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MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
c/o Rosenstiel School
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy,
Miami, Fl. 33149
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  e-mail: mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

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The Miami River Commission Executive Committee was called to order at 8:00 AM at Greenstreets Café located at 3468 Main Highway, Coconut Grove.

       The Executive Subcommittee unanimously agreed to dissolve the MRC’s Tax Increment Investigation Subcommittee into the Urban Infill Working Group and dissolve the Grant Investigation Subcommittee into the work of the appropriate MRC subcommittee for the individual application and project at hand.  Chairman Parks directed MRC staff to draft thank you letters for everyone who worked on the subcommittees.

Parks asked the Urban Infill Working Group Chair, Jim Murley, to provide the Executive Committee with the status of the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan.  Murley opened with a brief summary of a positive meeting he attended regarding the Infill Plan on August 15, 2002, in the City Manager’s Conference Room, with Dena Bianchino, Assistant City Manager, Javier Fernandez and Otto Boudet, Mayor Diaz’s Office, Clark Turner and Sarah Ingle, City Planning Department and Brett Bibeau, MRC.  Murley stated Ms. Bianchino and Mr. Fernandez felt the majority of the Urban Infill Plan’s recommendations (Pages 85-87) were entirely acceptable to the City and directed the City representatives on the UIWG at the meeting (Turner and Ingle) to provide the Working Group with specific revisions to a few of the recommendations.  The group agreed that additional Economic Analysis will be conducted upon adoption of the Infill Plan, and Murley offered to assist in securing funding for the additional analysis.

Murley explained that the Urban Infill Working Group met early in the day and will forward to the Executive Committee all plan revisions submitted prior to the August 15, 2002 final revisions deadline.  Javier Fernandez, Mayor Diaz’s MRC designee, offered to schedule a meeting for the Urban Infill Working Group with Ana-Gelabert, Director of the City of Miami’s Department of Planning and Zoning, regarding the final revisions to the Infill Plan.  Mr. Parks directed MRC staff to publicly notice an Executive Committee meeting for final review of all final revisions to the Infill Plan, prior to the MRC considering the Plan for adoption as its strategic plan, during their September 9, 2002 public meeting.

Megan Kelly, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s (GMCC) MRC designee, offered to move a resolution before the GMCC’s Governing Board to create a new GMCC Miami River subcommittee.  The primary role of the proposed GMCC River subcommittee is to assist in the improvements within the Miami River Corridor.  The MRC Executive Board thanked Ms. Kelly, and offered to attend any necessary meetings, or make presentations at her discretion.

David Miller provided the Executive Board with a summary of the United States Coast Guard publicly noticed proposal to change the rules for drawbridge openings on the Miami River.  The proposal could limit vessels under tow to pass the SW 2^nd Ave Bridge only between 10 pm and 4 am, 6 days per week, for seven months straight.  The MRC’s Economic Development and Commerce Subcommittee is publicly noticing a meeting at 1 pm, Friday, August 21, University of Miami, Rosenstiel School, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy, Dean’s Conference Room to further discuss the proposed rule change.  Mr. Parks directed staff to include this item under the Chair’s report on the MRC’s September 9 agenda.

The Executive Board requested Ernie Martin and Brett Bibeau to investigate the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs Tourist Development Council grant program to partially fund a Miami River film, directed by Tom Glennon.  Sallye Jude expressed opposition to Tom Glennon directing the River film.

Brett Bibeau stated that at the request of the Chair, MRC staff had requested the City administration to measure the set-back at the 50% developed One Riverview square, on the Miami River’s north shore, immediately east of the South Miami Ave Bridge.  The City Charter requires a 50-foot setback from the river for all new developments in the area.  The One Riverview square project had originally applied to the City Commission for a waiver of the charter to limit the required setback to only 20 feet.  The MRC opposed the waiver, which was denied by the City Commission.  Subsequently the developer applied for a waiver of the required setback to permit a 40-foot setback from the river, which was granted by the City Commission.  The City of Miami Building Department reported back to MRC staff that the building is only setback 35 feet from the River.  Javier Fernandez, Mayor Diaz’s Office, stated he would look into the issue and report back to the MRC during the September 9, 2002 meeting.   

The Meeting adjourned.

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