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I.
Chair's Report:
MRC
Chairperson Irela Bagué asked for a motion on the
November 1, 2004
MRC minutes. Dr. Ernie Martin
moved to approve the November 1, 2004 MRC meeting minutes, the motion
was seconded by Roman Gastesi, and unanimously adopted.
Chairperson Bagué referenced the MRC Executive Committee’s
November 19, 2004
minutes, which include the Executive Committee’s unanimous
recommendation to increase the MRC Managing Director’s Annual Salary
to $64,000, as of
November 1, 2004
. Bagué noted the salary is
all inclusive, and the only benefits are paid holidays & two weeks
vacation, and reimbursement of local travel expenses, and the
recommended
increase would restore the level of the original 1998 MRC Managing
Director salary. Bagué
added Brett Bibeau has been doing a great job as the MRC’s Managing
Director, and Roman Gastesi stated he works regularly with Bibeau on the
Miami River Dredging project, and Bibeau has done an excellent job.
Roman Gastesi moved to increase the MRC Managing Director’s
Annual Salary to $64,000 effective
November 1, 2004
, the motion was seconded by Phil Everingham, and unanimously adopted
by the MRC.
Chairperson Bagué
referenced the MRC Executive Committee’s
November 19, 2004
minutes, which include the Executive Committee’s unanimous
recommendation to increase the MRC Assistant Managing Director’s
Annual Salary to $35,000. Bagué
noted the salary is all-inclusive, and the only benefits are paid
holidays & two weeks paid vacation, and reimbursement of local
travel expenses, and the increase would help keeping the difficult
position filled. Mr.
Roman Gastesi moved to increase the MRC’s Assistant Managing
Director’s Annual Salary to $35,000, the motion was seconded by Sallye
Jude, and unanimously adopted by the MRC.
Chairperson Bagué referenced the MRC Executive Committee’s
November 19, 2004
minutes, and stated the MRC members and designees were faxed Avi
Witz’s resignation letter, citing he was offered another position with
30% more pay and benefits. Bagué
stated Mr. Bibeau has selected Ashley Chase as the new MRC Assistant
Managing Director, and her resume was made available to the MRC.
Bagué stated Chase graduated from the
University
of
Miami
, and has been working as a local reporter. The MRC stated no objections
to the selection.
Chairperson Bagué
referenced the MRC Executive Committee’s
November 19, 2004
minutes, including Mr. Adam Spiegel and Ms. Gesana Hung, Morrison, Brown
& Argiz, presentation of the “clean” Fiscal Year 2004 Audit.
Bagué noted the audit had been mailed to all MRC members and
designees. Bagué noted the
MRC Executive Committee had unanimously agreed to the audit’s
recommendation for an additional internal control of having the three
check signing board members, Phil Everingham, Dick Bunnell and Sallye
Jude, rotate opening the monthly bank statements, and checking the
enclosed checks.
Chairperson Bagué stated the MRC’s
November 19, 2004
minutes includes their recommended 2005 MRC operational budget.
Mr. Everingham moved the Executive Committee’s recommended
MRC operational budget, Mr. Bunnell seconded the motion, which was
unanimously adopted.
Chairperson Bagué
stated the newly elected Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez
submitted a memo to the MRC, designating Mr. Roman Gastesi to continue
serving as MRC designee for the Mayor’s Office.
Chairperson
Bagué referenced the MRC Executive Committee’s November 19, 2004
minutes, when the Executive Committee determined due to the New Years
Holiday the
next
MRC meeting has been rescheduled to the second Monday of the month,
January
10, 2005
,
11:30 am
, Miami
River Inn 118 South River Drive. The
meeting will commence
with
a special luncheon to honor, thank and recognize the MRC’s
former
members Bob Parks, Cleve Jones, Beau Payne, Janet McAliley, Theo Long,
Alex Penelas and Rene Garcia, and new MRC members Senator Rudy Garcia,
Mayor Carlos Alvarez, Manny Prieguez, etc.
II.
Discuss
Draft
City
of
Miami
Evaluation Appraisal Report - Mr. Kevin Provance, City of Miami
Planning Department, presented the City of
Miami
’s draft Evaluation Appraisal Report (EAR).
The Florida Department of Community Affairs requires the EAR, to
guide potential future amendments of the City of
Miami
’s adopted Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan.
Mr. Jim Murley, Chair of the MRC’s Urban Infill Working Group (UIWG),
referenced the UIWG’s November 24, 2004 minutes, and the “Draft City
of Miami Evaluation Appraisal Report’s Recommendations to Amend the
Following Miami Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan’s Items Related to the
Miami River Corridor”, both of which were included in the MRC board
members mailed package, and made available at the MRC meeting.
Mr. Provance stated the City of
Miami Planning Advisory Board
concurred with 14 of 16 of the UIWG’s
November 24, 2004
recommendations on the draft EAR, and the City of Miami Planning
Department has concurred with 13 of 16 of the UIWG’s recommendations.
The MRC unanimously concurred with all of the MRC Urban Infill
Working Group’s
November 24, 2004
recommendations on the draft EAR.
III.
Review Draft “2nd Annual Update” of the Miami
River Corridor Urban Infill Plan - Mr.
Jim Murley, Chair of the MRC’s UIWG, stated the MRC’s adopted
strategic plan, the award winning Miami River Corridor Urban Infill
Plan, requires an annual update.
Murley noted the
November 16, 2004
draft
“2nd Annual Update” was included in the MRC board
member’s mailed packages, and an updated
December 6, 2004
draft was distributed.
Mr. Murley thanked Brett Bibeau for his good work on the draft
and related power point, which was presented by Mr. Murley.
Mr. Murley stated the draft finds nearly half (31) of the
Plan’s “Implementation Steps” have been brought to fruition, and
75% of the Plan’s “Opportunity Sites” have either broken ground,
are permitted, or are in final permitting stages.
The Plan’s completed “Implementation Steps” include, but
are not limited to, commencing dredging of the Miami River, developing
the Miami River Greenway, retrofitting the antiquated storm water and
sanitary sewer systems, creation of 6 new waterfront parks, increasing
tree canopy, supporting Mayor Diaz’s “Clean-Up Miami” campaign,
de-pollution vessel services, expansion of the Enterprise Zone business
incentives, extending metro-mover operational hours, new market rate and
affordable housing developments, and more.
Mr. Murley noted the
Annual Update provides an opportunity for the MRC to consider any
potential amendments to the Plan. Murley
stated the following three potential amendments have been submitted by
MRC board member Dr. Ernie Martin, and will be included in the 6
upcoming public hearings on the draft update:
-
In order to make development in the “Middle” and
“Upper” River (west of NW 5 ST Bridge) more in scale with the
surrounding neighborhoods, request the City of Miami to calculate
Lot Area, Floor Area Ratio and Open Space based on existing upland
private property only, eliminating the 50-foot bonus provided into
the Miami River.
- Consider
Residential Market Study’s to ensure that a market exists for more
than the 8,000 residential units currently under construction and
approved along the
Miami River
.
- Encourage
developments to include alternate sources of energy. i.e. solar
panels.
Bagué noted the MRC Executive Committee’s November 19, 2004
minutes state, “The Executive Committee unanimously agreed that the
“target date” for any MRC member proposed amendments to the Miami
River Corridor Urban Infill Plan should be submitted to MRC staff by
December 6, 2004, in order for them to be a component of the Plan’s
“2nd Annual Update”, as it proceeds through a series of
publicly noticed hearings, prior to final consideration by the MRC in
February 2005.” Bagué
noted any potential amendments submitted after the “target date”
would be deferred at the MRC’s
February 7, 2005
meeting, in order to provide an opportunity for additional public
hearings to provide the opportunity for input on any additional proposed
amendments.
Murley stated the “First Annual Update” recommended
comprehensive Transportation Study of the Miami River Corridor remains a
priority of the UIWG. Commissioner
Barreiro recommended standard parts be recommended for use in bridge
replacement projects to facilitate future bridge maintenance.
Ms. Jude recommended including the study of
1st Street
Bridge pedestrian access improvements, and addressing its loud warning
bells. Bagué stated she is
scheduling a meeting with the Florida Department of Transportation to
discuss the MRC’s transportation related recommendations.
IV.
MRC Subcommittee Reports
a.
Dredging
Working Group – MRC Dredging Working Group co-chair Dick Bunnell
stated the project has been underway since September 2004, and the
Dredging Working Group is focused on maintaining the funding flow
necessary to avoid any temporary demobilizations of the project.
Mr. Roman Gastesi stated the local project sponsor,
Miami-Dade
County
, is fully committed to maintain the local cost share funding flow at a
sufficient level to avoid any temporary de-mobilizations.
Mr. Bibeau stated in late November 2004, Congress passed an
“omnibus” Fiscal Year 2005 budget bill, which surprisingly included
the Energy and Water Bill, since a deal was worked out on the
Yucca
Mountain
project. The Energy and
Water Bill component of the omnibus budget bill included a $2 million
Miami River
dredging line item. Bibeau
noted the Army Corps was working on re-programming $5 million from the
$26 million previously appropriated, back to the Miami River dredging
project, in order to authorize dredging in acceptance area two, just
prior to completing dredging in acceptance area one in early January
2005.
c.
Greenways subcommittee – Dr.
Ernie Martin, Chair of the Greenways subcommittee, stated the draft
Miami River Greenways Historical Markers Request for Proposals (RFP),
authorized at the MRC’s
November 1, 2004
meeting, was included in the MRC board members mailed package, and was
available at the meeting. Dr.
Martin noted the draft RFP has not been advertised, and stated the draft
RFP advertisement date is later in December 2004.
Dr. Martin cited the Greenways subcommittee’s
November 24, 2004
minutes. Dr. Martin noted
the minutes reflect the Villager’s $25,000 awarded grant for the
Greenway Historical Markers is a reimbursable grant, and the Greenways
subcommittee recommended receiving the $25,000 in grant funding from the
Villagers, prior to advertising the drafted RFP, in order to guarantee
the MRC’s ability to pay for the subsequent contract.
Martin explained the Villagers are only willing to administer the
awarded grant in a reimbursable basis, therefore the Greenways
subcommittee is recommending the Trust for Public Land issue the
necessary RFP. Ms. Sallye
Jude moved for the Trust for Public Land to issue the RFP, Mr. Phil
Everingham seconded the motion, which was unanimously adopted by the MRC.
d.
Stormwater Subcommittee – Ms.
Sallye Jude, MRC Stormwater Subcommittee co-chair, stated Camp Dresser
McKee has submitted the draft “Upper Wager Creek Isolation Survey”
report. The report
identified several defects in the sanitary sewer system, which will be
repaired by the Water and Sewer Department.
In addition, Ms. Jude stated the City Commission may decide to
reconsider the temporary staging site they had selected for the upcoming
Wagner Creek Dredging project.
e. Economic
Development and Commerce – Ms.
Megan Kelly, Chair of the MRC’s Economic Development and Commerce
Working Group (EDC), stated the EDC is working on implementing the
“Action Items” identified during the September 27, 2004 Miami River
Marine Industries Symposium. Ms.
Kelly cited the EDC’s
November 10, 2004
minutes of the “Exploring the
Working
River
- Part I” public workshop, hosted at Antillean Marine.
Ms. Kelly stated Merrill-Stevens has agreed to host “Exploring
the
Working
River
– Part II”, and she asked MRC staff to e-mail the agenda to the
entire MRC.
f.
Miami River
Safety Committee – Mr. Gary
Winston, co-chair of the MRC’s Safety Committee, stated there have
been no recent reports of crime within the Miami River Corridor, and no
pressing issues. Their next
meeting is Tuesday, December 14, 2004, 10 am, at the U.S. Coast Guard
Station, 100 McArthur Causeway.
V.
New Business – Mr.
Bibeau stated the 9th Annual Miami Riverday is scheduled for
Saturday, March 19, 2005
,
11 am – 5 pm
,
Jose
Marti
Park
. The free festival will
again feature river boat tours, water taxi rides, live music, marine
expo, environmental education, historical re-enactors, children
activities, etc.
Commissioner
Barreiro invited everyone to the Barreiro Christmas Party / Toy
Giveaway,
Saturday December 11, 2004
,
11 am
,
Jose
Marti
Park
.
Brett
Bibeau thanked Pietro Taballione, volunteer MRC Intern, for his three
months of hard work for the MRC.
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