMJNJOBSZ BTTFTTNFOU SPMMT QSPWJEJOH GPS BOOVBM BTTFTTNFOUT BHBJOTU SFBM QSPQFSUZ MPDBUFE XJUIJO CPVOEBSJFT PG UIF #PSMVW 4VCEJWJTJPO .VMUJQVSQPTF .BJOUFOBODF BOE 4USFFU -JHIUJOH 4QFDJBM 5BYJOH %JTUSJDU HFOFSBMMZ CPVOEFE PO UIF /PSUI CZ UIFPSFUJDBM /8 5FSSBDF PO UIF &BTU CZ UIFPSFUJDBM /8 "WFOVF PO UIF 4PVUI CZ UIFPSFUJDBM 48 'MBHMFS -BOF BOE PO UIF 8FTU CZ /8 "WFOVF QSPWJEJOH UIBU BTTFTTNFOUT NBEF TIBMM DPOTUJUVUF B TQFDJBM BTTFTTNFOU MJFO PO SFBM QSPQFSUZ BOE QSPWJEJOH GPS UIF DPMMFDUJPO PG TVDI BTTFTTNFOUT Resolutions Approving the Following Plats: t 3FTPMVUJPO BQQSPWJOH UIF 1MBU PG #FBDPO -BLFT /PSUIFBTU CPVOEFE PO UIF /PSUI CZ /8 4USFFU PO UIF &BTU CZ /8 Place, on the South by NW 22 Street, and on the West by NW 121 Court) t 3 FTPMVUJPO BQQSPWJOH UIF 1MBU PG #FBDPO -BLFT /PSUIXFTU CPVOEFE PO UIF /PSUI CZ /8 4USFFU PO UIF &BTU BQQSPYJNBUFMZ GFFU 8FTU PG /8 "WFOVF PO UIF 4PVUI CZ /8 4USFFU BOE PO UIF 8FTU CZ /8 "WFOVF

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airport, updating data and determining if it’s viable for the airport to offer free luggage carts or reduce charges for them.

When he appeared with Aviation Direc- Ken Pyatt tor Emilio GonzalĂŠz at the county commission’s Trade and Tourism Committee May 12, 2016, to present the 2015 year-end Miami International Airport review, committee Chairman Jose “Pepeâ€? Diaz said he’d noticed many airports he’d been through offered free carts for transporting luggage and asked if local airport officials could look into providing that as well.

Mr. Pyatt told Miami Today at the time that a number of international airports charge for self-service luggage carts but he’d noticed on a recent trade mission to China that the airports there did not.

At one time, luggage carts were free at Miami International, Mr. Pyatt said. “We implemented the fee when we opened the Federal Inspection Service [FIS] area [as of July 31, 2012, in the middle of North Terminal],� he said. The facility is double the size of the previous one and, with “everyone taking a cart,� the airport wasn’t able to keep up supply for other travelers. “FIS averages 25,000 coming through daily, so with such demand, there were no carts for other passengers in arrivals,� Mr. Pyatt said. “When we implemented the charge, demand for the carts went down.�

But free carts would show Miami’s airport in a positive light, give a sense of welcome and might be a good marketing campaign for tourism, some committee members said at the meeting a year ago.

Mr. Pyatt told committee members he’d be happy to look into the possibility of free carts or reduced costs.

Miami bars foam containers from parks, recreation areas

By John Charles Robbins

Miami has banned polystyrene foam containers in city parks, beaches and recreational facilities. “This is very important for us – our bay is so important,� said Commissioner Ken Russell, author of the legislation.

Commissioners unanimously voted May 25 to prohibit expanded polystyrene products (commonly known as Styrofoam) in parks and recreation facilities, including beaches.

The legislation provides a 12-month temporary grace period for current city contractors, and it establishes an environmental education zone in historic Virginia Key Beach Park in connection with prohibitions on polystyrene.

Mr. Russell called the move a simple but big step toward curbing pollution in our area.

He sought to establish a more environmentally conscious atmosphere by prohibiting polystyrene, and to create a zone on Virginia Key designed to educate residents about the importance of going green.

Polystyrene is a petroleumbased plastic, the ordinance says, and containers composed of the material harm 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 impede waste reduction and recycling goals while adding unsightly litter.

The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommended banning polystyrene in all city-owned parks and recreation facilities. The Virginia Key Advisory Board did the same.

The foam breaks apart, lasts forever and harms the local environment, said Mr. Russell.

Miami follows the lead of neighboring municipalities that have restricted or banned polystyrene products, including Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and Miami Beach.

Miami-Dade County commissioners have banned polystyrene in certain circumstances in parks, recreational areas and countyoperated marinas. The county ban begins July 1.

City of Miami commissioners are also considering regulating the use of plastic shopping bags, approving a resolution April 13 to urge state lawmakers repeal a state statute intended to prohibit local governments from restricting plastic bags. A judge has ruled it’s vague and unconstitutional.

Two weeks ago, Coral Gables prohibited the use of single-use carry out plastic bags in the city.

During a 12-month education campaign, the Gables will focus on educating all local businesses on the benefits of the law and encouraging innovative ideas to eliminate single-use plastic bags.

Effective immediately, anyone who has been issued a special event permit by the city is prohibited from providing items in single-use carry out plastic bags during special events.

The ordinance was sponsored

by Commissioner Vince Lago and unanimously approved by the city commission. “Capitalism and conservation can not only coexist, they can also thrive,� said Mr. Lago, who has pushed for various green initiatives.

The ultimate goal of Coral Gables is to replace single-use carry out plastic bags with reusable, recyclable or compostable alternatives in order to reduce littler and pollutants on streets, parks, public spaces and waterways.

This plastic bags ordinance is similar to an ordinance by Coral Gables regulating the use of polystyrene.

In February 2017, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court in MiamiDade upheld the city’s ordinance as valid and enforceable and concluded that state statutes being used in an effort to prevent the City of Coral Gables from enforcing the ordinance were unconstitutional.

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017

Save the Date

Transportation Summit Implementing the Community’s Vision for Public Transportation

SEPTEMBER 28-29, 2017 Miami Dade College – Wolfson Campus

Chapman Conference Center | 300 N.E. 2nd Avenue | Miami, Florida 33132 Take part in the discussion on developing a comprehensive public transportation system in our community.

Featuring ■ Keynote address by Mayor Gimenez ■ Breakout sessions ■ Opportunities to interact with community leaders and transportation professionals Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

Additional information: ■ www.miamidade.gov/citt ■ citt@miamidade.gov ■ 305-779-7875 ■ People who require assistance and/or would like to request materials or other means of communication to participate because of their disabilities, can call 305-375-1357 or email nlake@miamidade.gov. TTY users can call 711.

Take transit to the meeting!

■ www.miamidade.gov/transit Transportation Trust

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This event is organized by the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust in conjunction with Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, the Board of County Commissioners, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Miami-Dade County League of Cities, Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority.

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