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MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
c/o Rosenstiel School
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy,
Miami, Fl. 33149
305-361-4850
Fax: 305-361-4755
  e-mail: mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

• Dianne Johnson, City of Miami Department of Real Estate and Economic Development and liaison to the Miami River Commission
• David Miller, Managing Director, Miami River Commission
• Jim Murley, Member of the Miami River Commission and Director of the FAU/FIU Joint Center for Environmental and Urban Problems
• Clark Turner, Chief of Urban Planning, City of Miami
• Sara Ingle, City of Miami Planning Department
• Brett Bibeau, Assistant Director, Miami River Commission
• Helen Brown, Miami-Dade County Department of Planning and Zoning
• Scott Mingonet, Kimlet-Horn and Associates
• Tom Carlson,  MC Harry and Associates.  The sign in sheet is enclosed.

David Miller, Miami River Commission, stated Brett Bibeau and he were at the East Little Havana Neighborhood Assembly of the Empowerment Zone and met officials from Kimley-Horn who expressed interest in being a part of this Miami River Corridor Urban Infill effort.  In the Miami River Commission’s endeavors to bring everyone to the table, Mr. Miller invited them to the Miami River Commission Urban Infill meeting.  Miller stated, Kimley-Horn could bring a lot to the table because they are doing very similar work in four Empowerment zone areas within the Miami River Urban Infill Corridor.  Kimley-Horn is the Empowerment Zone consultant, writing their “Strategic Plan”.  Dianne Johnson, City of Miami, stated it couldn’t be a more perfect match as the Downtown, Allapattah, Melrose and East Little Havana Empowerment Zone Neighborhood Assemblies all are within the Miami River Urban Infill Corridor.  Scott Mingonet, Kimley-Horn, confirmed the Empowerment Zone’s Strategic Plan was similar to the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan.  Mr. Mingonet stated it is the perfect time for the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan to come to fruition because the Empowerment Zone Strategic Plan will include the Urban Infill initiative.  Mingonet went on to say the Federal Empowerment Zone and HUD will therefore know that their are other people behind Miami River improvement efforts, who funded a Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan, which implements the improvements.  Mr. Miller summed it up as a “win-win situation”.  Mr. Mingonet stated the Kimley-Horn project manager for the Empowerment Zone Strategic Plan is Steve Lefton who left town today for D.C., but wanted to attend and would like to set attend a meeting in the future.  Dianne Johnson, City of Miami, stated the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan wasn’t going to repeat the Neighborhood Assemblies Strategic Plans, yet bring all the Miami River Improvements into one cohesive Urban Infill Plan.  Mingonet said Kimley-Horn obtains forty to fifty boxes of information and documents concerning the four Empowerment Zone areas within the Miami River Urban Infill Corridor, which tries to comprehend the needs of each community.  Mr. Miller stated the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill will take all the older plans, update them, and tie them into one cohesive improvement plan which will set priorities and implement them, creating success stories.

Dianne Johnson distributed a budget to accomplish hiring an outside consultant to write the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan, because the City and County don’t have the resources to do it in house.  Ms. Johnson reported the Miami River Commission Urban Infill Subcommittee had been seeking funding through several grant opportunities, the Empowerment Zone, and “in-kind” services, to create the Urban Infill Plan.  Brett Bibeau, Miami River Commission asked if the line items, “Meeting Space $1,000 and Office Services $5,000” could be satisfied with in “in-kind” services.  Ms. Ingle and Ms. Johnson answered “in-kind” could apply for those budgeted items.

Mr. Miller reported the Miami River Commission passed a motion on Jan. 8, 2001 allocating $10,000 to the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan.  Ms. Helen Brown, Miami-Dade County, confirmed their extensive “in-kind” donation towards the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan.  Mr. Jim Murley, FAU/FIU Joint Center offered the design, and printing of marketing materials in addition to ongoing “in-kind” support.  Mr. Murley explained the marketing and reproduction of documents isn’t the full extent of what they will offer, only an example.

Mr. Murley stated the Miami River Commission, Commissioner Bruno Barriero, and others visited Chattanooga and their Design Center.  Upon there return they seeked funds for a Design Center.  A $35,000 Knight Foundation grant was awarded and County Commissioner Bruno Barriero sponsored a resolution, which passed, allocating $100,000 towards the plan of a design center.  In early January the Miami River Commission was contacted by the County to assist in the development of the allocations contract and scope of work.  Mr. Miller stated the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan and the Design Center should be worked on together and believes Commissioner Barriero would concur  with the allocation going towards the design center and Urban Infill plan simultaneously. Miller, Murley and Bibeau meet with the County contract officer for the allocation who asked the Miami River Commission to work with the Urban Infill County representatives, Helen Brown and Mark Woerner, to develop a scope of work for the contract.  Helen Brown, Miami-Dade County agreed.  Miller stated the need to eliminate all budgeted line items, which will be satisfied with the committed “in-kind” services.  The remaining budget will be funded with cash, such as the awarded $50,000 Department of Community Affairs Urban Infill and Redevelopment Planning Grant.  Dianne Johnson stated the $100,000 County allocation was marvelous news.  Mr. Murley stated we could provide the awarded $35,000 Knight Foundation grant for the Design Center business plan.

Brett Bibeau, Miami River Commission stated he gave a presentation to the East Little Havana Empowerment Zone Neighborhood Assembly who recommended a $7,500 allocation.  The Empowerment Zone staff informed Mr. Bibeau that as a rule of thumb the Empowerment Trust doesn’t over rule the Neighborhood Assembly recommendations.  Dianne Johnson stated the Melrose Empowerment Zone Neighborhood Assembly is in unincorporated Dade County, so if possible Mr. Woerner and Ms. Brown, Miami-Dade County should attend the presentation to be held 7 pm, Jan. 16, 2001, 3300 NW 32^nd Ave, Miami-Dade Transit Authority Bldg.  Mr. Mingonet stated Kimley-Horn representatives would be present along with David Miller and Brett Bibeau, Miami River Commission.  Ms. Johnson feels we should sound out the individual Neighborhood Assemblies as to what their individual budgets can afford at this point.  Ms. Johnson suggested $10,000 was appropriate for the Downtown Neighborhood Assembly and $15,000 each from Allapattah and Melrose.  Mr. Miller asked Mr. Migonet, Kimley-Horn, if the four Neighborhood Assemblies allocated funds for the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan, would the Empowerment Zone put the sum of the four amounts into one or separate contracts.  Mr. Migonet stated it would be in one contract.

Brett Bibeau and David Miller recently held meetings with different members of the Miami River Commission and Commissioners Winton, Sanchez and Teele, all of whom expressed their support for the development of the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan.

Clark Turner, Chief of Urban Planning, City of Miami, recapped the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan funding status.  The cash consists of $50,000, DCA Urban Infill and Redevelopment Planning Grant, $10,000 Miami River Commission, $7,500 east Little Havana Empowerment Zone Neighborhood Assembly, possibly an additional $30,000 from the three remaining Neighborhood Assemblies, Brett Bibeau submitted a $20,000 EPA grant, and up to $100,000 from Miami-Dade County for a plausible cash total of $165,000.  “In-Kind” donations include $25,000 from FAU/FIU Joint Center, $25,000 from the Metropolitan Center, and $30,000 from Miami-Dade County for a total of $80,000 of “in-kind” services.  Mr. Turner stated these new funding totals puts the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan, “over the hump” and the City can now proceed in the process of bringing the plan to fruition.

Mr. Turner stated he would file a request with the City of Miami Agenda Office, to place the acceptance of the awarded $50,000 DCA Urban Infill and Redevelopment Planning Grant for the first February City Commission agenda, before the Agenda Office’s January 12, 2001 deadline.  The DCA grant requires the completion of the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan by December 31, 2001.  Mr. Miller stated the deadline would provide a goal, which keeps the project moving forward.  City staff noted that there are two administratively approved consultants, which could be contracted to write the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill plan in a reasonable length of time.  

Helen Brown, Brett Bibeau, David Miller and Sara Ingle tentatively scheduled to meet from 4-6 on Jan. 16, 2001 to develop the scope of work for the $100,000 county allocation contract.  Sara Ingle agreed to pull portions of the awarded DCA Urban Infill Grant Program.  The goal is to have the scope of work submitted to the County by Jan. 19, 2001.

Mr. Murley concluded that this was a historical meeting for the Miami River Commission Urban Infill Subcommittee moving forward.  His comment was meet with a round of applause.

The meeting was adjourned.

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