The Miami River Commission’s (MRC) Economic Development and Commerce (EDC) Working Group convened its regularly scheduled second Tuesday of the month meeting on July 9, 2002, 3 pm, at the Rosenstiel School, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Dean’s Conference Room.  Megan Kelly and Cleve Jones Jr.  chaired the meeting.  The meeting opened with self-introductions.  The attendance sheets are enclosed.

David Miller reported that the MRC replied with a letter to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), regarding the MRC’s request for a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC) and suggested a meeting with FDOT.  The MRC is awaiting a response from the FDOT.  The EDC recommends the MRC consider a resolution during their next meeting, requesting that all preliminary plans and associated impacts of proposed river crossings be presented to the MRC.  For example, all river crossings to the MIC, 5^th Street Bridge and 12^th Ave Bridge should be presented to the MRC for input.  The EDC feels all currently proposed major transportation projects may have a detrimental effect upon the economic viability of the maritime industry.  For example, Brett Bibeau, MRC stated the current plans for the 12^th Ave Bridge include a fender on the north side, which blocks the rail at Merrill-Stevens boatyard, which is critical component of the boat yard.  Cleve Jones Jr. stated bascule bridges are less expensive to build, yet more expensive to maintain.  The EDC believes river crossings must equally consider both the landside and maritime uses of the River corridor.  Jones cited an example of a bridge in Miami Springs, which rises straight up without opening, allowing the bridge to be level as it passes the street scape through the neighborhood, yet rises enough not to effect the federal navigable channel, and is architecturally interesting.

The EDC reviewed and discussed an e-mail from Barry Dragon, United States Coast Guard, Bridge branch.  The e-mail states in part that the Brickell Avenue transportation consortium requested that the Coast Guard place a regulation on the Brickell Bridge to have it on a scheduled opening of on the hour and half hour from 9 am to 4:30 Mon-Friday except Federal holidays.  Tugs and tugs with tows would be exempt from this regulation.  This temporary regulation would be in effect from mid September 2002 until April 2003.  If the regulation increases traffic congestion in the Brickell area the Coast Guard will remove it, conversely if traffic improves and there is little negative impact on vessel traffic, the regulation will remain in effect.  The EDC does not object to the trial test, so long as it is not considered a precedence for other bridges along the Miami River, and all land side traffic improvements including but not limited to additional signage installed directing traffic from the Brickell Bridge to I-95 and South Miami Ave, and signalization, are brought to fruition.

The EDC supports the expansion of the existing Enterprise Zone within the Miami River corridor, as authorized by the state legislature under HB 1906.  In addition, the EDC recommends to the MRC that they support the City Commission’s adoption of  the second reading of a new City Ordinance to provide Ad-Valorem tax waivers for new and expanding businesses within the Enterprise zone.

Megan Kelly asked Brett Bibeau about the status of the proposed expansion of the existing Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) into the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill area.  Bibeau reported that the City passed the expansion as far as NW 7^th Street and NW 6^th Street, in addition to the area beneath I-95 south to Lummus Park.  The County Manager sent a letter to the City Commission, stating the County is required to approve any CRA expansion before it comes into effect; therefore the City is unable to act unilaterally on the expansion.

Cleve Jones Jr. stated concern with the following Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resource Management changes to private dredging permits:

• Requirement for a $30,000 performance bond
• 800 cubic yard limit is too small
• The permit should be for 5 years as it used to be, instead of the shortened 3 year permit

The EDC agreed to not to meet in August, therefore the next regular scheduled EDC meeting will be the second Tuesday of the month, September 10, 2002, 3 pm, Rosenstiel School, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Dean’s Conference Room, Miami, FL 33149.

The meeting was adjourned.