Miami River Commission Meeting Minutes June 2, 2014

Transcription

1 Miami River Commission Meeting Minutes Mr. Horacio Stuart Aguirre, Chairman of the Miami River Commission (MRC), convened the public meeting at noon,, 1407 NW 7 ST, Miami, FL. Miami River Commission (MRC) Policy Committee Members and/or Designees attending: Horacio Stuart Aguirre, Chairman Jay Carmichael, Vice-Chairman Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, Miami-Dade County Commission Marlene Avalo, designee for Commissioner Barreiro (non-voting) Patty Harris, designee for Governor Gary Winston, designee for Miami-Dade ST Attorney Fernandez-Rundle Frank Balzebre, designee for Miami-Dade Mayor Gimenez Sandy O Neils, designee for Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Philip Everingham, designee for Marine Council Ernie Martin, Neighborhood Representative appointed by City of Miami Sallye Jude, Neighborhood Representative appointed by Miami-Dade County Bruce Brown, Miami River Marine Group MRC Staff: Brett Bibeau, Managing Director Others attending interested in the River: Please see attached sign in sheets. Bruce Brown asked to amend the distributed draft May 5, 2014 public meeting minutes on page 1, Mr. Brown is President of Maritime Security Consulting. The amended minutes were unanimously adopted by the MRC. I. Chair Report MRC Chairman Horacio Stuart Aguirre provided the following report: On behalf of the entire MRC, I would like to thank Megan Kelly for volunteering on the MRC for over a decade. Understandably her Citi Center development is taking all of her time. I welcome Sandy O Neil as the newly appointed designee for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. Ms. O Neil is familiar with the Miami River, as she served as Mayor Penelas designee on the MRC for several years. The rotating powerpoint features pictures from the May 24 MRC funded volunteer event, planting and tending to the community vegetable and fruit garden, and picking up litter along the public riverwalk here at Robert King High. Ms Jude noted her support for the Miami Riverwalk s community vegetable and fruit garden, where volunteers which work in the garden are able to take home the free fresh healthy fruits and vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, papaya, banana pepper, basil).

2 - 2 - I thank the State s Dade Delegation, and the leadership of Representatives Diaz and Rodriguez, and Senators Margolis, Braynon and Negron, for including the MRC s requested $150,000 in the State s recently approved FY 15 Budget. I thank Lynn Summers for volunteering her time in support of the item. I thank everyone whom wrote the powerful distributed support letters to Governor Scott, including Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, Spencer Crowley, FIND, City of Miami Mayor Regalado, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Barreiro, Megan Kelly, Swire Properties, Sara Babun, Antillean Marine, Mark Bailey, Miami River Marine Group, Javier Betancourt, Downtown Development Authority, Luis Garcia, Garcia s Seafood Grille & Fish Market, and Anneliese Morales, Little Havana Merchant Alliance. The veto deadline is this Wednesday. Per my request, MRC Director Bibeau has distributed a list of what the MRC does on a day to day basis. In addition, we have distributed my related memo seeking members to submit their top 5 items. Vice-Chairman Jay Carmichael provided the following update on the Miami River Voluntary Improvement Plan (VIP): The following Miami River Voluntary Improvement Plan (VIP) items were addressed in May: 1) After receiving a complaint from an adjacent Miami River Condo Association President that the iconic colored lights on the metro-rail bridge have not been working for some time, the MRC contacted Miami-Dade County Transit which replied the County s Dept. of Art in Public Places has ordered new LED colored lights and the MRC has been requesting an estimate of when they will be installed and functional. 2) After receiving a complaint from a River resident and business owner regarding the conditions of a new riverwalk section on the south shore around 12 Ave Bridge, the Miami River Commission paid for a clean-up crew, and contacted area property owners FDOT, City of Miami and Miami-Dade County. asking for overgrown landscaping to be cut, homeless to be offered beds, etc. I thank FDOT, Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami Homeless Assistance Department for cutting overgrown landscaping and offering beds and shelter. 3) After receiving a complaint from an adjacent riverfront Condo, the MRC asked the One Miami condo to repair the broken lights along their public riverwalk. One Miami has been working with an electrician and MRC has been seeking estimated date when the light repairs will be completed and functional again. 4) The City s extended estimate to issue their drafted Request for Letters of Interest for their vacant site will be publicly advertised on June 9. 5) MRC reported to the City that there is graffiti on their building next to the public riverwalk. We offered to paint over the graffiti for them, if the City provides the existing color shade so MRC may purchase a matching gallon of paint.

3 - 3-6) I thank the City of Miami Public Works Department for responding to MRC s request for first time weed whacking of a new section of the public Miami River Greenway s south shore from NW 8 Ave to NW 12 Ave. 7) I thank Miami-Dade Transit for painting over graffiti on Metro-Mover, which was reported by the MRC 8) MRC received a complaint from a River business about the 5 ST Bridge, and forwarded it to FDOT. The complaint was that the 8 warning arms open and close one at a time, unnecessarily extending the closure period, and since the bridge is electronic and thankfully quiet, FDOT is loudly playing over speakers recorded screeching bridge sounds. 9) MRC reported to Miami-Dade County that the recently installed irrigation systems are leaking at 2 of their substantially completed riverwalk sections. II. Consideration of Draft Agreement Between River Landing (1500 NW North River Drive) and Miami-Dade County to Construct and Maintain a Connecting Public Riverwalk and Greenspace at adjacent 1280 NW 11 ST The following were distributed: 1) County Deed between Miami-Dade County and River Landing Conservation Foundation, INC. a Florida not-for-profit organization stating for the public purpose of constructing and maintaining an open green space and public park with accompanying sea wall improvements, pedestrian walkways and greenways along the north side of the Miami River according to the Miami River Greenway Action Plan for the benefit of all Miami-Dade County Residents in return for the attached Exhibit B line item budget of these $3,974,223 of improvements. To: 2) The following memorandum: Miami River Commission (MRC) Board Members From: MRC Urban Infill Subcommittee Chairman Jim Murley and MRC Greenways Subcommittee Chairman Ernie Martin Date: 6/30/2014 Re: Recommendation for MRC s Agenda Item II II. Consideration of Draft Agreement Between River Landing (1500 NW North River Drive) and Miami-Dade County to Construct and Maintain a Connecting Public Riverwalk and Greenspace at adjacent 1280 NW 11 ST We respectfully recommend that the Miami River Commission recommend approval of Miami-Dade County s provided agreement with River Landing (River Landing Conservation Foundation Inc.) to construct and maintain a public riverwalk and greenspace (no development and no structures) at 1280 NW 11 ST. Miami-Dade County s drafted

4 - 4 - agreement is consistent with the provided MRC s 3/4/13 public meeting minutes, MRC subcommittee s 1/23/13 and 2/15/13 public meeting minutes, and the developers presented County Parcel Master Plan. 3) Miami River Commission s Urban Infill and Greenway s Subcommittee s January 23, 2013 public meeting minutes stating: Ms. Garcia-Toledo stated she met with the Mayor of Dade County who asked his staff to work in support of her client s efforts to bring in the County parcel as part of the River Landing project. Ms Garcia-Toledo stated she also continues to work with County staff on this effort. MS Garcia-Toledo stated the submitted plans were being revised so that there would not be any use of the county parcel for access to the proposed River Landing project, should their negotiations be unsuccessful. Ms. Garcia-Toledo described a platted 7 foot wide public side walk from N River Drive to the Miami River, across the County property. Ms. Garcia noted if the property is improved for public space / plaza, the entire area will provide access to the Miami River. In return, the potential developer is offering to fund and construct the needed improvements including a public riverwalk, shoreline stabilization, etc. and provide for its maintenance. 4) Miami River Commission s Urban Infill and Greenway s Subcommittee s February 15, 2013 public meeting minutes stating: Removed access roads in proposed rendition of the adjacent County owned riverfront, which the project proposes to improve and maintain as a public green / park space 5) Miami River Commission s March 4, 2013 public meeting minutes stating: Ms. Vicky Garcia Toledo indicated they would like the County to give the developer the County owned riverfront parcel immediately east of the site, which the developer would improve and maintain as a public greenspace featuring the public riverwalk. Chairman Aguirre and the MRC asked to potentially consider that separate proposed component during the MRC s April 15 public meeting. 6) County Parcel Master Plan rendition of public park featuring riverwalk on the subject County parcel, which was included in the River Landing Presentations to MRC and consistent with the draft County Deed 7) River Landing East Perspective rendition of the public riverfront park and riverwalk on the subject County owned parcel, which was included in the River Landing Presentations to MRC and consistent with the draft County Deed 8) River Landing Special Area Plan (SAP) presentation to City Commission when approved on May 6, 2013, pages B-4, L-11, L-12, and L-14 renditions of public park featuring riverwalk on the subject County parcel, consistent with the draft County Deed and presentations to the MRC

5 - 5 - Mr. Andrew Hellinger, River Landing, stated how the County site is used and developed is an issue, because he has been unable to obtain insurance for a public park. Phil Everingham made a motion for the MRC to support MRC Greenways subcommittee Chairman Martin s and MRC Urban Infill subcommittee Chairman Murley s recommendations to approve Miami-Dade County s provided draft County Deed, to construct and maintain a connecting public riverwalk and public park at 1280 NW 11 ST, under the condition that if the current draft County Deed is amended, the new version would be considered at a future MRC meeting. The Motion was adopted 6-5. Gary Winston No Sallye Jude Yes Frank Balzebre No Sandy O Neil Yes Horacio Stuart Aguirre Yes Jay Carmichael No Phil Everingham - Yes Bruce Brown Yes Bruno Barreiro - No Patty Harris No Ernie Martin Yes (Confusion ensued after the vote because Sallye Jude, whom had voted yes, had to leave the meeting immediately following the vote, leaving behind a 5-5 tie between the remaining present members.) III. MRC Subcommittee Reports A. Greenways Subcommittee Chair Dr. Ernie Martin provided the following report: The MRC Greenway s subcommittee s May 14 public meeting minutes have been distributed. I thank the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County for continued construction of various sections of the public riverwalk. We have distributed and presented the updated aerial exhibit which shows significant progress has several sections are now substantially complete. The MRC is coordinating and funding the following 3 major volunteer Miami River Greenway beautification events this month: June 12 estimated 50 volunteers from AON Insurance will be planting, painting, picking up litter, pulling weeds and spreading recycled mulch along 8 blocks of the Miami River Greenway s south shore from SW 2 Ave Bridge to NW 1 ST AON June 14 estimated 50 volunteers from MIRA USA will be planting, painting, picking up litter and spreading recycled mulch along 4 blocks of the Miami River Greenway s north shore, from Lummus Park to NW 5 ST Bridge. June 28 - the MRC will host and fund plants and supplies for Hands on Miami volunteers to tend to the community vegetable and fruit garden, and pick up garbage along the adjacent public Miami River Greenway here at Robert King High, 1407 NW 7 ST.

6 - 6 - Our next public meeting is a joint meeting with the Urban Infill subcommittee on Wednesday, June 25, 3 PM, here, 1407 NW 7 ST. B. Stormwater Subcommittee, Chair Sallye Jude provided the following report: Our next public MRC Stormwater subcommittee meeting will be this Wednesday, June 4, 1407 NW 7 ST, 10 AM. MRC Vice Chairman Carmichael congratulated Sallye Jude and the MRC s Stormwater subcommittee for another quarter of clean water quality testing results along the Miami River and the successful implementation of 44 of the total 55 Action Items identified in FDEP s Wagner Creek and Seybold Canal Walk the WBID Plan. Vice Chairman Carmichael stated he would still like to see the City and County implement FDEP s recommendation to be able to respond to a water quality testing violation result within 24 hours of taking the sample in an effort to immediately identify and terminate the contamination source. The MRC meeting adjourned.

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