With the holiday season now just a lingering reminder of all too many calories consumed and never enough good will towards all, the Miami Beach
government is back in full throttle. Still unpacking her old and redecorating with new, Dildie is actually settling quite nicely into her recently purchased condo on West
Avenue. Although her home office is not fully set up and rubbery things not all inflated, Dildie still found the time to watch last week’s Miami Beach Commission meeting from
the television she dragged out to her 5th floor balcony. And so this is what the Cynical Young Woman said your elected seven did and didn’t do at its most recent coming
together.
*Quite different from past years, the commission zipped through the land use and zoning board appointments as quickly as the granting of a variance. The
applicants up for reappointment for both the Historic Preservation Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment were fully reinstated. The commission appointed Peter Chevelier
to the Design Review Board to replace Terry D’Amico who resigned; and Pablo Cejas Jr. to the Planning Board to replace Joe Garcia, who’s busy schedule
forced him to miss too many meetings. Terry and Joe both served with distinction and deserve a round of applause.
*In other board action, the commission directed the city attorney’s office to draft an ordinance to do away with the RDA’s South Pointe Advisory
Board. The commission also referred to the Neighborhoods Committee a discussion on how to better utilize the Nuisance Abatement Board, which is limited by what it can do
by State Statute.
*The commission expressed a show of unanimous support to the city manager to give him the backing that will allow him to exercise all of his
powers to enforce the noise ordinance and quality of life violations spilling out from the clubs and bars citywide. This expression of support resulted from
a number of property owners and residents who attended a discussion item sponsored by Commissioner Saul Gross on noise and other quality of life issues from Opium, located
south of 5th Street. Other complaints pointed to the Loews and Royal Palm hotels, Billboard Live and any other club or bar where music is played inside or
outside and violates the noise ordinance.
*A resolution to accept the city manager’s recommendation pertaining to the ranking of proposals received pursuant to an RFP issued for planning, design and
construction administration services for a citywide Wayfinding Signage System was put on hold by Commissioner Jose Smith. Because there were only two bidders,
Smith requested that both companies be allowed to make their presentations to the commission. The commission unanimously supported Smith’s request.
*The commission unanimously approved a resolution by the city manager to issue an RFP for the management and operation of the Miami
Beach Convention Center and the Jackie Gleason Theater of the Performing Arts. The TOPA portion of the RFP will also include an opportunity for the bidders to include
proposals for the management and operation of the Colony and Byron Carlyle theaters as well as the smaller Acorn. SMG currently manages and operates both the
convention center and TOPA.
*The commission approved the first reading of Mayor David Dermer’s two ordinances and Commissioner Saul Gross’ single ordinance addressing
campaign finance reform, which will prohibit campaign contributions by real estate developers and lobbyists on procurement issues.
Dermer’s first real estate developer’s ordinance passed 6-1 with Commissioner Luis Garcia dissenting; and the second ordinance passed 5-1 with
Garcia again dissenting and Commissioner Simon Cruz absent. Gross’ procurement ordinance passed 4-3 with Matti Bower and Smith joining Garcia in the
dissent column.
Commissioner Jose Smith’s campaign finance reform ordinance prohibiting contributions by vendors passed on second reading 6-1 with
only Garcia dissenting. The second reading of the Dermer and Gross ordinances is scheduled for February 5th.
*The commission approved 6-0 (Cruz absent) a lease renewal agreement between the City of Miami Beach and Jacques Auger Design Associates, Inc.
for approximately 1,585 square feet of city-owned office space on the 6th floor of Old City Hall. A full service rent rate of $22 per square
foot has been agreed to by both parties. The commission also approved Auger’s renewal for a month-to-month sublease of 80 square feet to Legal Research Network, Inc.
for $75 per square foot. Under the terms of the lease agreement, Auger will split the additional revenue with the city.
*The commission referred to the Neighborhoods Committee a discussion concerning the Espanola Way Association request for street closure of
the 400 and 500 blocks of Espanola Way and recurring event programming.
*The commission referred to the Finance Committee a discussion to consider a number of issues relating to the closure of Ocean Drive for
special events.
RDA
*The commission received a financial report from the Redevelopment Agency on expenditures from 1994 through November 2002 within the
City Center/Historic Convention Village RDA zone. Expenditures to the Loews Hotel-$61,516,007; African-American Hotel-$12,766,579; Anchor Garage-$18,247,976; and
Collins Park Cultural Center-$8,119,519. The total expenditures to these four projects exceed $100,000,000.
*A resolution sponsored by the Economic Development Department to execute a Tolling Agreement by and between RDP Royal Palm Hotel Limited
Partnership and Don Peebles and the RDA/City of Miami Beach to establish a period of time during which the parties can engage in settlement discussions was
pulled from the agenda.
*And that’s just some of the things your elected seven did and didn’t do at last week’s very collegial coming together. As a brief reminder, Dildie’s next
hot tub party to celebrate the city’s cottage industry of lobbying, the chairman of the invitation selection committee, Big Eddie, is looking for members
to sit on the committee. Big is accepting nominations during lunchtime at Rosinella Restaurant on Lincoln Road. Catch Big if you can. And try to catch up with Dildie who
promises to spend the next few days on Ocean Drive enjoying Art Deco Weekend.
Surfside Land
It’s My Party…A surfside resident wants the Town of Surfside to allow its residents to make reservations at public park facilities for children’s
birthday parties. “Other towns do it,” she said. Surfside Mayor Paul Novack feels reserving a public park for a private function is a conflict of interest. His
colleagues agreed and the idea was nixed.
Feeding Frenzy
Feral cats are not starving in Surfside. But feral residents are on the prowl. Feeding feral cats is against the law and so is having more than two
per household. One resident wants them registered, another wants them fixed. Sounds like a job for the DMV.
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