Miami Today: Week of Thursday, July 5, 2018

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

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CASINO GIANT GENTING GEARS UP TO BUILD HOTEL/COUNTY BUS TERMINAL COMPLEX AT OMNI, pg. 3 SOCCER STADIUM PROPOSAL: David Beckham’s group is expected to present its plan next week for a soccer stadium on City of Miami property that today is home to Melreese Golf Course near Miami International Airport. A representative requested a time certain of 2 p.m.

July 12 during the next regular city commission meeting. Chair Keon Hardemon OK’d the request, though Commissioner Joe Carollo is gunning for a special meeting to debate the proposal. “I don’t want to be here until 2 in the morning,” he told fellow commissioners at the June 28 meeting. Mr. Carollo said two outstanding matters – the soccer stadium and contract negotiations for the next Ultra music festival – will take many hours to resolve. Mayor Francis Suarez suggested he and Mr. Carollo discuss the possibility of a special meeting. The commission has two regular meetings in July, and typically is in recess each August.

The Achiever

TRAILER TOLLS SUIT ROLLS AHEAD: A state appeals court has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit against the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority by companies that lease trailers pulled by tractor trucks. The lawsuit stems from tolls that the expressway authority charged to the trailer companies based on a system that captures images of vehicles’ rear license tags. The companies had leased trailers to other businesses that, in many cases, then hired tractor-truck owners to haul the trailers. The trailer companies allege in the suit that they should not have been charged tolls, which were the responsibility of the truck drivers, according to last week’s ruling by a panel of the 3rd District Court of Appeal. The plaintiffs also sought to “certify” the lawsuit as a class action. A Miami-Dade County circuit judge approved the certification, leading the expressway authority to appeal. In a 2-1 decision, the appellate panel allowed the class-action lawsuit to move forward.

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL BONDS: The Miami-Dade Industrial Development Authority may issue up to $11.9 million in revenue bond assistance to Beacon College Prep Inc. so that the Florida nonprofit can finance or refinance costs of acquiring and renovating the 46,000-square-foot Beacon College Prep Charter School facility it leases from the county in Opa-locka. County commissioners last month adopted a resolution to issue the bonds, the proceeds of which will be lent to the company for site improvements, facilities, fixtures, furnishings and equipment. The existing elementary school is at 85% capacity, according to the school’s report, which states the improvements would raise enrollment from 400 to 760 students, employment from 41 to 69 people and expand to grades 6 to 8.

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

Henri Ford

Dean seeks big gains at UM’s Miller School of Medicine The profile is on Page 4

Miami adds a rail crossing, subtracts two others

By John Charles Robbins

City commissioners last week approved a new roadway across the existing railroad crossing at the northeast corner of the Miami Design District, the closure of two street railroad crossings – one at Northeast Second Avenue – and a plan to build a pedestrian bridge over railroad tracks near Northeast 17th Street.

The first series of changes is to improve traffic flow and access to the booming Design District. The other move is to improve public access to the city’s Dorsey Park.

The changes come just after the Florida East Coast Railway tracks got notably busier with the debut of Brightline passenger runs linking downtown Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Brightline’s launch is mentioned in some of the legislation.

Commissioners authorized the city manager to sign an agreement between the city and Miami-Dade County for the Northeast 42nd Street from Northeast Fourth Avenue to Federal Highway road improvement project.

“The improvements are a result of the coordination efforts between the Florida

Department of Transportation, County and the City with regards to the arrival of the Brightline passenger train in the City and County in 2018. Therefore, the City and County wish to facilitate the construction of a roadway improvement project located within the municipal limits of the City,” the resolution says.

The project consists of a new roadway across the railway crossing.

Other roadway enhancements are to include traffic signals, street lighting, sidewalks, ADA ramps, curb and gutter, drainage improvements, and modification to on-street parking.

The city is to construct, manage and administer the project, with the county contributing up to $1,401,000 for the work.

The Florida East Coast Railway requires that for every railroad crossing added, two existing crossings must be eliminated. The two to be eliminated are about 200 feet at the Northeast Miami Court crossing between Northeast 71st and 73rd streets, “and the other crossing will be North and South bound along NE 2nd Avenue at the NE 36th Street crossing,” a background memo says.

Commissioners also approved a perpetual aerial easement with the railway to build a pedestrian bridge at Northwest 17th Street above the rail right of way. Currently pedestrian and vehicular access across the railroad is limited to locations where road crossings exist.

Dorsey Park is on the west side of the railroad at Northwest 17th Street. Residents east of the rail line must go several blocks to the north or south to get to the park.

This easement will allow for the construction of an elevated pedestrian bridge for walkers and cyclists to easily and safely traverse the railroad to access the park and other areas to the west.

The legislation says, “The city desires to construct, install, inspect, maintain, and use an elevated pedestrian bridge for Northwest 17th Street above a portion of the existing railway corridor … for the use of the general public.”

The state and county are also working on roadway, signalization and railroad crossing improvements at the Northeast Second Avenue/Northeast 36th Street/East Dixie Highway intersection.

Jobs up 1% as 2 sectors propel gain Total Miami-Dade nonfarm jobs rose 1% in the past 12 months, adding 12,100 jobs to reach 1,192,500, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week, although the bulk of the gains came from just two heated sectors of the economy.

In fact, without the gains of 7,300 jobs in construction and 7,200 in manufacturing over the prior 12 months, the county would actually have lost 3,400 jobs in 12 months.

The gain in construction brought jobs to a higher total than a decade ago, as the last construction boom was just starting to cool. At the peak of that boom, November 2006, Miami-Dade had 56,100 construction workers. The past 12 months has seen a 13.5% growth in construction employment.

Manufacturing, long dormant here, has had even greater growth, with the number employed growing 17.2% in the year ended May 31. But manufacturing is far below its employment level of 28 years ago, when it had 87,900 workers in Miami-Dade.

In other large sectors, however, numbers – whether gains or losses – have been much slimmer.

Trade, transportation and utilities, an agglomeration of jobs, ended May with 296,300 persons employed in the county, a gain of 2,700 over the year.

Leisure and Hospitality, which long has been gaining jobs in the county, lost 800 jobs over the 12 months to total 143,000.

Government employment fell 2,100 jobs over the year to 143,100.

Education and health services saw a gain of 2,600 jobs to 187,300.

Professional and business services lost 1,600 jobs over the year to total 170,200.

In the financial activities area, which seemed to have recovered from the banking crisis of a decade ago, the year’s total job loss was 1,900, to total 78,900.

The 55,700 persons unemployed at the end of May were just 4% of the workforce, the lowest percentage in a decade, though in April 2008 the unemployment rate was just 3.7%.

SOUTHEAST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER IS ALL AT SEA ...

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SCOOTER INFLUX MIGHT BECOME TRANSIT MOVING PART...

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OVERTOWN DEVELOPMENT UNIT SEEKS 24 MORE YEARS ...

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METRORAIL RUNS MORE FREQUENTLY A BIT MORE OFTEN...

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VIEWPOINT: CHARTER REFORM MENU STARVATION DIET ...

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REPORT NEAR ON A HUB FOR HUMAN, ANIMAL GENETICS ...

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LONG-AWAITED YOUTH BASEBALL ACADEMY IS ON DECK ...

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MEDICAL GROUP PLANS TO EXPAND AT LENNAR CENTER ...

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MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

The Insider NORTH METRORAIL STUDY: Miami-Dade County will ask the Florida Department of Transportation to get cost estimates for developing the North Corridor of the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit Plan using 2007 designs for Metrorail extensions. The county’s Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Governing Board last month approved the request from Commissioner Barbara Jordan, which stated obtaining cost estimates “would facilitate a more reasonable decision in determining the locally preferred alternative.” In 2015, the TPO adopted resolutions identifying Northwest 27th Avenue as one of Barbara Jordan three corridors to study for rapid transit development; however, the current plan does not include Metrorail extension.

RAIL PRESIDENT SEARCH: The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority is looking for an executive director to replace Jack Stephens, who is retiring after 15 years with the organization. Mr. Stephens, 70, who took the position in February 2014 succeeding Joseph Giulietti, previously held roles with Atlanta’s Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. The authority has contracted KL2 Connects LLC, a national recruiting firm specializing in executive searches, to find a replacement, spokesperson Bonnie Arnold told Miami Today. “The plan is to present semi-final and final candidates to the board in Jack Stephens late August, with a selection made in September,” she said. “Jack’s been on the job for a long time, and it’s time for him to relax.”

PERMIT CONCIERGE SERVICE: The City of Miami’s Permit Concierge Service launched June 25 bringing in-home services to seniors, disabled persons and veterans. This service can be requested by calling (305) 416-2000 or emailing concierge@miamigov.com. Once scheduled, a Concierge Permit Processor is to visit the homeowner to collect the building permit application, plans/supporting documents, and payment (credit card only). The processor is to remain in contact with the homeowner and return for any required corrections and final delivery, and be available to assist with completing and notarizing the Emilio Gonzalez application. “We continue to innovate how we offer services,” said City Manager Emilio Gonzalez. “As part of our Service City Initiative, we’re committed to streamlining our processes and making our services easily accessible to all of our residents.” Permits eligible for the service are the residential permits eligible for the Expedited Permit Process. The city plans to offer Electronic Plan Review by the end of the year, providing added convenience of completing the permit process online.

THREE SUNSHINES SCHEDULED: Three Sunshine meetings are scheduled thus far for July, and all are this week. The first, regarding potential Metromover legislation, was to be held Tuesday between Andre Ragin and Bonnie Michaels, chiefs of staff for Miami-Dade Commissioners Barbara Jordan and Sally Heyman. A double-header is set for today (7/5). At 11:30 a.m., commissioners Audrey Edmonson and Rebeca Sosa are to meet in Government Center to discuss making texting while driving a primary offense, meaning police don’t need to Audrey Edmonson witness another traffic infraction before pulling drivers over for distracted driving. Commissioners Daniella Levine Cava and Barbara Jordan are then to meet in the building’s thirdfloor conference room at 1 p.m. to confer on a living wage. Florida’s open government laws require all legislative meetings, including county commissioner meetings, to be held in public.

URBAN EXPANSIONS REVIEW: A task force that spent a year looking at Miami-Dade County’s Urban Expansion Area presented a final report but took no formal votes on recommendations because of ‘inherent conflicts” among members on all sides of the issue, said Mayor Carlos Giménez, who appointed the team in May of last year. The task force looked at the current boundaries of the Urban Expansion Areas, the creation of New Urban Expansion Areas, and changes to the criteria to be considered for applications requesting expansion of the Urban Development Boundary, the mayor wrote in a memo to commissioners. Carlos Giménez The report can eb found at http://www.miamidade.gov/ planning/urban-expansion-area-task-force.asp.

BANKER OF YEAR: Sunstate Bank President and CEO Lloyd DeVaux has been named Banker of the Year by the Florida Bankers Association. “He is an outspoken advocate for the banking industry,” said association Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Pamela Ricco.

Criteria for the award are community service, concern for the industry, conveying the value of banking to the public, and reputation for distinguished achievement and excellence.

PLAY AT MIA: A new children’s play area may be built at Miami International Airport, with the Miami-Dade Aviation Department looking for private and or nonprofit organizations interested in funding the project. In June 2017, Miami-Dade commissioners passed a resolution sponsored by Sally Heyman and co-sponsored by Audrey Edmonson directing the department to locate a site for an additional children’s space at MIA similar to Plane Fun, a play area in Concourse E featuring six interactive educational exhibits.

Airport personnel selected a suitable site in the South Terminal between a duty free store and food court, which Ms. Heyman examined while visiting MIA in January.

Lloyd DeVaux

CORRECTION: A story last week incorrectly stated Miami-Dade Commissioner Rebeca Sosa was co-sponsor of a recently rejected resolution to eliminate commission term limits. Ms. Sosa, who voted against the resolution, was co-sponsor of the 2012 item enacting eight-year term limits.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018

Southeast Fisheries Science Center all at sea as move decision awaited

By Alyssa Curtis

Since two resolutions urging the US Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to retain the Southeast Fisheries Science Center on Virginia Key have been adopted, no official decision has yet been made about the facility’s location.

NOAA has been considering moving the facility to St. Petersburg. The building on Virginia Key is reportedly out of date, leaves little room for expansion, and faces an increasing threat from rising sea levels.

John Ewald, NOAA public affairs specialist, said in a statement that the administration has completed a facilities strategic plan and a feasibility study. With the information gathered, it is now working on understanding what would be needed in a new facility, he said.

“NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Fisheries Science Center, located in Miami, Florida, is an aging facility,” the statement read. “Planning ahead for a suitable marine science facility is essential to achieving the agency’s vision for world class excellence in science.

“As part of that planning, NOAA Fisheries completed a facilities strategic plan for the Science Center in 2015. That plan prioritized recapitalization of the Miami Laboratory. We also completed a feasibility study in 2016 exploring various options for this facility.

Southeast Fisheries Science Center may shift to state’s West Coast.

We are now collecting requirements to better understand the size and capabilities needed in a new facility. Those requirements are independent of future location,” the statement read.

Despite their research, officials have yet to decide whether to move the facility to the state’s West Coast.

“We are still early in the process and have not made any decision about the location of the facility,” the statement read.

NOAA collaborates with the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, as well as many other institutions in South Florida.

The resolutions, one sponsored by the Town of Surfside and the other by Village of Key Biscayne, discussed how moving the facil-

ity would affect the research and teaching at the institutions, although Mr. Ewald stated that in the event of a move, the relationship between NOAA and UM would stay the same.

“Regardless of where the facility is ultimately located, NOAA Fisheries will continue working to provide the best science possible for our Southeast US and international natural resources that fall under its purview, including maintaining our strong partnerships with the University of Miami,” the statement read.

In an article released by the University of Miami, Roni Avissar, dean of the Rosenstiel School, said he would like the facility to remain of Virginia Key in order to continue the 40-year relationship between the school and the NOAA.

Overtown development unit here to stay

By Catherine Lackner

Despite measurable progress, the Overtown area will still need help in the form of community reinvestment for the next 24 years, directors of the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) heard last week.

The agency is to shut down (or “sunset” by law) in 2030, but CRA leadership is preparing to petition the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County to extend its life to 2042.

An assessment of needs is required, and Cornelius Shiver, CRA executive director, presented directors with a 71-page document that lays out the case for extension, because slum and blight still exist within the agency’s boundaries and may exist into the foreseeable future.

“While Overtown is emerging from past public and private neglect, economic and social conditions are still conducive to greater rates of poverty and higher incidences of crime and health disparities, when compared to the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County,” the report by E.L. Waters and Co. said.

Asituation like Overtown’s is not unusual when a highway bisects a community, the report continued.

It cited a 2017 finding by Brown University that a major highway through a city reduces that city’s population by 18%. Overtown was riven by I-95 and I-395 during the 1960s and early 1970s.

“The highways removed an es-

timated 42 acres of the residential homes and flourishing businesses that were the heart of the community. A substantial number of businesses were closed, and empty buildings were left behind while the rest of the community experienced an economic shock,” the report said.

Subsequent urban renewal efforts led to the destruction of older homes and buildings, “displacing nearly 80% of its residents and subsequent destruction of the area’s business community, which once had more than 300 businesses,” the report continued.

“As a direct result of visionary leadership and steady economic growth, to date there are notable signs of community development activities in Overtown as well as in the Park West area; however, compared to surrounding neighborhoods, there still exists in Overtown a shortage of housing affordable to low-income and elderly residents, higher rates of unemployment, prevailing poverty, higher incidences of crime and health disparities,” the study said.

“The extension of the life of the SEOPW CRA will allow the CRA to continue with its community redevelopment activities, including offering affordable housing opportunities for low and moderate income families, leveraging tax increment funds to attract private capital in furtherance of community redevelopment goals, and continuing to combat higher incidences of crime by promoting policing

innovations that would foster safe neighborhoods,” the report said.

Commissioners agreed that the agency should try for the extension, though it is a long and potentially cumbersome process.

“It’s important to continue to assess progress and show what’s left to be done,” said Ken Russell, CRA director and Miami city commissioner. “It’s going to be an uphill battle. We’re trying to do the same thing at the Omni CRA. I’ll be with you at the city commission level,” as well as at the CRA level.

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

Phone: (305) 358-2663 Staff Writers:

John Charles Robbins jrobbins@miamitodaynews.com Katya Maruri kmaruri@miamitodaynews.com Jesse Scheckner jscheckner@miamitodaynews.com People Column people@miamitodaynews.com Michael Lewis mlewis@miamitodaynews.com

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TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018

MIAMI TODAY

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Casino giant gears up for hotel/county bus terminal combo

By Jesse Scheckner

Construction related to a mixed-use development encompassing the Omni bus terminal, Adrienne Arsht Center Metromover station and a planned hotel and retail center should begin before December, according to county transportation spokesperson Karla Damian.

Resorts World Miami, a subsidiary of Malaysian casino giant Genting Group, is to build a temporary bus station east of the current Omni terminal on North Bayshore Drive in or near the fourth quarter of this year. The station is to take about six months to complete and be used by riders during reconstruction of the Omni terminal.

The temporary station marks the first major move forward for the joint development since its unanimous approval by Miami-Dade County commissioners on April 18, 2017.

A timetable for the total project, including construction of the hotel, retail space and upgrades to the adjacent Metromover station, has yet to be determined, Ms. Damian said, adding that to minimize service interruption and ensure maximum safety, the temporary station must first be built before improvements to the existing bus terminal and Metromover begin.

Permanent construction, to take place

A temporary bus station is to be built in this area just east of the present bus terminal.

on seven parcels totaling 0.987 acres, includes a 300-room hotel and residential service apartments over the expanded bus terminal, according to a memo from Deputy Mayor Alina Hudak.

The adjoining retail space would comprise about 5,000 square feet, attorney Albert Dotson Jr., who represents Genting, told commissioners in April 2017.

Ms. Hudak wrote that the project will

promote maximum patronage of the transit system, provide functional and aesthetic integration of the Adrienne Arsht Metromover station and Omni bus terminal into the overall project, and improve or redesign the Metromover station by replacing stairs, elevators, escalators, surveillance systems and flooring, and enhancing site illumination and pedestrian accessibility.

Upgrades to the existing transit infrastructure are valued at about $22 million, according to the memo.

On January 27, 2015, the county requested proposals from developers interested in improving and building around and above the two stations. Genting’s Resorts World, Ms. Hudak wrote, was the sole bidder.

Genting Group also owns the Omni across the street and the old Miami Herald site to the east, where the company has sought to build a vast gambling resort.

The agreement includes a 90-year initial lease in which Genting pays the county’s transportation department $100,000 in minimum annual rent during construction, a $10 million one-time payment upon the project’s completion and either 50% of gross revenues generated from the development’s retail portion or $300,000 per year, whichever is greater.

An estimated 1,871 jobs will be created during construction, Ms. Hudak wrote, with 171 direct and 100 indirect jobs established after completion of the project, which is to be funded exclusively

by Genting and generate an estimated $54.85 million over the lease term.

Neither Genting Group nor Resorts World Miami responded to comment requests.

Home design show finds home with designs on Wynwood

By Catherine Lackner

After a detour to Miami Beach for several years, the Miami Home Design and Remodeling Show is returning to Miami, this time to Wynwood. It’s scheduled for Aug. 31 to Sept. 3 (Labor Day weekend) at 318 NW 23rd St. A collaborative effort by the Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID) and Mana Wynwood lured the show to the artsy neighborhood, said Manny Gonzalez, BID executive director. “At some point in late November, we received an inquiry from the home show,�

he said. “They were exploring moving, but didn’t know where to go.�

It so happens that Mana Wynwood, a 40-acre tract owned by New York investor Moishe Mana, incorporates a convention center and ample adjacent paved parking, Mr. Gonzalez said.

There are plans to eventually build out the complex to include an Asian-Latin trade hub, a cultural center, a large public space and more. “We approached the Mana team about the possibility of using it for the home show. It took many months, but we were able to reach an agreement,� Mr.

Gonzalez said.

The Mana team had been using the venue, a converted warehouse, for smaller events, he said. “This is a great pivot for them. They’re sitting on a gold mine in one of the hottest areas in the country, a pedestrian-friendly district with 400 business partners. We know we can give show visitors an entertaining, authentic experience.�

The Mana facility’s only competition is the Miami Beach Convention Center and the Knight Center in downtown Miami, he added.

Additional selling points for Wynwood

are its central location, in proximity to the Design District, Brickell and other popular areas, Mr. Gonzalez said. “It is a pleasure to welcome the Home Design and Remodeling Show back to the City of Miami,� said Francis Suarez, Miami mayor, in a statement. “It is fitting to kick off this year’s show at its new home at Mana Wynwood, in the heart of one of Miami’s creative epicenters.

This show promotes distinct creativity and design elements that represent the very characteristics of this area’s identity, making it the perfect venue for this design-focused event.�

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MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018

Miami Today is an independent voice of the community, published weekly at 2000 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 100, Miami, Florida 33133. Telephone (305) 358-2663

County walks away empty-handed from a nourishing buffet At a buffet we often overeat. We see so much that’s tempting that we overfill our plates.

But if we think of the review of MiamiDade’s charter as a buffet, we just walked right past all the meat-andpotatoes issues and came away with only a glass of water.

The review was meant to upgrade governance, a way to enhance the broad range of the county’s relations with its citizens.

Think about the US Constitution and its 27 amendments, changes mostly substantial and sometimes transformative.

The First Amendment alone insures the freedoms of religion, speech and press, the right to assemble and the right to petition government over grievances. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery.

Not all amendments are so substantial – they couldn’t be – but the intent has been to reset in some way the compact between a government and its citizens.

Miami-Dade County just had the opportunity to alter its own major structural issues in ways that could also be transformative.

We got that right because the county’s charter – our equivalent of a constitution – requires a review every five years so that citizens can improve the format under which we live.

So county commissioners – reluctantly –

abided by the charter and formed a review team to see what it would recommend.

That team dined at the buffet, able to pick any facet of the county to review for change. And the team’s 17 members did dig into the meatiest possible items: They talked about how we could best be represented at county hall, whether it would be better to have at least some commissioners face countywide votes to decrease parochialism and broaden focus.

They looked at whether electing a mayor/ manager – a very new system here – works as well as electing only the mayor and hiring a trained professional to lead operations, as we’d done successfully for decades.

They looked at whether every resident should have a city, town or village meet local needs and let the county focus on big-picture, area-wide issues as framers of the charter intended rather than today’s patchwork where some folks live in cities but others must look for their very local needs to county hall, which governs 2.7 million people.

They talked about whether control of development beyond the Urban Development Boundary should be by charter rather than a whim of whatever commissioners we elect this year.

They even discussed the process under which commissioners award contracts when campaign funds and votes are stake.

State and federal governments bar elected officials from decisions on contracts.

They also talked about whether the term limits that voters set for commissioners a few years ago should be nullified.

They discussed too whether commissioners, who have been paid $6,000 a year

for what’s truly full-time work, should be paid on the scale that the state sets in every big county except Miami-Dade, because only Miami-Dade has the right to set its own commission pay and it has never given a raise. Every other county must pay annual cost of living raises.

Those seven items were the meat of the menu, though the charter team browsed among a number of “salad” choices. In the end, the team bypassed all the meaty choices except commission pay and term limits, where it did recommend that voters get a seat at the table.

Well, last week county commissioners decided that we need a serious diet. No meaty issues for us. They even knocked out some side salads.

So what’s left? In November you can decide whether to keep electing Clerk of Courts Harvey Ruvin as a Democrat, as you have for decades, or elect him as a non-partisan (he seldom even draws opposition). I’d say re-elect him as a nonpartisan official because clerk truly is a nonpartisan job, but whichever the voters decide will hardly be transformative.

Likewise, you can decide whether a county-paid bus driver or secretary can run for a non-county elective office and keep the county job, or whether to require runoff elections when candidates for mayor clerk are unopposed – questions that would never occur to 999 of 1,000 voters.

A glass of water would be more nourishing.

But some of us hunger for improvements – personally, we’d like to send all seven of those excluded meat courses to the voters.

Despite the frothy issues the county com-

mission has put on the ballot, the charter is vital. In weight it’s no US Constitution, but the way we structure the county, and the ways we choose and pay those who govern us, can be impactful.

Imagine, for example, if a big-picture county had focused for decades on climate change, transportation needs, water and sewer (where we’re now about $13 billion in the hole), and affordable housing instead of debating small-town cracked sidewalks in Commissioner Fulano’s district or spending $3 billion on a baseball stadium (interest included, but that’s money too) or debating which lobbyist’s client will get an overpriced contract.

Structure shapes performance. Structure the county for success. To succeed, all seven meaty and transformative issues should go before voters.

Instead, either enjoy your glass of water or consider this line from charter review chair Robert Cuevas’s final report: “Amendments may be proposed and placed on the ballot either by the Board of County Commissioners or by petition of the citizens.”

In charter reviews every five years we see the same pattern: commissioners name the panelists, who won’t recommend for citizen vote anything meaty that commissioners don’t like. Then, commissioners take the salad that the review panel hands them and water it down until very little is left to fortify voters.

If you find the diet as bland and unnutritious as we do, you are left the petition route to the ballot box. County commissioners always leave the real meat sitting on the buffet table. Energized citizens won’t.

Public sector unions became partisan political organizations Public sector unions, the real strength of American unionism today, have been dealt a serious blow by the US Supreme Court.

In a 5-4 decision written by Justice Samuel Alito, the court ruled last week John Sparks in favor of Mark Janus, who works for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services as a child-support specialist. Mr. Janus chose not to join the union that represents employees of the State of Illinois: the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Nevertheless, he was compelled to “donate” part of his paycheck for each pay period to the coffers of AFSCME. The arrangement, a matter of state law in Illinois, required the payment as a condition of continuing employment.

Well, that compulsory fee, often called an “agency fee” or “fair share” payment, is now unconstitutional.

The high court found that Mr. Janus’s involuntary payments ran afoul of his First Amendment free speech rights by forcing him to financially support negotiating positions taken by AFSCME that were necessarily political and were often contrary to his own political views.

Virtually every collective bargaining demand made by a public sector union has the potential to impact the state government’s fiscal status and condition. Union

The Writer

Dr. John A. Sparks is the retired dean of Arts & Letters at Grove City College and a fellow for The Center for Vision & Values. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and a member of the State Bar of Pennsylvania. bargaining demands for higher wages and benefits, if agreed to by the state government, require it to either raise taxes on its citizens or require it to spend less on other governmental services.

In addition, Justice Alito points out that briefs submitted by public sector unions and other supporters of AFSCME show that public sector unions, during and outside of negotiations, express views on a wide variety of issues, including child welfare, minority rights, healthcare, gender identity, merit pay, and a host of other controversial issues. In other words, collective bargaining by unions has a political/policy impact, one with which Mr. Janus, and employees like him, disagree and yet are required to subsidize.

Mr. Janus’s freedom to refrain from supporting views contrary to his own is infringed, says the Supreme Court.

How will the decision change things for public sector unions – teachers, police officers, and other municipal and state employees – where the rate of union membership is slightly over 34% compared with 6.5% in the private sector?

First, it will greatly reduce the number of public sector employees who will continue

to pay the “agency/fair share” fees. In states that have passed “paycheck protection” acts which prohibited the compulsory collection of such fees by unions, the number of employees opting to pay their fees has declined markedly.

As a result of this loss of revenue, public sector unions will try to make it harder for current employees to halt the automatic pay deductions and trap new employees into perpetual pay reductions.

Steven Greenhut, writing for the California Policy Center, cites new language, which unions are already inserting into their membership applications, that makes union membership “irrevocable” unless the employee gives written notice to the union within a limited “window.” No doubt unions will fight with their legal muscle efforts by individual employees to stop paying agency/fair-share fees. Advocacy groups that favor employee freedom will be busy combating these new tactics for confused public sector employees.

However, the Alito opinion seems to anticipate this tact when it says that “neither an agency fee nor any other payment to the union may be deducted from a nonmember’s wages, nor may any other attempt be made to collect such a payment unless the employee affirmatively consents to pay.”

The long-run impact of the decision will be that when the funds available to public sector unions take a substantial hit, the political support for candidates by public sector unions will decrease. Since that support is overwhelmingly for Democratic Party political candidates, those candidates will be hurt.

Scott McKay reports that spending by public sector unions such as the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, Service Employees International Union, and AFSCME, went 90% to Democrat candidates. In fact, if one looked at AFSCME candidate support in 2016, that union did not support a single Republican candidate “anywhere in the country.”

All of this is recognized by the spokespersons for public sector unions, further supporting the conclusion of the court that these unions, for the most part, had become little more than partisan political action organizations, favoring only one side of the political spectrum.

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

7

Related’s affordable housing group wins Liberty Square OK

By John Charles Robbins

The second phase of a large mixed-use affordable housing project set in the heart of the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami is ready to start, and the developer is working to earn necessary approvals.

Related Urban Development Group, Related Group’s affordable-housing affiliate, presented plans for Liberty Square Rising Phase 2 to the city’s Urban Development Review Board.

The board recommended approval on June 20, with a few conditions. The project was considered at an earlier meeting, but the board wanted more information, particularly how Phase 2 would relate to its surroundings.

Miami-Dade County commissioners approved the public-private project hiring Related Urban Development Group in 2016 to handle the phased redevelopment of the neighborhood.

Built in the 1930s, Liberty Square is one of the oldest public housing projects in the US, with many outdated and dilapidated structures. The nine-block area is bounded on the north by Northwest 67th Street, the east

by Northwest 12th Avenue, the south by Northwest 62nd Street and the west by Northwest 15th Avenue.

County leaders planned to invest about $46 million into the overall project, which was to include a grocery store, about 1,380 residences, 15,000 square feet of neighborhood shops, a community center, health center, Head Start center for children and more.

Phase 2 is between Northwest 65th and 67th streets and 13th and 14th avenues.

The plan calls for 204 gardenstyle apartments in three-story buildings. The site plans shows 204 parking spaces in the site’s interior.

Ivo Fernandez Jr., principal at MODIS Architects, went over details of the evolving mixed-use development, designed to revive the neighborhood.

He explained the graduated residential plan that is to include affordable housing and workforce housing, comprised of rental apartments, and townhomes for sale described on the site plan as “home ownership townhomes.”

The full redevelopment is to include a village green, a youth enrichment center, on the south five- to eight-story residential buildings and ground floor retail, a centrally located public park, and housing for the elderly in the central western block.

Mr. Fernandez mentioned the community outreach on the project. “From my standpoint, there’s been a vigorous process with the community,” he said.

He said nine community-style meetings with residents have involved stakeholders, consultants, police and more.

The plan is the result of collaboration, he said, “a compilation of everybody’s input.”

Hopefully, all of the open spaces will cater to all residents of Liberty Square, said Mr. Fernandez, who mentioned that an historic

‘From my standpoint, there’s been a vigorous process with the community.’

Ivo Fernandez Jr. The Phase 2 plan at Liberty Square Rising calls for 204 garden-style apartments in three-story buildings.

community center building will be renovated and brought up to code and design standards.

The overall plan may also bring sporting fields and a pool.

A full grocery store is a key component of the overall plan, and Related plans to anchor the grocery on one of the corners.

Mr. Fernandez said the sweeping Liberty Square project offers the developer’s team the chance to think outside of the box, while striving to design the new buildings to become part of the fabric of the city.

Cars can access the Phase 2 residential area at two points.

The block will have sidewalks, landscaped medians, pedestrian crosswalks and green space in and around the interior parking spaces.

Mr. Fernandez acknowledged some earlier concern by the review board about “anywhere” architecture for the project – nothing special.

He said he understands the comment but noted the county conveyed to Related that it wants a more traditional look for the residential buildings.

He said the developer will employ scoring techniques and color variations to help bring some variety to the buildings.

Board member Gerald Marston thanked the team for a thorough presentation, but said he’d wanted to see more development of the architectural façade.

“One of the shortcomings is that it tends to all look the same,” he said. “I’d like a little more differentiation on the facades … anything that doesn’t drive up the costs but makes the buildings look distinctive.”

Based on earlier comments, the developer tried to place air conditioning units on the roofs but the costs were excessive.

Board member Ignacio Permuy thanked the team for taking on the historic project, but he did take issue with placing the air conditioner condensers in front of the buildings, calling them an eyesore. He said he liked that the parking was basically hidden and suggested moving the condenser units in the back as well.

Board member Fidel Perez said it is a well-planned project. He did question the timing of some of the planned phases, and suggested the central community park be developed now, rather than leaving that piece to the end.

“Sometimes things do not go as planned. You may be on hold,” said Mr. Perez. “My point is that I’d like to see the center part now.

Do it in these early days … this project – as big as it is – could take several years.”

Acting Chairman Neil Hall thanked the developer’s team for the more detailed presentation.

“Since the last time I was critical of the project, I am pleased to see you’ve taken our comments to heart,” Mr. Hall said.

He also suggested moving the condensers behind the buildings.

Mr. Hall suggested further community outreach, to get more residents informed and involved in such a large impactful project.

“The public should be engaged.

This is important,” said Mr. Hall, after noting he saw no community members in the audience.

Board member Gerald Marston said he agreed with Mr. Hall and wants more community involvement.

The board voted to recommend approval of Phase 2 with these conditions: the developer consider moving the condenser units into a rear location; study the alignment of buildings, roofing materials and color scheme with an eye toward more variety; try to find a way to move up development of the central community park; and work to ensure trees represented in renderings are as close as possible to actual landscaping used at the property.

8

MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018

Study aims to tie bike, walking trails into mass transit plan

By Jesse Scheckner

The Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization has ordered a budget to study a project to connect non-motorized bicycle and pedestrian paths with the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan.

“We’re going to get all the trails united,” Commissioner Rebeca Sosa said after voting for the plan and asking to co-sponsor the resolution by City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

Several major public-private trail projects could be considered for a SMART Trails program, including the Underline, a 10-mile linear park and urban trail below the Metrorail running from the Miami River north of the Brickell Metrorail station to the Dadeland Metrorail station; the 6.2-mile multi-use Ludlam Trail running parallel to and west of Ludlam Road from near Northwest Seventh to Southwest 80th streets;

and the Miami River Greenway, a public pathway running about 5.5 miles on both sides of the river west from Biscayne Bay toward Miami International Airport.

Around 20 community members arrived to support the SMART Trails program, including Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust Executive Director Javier Betancourt, Everglades Bicycle Club President Susan Kawalerski, Friends of the Underline founder Meg Daly and ‘Linking first- and lastSwire Properties Development Manager of Community Outreach mile solutions is critical. It’s Jami Reyes. for people of all ages, abili“As a daily bike commuter, my bike is like the horizontal elevator ties, modes of transportathat takes me from my house to our tion and, especially in my transit system,” said town planner heart, kids.’

Victor Dover, who in November Steven Wernick 2015 helped bring WHEELS, a four-day biking, walking and transit educational event, to South Miami. “During that one week, online. There’s a huge interest.”

With millions of dollars poured 3,912 people did it and 49,000 others participated in some way into expanding the county’s mass

transit network, failures to help pedestrians and cyclists reach the system within one mile of their homes and workplaces are missed economic and mobility opportunities, said Friends of the Underline board member Steven Wernick.

“Linking first- and last-mile solutions is critical,” he said. “It’s for people of all ages, abilities, modes of transportations and, especially in my heart, kids – and that’s our future, of course.”

Several speakers, including Ms. Daly, attorney and cycling activist Eli Stiers and architect and Green Mobility Network chair Maricé Chael, recommended the county work to develop the Miami Loop, a 225-mile contiguous circuit comprised of all South Florida trails, greenways and non-motorized paths.

If completed, the Miami Loop could connect to the Florida SUN Trail, a connected network of trails throughout the state paid for by a recurring $25 million annual budget derived from new vehicle

registration fees.

“Let’s go ahead and show the world what Miami is capable of for tourism, for having our kids walking and biking to school, for people biking to work,” Ms. Chael said.

The Transportation Planning Organization’s approval to determine a budget for SMART Trails came just two days after county commissioners unanimously green-lighted the purchase of the Ludlam Trail from Brightline owner Florida East Coast Industries, whose discontinued railroad corridor comprises the six-mile linear greenway.

Once developed, the Ludlam Trail is to connect more than 34,000 people within a half-mile radius of the trail to five greenways, five schools, four parks and two transit hubs.

“We are very happy, said Jose Gonzalez, FEC senior vice president, “to support this resolution to keep studying the trails, connectivity and how it connects to our transit.”

Weak credit score may not be home mortgage deal-breaker

By Rebecca San Juan

Residential borrowers may want to weigh in on their credit before applying for a mortgage, seeing that those with a poor score may pay $15,000 more for interest costs alone over a 30-year span.

However, experts say, alternative options exist for those sold on a dream home.

James Venney, director of residential lending of TotalBank, now a part of City National Bank, sums up the mortgage application process as document-intensive.

The process lasts about 30 days – unless it’s a refinance property that takes longer – and begins with the buyer or assisting loan officer filing an application.

Professionals like Mr. Venney then request documentation related to assets, income and property. Although the process can be completed online, Mr. Venney recommends applicants find a lender to rely on.

“There will be challenges along the way, almost at every single instance,” he said. “You will need somebody there to guide you through that process.”

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Strategic Plan

The interest rate on fixed loans usually depends on the credit score. The nationwide average for a prime score stands over 720, while in South Florida, with heavy credit users, the rate remains at 680. The average applicant offers a score between 720 and 680.

“The interest rates will be slightly higher for individuals with credit scores between 680 and about 620,” Mr. Venney said. “Below 620, it becomes significantly more challenging.

A conventional mortgage may not be possible.”

Applicants with a low score might pay much higher interest rates for a standard 30-year fixed loan based on nationwide data.

“For example, a customer with a higher rank of credit score – they have a 750 and above – for

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is undertaking a selection process for a consultant to assist in the development of a 5-year strategic plan for the visitor industry of Greater Miami and the Beaches.

the month of May they have an average annual percentage rate of 4.89%, but consumers with scores between 680 and 719, which is a lower bucket of scores, had an average annual percentage rate of 5.17%,” said chief economist for Lending Tree Tendayi Kapfidze.

“That’s a pretty significant spread in the annual percentage rate, 28 spread points [.28 percentage points]. Net spread over the life of a loan should be taken – at $300,000 loan, as an example, that’s an extra $15,000 in interest costs for borrowers with a lower credit score.”

Credit remains relevant after the Great Recession but not a deal-breaker, Mr. Venney said. “It matters because it’s something we rely on when making a decision about an individual’s history in

OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY

Submission Requirements: To be considered responsive, you must submit a statement of interest via email to: StrategicPlanRFPManager@ GMCVB.com by Friday, July 13, 2018, by 5:00 P.M. EST.

PLEASE ALL TAKE NOTICE that a Board of Commissioners Meeting of the Omni Redevelopment District Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 12th, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. or thereafter at the City of Miami, City Hall at 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida 33133.

The full RFP can be found at: www.MiamiandBeaches.com/ StrategicPlan

All interested persons are invited to attend. For more information please contact the OMNI CRA office at (305) 679-6868.

The deadline for the receipt of all proposals is Friday, August 3, 2018, by 5:00 P.M. EST.

#31288

Jason Walker, Executive Director Omni Redevelopment District Community Redevelopment Agencies

Tendayi Kapfidze: bad score costly.

George Jalil: health bills a factor.

terms of the use of credit – that would mean credit cards, student loans, other mortgages they may have had in the past. An individual’s history of how they utilize those things can be an indication of what their habits will be in the future.”

A low score may impact anyone at any time, explained George C. Jalil, broker and chairman of the board of the Miami Association of Realtors. “Poor credit cuts across all types of age and gender and ethnic groups,” he said. “There’s so many different ways that you can have your credit score impacted in a negative way.”

Mr. Jalil said he hears health and operation costs are the most common reason for poor credit: “Realtors do see that many times you’ve got somebody they have a great job, make good income but they have medical bills a year or two ago and the medical insurance maybe didn’t cover a large part of it. Doctors and hospitals will report them late on the portion that was not covered.”

Age never indicates whether someone has good or poor credit, Mr. Kapfidze said. “Folks with a high income will tend to have a higher credit score and folks with a lower income might have a lower credit score. There is certainly plenty of millennial homebuyers today that have excellent credit scores and are getting really good offers in the marketplace because of that. It’s not necessarily as age related as one might think.”

Alternatives and remedies exist for bearers of poor credit,

especially after the early 2010s, when numerous people were hit by foreclosures and declared bankruptcies. Mr. Jalil says as of March, with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act buyers with a score of 540 or lower can use alternative credit scoring for a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loan.

“If you have really good payment history on your electric bill or an affidavit from your landlord that you’ve been paying your rent on time,” he said, “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can now use that instead of your credit score in case your credit score is a little bit lower than what they will accept.”

Those receiving flat-out rejections after shopping for a mortgage from different lenders can rely on nonprofit organizations and select banks to help improve their score.

“There are solutions for a lot of those things,” Mr. Venney said.

“There are loan programs that accommodate individuals that have histories with blemishes on them, and a significant portion of the population have instances like that on their credit reports with things that happened in the economy.”

Programs typically last for about a year, focusing on making payments on time, paying off debt and, Mr. Venney says, “sometimes it’s just a matter of letting as much time pass between a credit event like a bankruptcy or something like that and applying for a mortgage.”

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018

MIAMI TODAY

HEALTH UPDATE

15

South Miami study of 50 subjects hunts for Zika vaccine

By Rebecca San Juan

Trials for a Zika DNA vaccine are progressing as Miami clinic QPS-MRA has welcomed a new lead investigator and met its goal of 50 research subjects – with room for more.

The study funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) branch National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) oversees trials at 21 facilities across the nation and abroad. Physicians test research subjects by injecting either a placebo or the Zika DNA vaccine and monitoring their progress every few weeks.

A new lead researcher has taken the place of Dr. Diane Krieger, who left the facility at 6141 Sunset Dr., Suite 301. Dr. Jorge Caso now stands as the third lead investigator in the research process after Dr. Krieger replaced Dr. Margaret Fischl of the University of Miami last year.

Dr. Caso is carrying on the study with 50 research subjects, the minimum number of participants wanted in a stable environment without a Zika outbreak. However, the team would welcome more participants.

The NIAID has confirmed that the clinic continues to meet with and enroll candidates.

Health experts emphasize the importance of a vaccine despite the absence of a Zika outbreak. Although 20 travelers when returning to the US learned they were infected with the Zika virus after journeying

Researchers at the Florida Department of Health sought to contain the spread of the Zika virus in 2016.

abroad, no local cases have been reported recently.

“What is to say it won’t reemerge or what is to say it may not cause pockets of cases in the United States or parts of South America?” said Bindu Mayi, professor of microbiology at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Medical Sciences.

The health effects of Zika impact fetuses and adults. The virus, spread by the bite of a mosquito or through intercourse, causes microcephaly or abnormal brain development, a condition that lasts a lifetime. Over 50 babies suffered with Zika-related

defects in the US in 2016.

“It is something that will have to be managed and the tremendous stress that it brings to the family,” Dr. Mayi said. “The family may or may not be able to care for that baby, in which case the county or local municipality needs to step up a provide that assistance. That alone gives us the sense of urgency for the vaccine.”

The spread of Zika virus has been accompanied by a rise in cases of microcephaly and GuillainBarré syndrome. First identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys, Zika was later identified in humans in

1952. The first large outbreak of disease caused by Zika infection was reported from the Island of Yap in 2007.

Miami had a Zika outbreak in 2016 that researchers say was caused mostly by infected travelers arriving from the Caribbean, the region with the highest incidence of Zika. At its peak, the Zika scare had an impact on tourism as many younger adults were concerned about visits that might affect their future children.

While local cases now are few, research on the disease continues.

A recent finding, health officials

‘Unfortunately, when they look at the behavior of the virus itself and how it spread so rapidly in the Americas we don’t quite understand why that happened. The question is, can it happen again?’

Bindu Mayi confirm, is that the Zika virus can harm adults too, at times causing neurological complications.

Prevention is the best action, says Dr. Mayi: “Unfortunately, when they look at the behavior of the virus itself and how it spread so rapidly in the Americas we don’t quite understand why that happened. The question is, can it happen again? If it does, we are prepared.”

The NIAID expects to collect and study data from the clinical trials up until 2020.

You don’t have to go far SN ƥMC @ VNQKC KD@CDQ in pediatric care Once again, no other hospital in Florida has more programs listed in U.S.News & World Report’s 2018-19 pediatric rankings than Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.

In addition, our neurology and neurosurgery program is ranked in the top 15 nationally. So you have access to high-quality, world-class pediatric care right here in your own backyard. And through our network of outpatient and urgent care centers, chances are we are only a few blocks away. It’s great to be a leader, but even better to lead with compassion, innovation and extraordinary care.

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