Miami Today: Week of Thursday, February 22, 2018

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MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

The Insider ALL ABOUT HOUSING: The City of Miami has posted a notice of a Sunshine Meeting that will serve as an informational workshop on affordable housing topics. Commissioners plan to attend the special meeting at 9 a.m. March 1 in the commission chambers at Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive. The meeting is public and will include input from experts on affordable housing. Commissioners are considering creation of a housing authority or department with a goal of generating money so the city itself can build much-needed affordable housing.

COMMUNITY SUPPORTING GAS TAX: While looking at bringing back an additional two cent local gas tax to fund transit that was repealed during the recession, Commissioner Dennis Moss at the Transportation Organization’s Financial Planning Committee meeting Tuesday said that it was only repealed because commissioners were trying to placate the community.

“Somebody had to take responsibility for the economy not being great,” Mr. Moss said. “The community was angry and wanted to pound a flesh and we found ourselves in that position.” He said the community would understand the gas tax now as “we are in a different place today and need a reservoir of different funding streams for transit.”

P3S TO FUND SMART PLAN: To help fund the SMART plan’s six transit-oriented corridors, county Commissioner Dennis Moss said he would be looking at how public-private partnerships could reduce expansion costs.

“I’d like us to craft a framework so if someone proposes something to us, we have a better idea as to how that process would more forward,” he told the Transportation Planning Organization’s Financial Planning Committee this week. Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz last year crafted similar legislation for the county to respond to unsolicited proposals. “We need to look at all A lease was held for this Marlins Park garage site until May 2016 by Café Rubio, which ultimately never of the various alternatives for funding,” Mr. Moss said. TPO Executive opened after it made $400,000 in improvements on the interior. Now Nightlife Brewing is reported to be Director Aileen Bouclé told Mr. Moss she’d bring that to the committee interested in leasing the improved space for a tapas-style restaurant to complement its microbrewery. for the next meeting in March.

STREAMLINING STUDIES: Commissioner Dennis Moss said he would be looking at ways to streamline long and costly environmental studies to expedite transit expansion in Miami-Dade County: “I want to try to compress the timeline as much as possible to fast-track bringing in decisions or recommendations.”

MORE THAN A DOZEN COPS: Miami city commissioners have accepted a federal grant and approved its appropriation to help fund hiring additional police. The resolution establishes a special revenue project entitled: “2017 COPS Hiring Program,” and appropriates funds consisting of a grant award from the US Department of Justice/Office of Community Oriented Policing Services for $1,875,000, with a required local match of $2,449,141, for a total cost of $4,324,141. This resulted from a grant application submitted by the city to the Department of Justice, requesting funding for 15 new officers.

The amount of federal funds awarded will support the salaries and fringe benefits of the new officers. The local cash match brings the total program funding for a three-year period to $4,324,141. The city is required to retain the funded positions for at least one year after the grant ends.

CORRUPTION FIGHTER: County commissioners were to vote this week on reappointing Inspector General Mary Cagle to another term that begins this month and ends when she retires from the county Oct. 31, 2020. She has been inspector general, a job that focuses on rooting out corruption, since Jan. 22, 2014. Her salary would increase 5% from the ongoing salary of $228,746.96 to $240,184.31 upon reappointment and then add a 5% merit increase on anniversary dates. Before becoming inspector general, she had been the Florida Department of Children and Families statewide director of Children’s Legal Services. Mary Cagle NEW COMMUNITY CENTER: City of Miami and county officials were on hand for the grand opening of the Community Center at Antonio Maceo Park, at 5135 NW Seventh St. The newly renovated 10,000-square-foot community center has a covered terrace, more parking and outdoor shaded areas. “The residents of Flagami are very appreciative of our county Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who through her efforts was able to obtain funding for this expansion which will be used by our residents,” said city Commissioner Wifredo “Willy” Gort. Joining them Willy Gort were Mayor Francis Suarez and Parks and Recreation Director Kevin M. Kirwin.

BIKES AND TROLLEYS: The City of Miami formally launched a free trolley route for Little Haiti on Feb. 11 after a ribbon cutting Feb. 9 at the Little Haiti Cultural Center. City officials announced the new trolley service, along with a new Citi Bike station for the area. The Little Haiti Route will run north of 36th Street and the Design District/Midtown area, south of 84th Street, west of Northeast Second Avenue and east of Northwest Second Avenue from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Service will run every 25 minutes, connecting to the city’s Biscayne and Wynwood trolley routes in the Design District and Midtown areas. Citi Bike is a solar-powered bike sharing and rental system, with bicycles provided in many locations in Miami.

JAILS HEAD: Daniel Junior, who had been acting director of the MiamiDade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department for more than a year and a half, was named department director by Mayor Carlos Giménez.

The mayor pointed out that the department runs the nation’s eighth-largest jail system. Mr. Junior, a St. Thomas University graduate in organizational leadership, has worked in the department since 1996.

SWALE SAFETY: Sally Heyman’s county legislation creating standards to allow concrete buttons and pyramids in swale areas was deferred when Joe Martinez cited potential safety issues. Property owners maintain the county-owned swales and are routinely cited when residents park on or destroy areas adjacent to their property. The item was to protect property-owners from paying fines when neighbors destroy the swale area. At a committee meeting late last year, Transportation and Public Works Director Alice Bravo said it had never been a safety issue, but a cosmetic one. Manny Garcia, the county’s assistant director of construction and maintenance, also said there was no evidence of concrete pyramids or buttons being a safety hazard.

The item was delayed until Mr. Martinez could be assured by Ms. Heyman there is no safety concern.

As seventh ballpark season opens, garages’ retail hits 75% occupancy

By John Charles Robbins

There is renewed interest in leasing the retail spaces in the city-owned parking garages hugging Marlins Park in East Little Havana, and the latest tenants to sign on have brought current occupancy to 75%.

Vacant space under lease negotiation, if successful, would raise occupancy to more than 84%.

The positive news is included in a January activity report delivered to Miami city commissioners this month, prepared by NAI Miami.

The commercial real estate agency is under contract with the city to handle leasing of the 53,281 square feet of ground floor retail.

What is referred to as the Shops of Marlins Park, the retail spaces are street-front spots along Northwest Seventh Street and plaza retail wrapping around the main entry plaza to the ballpark, in three of the four garages.

The Miami Parking Authority operates the garages under the direction of the city’s Off-Street Parking Board.

The activity report shows brand new interest in the spaces, and current leaseholders considering additional space.

The latest tenants include NightLife Brewing Co. and Casablanca at Marlins Park.

The microbrewery opened in 2017 facing the main pavilion of the ballpark in the Home Plate Garage, known as P1 at 1588 NW Seventh St. Casablanca is to bring its seafood to an 8,000-square-foot space on Seventh Street.

A construction update in the latest report shows Casablanca in the process of creating architectural and engineering plans for permitting of the new venture. The tenant also has locations at 404 N River Drive and 1717 N Bayshore Drive in the Miami area.

The January report mentions

the prospect of a cigar and tapas bar for the 3,196-square-foot space remaining unclaimed in the Home Plate Garage. The interest is from business partners in Palm Beach County with restaurant experience, including ownership of five Zaxby’s restaurants.

The partners have restaurant and entertainment venue experience, and have shown “strong interest” in the space, according to the report.

The 3,196 square feet was originally leased to Café Rubio, a Latin restaurant and sports bar, but the deal fell apart and the parking board approved a termination of lease agreement in May 2016.

Café Rubio never opened there, but about $400,000 worth of interior improvements were made in preparation for a restaurant use.

The activity report says NightLife Brewing is also interested in leasing the 3,196-square-foot space “for a moderately priced tapas-style restaurant to complement the microbrewery.”

The company’s current focus is the brewery’s start-up operation, the report says.

Another current tenant, Wellmax, has signed a letter of intent to expand by about 5,000 square feet for a wellness center in the P3 garage, which sits at the southwestern corner of the ballpark property.

The biggest tenant, Wellmax currently leases 14,000 square feet in the P2 garage.

Wellmax Health Delivery Network LLC, a Florida company doing business as Wellmax Medical Centers, moved into the commercial space at 1422 NW Seventh St. in April 2016.

The company operates a primary care medical clinic, general offices and administrative space from the P2 garage.

In regard to Wellmax possibly expanding its services, the activity report says: “The revisions include utilizing a travel path

to transport clients between the two facilities through the Marlins’ controlled plaza area.

The Marlins have conceptually agreed to allow Wellmax to use this path, subject to limitations during game time and major events hours.”

A sublease addendum is being drafted, along with a draft letter agreement between the city and the Marlins reflecting the terms and conditions of the tenant’s use of the travel path, according to the report.

The report also mentions interest from cell phone company Metro PCS in opening an expanded corporate flagship store of about 2,000 square feet in the P1 garage.

Other tenants at the garages include a Subway restaurant, and Fresenius operating the Dade Dialysis Center.

It has been a struggle to secure tenants for the commercial-retail space in the garages, built by the city around the county-owned stadium, which opened in 2012.

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

Phone: (305) 358-2663 Staff Writers:

Gabi Maspons gmaspons@miamitodaynews.com John Charles Robbins jrobbins@miamitodaynews.com Katya Maruri kmaruri@miamitodaynews.com Sara Marino smarino@miamitodaynews.com People Column people@miamitodaynews.com Michael Lewis mlewis@miamitodaynews.com

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

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Big delinquent water & sewer bills flow under microscope

By Gabi Maspons

A constituent of Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava’s District 8 is pushing forward legislation to hold the county’s Water and Sewer Department more accountable for large delinquent bills, sending quarterly reports to keep commissioners informed.

“What bothers me about this is that we’re so quick to turn off the water for widows and orphans, yet we give milliondollar passes to big businesses,” said David Weston, the constituent moving forward the water and sewer collection efforts. “I think that’s wrong and I’d like to give the department the tools it needs to do a better job to keep these large balances from growing.”

A t t h e c o u n t y c o m m i s s i o n ’s Infrastructure and Utilities Committee meeting last week, commissioners passed legislation creating procedures that would hold volume customers at the Water and Sewer Department accountable for missed connection fees.

Volume customers are the municipalities that purchase water and sewer services from the county to provide services to retail users in their jurisdiction, the legislation says.

The county provides water services to 15 municipalities and wastewater services to 12 municipalities, which all serve as volume customers.

Whenever construction requires increased water or sewer services from one of these volume customers, the municipality has to pay a connection charge to the county, the legislation says.

The county prohibits municipalities from providing water and sewer services to retail users until the connection fee has been paid, but a 2005 audit showed county officials that the volume customers had failed to collect the connection charges “from a number of retail users.”

Mr. Weston has been providing quarterly reports to the county commissioners to keep them updated on the consumers that haven’t been paying connection fees.

The legislation sponsored by Commissioner Rebeca Sosa would prohibit the municipalities from issuing building permits to retail users until they pay the connection charges to the county.

If the retail users don’t pay the charges to the county, then the respective municipalities that are distributing the county’s water and sewer services to the retail users would be liable for damages to the county and the municipality would

have to pay the connection charge itself.

“If I had to say one word, it would be Hallelujah,” Mr. Weston said. “This is a five-year effort on my part to get the county to address the connection fee issue.”

Though Mr. Weston said the ordinance doesn’t go far enough, it is the first step in giving the department tools to collect from big customers.

To ensure that the legislation is effective, the county is to audit the building records of the volume customers each year, checking that all connection charges have been billed and paid.

The Water and Sewer Department is to also develop an electronic system for the connection charge payments. If a volume customer hadn’t collected its payment for the county, then the administration would give the municipality 90 days to collect the charge or pay the amount itself.

Commissioner Xavier Suarez said he will be following up on the administration’s collection efforts after hearing from Mr. Weston.

“I think his points are worth discussing with the county attorney,” Mr. Suarez said about Mr. Weston’s comments.

Mr. Suarez asked the county attorney’s

office if the county could hire a private attorney on to collect delinquent bills.

“What is the administration’s plan to collect these fees?,” Mr. Suarez asked at the committee meeting.

The county has an opportunity to collect a lot of money, he said, and if the county attorneys don’t collect the money, then they should hire lawyers that would do it on a contingent fee basis.

“These people have deep pockets,” Mr. Suarez said.

An assistant county attorney told Mr. Suarez that the county does bring forward lawsuits “when the statute of limitations has not lapsed.”

When the assistant county attorney told Mr. Suarez that the Water and Sewer Department is “quite current” on the connection fees, he said that the legislation indicated otherwise, and he will be getting a “private answer” later.

Commissioners at the Infrastructure and Utilities Committee unanimously approved the legislation, which was to come before the full commission this week for a vote.

“I want to acknowledge Mr. Weston,” Ms. Levine Cava said. “He has been so vigilant on this issue of the delinquent bills.”

Medical trade show in Germany earned bonanza for Florida

By Sara Marino

The Medica Trade Fair, the world’s largest medical trade show held in Germany, brought Florida more than $122 million in total projected export sales, Enterprise Florida reported this month.

While Enterprise Florida, the state’s public-private business development arm, reported these export sales, the projected data come from the 23 Florida companies that participated in the show.

“We call it the expected sales, and essentially the way that works is we require participants to file an end-ofevent report and project any business you’ve done on the spot and your realistic expectation for future business in the next one to three years,” said Manny Mencia, Coral Gables-based vice president of international trade and development for Enterprise Florida.

The Medica Trade Fair took place in Düsseldorf from Nov. 13-16 with small and mid-sized Florida companies active. The four from Miami-Dade County were Atlas Specialty Lighting, Gaumard Scientific, Kollsut-USA and Medas Inc..

Companies from all over the world came

World’s largest medical trade show in Germany brought 23 Florida companies business.

to see the latest advancements in the field.

“That’s (Düsseldorf) the number-one marketplace in the world for that industry,” Mr. Mencia said. “If you’re a Florida company, you can do a deal with an Egyptian company, an English company, an African company, and the percentage of the companies that you meet that are German are only a fraction of the companies you

can do business with.”

Juan Basalo, the general manager for Medas Inc., said attending the fair was very good for the company.

“There were excellent traders and so many people in the medical business there,” he said. “We’ve made about five connections from the Middle East and Asia.”

One of the main reasons the companies don’t have the exact export sales number is because it takes time from when the businesses meet a client to the time a deal actually takes place.

“Oftentimes we recommend for them to come back and do the show a second year,” Mr. Mencia said. “We tell companies, if you exhibit in a trade show one year, try to make a commitment for two years’ presence, because what that allows you to do is to meet the clients, develop the relationship and ideally close the deal the second year.”

The most recent Medica trade fair was “extremely successful,” Mr. Mencia said.

“This was one of our highest expected sales totals,” he said. “If you want to expand your exports in that field, it’s an event that you have to consider.”

In terms of demand for a spot to be part of the show through Enterprise Florida, Mr. Mencia said they’re often sold out for participants months in advance.

“We sell out that show eight to nine months in advance,” he said. “Right now, in February with the next show in November, I would say we’re at 75% to 80% of our space already accounted for.”

With site in hand, Aventura’s city charter high school on way

By Marcus Lim

The City of Aventura is a step closer to developing a charter high school, the first within city limits, and is on track to see an August 2019 opening for 200 ninth and 10th graders.

The charter school application with the Miami-Dade County School Board won approval in early December, and on Dec. 22 the city bought the two-acre site next to Waterways Park. With everything falling in place according to plan, construction is to start at the beginning of May and finish in July 2019.

The City Commission of Aventura has been working on this project for two years and has received strong community support. While there were initial concerns that the application to the school board wouldn’t make its Aug. 1 deadline last year due to complications with purchasing the land and sizing issues, with input from the

city, commissioners and Charter Schools USA (CSUSA), the application went forward.

The city entered into a two-year, $170,000 planning agreement with CSUSA, which helped shepherd the application through the process. The entire project has a budget of $13.1 million. The city had $6 million in reserves and recently got approval of a $7.1 million bank loan, with the deal closing a few weeks ago.

Eric Soroka, former city manager of Aventura, retired last month after 22 years of service. Despite retiring from his role, he is under contract for 18 more months, serving as a consultant to finish the project he oversaw.

“This will be another educational choice to be provided to the residents of Aventura, and in this day and age, it is important that students have more than one educational choices,” Mr. Soroka said.

This will be the second school Mr. Soroka has worked on, in 2003 opening the Aventura City of Excellence School (ACES), a K-8 charter school. The school was initially run by CSUSA before the city took over the responsibility of running ACES. The city plans to hire CSUSA to manage the new charter high school.

“The protocol at this time is to have Charter School USA manage it,” Mr. Soroka said. “There is a big difference between K-8 and high school. The city is very happy with having the company manage the high school, with their input.”

When the high school opens, it will initially have 200 open seats for students in the ninth and 10th grade. The upper grades will be added later. At full capacity, the high school will be able to hold 800 students, with 200 in each grade. Residents of Aventura will be prioritized for those seats.

The city currently feeds into Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School, which is outside city limits. Local politicians and residents have said the school was too far. This new high school would eliminate the travel problem.

Open enrollment using a lottery system is to start in September of this year.

Susan Grant, the new city manager, has been on the job only six weeks but receives regular reports from Mr. Soroka on updates. She said while the application was approved, some finalizations to the contract are needed in March and April but she doesn’t expect any hiccups.

“We are moving right along. We have more school children than we ever had in the past. This is a natural extension, providing a new school in Aventura,” Ms. Grant said. “There is no public schools here for our residents. This means everything for them.”

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MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 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

County’s moves to bar out-of-town bids harming taxpayers When Miami-Dade buys goods and services, it has already stacked the deck against out-of-town vendors. Now the push is on to eliminate any outsiders at all.

The result will be continually rising Michael Lewis purchase costs to taxpayers and continually declining quality, while continually adding to local firms’ political debts to county commissioners.

For years, citing a need to build local business and keep tax dollars at home, the county has made it harder and harder for out-of-town companies to win bids.

It created a 10% leeway for businesses that operate locally in awarding contracts.

That means an out-of-town bid that is 9% lower than a firm that operates locally loses – and taxpayers pay the extra 9%.

Not content with that, the county set up a 15% margin if a firm not only operates but is headquartered here. That firm wins if a non-local firm bids 14% less.

The taxpayers get to pay 14% more for the local firm to win.

Going even farther, the commission voted several years ago to hire local competition advocates to make sure all bids are written so that locals aren’t at a disadvantage.

If a local firm can’t provide enough goods or services to fill a contract, for example, the work is to be split up so that several local firms get pieces of the action instead of having a larger out-oftown company win. If local firms can’t offer the right brand, the contract is to be

rewritten to seek brands that locals offer.

So we pay extra county workers to make sure we write contracts that locals can win by charging us more.

Even with all that against them, however, some out-of-towners do win MiamiDade contracts, even overcoming a 15% edge to local bidders.

But that chance for out-of-towners to win against all odds troubles commissioners, who are pressing purchasing officials to find more local bidders that can win – a not-so-subtle order to name locals the winners come hell or high water.

Next came the commission order to purchasing officials to rewrite bids so that if a non-local comes in first even with a handicap favoring locals, the low out-of-town offer will be handed to the locals so they can shave their bids after the fact just enough so that their 15% higher price wins.

Why in heavens name would out-oftowners bid facing all those handicaps and knowing that if they somehow overcame them all, their bids would be turned over to companies that would get a second chance to use all the advantages of local favorites to beat them? The out-of-towners get no second chance, just the locals.

That’s like making an out-of-town swimmer in a race here pull anchors on each foot and, if they were still able to take the lead, allowing their local opponents to hold them under water.

And now, as we reported last week, commissioners are seeking another roadblock, pressing purchasing officials to not even rank out-of-town firms as qualified to compete for contracts, much less actually win.

When commissioners this month voted on a pool of 27 pre-qualified vendors for security systems, Rebeca Sosa, the commission’s buy-it-local voice, voted no because one vendor didn’t have a Miami-

Dade address but qualified despite the price differential handicap, meaning that vendor was well below all other prices.

The push is to have no non-local bidders at all, even if the out-of-towers can’t win. Commissioners don’t even want them competing.

The US Department of Justice battles contract price fixing, bid rigging and market division. Miami-Dade policy legalizes all the advantages of those practices to spread contracts among local friends.

We love local businesses and, all other things being equal, would love them to get all county contracts. But the things that have to be equal are quality and price. And when you eliminate most competition, we don’t usually get the best of either.

As anyone who took Economics 101 knows, the more competitors in the market, the lower the cost and the higher quality. If competition falls so does quality, and price rises.

As anyone who deals with Miami-Dade government knows, business at county hall entails red tape. Bidding is tedious and costly. Out-of-towners that can’t win won’t bid. With no national competition, locals can raise prices even without collusion – they know that what county hall is doing makes it easier for them, and they like it.

So what happens?

Local businesses don’t have to sharpen their pencils to bid low, because the county wants to spread business around town. So they charge more and the taxpayer pays more. And winners are indebted to commissioners for the favor.

Thus preferences rise by even more than the automatic 15% extra profit margin tacked onto county bids. That could be a $100 million or more drain every year on our $7 billion budget. Can you think of a better use of $100 million than directly subsidizing overpriced contracts?

None of this waste is illegal. It’s just waste.

Just as political debts of winning bidders are perfectly legal, and so are any campaign contributions that might result.

That’s why the NIGP, the national institute for public procurement that has more than 15,000 members in government purchasing agencies across the US, “maintains the position that preference policies, including local preferences, conflict with the public procurement principles of impartiality and full and open competition.

Therefore, NIGP does not support the use of preference policies.”

The national group is talking about any advantage at all for local bids, a pernicious practice that many local governments have. The newest stance in the commission, however, is no longer mere local preference. It aims at a full barrier to outside firms’ bids whenever possible.

Commissioners have said so.

Preferences are the local equivalent of national tariffs, which tax imported items to help US manufacturers who charge more. The county’s newest aim, however, is like not allowing ships with foreign goods to even enter our ports, a full embargo.

To claim that a barrier to outsiders spurs our economy is balderdash, especially in Miami-Dade, where organizations like the Beacon Council, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Miami’s Downtown Development Authority, the City of Coral Gables and others struggle to bring in outside investment.

What, for example, if we were trying to attract a national company to open a headquarters here? How would an Amazon, to pick a current example, react to a county that aims to bar outside businesses?

We can’t be bush league and big league at the same time. A locals-only policy at county hall is bush league.

Letters to Pro-life, pro-guns, pro-insanity: Voters confused The Writer the Editor Stadium a concert venue

Open the Marine Stadium up for medium-size concerts. There are a number of musicians that “skip” their performances in AA Arena (Downtown) because they know they won’t fill a majority of the seats to make a decent profit @ AAA, yet are too big for (smaller) Bayfront Park.

With a medium, third venue available to artists and musicians, we may see more variety of performances in Miami. Current “small venue” concerts play at Bayfront Park, so there is demand.

This may be a reasonable consideration to keep the Marine Stadium earning enough money to pay for itself. A floating barge can be put as the stage for the musicians.

Frank Dopico

Boat races at the stadium

No mention of the boat races taking place there in April of this year. I am a Canadian and have been watching this closely. Miami being a major tourist destination, you would think the city would welcome this stadium as a potential contributor to their tourism directory.

Bert Henderson

Crisis management firms are giddy with joy. In anticipation of the most explosive revelation in American politics in a century, these companies are hiring more and more graduates every day. They worry, however, that they will not have enough personnel to Isaac Prilleltensky answer the call from politicians. In fact, they are hoping to hire some Russian consultants. They don’t want to miss the opportunity to cash in on a big fiasco.

The secret to be disclosed early next week is that most politicians who are pro-life are also for easing access to guns, and for guaranteeing that you can carry a concealed weapon anywhere in the country.

In fact, most of them already voted to ease access to automatic weapons. In Florida, if you are 18 you cannot buy a beer but you can buy an automatic rifle.

The stunning revelation comes amid reports that most of the pro-life candidates in the upcoming mid-term election also receive generous support from a lobbying group that shall remain nameless due to fear of reprisals and lawsuits. “We were hoping voters wouldn’t pay attention,” said Manny Pulation, head of communi-

Isaac Prilleltensky is an academic and humor writer. His most recent book is “The Laughing Guide to Well-Being: Using Humor and Science to Become Happier and Healthier.” Follow his humor blog at www.thelaughingguide. com. You can reach him at prilleltensky@ gmail.com

cations for the group.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, another politician recently claimed that “the (insert name of lobbying group) promised us that these weapons would never get into the wrong hands. They told us that there is no inconsistency between being pro-life and pro-guns. They actually pressured us to ease restrictions on access imposed by the former administration.”

While these politicians keep referring to the mental health of the people who use these arms, a voter in a recent town hall reminded the elected representative that “insanity is doing the same thing and hoping to achieve a different outcome.”

The stunned official never contemplated that someone would play the insanity card on them! When confronted about what he would do differently next time, the politician replied “I would start praying earlier.”

When presented with evidence that gun

restriction laws reduce fatalities, the same representative said that “you cannot trust scientists and journalists because they are the most dishonest people.”

Public relations firms are already working on ads blaming Mexicans for the proliferation of guns in the country. The same companies are pleading with immigration officials to expedite visas for the Russian experts. “They are our only hope,” one executive claimed.

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TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

MIAMI TODAY

7

Curved neighbor to Grove Isle battles its way to starting line

By Rebecca San Juan

Markers Grove Isle on Fair Isle is marked by controversy.

Developer Eddie Avila expects the $200 million project to place the Grove community on par with Tahiti Beach in Coral Gables and Fisher Island. But most current island residents aren’t on board.

Fair Isle, commonly called Grove Isle, boasts three residential towers with a total of 510 units that date to the 1970s and a club that debuted in 1980.

Markers Grove Isle aims to add a five-story, 65-unit condominium.

Grove Isle Associates purchased the seven acres on which the new club and residential building will rise in 2013.

Spokesperson for Markers Grove Isle Juan Peñalosa says 30% of its residences are already sold to current residents and residents’ friends.

“I think that this will add another opportunity [for those] that don’t want to leave the island but want something fresh and new,” Mr. Avila said. He and his team are seeking a City of Miami construction permit and he hopes to break ground by spring.

But the project, first proposed in 2014, continues to face backlash. Alan Goldfarb, a resident, joined others when the plan was first floated. He said he learned that the residential component exceeded the five-story cap set by city zoning laws. Grove Isle Associates since revised its plan to the cap to meet zoning laws.

Mr. Goldfarb joined neighbors in another matter. Developers, he said, proposed shutting the club down while residents still paid dues. He and others sought a mandatory injunction to keep the club open. Judge Bronwyn Miller heard the case last spring and ruled in August.

“They were mandated to keep the club open and they couldn’t reduce the quality,” Mr. Goldfarb said. “That’s what it said and that’s how it was supposed to be.”

An additional trial followed.

Residents wanted the hotel kept open while developers questioned whether they needed to do so. “The same judge about a year ago ruled that there shall be a hotel which is part of the club,” Mr. Goldfarb said.

Another lawsuit is now on the table. Mr. Goldfarb says developers hiked the dues residents pay while reducing services.

“Mondays our restaurant isn’t open,” he said. “They decided that Sunday brunch wasn’t working. They decided the spa, which had people full-time, would only be part-time or by appointment. The food quality and other things, we contend, have gone down while our dues have gone up and therefore you have the dues lawsuit. That lawsuit is heading to a non-jury trial in April.”

One concern regards the safety and reliability of the bridge connecting Grove Isle to the mainland. But the bridge is inspected every two years, Mr. Avila said, and can tolerate the demands of a construction project.

The 65-unit Markers Grove Isle faced a spate of lawsuits by neighbors as it heads to spring groundbreaking.

‘I think that this will add another opportunity [for those] that don’t want to leave the island but want something fresh and new.’

Eddie Avila Other worries linger. Mr. Goldfarb says residents in Grove Isle’s Building Three might have their view blocked and property value dip as a result of the construction. “You might be blocked,” he said. “You might be in close proximity to where that building is. Do you want to buy that fifth floor unit?”

The looming project divides current residents.

Said one living in the first

building, farthest from the planned construction site, “I wish to stay anonymous because this is a relatively small community. Many have fought toothand-nail against this project, and I don’t want to create any ill feelings between neighbors with my own opinion regarding Markers Grove Isle.”

While most residents are fighting the project, this resident doesn’t feel the same. “Considering this has been going on for several years, the facilities are now in greater disrepair, and these people have every right to build because they own the property. At this point, I’d rather see something sooner rather than later. The property is deteriorating and the price of our units is stagnant.”

The reduction from 12 to eight tennis courts doesn’t concern this resident. However, removal of the hotel is an attention-getter.

Thirty of the hotel’s 50 rooms are currently available. Grove Isle Associates expects to reduce that number to 14 guest suites.

There is a reason.

“Under Miami 21 zoning, hotels are not permitted,” Mr. Avila said. “And if we were to build more hotel rooms it would just be additional expenses for the club members to maintain because it cannot be opened to the public.”

Besides zoning and cost concerns, Mr. Avila says the removal of a hotel on the grounds will limit access to the island exclusively to club members and residents.

“Right now, if you were visiting the island, and you say you were visiting the hotel or restaurant, they just open the gate and you come in,” he said. “Making it a private island will be for the betterment of all residents.”

Construction plans would ex-

tend over a year, during which residents wouldn’t have access to any temporary facility. But the anonymous resident said that’s not a loss: “What they offered was laughable, which would have been an above-ground pool in a parking area. Food service wouldn’t have been on the water. It sounded very slap-dash, and I think that’s why our board rejected that. We’re paying no dues for the time that the facilities are shut.”

Although developers early on suggested use of Biltmore Hotel facilities in Coral Gables as a temporary option, residents refused. Many found closer hotels, gyms and spas. The same source said, “It didn’t seem attractive. It wasn’t much of an offer.”

But the anonymous resident, a 24-year Grove Isle veteran who plans to stay, said the changes will pay off: “I think in the longterm it will increase values here.

People on Grove Isle are aware that apartments here are bargain prices compared to other waterfront properties on the area.”

The project is expected to break ground this year despite the opposition, Mr. Avila said, and he expects construction to wrap up by 2020.

Ross Report Real Estate by Audrey Ross

3 Ways to Stage a Bedroom for Different Buyers When preparing to sell a home, one of the top items on the priority list is making sure that it is properly staged. Staging can have a profoundly positive impact on the purchase price.

Many people focus on staging the living areas, but it’s equally important to stage the bedrooms to help buyers see how the entire home can fit their lifestyle.

Affluent Buyers If property value is in the millions, buyers will expect the home to have spacious bedrooms.

Highlight the best aspects of the room by clearing clutter and creating an inviting flow.

First Timer Buyers Many first-time home buyers are young couples who are ready to start a family. By staging the bedroom as a children’s room, you may give them a way to visualize their new family in that home.

Young Professionals Young professionals are careerminded people. By staging the bedroom as an office, you are showing them that they can have the space to pursue their professional endeavors at home as well, creating value for their life.

Audrey Ross 305.206.4003 aross@miamirealestate.com www.miamirealestate.com

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TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

MIAMI TODAY

9

County taps water department for its new aviation director

By Gabi Maspons

After months without any word on the new Aviation Department director, Mayor Carlos Giménez has appointed Lester Sola from the county’s Water and Sewer Department as the new director of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD).

“I am confident that his experience in county operations, capital design, construction management, contract administration and negotiations will prove invaluable to MDAD and the residents of Miami-Dade County,” Mr. Giménez said of Mr. Sola in a memo issued last week.

The Aviation Department has been without an active director since Emilio Gonzalez resigned in November.

Mr. Gonzalez’s resignation came on the heels of Mayor Giménez taking control of the concessions and non-aviation business areas of Miami InternationalAirport, appointing Leland Salomon in a newly created position to oversee the airport’s

procurement staff.

Mr. Gonzalez and the Aviation Department were then asked to report to Mr. Salomon and the airport’s procurement staff was moved downtown to be supervised by the county’s Internal Service Department’s procurement division.

“I believe that these changes will result in a more streamline, open and competitive process, with decision making reestablished in my office and with appropriate Board approval,” Mr. Giménez said in a memo last year.

Mr. Gonzalez dodged Miami Today questions following the reorganization, saying he did not want to comment on whether he expected the change to be beneficial to the department, but resigned days after Mr. Giménez reduced the scope of his role.

Earlier this year, newly elected City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez tapped Mr. Gonzalez as his city manager.

Since Mr. Gonzalez’s departure in November, there has been no official

word on the new director until Mr. Giménez’s announcement Friday.

Mr. Sola will be serving in Mr. Gonzalez’s reduced scope, only managing the airport’s aviation business areas.

Mr. Sola has been with the county for over 26 years, even serving as MDAD’s associate director in 2001.

He has also served as assistant to the county manager, deputy director for the Department of Business Development, supervisor of elections, and director of the Internal Service Department.

Kevin Lynskey is to replace Mr. Sola as head of the Water and Sewer Department, leaving his position as deputy director of PortMiami.

Mr. Lynskey Kevin Lynskey is to oversee the Water and Sewer Department’s $13 billion capital Photo by Marlene Quaroni improvement program, the county’s largest infrastructure program yet. Lester Sola, who was associate aviation director in 2001, gets top job.

Broken bus collection device claims ‘unfare,’ Bravo says

By Gabi Maspons

After the Transport Workers Union issued a statement that broken Metrobus fare boxes cost Miami-Dade County hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential revenues, the Transportation and Public Works Department says the real figures are “negligible.”

Though Transportation Department Director Alice Bravo was unavailable to comment on the report upon its release last week, she now says that the numbers are “completely false.”

“I think [the union] put the statement out as a result of us commenting on their absenteeism rate,” Ms. Bravo said. “We need bus operators and employees coming to work to run the routes,” she said.

“The cost of overtime from absenteeism is significant. That’s the real problem for our agency.”

Tension between transit workers and

county administration have been high over the past year, with Mayor Carlos Giménez saying absenteeism in the Transportation and Public Works Department is the highest in the county, accounting for long waits and poor service.

The transport union told Miami Today last week that broken fare boxes, not transit workers, account for a decline in revenues and poor service.

The union told Miami Today that a quarter of the fleet operates with broken fare boxes on any given month, making rides free.

Ms. Bravo said that their numbers are misleading: “They are trying to make it look like all of those buses are not working at the same time, but that’s just a cumulative list,” Ms. Bravo said. “Everything is fixed on a daily basis.”

Though 25% of the fleet may experience a malfunction at some point in time throughout the month, Ms. Bravo said, that

doesn’t mean that 25% of revenues are lost.

The union’s estimate that the county loses “hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenues” is not accurate, and the loss is actually negligible, Ms. Bravo said.

“These fare box issues account for less than 1% of our revenues,” Ms. Bravo said.

As for protocol, Ms. Bravo said that it varies.

When a bus driver reports a broken fare box, “they call in and then our bus dispatchers make the decision based on how much time is left on that route, the availability of other equipment and ridership along that route,” Ms. Bravo said. “If it is rush hour and the bus is full of people, we don’t want to inconvenience those people.”

A bus would never go a full day without collecting fares, she said.

“If it happens toward the late end of the day with only 30 minutes left before the shift is over, then drivers are told to keep driving,” she said.

Fare boxes are usually just jammed with coins or bills, Ms. Bravo said, and there’s not much the department can do to prevent malfunctions.

Like a broken vending machine, “sometimes it’s a user error,” Ms. Bravo said.

Of the 650 buses running each day, she said only about five to ten experience a jam and most are taken care of immediately.

Though Miami Transport Workers Union Vice President Pete Flores told Miami Today that the fare box jams are caused by an old fleet, Ms. Bravo said that the new buses now on order won’t be much different in terms of fare collection.

This year the county is getting 200 of 300 new Metrobuses to replace its fleet, Ms. Bravo said, with the first five coming in this month.

“It’s still the same fare box system, and what will ultimately help us [decrease jams] is if more people stop using cash and start using the EASY pay system.”

Retroactive vote on housing spending irks commissioners

By Gabi Maspons

A retroactive funding allocation of about $20.6 million for housing developments throughout MiamiDade County passed through the Infrastructure and Utilities Committee last week, but Commissioner Joe Martinez said he’ll be putting his foot down on the administration making decisions about county money without first getting commission approval.

“They should have never been allowed to allocate the monies as they saw fit without this board’s input,” Mr. Martinez said. “We need to step up and do our job and tell them how we want this allocated, or this is going to continue happening,” he said of retroactive funding votes.

The legislation recommends $10.5 million for multi-family rentals countywide, $900,000 for multi-family rentals in sponsoring Commissioner Audrey Edmonson’s district, $3 million in multi-family workforce developments and $2.5 million for elderly housing developments.

The money is to come from the documentary stamp surtax and State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program and will not affect the county’s general fund, the legislation says.

Mr. Martinez asked why only $2.5 million of the $20.6 million allocation was going to elderly housing.

“It’s in our culture to take care of our elderly – at least that’s how I was raised,” Mr. Martinez said.

“If we can’t take care of those who took care of us, then we are really failing.”

Michael Liu, director of the Public Housing and Community Development Department, told Mr. Martinez that $2.5 million for elderly housing is “a considerable percentage.”

“When you look at the demand and population overall,” Mr. Liu said, “we just need more dollars.”

Mr. Martinez cut off Mr. Liu, telling fellow committee members that the housing department is not responsible for deciding where the money goes.

“It’s up to us, not the director,”

Mr. Martinez said. “It’s our board, our policy and our budget – not theirs.”

When Ms. Edmonson asked Mr. Martinez for a solution, he said he would like to reallocate the money for seniors in the community and take money from the multi-family rental allocation.

“They’re the ones with the fixed income that is very low,” Mr. Martinez said of seniors.

Ms. Edmonson said she was open to any recommendations and asked Mr. Liu if the item is time sensitive.

“Everything is,” Mr. Martinez responded first.

Mr. Liu said that reallocating money at this point is not possible.

“We have firm commitments from banks and tax credit deals are involved,” Mr. Liu said. “If there is some sort of retroactive adjustment then many of these projects – if not all of them – will not move forward,” he said before suggesting the committee consider changing next year’s allocation amount instead.

Mr. Martinez said it was unfair

to pressure commissioners to vote on a time-sensitive item when they had no knowledge of the allocation before the vote and are then trapped to vote ‘yes’.

“This is the first time this is in front of us,” Mr. Martinez said.

Though Ms. Edmonson agreed with Mr. Martinez, she was leery of amending the item, fearing that developers would lose out on funding.

Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava said the commission should have a robust discussion about housing priorities to prevent future misunderstandings.

“There have been priorities inserted at various times, but we really don’t have a clear understanding of the overall need other than knowing that there is a need,” Ms. Levine Cava said.

“I’ve requested legislation to do an analysis of our need and I look forward to having that discussion with my colleagues.”

Ms. Edmonson said that she will be speaking to Mr. Liu about amending the 2018 allocation, but chose not to amend the 2017

allocation to protect financing for developers.

The item passed committee and was to come before the full county commission this week for approval.

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.

Fulton Street Productions. San Francisco. Police Moms.

Miami-Dade Police Resources.

Brinkworth Productions Ltd. London. The Secret Life of the Cruise. Miami Beach citywide.

Dennis J. Mosner Photography Inc. Union City. Babies R Us/Toys R Us. Tropical Park.

Production RV Service Corp. Weston. Mattheus Photography. Countywide, Crandon Park Beach, Miami Beach citywide.

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

Spike Productions Corp. Biscayne Park. Klingel. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide.

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

The Lovely Works. Brooklyn. Spanx Active Apparel.

Crandon Park.

Spike Productions Corp. Biscayne Park. Klingel 2 Wolfgang. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide.

Jake Hakanson Inc. New York. Consentyx. Crandon Park.

Miami Dade College School of Entertainment & Design.

Miami. Three Seconds to Midnight. Haulover Beach Park.

Fexy Studios. Mercer Island. Visit Florida Filming. Lincoln Road/Alton to Meridian.

10

MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

Not a cent in US aid has reached county for Irma damage

By S ara M arino

Federal funds to help rebuild after last summer’s ravage of Hurricane Irma are still in the process of being allocated, with no deadline in sight. Not a penny has yet reached Miami-Dade, with 10 to 12 federal representatives still working here full

time to help get funds flowing.

The county and FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, remain in stage one of a four-step plan that will send the county the agency’s financial help – now estimated at almost half a billion dollars – to mitigate Irma’s economic impact.

“It’s at a stage where they’re gathering information still and FEMA is meeting with all of the departments that have provided estimates,” said Blanca Padron, county deputy finance director.

“They are now validating that and going through every department and asking for a lot of documentation, so we are really

CITY OF MIAMI. FLORIDA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Miami City Commission will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, March 8, 2018 to authorize a 4/5ths bid waiver for the maintenance and beautification of Martin Luther King Boulevard (“Services”) for the period of April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019.

This action is being considered pursuant to City Code Section 18-85. The recommendation and finding to be considered in this matter are set forth in the proposed resolution and in this Code Section, which are deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and are available as public records from the City of Miami. The Public Hearing will be held in conjunction with the regularly scheduled City Commission meeting of Thursday, March 8, 2018 to be held at 9:00 a.m. at Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida 33133.

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

#29124

CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

in an infancy stage right now.”

Hurricane Irma damaged much of Miami-Dade as it blew through South Florida on Sept. 10. After the destruction, county departments had to lay out unbudgeted funds to fix and replace what Irma destroyed.

FEMA works to help states when they go through such natural disasters.

Stage one of the move to get that federal aid started Oct. 23, as county departments began breaking down the financial help they need and then sending it to FEMA to evaluate. Phase one also includes federal site inspections of the damage.

“Once they send it to FEMA, they (FEMA) then have to evaluate it and review it,” Mrs. Padron said. “It’s a long process, but we really haven’t gotten any project proceeds from FEMA.” According to Mrs. Padron, there isn’t a set day on when stage one will move into stage two, but she said she believes it will be around December.

“We have weekly meetings with them and they’re meeting with all of the departments individually as well, so I’m hoping maybe by the end of the December we’ll get some project worksheets obligated,” she said. “It’s pretty massive, so they’ve added a lot more staff to the county because of our size.”

Due to the county having so many departments and being large overall, FEMA has brought in 10 to 12 people to help each department get through phase one.

While the county doesn’t have an exact number on how much financial help it expects from FEMA, the county’s current rough estimate is $471 million total.

“It’s a high-level estimate for the whole thing,” Mrs. Padron said. “As they get refined some of them might come down and

others might come up as they meet with FEMA and the engineers and so on.”

Two of the departments that have significant damage include parks and recreation sector and the waste department.

“The debris removal was the biggest chunk of it,” Mrs. Padron said. “They’re going to be looking at the documentation, so we’re compiling all of that, the invoices and the contacts and everything else.”

In terms of FEMA’s contribution, the agency will pay an average 75% of most expenses, with the state paying 12.5% and the county paying the final 12.5%.

Once stage one is completed, stage two will involve FEMA looking at the damage intake and then looking to see which departments are eligible and for what exactly they’re eligible. After the county makes it past stage two, it has to go through stage three, which involves budgeting money for each department, and then stage four, which is where FEMA makes final reviews and disperses funds.

After FEMA has agreed, the money is then sent to the State of Florida, which has its own process that Miami-Dade must go through in order to finally receive any funds.

“That does not include the state’s process, which is another schedule I haven’t received yet,” Mrs. Padron said. “Once the money has been approved, it will go to the state and the state has to decide how to reimburse us.”

While the exact timeline for when the money will be reimbursed is still unknown, Mrs. Padron said she hopes it will not take years.

“We’re trying,” she said.

“We’re just trying to get all of our documentation to them as quickly as possible.”

The Miami City Commission will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, March 8, 2018 at 9:00 A.M., to consider the award of a contract to the non-profit organization listed below through Anti-Poverty grant funds from the District 4 share of the City of Miami’s Anti-Poverty Initiative Program. The Miami Foundation, Inc. for the Elderly Assistance Relief Fund will provide emergency assistance funds for applicants who are 65 years of age or older, living at or below the low-income limits, and to consider the City Manager’s recommendations and finding that competitive negotiation methods are not practicable or advantageous regarding these issues: • The Miami Foundation, Inc. – Elderly Assistance Relief Fund Inquiries regarding this notice may be addressed to Malissa Treviño, Project Manager for the Office of Community Investment, Office of the City Manager, at (305) 416-1005.

This action is being considered pursuant to Section 18-85 (A) of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida as amended (the “Code”). The recommendations and findings to be considered in this matter are set forth in the proposed resolution and in Code Section 18-85 (A), which are deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and are available as with the regularly scheduled City Commission meeting of Thursday, March 8, 2018 at Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida 33133.

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) 2505361 (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

#29125

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

Weeks after Irma hit, clean-up work was continuing in Coral Gables.

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

11

2-cent addition to gas tax likely to fuel transit corridors

By Gabi Maspons

The long-awaited SMART plan to fund Miami-Dade County’s six-corridor transit expansion is slowly coming into additional funding sources. The Transportation Planning Organization’s Fiscal Priorities Committee met Tuesday to discuss the benefits of an extra two cent local option gas tax, asking county attorneys to draft legislation for its next meeting.

“We have to arm ourselves with everything we can in the toolbox,” said Commissioner Dennis Moss, who first suggested the local option gas tax increase.

While Broward and Palm Beach counties are using up their full 12 cent local gas tax option, MiamiDade has two cents available, with a 10 cent gas tax.

While most states are restricted to using sales taxes to fund transit, Florida has a local option gas tax that individual counties can trigger to help fund transit.

Twenty-six Florida counties – most of which are in Southeast and Southwest Florida – have a full local option 12 cent gas tax, a presentation by TPO consultant

‘We have to arm ourselves with everything we can in the toolbox.’

Dennis Moss Lowell Clary says.

Around the nation, 22 states have increased their gas taxes in a four-year period, with four more states proposing increasing their fuel taxes this year, Mr. Clary said.

If the county passes the gas tax, 74% of the additional two cents per gallon would go to the county, while 26% would go to the municipalities.

The county’s annual share would be about $13.3 million.

The municipalities would split about $4.7.

Mr. Clary warned TPO members that the forecast is flat, and the allocation is likely to stay at about $13 million for the county, with no anticipated increase over the years.

“Because of electric and hybrid vehicles, we expect the fuel consumption to be leveled,” he said.

“There is no forecasted growth.”

Mr. Moss said that the two cents would not impact the price of gas in the county long-term, as market forces and conditions drive gas prices, not taxes.

“When you compare the costper-gallon in Broward and Palm Beach counties, it is comparable to what we are charging and we have foregone those additional two pennies every year, while they have taken advantage of them,” Mr. Moss said.

Mr. Clary verified Mr. Moss’s statements.

“You’re right,” Mr. Clary said.

“Studies from several organizations that look at the price of gas after the tax rate is increased show that the tax essentially gets blended into the price. Over time, the market drives the prices to make them more competitive.”

‘To tie it specifically into the SMART plan is a wise move.’

Barbara Jordan Commissioner Xavier Suarez pointed out that a two cent increase would be less than 1% of the overall gallon price.

The county’s existing 10 cent local option gas tax goes toward expanding and operating county public works programs, Mr. Clary said.

Though the state requires only that the tax revenue be used on transportation, committee members suggested restricting the use of funds to only be used for transit

expansion and not operation costs.

Commissioner Barbara Jordan reminded other TPO members that the county once had a full 12 cent local gas tax option, which residents urged commissioners to remove in 2007.

“It was very political when it was taken away,” Ms. Jordan said before suggesting that the county use the potential money exclusively for the SMART plan to gain public support.

“To tie it specifically into the SMART plan is a wise move,” Ms. Jordan said.

“Maybe we can put stipulations to make sure it’s used for the targeted purpose,” Mr. Moss said.

Assistant County Attorney Bruce Libhaber told TPO members that the county could create an ordinance that restricts the use of the fund.

Mr. Moss asked the county attorney’s office to put together an ordinance to come back to before the TPO committee for final approval before moving on to the full county commission.

“We will bring forward a draft proposal for the local option gas tax,” Mr. Libhaber told TPO committee members.

Miami International climbing skyward in on-time flights

By Rebecca San Juan

Jetsetters flying from Miami International can expect their aircraft to be, far more likely than not, on schedule.

Organizations including the Official Aviation Guide of the Airways (OAG) and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a branch of the US Department of Transportation, say a flight arrives or departs on time if it’s within 15 minutes of schedule. In that range, MIA is seeing improvement in on-time arrivals and departures.

Greg Chin, communications director for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, said, “On-time performance improved in 2017 to 79.38%. That’s an improvement from 2016.”

OAG, a United Kingdombased organization, studies over 900 airlines and 4,000 airports.

It provides an annual list of the 20 most reliable on-time airport performances in the world with over 20 million departures per year. MIA didn’t make the cut in 2016, with Amsterdam taking the last spot at 79.77% on-time performance. Mr. Chin said MIA ranked 27th globally that year with 77.1%.

However, MIA did make the list in 2017, in the 12th spot with 79.38% on-time flights while managing 22.3 million departing passengers. Minneapolis St. Paul led the pack with 85.72% and Boston made the cutoff at 20th at 74.19%.

Keep smiling no matter the schedule issues: Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon.

On-time performance only continues to improve year-to-year at MIA, with a gain in prompt arrivals and departures from 2015 to 2017. BTS research shows a 4.77% increase in delayed departures from 2014 to 2015. However, more flights have departed on time annually since 2016.

In addition to delayed departures, arrivals fared worse until recently. BTS data show that delayed arrivals at MIA increased from 2014 at 17.46%, 2015 at 19.78% and 2016 at 20.30%. Data show delayed arrivals dipped in

2017 to 18.06%.

Mr. Chin lays most delays to extreme weather either locally or out of state. MIA records most delays because of local summer weather.

Lightning typically accompanies heavy rainstorms that frequent South Florida from June through September. When lightning strikes, the airport closes ramps and ramp workers are prohibited from working outside since it is a safety hazard. Lightning monitors inform the airport when the weather clears and the

flight schedule can resume.

Mr. Chin also observes that a great number of winter’s flight delays begin elsewhere. “Flights from the Northeast, from anywhere there’s snow, has an effect on us,” he said. “The arrival time will affect the departure time. The outbound flight is dependent on an aircraft coming in, so if that flight’s delayed, the aircraft, the crew, and the changeover is affected by the arrival.”

The delays cause challenges for the airport and their globetrotters. Mr. Chin said, “We’re not just a destination airport. We’re connecting, so that means more traffic.” A delayed departure may mean a passenger loses a connecting flight to another destination.

Jerry Lang, who flies monthly for work as president at the House of Travel, says a delay in departure sets him behind schedule.

He relies on MIA especially for international destinations.

“The place I fly to most is London,” Mr. Lang said. “When you change planes in London, you have to change terminals. It takes an hour and a half to two hours because you have to go through security, [then] immigration and things like that. If the plane’s late, you end up missing your connecting flight.”

Mr. Lang suggests the airport and airlines inform passengers that their flight is delayed in advance. He leaves to the airport from home or his office at 17813 Biscayne Blvd. and prefers to

know when his departure is behind schedule.

A third of his flights in 2017, he says, were behind schedule and he waited 30 to 45 minutes. In previous years, he waited longer – hours at a time. He prefers to use that time efficiently at home or the office.

Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon, titled jetsetter-in-chief at JetSetSarah.com, avoids delays by catching the first flight out. As a travel writer, she frequents MIA on average every three to four weeks, traveling nine out of 10 of the times to the Caribbean.

Ms. Greaves-Gabbadon, like Mr. Lang, says on-time departures are far more important than arrivals. She said, “I am going to work and I want to get to work on time.”

Her flights usually depart earlier than 10:30 a.m. She recommends that frequent travelers invest in an early departure. She said, “You minimize the domino effects of an early flight that’s delayed. If you go on the first flight, you have less of a chance of that happening.”

Ms. Greaves-Gabbadon also recommends that travelers keep smiling no matter schedulerelated challenges.

“Especially for someone like me that travels so frequently,” she said, “I expect that occasionally things will go wrong. I think that having a good attitude is probably the most important thing to carry with you.”

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

AN EVEN BETTER RIDE SAFE. COMFORTABLE. MODERN. Energy efficient LED lighting

High capacity, high speed Wi-Fi

High-efficiency AC system

Automated announcements with upgraded sound

Closed Circuit TV

Bike racks

ON A TRACK NEAR YOU And we’re just getting started.

The entire 136-vehicle Metrorail fleet was approved and funded by the People’s Transportation Plan. Your half-penny at work!

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WWW.MIAMIDADE.GOV/TRANSIT

13

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018

MIAMI TODAY

S W M B OW 0 0 N 10 L E R A E S V N O O

DESTINATION MIAMI SALES EVENT

WITH

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DOWN

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DESTINATION MIAMI SALES EVENT For a Limited Time Get Up To $6,000 OFF MSRP on Remaining New 2015, 2016 & 2017 Models.* New 2018 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Dr.

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