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MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
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The joint City, County, Miami River Commission, Department of Community Affairs Urban Infill Redevelopment Planning Grant Program application scored 1^st place.  The City of Miami will be awarded $50,000 in December 2000. 

The Joint Planning Agreement (JPA) between the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County regarding the acceptance of the Department of Community Affairs Urban Infill Redevelopment Planning Grant is going through the administrative process of being signed.  The JPA calls for a Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Redevelopment Plan to be completed by 2004.  It will encompass the adoption of a greenway, brown fields, housing and the dredging of the Miami River. The City Commission and Board of County Commissioners both passed the JPA, which was signed by County Manager, Merritt Stierheim, but still awaits the signature of the City Manager, Carlos Gimenez.  Dianne Johnson, City of Miami Department of Real Estate and Economic Development, stated that Ana Gelabert, City of Miami Director of Planning, has reservations regarding committing City in-kind resources to develop the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill plan.  Johnson explained that Department Directors are criticized for going over their budget.  Johnson stated their desire to amend the JPA to permit contracting a consultant to do the work for approximately $150,000.  Mark Woerner, Miami-Dade County mentioned the City and County reviewed the draft JPA prior to both Commissions passing the Agreement and the signature of the County Manager.

Sara Ingle, City of Miami Planning Department, provided the list of grant requirements due before December 31, 2001.  Johnson believes a year isn’t long enough.  Mr. Murley pointed out several of the requirements had been completed or begun in the grant application.  Ingle explained we could satisfy the grant requirements without costly measures.  Jim Rivers, FIU Metropolitan Center will confirm the amounts, but believes $25,000 of “in kind” services will be made available for the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan from the FIU Metropolitan Center.  Mr. Murley stated there were two EPA grants for $20,000 towards the Urban Infill Plan.  Brett Bibeau, Miami River Commission, asked if he could write one and have the City of Miami complete the other.  Ms. Johnson, City of Miami, didn’t think the City could offer the resources to write one of the EPA grants.  Mr. Bibeau offered to write both EPA grants.  David Dahlstrom, SFRPC, suggested the South Florida Water Management District may provide in-kind services and reproduction costs.  Mr. Murley stated FAU would offer $25,000 of “in-kind” services towards the Urban Infill plan.  Mark Woerner, Miami-Dade County Planning Department, stated the County would provide $30,000 of “in-kind” services.  Bob Schwartzwright, City of Miami Planning department, said he had spoken with the Director of the Federal Empowerment Zone, Bryan Finnie, who encouraged the group to present proposals to the East Little Havana, Melrose and Allapattah Empowerment Zone Neighborhood Assemblies for Urban Infill Planning funds.  The Empowerment Zones were recently allocated new funds.  Mr. Schwartzwright believes at least $10,000 from each of the three Empowerment Zones is a reasonable request.  Mr. Bibeau stated the East Little Havana Empowerment Zone generally meets on the third Monday of the month on the 18^th floor of the County Administration building.  Schwartzwright stated the Downtown Development Authority could be asked for funding to support the Urban Infill Plan, which would affect downtown Miami.  Mr. Dahlstrom mentioned asking the Community Improvement Authority for further funding to develop the Urban Infill Plan.  Brett Bibeau, Jim Murley and Janet McAliley, Miami River Commission (MRC), all felt the Miami River Commission would approve the allocation of $10,000 towards the advertising of required public forums soliciting community input to be incorporated in the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan.  Mr. Bibeau stated the legislation creating the MRC required the development of an Urban Infill plan.  Bibeau pointed out without any funding from DDA nor the CRA, $110,000 cash and $80,000 “in-kind” are available for the Miami river Corridor Urban Infill Plan (Miami River Commission $10,000 cash and the writing of two EPA grants for $20,000, DCA grant $50,000, Empowerment Zone $30,000 FAU $25,000 “in-kind”,  FIU $25,000 “in-kind”, Dade County $30,000 “in-kind”)  Mr. Schwartzwright stated the Knight Foundation has included the City of Miami in a multi-year, multi-million dollar, invitation only grant opportunity.  The deadline is the end of January, 2001, and the grant will be awarded in June.  The award would apply for implementation of the Urban infill Corridor plan.

The Miami River Commission offered to host information regarding the Urban Infill Plan on their web-site.  The group noted the need for a meeting facilitator for the required public forums.  The desire to meet with Gwendolyn Warren, Ana Gelabert and Clark Turner, City of Miami Planning department was clearly stated by the Subcommittee.  The City of Miami has accepted the responsibility of being the fiscal agent for the Urban Infill plan.  If a portion of the work has to be contracted to a consultant, instead of going through a lengthy Request for Proposal process, Kimberly Horn, a City of Miami currently contracted planning consultant, could have this effort piggybacked on her previously existing contract.

The Urban Infill Subcommittee figures the JPA will be executed by the end of March.  In January, 2001 the subcommittee will make a presentation to the Federal Empowerment Zone, requesting funding for the Urban Infill Plan.

The next meeting of the Urban Infill Subcommittee was scheduled on Jan. 10, 2001 at 2 pm, in 444 SW 2^nd Ave.  A meeting with Ms. Ana Gelabert, City of Miami Planning Director, was tentatively scheduled for Jan. 9, 2001.

The meeting was adjourned.

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