Miami Today: Week of Thursday, January 11, 2018

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

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A CURTAIN IS LIFTED FROM DETAILS OF THE COCONUT GROVE PLAYHOUSE’S STATUS, PG. 18 AIRPORT NOISE STUDIES: A Cincinnati firm would win two combined professional service agreements for five years for aviation acoustical and land use compatibility planning for Miami-Dade’s airports under a resolution that’s to come before the county commission’s Economic Development and Tourism Committee today (1/11). The contract award would go to Landrum & Brown Inc. for $501,250. Three firms applied, and a selection committee ranked Landrum & Brown second. Then a negotiations committee negotiated agreements with the top two firms in September and October and eventually recommended the Cincinnati firm. Work includes addressing airport and community land-use issues, monitoring aircraft noise, studying airspace flight track management, environmental assessments, environmental impact statements, studying aircraft noise abatement, noise compatibility studies, noise monitoring and studying wildlife hazard management.

The Achiever

By John Charles Robbins

CURRENCY EXCHANGE WOES: Only one of seven currency exchange firms that purchased county bidding documents made proposals to the Miami-Dade Aviation Department for seven currency exchange sites at Miami-International Airport, showing an industry in decline, county commissioners were told in being asked to approve a three-year lease for the sites with sole bidder LenLyn Ltd., doing business as ICE Currency Services USA. The agreement comes before the county’s Economic Development and Tourism Committee today (11/1) for a vote that would send the lease to the full county commission for final action.

For the seven sites, the airport would get $608,000 minimum rent plus 6.3% on all transactions; 25% of gross sales on pre-paid phone cards; 15% of gross on all other services; 15% on travelers checks, money wires and credit card cash advances in collected fees; and 3% of online sales and bookings.

CRUISING IN: One of four new ships that Miami-based Carnival Corp. formally announced last week is to be based in Miami starting in September. The 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon, the 26th ship for the Carnival Cruise Line, will be replacing its sister Vista-class ship, the Carnival Vista, which was launched in 2016 and will be moving to Galveston, TX, when the Horizon arrives here. The Horizon is to debut in April with a 13-day cruise from Barcelona, the first of four departures from that port. Then the ship takes a trans-Atlantic voyage from Barcelona to New York in May and stays there for Bermuda and Caribbean cruises from New York until it shifts to Miami for six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises beginning Sept. 22 after a two-day cruise from Miami to Nassau Sept. 20-22.

Jorge Villacampa

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

Wells Fargo regionʼs president is adding two branches The profile is on Page 4

High-ridership waterborne transit route floated

By John Charles Robbins

It hasn’t been clear sailing for Miami-Dade officials studying the feasibility of a waterborne transportation system. They’re having to navigate around obstacles from water depth to infrastructure to regulations.

That was clear in a status report Monday to the Miami River Commission, delivered

by Irene Hegedus, chief of transportation enhancements at the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works.

Regardless of the many challenges, the river commission unanimously voted to urge the county to approve waterborne transportation services with on-demand, fixed commuter routes or both as soon as possible.

That motion was made by county Commissioner Bruno Barreiro.

“When you look at existing conditions, you’ll realize why we haven’t deployed it yet,” Ms. Hegedus said. “We have a tremendous number of constraints.”

She highlighted findings in an ongoing county study that includes these operating constraints: The area’s waterway is one of the shallow-

Department might erect city housing

est in the US, with potential routes ranging from 2.5 to 11 feet deep.

Speed zones due to environmentally protected areas have strict regulation of manatees and sea grasses.

Physical impediments include height of bridges, location of control structures and existing commercial docks.

The county has been researching three waterborne modes: a commuter service with a fixed route and schedule as an extension of Metrorail, Metromover and Metrobus; on-demand services or water taxis with no schedule but pre-determined landing locations; and recreational mobility.

Ms. Hegedus said the county’s main focus remains a possible commuter service to lessen the number cars choking the area’s roads.

A challenge to launching a commuter service is finding vessels big enough to carry many passengers and be air conditioned but small enough to glide under bridges, she said.

The goal would be convenient, comfortable and affordable water transit, according to Ms. Hegedus.

She said regulatory agencies have concerns about added water taxi activity on the bay and

the river, worried about enforcement for ondemand travel with no set schedule.

Her presentation said officials are preparing a proposal for county commission consideration of one express route with no stops.

The proposed service focuses on a high ridership area plus multi-modal connectivity; travel on existing channels using existing infrastructure; ridership of 150,000 annually; five vessels (including one spare); vessel capacity similar to existing Metrobus service (35 to 49 passengers); vessels small enough to clear existing bascule bridges; and flexibility for expansion and modification of routes.

In her presentation, a map showed one proposed route for the commuter service, from Haulover Marina on the north to Sea Isle Marina on the south, adjacent to the Venetian Causeway.

“Our recommendation for on-demand services is that everybody has to be talking to each other,” Ms. Hegedus said, suggesting municipalities work together on a joint operation, requesting proposals for a one-year pilot program.

The county study pinpoints 33 potential stops for water taxi or on-demand services.

An idea voiced last month by newly-elected Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo for the city to build its own affordable housing is already taking shape.

Mr. Carollo is joined by the other new commissioner, Manolo Reyes, in proposing legislation to create a city Department of Housing. The commission is to consider the resolution today (1/11).

Mr. Carollo, a former mayor, suggested Dec. 14 that the city create a housing authority funded by developer fees in order to build its own affordable housing.

The resolution would direct the city manager to present Feb. 22 a proposal to create a city Department of Housing. State law says a city may create a housing authority by declaring a need if there is a shortage of safe, clean dwellings available at low rents.

According to the proposed resolution: Unsanitary or unsafe dwellings exist in the city along with a shortage of safe and sanitary dwellings available at rents that low-income persons can afford. Such persons are often forced to occupy overcrowded dwellings.  These conditions require excessive public spending for crime prevention and punishment, public health, welfare and safety, fire and accident protection, and other services. Blighted areas can’t be revitalized nor can the shortage of safe and sanitary dwellings for low-income persons be relieved solely by private enterprise.

The resolution concludes: “[The] clearance, re-planning, and reconstruction of the areas in which unsanitary or unsafe housing conditions exist and the possibility of providing safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations for persons of low income, including the acquisition by a housing authority of property to be used for or in connection with housing projects … are exclusively public uses and purposes for which public money may be spent and private property acquired are governmental functions of public concern.”

235 SEXUAL PREDATORS ENCAMPED, REMAIN HOMELESS ...

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35% OF COUNTY’S SENIORS ARE MEDICAID BENEFICIARIES ...

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CITY’S NEW MANAGER TO GET HIS FORMER AIRPORT PAY ...

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NEW CANCER INSTITUTE COVETS PROTON THERAPY UNITS ...

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VIEWPOINT: WISE PATH TO TOP CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE...

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ETHICS COMMISSION’S JOB MURKY TO COUNTY OFFICIALS ...

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LATE AIRPORT CONSULTING DEAL HITS TAKEOFF DELAY ...

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STATE VIEWS FIVE OPTIONS FOR KENDALL RAPID TRANSIT ...

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MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

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

A timely and wise route to more great candidates for office Commissioner Dennis Moss’s concept that an independent body set salaries for Miami-Dade’s mayor and commissioners couldn’t be wiser, or more timely.

It couldn’t be wiser because officials Michael Lewis shouldn’t seek raises for their own posts, yet a big increase is vital.

It couldn’t be more timely because voters will elect a new commission and mayor in 2020, when most incumbents will for the first time be term-limited from running. To get the best candidates, we should make seeking office economically feasible for the most possible people.

It’s certainly not feasible today for most good citizens to run for the commission, which has paid the same $6,000 a year for a fulltime job since 1957, when the county’s charter – its equivalent of a constitution – took effect.

Granted, there are always people who will seek a $6,000 job that Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava estimates has most incumbents working 70 to 80 hours a week.

But as Florida’s minimum wage for the most menial job rises to $8.25, we still pay 13 commissioners $1.44 to $1.65 per hour to annually spend $7 billion of taxpayers’ money. We’d have to pay commissioners at least five times today’s level just to match our state’s minimum wage.

That pay limits those who will run to four groups: the wealthy or those whose spouses make a very good living; those who someone else pays well in what are essentially no-show jobs; those with real outside jobs who then can’t spend full time on county work that can require 70 to

80 hours; and those who leverage county seats to pocket a very nice outside living by whatever means.

Relying only on those groups of candidates, we’ve been lucky that our current crop of commissioners is as good as it is to handle our $7 billion and legislate our quality of life.

But we shouldn’t be structuring a pay scale to eliminate candidates who don’t fit the best of those criteria or who aren’t willing to accept the worst of them – stretch, bend or break ethical or criminal codes to make a nice living by whatever means.

So, as Mayor Carlos Giménez asked commissioners to look at his own salary, which he voluntarily cut in half in bad times and now wants to restore as his term comes to a close, Mr. Moss and fellow commissioners are faced with setting salaries, and few are comfortable doing that.

They shouldn’t have to face that issue.

While the commission in the past has set the mayor’s pay, the charter sets commission salaries, and nobody – commissioners or a pay commission or the State of Florida – can alter that without a voter-approved charter change.

If the county were to seek an independent pay commission, in fact, voters would have to stick that body and its work into the charter before a pay commission could even form. Mr. Moss must wrestle with that procedural issue based on his best legal advice.

Models do exist that would keep paysetting out of the hands of commissioners.

Wisconsin sets elected officials’ pay every two years when its top personnel executive recommends to a joint committee on employee relations the pay for all state elected officials. That committee sets the pay.

In Washington State’s model, 17 unpaid citizens set elected officials’ pay. Ten are picked randomly from voter rolls, one from each congressional district. The president of

the senate and speaker of the house jointly pick one college professor, one business executive, one professional in personnel management, one lawyer, one labor union official and then one person recommended by the chair of the state personnel resources board and one recommended by the four university presidents.

Oregon’s model is simpler, with six compensation commission members plucked from pools of random voters and five individually appointed by state officials.

States generally bar raises from applying to sitting officials until they are re-elected.

Mr. Moss should incorporate that provision, although it could be argued that the mayor’s true salary is the one he halved after he was elected, not the half he gets.

Other routes could also raise commission salaries to a reasonable level.

One is to simply adopt the salaries scale for Florida elected officials used in every county except Miami-Dade. The other 66 counties must use state levels, which are adjusted annually for inflation. Miami-Dade opted out of any state pay control in 1957 and has never adjusted commission salaries.

Florida sets commission pay by population. In the smallest county, Lafayette, population 8,621, commissioners get $25,749 a year. In the largest (other than ours), Broward, population 1,854,513, commissioners get $99,997. In Miami-Dade, population 2,700,794, commissioners get $6,000 because we wanted local control.

If commissioners recommended that we alter the charter to accept the state’s scale – it doesn’t have a scale for mayors – our commissioners would get as much as far smaller Broward’s $99,997, which is atop the state scale.

We might also alter our charter to index to the state’s pay scale for commissioners adjusted for population. Since our population is 45% larger than the county atop the state’s scale, Broward, we would pay 45% more, $145,000 – certainly fair pay

that would permit many talented people to seek office, vastly increasing competition.

Voters would choose from a far wider and presumably better field.

If far larger pay sounds like a gift to commissioners, it isn’t.

First, $99,997 or $145,000 or whatever a pay commission set would surely be fairer than $6,000 for the time, work and brainpower.

Second, it’s a gift to taxpayers, who would gain a possibility of choosing among great people who now are frozen out by economics from even considering running.

We’d also have commissioners with time to do the job right.

Proper pay would even permit us to bar commissioners from outside jobs, reducing conflicts of interest. Whether that’s wise is another argument, but it would be possible.

Term limits effective in 2020 are a mixed blessing. They’ll certainly oust those who’ve served a decade or more, changing government. But the officials we’ll lose have valuable background about what they’ve done and our big issues. New commissioners must spend even more time on the job just to ingest vital history.

With $13 billion in water and sewer spending pressing, housing needs mounting, transportation vexing us all, rising sea levels to attend to, new needs at airports and the seaport and many more issues awaiting future commissioners, we require the best and brightest who also have full time to attack challenges.

Increasing pay is not just equitable, it’s vital – the lowest-cost path to help MiamiDade not only catch up on major issues but get ahead of them and others that we have yet to meet.

So we applaud this effort by Commissioner Moss to create a mechanism to help us pay the best and brightest to serve our needs. We eagerly await his proposal for how to craft a fair and functioning mechanism that voters will embed in our charter.

Time to focus on school choice in Miami and across nation This month, schools, homeschool groups, organizations, and individuals in Florida and across America will work together to raise awareness about the importance of opportunity in K-12 education.

National School A. Campanella Choice Week begins on Jan. 21 and celebrates all types of schools and education environments for children.

Nationwide, 32,240 events and activities – such as open houses, school fairs and information sessions – are being planned, with an estimated attendance of 6.7 million people. In fact, 3,812 of those events and activities will be held in Florida, and 308 are in Miami.

National School Choice Week has been celebrated every year since 2011. And even with increased awareness, many families still have questions about school choice and how it can benefit them and their communities.

The first thing to know is that school choice isn’t partisan or political. It isn’t about a specific set of policy goals either.

Rather, it’s about parents making personal decisions for their children.

The Writer

Andrew R. Campanella is president of National School Choice Week. He lives in Northwest Florida.

School choice means empowering individual parents with the opportunity to search for, and find, the best education environments for their individual children – regardless of where they live or how much money they make.

Finding the right school is important, because every child has unique talents, challenges and needs. School choice isn’t about finding fault with any of the schooling options available. Instead, it recognizes that while one student might thrive at a neighborhood school, another student might do better somewhere else.

Research shows that when parents actively choose schools and education environments for their children, students are more likely to succeed in school. They are also more likely to graduate from high school, get good jobs and participate in their communities.

School choice isn’t just theoretical. Right now, more parents in Florida and across America are actively choosing the education environments for their children than at any

other time in history.

National School Choice Week provides parents with an opportunity to evaluate the education options available for their children. If parents are interested in switching their child to a different school, or considering homeschooling, it helps to start looking into these options in the winter.

Families in Florida can choose from traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies and homeschooling. In terms of public school choice options, Florida has one of the nation’s broadest “open enrollment” policies in the country; students are permitted to attend virtually any public school in the state, regardless of where they live. Because the state offers a private school choice program, parents who choose private schools for their children may also be eligible for state-supported scholarships or tuition assistance for their children.

Searching for a new school, or considering an alternative education environment, doesn’t have to be daunting. Parents can start by talking to their children and other parents, researching schools online, and visiting schools in person. A good place to start is the National School Choice Week website: www.schoolchoiceweek.com, where we provide more information about specific school choice options in the Sun-

shine State as well as listings of the tens of thousands of local and regional events happening this year.

National School Choice Week is a time when the country comes together around the idea that every child can succeed when they find the right school fit. This month, parents have more options and opportunities than ever before to find that right fit. For individual communities and for our country, that is a good thing.

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

9

Officials look to national standing for closed marine stadium

By John Charles Robbins

As the City of Miami moves slowly toward restoration of its famous waterfront venue, Miami Marine Stadium on Virginia Key, local officials are campaigning for national recognition for the iconic concrete stadium.

If gained, the national designation would make the facility eligible for federal grants for preservation and it might help with investment tax credits and more.

Miami city commissioners are to consider a resolution about the national designation at their meeting today (1/11).

Commissioners are being asked to provide a written recommendation to the city’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board approving of the State Historic Preservation Office’s nomination to add Marine Stadium to the National Register of Historic Places.

The city’s planning department prepared the proposed resolution.

At its November meeting, the Virginia KeyAdvisory Board urged the city commission, the MiamiDade County Commission and the city’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board to nominate the stadium and its environs for listing on the National Register.

The motion was made by Lynn Lewis, a member of the advisory board and the preservation board, who said, “My view is that this will be beneficial to the stadium, and to Virginia Key.” The structure is owned by the city and is in the early stages of a major restoration effort. The facility has remained closed since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

The resolution on tap today says the State Historic Preservation Office has prepared a nomination proposal to add Miami Marine Stadium, at 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway, to the National Register of Historic Places.

The state has determined the stadium is eligible for the National Register because the stadium meets National Register criterion including: The stadium is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history in the area of entertainment and recreation.

The stadium embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction in the area of architecture as it is a significant example of Modernist architecture characteristic of the mid-1960s in the City of Miami, as a Brutalist building designed for public consumption and enjoyment.

The resolution says if either the historic preservation board or local officials, or both, support the nomination, the state preservation office will schedule the nomination for consideration by the Florida National Register Review Board at its Feb. 8 meeting.

It is the National Park Service that administers the National Register of Historic Places.

The National Register is the official federal list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture.

According to the National Park Service, National Register properties have significance to the history

of their community, state or the nation.

Nominations for listing historic properties come from state historic preservation officers, from federal preservation officers for properties owned or controlled by the US government, and from tribal historic preservation officers for properties on tribal lands.

Private individuals and organizations, local governments and American Indian tribes often initiate this process and prepare the necessary documentation.

A professional review board in each state considers each property proposed for listing and makes a recommendation on its eligibility.

Listing in the National Register means the property qualifies for federal grants for preservation and may be eligible for investment tax credits and more.

Marine Stadium and the water basin it fronts have local historic designations, requiring that the city’s preservation office and board review any restoration work or Miami Marine Stadium and the basin it fronts have local historic designations. The city is looking national. modifications.

Outlook

January 25

A comprehensive look into what 2018 will bring to our economy and potential opportunities that await.

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MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

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MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

First series taps county film grants, meant to fill state’s gap The first production to gain funding under Miami-Dade County’s new film incentive program is a 20-episode MTV Networks Latin America television series continuation. The incentives are geared to fill a gap left when Florida dropped its own film incentives system, a change that sent filming activity and employment in the state into a tailspin.

County commissioners acting on a committee’s recommendation approved the maximum incentive, $100,000, under the new county program created last July to “I Am Frankie” Season 2.

The commission’s Economic Development and Tourism Committee recommended the grant award Dec. 14 and commissioners in a late addition to their agenda approved the grant five days later.

A second MTV Networks Latin America series, 75 onehour episodes of “Club 57,” was The cast of the first season of “I Am Frankie,” which got $100,000 from the county for 20 new episodes. also recommended for approval

Miami Today offers the advertiser the most powerful 3

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Our readers are paying attention To reserve your advertising space contact Carmen Betancourt-Lewis at 305-358-2663 or email cblewis@miamitodaynews.com

And it is not Vitamin C!

and was to have come before the same county committee in December but before the meeting withdrew its application.

For the second season of “I Am Frankie,” the network, a subsidiary of Viacom, is projecting 50 production days for the half-hour show with a total expenditure of $5.4 million. The network proposes to produce 80% of the productions in Miami and employ 96 county residents, beginning this month, with principal photography starting March 12.

The show, Deputy Mayor Jack Osterholt told commissioners via memo, centers on Frankie Gaines, who looks perfectly normal “but harbors a big secret: She functions as a high-tech computer, complete with internet access, extensive memory and more.”

“There’s a lot of interest out there for 2018, especially from independent film producers. We urge them to apply” for the incentive program, county Office of Film and Entertainment chief Sandy Lighterman told Miami Today before the grant award.

Citing the loss of millions in revenues in the county “in the absence of state incentives,” Commissioner Sally Heyman proposed the program in June.

To be eligible, companies must spend at least $1 million, film at least 70% of the production here, and hire at least 80% of vendors and contractors locally to receive a tax rebate not to exceed $100,000 per production.

Each year between 2010 and 2016, when Florida had a strong incentive program, film, television, digital media and other productions spent $160 million to $406 million in Miami-Dade, Ms. Heyman’s ordinance said.

But after refusing to add new funding to the incentive program for four consecutive years, the state Legislature allowed it to end in 2016.

The grant application for “I Am Frankie” said approval of the tax rebate would be a determining factor in whether to film here or elsewhere. It listed Los Angeles and Atlanta as competitors for the project. The series is to air on Nickelodeon, which Viacom owns.

F ilming in M iami These film permits were issued last week by the Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory & Economic Resources’ Office of Film and Entertainment, (305) 375-3288; the Miami Mayor’s Office of Film, Arts & Entertainment, (305) 860-3823; and the Miami Beach Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment-Film and Print Division, (305) 673-7070.

Worldwide Production Services Inc. Coral Gables. Elisa.

140 Building-Metro Flagler Building, Evaluation Center, Miami-Dade County Auditorium.

In & Out Production Services. Miami. Livesports Superfan.

Government Center Metrorail.

Beautiful Destinations. New York. Go Now-Miami. KendallTamiami Executive Airport.

HG Producers. Miami. Food For Us. Crandon Park Beach.

Imagina Content LLC. Miami. Promos. Swale Parking.

Vintage Pictures. Marina Del Rey. Reaal Insurance. Rickenbacker Causeway Beaches.

Expectation Entertainment. London. Ed Balls goes Deep South. Miami.

Villa Roma Productions LLC. Los Angeles. The Irishman. Collins Avenue/41st to 87th streets, Miami Beach, Normandy Drive, Ocean Terrace/73rd to 75th streets.

Military Makeover. Deerfield Beach. Military Makeover.

City of Miami Gardens.

N House Productions. Miami Carters. Countywide.

Richard Hall Inc. New York. Monroe & Main. Countywide.

Pro One Productions Inc. Miami Beach. Bonprix Fashion Summer. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide.

Summit Productions Inc. Fort Lauderdale. Suitegro.

Countywide, Miami Beach citywide.

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

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Health Update 35% of Miami-Dade’s seniors beneficiaries of Medicaid A far larger percentage of Miami-Dade County senior citizens are Medicaid beneficiaries than in any of Florida’s other 66 counties, a health snapshot of Florida residents released Monday shows.

The study figures compiled by the Florida Policy Institute, as analyzed by Miami Today, show that 35% of Miami-Dade’s 135,530 senior citizen residents were Medicaid beneficiaries in 2016. That’s far above the county with the next-highest ‘Our hope is that of senior beneficiaries, 25% in Gadsden County.

Florida’s lawmakers will At the other end of the scale, only 6% of the senior citizens consider the information in Sumter County received contained in these snapMedicaid benefits. shots when presented Of Miami-Dade’s total population of 2,712,945, the study with any legislation that found, 433,032, were above age would thwart access to 65, or 16% of the county’s total quality, affordable health population.

The county with the largest care.’ percentage of senior citizens in Joseph Pennisi Florida, Charlotte, had 38.8% senior citizens. At the other end of the scale, Leon and Liberty counties had the lowest senior compiled the county snapshots populations, just 12.5%. with data from the US Census The Florida Policy Institute Bureau, Georgetown Center for

Children and Families and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, along with Medicaid expenditure figures provided

by Florida’s Agency on Health Care Administration.

“Our hope is that Florida’s lawmakers will consider the information contained in these snapshots when presented with any legislation that would thwart access to quality, affordable health care,” said Joseph F. Pennisi, executive director of the Florida Policy Institute.

“The numbers show not only how important Medicaid is to ‘The numbers show hard-working Floridians, but not only how important also how many constituents would be worse off in the dis- Medicaid is to hardtricts of lawmakers who vote working Floridians, but to cut it,” said Scott Darius, executive director of Florida also how many constituents would be worse off in Voices for Health.

Medicaid expenditures were the districts of lawmakers $3.84 billion in Miami-Dade in 2016, the figures show, with who vote to cut it.’

641,670 individual beneficiaScott Darius ries, for an average Medicaid receipt of $5,984 per beneficiary.

In Miami-Dade, 50% of all children under age 18, some show. Beneficiaries of Medicaid 293,300 in all, were Medicaid ranged from 68% of all children beneficiaries in 2016, the data in Hardee County to 28% of all

children in Okaloosa County.

The 212,840 non-senior adult beneficiaries in Miami-Dade were 13% of all the county’s residents in that age group.

The range statewide was from 25% of all adults in that group in DeSoto County to just 6% in St. Johns and Collier counties.

Other health data for MiamiDade County show an infant of mortality of 1,222 for the most recent year, 19,925 low birth weight babies, 974 total child mortality and 16,023 teen births. The county had 26,854 HIV cases, 15,933 diabetes cases and 388 drug overdose deaths.

The Medicaid funding in the state, said the Florida Policy Institute, provides coverage for pediatric recommended screening, diagnosis and treatment.

Children covered by Medicaid are more likely to finish high school and go to college, the institute said.

The study found that 23% of Miami-Dade adults were in poor to fair health. Statewide, the high total percentage was 27% in Hendry County, with an 11% low in St. Johns County.

The $275 million Mount Sinai Medical Center expansion includes a surgical tower with 155 private rooms and an emergency department with more than 50 treatment rooms.

Vast Mount Sinai expansion due to be finished this year

By Katya Maruri

Mount Sinai Medical Center, which broke ground in late 2016 on a $275 million expansion plan to include a new surgical tower and emergency department to its Miami Beach campus, anticipates completing construction by year’s end, according to Chief Executive Officer Steven Sonenreich.

“The new surgical tower will offer up to 350,000 square feet of space, 12 state-of-the-art operating rooms and 155 private rooms,” Mr. Sonenreich said, “whereas the new emergency department will offer up to 40,000 square feet of space and have more than 50 treatment rooms for patients.”

As a result, he said, “With the addition of

the surgical tower, emergency department, and power plant, which was added a couple years ago, we have created in essence a hurricane/ storm proof medical center.”

In addition to the recent additions to Mount Sinai’s Miami Beach campus, Mr. Sonenreich said, “We also plan to open an emergency department with 24 bays in Hialeah.”

“The 63,000 square foot building,” he said, “will sit on four acres of property and will be located right off the Palmetto Expressway and south of Palmetto General Hospital at 6050 W 20th Ave., Hialeah.”

The emergency department, which will be owned by Mount Sinai Medical Center and built to accommodate 30,000 annual patient visits on a regular basis, Mr. Sonenreich said, will be similar to what the hospital has

achieved at its first free-standing emergency department, in Aventura.

“The first floor of the building will be the emergency department and the second and third floors will have physician and clinical office spaces and offer other diagnostic services,” Mr. Sonenreich said. “In regards to staffing, we are looking at hiring approximately 100 employees and 15 to 20 boardcertified physicians.”

As for whether both projects have stayed on time and on budget, Mr. Sonenreich said, “As of right now, everything is being completed on time and is on budget.”

“We are looking forward,” he said, “to opening our newest buildings, welcoming new patients and serving the community as Steven Sonenreich looks to hire 100 employees, 15-20 physicians. a whole.”

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HEALTH UPDATE

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

Pinecrest therapy group and Baptist unit partner to add access locations

By Rebecca San Juan

Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute, a branch of Baptist Health, has entered a joint partnership with Pinecrest Physical Therapy. Baptist Health will now offer its patients access to 10 outpatient physical therapy locations with the addition of five existing sites.

Patients can tap into the resources available to them at any of the physical therapy locations managed by Baptist Health and Pinecrest Physical Therapy.

Baptist Health currently manages sites in Coral Gables, West Kendall, Kendall, Homestead and the Upper Florida Keys.

Patients from the Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute can venture to the added domestic and international locations managed by Pinecrest Physical Therapy in Coconut Grove, Doral, Key Biscayne, Pinecrest and the Dominican Republic.

The partnership provides more access to physical therapy to South Florida residents while also providing the chance for both organizations to capitalize on their growth.

Baptist Health patients currently have access to five outpatient physical therapy clinics.

They can seek treatment at University Centre at 1222 South Dixie Highway, Coral Gables; West Kendall Baptist Hospital at 16650 SW 88th St., Suite 101; Baptist Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation Center at 8940 SW 88th St., Suite 102; Homestead Hospital Physical and Speech Therapy Center at 975 Baptist Way, Homestead; and Mariners Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation Center at 91500 Overseas Highway.

As a result of the new joint partnership, Baptist Health patients can check-in at more outpatient centers managed by Pinecrest Physical Therapy. They will be able to seek treatment in

Coconut Grove at 3315 Rice St., Doral at 3655 NW 107th Ave., Key Biscayne at 240 Crandon Blvd. Suite 202. and Pinecrest at 9619 South Dixie Highway.

If abroad in the Dominican Republic and in need of an appointment, patients can pass by the Casa de Campo Resort & Villas at La Romana.

The two organizations are eager to work with one another.

In a press release from Baptist Health, Edward Garabedian, assistant vice president at the Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute, said, “The addition of Pinecrest Physical Therapy will expand our footprint and complement our already robust physical therapy program. We look forward to collaborating with their state-of-the-art clinics, best-in-class therapists and convenient locations.”

President of Pinecrest Physical Therapy Ron Yacoub told Miami Today it’s an ideal partnership. “I have seen first hand the quality work they do, both as a physical therapist and a former patient,” he said, “Having had my own experiences as a patient, it gave me a better perspective on seeing what other patients can expect, from beginning to end. The partnership just felt like a natural fit.”

Mr. Yacoub said the partnership provides room for his team to grow and expand. He founded his clinic in the spring of 2005 and counts on a staff of 15 to manage his five locations.

“We have employees who have been working with us for some time and they now have opportunities for leadership roles,” Mr. Yacoub said. “Additionally, new job opportunities will become available, for example, for clinical support staff.”

With the partnership in full swing, Mr. Yacoub said the next steps are simple: “Continue to grow, make sure our staff is having fun doing their jobs, and making sure that their job is to put the patients first.”

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Dr. Michael Zinner says the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health hit its patient target in its first year.

Cancer institute, marking first year, aims to add two proton therapy units

By Katya Maruri

As the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida prepares to commemorate its first anniversary this month, Dr. Michael Zinner, the institute’s founding chief executive officer and executive medical director, points to incorporating proton therapy units, building up the institute’s electronic medical records and continuing its work with the Memorial Sloan Kettering Alliance as being integral components to the institute’s current and future success.

The institute, which officially opened doors to its 445,000-square-foot flagship facility on Jan. 26, 2017, offers patients a wide range of comprehensive clinical services.

Some of those services, Dr. Zinner said, include diagnostic imaging, infusion chemotherapy, plans for bone marrow transplan-

tation, radiation therapies, including standard radiation, Gamma knife, TomoTherapy and proton therapy, a nationally renowned robotic surgery program with emphasis on gynecology-oncology and thoracic surgery, access to clinical trials and special programs and support for patients, family and friends.

As a result of these services, Dr. Zinner said, the institute has been able to reach its patient target within its first year.

“It’s been a spectacular year,” Dr. Zinner told Miami Today. “We officially hit our patient target of 870 unique patients a day in early December and have completed around 50 clinical trials with multiple affiliates, including Memorial Sloan Kettering.”

In addition to meeting patient targets and completing clinical trials, he said, “this year has really been all about moving into the new building, getting acclimated

to our new environment and getting things online as efficiently and quickly as possible.”

Moving forward, though, Dr. Zinner said, “We are looking to add two more proton therapy units sometime this year to provide patients with more therapy options.”

The first proton therapy unit, he said, came online at the end of November and currently has a waiting list of 60 patients.

As for other objectives the institute hopes to implement, Dr. Zinner said, “we hope to create a cohesive comprehensive culture for patients and families, while incorporating cutting-edge technology to ensure that patients receive top-notch medical care.”

“At the end of the day,” he said, “it’s all about providing patients with an unparalleled patient experience that is focused on providing them with the best possible care and services.”

County to OK state health support

By Gabi Maspons

On Jan. 23, Miami-Dade County commissioners are to vote to retroactively authorize an agreement between the county and Florida Department of Health for the county to provide $1.1 million in program support for state public health services to county residents for one year.

The total program cost is over $68 million, but the state contributes about $55 million, while the county contributes $1,133,000 and local cash contributions total over $11 million.

About $4.5 million of the local cash contributions come from fees for Department of Health services, environmental health and communicable disease services, another $2 million from Medicaid and $4.7 million from local contributors.

If commissioners approve the county’s $1.1 million contribution, it would come from Jackson Health System, the legislation says. The money goes to the state’s Public Health Trust Fund before it distributes the money for different services.

Outside of the proposed legis-

lation, the state’s trust fund also gives the county about $89.8 million for immunizations, funds for the Bureau of Public Health Laboratories and Women, Infant and Children food program. In return, the county agrees to provide building space, insurance coverage for county-owned buildings and furnishing and equipment used by the state’s Department of Health.

The contract the commissioners are to vote on would extend resources to the Miami-Dade County Department of Health “to promote public health; to control and eradicate preventable diseases; and to provide care to special populations,” the legislation says.

In addition to promoting public health, the state provides environmental health services by monitoring and regulating activities in the environment that could contribute to the creation or transmission of diseases, the legislation says. Food hygiene, safe drinking water supply, sewage and solid waste disposal, swimming pools, group care facilities, migrant labor camps, toxic material control, radiologi-

cal health and occupation health are some environmental health services the state monitors, the legislation says.

With the money, the state is to provide primary care services to residents who are unable to obtain the services due to barriers beyond their control. Some examples of primary health care services are chronic disease detection and treatment, maternal and child health services, family planning, nutrition, school health, dental services and supplemental food assistance for women, infants and children.

If the county isn’t satisfied with its arrangement with the state, it can terminate the agreement within 180 days.

The Public Safety and Health Committee last month approved the legislation without comment with a unanimous vote, moving it forward to the full county commission on Jan. 23.

If commissioners vote to enter the agreement with the Florida Department of Health to contribute the money and receive services, the contract is to be effective retroactively from Oct. 1, 2017, through Sept. 20, 2018.

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MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

TODAY’S NEWS

A curtain removed from details of Grove Playhouse status

By John Charles Robbins

As a county commissioner plans to unravel the negotiated lease and adopted restoration plan for the Coconut Grove Playhouse, preservationists fighting to save the entire building are claiming a victory at the city level.

Immediately after a Dec. 14 vote

by Miami city commissioners, the one clear fact was that a third party was getting more than three months to raise additional millions to restore all of the closed and dilapidated playhouse, including the 1,100-seat auditorium.

Yet the city commissioners were being asked to decide a very specific matter: an appeal of the city historic preservation board’s April decision conditionally approving the county’s plan, which includes partial demolition to replace the auditorium.

The city’s Dec. 14 action was on a motion made by Commissioner Ken Russell, whose district includes the Grove.

Within the past week, Mr. Russell’s office released a copy of the written motion, prepared after the fact by the city attorney’s office.

The document offers more clarity to the Dec. 14 vote that garnered three yes votes and two no.

The state-owned theater is leased to Miami-Dade County and Florida International University; the lease calls for site restoration and a modern 300-seat theater run by GableStage.

Attorney and arts supporter Mike Eidson is pushing for two theaters there, a 700-seat venue for major productions and a small companion theater.

A key to Mr. Russell’s motion granted Mr. Eidson 100 days to come up with enough additional cash to build two theaters at the site on Main Highway.

The county’s Department of Cultural Affairs is working on the restoration project and maintains a website to keep interested parties updated. Those officials have also been waiting for specifics from the city.

As of Tuesday, a website posting continued to read: “We are waiting for clarification and confirmation of the specific action taken by the City Commission and once we have the official account, we will convey an update with the new conditions imposed by the City Commission on the Playhouse project.”

The document from Mr. Russell’s office begins saying it is a resolution of the city commission “granting in part and reversing in part” the appeal filed by Barbara

The Coconut Grove Playhouse, shown in a 2012 photo, was closed in 2006 when it couldn’t sustain itself.

Lange and Katrina Morris of the decision of the historic preservation board approving a special certificate of appropriateness for the partial demolition of an existing structure, the reconstruction of a theater, and the new construction of a parking garage with residential units at the individually designated historic site known as the Coconut Grove Playhouse.

The resolution says the preservation board, at an October 2005 meeting, designated the entire exterior of the playhouse as a historic site after finding it met the specified criteria in the city code.

Based upon testimony and evidence presented Dec. 14, the commission grants in part and denies in part the decision of the preservation board and modifies the special certificate of appropriateness, it reads.

Mr. Russell’s resolution includes several conditions, including: The theater portion of the playhouse shall be developed with a minimum of 600 seats, which number of seats, while it presents a compromise and reduction from the traditional seating, is more in keeping with the historic number of seats in effect during the active

operations of the playhouse as a renowned and celebrated theater.

This subsection is subject to the funding contingency stated below.

If the funding is not timely and fully obtained as required by this resolution, the theater seating will automatically revert to not less than 300 seats.

The parking garage and other non-theater structures in the rear of the property shall be recessed from Main Highway so their visibility is minimized. The garage and other non-theater structures will be redesigned so as not to overwhelm the playhouse in height,

In better days, a handful of tickets for admission to the Coconut Grove Playhouse for the 1994-95 season.

massing, or intensity and shall be in harmony with the playhouse and the surrounding neighborhood. The applicants may consider removing a floor, undergrounding a floor, or undergrounding the entire garage to accomplish this measure.

If, by March 24, 2018, a minimum of $20 million is not pledged for the larger, 600-seat theater, as shown by existing funds (cash or its equivalent) in customary financial documents to the satisfaction of the city manager or his designee, then this subsection and the first condition shall automatically Sunset and be of no further force and effect, and will be deemed void due to failure to have that required funding secured. The theater portion of the playhouse shall then be developed with a minimum of 300 seats.

The owner shall protect, restore, and maintain the solomonic columns, proscenium arches, and cherubs currently present in the interior of the playhouse.

The owners and agents are to preserve the entire playhouse structure. At a minimum, the exterior shell of the theater, along with the decorative features mentioned, should be preserved for the community, patrons, and for future generations, due to it meeting the applicable criteria of Chapter 23 of the City Code.

The county has $20 million in approved borrowing to revive the theater. Mr. Eidson’s plan has an estimated $45 million cost.

Mr. Russell hopes to secure about $10 million to devote to the playhouse from a wider bond issue that city voters approved in November.

Meanwhile, County Commissioner Xavier Suarez is backing Mr. Eidson and also wants to give him more time to raise funds.

Mr. Suarez proposed 90 days for private-sector philanthropists headed by Mr. Eidson to secure the needed money.

He had a proposal ready for a vote in mid-December, but the meeting was apparently cancelled.

The preservationist group, Save the Coconut Grove Playhouse, says the item will be on the agenda of a Parks and CulturalAffairs Committee meeting set for Jan. 18.

Miami Today has been unable to confirm this, and Mr. Suarez has not answered several emails regarding the playhouse.

In related news, the city commission is to be asked today (1/11) to back a move to place the playhouse on the National Register of Historic Places.

The theater has sat deteriorating since it closed in financial distress in 2006.

Call for enforcement on clear display of building addresses

By Gabi Maspons

Because police and firefighters often can’t find a building in an emergency, at the last Public Safety and Health Committee meeting Miami-Dade Commissioner Sally Heyman asked the county’s Fire Rescue Department to enforce the National Fire ProtectionAssociation requirements for displaying addresses.

“This is a safety and health issue and it needs to be enforced,” Ms. Heyman said.

The National Fire Protection Association rules tell residents how to display their addresses to the public: Buildings should have approved address

numbers placed to be plainly legible from the road fronting the property.

Address numbers must contrast with the background.

Address numbers must be Arabic numerals or alphabet letters.

Ms. Heyman said she has been on ridealongs with the Fire Department and it was difficult for many first responders to find the appropriate addresses.

“On multiple fire rescue calls I went on, I became aware that we have a code that requires addresses to be conspicuous,” Ms. Heyman said. “They should be displayed not only to help the average citizen figure

out where they are, but also to aid first responders.”

During her ride-alongs, Ms. Heyman said, many multi-family dwellings did not have any addresses marked, conspicuous or otherwise.

“Timing makes a difference on the significance of the disaster and how people respond,” Ms. Heyman said.

If the fire rescue team is not able to find a resident’s address, Ms. Heyman said, it could exacerbate the disaster.

Lettering and numbers on a building need to be visible so fire rescue and police can see the addresses and get to the location, Ms. Heyman said.

She appealed to the department at the meeting last month to enforce the code itself.

If not, she said she would bring forward legislation to have another body cite residents in violation: “Please, I am asking you to enforce what is your responsibility in the code,” Ms. Heyman said. “If not, I’ll ratchet up the violations and put it under someone else’s jurisdiction,” she said.

Ms. Heyman called on the members of the fire rescue department at the meeting to “use their body language” to demonstrate their understanding before concluding the discussion.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

23

State looks at five options for rapid transit to serve Kendall

By Rebecca San Juan

The Florida Department of Transportation is considering five transit alternatives for the Kendall corridor as part of the Smart Plan to broaden the county’s rapid transit web and expects to recommend one to the county Transportation Planning Organization by spring.

The state agency continues its project development and environment study as it continues to meet with stakeholders and agencies.

Since summer 2016 the department has worked to create a shortlist of transit alternatives for the Kendall corridor spanning from Southwest 177th Avenue to the Dadeland North Metrorail Station. The state is partnering with the Transportation Planning Organization and Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works for the study.

The team analyzes design options, estimated costs and impacts to the surrounding community. The federal, state and local government would fund any one of the plans.

“We’re at a second-tier analysis, looking at five alternatives,” said Alan Brick-Turin, Gannett Fleming general engineer who is a consultant on the project for the state transportation department. “We treat those all equally.”

The organization held workshops in December to present the plans and receive feedback from the public.

The state transportation department hopes to hear more from residents before submitting its final recommendation.

Mr. Brick-Turin’s team measures each plan by several yardsticks, including how many people each mode of transit can carry and the cost.

“We’ll have a dozen different criteria and go back to saying how well are we meeting purpose and need,” he said. “Based on that, we can make a recommendation on what’s the best alternative. The best alternative could be to do nothing because the harm is worse than the good.”

Mr. Brick-Turin’s team plans to present a recommended alternative in the spring, and wait for the TPO to decide by the summer on the final plan of action.

One of the two modes of transit focuses on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Any of the options includes 16 stops from Southwest 157th Avenue to Dadeland North. The buses would provide service every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 20 minutes during non-peak periods. Each one costs $4 million to $6 million to operate and maintain.

The Florida Department of Transportation is considering the

A member of the public attending a workshop views the Kendall Drive Rapid Transit study concept board.

following BRT plans: Curbside lanes BRT: The design offers ample space for bus stations.

It provides five-foot-wide bike lanes. The estimated travel time clocks in at 31 minutes. The plan has a capital cost of $160 million to $200 million.

Median lanes BRT: The design utilizes median openings and left turns. It also offers 5-foot-wide bike lanes. The travel time is 25 minutes. The Florida Department of Transportation estimates 7,300 to 8,100 daily riders would use this option. The plan has a capital cost of $200 million to $240 million.

Curbside BRT with reversible lanes: The transit lanes would be shared with right-turn lanes and local buses, but not include bike lanes. The transit time would be 31 minutes. The daily ridership is estimated at 6,000, and the estimated capital cost ranges from $250 million to $290 million.

The state team is considering Metrorail as another option. Mr. Brick-Turin said, “The advantage to Metrorail, whether it’s in the air or on the ground, is you can get on Kendall Drive and get to Government Center without changing vehicles.”

The final two alternatives both offer service every nine minutes at 11 stops between Southwest 157th Avenue and Dadeland North. The operation and maintenance costs for either option range from $16 million to $24 million a year. The distinguishing characteristics between the Metrorail at-grade and elevated options are: Median lanes rail: The at-grade option may require both intersec-

tions to pause when passengers board. The station offers six cars that would serve 11,600 to 12,900 daily riders. The design provides enough space for 5-foot-wide bike lanes. Transit time clocks in at 18 minutes. The capital costs range from $1.1 billion to $1.4 billion.

Elevated rail: Provides sufficient space for 5-foot-wide bike lanes. The elevated rail shortens transit time to 16 minutes. The estimated daily ridership would be 11,700 to 13,000. The capital costs estimates range from $1.6 billion to $2 billion.

“Any of these transit alternatives

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Staffer Tara Blakey explains Kendall transit concepts at a workshop.

creates additional traveling capacity,” Mr. Brick-Turin said. “Traffic will be better in the future with transit than without.”

The public voiced numerous concerns about the construction of one of these plans during the last workshop.

PabloAguilar, a realtor for Realty World M. Realty Group, and Rose Mary Reboucas-Aguilar reside in the area and said none of these options would accommodate their lifestyle that includes work and caring for elderly parents.

“This is just not an option that I would use even for personal use on

a weekend,” Mr.Aguilar said. “I like the flexibility of my car.”

The couple, nearing retirement, fears how any of the options might disrupt their daily routines and decrease their property values.

“The problem for us is the construction of any of these projects,” Ms. Reboucas-Aguilar said.

“They’re going to have to close the sidewalk and at least one lane. That would mean Kendall Drive would be two lanes, which would be a nightmare.”

Ms. Reboucas-Aguilar said that forced to choose between the two, she would prefer a BRT to a Metrorail option. The couple both expressed concern about the noise and vibrations caused by a Metrorail as well as the possibility of the station attracting homeless seeking shelter.

“My biggest concern is how this is going to affect my property value,” Mr. Aguilar said.

Despite not being fond of the options, Mr. Aguilar recognizes a need for a transit solution. “I think we need to do something. The congestion on Kendall is horrendous.”

But he prefers other options to be on the table.

The Florida Department of Transportation welcomes residents to voice their concerns and ideas.

Project Manager Teresita Alvarez said, “This is the time to come and give us your suggestions. We want to get it right for the money we’re investing.”

Ms. Alvarez’s team urges calls to the community outreach representative, Jeannette Lazo, at (305) 5730089 or in writing to Jeanneatte@ iscprgroup.com.

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