Miami Today: Week of Thursday, March 1, 2018

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

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POWERBOAT RACES RETURN AFTER DECADES, OPEN SEASON BESIDE MIAMI MARINE STADIUM, PG. 12 CONSTRUCTION ON RISE: New construction starts in South Florida edged over the billiondollar mark in January, a 68% gain in value from January 2017, when starts were just under $600 million. Residential construction starts rose 95% to nearly $630 million in value, up from under $323 million the prior January, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. Meanwhile, commercial construction starts rose 37% to $376 million from $274 million last year.

The Achiever

By John Charles Robbins

GROSS REGIONAL PRODUCT SPURT: The value of goods and services produced in Miami-Dade County adjusted for inflation grew at an annual compounded growth rate of 2.7% between 2011 and 2016 to an estimated $146.2 billion, according to a new report of Gross Regional Product from Miami-Dade County’s Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources. The report says the total is up from $128 billion in 2011. The report found that the output per worker in the county’s private sector fell 1% per year on average, but there were some sectors in which that output rose. In agriculture, the increase was 3.4%, in information 5.7%, in finance and insurance 2.2%, in health care 1% and in entertainment and recreation 1.1%.

GAMBLING GAMBIT: A Florida House committee Monday approved a gambling bill that includes a 20-year agreement with the Seminole Tribe. With the Commerce Committee vote, the bill is ready for the House floor. The bill, which differs substantially from legislation in the Senate, would lead to the tribe paying the state $3 billion over seven years and getting exclusive rights to conduct banked card games, such as blackjack, at five of its casinos. Also, the tribe would continue to have exclusive authority to offer slot machines outside of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and pari-mutuel facilities would be barred from offering lucrative “designated player” card games. But Democratic opponents criticized a section that would direct part of the money to charter schools, an issue that Rep. Joe Geller of Aventura called a “poison pill.” The House and Senate would have to agree on a final bill before the legislative session ends.

GAS DROP TEMPORARY: Gasoline prices in Miami fell 2.7 cents per gallon on average at 1,690 outlets in the area, according to GasBuddy price tracking service, but prices are still 19.8 cents per gallon higher than a year ago at this time. Miami gas prices are also a bit higher on average than across the nation. Prices here average $2.59 per gallon, while nationally the average is $2.50. GasBuddy and AAA both predicted higher gasoline prices soon.

Clément Leclerc

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

French consul general seeks ties for people, business The profile is on Page 4

Beach rail transfers to Personal Rapid Transit

By Gabi Maspons

After 15 years of Baylink talks, the rapidtransit corridor linking Miami Beach to downtown has been resurrected, but it doesn’t look anything like old plans. Rather than plant heavy, expensive rails, Miami-Dade commissioners say Personal Rapid Transit [PRT] vehicles of four to six people can solve Beach traffic and also draw more tourists.

“The future of transit isn’t mass transit,” said Mayor Carlos Giménez, “it’s PRT.” At a meeting between Commissioners Xavier Suarez and Bruno Barreiro last week to discuss Baylink, stakeholders learned more about PRT, which county officials described as a cheaper, lighter rail with a smaller footprint.

PRT uses personalized autonomous trains.

Riders can program the driverless trains to take them directly to their destinations rather than make every stop. Mayor Giménez is a big proponent, saying the individual trains have bi-passable stations that keep riders from halting at every stop. “I like the point-to-point system; it’s much faster than a car.”

Recent data show the average car speed in

Wynwood project to span block

Miami-Dade is about 16 miles per hour, while the PRT trains would run about 28 mph.

Unlike traditional rail, PRT trains are lightweight, fully electric, and the elevated tracks are half the width of bus lanes or traditional rail.

The individual cars can hold four to six people and trains can connect so groups of riders can link up to arrive at their final destination together. Though capacity is much less than traditional rail, trains are more frequent, so commuters can board continuously.

The system can also be programmed to move more trains to stations that are in higher demand during peak hours.

The trains have the option to be dual mode and could leave the rail, navigate city streets autonomously, and later joining up with the railway again.

“I’m a big fan,” said Transportation and Public Works Director Alice Bravo of PRT at the sunshine meeting.

PRT costs about one tenth the price of traditional rail, with Metrorail costing the county about $100 million per mile and PRT less than $10 million. In Greenville, SC, a bid was submitted for only $6.3 million to

service its airport.

Mr. Barreiro suggested the MacArthur Causeway for PRT rails, saying “it’s the path of least resistance.” The first stop, he said, would be Watson Island, with the second at Fifth Street and Alton Road.

County renderings identify MacArthur Causeway as the corridor, one beginning near the Omni station and the other starting at the Brightline rail tracks further inland, with both ending at Fifth and Alton.

Asked about competition to build the rails, Florida Department of Transportation District Six Secretary James Wolfe said a similar project in South Carolina had three qualified bidders.

Mr. Suarez said the PRT could become a hot spot for tourists and the county could capitalize on the attraction by having separate rates for residents and tourists. “We could light it up and make it high in the air to draw tourists here,” he said.

Mr. Suarez said he will have a sunshine meeting with Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo Jr. next to have a more “in-depth dialogue” and discuss next steps.

Miami’s preliminary OK to change zoning and land use in the heart of Wynwood may clear the way to redevelop an entire block, adding multi-family residences and shops. A final decision may come this month.

Westdale Wynwood LLC plans the major mixed-use project between Northwest 30th and 31st streets and Second and Third avenues. The plan is to construct about 171 residences, said attorney Steven Wernick on behalf of the developer.

Mr. Wernick told Miami Today the project will likely include a future mixed-use phase along Northwest Second Avenue under existing zoning, with ground floor neighborhood-oriented services and retail that would enhance the existing commercial corridor.

The properties fronting Second Avenue owned by Westdale Wynwood are already zoned so they could be redeveloped for a mix of commercial, office and residential uses up to five stories, said Mr. Wernick.

The proposed rezoning would accommodate a mix of residential types and sizes, and provide for a reasonable transition in scale since the building height would go from five stories to three on the north part of the block, he said.

At a hearing Feb. 22, a mix of residents spoke up for the project, while others voiced concern about development adding traffic and raising taxes. The file includes about 20 letters supporting the project.

Jose Felix Diaz, an attorney representing the developer, said they want to maintain some affordability with the new residences. They believe this can be done with smaller units, he said, and the developer is willing to dedicate a minimum number of them as workforce housing.

“I do believe this will benefit the area,” said Commissioner Manolo Reyes.

The site is in an aging, transitional neighborhood immediately north of the recently-approved Wynwood Neighborhood Revitalization District and two blocks west of Midtown Miami.

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MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 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

Call marine stadium time out until city develops a firm plan Why do governments build projects before they know how to fund construction or how to maintain and operate them?

And shouldn’t real estate assets help fund other public needs?

The latest example, which we detailed two weeks ago, is Miami’s push to renovate and reopen Miami Marine Stadium on Virginia Key. Despite a $9.2 million construction shortfall and no plan at all for how to actually use the stadium or how to pay to keep it open, it’s full speed ahead.

New commissioner and former mayor Joe Carollo is wisely trying to call time out. He recalls that when the stadium was open it always lost millions that the city had to cover from taxes. He’s asking for a firm plan for stadium use and an operating as well as construction budget.

We’ve been writing the same thing ourselves for years.

The worst approach to take is “Field of Dreams” – the fiction of building a stadium in a cornfield because baseball greats would appear to play there, with

ticket sales funding it all. That made a good book and movie plot, but in the real world, dreams of a public project paying off big without a funding plan remain just that – dreams.

You needn’t look far for parallels. By spending tens of millions in county visitor tax funds, Homestead built a stadium in the 1990s as a spring home for the Cleveland Indians. But the Indians didn’t come, and it’s been a stadium looking for a use for 25 years.

Or look at Marlins Park in Little Havana, where Miami built four garages with hopes of partly paying off bonded debt by renting more than 53,000 square feet in them to four-star restaurants and other upper-end uses that would uplift the neighborhood.

That was a “Field of Dreams” hope, but it lacked a game plan. So only now, for the seventh season of baseball, has garage retail risen to even 75% occupancy, with the biggest user medical facilities, not luxury venues. Filling the space has been not a dream but a nightmare.

The main users of Miami Marine Stadium before it closed 25 years ago were boat races and concerts. A consultant has listed more than 50 uses this time around.

Some might be self financing.

But the city should seek more than that.

It will have to find $9.2 million more just to build. It will also need to pay back the $45 million it would borrow to rebuild the decayed stadium. Then it will need to

maintain the stadium and pay any revenue shortfalls – and it’s likely that no matter how good the plan, there would sometimes be shortfalls.

The city hopes to hand the stadium to a private operator in a deal yet to be structured. No operator has been chosen.

Until commissioners decide what they want to use the stadium for, however, why rebuild it? Once the city has a solid funding and operating plan and an operator, it should rebuild to encompass uses that it desires, because each use has different structural needs.

For example, part of the project is to build some sort of welcome center in front of the stadium. Without city direction before handing someone the land, that center might become an expensive private club or meeting facilities or you name it.

And an operator must face controls.

Even having the city run it would be no guarantee – remember, land around the marine stadium was to be a park with multiple soccer fields, but the city built it as paved parking for major events. Is that the marine stadium’s fate: to house massive events? If the city chooses an operator before it picks a concept, it’s just asking for a bait-and-switch future for the stadium.

The extremely valuable public land lies along the only road between Key Biscayne and the mainland. Law doesn’t require use to consider the Village of Key Biscayne, but whatever uses the city allows should

factor in the vital link not only to the village but to county and state parks that bookend it, used by hundreds of thousands of persons annually.

These concerns and others should have commissioners agreeing with Mr. Carollo, who wants a five-year plan. Frankly, with bond debt outstanding 30 years, we’d seek a 30-year plan. Money might fall from the sky to pay off bonds, but we’d prefer a solid plan that outlasts the bond debt. Plans can fail, but they beat praying for a bonanza.

“My concern is that we’re creating another white elephant,” Mr. Carollo told commissioners. We echo that concern, just as we did in the case of what is now Marlins Park, where all payback from a $1.2 billion team sale is going to operators of the publicly funded stadium that enhanced the team’s value, with none for taxpayers.

We’d love to restore a decaying city asset. But restore the stadium for what use, under what terms, run by whom, with what potential to not only support itself but pay the city a long-term income stream from its asset to fund other pressing city needs?

City real estate assets should be used in ways that benefit residents by filling gaps in the budget, not by creating additional gaps.

Some commissioners want to use other city assets like marinas and mooring fields to fund the marine stadium. Mr. Carollo has thoughtfully asked to reverse that pattern and instead have the marine stadium asset pay for other vital city needs. We concur.

Continue to maintain Florida’s nuclear generating plants There is an escalating public dialogue about the need for America to update its aging infrastructure. In Washington it is emerging as one of the nation’s top priorities.

The American Public Works AsDavid Rossin sociation and organizations of civil engineers have been speaking out about the need for this renovation. Their solutions are further complicated by the fact that most of the infrastructure they reference (roads, bridges, local water utility pipes) is government owned and operated and therefore dependent on funding decisions

by Congress and state legislatures.

There are some facilities, however, that have quietly kept pace with time through continuous upgrades, renovations and installation of the latest technology.

One example is airports. The main terminal of Miami International Airport was opened in 1959. But, understandably, none of the airplanes, control tower electronics, radar and other safety-related equipment that existed then are still in place today.

Components and equipment are updated continuously. They operate under a license by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which imposes strict standards and robust oversight utilizing world-class aeronautical engineers and other technical experts to constantly inspect the systems and then make requirements for renovations as new technology is developed.

The stringency of the FAA on airport modernization is exceeded only by that of another federal agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). America’s

The Writer

Dr. A. David Rossin is a Floridian and retired engineer. He has degrees from Cornell and MIT and holds a Ph.D. in metallurgy from Case Western. He was assistant secretary of energy (1986-87) and was president of the American Nuclear Society. nuclear power plants undergo continuous inspection by onsite inspectors.

Unlike roads and bridges, these plants are not government-owned so decisions about renovations to not take a back seat to competing priorities of politicians and bureaucrats arguing over budgets. The private license-holder of each nuclear plant must maintain its systems through modernization with technological advances to the point where essentially no components today are those that existed even a short time ago and certainly none from the time when a plant was first built.

Here in Florida we do not have any nuclear plants that date back to 1959 when Miami International Airport was built.

But we do have Turkey Point 3 and 4, which began operation in 1973. The NRC extended the initial license for that plant after an exhaustive review and verification of compliance with all regulations related to modern technology during each year since initial operation.

Moreover, less than five years ago, Turkey Point was further renovated and retrofitted, even beyond regulatory requirements in many instances, including a complete upgrade that replaced most every piece of equipment with state-of-the art technology.

This is good. It is important to maintain the viability of these plants long into

Florida’s future. They are the largest source of energy that emits zero carbon or greenhouse gases, which helps keep Florida’s air clean. If we keep these plants in operation they can serve as the bridge to additional zero-emission technologies such as widescale solar energy coupled with emerging energy storage technologies so that solar can be available around the clock.

These plants have been workhorses, supplying enough electricity for nearly one million homes locally, powering essentially every use from lights to refrigerators, air conditioners to computers and phone chargers. They do this almost continuously, day and night, rain or shine.

Remarkably, the designers and engineers had the foresight to build them 20 feet higher than sea level, greater than essentially any other facility in the region.

They designed a containment structure to withstand winds of up to 235 mph, which is much more than the maximum winds ever recorded, even for a category 5 hurricane.

Their robust design not only provides remarkable resistance to sea level rise but their robust construction allowed them to withstand a near direct hit by Hurricane Andrew.

Medical experts and health physics scientists confirm that no other type of large-scale industrial facility (including airports) has produced more usable output for society while achieving a safety record that includes zero incidents of lost human life. This is remarkable, particularly when placed in contrast with the now-debunked predictions by some opponents who, back in the ’70s, were skeptical of this plant (and the other 100 or so nuclear units that have operated nationwide for half a century boasting the same safety statistic).

As our state goes down the path of ex-

tending the licenses for these workhorses for another 20 years, through 2052, we should also remember that they generate nearly $1.7 billion of total economic output annually, approximately half of which flows to Miami-Dade County and over $150 million to Monroe and Broward counties.

To this day, they provide thousands of jobs on site and with contractors from our area. They provide $7 million annually in local property taxes to support local schools and countless services funded by the county budget.

Florida was wise to build the Turkey Point Nuclear Plant in the 1970s. MiamiDade County has been wise to host it for five decades. The plant licensee, FPL, was wise to maintain this facility with upgrades and continuous replacements so that it is still state-of-the-art technology in 2018.

We should continue to maintain these workhorses well into the future.

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First Ford autonomous vehicle hub here, cars deliver pizza

By Katya Maruri

Ford Motor Co., which began creating and testing new connections between automotive and computer technology in January 2015 at its Ford Research and Innovation Center in Palo Alto, CA, has picked Miami as its first city to test new self-driving vehicles with its first autonomous operations terminal in the Wynwood area, according to Sherif Marakby, Ford vice president.

“We spoke with and looked at several different cities,” Mr. Marakby said, “but selected Miami for three reasons.”

The first reason, he said, is “after reviewing different cities we found that Miami has a congested urban city center in downtown Miami that we feel could be utilized to create a business model that combines business and technology in a cohesive way that would allow for us to learn how to implement this new technology within a city setting.”

The second reason, he told Miami Today, is the weather and speed limits within the area being conducive to the implementation of this new autonomous technology. Lastly, he said, “the progressive leadership within Miami-Dade County and working in such a progressive city” are key factors as to why Miami was selected.

As for how much this project will cost Miami-Dade, Mr. Marakby said, “It doesn’t cost the city a thing. Ford is completely financing the project.”

“We approached Mayor Carlos Giménez’s office and the city three months ago to incorporate this new autonomous technology in Miami and received a very good and open response to the idea,” he said.

As a result, two sets of autonomous vehicles have been introduced to Miami’s streets within the past couple of weeks.

“The first set of vehicles, which were developed in partnership with Argo AI, a software company based out of Pittsburgh, PA,” he said, “was deployed two weeks ago to map the local streets to get a better feel for the local laws and unique driving habits of residents.”

The second set of vehicles, he said, would be focused on working with local partners such as Domino’s and Postmates in a delivery capacity.

“Our Domino’s pilot is already up and running,” he said, “and we’re finalizing plans to launch a pilot program with Postmates in March.”

As for where and how these autonomous self-driving vehicles will be housed, maintained and cleaned, Mr. Marakby said, “we already have our first autonomous vehicle operations terminal on the ground in the Wynwood area and are looking to hire local people to come in and work with us to maintain the cars.”

As for how many of these selfdriving cars are currently on the road in Miami, he said, “right now there are a handful of cars currently operating in the city.”

“We are not so much as focused on the specific amount of cars on the road at this moment,”

‘Our Domino’s pilot is already up and running, and we’re finalizing plans to launch a pilot program with Postmates in March.’

Sherif Marakby he said, “but are more focused on learning what implementing this type of technology in a city like Miami is like.”

However, he said, “As the months go by you will definitely begin to notice more autonomous cars on the road.”

“We are excited to be in Miami,” Mr. Marakby said, “and feel that this new technology could be a possible solution to Miami’s current traffic congestion problem, and are looking forward to learning the different ways this technology can be implemented in a city setting.” A self-driving Ford rolls along Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. The first cars deployed mapped local streets.

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

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Yacht show exits Beach, picks site near boat show on Key

By Sara Marino

Organizers for the just-concluded Miami Yacht show are moving the 2019 show north of downtown Miami next to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and the Sea Isle Marina.

The Miami Yacht Show showcases yachts, marine products and marine technology. In February the 2018 Miami Yacht show took place along Miami Beach’s Collins Avenue across from the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc hotels.

“We feel that it will help with not only the growth of the show but also improve the attendees’ experience,” Andrew Doole, general manager of Informa, the Miami Yacht Show’s co-owner and producer, said of the move. “We’ll have certainly more land available to do VIP

lounges and we’ll be able to show some lifestyle exhibits.”

One of the biggest reasons Mr. Doole said he feels this new location will be beneficial is that it will increase the show’s foot traffic.

“The proximity of those two sites [land owned by Resorts World Miami LLC, a Genting company, and the Sea Isle Marina] is the most important part of the whole move,” he said. “The Genting site and the Sea Isle site put this show very much closer to the Miami International Boat Show and it makes it far more convenient for attendees to go to see both shows instead of having to come all the way back to the Beach.”

According to Mr. Doole, the new location will be where the Miami Yacht Show will take place from 2019 and

onward since there’s a tenure agreement on all three sites.

“I think as we have an availability of land, which we haven’t had before, so I think we can offer more luxury lifestyle goods that can be associated with the yachts,” he said. “So we can have luxury cars, helicopters and aircrafts so that we can make it far more of an experience then just a boat show, so that we can show a luxury lifestyle experience, which we haven’t really been able to do at Collins Avenue because of the lack of land available.”

The new location will also allow attendees more parking availability, since the new space has 3,500 nearby parking spots.

“The parking and the valet options are a huge improvement,” Mr. Doole said.

“Also, the Brightline station is very close to the show entrance, so people run down from Fort Lauderdale in half an hour with the train, and then we would have a shuttle service between us and Key Biscayne.” The Miami International Boat Show runs concurrently on Virginia Key, along the causeway leading to Key Biscayne.

While there isn’t a projection as to how much more foot traffic the new location will bring in, Mr. Doole said he believes the attendance will increase.

“I think our attendance is going to jump significantly,” he said. “We’re excited about the move and we’re exciting about combining this show with the Miami International Boat show. It’s going to be an incredible boating week in the city of Miami.”

32-month convention center revamp to end in six months

By Sara Marino

After being under construction for 26 months, the Miami Beach Convention Center is to be completely re-opened in six months, with a partial opening in mid-March.

The construction in total cost $620 million and was part of a restoration and expansion project for the entire facility. The new convention center will be 1.4 million square feet and will include a new 60,000-square-foot grand ballroom, meeting rooms, a 20,000-square-foot glass rooftop ballroom and new indoor and outdoor spaces.

“We are finishing the project late August of this year,” said Maria Hernandez, the center project’s director. “That’s going to be the building, all the streets, and that does not include the Carl Fisher Clubhouse, which is part of a separate contract that’s going to be done by a different contractor, and that will be finished in 2019.”

Since the Miami Beach Convention Center has been only partially open throughout the

closed since Art Basel, but now we’re going to open the building again on March 17 for shows that will take place in half the building.”

In terms of shows that have taken place, the building normally has large-scale shows around the clock, but due to the construction the amount did decrease. In 2016 there were 25 events, in 2017 there were eight and in 2018 there will be 13.

“We haven’t had the building completely booked for two years due to the construction, but we have had events take place,” she said.

Between March and the summer months, six shows are to take place in half the building.

The building will then open for its first large-scale show Sept.

23, which will be the American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) annual convention.

“We’re really pushing to the finish line,” Mrs. Hernandez Photo by Harvey Burstein said. “We have been able to have The enhanced Miami Beach Convention Center has been partially open off and on during its expansion. shows in half the building, so we’ve been trying to generate as past 26 months, Mrs. Hernandez “We’ve kept the building open, year,” she said. “It is open for much business as possible in our said there was a drop in business. but it hasn’t been open the entire certain shows, but we’ve been construction period.”

Jump to 5.3 million cruise passengers here not end of gains

By Rebecca San Juan

More cruise line passengers indicates a stronger PortMiami and cruise line industry. After the port received over 5.3 million passengers for the 201617 fiscal year, Jaap Donath expects that number to grow and economically nourish the local economy.

The increase in passenger numbers indicates a stronger economy and job market.

Jaap Donath points to attractions to cruise passengers after voyage.

PortMiami contributes $41.4 billion annually to Miami-Dade County and generates 324,000 jobs. The tourism industry benefits when travelers decide to stay and explore before or after their trip.

As the senior vice president of research and strategic planning at the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, Dr. Donath says that attractions, restaurants and retail far and wide benefit from the port. Miami caters to a range of interests: “If they want to see the Everglades, they’ll go to Southwest Dade. If they want to go to a particular museum, they might go to downtown.

If they want to see something historic, they might go to the Spanish Monastery in North Miami Beach. It all depends on their interests, but I think the fact that we offer so many diverse opportunities for things to do before and after the cruise is interesting for passengers to spend more time here.”

Dr. Donath said he believes that the port as well as cruise lines investing and maintaining in their facilities, products, and services ensure a continuation of more passengers. He also emphasizes the need for travelers to want to visit the Magic City itself, “and knowing that Miami

is not only a great place to start a cruise but also visit prior or after a cruise.”

Dr. Donath says the steady growth of cruise line passengers over the past few years indicates the trend will continue.

He sees the growth in port visitors as much of a milestone

for PortMiami as for the cruise line industry: “One of the important aspects of the whole cruise industry is the fact that we are headquarters of major cruise lines in Miami-Dade County.

We are not only a cruise capital [for] passenger[s] but also from a industry perspective.”

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

Powerboat races back, to open season in Virginia Key basin

By J ohn Charles Robbins

Some supporters of restoring and reopening Miami Marina Stadium speak of the glory days when the waterfront stadium hosted speed boat races in the Virginia Key basin, and some have longed for a return of that event.

Powerboat P1 USA LLC plans to do just that.

The organization intends to open its 2018 P1 USA Championship racing season in the historic basin for two days in April.

Plans for the Miami P1 Grand Prix of the Sea were presented Tuesday night to the Virginia Key Advisory Board, which voted 6-to-1 in favor of supporting the event. Peter Ehrlich voted to oppose the event.

Plans filed with the City of Miami – the owner of the stadium and basin – show the weekend event is planned with setup Friday, April 20, and racing Saturday and Sunday, April 21 and 22.

The event will include power boat races and personal water craft (Jet Ski) races. The boats are 24- to 28-footers with stock Mercury outboard motors.

The motion was to support the application for the race, made to the city and other regulatory agencies, for use of the basin for the water competition. Esther

Powerboat P1 USA created a site plan showing the course for its April races at Miami Marine Stadium.

Alonso Luft made the motion and said the event could serve as a test case for future boat races, and hopefully set the standard for an efficient event mindful of the potential environmental impacts.

At the suggestion of Parks Director Kevin Kirwin (an ad hoc member of the board), the motion directed the race organizers to have public outreach during the event promoting environmental protections and safe boating, and as a public benefit to participate in clean-up

efforts at city park sites.

Board Chairman Joe Rasco asked the city staff to make a full report to the board about the outcome of the event.

A few residents spoke against holding the event in the basin, saying it is not the appropriate place for such a high-impact activity. One woman said the last speed boat race in the basin was in 1990, and the basin has changed drastically since and become more fragile and environmentally sensitive.

In a presentation to the city,

the racing organization wrote: “It will be the first round for our 2018 season and will be held over 3 days. This is a televised series and we will need permissions from the Miami TV and Film Department.”

The event would be open to the public and free of charge, according to the organization.

The group filed a site plan with the city showing the race course area or outline in the basin, along with locations for ancillary uses.

A spectator area would be set

up southeast of the stadium (as the stadium remains closed).

Spectators are encouraged to bring their own chairs. A vendor area would be set up behind the viewing area, and a competitor and staff parking area would be adjacent.

The organization said it intends to use four 20-by-20-foot tents, four 10-by-10 tents, and four 20-by-10 tents, and will set them up and take them down with their own personnel.

Vendors will also be putting tents up, organizers said.

The site plan show public parking would be northwest of Marine Stadium.

The organization has been promoting the event on a Facebook page. “This is going to be an amazing weekend. Don’t miss it,” the site says.

Participating sponsors are to include GEICO, Yamaha WaverRunners, Hydro-Turf, Sea-Doo, RIVA Racing - Watercraft Performance Specialists, Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, JetLift, Kawasaki USA, JETPILOT, P1 AquaX, JET RENU Watercraft Page, Mercury Racing and Flying Racing, according to the Facebook page.

The city closed the stadium in 1992 in the wake of Hurricane Andrew, but has launched a multi-million-dollar restoration project.

Miami commission acts to create bond issue advisory team

By J ohn C harles Robbins

Miami city commissioners have taken the first step to create a team of advisors on the allocation of up to $400 million from general obligation bonds.

Commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance establishing the oversight board Feb. 22 after a first reading. The propose ordinance makes clear that the board is advisory only and that the city commission will make all the decisions.

City voters last November approved the bond borrowing, earmarking monies for capital improvements as disparate as affordable housing and sea level rise mitigation.

Mayor Francis Suarez is sponsoring the legislation to create the board, pushing for diversity in the members with an emphasis on general citizens,

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.

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Miami-Dade Police Resources.

Schenk Productions Inc. New York. Liberty Square.

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Spike Productions Corp. Biscayne Park. Klingel.

Countywide.

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Lucy Douberley Photography. Davie. Lucy Douberley Photography. Miami Beach citywide.

First Option Productions Inc. Miami Beach. Grazie Magazine. Countywide.

N House Productions. Miami. La Redoute. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide.

New Era/Fifth & Ocean. Hialeah. SP 19 Catalog PhotoShoot. Crandon Park.

as opposed to loading the board with experts.

Community activists pushing Miami to be a global leader in meeting the challenges of climate change and sea level rise urged the commission to aim for transparency and diversity in membership on the oversight board.

Others campaigning for affordable housing urged the commission and future oversight board to not ignore the city’s most vulnerable residents, and to provide access to quality affordable housing to the extremely low income, or ELI, households.

Speakers also called for a citywide plan to address the lack of affordable housing, saying that many of the city’s poor and elderly are forced to spend more than half their income on rent, leaving some unable to afford basic necessities.

The size of the oversight board was still undecided after last week’s meeting.

While bond oversight boards or committees can sometimes number up to 15, Mr. Suarez said he believed a smaller group would be better for the Miami Forever Bond Program Citizens Oversight Board.

He suggested a seven-member board: one representative nominated by each of the five commissioners and one each nominated by himself and City Manager Emilio González.

At the meeting, Commissioner Joe Carollo questioned the number.

“One of my concerns is that it’s too small of a board. I don’t

know if seven is the right number,” said Mr. Carollo.

He said he’d be more inclined to approve the enabling legislation if the new board had nine members. He suggested a smaller group might run into trouble if some members didn’t attend, leading to potential tie votes.

Mr. Suarez said he had no objection to a nine-member oversight board.

Commissioner Ken Russell agreed with nine, suggesting the other two members be at-large, nominated and appointed by the full city commission.

“I’m confident we’ll put competent people on there,” Mr. Carollo said.

The proposed ordinance would establish the board; provide a sunset date; state the board’s purpose, powers and duties; and provide membership qualifications, terms of office, provisions for vacancies, and officers. It also would establish meetings, quorum, attendance requirements, parliamentary authority and rules of procedure, the assignment of staff and annual reports.

Members would have to be city residents.

The proposed ordinance says the mayor and commission desire to create the board to ensure that the Miami Forever Bond Program “has transparent and accountable internal project management and progress reporting, includes proactive community engagement and communications, and affords appropriate citizen oversight of the program to complement the standard oversight provided by

the City Commission.”

The board’s purpose, powers and duties would include: To advise the mayor, commission and administration on monitoring spending of proceeds from the general obligation bonds approved Nov. 7 for capital projects to reduce flooding risks; improve stormwater infrastructure; enhance public safety; and improve affordable housing, economic development, parks, cultural facilities, streets, and infrastructure.

To report to the mayor, commission and administration on proper and efficient use of all bond proceeds and request that vendors, contractors, consulting project managers or others receiving funding appear before the board to answer questions regarding the status of such funded projects.

To review quarterly expenditure reports produced by the city to ensure that bond proceeds are expended on time, on schedule, and only for the purposes in the ballot measure.

The proposed ordinance points out that setting priorities, determining specific projects, and the order of financing and construction for all projects “shall be made by the City Commission in its sole discretion.”

The five broad categories in the bond proposal are: $192 million for flood prevention and sea level rise mitigation. $100 million for affordable housing and economic development. $78 million for parks and cultural facilities.

$23 million for roadway improvements. $7 million for public safety.

Reacting to climate change and the potential impact to the city was a main theme in the campaign to get the bonding approved, and it’s no surprise the bulk of the funds are earmarked for sea level rise and flood prevention.

A final vote may come in late March.

Hotels gain

Miami-Dade hotels saw occupancy increase 6% in January from January 2017, rising from 76.7% occupancy to 81.3%, the second-highest occupancy level in the nation according to STR, the national travel research firm.

In the same period, Miami-Dade hotels recorded these other gains: The average daily room rate rose 7.7%, from $215.63 last year to $232.42, third highest in the nation.  Revenue per available room rose 14.3%, from $165.31 last year to $189.01, third highest in the nation. The number of rooms sold rose 6%, from 1,304,143 to 1,381,863.

Meanwhile, the number of hotel rooms in the market decreased slightly, from 54,873 in January 2017 to 54,816 this January.

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

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Health Update Bill would let state offer alternative Veterans Administration The News Service of Florida

A state Senate proposal would authorize Florida to begin negotiations with the federal government to see if the state could offer managed health-care programs to veterans and their families as an alternative to the health system provided by the federal Veterans Administration.

The Senate could vote on the proposal this week. Sponsor Rene Garcia, a Republican from Hialeah, agreed Tuesday to add an amendment to make clear the proposal is not designed to expand Medicaid for veterans in Florida.

‘Enough with using our veterans as political pawns. The time is now to ensure that we take care of our veterans.’

Rene Garcia

Instead, he said, the proposal would authorize discussions with the federal government to discuss opening access to the Medicaid managed-care infra-

structure of health plans and physicians.

The bill would authorize the state Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Agency for Health

Care Administration and the Department of Children and Families to jointly negotiate with federal agencies to seek approval for a waiver, a state-plan amendment, or other approval for federal funding for the “Florida Veterans Care” program.

The amendment was intended to provide comfort to House members who thought the proposal was an attempt to expand Medicaid, Sen. Garcia said.

House Speaker Richard Corcoran, a Republican from Land O’ Lakes, has been steadfast in his opposition to expanding Medicaid.

The federal Veterans Adminis-

tration system serves more than 1.5 million Floridians, which is the third-highest population of veterans in the nation. Over half of the state’s veterans are 65 and older, according to a staff analysis of the bill.

Sen. Garcia made a plea to members of the Florida House and Rep. Corcoran to “not stand in the way” of negotiations.

“Our veterans deserve better,” Sen. Garcia said. “Enough with using our veterans as political pawns. The time is now to ensure that we take care of our veterans.”

House committees have not heard the House version of the bill.

55 clinical trials ongoing at year-old Miami Cancer Institute

By Marcus Lim

A year has passed since the Miami Cancer Institute opened at Baptist Health South Florida, and it is making progress with clinical trials, officially starting four weeks ago. Currently 55 trials are ongoing and the institute is looking to expand.

Helping achieve those goals is Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Both institutions reap mutual benefits from their partnership.

January marked not only the one-year anniversary of Miami Cancer Institute opening, but also becoming a member at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance, a relationship that includes sharing research trends on oncology, patient care standards, shared trials and keeping each other up to date on the latest innovations.

Dr. Michael Zinner, founding CEO and executive medical director of Miami Cancer Institute, credited Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which currently has more than 530 trials, for helping expedite trials here and providing further assistance when needed, including sending tissue sample up to the institute’s Manhattan partner

‘They have been assisting us, they help us get the trials going and help us monitor them.’

Michael Zinner

for further analysis, patient access and having its partners design the application of the trial.

An example is Memorial Sloan Kettering helping start up the bone marrow transplant program here, which will start in several weeks.

The two institutes also provide each other access to a larger, more diverse patient base that they would not find in their respective cities. Through this partnership, Dr. Zinner hopes to expand the trials.

“They have been assisting us, they help us get the trials going and help us monitor them,” Dr. Zinner said. “We are looking at the menu of the trials available to bring those to Miami depending on what our population needs are.”

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, whose main campus is in Manhattan, is considered a world leader in oncology care with “excellent” patient care, standards that have been integrated and adopted by Miami Cancer Institute.

Together, both look at their patient base and see the most unmet needs, and are conducting 13 shared trials together.

“We are trying to look for the holes in coverage in patient population. If they don’t have a trial, we want to do it, we want to meet the greatest need,” said Dr. Paul Sabbatini, a gynecologic oncologist and MSK’s deputy physician-in-chief for clinical research.

The two are in contact on what trials can be opened in Miami, helping each other with ensuring the drug delivery system, monitoring and investigative review board works. Both also share tumor and blood samples so that it would aid their genetics investigation in identifying whether some drugs affect some communities differently.

Many of their interactions have been through virtual contact, eliminating the issue of distance.

Dr. Sabbatini said they held a lot of virtual conferences and lecture series together to share the standard of care for different types of cancer.

Both have also sent physicians to

Miami Cancer Institute is looking to have 100 ongoing clinical trials by the end of this calendar year.

be primary investigators to each other’s cities.

“It’s been really exciting, an opportunity for both of us to explore new ways to partner even with the distance,” he said. “It’s always a challenge with distance, but we have worked through it well and a lot of opportunities in person and virtual are meeting our expectations – exceeding them in many ways.”

It is Dr. Zinner’s hope that Miami Cancer Institute will hit 100 trials by year’s end. With the partnership, the space at Baptist Health and developing more in-house investigative trials, the aspiration could become a reality.

“I would say for a hybrid cancer system that is the best of the community hospital linked to an academic center, that is a pretty good rate,” Dr. Zinner said. “I came from Boston, where there is a designated cancer center every couple of blocks. We want to play an important role to cancer care in Memorial Sloan Kettering is helping with the start-up of the bone marrow transplant program as part of partnership assisting here.

Miami.”

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