##VIDEO ID:pkqRIf0rL5I## [Music] he hey hey hey hey hey okay he [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] please take your seats the meeting is about to begin remember to speak into the microphone as this meeting is being recorded for public record e e e e e e please stand by we are going on air in 5 4 3 2 1 good afternoon everyone a closed executive session will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday November 13th in the city manager's large conference room fourth floor City Hall for a discussion relative to collective bargaining the closed executive session is being held pursuant to Florida statute section 447 point 6:05 we will now recess this portion of the meeting until 5:00 p.m. when the presentations and awards uh portion of the meeting will commence so we are recessed till 5:00 P p.m thank you [Music] [Music] [Music] e [Music] a [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] 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[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] for [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] please take your seat the meeting is about to begin remember to speak into the microphone as this meeting is being recorded for public record please stand by we are going on air in 5 4 3 PJ Welcome to the presentation and awards ceremony we got a packed house today thank you all for coming we're going to get started got a lot of uh I always wanted to use this thank you for giving me the opportunity to use it today so we're going to get started if we could all uh quiet down please to give everyone the respect um we have a number of items thank you for my colleagues for being here today and thank you for all coming it's uh it's very meaningful I actually had somebody recently tell me that one of the highlights was when uh several years ago uh he had gotten a proclamation from the city so it it it hits home that this is something important to uh to individuals it's important for us in a city to recognize the good hard work that everyone does I'm going to call two I'm going to go generally in order but I'm going to call start off with two items out of order relating to homeless um the efforts the compassionate efforts that we do to help the homeless as well as enforcement efforts I'm going to call those first because they actually have to get to work and get back on the uh on the street to do their to do their jobs so I'm going to call pa10 first but uh Ralph if you can also provide any instructions that are necessary good afternoon everyone uh during this hybrid commission meeting the city commission is physically present in the commission chamber at Miami Beach City Hall 1700 Convention Center Drive third floor the public May attend the meeting virtually however members of the public who wish to attend the meeting in person may appear at the commission chamber to view the meeting virtually the public may join the meeting by visiting the Zoom app on their smart device or on the web at zoom. us or by telephone at 305 2241 1968 again 305 2241 1968 the webinar ID is 813 928 576 71 pound 813 928 576 71 pound and the first item up is pa10 certificate of recognition operation summer relief request by mayor Miner yeah so thank you and this is this is an ongoing operation we we actually did an operation summer relief an item that I that I brought to really focus and the goal was and it's never fully fulfilled is to try to make sure there are no homeless individuals living on our streets that's a constant goal that we have and again we provide a plethora of services but also there's um there's enforcement as well but we um we try to have all of our departments that are engaged housing community services police Emergency Management the fire department uh to make a concerted effort and with the well-being of the homeless in mind it's really hot in August um we get reports literally every day of different crimes committed in our city and a lot of the crimes are often committed by homeless against the homeless so uh there's a level of protection that we need to provide anybody in our city we are responsible for and sometimes it's protecting and it doesn't make headlines those cases do not make headlines but we see it and we know what happens so we have a duty and operation summer relief was a big part of that um I always hate to single out individuals because there's so many people that that are involved in this but I do want to highlight Irene Venus Emergency Management technician uh with the fire department division of Emergency Management she coordinative volunteers who are met members of the city C uh the community Emergency Response Team who do great work uh as well uh to assist with our Outreach uh Outreach efforts they did so much I I would actually let's let's bring that let's bring Irene up and everyone who was involved and and anyone who wants to speak I would i' I'd love to hear from you and let's do the certificate anybody thank you so much [Applause] and everyone who was involved every Department that was involved in the uh operation sum relief come up we'll take a picture [Applause] [Applause] thank you [Applause] so the next item is pa5 Proclamation Dr Alba T and the homeless Outreach team requested by vice mayor Fernandes vice mayor Fernandez thank you Mr Mayor uh well this is very similar but very different than pa10 this is pa5 but right um this is um this is a recognition of Dr tare and the entire team and uh the homeless Outreach team I think as public servants we we we owed to recognize these individuals who take on the task of dealing with what is perhaps the most difficult population in our community um that is dealing directly with the homeless population homeless individuals that have unique challenges and depend on Specialized services and these are the individuals that with the full good goodness of their heart Extend A Helping Hands a compassionate helping hand to help homeless individuals at the lowest point of their lives get back up on their own two feet and become contributing members of of society and it's so important to do this now especially right now when Miami Beach is Frank is frankly being being portrayed in a negative light um and while while it hurts all of us because we know that a lot of what is being said out out there might not be true it most hurts those dedicated public servants who day in and day out are in the street of our community reaching out to homeless in individuals to those who we owe our gratitude uh the entire team at the office of Outreach and and community services and so today I want to on behalf of our mayor on behalf of our city commission but most especially on behalf of our entire Community I want to recognize Alba I want to recognize Alba for her exception leadership for her dedication for being someone with all of her heart dedicates herself to this city who at midnight mobilizes herself to our city to deal with homeless individuals being busted into our city who in the weekend is putting on resource fairs to make sure that Homeless individuals have access to comprehensive uh case management to have access to Mental Health Services that has to have access to Legal Services that have access to vouchers to Al about who makes sure that individuals are capable of getting from the streets to housing I think even this this week we have a homeless individual who I met personally that was getting off the streets and was actually making it into housing housing in Miami Beach because of the exceptional work that Alba is doing so today on behalf of those very grateful residents of the city of Miami Beach do we declare today November 13th as do Dr Al Atari day in the city of Miami be Mr Mayor if I could just real briefly um I just want to say that it has been my distinct honor and pleasure to work with Alba um she is one of those people that Embraces all of the challenges that she faces on a daily basis with this spirit and this light that is wonderful to behold and I am extremely grateful that she's a part of this team in the city of Miami Beach and we are a better City because of her thank you thank you so much I am truly honored but I I do have to say I I am so very thankful for all of the beautiful words but everything that we do and everything that we have accomplished has truly been the motivation and has been outlined by the amazing team that we have at our office of Housing and Community Services none of those things would be possible without them and I am more than honored and grateful for the opportunity to be able to lead such amazing people who are so compassionate in anything and everything that they do and for them these are not individuals that are homeless or experiencing homelessness these are individuals that they look to as friends and families and are truly there to compassionately support them in getting the help that they need to be a part of their journey is what we're most grateful for so thank you so much e [Applause] va1 pa1 is Proclamation cor coralia fona requested by vice mayor Fernandez thank you Mr Mayor I wanted to take a moment today I wanted to take a moment today to recognize [Laughter] some I wanted to take a moment today to recognize coralia F Mr Mayor in a Southshore Community Center Monica we Monica and I we were recently at the Southshore Community Center and and coralia was showing up and uh and we asked coralia and her answer was well I'm here because there's a lady that needed help with something and I came over because they're closing by 4:00 and I needed to deliver something and that's coralia for F Miami Beach and this goes to show the genuine compassion of our residents senior citizens living on fixed incomes that go out of their way to lend a helping hand to people who are also in need and Galia is a truest demonstration of the best that we have in our community and I've said in Spanish she is a social worker by vocation it comes to her naturally to go out of her way to help people that need groceries she helps them get the groceries if someone has an issue with social services with the city she goes out of her way to to help them with those social services and she doesn't get paid for that but she cares and she is the most beautiful demonstration of the beautiful compassion that the citizens of the city of Miami Beach has towards those who are most in need M coralia much [Applause] pa2 pa2 is Proclamation Childhood Cancer Awareness Month requested by vice mayor Fernandez we actually they're not not here yet so we could actually pa3 pa3 is proclamation of Hispanic Heritage Month requested by vice mayor Fernandez well this one is retroactively uh declaring Hispanic uh Heritage Month uh because Hispanic Heritage Month was September 15th to October 15th and uh and unfortunately we didn't have um we didn't have an a proclamations meeting at the time if I would have listened to commissioner Rosen Gonzalez when we made these these regulations we would have had a proclamation meeting at that time but we didn't so today I want to recognize the rich tapestry of our community and that rich tapestry of our community is woven together by the diverse cultures that make Miami Beach such a beautiful home and certainly the Hispanic Community has played an integral part in shaping the vibrant and inclusive identity of the city of Miami Beach enriching our lives with Traditions with customs and most especially with contributions and during Hispanic Heritage Month throughout our city we had multiple celebrations recognizing the profound impact that Hispanic Americans have not only in Miami beach but in our society whether it be in the Arts whether it be in science and business and Beyond uh so today I want to take a moment to recognize this great Melting Pot of cultures that we cherish the unique perspectives and experiences that our cultural diversity brings to our city and honor honor our Hispanic community [Music] now I I want to pre I want to present this to the Hispanic Affairs committee that's joining us but in presenting this also to the Hispanic affairs committee I think it's also important to recognize those that help us do great things the Hispanic Affairs committee is great because it has great staff to work with staff that doesn't get paid a single extra penny that volunteer of their time of their talent of their profession to help Elevate the mission of the Hispanic Affairs committee so today as we also recognize Hispanic Heritage Month I also want to recognize Leonor Hernandez with a certificate of recognition for for her tremendous contributions to our city thank you yeah of course so through the mayor um Leonor I'm so so grateful that you're being recognized today because you are one of those people who always goes above and beyond to get things done congratulations on your new role in helping us straighten things out in the building department as our customer service manager and that is a tribute to the way that you cut across Department and do anything that people need to be able to get them to a better place thank you for all that you do and I'm so grateful that the vice mayor is recognizing you today our next item is pa4 Proclamation lgbtqia plus History Month requested by Vice Fernandez pa4 all right thank you Mr Mayor another retroactive recognition um but October October um was lgbtq history month and it was founded in 1994 uh at as an annual month-long observance of the lgbtq community of our history for gay rights and the civil rights movement and it's important to celebrate this history because so much of it has been threatened over time and it must be protected and it's been the work of incredible leaders who have helped achieve the rights that weren't always secured but that through the advocacy through the advocacy through the leadership through the dedication of leaders we now have this history uh to celebrate Miami Beach has always been a beacon of lgbtq Rights we have been in the leading Forefront in the State of Florida and in the nation and I am proud of this city I am proud of the diversity that that is identified with with Miami Beach and hopefully we continue to celebrate the contributions of the lgbtq community I think we've lived through challenging moments together and Miami Beach has always stayed United Miami Beach has always supported as lgbtq community and I think with this leadership on the city commission we will continue to stand with the lgbtq community we'll celebrate our accomplishments we'll continue fighting to preserve the rights that we have and most importantly recognize the history that has brought us here the dedication the Bloodshed the tears the sweat of those individuals who fought before us but who made the sacrifices for the rights that we enjoyed today and I especially want to recognize our lgbtq advisory committee here in the city of Miami Beach they dedicate their time they dedicate their leadership to help our city continue in this Mission and thanks to to them we'll continue to be leaders in this state to secure our rights and we will help advocate for other communities that don't have a voice not all communities have a committee like ours but Miami Beach does and we'll be the voice for those that don't so thank you to our committee that's here present I want to recognize the chair if if the chair would like to come and uh and say a few words of the on behalf of the committee [Applause] well thank you everybody uh Steve Atkins it's an honor to uh serve the city and I've done it for many many years and especially in this capacity as a gay man um you know our challenges are many uh I think we have quite um an interesting few years ahead of us but uh the city of Miami Beach has always been a beacon when it comes to lgbtq rights and we appreciate uh your support your efforts to continue to recognize this community as viable and economically important to the work that we're doing here in in our community and uh before I step aside for the pictures I would just like to honor a dear friend who passed some years ago but was the first openly gay employee for the City of Miami Beach and that was Michael Aller so we honor him tonight with his recognition and thank you commissioner fernandz thank you Commissioners and mayor appreciate all your support and I'd like to ask the committee to join us here in the front and first I also like to say that recently I got a text message from a friend of mine that saw an advertising from The Bureau for for Miami Beach in a different city and the advertising actually featured featured our lgbtq lifeguard our pride life guard stands and I'm so proud because it was an idea that came from this committee I see Eddie that's here that Eddie was the chair of of the committee at the time and how passionate this committee was to get this done and we did it and we thought it was something special but it's transcended beyond being something special it is special but it's also now a place where people and they they go and they take a picture and they send around the world the Miami Beach is a welcoming and inclusive place but also sends a message of something that you said we support the economy we are part of this community in many more ways than just culturally and vibrant but we're also part of the economy of this of this region and nothing says that more than when it is featured in advertisement in different parts of the country to attract people to our community so I really do thank you guys for representing us so well so let's take a picture I to mention [Applause] [Applause] pa6 PA six is a certificate of recognition Miami Beach Police Department Captain Marlin Rivero requested by commissioner Dominguez thank you Captain Marlin Rivero thank you so much for your service and I'll read a little bit here about you in recognition of your exemplary service and dedication to the city of Miami Beach since beginning your law enforcement career in in 2000 and join joining the Miami Beach Police Department in 2004 you have served in a variety of cap capacities and positions of rank including lieutenant and shift commander in the Operations Division sergeant in Internal Affairs detective in the homicide unit and multiple assignments in the Patrol Division your commitment and training in each of your assignments has greatly benefited the department as a captain for the past 5 years you've commanded both South Beach and North Beach and are currently assigned to the criminal investigations division your numerous honors and awards including the Miami Beach Police Department's exceptional service award reflect your outstanding contributions additionally your 21 years of service with the Florida National Guard's 13th Army Band and the Army meritorious service medal upon retirement are commendable your academic achievements include a Bachelor's in criminal justice a MERS in public administration from Florida International University and post-graduate education in Community Development Emergency Management and Homeland Security they demonstrate your dedication to continuing to learn your graduation from the prestigious program such as the Southern Police institutes command officers development course the Police Executive Research forums Senior Management Institute for police and the FBI National Academy further highlight your commitment to Excellence and we want to recognize you for your leadership and dedication and thank you for your continued service congratulations [Applause] uh Mr Mayor would you mind say a few words about k r please thank you so much so as commissioner Dominguez was was reading her bio and talking about her I'm over here just beaming with with pride you know we we often talk about what the next generation of leaders in the mind Beast Police Department look like when we we talk about succession planning well that's what it looks like right in addition to Albert Frank so in addition to all of her accomplishments and and all the experiences she's she's a leading executive in the police department but she's also Mom raising teenage boys and and somehow she makes it work right I I mean it it's it's amazing to me and I am so proud of her I'm so excited by the future of the police department thank you Marley [Applause] so I'm gonna I'm goingon to do a little skipping now um go to PA 11 we Ralph yes sir pa1 is certificates of recognition ADL no place for hate requested by the mayor we have a number of School principles who are here if you want to actually come up now uh you're more than welcome and I'm going to in a moment recognize each of you for the last 10 years the city of Miami Beach has partnered with the Anti-Defamation League and Miami dat County public schools on the ADL no place for hate program there's a banner presentation that happens every year unfortunately this year we had to uh suspend that because of a tornado warning but it's a Great Commission uh uh initiative to combat bullying in school I think we all know the travesties and some of the dangers and real harm that can be caused to students when they are when they are bullied I wanted to give some statistics this year alone from the ADL no place for hate program in 2023 in Florida there were 46 school-based anti-semitic incidences but from October 2023 to February 2024 which obviously coincided subsequent to the October 7th Hamas attacks against Israel the anti-semitic incidences in schools more than doubled on a National Audit anti-semitic incident is increased year-over-year K12 school incident surg by 135% incidents of Jewish institution institutions increased by 237 per. college and university incidents spiked by 321 per. anybody who follows the news shouldn't be surprised by that number but every school represented here tonight has earned the ADL no place for hate designation and the City of Miami Beach proudly achieved the ADL Community for respect designation so we really couldn't do it without you and I want to acknowledge each one of you representing our schools tonight our principal balusik biscane Beach Elementary School hey you know sometimes they say hold your applause after everyone actually this one I we should applaud each of you individually principal Murphy Miami Beach fineberg Fisher ka8 Center principal Breo Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School principal mazone Miami Beach South Point Elementary School principal terason Miami Beach Senior High School principal Fishman North Beach Elementary School principal balderas Ruth K Broad Bay Harbor Ka and unfortunately principal sapine couldn't make it but we'll still mention him Treasure Island Elementary School I also believe in attendance tonight is Amanda dos the regional director for Florida for the anti- defamation League Dr guro Bon the North Region administrative director from Miami day County Public Schools thank you for this important very important work does anybody want to speak represent so I want to thank you mayor Miner for your remarks and for the invitation to join you all today I want to thank the city of Miami Beach Chief education officer Dr Leslie rosenfelt for your long continued support yes and your dedication to Bringing no place for hate anti-bullying programming to Miami Beach schools and thank you you Corin Ela for all of the time and help you you give to us coordinating the Lo the logistics of all this programming uh adl's world's anti- leading anti-hate organization we're over a hundred years old and our Timeless mission is to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure Justice and fair treatment for all our work requires us to respond to increased incidents of anti-Semitism racism homophobia xenophobia and so much more we seek to make sure our children can thrive in an atmosphere free from bullying and filled with acceptance for everyone we are so thankful for our long- lasting partnership with Miami Beach to provide anti-bullying education programs in all Miami Beach Schools thank you you [Music] let's do pa6 seven mayor seven sorry uh no so let's go to um let's go to 12 pa2 is Proclamation miles golden completing internship program requested by commissioner Rosen Gonzalez pa2 miles can you please approach the podium or should I say Smiles golden um working in City Hall each summer I take on a summer intern and I think it's a wonderful idea it's always a resident go over there by the podium so everyone can see you on the camera miles um because it's so important that our children and students come to City Hall watch Civic government in action and and learn from it and this year um my student well was Miles golden he was proactive he reached out to me he came to work every single day even though you didn't necessarily have to come to work every single day during this internship he's in Ransom Everglades class of 25 so you'll be graduating uh soon and um born and raised in Miami Beach or actually live on Alton Road my neighbor um plays football loves to read um one of the most interesting things this year we sent out an email and I said miles um I need you to give me a quote and he said what do you mean I need a quotation from you I said yeah I'm going to feature you in my email and I need you to give me a quote and his quote was what was where where M I'm honored to get to meet a new person every day so we loved that Miles and today we are are going to recognize you we actually did a special Proclamation for you your Proclamation has a picture and it was actually the first Proclamation that we've ever done or recognition with a picture so today we would like to recognize miles golden for his outstanding efforts valuable contributions and the successful completion of a six week summer internship in my office with commissioner Rosen Gonzalez and the City of Miami Beach office of Mayor and commission so congratulations my and I really enjoyed it and good luck everything would you like to say at least something that you learned what did you most learn by spending the summer in city hall with us miles I mean I would just say in general it was a great and very formative experience and if I have anything to what I would learn is kind of just the importance of just being here and being able to interact with your community on a larger scale and just if I have any advice for anyone here it's whether you're young or young at heart to get involved in the city in any way possible get that on your resume for when you graduate next year let's take a [Applause] picture Jackie want to come get the picture you I all over [Applause] PA 13 PA 13 is Proclamation Dr Enid C Curtis PNE pikney day requested by commissioner bot so that's me I'm just having technical difficulties with my chair can't get close okay um so this is an item that was um suggested by the black Affairs advisory committee and is something that I'm super happy to be a part of um as it happens Edwin Shepard and I had met from the historic Hampton house two years ago maybe three and so it was like full circle happening um because that's when I first had heard about Dr Enid Pinkney um she was a remarkable human being a trailblazer um critically important in um preserving not just structures but history for our South Florida Community and specifically our African-American and and black South Florida Community and I wanted to just um have some forbearance from everybody to read the proclamation because this is a heck of a life that we work very hard to get onto one partial page and I think if you don't already know who she is you're going to want to read more about her um after this um Dr enan C Curtis Pinkney from born in 1931 and passed away this July was a revered preservationist historian and Community leader whose passion for pres for preserving black history in Miami in rich communities across Miami Dade County born and raised in Overtown to Bahamian parents in October 15 1931 Dr pinkney's parents worked as housekeepers for a wealthy family in Miami Beach in the Summers they lived on the property however she could not live with them due to restrictive Jim Crow laws after graduating from Booker T Washington High School she went on to receive a ba degree from Talladega College an MS degree from Barry University and an honorary doctorate degree from St Thomas University her career was dedicated to service first as a social worker and then in the Miami Dade Public School System from which she retired as an assistant principal at South Miami Middle School in 19991 in the 1980s Dr Pinkney joined joined the date Heritage Trust Miami Dade County's preservation organization where she pushed to preserve black and Native American landmarks in 1998 she became the first black president of the trust under her leadership she helped preserve many landmarks including but not limited to the historic Hampton house and for those of you who might not know what the historic Hampton house is Google it and get your highes over there often it's an amazing community resource with live music and art and history and it's super cool and you can ask Edwin all kinds of questions before he leaves um the Hampton house in particular holds significant value in local and National History as it was the only black hotel near Miami Beach it served as a sanctuary for important black leaders including but not limited to Dr Martin Luther King Malcolm X Muhammad Ali back when he was Cash's clay of course and many more notable figures including performers and athletes despite their Fame none of these distinguished individuals were allowed to stay in Miami Beach due to Jim Crow segregation other significant accomplishments include the preservation of Forgotten sites like the lemon City Cemetery the Mi Miami city Circle and the Miami city cemetery all of which led to the discovery of black Americans who lived and contributed to our communities in an interview with our own Miami Design preservation League Dr Pinkney reflected on the profound transformation of Miami Beach over the years for instance her brother was born in Miami beach but he was not allowed to show that on his birth certificate she recalls her journey from being unable to enjoy Miami Beach freely to being invited to speak at the prestigious bath Club that's a life that is a life so we we did something a little bit different today um the city of Miami Beach recognizes Dr pinkney's passion for acknowledging and preserving the history of our of Miami's black Pioneers her dedicated efforts align with the city's value to protect preserve and honor our diverse culture and history and so instead of proclaiming today Dr Enid Curtis Pinkney day we're proclaiming October 5th 2024 Enid C Curtis Pinkney day so I I'm going to come down in a moment to present this to you but I'd like to turn it over to you first to say a few words if you would and tell everybody who you are well my name is Gary Allen I am the nephew and adopted son of my aunt Dr en C Pinkney and I had prepared notes like my Aunt would want me to do but I think you've said it all you know you've really said it all so I'm just grateful and thankful I know she would be really really happy to receive this award she was full of life and always ready to go somewhere you know all the time at 92 years old so she was really really active but I know one thing that she would do she would ask her friends and family to to stand up who we in the audience she would always make you stand up M was a great woman you know and she was my aunt she was a icon to everyone else but she was just that's my aunt Enid so and I just you know some other people are here and I'm going to give them an opportunity to say a few words thank you so much I will be brief uh my name is imman Warren uh Dr Eda pikney is a staple in my life she was always talking about the importance of legacy and that black history doesn't belong to just black people it belongs to all of us so I just want to make sure that we remember that and thank you very much I I don't know what to say everything was already said with everyone U my name is Edwin Shepard I am uh the lead doson and also brand manager at the historic campon house we are open Wednesday through Sunday just to let you guys know uh for tours uh n out of 10 I'll be the one giving you the tours um but she is uh such an honor uh to uh kind of Shadow under Dr pigney and learn uh history uh it's has been designated as a historical landmark National as of uh February 7 of 2022 um and that's uh because of um her perseverance and uh Jackie coer if you could just stand Jackie just stand Jackie real quick uh Jackie coer former uh executive director of the historic Hampton house is pretty much uh the person that brought me in and introduced me to so I wanted to honor her while she's here and um she she still lives on and the history still lives on um I I would like to close by saying um the historic Hampton house uh there was 15 greenbook locations in Miami there's only one left standing and that's the Hampton house it would have been torn down if it wasn't for her efforts on keeping that up so please come by and uh give her Legacy keep her Legacy going by stopping by and paying us a visit thank you so much good evening uh I wanted to make sure that we did create this honor I think some people wondering why Dr Pinkley what has her connection to my beach been and you mentioned that she used to live literally on Piney Drive where I live so when I we talked about that and you mentioned how our brother was born in Mii Beach and he would not put it on his birth certificate so so I have a quan event that I have every year which you've attended and I mentioned to her that she needed to come because it would be a full circle moment to celebrate K Quanza black cultural heritage on Pine Tree Drive where she used to live where her brother was denied having that at least birth certificate so she found that very pleasant she had a good laugh about that and we had a great time so this is very appropriate we're just glad that she gets to honor and uh of course you know I like to say about bamian roots in bamian built Miami Beach City of Miami so this is another proud Bahamian and uh who has brought a lot of love and culture and Heritage to South Florida thank you I think one thing before we take the picture one thing she would really be proud of is that the new uh police chief right uh he's bamian yeah bamian Roots my homeboy all right yes yes [Applause] pa7 pa7 is Proclamation decare October 9th as TT T day the city of Bambi Beach requested by commissioner Dominguez thank thank [Applause] you congratulations first of all uh we are so proud of you and so honored to have you here in our commission Chambers and I'm going to read a little bit about you so that the audience can learn more about Titi tanita Titi Terry a native of Miami day County has achieved International Fame as a worldclass sprinter winning gold in the 4X 100 meter relay for Team USA at the Summer Olympics [Music] har her historic achievement has not not only brought tremendous Pride to our nation but has also made her a source of immense inspiration to the people of Miami Beach where her journey first began tanisha's out standing athletic career marked by perseverance and dedication has earned her recognition as one of the fastest women in the world her Olympic gold medal is a testament to her unwavering commitment to her craft and her role as a true ambassador of Excellence from Miami Beach as the daughter of Antoine Terry a proud public servant of Miami Beach Titi Terry's deep connection to to our city has been an integral part of her path to success the city of Miami Beach parly stands behind Terry celebrating both her personal achievements and her contributions to the community through her expiring inspiring example the city of Miami Beach recognizes Tanisha TT Terry as an Olympian and a role model for young athletes in Miami Beach her gold medal Victory reflects the values of perseverance hard work and resilience that our community holds dear and her success is a Beacon of Hope for aspiring athletes so now therefore do we as mayor and commissioners of the city of Miami Beach hereby Proclaim November 133 2024 Tanisha TTI Terry day [Music] bra excellent shirt [Applause] um so I guess um I'm very thankful oh here sorry um I'm very thankful of this Proclamation you know being able to represent Miami born and raised um in Miami and obviously compenent International then I went off to the University of Southern California um I earned my BA in Communications my Master's in entrepreneurship and Innovation and minor information and criminality all within my four years so I did that all within my four years at the University of Southern California because I knew the goals that I set to go in with and being a part of Miami Beach attending notless middle school and also being a part of Miami Beach police explorers that also helped pave the way and allow me to be the woman I am today and to continue being an inspiration for those all over Miami Florida and specifically here in Miami Beach so I'm very appreciative of this and I presented you all with some TT Terry well taby bracelets is what I refer to my supporters um and a thank you card just my small token of appreciation um for the unwavering support and the support of everybody that got me through the 2024 Olympics um although I was able to achieve a gold medal I dealt with injuries in the Olympic year before going in I was able to stay resilient and come out with a gold medal to represent for Miami TT TT don't TT TT don't leave yet I I I never speak about items that are not mine but I'm going to say something when I was growing up the Olympics were something that was very special to me I was always first of all it's a level of patriotism that you find when you're watching the Olympics but also seeing these athletes like you're saying the perseverance I didn't even know about your injury but um the perseverance the hard work the dedication I could tell you as a kid watching these Olympians I was inspired by it I can't even imagine how many countless kids you've inspired by your efforts and uh it's amazing where I I feel really honored that we have you in our our Chambers here today we were watching we were watching um this going into 2025 we have real championships in Tokyo so I'll be training for that I actually start training next week so you all can be on the lookout for me to represent Team USA in Miami in Tokyo 2025 pa8 p8 is a certificate of recognition to the Charter review board requested by the mayor well this board did great work but that is a tough act to follow right now how fast can you run not even gonna try but uh I'm I'm actually H really happy to do this and and glad you're here talk about perseverance the work that this board put in the ad hoc Charter review and and revision board for the dedication to hard work 18 months of monthly meetings that you went through and for everyone who's listening who may not realize the charter is a governing document for our city um for our commission constition the Constitution you heard it here from commissioner bot and uh every 10 years we we review it and go through and propose changes there were many many different uh ideas that you had some that were brought forward and you rejected some that you brought to us that we didn't take but I think we took most of them and even the ones that we tweaked we tweaked at the edges um you did tremendous work and we're grateful for the work and there were seven ballot measures all passed uh mostly by a wide margin margin so uh kudos to you and all the hard work that that you did I do want to mention each of you by name and thank you for we're missing one missing one two four we ended up with six oh you ended up I'm sorry um George Gonzalez the chair r [Music] Ronald starkman Vice chair Michael band it says I'm a sheet Esquire so I'll read that Julie bassner Elizabeth Laton and Samu Raven Esquire somebody want to say something after to you you're the chair thank you mayor thank you Commissioners um it's a pleasure to be here and on behalf of the charter Review Committee um we thank you as well and we thank the voters for endorsing uh the recommendations we brought forward as you mentioned um some things came our way that we didn't agree with and didn't recommend some things we recommended to you that didn't make it onto the ballot but all in all I think the charter is better today than it was just a month ago because of the work that we did and so I want to thank the my colleagues for letting me be the chair and Alex for appointing me and the and the commission for endorsing us also want to support and thank the uh the City attorney and the city clerk and his staff because they were instrumental and helping us work through this over the year and a half that we did this I want to highlight that a lot of the changes predominantly were to increase transparency uh public and Resident engagement with the city so these are these were critical changes that were made and I think that's why you saw the public overwhelmingly supported them so thank you thank you I [Applause] let's go to pa4 pa4 is Proclamation National Domestic Violence Awareness Month requested by commissioner bot okay so from a profound Legacy of fabulousness we are going to a deep Legacy of things that are not quite so fabulous but are very important and this um Proclamation honors the work that this group is doing um the domest domestic violence is an issue that is widespread and can impact anyone the national network to end domestic violence reports that one in three women think about just look to your left and look to your right one in three women and one in four men and nearly half of all lgbtq plus people will EXP experien domestic violence in their lifetime that is a staggering and sobering thought High rates of domestic violence are not private individual problems they have profound effects on communities domestic violence leads to higher crime rates family disruption and long-term mental health issues all of which place economic strain on local economies and social resources obviously not to mention what it does for the individuals themselves Miami Beach the city of Miami Beach is and has been and remains committed to supporting victims and survivors of domestic violence and we recognize the Miami Dade County Domestic Violence oversight board for their commitment in providing support raising awareness and advocating for domestic violence victims and survivors and in acknowledgement to the contributions of Advocates service providers law enforcement and community members the city of Miami Beach is proud to recognize October because that's when it was supposed to have been presented um as domestic violence awareness month so it's a little bit late but nonetheless heartfelt so now therefore do we as mayor and commissioners of the city of Miami Beach hereby proclaim the month of October National Domestic Violence awareness month and if you would I would love it if you would each take a moment to introduce yourselves and share with the with the audience who you are and I will call out Cecil who is one of Miami Beach PD's own um is a special um a special guest here but please go ahead thank you so much commissioner for this recognition our hope is that one day we won't have to bring awareness to domestic violence and there's no longer intimate partner violence uh on behalf of the domestic violence oversight board I'm the chair Vice chair isab Coro um and we invite you all to to contact us to learn from us about our efforts what we are doing to prevent domestic Ence in our County we are very lucky that we have Liz Regal she's the executive director and is a wealth of information so please reach out we're we're here for you we're here to serve our community thank you good evening thank you commissioner bot mayor Commissioners I'm Liz ragal I have the honor to follow the lead of my fantastic board which is comprised of 15 individuals with we want to be a service to you we're an Advisory Board to the mayor the County Commission but also to the community at large and every city that we have visited during this domestic violence awareness month we ask to hear from you we want to know and have conversations in your neighborhoods on how we can raise awareness on domestic violence so use us we are your board not just the County Board countywide and uh just to put things in perspective thank you commissioner for putting the humanistic impact of domestic violence but um we commissioned a study by the University of Central Florida that realized that we domestic violence cost the Miami dat County as a whole taking in all the the efforts and the response involved in domestic violence for the year 2020 that added to over $75 million that year so it's not only a deadly epidemic public health issue it's a very costly one thank you very much for this honor and we hope to work more with you thank you I'll just say commissioner bat thank you for uh putting the item thank you for summarizing the work not going to talk much because this one won't let me um thank you for you know supporting the work summarizing so well and to put it in perspective as as well the national statistics if you look at this commission we got three female commission four male Commissioners that means one of you female Commissioners and one of you male Commissioners would be at some point you know victim of domestic violence so that's a pretty big number if you look at this room one in every three women one every four men that's a lot of people in this room who would end up victim of domestic violence here just in this room hello my name is Griselle Marina I'm the communications director for the office of community advocacy we have 12 boards in our office and the domestic violence is one of them um what we're doing in Miami day county is --------- ##VIDEO ID:OdfyBh7ilds## County in all of our County facilities and of all of our County purple I know that many uh municipalities have it all in Pink So us as well so we're doing pink and purple so we ask the Miami Beach commission if that could be something that could be done in the near future where that through resolution if all of the uh City all of the uh City facilities could be illuminated not only in pink but also in pink and purple for the month of October thank you thank you have gift e conations oh pa9 pa9 is certificate of recognition to the Fleet Management division requested by the mayor pa9 I think I did more uh certificates and proclamations today than I did in four years as commissioner but uh they're very worthy and and I'm I'm glad I'm doing them the Fleet Management Division I actually toured I've been going around touring our different uh departments and divisions and yesterday I had the uh the distinction of going to the fleet uh facility it is uh it is a quite impressive operation they have going on and quite quite Immaculate as well which is impressive uh for the type of work that they do so we're celebrating your accomplishments uh for the third year in a row our uh Fleet Management division earned the distinction of being among nafa's 100 best fleets in America and and in the Americas and to put that in perspective there are 38,000 public fleets and we are in the top 100 and we keep moving up uh in in the rankings which is amazing uh we also earned the green Fleet award ranking 22nd among North America's top green fleets and a special recognition award for the most improved Fleet there's so many people to thank but I am going to highlight two but also keep in perspective there's a team of 20 employees including 11 mechanics that manage a fleet of over 1,000 vehicles that you see daily rolling around our streets um which is incredible that the uh you would think I actually said this yesterday to to Carlos that i' think you'd think there's a lot more employees making sure that operation runs smoothly so there's two people I want to highlight and I always I'm always hesitant to highlight special individuals because there's so many people that make it happen but Elizabeth Myro I'm going to start with you you were the interim director of property management uh for a long time it almost didn't seem like an interim for a while but you did an incredible job really appreciate all your efforts very responsive and we we appreciate all the efforts that you you did and I only got to meet Carlos bares yesterday but I've heard your name before and all the great work you do and I got to see it firsthand yesterday uh Carlos is the Fleet Management division director director and why don't you both come up everybody come up and if if you want to speak Elizabeth Carlos you earned the certificate thank you um we really I am so blessed we have an amazing team uh nothing really happens with one two people it really is the collaboration of everybody everybody has Buy in and I am just so blessed and I am so happy that we have the team that we have um and I thank you for the support from our city manager the commission um we you know we're just going to keep getting better and better and um just blessed uh thank you take a picture Mr Mayor if I could just say one quick word I just want to say a huge thank you to Elizabeth she has really stepped up and after being put in a very challenging position for an extended period of time she has always LED with Grace and dignity and she has kept the organization moving forward even amongst some some significant challenges so thank you Elizabeth great job [Applause] [Applause] it's called PA 17 PA 17 is proclamation to detective Christopher Mitchell requested by commissioner [Applause] you have a you have a fan club [Applause] wow congratulations officer Mitchell I'm so happy to present you with the proclamation and um I even have a picture of you and Mark in a lifeguard stand uh playing DJ in one of the you that we were trying to control spring break and the the two of you look good up there those were the Great spring break days yeah yeah they were so detective Christopher Mitchell has dedicated 25 years of exemplary service to the Miami Beach Police Department beginning his career as a public safety specialist and subsequently serving as a patrol officer a key investigator in the criminal investigations Division and a police instructor in the police training unit the detective MIT Mitchell has been deputized by the US Marshals collaborated with the US Secret Service and actively participated in the Miami Beach police Honor Guard peer support team sworn chaplaincy program Kindergarten Cop and the police a Athletic League detective Mitchell has coordinated and managed the city of Miami Beach's Goodwill ambassador program yes and my commission Aid is a Goodwill Ambassador uh and served as the police department's Community liaison officer addressing Community concerns resolving conflicts and leading presentations on the department strategies during major events and detective Mitchell founded an organization in response to the tragic loss of his son in March 2016 to raise awareness about the heart about heart disease and facilitate heart screening and officer Mitchell or detective Mitchell partners with the gift of Life organization to coordinate bone marrow drives detect yep detective detective Mitchel has been a proud mentor to several high school students through Big Brothers Big Sisters and was recognized by the NFL for his outstanding mentorship now therefore do we as mayor and commissioners of of the city of Miami Beach proclaimed November 13 2024 Christopher Mitchell day [Applause] all [Applause] [Applause] so all [Applause] right pa2 oh I would love to pa2 is Proclamation Childhood Cancer award this month requested by vice mayor Fernandez all right I just want to say a few words about detective uh Chris Mitchell personally uh Mr Mayor and commission I um I I'm having a difficult time today um Chris is going to retired in less than 30 days um less than 30 days after uh spending a quarter Century of his his life in this organization making it better you know some of the things that I think we missed out when you talk about him is the fact that he's a dedicated husband father grandfather friend brother son he so many things rolled up into one and I think the one thing in mind most about Chris is his heart he's got the biggest heart and you know no matter what he's going through personally in his own life whenever someone's in need he's the first person to reach out and he always says how can I help and he's touched so many lives in this police department and Beyond and quite frankly I don't know what we're going to do without him Chris thank you for all you've [Applause] done so the next item was pa2 which is Proclamation Childhood Cancer Awareness Month I am presenting this on behalf of uh our friend and colleague commissioner Alex Fernandez uh and while this is his item uh of course this is Meaningful for all of us it's a little dated um but uh nonetheless it still applies today uh September has been designated national Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to honor those children whose lives have been lost and those irrevocably impacted by the terrible illness and to strengthen the na nation's resolve to search for a cure cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among us children between infancy and 15 years of age guys this is important for others as well please so uh this month while it's November now we recognize this in September this month we recognize that these burdens are shared by countless dedicated Healthcare professionals organizations Charities and parent advoc advocacy groups that support patients and families by offering advice encouragement hope and financial assistance and work tirelessly to lift the spirits of children suffering from cancer so now therefore do we as mayor and commissioners of the city of Miami Beach hereby proclaim the month of September 2024 is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month so I'd love to bring to the stage uh open up the mic to uh the love the team in place introduce ourselves and tell us about your cuse thank you so much my name is Sylvia Dominguez vany this is Kathy Durante and Candace Gman we are from the Mystic Force foundation for Childhood Cancer and we are so thankful to you for procing September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and although it's not September anymore for children battling cancer every day is a day to uh to raise awareness our children uh fight cancer every day of their lives and a lot of them don't actually survive many people think that all childhood cancers are survivable but that's not true um we are thankful that because of all the aware awareness that has been raised and all the research that has been done there is an over 85% cure rate for the most common Childhood Cancer which is um Al leukemia but for some of our childhood cancers such as dipg which is an inoperable brain tumor it is still terminal upon diagnosis that's the same cancer that Neil Armstrong's daughter died from in 1962 and we have yet to find any viable treatments for those children and find a way to break the bloodb brain barrier we were able to send him to the moon but we can't find a treatment for these children so that's the reason why we must raise awareness we must do whatever we can to help uh fund Childhood Cancer Research and the only way we will ever find cures for our children is to raise awareness uh this is my baby and he actually died from cancer and he battled cancer for three and a half years and in those three and a half years he underwent 55 cycles of chemotherapy 50 rounds of radiation 12 major surgeries he had over 200 blood and platelet transfusions he was treated in seven different hospitals across five different St States wherever there was a treatment option available for him that's where we went um tragically that is the norm for our children children with these very aggressive cancers so thank you so much there's nobody in the country or even the world who doesn't know Miami Beach so for Miami Beach to be proclaiming Childhood Cancer Awareness Month it is something that is truly thankful from our hearts for doing that thank [Applause] you for wow if you don't mind I just want to say one more thing I am so thankful to our Miami Beach Police Department as well I am sure that you all had a chance to see the beautiful Miami Beach uh Childhood Cancer police car it was truly spectacular and they always one of the first to step up and say yes we will be there anytime we have an event so thank you thank you I hope you noticed that it was a little loud when you first start when Joe start commissioner magazine started speaking but you could hear a pin drop after you spoke that was uh very powerful thank you call pa25 pa25 five certificate of recognition Ariel Montero requested by the mayor Ariel so Ariel Montero is a contracted employee of the botanical gardens uh primarily working at events actually what I'm about to say I actually witnessed firsthand uh Ariel is a gentleman good work ethic being attentive respectful and kind and last month I attended Hispanic heritage celebration uh where Ariel was working and happens to be I was walking around in the back by the Botanical Garden by the pathway and an incident occurred when one of the attendees at the Hispanic celebration um had an incident and fell um needed medical attention and Ariel immediately attended to him um with dignity treated the individual with tremendous dignity um really reflected such tremendous care and service um and your ability to handle those delicate situations with professionalism really is uh something we're so proud of in Miami Beach you enhance the reputation of our city and all to all our residents and visitors and it's really you exemplified what public service is so I want to thank you for that thank you it's it's a great honor please you want to say something I say thank you it's a great honor I mean I didn't know you were around but thank you I thought nobody saw me yet but thank you thank you so much thank you no thank you and I want to thank my team is here my family and my best friend he's uh he had cancer so he's getting treatment for cancer today and he's here to support me so that's a great thing and my son and my CEO Emmy from the garden she's here too and oh excellent see you back there yes my wife so thank you thank you again this is an honor thank you thank you thank you you want to do you want to bring your family up yes that would be nice yes I just want to say I don't know if this is right here I just want to say we are so fortunate at the Garden to have Ariel every day he is an example of how incredible a human being can be this is not a one-off this is Ariel every single day so thank [Applause] you e [Applause] PA 18 pa18 is certific certificate of recognition to the saai hotel requested by commissioner Dominguez thank you I'm very um happy to give this award this special recognition to the saai hotel um I often have met with um the owners and the people that manage it and they really go above and Beyond to offer community service and I'm going to read to you a little bit about what the siai does to help our community and how grateful we are uh the city of Miami Beach would like to recognize this atai for believing in the transformative power of giving back their Dee rooted commitment to the community is reflective not only in luxurious Hospitality but also in the heart of their operations ensuring that their success directly contributes to the well-being of their neighbors the tie partners with impactful local organizations such as feeding House Florida and Lotus house to address critical issues like hunger homelessness and economic disparity these collaborations allow them to engage deeply with causes that align with their core values providing not just financial support but also Hands-On involvement and resources from their dedicated team the sati's commitment to community service goes hand inhand with a passion for diversity and inclusion in 2023 the toai was honored with a prestigious diversity award by the Greater Miami and the beaches hotel association recognizing their efforts to create an inclusive environment with over 450 employees from more than 30 countries their team embodies a spirit of unity that transcends borders and cultures fostering a workplace where everyone feels seen respected and valued at this aai philanthropy is not just a gesture it's an integral part of who they are by nurturing a culture of compassion empathy and collaboration they ensure that every contribution enriches not only their guest experiences but also the broader Miami Beach Community as the saai prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary their mission remains clear to build a thriving interconnected City where luxury meets responsibility and where their success means something greater for everyone congratulations and thank you to the saai for all you do for Miami Beach [Applause] thank [Applause] you good evening everyone my name is Cynthia I'm the Director of Human Resources atai I am the one responsible for driving the community service I'm not from Miami Miami adopted me for years ago and my story is like I am the granddaughter of a war Refugee so I have experience what community can do for you and for your family on the firstand so when I mve to Miami I make the goal that wherever I work I was going to drive what I was driving back in San Francisco so working with our owners that are like so generous to the city is such an honor thank you thank [Applause] you thank you pa15 pa15 is a proclamation to Omar vivar requested by commissioner bot so um for those of you who don't know I just finished my first year as a newly elected commissioner and I really really love my job like a lot um every day is different I feel like I'm making a huge difference in the community but I never expected that I would go on a community bike ride and end up on a real life Cops show and that's exactly what happened thanks to this young man here Omar vivar um so we've been working collaboratively with a bunch of people in the city and police department and transportation a whole bunch of people on U micr mobility issues and so on May 4th we went out to um do a bike reconnaissance tour if you will of the beachwalk um to look at uh sort of look at what's going on the beachwalk and bikes and micr movability issues and who's using what and how it's getting how everyone's getting along at the same time coincidentally the police department had a week-long um proactive initiative along the beachwalk um dealing with enforcement and um and violators of of the ebike um ordinance and all that sort of thing so we're on the bikes and we stopped to talk to these folks who are conducting I think there's somebody there with a drone and there was somebody else um handing out violations and educating people who were using ebikes on the boardwalk on the beachwalk when they weren't supposed to and um uh I was with officer Julio Blanco who's standing right next to Omar and uh Sergeant Alex Torres and a whole bunch of other folks and we all sort of got distracted from the conversation because we saw that there was a theft occurring at a beach at the beach a man walking in shorts and no shirt holding a lovely black handbag under his arm was um fleeing from abush brother's employee Mr vivar here um Omar took a look at what was going on and basically um challenged the guy and swiftly very swiftly acted to intervene uh and confront him the guy took off running down the the um the beach walk um which then of course got the attention of the officers and I mean there were probably a dozen folks there um but immediately um they were this guy was uh was tackled so we were a little further down the beachwalk Omar's got the guy in his sights he's running he tackles them by the time he's on the ground uh officer Blanco and and and Torres were there and um and they got him into cuffs and it was a whole drama I mean it was so fabulous to see our police work uh police uh colleagues at work and working with a really upstanding um uh individual community-minded individual who didn't look away and say this is not my problem he didn't think oh there police around somebody will catch him but saw what was happening interacted with the guy tried to stop it and didn't stop there literally running in the sand through you know through towels and stuff trying to get this guy and we got the guy much to his suine much to our Delight so I want to say thank you it was an incredible um example of true heroism and integrity on your part Mr vivar your quick thinking and bravery not only interrupted a crime but also turned what could have been a terrible experience for these people into a great day on the beach and I think that maybe the weirdest thing that was recovered out of all of this was the lady's roll of toilet paper who knows but you know sometimes you just need to be able to blow your nose on the beach so um anyhow I I say lightly but but it was so incredible it was so um heartening to see somebody car so much about complete strangers and to step up and do the right thing at not inconsiderable risk yourself you didn't know if he had a knife on him or a gun or if he was going to turn around and punch your in the nose like you just didn't know you went and did the right thing and that is um an incredibly heroic trait and incredibly rare and so the city of Miami Beach recognizes and commends your extraordinary efforts and your V vigilance and courage uphold the values of our community and safety that make our city of Miami Beach such a welcoming destination for all so thank you and I don't know if you would like to say a few words or officer Blanco if you would like to say a few words um but I turn it over to you both great evening everybody uh so thank you for that recognition so I work 21 years for theair brothers so I love my job what I love what I'm doing so I love the beach I love take care every every day so the guest that they are coming to the beach so my eyes is everywhere inside outside the hotel so we try to cing all the time you know all these individuals bad individuals we have in the beach that's see thank you thank you so thank you so this is a perfect example of community policing working together with the community is a solve crimes in this G he solved the crime we didn't need us um congratulations incredible bravery and most of all we're hiring if you want to come on thank you so the one thing I forgot to say is that U now therefore do we as mayor and commissioners of the city of Miami Beach hereby Pro Proclaim today November 13th 2024 Omar vivar day thank you Omar thank you so much by the way officer Blanco there's been multiple times where people have told me they said oh I saw a police officer do this he got this he arrested this person he stopped this person and I'm like which officer like officer Blanco I'm like of course it is of course it is so thank you for all your hard work [Applause] thank you than [Applause] PA 23 and 25 we'll call them together pa23 is check presentation Flagler Monument spoil Island project and pa24 is check presentation Maurice Gibb Park seaw wall Shoreline and Overlook project requested by the mayor you know I'm going to introduce you first I was going to do it last but then I'm going to say something then I'm going to turn it over to you I want to invite the Florida Inland navigation District commissioner Spencer Crowley um up to the uh Podium so it's not every day that we get to do this we as Miami Beach we have almost a billion dollar budget so we're often spending money but we don't always get money and we're very fortunate today to have uh Spencer Crowley commissioner Crowley here to present uh some checks to us some Grand funding the Florida Inland navigation District awarded us Miami Beach Grand funding for two projects flager Flagler Monument spoil Island project and the Maurice GB Park seaw wall Shoreline and Overlook project the Flagler Monument $20,000 thank you very much which pays for uh most of the cost but the biggie the Maurice Park Maurice Gib Park seaw wall Shoreline and Overlook project over $1.2 million in Grand funding which is obviously a huge huge help [Applause] so please thank you um Mr Mayor Commissioners uh Mr manager nice to see you um my name is Spencer Crowley I'm the uh chairman of the Florida Inland navigation District I'm also the Miami Dade County Commissioner uh each County along the Atlantic coast of Florida uh has a commissioner the governor appoints all of us and we uh maintain the in coastal Waterway uh from Miami all the way up to Jacksonville and um that's important important because a lot of um marine and boating activity uses the inter Coastal Waterway and that activity has tremendous economic benefit to our local communities here uh it helps a lot of uh workers in this community and uh it's you know good for people to recreate and it's great for property values uh in addition to that uh primary role uh we also provide grants to local governments like the city of Miami Beach for uh Waterfront Improvement projects so basically anywhere um a city or the county has a publicly owned Shoreline we can help um make it uh better for the public to use and more inviting for the public to use um the two grants that we uh are presenting today um will will greatly benefit the city uh the $1.2 million Grant at Gib Park is um really transforming that Park and and creating beautiful amenities uh I think the Public's really going to enjoy uh being there and using those amenities uh it will help people use that area responsibly uh and safely and um the the Monument Park Grant although it's a lot smaller May in some respects be a little more important because you all may remember earlier this year uh both the city of Miami Beach and the City of Miami were uh forced in essence to close down those islands to Public Access because there was so much um trash accumulating and and potentially illegal activity um we at at at fine don't like to see uh the public excluded from our Waterfront uh it's a public resource that should be available for everyone uh but we understand the challenges uh that come with managing those assets so um the $220,000 grant is really the best match that I've ever seen in a grant program the city pays $22,000 and that can be made up of Staff time and they get a tenfold uh benefit or return on that $2,000 so they get the 20 $220,000 Grant total of $22,000 which can be used to fund uh trash cleanups on the island um we have those grants available every year so please come back to us our fiscal year just started uh October 1st so we have a new Grant cycle we can we can provide another grant for that uh this this calendar year and and on into the future got that Eric so um and then last thing just as a reminder I know um Eric and his Grant staff uh know about this but we um we also provide funding for police boats uh for Marine Patrol so if your Marine Patrol needs to um get new boats or if they need to enhance the boats they already have with additional equipment that helps you know Law Enforcement Officers be more effective and safe uh we can fund that uh as well so so um please encourage you all to continue to use our programs uh your city staff knows us well and has done a good job over the years so thank you very much for having me and uh I'll uh present these tracks to you now amazing I'm coming down I just want to give a quick acknowledgement to our uh CIP office of Capital Improvements projects for all the work they do [Applause] and I just wanted to briefly say that Spencer and find have been a tremendous partner for the city and they have been an amazing source of revenue for our Waterfront projects for the entire 12 years that I've been here and long before that [Applause] spor thanks again yep thank you pa19 pa19 certificate of recognition visitor and Convention Authority VCA requested by commissioner [Applause] Dominguez thank you uh so I spent my career working in the travel industry for 25 plus years and so it's something that's near and dear to me I've attended um several of the VCA uh visitor and Convention Authority uh meetings and they love our city they're passionate about promoting our city in a positive light and they get awards for it too which is something we're so appreciative for so I'll just uh quickly read through here visitor and Convention Authority the city of Miami Beach visitor and Convention Authority a seven member Authority appointed by the city of Miami Beach Beach commission has been dedicated to encouraging developing and promoting the image of Miami Beach locally nationally and internationally as a Vibrant Community and superb tourist destination since its Inception in 1967 the Miami Beach VCA has introduced and supported world renowned events such as art bosle South Beach wine and food festival Miami Beach Pride and Miami swim week pariso contributing significantly to the cultural and economic Vitality of Miami Beach the mvca has awarded more than $10 million in Grants to preserve and enhance Market driving experiences that attract revenue streams to the destination fostering the growth and sustainability of Miami Beach as a premier tourist destination in 2024 the mbca received the mellan awards gold for Hospitality marketing mobile app for hospitality for the second consecutive year acknowledging the success of the EXP Miami Beach tours app which features Insider itineraries and recommendations enhanced with video and dynamic content for realtime traveler planning the MB VCA also received the mellan award silver for United States overall destinations City destination recognizing the successful launch of uh celebrated Hotel Brands restaurant tours and events including the debut of the openhouse Miami architectural event which provided expert panels tours and connections with leading Architects and designers so I want to give you a special recognitions congratulations thank you for all you do and we really appreciate the visitor and Convention Authority keep it up thank you does anybody want to share anything yes uh commissioner Dominguez I'm Peggy benma I'm the G I'm the general manager dream South Beach I'm also The Chair George ner is our vice chair and then the rest of our board uh Fay um golden golden help me name mhan kakar and Steve Steve Hos Hos I'm bad with names I'm sorry commissioner domingus knows that and I we've been um very happy to support the city of Miami Beach's initiatives arts and culture anything that comes up to us uh we're happy to you know give our financial support because we care about the city and and the destination really the credit all goes to grette R Marcos our executive director who is amazing and um her her staff so she deserves the credit thank you thank you put exactly thank you George y [Applause] pa20 pa20 is certificate of recognition Muhammad rafikul Islam requested by commissioner Dominguez Muhammad so I want to take today uh to recognize Muhammad who is a leader in our community and is always so helpful to anybody that asks he gives of his time by serving on City boards and I'm going to read a little bit about Muhammad and what makes him so great in our community thank you commissioner Muhammad rafil Islam the city of Miami Beach would like to recognize Muhammad for his inclusion in mares Who's Who as with all individuals profiled in mares who's who Mr Islam was selected based on his noteworthy accomplishments visibility and prominence in his field since 2018 Mr Islam has served as a civil engineer and is a resident committee board member for the City of Miami Beach he immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh in 1995 after earning a Bachelor of Science degree and gaining experience in the construction industry in Saudi Arabia today Mr Islam leverages his diverse Global Experience to contribute to forecasting domestic needs and implementing assistance programs for lowincome families helping to confirm benefits eligibility and advanced verification processes Mr Islam has gained deep professional experience through various key appointments including his work as a US notary public a position he has held since 2000 and as an owner and manager of Residential Properties he collaborates with the affordable housing board committee and the sustainable resiliency board committee as a member he has ALS also been a small business owner Mr Islam's vision for the future includes a close focus on developing and managing properties with plans to install a multi-story building in Bangladesh in the near future he attributes his professional success to his self-confidence faith and focus on family so congratulations mamad we appreciate you in our community and let's all take a picture with your family thank you Commissioners and our honorable Mayors I'm grateful and thankful to you guys honor to me it is my pleasure to be say okay thank [Applause] are Co [Applause] thank you yeah I know he played basketball pa21 how you doing man pa21 is proclamation to Karen freed requested by commissioner Bach so Karen last but not least please don't take it personally somebody's got to be last but thank you for your patience commissioner bot well I mean I I don't want to say saving the best for last but oh my goodness how how to bottle up all of your energy and dynamism so you can spray it on all of us and the entire Community because you are a Powerhouse Karen for those who don't know Karen freed is a dedicated and impactful force in the Miami Beach Community for over 25 years she has championed a variety of causes primarily focusing on supporting Youth and Families in Need born in barania Colombia Karen is a community activist philanthropist and the founder of the south Florida Youth Foundation one of her standout contributions is her co-founding of the shop a unique initiative modern modeled after a mini retail store the shop functions as a free access community resource providing Miami dat students with access to items such as Food hygiene products and clothing at no cost in conjunction with the shop excuse me Karen also launched the prom shop a thoughtful program which provides prom attire and accessories for high school seniors both programs demonstrate Karen's um commitment to enriching the lives of families and students by providing essential resources and relieving Financial strains in a dignified and empowering environment it's so important other project she is spearheaded includes helping teens pursue higher education supporting individuals with disabilities building a new gym at Booker T Washington High School and promoting anti-gang and arts programs she has also been a committed volunteer with the Miami Beach Police Department's Toy Drive since 1992 supporting families and individuals in need throughout the community Karen's involvement in the community extends toward participation and service to multiple boards and committees including the city of Miami Beach's uh Police Athletic League board the equality of Education board and the frost School of Music Advisory Board she's also chair of education at the Adrian AR Center and a member of of the soccer for peace Foundation I mean really do you sleep ever a little bit you look very calm and relax I don't know somehow this whole thing is working for you truly you are a pillar of the community your impact will be felt for generations to come you are a proud wife mother and grandmother and you remain an Irreplaceable asset to Miami Beach so therefore do we as mayor and commissioners of the city of Miami Beach hereby proclaimed November 13th as Karen freed day congratulations wants us all to come up take a [Applause] picture would you like to say a few words you want to say um thank you for waiting for me you should be partying right now uh it's just all about teamwork so without without each other we're nothing thank you I want to add I want to add I want to run out of here because we do want to celebrate Chris but we must stay behind for Karen because Karen has been to all of the Toy drives that I can remember in my 21 years you were in high school and um we can't do the pal cannot do what we do without volunteers such as yourself so on behalf of Authur Martino our director of pal and and his beautiful wife Deborah Martino who couldn't be here we thank you we love you and continue to support and and be there for us we appreciate you thank you sir yes sir one more [Applause] thank you well we had some great honores today and presentations thank you to everyone welld deserved have a great night God bless meeting adjourn for