WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
A Singular Voice in an Evolving City
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AS MIAMI-DADE UNEMPLOYMENT RISES, SOME INDUSTRIES GAINING JOBS RAPIDLY, PG. 7 JOY AT THE INN: Miami-Dade hotels increased revenue per available room 18.2% in March from March 2017, achieving the nation’s highest average daily revenue per room at $235.70, according to national rating firm STR. Miami’s average in March 2017 was $199.46. At the same time, Miami hotels had the highest average daily room rate in March at $268.22, up 15.2% from $232.68 in March 2017. Miami hotels were second in the nation in occupancy for the month at 87.9%. The marketplace saw 1,504,279 room nights sold in the month, up 2.4% from March 2017 though slightly fewer rooms were in the marketplace, 55,221 versus 55,331 a year earlier.
The Achiever
By Catherine Lackner
RAIL SAFETY FUNDS: Miami-Dade County is seeking a $1 million federal grant to inspect and perform preventive maintenance on the 25 miles of Metrorail and 4.4 miles of Metromover guideways. State statute requires safety inspections of the rail bridges and an inspection program on the system began in 1986. If the grant were approved, the total cost of the work would be paid from Federal Transit Administration funds. Last week the county’s Transportation and Public Works Committee unanimously approved applying for the money. The full county commission is to vote May 1 on making the request. BINDING IN SECURITY: Miami-Dade County is adding focus on security measures at its 50 public libraries, according to a memo that Mayor Carlos Giménez sent to county commissioners last week. Thirteen of those libraries over the past year have replaced a closed circuit television system that was set up in about 2006 with a newer system that is focusing not only on library interiors but outside and in parking lots, the mayor wrote. The other 37 libraries should get the new system by the end of this fiscal year, the mayor said. The library system, he said, has increased spending each of the past three years on security, and 29 of the libraries have either contract security guards or full-time library security officers. “Increasing security coverage will continue as an operational priority moving forward,” he said. ON-DEMAND TRANSIT: Money from the county’s half-percent sales tax surcharge for transportation could be use to provide on-demand transit to or from Metrorail stations and South Dade transitway bus shelters if twothirds of county commissioners approve the use that was recommended last week by the county’s Transportation and Public Works Committee. Maximum length of allowable trips would be five miles in the legislation presented by Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr.
A possible bridge deal on Brickell
Adolfo Henriques
Photo by Marlene Quaroni
Malina award honoree maintains civic leadership roles The profile is on Page 4
82-story tower to replace heart -of-Miami hotel By John Charles Robbins
City review board gives project raves, pg. 12 care put into designing the building and where
Goodbye Courtyard by Marriott, hello 2nd & 2nd. The heart of downtown Miami is set to change in a big way – literally – when the 14-story Marriott hotel comes down to make room for an 82-story skyscraper known as 2nd & 2nd. A developer plans an 898-foot mixed-use tower at 200 SE Second Ave., with a hotel, rental apartments, retail and a two-story corner bar in a glass circle. The site today is home to a Courtyard by Marriott. Miami Convention Hotel Corp., a Yonkers, NY, entity, has filed the ambitious plan with the City of Miami. The city’s Urban Development Review Board last week recommended approval. The high-profile site is hugged by an on ramp to I-95, off of Second Avenue, and is right beside the iconic Miami Tower. The new tower will bring more than 1.5 million square feet of development to the compact site, according to the application to the city. The lot area is 50,187 square feet, or 1.15 acres. 2nd & 2nd is to provide 266 hotel rooms, 637 residences, 9,245 square feet of commercial-retail
and 8,563 square feet of open space. Parking will be built to handle 553 vehicles. The podium also contains hotel lobbies, restaurant space and loading and service areas. Attorney Iris Escarra, representing the developer, said the plan is to build a sleek, elegant tower on an amazing corner. “It will be a great asset to the Miami skyline,” she told the review board, adding that the site has four interesting frontages. She wrote to the city, “The project is centrally located at an intersection which has a variety of retail, civic, and restaurant uses located on all sides of the Project.With the abutting Metromover Station, the entirety of downtown and Brickell is accessible from the property.” Redevelopment will provide ground level retail, which the existing structure lacks, she said. “This will enhance the pedestrian realm and encourage walkability along a stretch of downtown with no retail frontages,” she wrote. The tinted-glass tower design is from Coral Gables architects Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates Inc. Architect Igor Reyes spoke of the time and
it will be on the site, noting that access is very important to the project. “There is a lot of traffic there. The intersection is really busy,” he said. The developer is requesting several waivers, including: ■A 10% increase in maximum lot coverage. The unique shape caused by I-95 on-ramps and elevated Metromover tracks makes strict compliance with lot coverage requirements impractical for a site within the urban core, the application says. A waiver to increase lot coverage will alleviate a practical difficulty caused by the unique site and allow a functional design, the request says. ■A 10% increase in the maximum floorplate above the eighth story. ■Substitution of a commercial loading berth for an industrial loading berth. ■Parking encroaching into the second layer above the first story, along the primary frontage, with an art or glass treatment approved by the planning director with the review board’s recommendation. The Courtyard by Marriott has 208 rooms, 25 suites and four meeting rooms, its website says.
After years of wrangling, a temporary compromise seems near on lockdowns of the Brickell Avenue Bridge over the Miami River. Miami’s Downtown Development Authority has been at loggerheads with the Coast Guard about what the authority calls improper openings to let pleasure craft through. Current hours of no bridge openings (at least in theory) are 7:35 to 8:59 a.m., 12:05 to 12:59 p.m., and 4:35 to 5:59 p.m. weekdays, except for vessels in distress or under tow (usually freighters.) All other times, the bridge is to open only on the hour and halfhour if a vessel requests it. Authority chair and Miami Commissioner Ken Russell held a mediation session among authority members, the state transportation department, the Miami River Commission, the federal marine agency and other stakeholders, he told authority members Friday. A potential compromise was reached: in a pilot program, the bridge will be locked down from 8 to 9 a.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. weekdays. “It’s a shift and a trade-off,” Mr. Russell said, in that the authority is giving up some morning time to gain more in evenings. “FDOT is on our side. They pushed back with dueling studies” when the Coast Guard said locking down the bridge would affect waterway safety. “I say, ‘Good, great, let’s try this,’ but they’re going to keep falling on the ball,” said authority board member Richard Lydecker of the Lydecker-Diaz law firm, a vigorous proponent of longer lockdown hours. He said the authority shouldn’t rule out filing suit “if there’s a fight to be had.” “A two-pronged approach could work if we have the teeth to move forward with it,” Mr. Russell said. “It’s a good option to have.” It might serve the interests of all to create more exceptions, Mr. Lydecker said: “anything with a mast sits and waits; any noncommercial boat sits and waits. Then we have a united front.”
RENEWING COUNTY’S A/C CONTRACT GETS CHILLY REVIEW ...
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MIAMI CONSIDERS FIGHTING 20-YEAR-OLD HOMELESS DEAL ...
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MIAMI ASKS FEDS TO KEEP OCEANIC HEADQUARTERS HERE ...
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BOARD RECOMMENDS OK FOR WYNWOOD OFFICE BUILDING ...
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VIEWPOINT: BUS OUTSOURCING SUCCEEDS, SO TRY IT MORE ...
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DOWNTOWN AUTHORITY DIGS INTO A MIAMI RIVER TUNNEL ...
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DRIVE TO ADD LOCAL COUNTY CONTRACTORS EXPANDING ...
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COUNTY PROBES HOW TO HANDLE INTERNAL COMPLAINTS ...
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WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
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City asks feds to keep oceanic headquarters on Virginia Key By John Charles Robbins
Miami city commissioners are urging the federal government to retain the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Headquarters at its current location on Virginia Key. NOAA is reportedly considering relocating its Southeast Fisheries Science Center to St. Petersburg because the fisheries center on Virginia Key is outdated and needs improvement. NOAA’s facilities on the barrier island have a long reach and impact the local community in many ways, officials say. NOAA’s operations at Virginia Key are performed in concert with research and teaching functions at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, which is directly adjacent to the NOAA campuses. City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Commission Vice Chairman Ken Russell are co-sponsoring a resolution urging the US Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration to retain the fisheries headquarters on Virginia Key. The commission unanimously adopted the resolution recently, and the Key Biscayne village council approved a similar resolution in February. Miami’s resolution further urges Miami-Dade County, the University of Miami, the UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Florida International University, members of the South Florida congressional delegation, the Miami-Dade County legislative delegation, and others “to advocate for and take other affirmative steps to promptly address NOAA’s needs and encourage and enable NOAA and its Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies to maintain their full presence and mission on Virginia Key.”
The US oceanic administration is reportedly considering moving its science center to St. Petersburg.
Mr. Russell said that NOAA’s operations on the island provide critical scientific research on marine and atmospheric studies. The Virginia Key venue for NOAA is home to two facilities. The Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) is responsible for scientific research on living marine resources that occupy marine and estuarine habits of the continental southeastern US, as well as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The fisheries center is one of the six national marine fishery science centers responsible for federal marine fishery research programs and is the primary provider of research on fisheries and habitats for Biscayne National Park and the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary. The total annual budget for the SEFSC Miami Lab ranges from $15 million to $17 million, the bulk of which supports salaries for about 170 masters and Ph.D. level
County asks schools to partner to promote student carpooling A Miami-Dade County government committee is seeking a partnership with the public schools to jointly market a carpooling program and get more schools to join in. The Florida Department of Transportation already has a free SchoolPool program that connects families interested in carpooling, biking or walking to and from school and provides incentives to students and parents who share the ride, but fewer than half the eligible schools participate. In the past school year, says legislation that was advanced last week, 17 schools were assigned to the SchoolPool program but only eight of them actively participated. So last week the county commission’s Transportation and Public Works Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the full commission direct Mayor Carlos Giménez seek a partnership with the school system to jointly promote the SchoolPool program and seek other opportunities to encourage county residents to carpool to and from schools. Carpooling may otherwise take
on higher visibility as well: after a 16-week competition to find a comprehensive solution to all of MiamiDade’s transportation problems by the national Fastrack Institute, Team Citi.moov in January won its Miami mobility Fastrack with the aim to incentivize residents to share rides, bike or use public transit in place of driving alone. The School Board of MiamiDade in June 2014 asked Superintendent Albert Carvalho to explore using the SchoolPool program at interested schools. The program not only covers the standard school day, but can match families participating in beforeschool and after-school program for carpools. The aim is to reduce traffic, lower pedestrian hazards, demand for parking and environmental impact around schools. It also can reduce the number of cars at schools in drop-of and pick-up timeframes. If the full county commission approves the legislation on May 1, the mayor will be asked to report back in 90 days on what the county has done to advance a link with the school system on carpooling.
scientists and researchers, according to Miami’s resolution. The fisheries center works to protect South Florida’s coral reefs that have an estimated value of more than $4.4 billion and is directly associated with more than 70,000 part-time and full-time jobs in the area, it says. NOAA’s Cooperative Institute
for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) funds and coordinates scientific partnerships with the UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), Florida International University, and other university programs in South Florida to educate the next generation of scientific leaders and collaboratively
work on pragmatic problems of societal importance. “Leveraging their shared mission and physical proximity for decades, scientists and staff involved in NOAA’s operations at Virginia Key have served as adjunct faculty, research assistants, and other venture partners with RSMAS faculty and students to support and expand RSMAS’s educational mission,” the resolution says. “This collaborative effort engenders extensive working relationships between NOAA and RSMAS and catalyzes significant research and knowledge advancement opportunities directly related to the City of Miami’s subtropical marine environment.” The Greater Miami area’s unique marine ecosystem is especially important for scientific research purposes with regard to climate change, Miami officials said. “The city considers it a materially adverse development for NOAA to relocate SEFSC or any other fishery headquarters, which would set back pending research dealing with critical local issues such as hurricane intensity, weather research, fish population sustainability, and coral reef health, diminishing the Greater Miami area’s standing for future investments and compromising the reliability and effectiveness of future collaborations between NOAA and RSMAS,” the resolution concludes.
Health
update
May 10
2018
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MIAMI TODAY
VIEWPOINT
WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 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
Bus outsourcing so successful that county should try more Talk about terrible timing: just as the county transit union was asking voters last week to oppose transit outsourcing, the county’s first bus outsourcing wave was reporting better performance while saving taxpayers nearly 50%. The great results are helping deflate ballooning transit operating losses with the glimmer of hope of simultaneously raising what is now plunging bus ridership via contractor operation, all with no loss of quality. We applaud the county for dipping a toe into transit outsourcing during its contract impasse with Transport Workers Union Local 291. A six-month report on what has happened so far in bus outsourcing shows lower cost, rising ridership, improving safety and increasing on-time performance. It indicates that the county should move forward quickly not only on its 14 test routes but on others. The genesis of this ray of transit sunlight in an otherwise gloomy portrait of performance came last spring as Mayor
Carlos Giménez was lamenting an absentee rate of more than 20% among county bus drivers, falling ridership and a resulting decline in transit revenues. Anticipating a $23.7 million transit budget shortfall, he said that a contracted firm could handle under-utilized bus routes for $50 an hour versus $130 an hour under county operation, and that no drivers would be laid off. The county analyzed every bus route and pinpointed those where a shift to smaller vehicles driven by a private firm could work. The study showed that 24 of the county’s 98 routes never carried more than 20 people at a time. The county planned to contract 14 of them out. A just-released report from the mayor to commissioners shows that the shift worked financially as planned, saving 49% of costs on the routes in the first five months since the Aug. 27 shift to operator Limousines of South Florida Inc. At that pace, the country will save more than $3 million on the cost of those 14 routes in one year. It’s not just the saving in outsourcing, it’s the fact that the 14 routes appear to be working better for the public as well, according to careful county field checks that sampled 37% of all trips for quality. Some 84% of the routes started on time the first month, but that rose to 97% by the sixth month. On-time travels throughout each trip had been 76% under
the county but were 77% under private drivers, with more gains anticipated. Complaints on the routes fell from 79 the first month to 20 the sixth. Most impressively in a system where ridership is bleeding, total use of the routes rose from 1,632 a month the first month to 2,453 the sixth – a gain of more than 50%. Admittedly, these may be the county’s least-used routes so the sample size is small. But wouldn’t it be fascinating to test outsourcing on more heavily-used routes to see if the company could win back some lost passengers – county bus operations in January alone lost 15.3% of rides year over year, a loss of more than 700,000 rides. That’s why the transit union seemed to be putting its foot in its mouth by advertising in a full page of the Miami Herald last week that the county doesn’t need elected officials offering “empty promises, gimmicks, or outsourcing to unaccountable contractors.” In this outsourcing, at least, all the evidence shows promises that were all more than fulfilled on these 14 routes by very accountable contractors whose every move seems to have been monitored by the county’s transit department for safety, quality, effectiveness and savings. The report card improvements speak for themselves. We acknowledge that these 14 routes
Revitalization plan for healthier Little Havana Three years ago there was an attempt to upzone an area in East Little Havana. The effort, irrespective of Little Havana’s historical and cultural context, was strongly opposed by the community in fear of towering development Juan Mullerat that would force them to move out. For almost two years, a team of planners, architects, preservationists and activists has been working on guidelines for healthy, resilient and more affordable solutions that respect Little Havana’s small-scale, culturally rich, dense community. The team is creating a plan that protects its residents, their neighborhood character and its buildings. Under the banner “Little Havana Me Importa,” more than 3,000 residents and stakeholders have provided input and driven the vision and objectives for Miami’s most uniquely diverse and historically significant neighborhood. This implementation plan proposes four major areas for community improvement: 1. to reinforce and enhance its “cultural identity”, 2. to establish a “multi-modal transportation system” that serves not only commuters, but residents as well, 3. to increase and enhance its lacking “natural assets” – from parks to tree-lined sidewalks, and 4. to incentivize “community building” with guidelines that retain the essence of Little Havana, proposing new construction that respects the neighborhood’s character and scale. Best known for its main street, Calle Ocho, Little Havana is a reference for arts, culture, history and diversity. Despite its unique assets, the neighborhood still faces major challenges that could prevent its
The Writer
Juan Mullerat (juan@plusurbia.com) is the principal of Plusurbia Design, a planning and building design studio in District 3. Visit the plan preview at http:// plan.littlehavanameimporta.com hardworking families from the healthy, secure and safe quality of life they strive for. Vacant lots, insufficient open space, substandard housing, low homeownership, rising rents, high poverty rates and poor transportation options are but a few of the problems in Little Havana. Young professionals and families are moving in. Having outgrown their Brickell apartments, they look for short commutes and larger homes. At the same time, Miami’s increasingly unaffordable real estate market brings hopefuls seeking affordable housing options scarcer by the day. To capture this demand and to maximize land values, investors are seeking higher zoning that is out of scale with the historically dense but largely low-rise area. The “Little Havana Me Importa – Revitalization Action Plan” addresses the need to provide affordable housing while introducing a mix of incomes and increasing home ownership within low-rise buildings. The plan preserves and promotes building types like the historic 1920s three-story apartments and single-family homes with rental cottages, which increase property values and reduce living costs by providing supplemental income to residents. The plan recommends incentives to rehabilitate and reuse historic, human-scale buildings while encouraging infill development – free of super-blocks and high rises. This recommended building pattern favors small, incremental development in
harmony with the neighborhood’s character – a solution to the large land assemblages that are necessary to build parking and density under the current code. Non-intrusive development that provides healthier living options is at the core of every aspect of the plan. Lack of walkable environments and open space have a direct correlation to the significantly higher rates of obesity and diabetes found in Little Havana, where a recent study found that two in five residents get no regular exercise. The plan identifies a shortage of safe transportation options. Small investments on local transportation and walkability would reduce short car trips – reducing traffic and improving mobility. These would benefit one of Florida’s densest populations, which favors car travel over pedestrian and bicycle transportation despite its close proximity to major commuter destinations. Additionally, safe streets and more parks would make the neighborhood more walkable and address the scarcity of open space, which at less than 1% makes Little Havana one of the poorest-served urban areas in the country. The plan also proposes to turn vacant land into pocket parks, the creation of pedestrian priority greenways to provide a safe bicycling and walking network of streets, and most importantly, the completion of the Miami River Walk – a potential 2-mile-long linear park. This non-profit funded plan will be presented to the City of Miami as a holistic action plan to protect Little Havana from inappropriate development, demolition of historic buildings, displacement of residents, and the intrusion of upzoned projects that threaten its unique character. It is intended to restore and guide future development to support the most affordable, diverse and culturally rich neighborhood in our city.
were orphans – they had few riders to begin with, though numbers are climbing. But clearly outsourcing has worked there. The mayor reports that coming next are six more regular transit routes and six Life Line routes – Life Line because they’re required by the state to serve the elderly and disadvantaged by running once a week for a few hours from senior centers to markets or malls. The county should save money in that wave of routes too. Given the good outsourcing record to date and the transit system’s continued bleeding, we’d hope that officials are already mapping out a third wave – far busier routes that offer twin possibilities of bigger savings and more riders returning to buses. One thing is certain: no private contractor is going to tolerate a driver absentee rate of more than 22% like the county has that requires paying hundreds of extra drivers to be at work to fill in and others on call to work overtime rates to fill in for absent fill-ins. That means that any competent firm can earn a good profit while being paid less by the county than the county pays for its own transit operations today. As long as the county monitors performance tightly, more bus outsourcing should be a gain for taxpayers, bus riders and county hall.
L etters
to the
E ditor
$6,000 commission pay denies voters full choices
I have to take issue with letter writer Mindy Rivero’s “Don’t pay commissioners $100,000 per year” letter of March 22. I have lived in Miami-Dade County since 1959. Over the years I have belonged to many associations and the chamber of commerce. During those years I have met and volunteered with many dedicated and highly qualified men and women who enjoyed supporting this community and were concerned citizens who had great ideas and qualifications and who would have liked to run for public office. Because they had families to support, they were not in a financial position to serve on the county commission at the current pay scale. Not only did the current pay scale deny those person the choice to run for the office, it denied our citizens the opportunity to review their qualifications and listen to their ideas. Richard Mason
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TODAY’S NEWS
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As county unemployment rises, some industries gain rapidly Mixed Miami-Dade County job figures for March saw unemployment rise from 4.6% in February to 5%, but at the same time several job categories showed strong job gains. The number of unemployed persons in the month for the county hit 68,500, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, up from 64,900 in February, yet the county overall lost just 700 nonfarm jobs, falling to a total of 1,900,700 persons at work. The Beacon Council, the county’s public-private economic development partnership, cast the figures released Friday as positives. “Miami-Dade has a healthy, thriving economy,” said Dyan Brasington, the council’s executive vice president. “Seasonal
Fluctuations are common this time of year, said Dyan Brasington.
fluctuations in unemployment are common this time of year, but we have seen many industry sectors add to their employment ranks. We’ve seen the transportation,
warehousing, utilities, construction and manufacturing sectors mark significant gains in new jobs.” In two of those sectors, in fact,
numbers climbed to a decade-long high after plunged in the Great Recession of the mid-2000s. In construction, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures, the 50,900 filled jobs in March in the county was highest in exactly 10 years, since a 52,900-job total was recorded in March 2008. The total was up from 49,800 persons employed in the construction field in February. Construction in the county had bottomed out at just 30,100 filled jobs in 2012 as the famous Miami cranes disappeared from the skyline. In manufacturing, the total of 45,600 persons at work was the highest since April 2008 and was up 800 persons in a month. Manufacturing jobs in the county now have increased
9.4% in the past 12 months. The high-flying leisure and hospitality sector, a pillar of the county’s economy, which has seen a slight dip of 0.1% of jobs in the year, in March saw a 2,500job gain. The Beacon Council noted an annual gain in transportation, warehousing and utilities job of 6.7%, up 4,800 jobs for the year and 700 just from February. In other sectors, education and health services jobs are up 2% for the year and professional and business services are also up 2%. The largest percentage losses for the year were 2.2% of jobs in retail, 1.7% of jobs in financial activities, 2.6% of jobs in information and 1.3% of jobs in wholesale trade, according to the Beacon Council.
Drive to add local county contractors expands The proposed list of allowable reasons for recommending an out-of-county vendor does not include the quality of the products or services offered, timeliness of performance, the fiscal reliability of the vendors, or local vendors’ histories of dealing with county contracts. Those four factors tend to be standard in government procurement efforts and have been central issues in past county procurements, but under the legislation the mayor could not consider them as reasons to choose an out-of-county vendor. Nor, if this legislation passed as written, could those reasons be used in explaining why a prequalification pool did not include at least 75% local vendors. The measure, which would take effect 10 days after it was adopted unless the mayor were to veto it, does not mention the advantages that the county already gives to local vendors. Companies with local operations are given a bidding price bonus that in effect handicaps out-oftown vendors. Companies based here are given an even larger head start, Last month, the commission’s Government Operations Committee also discussed making sure local vendors are given every chance to win county contracts. The Internal Services Department, which handles contracting, has increased outreach events to encourage local businesses to seek county contracts, Director Tara Smith told that March meeting. “In 2016 we had 26 outreach events and last year we increased to 35,” she said. A large impediment, Ms. Smith says, has less to do with procurement and more to do with industry ‘It’s only fair to continue presence in the county. “There are at least 45 commodities that don’t to help those who pay have a local presence,” she said. taxes in Miami-Dade Ms. Smith said commissioners could also make the process County. I will continue easier for local businesses. A fighting for local prefercounty survey sent to jurisdicence in a fair way to make tions throughout the state shows Miami-Dade has about 37 sure everyone always has that legislative requirements that an equal opportunity.’ dictate processes within the proRebeca Sosa curement guidelines, more than double all other jurisdictions. Commissioner Rebeca Sosa last week stepped up her campaign to prioritize local vendors for Miami-Dade contracts as the Government Operations Committee unanimously recommended her resolution asking the mayor to explain each time a local vendor isn’t chosen for every county contract. The measure, which is to come before the full county commission for action May 1, would order Mayor Carlos Giménez to spell out case by case why he was not recommending a local vendor based on a short list of reasons. A similar demand would be made each time a pre-qualified pool of vendors did not total at least 75% local vendors. The resolution lists the allowable explanations by the mayor for not choosing a local vendor: That the non-local vendor is being recommended under terms of the county’s competitive processes. That the non-local vendors provided better pricing and cost savings to the county. That no or few local businesses submitted bids or proposals to the county’s solicitation. That there is a diminished local market for the goods and services that the county wants to procure.
“When we look at these requirements, we count 14 different forms that a vendor has to complete to become a county vendor,” Ms. Smith said, “and an additional five to prequalify for a pool.” Ms. Sosa told the March meeting that she will be working with Ms. Smith’s department to see
what more commissioners can do to help local businesses win contracts with the county. “It’s only fair to continue to help those who pay taxes in Miami-Dade County,” Ms. Sosa said. “I will continue fighting for local preference in a fair way to make sure everyone always has Tara Smith cites county barriers. an equal opportunity.”
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MIAMI TODAY
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Short-term parking bid for aged airport system By Gabi Maspons
While Miami-Dade’s Aviation Department looks into new payment technology to use in its garages, commissioners at the Economic Development and Tourism Committee last week recommended extending the existing parking system contract until a replacement is secured. “We’re looking at using the SunPass system so we wouldn’t need credit card processing and there wouldn’t be lines at the parking garages,” said Aviation Director Lester Sola. “In the meantime, we exercised this contract ‘They are also looking with the existing vendor.” The existing system, managed by Conduit to get out of this business. Transport Solutions, is old and the aviation We just need to secure the department says it needs to issue an emergency services as we transition.’ purchase of $541,000 to replace “end-of-life Lester Sola lane computers, server components, operating systems and associated hardware to support the system,” the legislation says. Without the replacement technology, the
airport is at risk of having a parking system failure. In addition to the risk of system failure, the department says that customer service levels have declined, as there are long wait times at the exit during peak hours. By extending the contract, the county foregoes the formal bidding procedures to create a prequalified pool of vendors to provide the services. Commissioner Rebeca Sosa said waiving the procedures makes her extremely uncomfortable. “Have we looked at the market to see what new technology has come out? Maybe we can save money and do better,” Ms. Sosa told Mr. Sola at the meeting. Mr. Sola apologized for coming to the commissioners with the request, saying “there is no reason to be before the committee with this item.” He committed to an expedited process with a new solicitation for competition, but said
these services are needed immediately. The department is also to look at new technologies like the SunPass system, Mr. Sola said. Mr. Sola stressed that this would be the final extension, saying the vendor also wants to get out of the contract. “They are also looking to get out of this business. We just need to secure the services as we transition,” Mr. Sola said. Ms. Sosa agreed to support the formal bid waiver and $541,000 allocation, but asked for a strict deadline of 90 days. Mr. Sola agreed to the timeline, saying, “We may be able to do it quicker.” The Economic Development and Tourism Committee moved the item forward to the county commission meeting May 1 for approval. Mr. Sola is also to bring back an update on the expedited procurement process for the new vendor to the next committee meeting May 10.
Miami to consider fighting 20-year-old homeless settlement By John Charles Robbins
For more than 20 years, Miami has been the only city in America restricted by a federal court in how it treats the homeless. Some city leaders say it’s time for that to end. The city commission is expected to consider authorizing moves that could lead to a fight to dissolve the landmark legal settlement of the case of Michael Pottinger, et al. vs. City of Miami. On today’s (4/26) commission agenda is a resolution directing the city attorney “to take any and all action regarding the current settlement agreement in the case” in the US District Court, Southern District of Florida. Today’s proposed resolution was prepared by the city attorney’s office at the direction of commissioners, led by Joe Carollo. In 1998, the City of Miami entered into a settlement agreement with Michael Pottinger and the class of plaintiffs that he represented in the 1988 case of Michael Pottinger, et al. vs. City of Miami, in the federal court, relating to the interaction between the homeless and the Miami Police Department, according to the resolution. In the ensuing 20 years “there has been a significant change of circumstances warranting revision and/or dissolution of the Settlement Agreement and … the City Commission finds that it is the best interest of the health, safety, and welfare of all of the City’s residents and visitors to modify and/or dissolve the settlement agreement,” it reads. If approved, City Attorney Victoria Menendez will be directed to take any and all action regarding the settlement agreement in the case “including but not limited to modification and/ or dissolution of the Settlement Agreement.” The resolution is being sponsored by Mayor Francis Suarez, Commissioner Carollo and Commissioner Manolo Reyes. The controversial subject of how the city government treats those living on the streets came up at the April 12 commission meeting, during a discussion of
‘It’s not 800 – you have several thousand, and 80% to 90% of them are not from Miami, they’re from somewhere else.’ Joe Carollo the Camillus House shelter. Chairman Keon Hardemon brought up the topic while questioning the city’s continuing to allocate funds to Camillus House to provide 75 beds for emergency shelter for the nightly use of homeless individuals. Commissioners were considering an allocation of $460,000 for the beds and other associated and accompanying homeless services and case management for one year. Mr. Hardemon said the shelter treats its neighbors terribly, and the immediate area around the shelter’s 1603 NW Seventh Ave. location is not clean and well kept. There are homeless living in camps near the shelter that are not being helped, he said. “Why are we paying additional dollars?” asked Mr. Hardemon. “I just want the truth about Pottinger.” Commissioner Wifredo “Willy” Gort said the city agreed to a settlement of the lawsuit, with the goal of giving the homeless an opportunity to get off the streets and better their lives. “It’s not just in that area. How many times are those beds full?” asked Mr. Carollo, who said the homeless are a widespread problem. “This impacts all of our districts,” he said. “District Three has a lot of it too, and it’s a
problem of enforcement.” The hundreds of homeless, particularly in the downtown area, are not welcome. For years, business owners have complained bitterly about the homeless. In recent years, complaints have risen due to an influx of people moving back downtown to fill up the new residential towers. The complaints do not cease. “When can we get our residents some relief?” asked Mr. Carollo. In the Pottinger case, a federal judge initially ruled against the city’s program of arresting the homeless and destroying their property. The judge found that criminalizing homelessness violated constitutional rights, arguments made by the American Civil Liberties Union. Under the settlement agreement, a police officer may arrest a homeless individual for committing a “life-sustaining conduct” misdemeanor only if the following conditions are satisfied: there is an available shelter bed within the city or one mile of the city limits; the officer advises the homeless person of the availability of that shelter bed; and the homeless individual declines to accept the offer of the shelter bed. The “life-sustaining conduct” misdemeanors include, in part: being in the park after hours; public nudity where necessary to
‘We must take action soon. Enough is enough. Every city in MiamiDade County dumps its problems on us... Let’s share the burden.’ Manolo Reyes
carry on the daily necessities of life, such as bathing or responding to a call of nature; obstructing passage on sidewalks; living or sleeping in vehicles; loitering in restrooms; camping in parks; etc. Nothing in Pottinger precludes an arrest for any felony or any misdemeanor that is not lifesustaining conduct, regardless of whether there is available shelter. Mr. Hardemon said one main issue is the definition of a homeless person, noting that while people may be living on the street because they have no residence, many live on the streets due to illegal drug use and trafficking, as well as those impacted by mental health issues. Mr. Hardemon said in areas in his District Five, which includes Overtown, many persons live on the streets to buy and use drugs. He mentioned an area of three or four tents on a lot overgrown with grass where drug use was prevalent, and cases of women overdosing. “Are they homeless? Are they covered by Pottinger?” asked Mr. Hardemon. Milton Vickers, an advisor in ‘Why are we paying the City Manager’s Office, told additional dollars? I just the commission that illegal drug use is not covered in Pottinger want the truth about and should never be allowed. Pottinger.’ Mr. Vickers said recidivism is very small for those people Keon Hardemon who accept help through shelter programs to stay off the street.
“Many become very responsible, but there is a subgroup that never accept shelter,” he said. Mr. Carollo questioned the size of the homeless population in the city. “It’s not 800 – you have several thousand,” he said, “and 80% to 90% of them are not from Miami, they’re from somewhere else.” Mr. Carollo complained about the legacy the Pottinger case has dealt the city. “Everybody in America knows … we have free food and sunny weather most of the year and no one can mess with you,” he said. He said homeless encampments are everywhere, and many of the group are addicted to drugs or alcohol. “A lack of law enforcement over the years has compounded the problem,” said Mr. Carollo, a former mayor. “When I was mayor, we had Pottinger but we acted and controlled the situation. Now it’s out of control,” he said. It was Mr. Carollo who first asked that the city attorney go to court to put an end to Pottinger. Mr. Reyes said he agreed. “We must take action soon. Enough is enough. Every city in MiamiDade County dumps its problems on us … Let’s share the burden.” “We have a right to move forward,” said Mr. Carollo. “Our residents have rights, too.” He added, “We as a city cannot just sit back and take it anymore.” Commissioner Ken Russell said he’d like to be the voice for the other side – a voice for the homeless, since they don’t have a voice. “They are people first and homeless second,” he said, “and they’re not necessarily criminals. They are our residents as well, and some need help getting back on their feet.” Mr. Russell suggested there are ways to deal with the problem, and include some compassion. Mayor Suarez agreed a balanced approach is the best way to proceed, but he voiced criticism of the Pottinger case as well. Of the more than 30 municipalities in Miami-Dade, the City of Miami is the only one governed by Pottinger, he said. “It’s unfair to our residents,” the mayor said.
WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
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City board recommends OK for Wynwood office building By John Charles Robbins
A Chicago development company whose client list includes Google and McDonald’s plans to build a large office building in Wynwood. Sterling Bay LLC is the applicant and development partner of the owner of contiguous properties at 537-557 NW 26th St. and 530-550 NW 27th St. in Wynwood. The proposal is for a 10-story mixed-use office building with ground floor retail, to be called 545 WYN. The City of Miami’s Urban Development Review Board on April 18 recommended approval of the project, with two conditions. The project, designed in an “L” shape, is to provide 511,058 square feet of total development. The bulk of the space is planned as nine stories of leasable office space amounting to 209,050 square feet. Leasable commercial-retail space on the ground floor along the north, south and east facades will total about 28,436 square feet. An on-site garage will have space for about 459 vehicles. An unusual aspect of the planned garage is an open design, compared with most garages built currently with screening of the vehicle levels. Inspired by the street art of the Wynwood Arts District, the plan calls for colorful artwork on the underside of the parking levels, illuminated by upturned lights and visible from the street. The application shows projected open space at 5,745 square feet. It also notes that a bonus height of two stories will be satisfied by payment into the city’s public benefits trust fund. The project requires special permission via a warrant for on-street turning movements for one additional loading berth, and waivers for up to 30% reduced parking (for projects near transit), and a waiver for extension above the maximum height for rooftop elevator, stairway and mechanical equipment. The Wynwood Design Review Committee met this month and recommended approval of the project with two conditions: a study on the garage lighting to be completed and reviewed by staff; and the project be brought back to the committee for final art and signage approvals. Attorney Steven Wernick, representing Sterling Bay, told the review board this project will be the first vertical project built since adoption of special zoning rules known as Neighborhood Revitalization District-1 (NRD1) for Wynwood. The goal is to construct a Class “A” office facility in Wynwood to bring more business to the city, he said. The project will incorporate expansive terrace features, an active amenity deck and an inviting mid-block pedestrian paseo linking Northwest 26th and 27th streets, he said. In a letter to the city, Mr. Wernick said the property is at the western edge of the Wynwood Neighborhood Revitalization
Chicago developer Sterling Bay plans this 10-story office building with garage for 459 cars for Wynwood.
‘A new mix of office, retail and restaurant uses, as the applicant is proposing for the project, is permitted by right under the property’s current zoning.’ Steven Wernick District, approaching I-95 (just west of Northwest Fifth Avenue, between Northwest 26th and 27th streets). The site is home to three aging single-story warehouses along Northwest 26th Street, which are set back significantly from the street behind front-loaded surface parking, and a surface lot enclosed by a chain link fence along Northwest 27th Street. “The property has historically been used for commercial and light industrial purposes, typical of properties in the Wynwood Arts District that forms the basis of the NRD-1. A new mix of office, retail and restaurant uses, as the applicant is proposing for the project, is permitted by right under the property’s current zoning,” Mr. Wernick wrote. “Sterling Bay has earned a reputation over the past decade as a creative and skilled developer, and driving force behind the revitalization of Chicago’s West Loop and Fulton Market District, where Sterling Bay has helped reinvent the former agro-industrial district as an urban employment and retail center, attracting creative office tenants and a number of large national employers relocating high-paying jobs and corporate headquarters to the area, including Google’s Midwest HO and
McDonald’s Global HO,” he wrote. Understanding the pulse and context of a neighborhood is central to Sterling Bay’s ethos, he added. Sterling Bay representatives told the review board they are excited to be bringing 545 WYN to life in Wynwood. “We want to fit in to the fabric of the neighborhood,” said project manager Anthony Hrusovsky. “We are very excited about the Wynwood area and Miami in general.” The project’s artwork will “integrate nicely” with the neighborhood, he said. Art will be a critical component of 545 WYN and help add vibrancy to the street life, Mr. Hrusovsky said. Mr. Wernick said the project will bring a unique creative office product to Wynwood that will inject more daytime foot traffic and help support restaurants and other retail establishments flourishing in the neighborhood. He wrote of the open designed parking levels, “The building’s on-site parking decks are treated as a canvas for artistic intervention, with curated artistic murals/ mosaics projecting from the bottom of each slab befitting of the artful and unique aesthetic of the surrounding Wynwood neighborhood. The murals will be clearly visible from the pedestrian street perspective and act as an appropriate contrast to the building’s structural elements in a distinctive manner, but consistent with Wynwood’s unique industrial-chic character.”
F ilming
in
Architect Rob Muller of Gensler spoke about details of the proposed building. He cited two main goals: be authentic to the neighborhood and attract the right tenants. “We tried to create the most efficient floor space use,” he said. There will be a “fantastic” amenity deck dedicated to the tenants, he said. The plan to paint the underside of the parking decks is designed “to make the artwork in the garage a dominant element,” Mr. Muller said. The decks will be up-lit with soft, subtle lighting, he said, to “celebrate the wonderful painting.” One side of the office building is proposed for a large mural, on metal and glass of different sizes in a gradient design, he said. Board member Neil Hall said it was a wonderful presentation, and he appreciated how the developer wants to fit well with the community. “You’ve shown sensitivity in the artwork,” he said. Acting Chairman Dean Lewis said it was a good project that could be a great project. He said the overall design wasn’t Wynwood-esque enough; that
the office building was in some ways typical of office buildings in the city. Mr. Lewis suggested fins and a sculptural component to the façade to give it more of a twist and synergy. “I’m waiting for a structural surprise,” he added. Mr. Lewis said he was surprised his point didn’t come up at the committee review in Wynwood. “I’m disappointed. You’ve got a cube … a clean-cut beautiful box,” he said. “We appreciate what you’re saying,” said Mr. Muller, but in the end, the architect is to deliver what the client desires. He emphasized working to accomplish dual goals of attracting the right tenants and fitting in with the neighborhood. Mr. Muller said they believe that in the end, when all the artwork is decided on and the structure rises, everyone will be happy. Board member Gerald Marston complimented the design, noting that architects worked to break the building into three distinct pieces. “The amenity deck is a really wonderful idea,” he said. Mr. Marston also said the review board prefers to see artwork created by an “artist-artist.” Board member Ignacio Permuy said the project will be a positive addition to the neighborhood. He complimented the design and site layout. “I like the interaction of parts. It’s refreshing,” he said. Mr. Permuy also liked the planned amenity deck but noted South Florida’s very warm days and suggested a little landscaping, coverings and shade be incorporated into the deck. The review board recommended approval with what members called minor conditions; that artists be engaged for the artwork and that a landscaping plan for the amenity deck be further developed by working with the city’s planning director and staff.
EXTENDING A HEARTFELT WELCOME TO OUR NEW CARDIOLOGY GROUP
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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. Found Object. Brooklyn. The Definition of Insanity. Gerstein Justice Building. Paradiso Pictures LLC. Miami. I Am Frankie. Miami Dade Library – Shenandoah Branch. Telemundo Studios/NBC Universal Media LLC. Miami. Mi Familia Perfecta. 140 Building-Metro Flagler Building. Woofco Productions Inc. Montreal. Superpower Dogs. Rickenbacker Causeway. Univisión Deportes LLC. Miami. Republica Mundialista. Downtown Doral Park. N House Productions. Miami. Carters. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. Pro One Productions Inc. Miami Beach. FWA Summer. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. The Production Factory LLC. Miami Beach. Next. Countywide, Crandon Park, Miami Beach citywide.
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WEEK OF THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
Downtown team digs into river tunnel, fuels added gas tax By Catherine Lackner
Miami’s Downtown DevelopmentAuthority is jumping into perhaps Miami’s hottest issue: directors unanimously passed three resolutions Friday about transportation. The first concerns the authority’s longcoveted tunnel under the Miami River, which is also a priority for Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. The Florida Department of Transportation has proffered five options for potential study, said authority board member Alan Ojeda, president of Rilea Development Group. “We don’t support the five that FDOT came up with,” he said, particularly one that “trenches” Brickell Avenue, digging up parts of it to construct the entrance and exit to the tunnel. The authority resolution supports “the
Brickell Tunnel project alternative that maintains the pedestrian connections along key downtown corridors, including Biscayne Boulevard and Brickell Avenue, and [urges] the Florida Department of Transportation to consider alternatives that do not place the entrance and egress of the tunnel within the most densely populated areas of downtown.” “If they’re going to spend millions on a tunnel versus the extension of Metromover, there’s not even a question in my mind,” said authority vice chair Neisen Kasdin, office-managing partner of Akerman LLP. “I think the focus is wrong; it should be to get people out of cars. We might want to put a pause on that.” The board also backed having Miami-Dade County restore two cents of a five-cent local
option gas tax to use toward expansion of transportation services “including interim improvements that will ensure the successful execution of the SMART plan [to add rapid transit] as adopted by the board of commissioners.” The tax was imposed in 1993 but later reduced, presumably during hard economic times. Authority board members also backed allowing municipalities more leeway in how they use their portions of the half-penny sales tax levied to add transportation. After the tax is collected, 20% of funds are returned to the municipalities for transportation and other uses, but there are limitations on how the money can be used. The move wouldn’t add additional funds for cities, but would give them the flexibility to use the money for on-demand ride ser-
vices or other methods of getting people to public transit, said authority board member Marta Viciedo, founding partner of Urban Impact Lab. “One van,” Mr. Ojeda said, “can replace 14 vehicles on the road.” That might be a good solution for the firstand last-mile dilemma that plagues public transportation, said Mr. Kasdin. The resolution also calls for additional monitoring and the institution of performance measures by the Citizens’Independent Transportation Trust, the body that administers funds from the half-penny sales tax. “The CITT doesn’t require any accounting or for performance to be audited and measured,” Mr. Kasdin said. The citizens’ advisory group is in favor of both recommendations, he added.
Taiwan director general in Miami readies for change of role By Katya Maruri
As Philip Wang, director general of Miami’s Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, prepares to leave his post May 6 to return to Taiwan, his replacement, director general Kuan-Chou Chien, aims to continue his predecessor’s work of improving the political, economic and cultural relations between Taiwan and Florida Kuan-Chou Chien in his new role. However, as the days lead up to his return to Taiwan, Mr. Wang said, “it’s going to be very hard for me to leave Miami.” “Especially,” he said, “leaving behind all of my friends.” Mr. Wang, who was the first diplomatic member to arrive at the regional Taiwanese office in South Florida in 1998, came back to Miami in 2013 to serve as director general of Miami’s Taipei Economic and Cultural Office [TECO]. Since then he has gone on to serve as director general of TECO for five years, where, he said, for the most part, his term has focused
Photo by Marlene Quaroni
Philip Wang’s broad range of future interests includes drawing animated history maps and aquaculture.
on improving political, economic and cultural relations between Taiwan and Florida while providing consular services such as visa, passport and authentication services
to nationals and visitors. However, he said, before that, “I was assigned to Atlanta in 1983, where I issued passports, visas and document endorsements during
my early years of working as a diplomat.” From there, he said, “I started to do liaison work with the State of Florida, and then in 1988, when my
government reached an agreement with the federal government, we established another office in the US.” “The [Taiwanese] government,” he said, “selected Miami.” Now, after serving 39 years as a diplomat, Mr. Wang said, “usually diplomats are stationed in one post for two to six years.” As a result, Mr. Wang told Miami Today, “I was ordered by my government to return Taiwan so I must obey the order.” “After I return to Taiwan,” he said, “I plan to retire.” “I look forward to doing things I have not had the time to do,” he said, “like drawing animated history maps, reading books, focusing on astronomical observations, agriculture and aquaculture.” As for his replacement, he said, “I have only met director general Kuan-Chou Chien twice, but I think he will do a great job.” “I don’t know him personally,” he said, “however, I do know that he has been in service for about 10 years and has been stationed in the US twice.” “It is my hope,” he said, “that my successor receives the same amount of widespread support that I received during my time here.”
To annex lands, cities would have to offer more justification By Gabi Maspons
To prevent cities from cherrypicking high-value areas for annexations and incorporations, Miami-Dade County commissioners at the Government Operations Committee last week passed an item requiring municipalities to justify why they are including and excluding certain areas. “This requires a municipality that wants to annex land to respond to the unincorporated area that is adjacent that is revenue negative,” said Commissioner Dennis Moss. Incorporation and annexation has been a contentious issue over the past 20 or so years in the county. Municipalities began strategically incorporating wealthier areas while leaving poorer neighborhoods to the county, making officials question whether incorporation was becoming an issue of class segregation. Many cities try to avoid
annexing revenue-neutral or revenue-negative areas to keep from pouring city tax dollars into an area that isn’t producing enough taxes to support the services. Though the item passed unanimously in committee last week, it was deferred in March when Commissioner Joe Martinez said the item’s intent was obstructed by the language and it might actually be encouraging class segregation rather than deterring it. The previous legislation gave municipalities the option to explain why they are excluding revenue-negative or revenueneutral areas but didn’t list the explanation as a requirement. Mr. Martinez said excluding the requirement made it easier for cities to discriminate against low-income neighborhoods. “It’s a way to discriminate legally and I’m not in favor,” Mr. Martinez said in March. Commissioner Barbara Jordan wasn’t present to defend her
‘This requires a municipality that wants to annex land to respond to the unincorporated area that is adjacent that is revenue negative.’ Dennis Moss item in front of the committee in March and it was delayed until she could provide further information.
Last week, Ms. Jordan amended her measure to place the burden back on municipalities to explain why they are excluding low-value areas when seeking to incorporate or annex. Ms. Jordan changed the wording of her ordinance from “municipalities may explain,” to “municipalities shall explain,” requiring the municipality in question to prove it is not discriminating against any particular low-value area. “What we’re doing here is really an effort to avoid the creation of enclaves and cherry picking,” said Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, expressing her support for the item. “At the end of the day, we are all residents of Miami-Dade County.” Before voting, Ms. Sosa asked Ms. Jordan if she would consider an amendment to require municipalities to pay to evaluate potential areas seeking annexations: “When a municipality wants to annex an area, the commis-
sion conducts a survey and we have to pay from our own office funds,” Ms. Sosa said. “I would like the municipality making the request to pay for the survey if they want to annex an unincorporated area.” Ms. Jordan accepted the amendment, but the county attorney’s office said it would need to review the provision to make sure it was within the scope of the ordinance. “I’d welcome the opportunity to review this item until it goes before the full board,” said Assistant County Attorney Abbie Schwaderer Raurell. The item passed unanimously, with Mr. Martinez switching his vote to now support the legislation. The county attorney’s office is to review the legislation to consider including the provision requiring municipalities to pay for any annexation studies before the legislation comes before the full county commission May 1 for a final vote.
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