Miami Today: Week of Thursday, March 29, 2018

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

WWW.MIAMITODAYNEWS.COM $4.00

TEACHER SHORTAGES RIFE IN VITAL SUBJECT AREAS, STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAYS, PG. 13 HOTELS ON TOP: Greater Miami hotels increased revenue per available room by 17.2% and the average daily room rate by 12.1% in February, leading the nation’s largest 25 hotel markets in both categories, according to STR, which monitors hotels across the nation. Revenue per available room rose to $226.19 in February from $193.02 in February 2017, STR found, while the average daily room rate hit $260.17, up from $232.02. At the same time, occupancy rose 4.5% to 86.9% from 83.2% and the number of room nights sold rose 4.2% to 1,336, 649. Total hotel rooms in the market, meanwhile, dipped 0.3% to 54,909.

The Achiever

By Gabi Maspons

MORE POLICE PATROLLING: The Omni area of the city of Miami will see added police coverage as part of a deal worked out through the Community Redevelopment Agency. City commissioners have accepted a $500,000 grant from the Omni Redevelopment District Community Redevelopment Agency to underwrite costs associated with enhanced police services within the Omni RedevelopmentArea. Police Chief Jorge Colina told commissioners the money will cover overtime wages, allowing officers who already know and work in the neighborhood to provide added coverage. It won’t be used to hire more officers. The enhanced services will include increased patrols, special operations, traffic details, club checks, criminal sweeps, prostitution details, and undercover narcotics details to address quality of life issues in the community redevelopment area.

COUNTY CRIME CAMERAS: Miami-Dade County Police Director Juan Perez said the department will soon consider installing cameras to monitor high-crime areas after Commissioner Javier Souto inquired about county-wide safety at the Public Safety and Health Committee meeting this month. Mr. Perez said the county already has a real-time crime center the police department can tap into to see video feed at government buildings, parks and other public areas. “Moving into the future, we would install cameras to monitor high-crime areas,” Mr. Perez said. He made sure to note that the county would inform the community beforehand: “We would put notices so people know the cameras are there and we are monitoring those areas.”

CHINA TRADE SEMINAR: A group promoting trade with China is offering an investment seminar with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce on April 6. The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Guangdong Committee is presenting the “Guangdong–Miami Investment Seminar from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day at the DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport Convention Center, 711 NW 72nd Ave. Registration is at www.

MiamiChamber.com. Guangdong, in southern China, is the nation’s largest province, with a population exceeding 108 million.

Patricia Rosello

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

Registered nurse becomes Baptist Hospital’s new CEO The profile is on Page 4

Developer’s check OKs more Wynwood density

By John Charles Robbins

A developer is soon to write a $500,000 check to the City of Miami in a deal that will allow added density to a block-sized project in the heart of Wynwood.

The money is to be set aside to rehabilitate and improve eligible housing in District 5, which includes Wynwood, Little Haiti, Liberty City, Overtown and more.

The promise of financial relief for lowincome homeowners and seniors who want to stay in their homes was a major selling point for District 5 Commissioner Keon Hardemon in support of land use and zoning changes requested by Westdale Wynwood LLC. Some neighboring homeowners were present last week when city commissioners granted final approval to the changes.

Addressing them in the crowd, Mr. Hardemon said, “You’re going to have some relief even before they have a shovel in the ground.

I think that’s very exciting.”

The changes are considered first steps toward clearing the way to redevelop an entire block, bringing new multi-family residences and retail

State funds keep clerk’s offices open

shops between Northwest 30th and 31st streets and Second and Third avenues.

Mr. Hardemon said he’d met with the developer to discuss a contribution that could be used to improve houses in the area.

The key provision in the covenant reads, in part: “… Owner shall contribute $1 million for neighborhood improvements to a neighborhood revitalization organization or community revitalization trust serving District 5, specifically as follows: $500,000 within 60 days of the Effective Date of this Declaration; $250,000 upon issuance of a building permit for any unified redevelopment on the Subject Property; and $250,000 upon issuance of a certificate of occupancy for any unified redevelopment on the Subject Property.”

Mr. Hardemon said, “I’m serious about that money going into homes. I’m excited about that, and they won’t have to wait for years for available funds.”

Commissioner Joe Carollo, who has been pushing the commission to get money from developers seeking larger projects, asked how many added residential units would be allowed after zoning changes. Staff said it is

a doubling, from 81 units to 162.

With inclusion of adjacent land, the developer said it plans about 200 multi-family rentals and incorporating smaller units that can accommodate working families and area residents looking for quality units sorely lacking in the neighborhood, where no new units have risen in decades.

Mr. Carollo said he was happy to see the developer step up with a sizeable commitment that will help improve housing. “At least they’re offering some real money,” he said, instead of promises to build so-called workforce housing that’s still out of reach for most city residents.

In a prepared statement, Yoni Bornstein, local partner in Westdale Wynwood, spoke of his appreciation of the diverse neighborhood.

“The neighborhood is a real gem – not only because of its close proximity to Midtown and the Wynwood Arts District, but because of its rich cultural heritage and civic organizations and schools within walking distance,” he said.

Attorney Steven J. Wernick, representing Westdale, said the approval of rezoning will allow the company to add significantly to the area’s housing.

The Florida Legislature has granted the Miami-Dade County clerk’s office $1.5 million to stay afloat this fiscal year, after cutting funding last year.

“During a very difficult session, mostly due to the work of [Speaker Designate] Jose Oliva, the state was able to give us money for the rest of the year,” Clerk Harvey Ruvin told Miami Today.

Last year, the legislature cut funding statewide. Just before the county passed its budget in September, Mr. Ruvin said he’d need to slash 123 jobs, lay off 70 people and close seven satellite offices if the commission didn’t let him keep $2 million of savings to run his offices. At satellite offices, residents make payments, get marriage licenses, get drivers and criminal histories, witness wills and more.

With pressure from Mayor Carlos Giménez, commissioners agreed to fund the office for six months but no longer, fearing they’d be stuck doing so forever.

“The state is responsible for funding the clerk’s offices,” Mr. Ruvin said. Mr. Giménez and Mr. Ruvin promised to lobby the state in the interim.

Mr. Oliva helped push the legislature to return funding to the county, Mr. Ruvin said. “He asked the tough questions and once he was convinced that our cause was both unique and just, he stayed true.”

With revenues declining, Mr. Ruvin says the county needs a new funding formula. “Traffic revenue was the cash cow of the clerk’s operation, but it has been nose-diving the last four years,” he said. The county has lost about 40% of traffic revenues.

The clerk’s office keeps less than 50% of its own revenues, allocating money to 37 trust funds. But many trust fund allocations have fixed amounts, so with revenues declining the clerk keeps even less.

The state decision will only fund the office for the rest of 2018, but Mr. Ruvin says he’s confident Mr. Oliva will be the county’s champion to find a long-term funding solution.

GOVERNOR WILTS PLAN TO GREEN BISCAYNE BOULEVARD ...

2

CITY OKS FIRST STRIDE TO UPDATE STORMWATER SYSTEM ...

9

DOWNTOWN HOMELESS COUNT STILL CONTENTIOUS ISSUE ...

3

$3 MILLION MORE FOR COURTHOUSE CONSULTING PUT OFF ...

10

VIEWPOINT: CATAMARANS FERRY TRANSIT COULD FLOAT ...

6

SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS TREND UP, BUT STILL BELOW PEAK ...

13

MIAMI EVALUATES READINESS FOR HURRICANES SEASON ...

7

SCHOOLS OFFER $60 MILLION PLAN TO GROW DOWNTOWN ...

15

2

MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

The Insider BODY CAMERA REPORT: Commissioner Barbara Jordan is to meet with Miami-Dade County Police Director Juan Perez to discuss a possible report on police body cameras after they were funded about one year ago.

When Ms. Jordan asked Mr. Perez at the Public Safety and Health Committee meeting this month if a report has ever been requested, he said a report is already underway that will be completed “in the next six months or so.”

Ms. Jordan said she is interested in seeing an outline of the report to give her input on what should be included. “I would like to see how many complaints may have been prevented, how consistently officers use the cameras, if there have been opportunities when they haven’t been used and what the result was,” Ms. Jordan said. Mr. Perez said he would be following up with her on the drafted report.

PARKING TICKET HIKE: Miami-Dade commissioners may soon explore the possibility of raising parking fines, Miami-Dade Clerk Harvey Ruvin told Miami Today. “Right now parking in the county is $18 and it has been over 20 years since it has been changed,” he said. The state average is about $40, he says. Broward is the next cheapest county, charging $32 for parking tickets, $14 more than Miami-Dade. “There is tremendous room for revenue there, but it’s up to the county commission to consider,” Mr. Ruvin said. With the clerk’s revenues Harvey Ruvin declining, satellite offices around the county threaten to close if new revenue streams aren’t found quickly. A January 2017 demonstration touted plans to put greenery where cars now roll on Biscayne Boulevard.

He says municipalities are also pressuring the commission to raise parking fines: “Miami Beach is finding that people would rather pay an $18 parking fine than park in a garage for $30.”

Tallahassee wilts Biscayne Green

PRICES SLIP AT YEAR’S END: Consumer prices in South Florida inched down a tenth of a percent in the last two months of 2017, leaving the annual

By Catherine Lackner increase in that market basket of goods at 1.8% for Miami-Dade and Broward counties, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

For Miami’s Downtown Development Authority, results of this year’s Florida legislative session could be summed up by the phrase “so near, yet so far away.”

Board members learned at their March 16 meeting that Biscayne Green, an audacious plan to create a “grand boulevard” on Biscayne Boulevard by replacing parking and traffic lanes with public spaces, TRUJILLO AN AMBASSADOR: The US Senate last week confirmed had been awarded $1 million in the 2018-19 budget.

Miami State Rep. Carlos Trujillo, Florida House budget chairman since 2016, as US ambassador to the But on March 20, Gov. Rick Scott Organization of American States. He was first elected to vetoed the item, along with $63 milthe Legislature in 2010 and was appointed ambassador lion in funding for other projects. in October by President Donald Trump. Rep. Trujillo, The authority did, however, receive UTILITY EASEMENT GRANTED: The Miami City Commission is directing the city manager to grant an easement to Bellsouth Telecommunications LLC, d/b/a AT&T Florida for a perpetual, non-exclusive 10-foot-wide easement of city-owned property adjacent to City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive.

AT&T will be allowed to construct, operate, maintain, add or remove such systems of communication, facilities, stand-by generators and associated fuel supply systems as a means of providing uninterrupted service during commercial power outages, with all wiring, cable or conduits to go underground, according to the legislation. City staff said the utility easement will run parallel to a new municipal parking garage to be built near Charthouse Drive and Pan American Drive.

35, an attorney, had been named in August a US representative to the United Nations General Assembly. He is expected to resign his House seat, but because the legislative session is over and the office will be up for election in November, the state probably won’t hold a Carlos Trujillo special election.

MLK BOULEVARD BEAUTIFICATION: Miami commissioners have approved the city manager’s selection of the Greater Miami Service Corps to maintain and beautify Martin Luther King Boulevard for about $174,000.

The resolution confirms the manager’s waiving of competitive bidding. The manager was directed to execute a professional services agreement with the corps from April 1 through March 31, 2019, with three one-year renewal options. A background memo says the corps’ program uses service as a strategy to connect young people in Miami-Dade County to education and meaningful work opportunities while providing cost effective services that improve the community and create taxpayers instead of tax-dependents.

IMMIGRATION APP IN WORKS: The City of Coral Gables, which partnered with Florida International University to develop an Immigration Narrative Web Application that will allow residents to use community sourcing tools to create and transcribe digital content in 2016, is still in the developmental phase, according to Jennifer Fu, head of Florida International University’s Geographic Information Systems Center, or GIS Center. “By mid-July all user interfaces will be fully developed,” she said. “Once we release the web and mobile tools to the public, they will be ready to be used and tested right away.”

CHINATOWN SEEKS ARCHITECTS: Despite completing a conceptual design master plan for its Chinatown Cultural Arts & Innovation District in September 2017, the City of North Miami has not yet requested proposals for architectural firms so that the overall design process can begin, according to Eunicia Baker, a senior public information officer for the city. “As of right now we have not put out any solicitations for architectural firms,” she said. “All updates regarding the project can be found at http://www. northmiamifuture.com/chinatown/.”

UNIVERSITY TRAINING OFFERED: Florida International University’s College of Architecture and the Arts Communication Department will be training City of Miami Fire-Rescue Department personnel in leadership development as part of a program approved March 22 by city commissioners. The city will pay the university up to $100,950 as part of a consulting services agreement for training designed to enable participants to learn leadership development, emotional intelligence and cultural awareness skills.

CLARIFICATION: A statement last week that starting in April the MiamiDade Transit Tracker app and Easy Pay will merge was incorrect. The Easy Pay app is to be upgraded in April to include mobile tickets and Easy Cards integrated into a digital account management system that will allow users to buy stored value and Easy Card passes (1-Day and 1-Week mobile tickets), as well allow users to add Easy Card autoloads and view their trip history, said Karla Damian of the Department of Transportation and Public Works.

“The county is exploring ways to merge some functionality of Easy Pay and Miami-Dade Transit Tracker apps to make it easier for transit users to plan and pay for their trips all from one app,” she said.

$300,000 for mental health services.

“It was a weird but relatively peaceful session,” Nelson Diaz, a principal of Southern Strategies, the authority’s Tallahassee lobbyist firm, told directors at their meeting.

The session began with legislators focusing on repairs from Hurricane Irma, but that all changed Feb. 14, with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting. “Sadly, the focus changed then,” Mr. Diaz said.

There was concern at the meeting that the governor would veto the Biscayne Green funding.

“This could get dismissed,” said Ken Russell, authority chair and Miami commissioner. “The governor has a lot on his mind. We’re at

the finish line, but it could go south pretty quickly.”

“Most effective by far is the relationships,” said authority Vice Chair Neisen Kasdin, office-managing shareholder of Akerman LLP. “Last year, there were record vetoes,” Mr. Diaz said. In fact, a nine-page list totaled nearly $12 billion in rejected projects. But Gov. Scott is said to be contemplating a run against US Sen. Bill Nelson when his current term is up later this year.

In 2014, the last time he was running for re-election, the governor vetoed only $69 million in funding. “He has to do some vetoes,” Mr. Diaz said, but he said he hoped the veto pen would be applied sparingly.

Animal cruelty unit to train police

By Gabi Maspons

The Miami-Dade County Police Department has been working with the Animal Services Department to create an animal cruelty unit to train police officers to detect when there has been animal abuse at crime scenes.

At the Public Safety and Health Committee meeting this month, Police Director Juan Perez and Animal Services Director Alex Muñoz updated county commissioners on their partnership at Commissioner Sally Heyman’s request.

“Thank you for opening our eyes to a more efficient way of dealing with animal cruelty cases,” Mr. Perez told Ms. Heyman. Mr. Perez said the police department has always had a partnership with animal services and they were “making it work,” but they have now refined their efforts.

Animal services is working with the police department and other agencies like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [ASPCA] to train police officers and increase animal cruelty identification throughout the county.

“We are focused on animal forensic on crime scenes,” Mr. Muñoz said.

The police department has identified specific detectives in each district and contracted with cities that will specialize in animal cruelty cases, Mr. Perez said. “They will work as liaisons for that district and animal services.”

Before the partnership, Mr. Perez said, the police department didn’t have all of the tools to identify animal cruelty cases.

“We didn’t know what we needed to process at a crime scene,” he said.

Now the police department is working with the state attorney and other law enforcement partners to extend the program throughout the county and beyond.

Mr. Perez recognized funding limitations and other demands on law enforcement, but said the department is maximizing its resources to help the cause.

“We can’t dedicate full-time efforts, but by leveraging the personnel that we already have, we can have full-time coverage,” he said.

The county has already teamed up with some municipalities, Mr. Perez said, and once all liaisons have been identified, the training can move forward.

Ms. Heyman requested a list of municipalities on board so commissioners can pressure their cities that are involved to get engaged in training.

Commissioners expressed appreciation to the police and animal services department for creating the partnership.

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am,” Ms. Heyman said, telling commissioners that identifying animal cruelty cases can keep county residents safe.

“When you are abusive to animals, you tend to be abusive to

other vulnerable populations like the elderly and children,” Ms. Heyman said.

Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava thanked Ms. Heyman for taking the lead and supported the program: “We obviously want to make sure that the wrong people can’t get access to more animals they can harm and want to prevent hard to more people,” Ms. Levine Cava said.

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 People Column people@miamitodaynews.com Michael Lewis mlewis@miamitodaynews.com

6

MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 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

Despite financial leaks, catamaran ferry transit could float A long-awaited study uncorked last week on how catamarans can beat traffic gridlock finds that boats could cut 20 minutes from the time buses clock on a single route but would lose $26 to $28 per passenger.

The 88-page report says a more thorough study is needed but the county’s transit department can’t afford it. The aim is to get funds for demonstration service along the Biscayne Bay route.

The report shows the multiple layers of bureaucracy that must be cleared to power scheduled runs anywhere in the county and then suggests adding a new layer – a county control team – while letting private operators pay to run the service.

Clearly, no private operator of sound mind would set up service without government break-even backing that also offers private profits. The county’s study was not a prospectus – a funding mechanism and terms are left for the future.

Despite the $26 to $28 loss for a trip that the county posits at a competitive fare of $2.25 to $4.50, waterborne transit is appealing in Miami-Dade for multiple reasons, most of which are detailed in the

report signed by Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who was in Asia when it was issued.

One key factor is that little infrastructure is needed to get service flowing. Including buying five catamarans and creating terminals at both ends of the run from Haulover Park just north of Bal Harbour to Sea Isle Marina at the Omni Metromover Station and in between, total capital costs are $3.6 million. Compare that with hundreds of millions for a Metromover or Metrorail link. The bay, after all, is already there, To our minds, that low entry cost makes a test of waterborne transit a bargain even projecting annual losses of $3.9 million to $4.25 million to carry 150,000 people.

Give a good operator the chance to beat the county’s 150,000 annual on-board estimate through creative pricing and marketing. The county study estimates exactly the same rider total if ticket prices were cut in half, which implies that price doesn’t alter use. We’d love to see a professional operator test and demolish that assumption.

Waterborne transit has long appealed for good reasons: It’s touristic and visually appealing – as the county report says, it’s “more than just a ride.” It would use infrastructure that’s mostly in place. It’s successful in metropolitan areas from Manhattan to Hong Kong. It doesn’t displace other transportation (think of buses or trolleys that take the

same lanes that automobiles also need) or require condemnation of properties to build routes. It’s far more pleasant to sit in a boat than a bus – especially our buses. And it could be set up and run by a private operator.

For those reasons county commissioners in February 2017 voted to update prior studies and create a plan for on-demand and fixed-route waterborne transit.

The resultant report focused on a 9.1to 11-mile voyage from Haulover Park to downtown Miami.

The study also looked at a boat from Miami to Miami Beach, but Beach officials pooh-poohed the idea because their own trials hadn’t worked – a show of hands, please: how many of you ever heard of that Beach boat service or knew how to access it? The best way to kill a new transit service is to keep it quiet.

Studies of waterborne transit began 15 years ago, when what is now the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization found commuter travel on Biscayne Bay was feasible. The next year it did another report. Two years later it began evaluating routes. Then it got bids from operators. But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission demanded so much supervision to ensure manatee safety that the effort was scuttled.

It isn’t just the wildlife commission to get past. Add the Department of Regulatory Economic Resources, the US

Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard to the list.

The report, in fact, makes clear that while any operator of waterborne transit could be up and running quickly, it would take years to navigate the approvals process just to be allowed to operate. And then, if the county’s report was followed, any operator would have to satisfy a new county regulatory team created for just that purpose.

If all the hurdles from regulators and estimated losses of six to 12 times fare collections weren’t enough, the report goes on to list others, including bay waters just 1 to 10 feet deep, speed zones, bascule bridges that limit vessel heights, ADA accessibility rules and high diesel fuel costs.

Still, we’d bet that the county could structure a funding deal that would lure ferry runs via catamaran if it had the money. As it is, the report calls for a new $285,400 study and says the Transportation Planning Organization should pay for it, providing yet another pair of barriers to waterborne transit.

This whole thing started, however, at the Transportation Planning Organization.

We’d hope that the group – whose governors include the entire county commission – would take up the challenge and keep waterborne transit flowing forward. It’s time that someone demonstrates how we can use our area’s greatest natural asset, its waters, to bring our communities together rather than to separate us.

Solving Miami’s transit puzzle with disruptive technology What is the transit dilemma for MiamiD a d e C o u n t y ’s SMART plan?

We are hitting the same brick wall for over 40 years: our inability to raise the billions of dollars needed and not trusting in technology. Maurice A. Ferré Already places like Denver and Dallas are having second thoughts about what they have done in transit: it has not decongested their gridlocked highway and road systems, nor gotten people out of cars. Transit ridership is mostly going down with rising operating costs.

As we can see in Washington, DC, and New York City the cost of not having maintained these transit systems is now overbearing.

Had we built the transit that Denver and Dallas and so many other cities in other parts of the country did, we would now have invested $8 billion or $9 billion into what may soon be cost-prohibitive transit systems. The problem now must be solved with disruptive technology.

The issue, however, is what do we do for the next ten years?

While we wait for connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles, congestion pricing, Smart Cities, Urban Maglev or hyperloop, we must do what is most cost effective to solve the immediate problem.

How do we solve the gridlock problem in Miami-Dade County for the 96% of us who today ride cars and not the transit system?

The private sector calls the answer Return on Investment, or ROI. In government talk,

The Writer

This is a condensation of remarks that Maurice A. Ferré, a former Miami mayor, Miami-Dade-County commissioner and state legislator, delivered to the first General Assembly of the Miami-Dade County Transportation Planning Organization as he was honored as the TPO’s first Transportation Champion. Until recently he served on the TPO board.

6 Secretary Jim Wolfe, or District 5 Secretary Jerry O’ReilIy? I don’t know anybody who knows more about transportation than former Florida Secretary José Abreu, Javier Rodriguez at the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority and Alice Bravo at Miami-Dade County Transportation and Public Works. Or could we ask for a better team than the MDX staff? FDOT has a tradition of excellence at the top.

We are not lacking in knowledge, technology and quality leaders.

I know that when crunch time comes, the hero in this picture is going to be Aileen Bouclé and her TPO staff. Chair Esteban Bovo and the TPO will follow the most effective cost-benefit ratio to assure our ultimate goal: economic development through transit, sustainable jobs. Our TPO will succeed because they will follow the facts.

Of course, José Oliva, the incoming Speaker of the House, is correct: the future of transit will be defined by technology.

But for us to get there, we must resist the temptation of short, easy answers. Those who want to pour more billions into shoring up a collapsing system are surely misguided.

Elon Musk said that by next year all of his Tesla automobiles would have a

ROI is called the cost-benefit ratio.

We must use the incredible amount of megadata available to design the most costefficient transit systems that also feed into the technology that is around the corner.

The highway system of Miami-Dade County touches 90% of the areas where we need to go with transit. The question is: what is the most cost-effective transit system that can override the underused highway system that today only services vehicles? (and to make matters worse, over 85% of the people using those automobiles are single riders.)

Disruptive technology can solve both our immediate and our near future transit needs.

That brings me to the people involved. I cannot think, and I say this in all seriousness, of better leadership, into the future, than Carlos Gimenez, Esteban Bovo, my former colleagues at the Transportation L etters to the E ditor Planning Organization, the Board of County Commissioners, and the important mayors in the municipalities of Miami-Dade County.

They are dedicated and driven for transit.

Copy success. Ridership in other cities But all that must be continually fortified with the most technically astute professionals. is strong, no wait, sea level rise proof.

Can you think of anybody smarter than I’m in favor.

Robert Lansburgh Florida Department of Transportation District

Aerial cable transit has sea level rise advantage

computer the size of a lunchbox that would have 7 Terabytes. The University of Miami several years ago installed one of the largest supercomputers in the US that cost over $50 million for 1 Terabyte.

Today I can show you a 4 Terrabyte external hard drive that you can purchase for $104.99.

My iPhone has a larger computer than the Apollo, which landed on the moon in 1969.

I believe that Elon Musk will provide a 7 Terrabyte computer in his cars for several hundred dollars. Do you believe this?

If you do, then your transit answer is right in front of you. The bold adoption of technology is our future.

Miami-Dade needs transit solutions now.

I believe this TPO will succeed in delivering transit, because it will make those bold decisions based on facts.

miamitodaynews.com FOUNDED JUNE 2, 1983 VOLUME XXXV No. 44 ENTIRE CONTENTS © 2018

To contact us: News

Advertising Classifieds Subscriptions Reprints

(305) 358-2663 (305) 358-1008 (305) 358-1008 (305) 358-2663 (305) 358-2663

Editor and Publisher / Michael Lewis Vice President / Carmen Betancourt-Lewis

MIAMI TODAY (ISSN: 0889-2296) is published weekly for $145 per year; airmail: to Europe $190 per year, the Americas $145 per year. Published by Today Enterprises Inc., 2000 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 100, Miami, Florida 33133, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Miami, FL. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MIAMI TODAY, 2000 S. DIXIE HIGHWAY, SUITE 100, MIAMI, FLORIDA 33133.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

7

Miami workers evaluate preparations for hurricane season

By John Charles Robbins

It’s never too early to prepare for hurricane season, particularly if you’re still suffering the consequences of the last one.

That’s the situation officials with the City of Miami find themselves in, six months after Hurricane Irma and about three months before the start of the 2018 season.

At the city commission meeting March 8, Commissioner Manolo Reyes asked about the city’s status.

“What is our hurricane preparedness plan?” he Manolo Reyes asked.

Police, fire and emergency officials say they are applying the lessons learned last year to be better prepared for the 2018 season.

Hurricane Irma last Sept. 10 brought South Florida storm surge and winds that tore through the tree canopy. Much of the region lost electric power, with outages lasting more than two weeks in some areas.

Downed trees, broken branches and other clutter churned up

by Irma quickly piled up on the sides of streets citywide.

The city’s own clean-up crews and a fleet of private contractors began to collect the mess, but the process was slow.

Compounding the problem, residents began mixing bulk household garbage and debris onto the mounds of trees and branches.

It took more than a month to remove most of the debris from the streets.

On Oct. 17 the city announced it had completed the first pass of debris collection and would be starting the final pass to pick up any leftover hurricane-related debris.

In late October, budget officials calculated a preliminary cost estimate of handling debris from Hurricane Irma at about $73 million, and the city is seeking 90% reimbursement from FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency).

Beyond that, the city-owned and -operated marinas sustained major damage and remain depleted. It wasn’t until the first week of February that the parking lot near the city’s boat launch in Coconut Grove was cleared of rows and rows of sunken vessels damaged by Hurricane Irma.

Mr. Reyes noted that Hurricane Irma was a Category 1 when it made landfall.

“Just imagine if we’d been hit by a Category 2 or 3,” he said.

He asked: What is the city’s emergency response plan to deal with the impact from dangerous and powerful tropical storms, from the loss of electrical power to downed branches and trees and other debris, along with storm surge flooding and other water damage?

Mr. Reyes said now is the time to start trimming and clearing branches and to cleaning out storm drains.

Fire Chief Joseph Zahralban

Photo by John Charles Robbins

Debris from Hurricane Irma filled Miami’s streets long after the Category 1 hurricane passed past year.

said that’s exactly what city workers have been doing.

He said emergency responders have evaluated past practices and how to incorporate those into the lessons learned from Irma.

Pete Gomez, assistant fire chief and emergency manager, told commissioners the department continues to compile information into its “after action report” on the September storm, “with lessons learned, both good and bad … to build on the good and correct the bad.”

Mr. Gomez continued, “Our plan is based on the cooperation among city departments, and we rely on our partners.”

The city has a comprehensive emergency management plan and each city department has operational procedures to follow, he said.

Mr. Reyes said 90% of the electrical outages in September were due to downed branches and trees.

City officials assured commissioners that work is already under way to prepare for hurricane season, from tree trimming to cleaning out city drains.

“So, we are prepared?” asked Mr. Reyes.

“Yes,” answered Chief Zahralban.

The city is progressing with its own tree trimming, he said, and Florida Power & Light is also cutting and clearing trees.

Nzeribe Ihekwaba, assistant city manager, reported on the city’s drain clearing, which is under a citywide contract and is a continual year-around process.

In areas that saw flooding last year, namely the Brickell area, new water pumps have been installed, said Mr. Ihekwaba.

Pumps on Brickell Avenue and near Mary Brickell Village are designed to alleviate rising waters there, he said.

As for tree trimming procedures, Mr. Ihekwaba said city workers are studying best practices in landscaping and possible amendments to the tree ordinance may be forthcoming.

“I assure you, we have measures in place,” Mr. Ihekwaba said.

“We have to be ready,” stressed Mr. Reyes. He reminded everyone of the danger posed to the elderly, on their own and those living in senior centers, who had to deal with

no electricity and therefore no air conditioning.

At the same meeting, commissioners granted preliminary approval to an ordinance to protect the elderly during storms, in response to Hurricane Irma.

The ordinance requires nursing homes and assisted living facilities catering to the elderly to have a plan for emergency power and fuel for generators.

It establishes a citywide requirement that all city-funded facilities, including senior

citizen towers, have functioning generators with adequate fuel capable of continuous use to power essentials, including elevators, lights, emergency alarms and air conditioning in the designated rooms; and that resident attendants to the elderly should be on site within 24 hours of a hurricane or storm’s passage, or as soon as safely possible, to ensure adequate care in the aftermath of hurricanes and storms resulting in widespread power outages.

Commissioner Ken Russell thanked Mr. Reyes for bringing up the city preparation plans for the oncoming season.

He said he was never more proud of the city than when he witnessed city workers responding to the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

Mr. Russell said it’s very rare that public works employees and solid waste personnel get to “shine as true heroes,” but that’s what he saw in September, with the massive clean-up efforts citywide.

Commissioner Wifredo “Willy” Gort agreed, saying he was out in the community right after the storm and saw the city employees hard at work.

“I was very proud of our employees. They were very responsive,” Mr. Gort said.

Mayor Francis Suarez agreed, saying the city employees did a phenomenal job.

Mr. Reyes mentioned the added burden of residents placing household trash and debris into the piles of branches and other storm-related debris.

He suggested an awareness campaign to remind residents not to put out other household items – like furniture – until trees and branches are removed and the city gets back to its regular bulk waste pickup schedule.

Registration for the MDX FREQUENT DRIVER REWARDS PROGRAM ends on March 31, 2018 Don't miss the opportunity to sign up!!

Also log in to update your current account!

Visit www.mdxway.com from your computer or mobile phone to register The program only applies to MDX expressways, not to the Turnpike or the FDOT 95 Express

8

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

TODAY’S NEWS

Year after debut, museum plans September grand opening

By Katya Maruri

After hosting its soft inauguration a little more than a year ago, the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora plans to host its grand opening Sept. 8 with two new major exhibitions highlighting Celia Cruz and the Bacardi Family, according to Ileana Fuentes, the museum’s founding director.

“The Grand Opening of the museum will take place on Ileana Fuentes Sept. 8, 2018, on the feast of the patron saint of Cuba, Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre (Our Lady of Charity from El Cobre), a big and important day for Cubans everywhere,” she said via email.

The museum, which held its soft opening Nov. 19, 2016, debuted its first exhibition, “Bending the Grid: Dictators, Terrorism, War and Exiles,” by Luis Cruz Azaceta, which explores the themes of terrorism, war and exiles as part of a 29-piece exhibition that spans from 1980 to the present, according to the museum’s website.

That exhibit, said Carisa PerezFuentes, the museum’s communications and marketing director, will run through May as part of Miami Museum Month.

“Basically what happened with our timeline,” Ms. Perez-Fuentes, said, “was that Alberto Carvalho,

The American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, now open weekends,plans to go dark during the summer.

the superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, came out and visited the museum and immediately liked what the museum had to offer, which led to us implementing an education program for middle school students.”

As a result, she said, the museum is currently working on its initial school programs so that students can reap the full benefits of the program when the museum’s new exhibitions debut in September.

In addition to working on its

school program, the museum plans to focus its efforts on fine-tuning its headquarters and preparing for its grand opening, she said.

The grand opening celebration will hold two major exhibitions, Ms. Fuentes told Miami Today. The first exhibition, “Forever Celia,” is to highlight the queen of salsa, Celia Cruz, and “Forever Cuban: The Spirit of Exile,” will display the Bacardi Family’s history and struggle for rights and freedom in Cuba going back to the 19th century.

As a result, these two new exhibitions will debut approximately 10 years after the museum began construction in 2008 after receiving $10 million in county general obligation funding in 2004.

The museum also received other grants from Miami-Dade County and the county’s Department of Cultural Affairs that went towards improving and expanding the museum and received “a nice chunk” of operating subsidiary funds from Miami-Dade County, which

currently makes up a third of the museum’s operating budget, Ms. Perez-Fuentes said.

“Right now our operating hours are still 10 a.m. to 4 p.m on the weekends,” Ms. Perez-Fuentes said. “However, once everything is up and running in September we plan to be open five to six days a week. We are still ironing out those details.”

As for what to expect until the grand opening, she said, “During the summer months the museum will go dark so that we can take down the current exhibit that’s currently in the museum and replace it with the exhibitions.”

“Once the new exhibitions are in place and the grand opening happens we plan to offer guided tours of the museum, film screenings, book readings and a bunch of other activities,” Ms. Perez-Fuentes said.

Moving forward, she said, “We are currently working with the Celia Cruz Foundation, the Smithsonian and the Bacardi Museum to accurately portray these different periods of time within Cuba’s history and are looking forward to debuting our newest exhibitions at the grand opening.”

The museum, which is at 1200 Coral Way, is open weekends from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with admission costs at $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and students and free to children under 10. Annual membership with free admission and other privileges is $55 for single membership and $100 for families.

Parking authority seeking charging stations in city garages

By John Charles Robbins

With the popularity of electricpowered cars on the rise, the city’s parking agency is preparing to add charging stations to some municipal parking garages.

At its March meeting, the OffStreet Parking Board authorized the Miami Parking Authority (MPA) to request proposals for electric vehicle charging stations.

Over the past few years electric vehicles have become increasingly popular, according to a staff report.

“While more and more consumers are choosing the environmentally friendly option, auto manufacturers are investing in the technology and offering a plethora of choices when it comes to EVs,” the reports says.

“At MPAwe have always strived to be innovative and provide services that meet the parking demands of our customers. The

addition of EV charging stations to our facilities would certainly be an asset to our operations,” it says.

According to authority COO Alejandra Argudin, the request for proposals specifically requires the bidding companies to install and maintain the charging equipment.

All costs would be paid by the private company awarded the work.

From the parking authority’s view, adding these stations would be a perk for customers with electric vehicles who wish to use the municipal garages, said CEO Art Noriega.

“It would be treated as an amenity” to the garages, he told the board.

Board member Jami Reyes supported the idea, noting the proliferation of electric vehicles.

“This is becoming a thing now,” she said.

Mr. Noriega said, “We want to get ahead of it.”

Garages being considered for charging stations include Courthouse Center Garage, 40 NW Third St.; Cultural Center Garage, 90 SW First St.; College Station Garage, 190 NE Third St.; North Garage and Park Plaza West Garage at Jackson Memorial Hospital, 1611 NW 12th St.; and all Marlins Park garages at 1402 NW Seventh St. The request for proposals says these preliminary locations are suggestions, are subject to all applicable approvals and permits, and may be modified with consent of the authority.

“Contractor shall be responsible for performing a due diligence and investigation of the locations, and must also determine the suitability or non-suitability of each site,” the request reads.

Mr. Noriega said the Knight Center Garage at 100 SE Second St. may also be a location for the

charging stations.

Ms. Reyes asked if the garages are ready to accept charging station installations.

Staff said yes, the garages are ready in terms of physical infrastructure and power load.

The request for proposals requires several minimum qualifications for bidding companies, including: “Proposer(s) shall be regularly engaged in the business of providing Electric Car Charging Stations and EVSE [Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment] for a minimum of three years or more.”

In 2015, the Off-Street Parking Board authorized a pilot program that saw electric charging equipment installed at the Courthouse Center Garage.

The board approved a deal for the authority to work with a company called ChargePoint on the program, which included installation of two dual-port, wall-mounted stations at the Courthouse garage.

The charging stations resemble traditional gasoline pumps, in a slimmed-down design, and each station has two electric charge lines.

Each station has two charge lines.

O F F I C E R E LO CAT I O N

Suzanne L. Keeley, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist 5940 S.W. 73 rd Street, Suite 101 South Miami, Florida 33143 305-595-5155 susankeeleyphd.com Private and Confidential

By Appointment Only

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

11

Share Your Thoughts With Us

Miami Today has reached its 35-year milestone.

Please tell us what Miami Today means to you, why you read it and what you use it for.

We’re gathering the thoughts of our friends and supporters to celebrate together this 35-year journey.

We thank you in advance for your time and insights.

Please send your thoughts with your name, title and a contact phone number just in case to 35anniversary@miamitodaynews.com We sincerely appreciate your long-standing relationship with Miami Today and your willingness to share your thoughts with others.

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

13

Education Trends Teacher shortages rife in state in vital subject categories

By Katya Maruri

As the school year nears its end, the Florida Department of Education continues to point to teacher shortages in vital subject areas across the state and throughout Miami-Dade County.

“Historically, Florida does not have an overall shortage of teachers, but rather, shortages in certain subject areas,” said Audrey Walden, a department of education spokesperson.

According to a critical teacher shortage area report conducted by the department, the critical teacher shortage areas for the 2016-17 school year included: General Science

Physical Science English Mathematics English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Reading Exceptional Student Education (ESE) In these areas, substantial proportions of teachers who aren’t certified in the field are being hired to teach the courses and vacancies abound, yet colleges and universities don’t graduate enough people to meet the needs of Florida’s students.

In comparison to the total of certifications held by teachers in 2014-15, which saw elementary education as the most

common teacher certification at 23.3% followed by ESOL at 20.3%, numbers in 2016-2017 dropped off significantly, with ESE making up only 10.82% of certifications and reading and English making up 6.27% and 4.84% of certifications, according to the report.

One trend in particular that contributes to these shortages is the number of courses taught in each subject by teachers who aren’t certified in that field.

For example, of the 33,371 English courses statewide during 2014-15, teachers not certified in that field taught 3,343 – 10% of those courses.

As a result of these vacancies, MiamiDade County Schools plan to utilize the

data in the report to their advantage, according to spokesperson John Schuster.

“Nationally, subject areas most in need continue to be exceptional student education, math and science,” he said. “MiamiDade County Public Schools teacher needs are aligned with those of the national data and in addition we are also experiencing a need for English teachers.”

As a result, he said, “to keep up with the demand, Miami-Dade County Public Schools recruits at the local, state and national level year-round.”

Use of consistent recruitment practices, he said, “affords the district the ability to recruit the most qualified individuals for our needs.”

School enrollments up over decade, still below peak years

By Rebecca San Juan

Enrollment numbers have risen for the nation’s fourthlargest public school system over the past 10 years. MiamiDade County Public Schools have had a 2.5% gain in the past decade.

Enrollment rose from 345,356 in February 2008 to 354,263 in February 2018, said John Schuster, executive director for news media relations at the school system.

Still, the February total is slightly behind the enrollment figures posted on the district’s website for the past four school years, which listed 355,268 students in 2013-14, 355,913 in 2014-15, 356,480 in 201516, and 356,086 in 2016-17.

Even those figures fluctuated even within each school year as students entered and left the public schools.

The school system’s enrollment peaked way back in the 2001-02 school year, when enrollment jumped from 368,453 the prior year to 374,725. But numbers fell off the following year to 371,482 and have been lower than that ever since as the district has added schools – up from 302 two decades ago to

Miami-Dade’s public schools have added 2.5% to student total in past decade, but peak was 2001-02.

467 now – but has seen reduced enrollments.

Mr. Schuster sees more students gravitating towards the system’s choice programs, including International Baccalaureate programs, magnet schools, and charter schools.

In International Baccalaureate programs, county statistics show an increase from 1,463 students enrolled in the 2015-16

school year to 1,501 in 2016-17.

An influx of foreigners drives enrollment numbers. Mr. Schuster wrote by email, “One of the largest factors in rising enrollment is immigration.

Miami-Dade County enrolls more than 15,000 new, foreignborn students each year.”

Class sizes remain relatively the same despite the increase in student population. Classes

typically host at least 15 students with the annual budget determining the average number each year.

“In most cases the increase[s] do not impact class size, because the new students tend to be distributed throughout the county, as we saw with the recent arrival of students from Puerto Rico [not foreign born] who were impacted by Hurricane Maria,”

Mr. Schuster wrote. “There was not a large concentration of students in any particular school.”

Families relocating across the county affect how student population increases are reflected in a particular area, and thus far no single community shoulders the heavy weight of too many pupils.

The budget granted by the Legislature each year also increases alongside enrollment numbers. The current academic year provides $1,222,698,941 for all schools in the district.

“The budget has increased,” Mr. Schuster wrote. “Funding from the state, however, has been inadequate and has not kept pace with rising costs of health care and insurance, for example.”

Mr. Schuster wrote that he expects future enrollment numbers to follow an upward trend: “It can be expected to see enrollments grow, based on the evidence that projections show a growth in the greater Miami area. High-rise buildings are springing up across our skyline, thousands of new condominiums are becoming available in areas that previously had none, and those homes will have school-age children in them, it is anticipated.”

College rolls remain strong, with no spikes in numbers

By Katya Maruri

As local institutions of higher learning begin to prepare for their summer terms, Miami Dade College, Florida International University and the University of Miami say they anticipate continued strong enrollments in the coming months.

“Currently we have 65,000 credit students, which is up by 4% from the year before,” said Archie Cubarrubia, Miami Dade College’s vice provost of institutional effectiveness. “Typically we track

enrollment numbers on a term-by-term basis, which varies from year to year.”

However, he said, “Overall our enrollment numbers have remained pretty stable and strong.”

The college’s goal, he said, is to “increase procurement and retain graduation rates as a much as possible.”

As for Florida International University’s enrollment numbers, Kevin Coughlin, the university’s interim vice president of enrollment and university registrar, said, “fall term is when the most

interesting enrollment trends occur.”

For example, he said, “in fall 2013 enrollment was at 52,980, in 2014 enrollment grew to 54,099, followed by 54,058 in 2015, 55,112 in 2016 and 56,886 in 2017.”

“Summer term, which we refer to as the second half of fall,” he said, “is anticipated to have very high enrollment numbers due to the incoming amount of freshman.”

However, he said, the university’s goal moving forward is to “stay solid

for a bit” as the university prepares for continued growth in the coming months.

The University of Miami, whose budget for the 2017-18 academic year is $3.2 billion, with $2.4 billion projected for its medical campus, anticipates no real enrollment growth in the coming year, according to Megan Ondrizek, a spokesperson for the university.

“Our current total undergraduate enrollment is just above 10,000 undergraduate students,” she said, “and 10,000 is the projected goal for 2018-2019.”

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

MIAMI TODAY

EDUCATION TRENDS

15

Schools have $60 million plan to boost downtown learning

By Rebecca San Juan

More classrooms and new classmates are coming to four elementary schools in Brickell and downtown as the school system looks to increase capacities in the city’s core. Miami-Dade County Public Schools is also considering an extension to iPrep Academy.

The school system is looking to invest over a span of five years $23 million south of the river in Miami’s core and about $37.6 million north of the river. The schools plan to utilize primarily tax revenue to enlarge existing programs.

A budget of $23 million includes expanding Southside in Brickell.

North of the river, the school system currently work within a $6 million budget for its plans. It expects to receive $9 million next year, $1 million the following, $12 million during the 2020-2021 academic year and $4.6 million during 2021-2022 to increase capacity for Phyllis Wheatley, Paul Laurence Dunbar and Frederick Douglass schools.

Frederick Douglass has an exclusive additional funding for about $5 million in the 2019-2020 academic year. Collaborations with partners, including the City of Miami, will determine where and how the money is allocated.

In the works: Officials plan to add a middle school component to Southside three blocks away from the elementary campus at 45 SW 13th St. The elementary school allows for a 832-pupil capacity. The location to house grades six through eight would allow for a 500- to 600-student capacity, MiamiDade County Public Schools Chief Strategy Officer Lisa Martinez said.

“The site for the Southside will include a floor of units for teachers,” she said. The school district, Lisa Martinez she said, looks forward to collaborating with the Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development Department on the project. Frederick Douglass at 314 NW 12th St. is to double in size. The recently completely new facility allows for 280 students. The expansion allows for an additional 500 to 600 students. Paul Laurence Dunbar at 505 NW 20th St. will also receive some funding.

Officials plan a middle school three blocks from Southside’s current campus, adding 500 to 600 pupils.

‘We would be replacing the current building but there would be a school on the site where there currently is a school but it may be larger.’

Jaime Torrens

Frederick Douglass will double in capacity with a recently completed new facility at 314 NW 12th St.

The county hopes to replace the Phyllis Wheatley site with a capacity of 640 students with a new facility. Miami-Dade County Public Schools Chief Facilities Officer Jaime Torrens said, “There most likely we would be replacing the current building but there would be a school on the site where there currently is a school but it may be larger. We would have to go through and figure out exactly what that looks like.”

Mr. Torrens says that his team needs to research alongside school operations to determine whether there is a need for middle school grades at the 1801 NW First Place location. He said he thinks it’s likely that the new school will offer grades sixth through eighth in addition to the current elementary offerings.

Teams from the Miami-Dade

Partners aim to relocate iPrep Academy and increase its capacity.

Public Housing and Community Development Department as well as the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) are helping move the project forward.

As is the case for Southside, the design also includes room for workforce housing. Ms. Martinez says both Southside and Phyllis Wheatley projects include housing for teachers as part of a conscious effort: “We are pairing up these two opportunities as a pilot effort to collaborate with public housing community development.” Officials also are weighing options for iPrep Academy at 1500 Biscayne Blvd. The school, educating students in grades prekindergarten through 12th grade, sits on 10 acres the county owns.

The school system plans to work alongside the City of Miami’s Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, Ms. Martinez said. “They are interested in working with us to be able to sort through how best to not only relocate it but also expand its capacity. They moved forward with board action to be able to work on an [memorandum of understanding] with us to move that concept forward.”

The president of Biscayne Neighborhoods Association, Andres Althabe, is advocating for an expansion of iPrep Academy.

“The expansion of iPrep into a separate location is something that the school board has been discussing for a long time and it just doesn’t materialize,” Mr. Althabe said. He said his association considers a parcel of land across from Temple Israel of Greater Miami at

137 NE 19th St. as an ideal location.

“That would make the commute to school very easy for people in the north edge of Edgewater and also for downtown.”

Mr. Althabe said residents in Edgewater could walk their children to school and those in downtown would have access to the Metromover.

Spreading the word about the expansion of iPrep will help move

along the process, Mr. Althabe said.

“They’re going to need to react when the problem is out in the everyday conversation. They’re going to have to react and find solutions.”

Real estate broker Madeleine Romanello said expandi ng cur r ent schools and potentially adding new ones, both public and private, can only improve the M. Romanello livelihood of downtown residents. The broker associate at Compass expects building to continue and sees demand for more schools.

“There’s a lot of high-end condos that have been built in those areas and I would say that there’s always going to be people that want a private school,” Ms. Romanello said. “It’ll be better for the area to have a balance of both.”

A wider range of school options only enriches the lives of residents in the area, Ms. Romanello said.

“People do love downtown living.

We’ve really changed a lot. I think giving people that option is great.”

Exceptional Private Education at an Affordable Cost!

Cutting-edge degrees in Sports Administration, Law, Nursing, Criminal Justice, Data Analytics, and even Cyber Security!

Request Personalized Information at

STU.EDU/CareerBoost

24

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

MIAMI TODAY

S W BMOW 00E N 0 1 L R SA E V O ON

DESTINATION MIAMI SALES EVENT

NEW 2018 BMW 320i

317

$

Lease Per Month WITH

0

$

Down OR

8,487

$

FlexPay One Pay Lease

M I A M I ’S #1 B M W D E A L E R

2060 Biscayne Boulevard • Miami, Florida 33137 • 305-704-8189 • BramanMotorsBMW.com

67. %18 _ 0653 6SHFLDO OHDVH DQG ³ QDQFH RIIHUV DYDLODEOH E\ %UDPDQ %0: WKURXJK %0: )LQDQFLDO 6HUYLFHV 0XVW OHDVH WKUX DQG TXDOLI\ IRU FUHGLW IURP %0: )LQDQFLDO 6HUYLFHV )OH[3D\ RQ %0: L LV D PRQWK OHDVH ZLWK D RQH WLPH OHDVH SD\PHQW RI DQG GXH DW VLJQLQJ 2U OHDVH D %0: L IRU PR IRU PRQWKV ZLWK GRZQ DQG GXH DW VLJQLQJ $OO SULFHV DQG SD\PHQWV SOXV WD[ WLWOH OLFHQVH UHJLVWUDWLRQ GHDOHU DQG EDQN DFTXLVLWLRQ IHHV WR HOLJLEOH TXDOL³ HG %0: )LQDQFLDO 6HUYLFH &XVWRPHUV /HDVHV DUH PLOHV SHU \HDU 6HH GHDOHU IRU GHWDLOV 1R VHFXULW\ GHSRVLW UHTXLUHG 6XEMHFW WR SULRU VDOH DQG RU IDFWRU\ SURJUDP FKDQJHV 2IIHUV GR QRW FRPELQH 0XVW TXDOLI\ IRU 6XSHU (OLWH 7LHU 5DWH FUHGLW 3LFWXUHV IRU LOOXVWUDWLRQ SXUSRVHV RQO\ 2IIHUV VXEMHFW WR PDQXIDFWXUHV HQG GDWH

EW K N OC 0 T 30 S R IN V E IS O IN M

DESTINATION MIAMI SALES EVENT

New 2018 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Dr.

115

$

Lease Per Month OR

$

5,771

FlexPay One Pay Lease

For a Limited Time Get Up To

6,000 OFF MSRP

$

on Remaining New 2015, 2016 & 2017 Models.*

BRAMAN MINI OF MIAMI

2060 Biscayne Blvd., Miami FL, 33137 • 305.571.1200 • BramanMiniOfMiami.com

New 2018 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door model: STK# M2H29214; MSRP $24,800: Must lease thru & qualify for credit from MINI Financial Services. FlexPay on 2018 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door model is a 24 month lease with a one time lease payment of $5,771.

2U OHDVH D 0,1, &RRSHU +DUGWRS 'RRU PRGHO IRU SHU PRQWK IRU PRV ZLWK GRZQ $OO SULFHV DQG SD\PHQWV SOXV WD[ WLWOH OLFHQVH UHJLVWUDWLRQ GHDOHU DQG EDQN DFTXLVLWLRQ IHHV WR HOLJLEOH TXDOL³ HG 0,1, )LQDQFLDO 6HUYLFHV &XVWRPHUV 2IIHUV LQFOXGH OR\DOW\ FUHGLW &XVWRPHUV PXVW TXDOLI\ IRU OR\DOW\ FUHGLW 'HDOHU FRQWULEXWLRQ PD\ DIIHFW WHUPV PLOHV SHU \HDU ZLWK OHDVHV /HVVHH UHVSRQVLEOH IRU H[FHVV ZHDU DQG WHDU DV GH³ QHG LQ WKH OHDVH FRQWUDFW DQG D GLVSRVLWLRQ IHH RI DW OHDVH HQG 1R VHFXULW\ GHSRVLW UHTXLUHG WR TXDOLI\LQJ FXVWRPHUV 6HH GHDOHU IRU VSHFL³ F PRGHOV ZLWK XS WR LQ VDYLQJV RII 0653 $OO RIIHUV ZLWK DSSURYHG FUHGLW 2SWLRQDO HTXLSPHQW H[WUD 2IIHUV GR QRW FRPELQH 2IIHUV LQFOXGH DOO UHEDWHV DQG FRPSHWLWLYH LQFHQWLYHV 'HDOHU retains all incentives and rebates. Not all customers will qualify. All pictures for illustration purposes only. See dealer for complete details. Offers subject to manufacturer’s end date.