CONTACT US!
For more information, contact us via email at mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
c/o Robert King High
1407 NW 7 St.,  Suite D
Miami, FL  33125

  Phone 305-644-0544
Fax 305-642-1136

Email:
  mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

I.  Miami River Basin Water Quality Improvement Report Agency Implementation Progress Reports – Mr. Brett Bibeau welcomed Mr. Raymond Rammo, City of Miami , National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) coordinator, to the SSC.  On behalf of Mr. Jose Lago, Mr. Rammo distributed copies of the City of Miami’s Miami River Basin Water Quality Improvement Quarterly Report (July 1, 2005-September 30, 2005).  The report is available online at www.miamirivercommission.org.  Mr. Rammo presented the report to the subcommittee.

Mr. Charlie Hand, Seybold Canal homeowner in the Spring Garden neighborhood, stated he is in favor of dredging the Seybold Canal and Wagner Creek, and asked for additional information regarding the status of the project.  Mr. Steve Blair, DERM, stated the permitting of the project isn’t in his Section of DERM, yet it was his understanding that DERM was awaiting the City of Miami ’s reply to their request for additional information related to the submitted permit applications.  Mr. Hand replied that over a month and a half ago he and other Seybold Canal residents met with Mary Conway, Director of the City of Miami Capital Improvement Department, whom stated she would meet with the DERM Director within two weeks, regarding the long awaited Wagner Creek dredging permits.  Mr. Hand asked the City and DERM representatives if that meeting had taken place, and Mr. Gambino, DERM, stated Ms. Conway and Ms. Alicia Cuervo-Schriver had cancelled a recently scheduled meeting with DERM Director Renfro.  Mr. Hand stated in July the City Commission had requested the City administration provide them with a construction estimate and potential funding sources for the Wagner Creek and Seybold Canal dredging projects, within 45 days, which has since past yet the requested estimate and funding sources have not been identified.  In an effort to avoid miscommunication regarding the Wagner Creek and Seybold Canal dredging projects, Mr. Hand suggested the appropriate DERM and City representatives attend future SSC publicly noticed meetings.  Mr. Bibeau stated that a new recreational boatyard business is opening on the Seybold Canal , and stressed the importance of dredging the area, not only to improve the natural environment, yet also to increase navigation and heighten a potential of such businesses to provide local jobs for future generations.

Mr. Hand stated the Seybold Canal dredging project needs a survey to determine the number of cubic yards to be removed.  Mr. Blair, MDC-DERM, stated he recalled a survey being conducted in conjunction with planning for the Miami River maintenance dredging project, and would attempt to provide that survey of the Seybold Canal.

Mr. Hand noted that flooding within his neighborhood, specifically 700-1100 NW North River Drive , was becoming an increasing problem.

Mr. Rammo stated the City of Miami ’s $196,480 stormwater system retrofit of 250 baskets and inlet grates in the Wagner Creek Basin is currently under construction and anticipated to be completed in January 2006.  In addition, Mr. Rammo reported as recommended in the Miami River Basin Water Quality Improvement Report, the City of Miami installed 150 new storm water solid waste interceptor grates and baskets in the Wagner Creek basin, and 100 more will be installed in the NE Overtown area.

Mr. Hand asked how often the new baskets and grates are cleaned, and Ms. Estevez replied that Public Works cleans the baskets are cleaned every 6 months. Ms. Estevez added she was working with Ms. Barbara Pruitt, City of Miami Solid Waste , to have the streets swept every 3 months. Meanwhile, noted Ms. Estevez, Code Enforcement’s “Litter Busters” team will continue conducting street sweeping.

Mr. Bibeau commended the City of Miami , including, Mr. Francis Mitchell, Mr. Rammo, Ms. Estevez, Mr. Lago, the Public Works Department and the Department of Capital Improvements for their continued implementation of the Miami River Basin Water Quality Improvement Report.  Mr. Bibeau noted the City of Miami will be considering their Fiscal Year 2006 Capital Improvement Project budget in November, and asked if any of the projects identified in the City’s Progress Report as not being fully funded will have line items in the upcoming budget.  The City representatives stated they would look into it.

Ms. Estevez stated the new contract for the Scavenger 2000, signed in 2004, divides the City’s waterways into different sections. According to Ms. Estevez, the Scavenger 2000 services are performed on the Miami River for one hour, 5 days a week.  Mr. Bibeau thanked the Board of County Commissioners, under the sponsorship of County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, for appropriating $100,000 in its FY ’06 budget to continue the Scavenger 2000’s services on the Miami River . Mr. Bibeau notified Ms. Estevez that a county representative would contact her regarding a possibility for the county to piggyback on the city’s existing Scavenger contract.  Mr. Bibeau added this was the first time the county had agreed to cost-share or provide funding for the Scavenger 2000, and was currently considering purchasing the boat during the next fiscal year.

Ms. Estevez informed SSC meeting attendees that a certified arborist had reviewed the Wagner Creek area between NW 20^th Street to NW 11^th Street , detailing 163 trees to be removed.  Mr. Bibeau stated the SSC had reviewed this issue several years ago, and the plans had been revised to reduce the number of trees to be cut down.  Ms. Estevez stated she would provide the SSC with additional details about which trees are scheduled for removal and how the loss of trees may be mitigated. Mr. Omar Abdelrahman, MDC-DERM, agreed to defer his “Progress Report,” including water quality testing results, to the November SSC meeting.

II. Update on the Development of TMDL’s for Wagner Creek- Mr. Bibeau stated, as suggested by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), that the MRC will continue to provide intergovernmental coordination on the setting of TMDL’s for Wagner Creek, via having the item on the Stormwater subcommittee’s monthly publicly noticed meeting agenda. 

Mr. Blair, DERM, stated although the County is cautiously “optimistic” that the reduction in Coliform detected in recent testing of Wagner Creek numbers reflect the significant efforts of all parties to remedy the Coliform problems along the creek, the evaluation of whether or not the results represent true decreases in Coliform may only be determined from evaluating data collected across a much greater time span than one quarter.

According to the City’s quarterly report, city staff has received a proposal from PBS&J for consulting services regarding Watershed Protection and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL’s). The proposal is currently in the review process. 

III. Status of the Draft Wagner Creek Corrective Action Plan and Dredging Permit Applications – See Agenda Item I.

IV. Status of WASD Smoke Testing of the Western Sub Basin - Mr. Bibeau stated he had spoken to Mr. John Chorolog, WASD, regarding the potential for DERM to advance WASD the 1997 SWIM funding, which has been used to fund the Wagner Creek Smoke Testing program, in order to avert the WASD budgetary restraints which have recently prohibited the WASD from incurring expenses to be reimbursed by DERM.  Mr. Bibeau stated Mr. Chorolog was willing to continue smoke testing with the possibility of being reimbursed for his services. Mr. Bibeau suggested that Mr. Blair and Mr. Rod Lovett, MD-WASD, discuss this option with Mr. Chorolog before November 15, the deadline to receive DERM funding.

Mr. Lovett provided an update of several items of which the MRC had requested information:

• Providing public access to a vacant WASD riverfront property located on S. River Drive in Little Havana - Mr. Lovett stated he would need to address this with his Director, but did not foresee a problem.
• Manhole Removal adjacent to 5^{th ST} - will be removed once the City performs rip-rap work, in order to avoid shoreline erosion.
• Piles of rusty pipes at NW 7^th Avenue - will be cleared and addressed
• Burms at NW 11 ST site will be kept functional and maintained

Mr. Lovett stated he would submit a complete written response to the MRC.  Mr. Bibeau thanked Mr. Lovette and the WASD.

VI.  New Business - Mr. Bibeau stated the MRC was launching the “3^rd Annual Update” of the Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan, adding that any “Implementation Steps” pertaining to the SSC would be discussed at the next publicly noticed SSC meeting, in addition to a series of public workshops.  During these meetings, noted Mr. Bibeau, the SSC will be provided an opportunity to propose any amendment or additional “Implementation Steps”.

Mr. Bibeau encouraged SSC meeting attendees’ participation in a series of MRC-coordinated volunteer community clean-up events along the Miami River , such as “Hurricanes Help the Hometown” and “Hands on Miami Day.” Ms. Ashley Chase, MRC Assistant Managing Director, agreed to forward that information, as well as a schedule for the Infill Plan’s Annual Update workshops, to SSC meeting attendees.

The next regularly scheduled SSC meting was confirmed for the first Wednesday of the month, November 2, 2005 , 10 am , Miami River Inn, 118 South River Drive .

The meeting adjourned.

     HOME      CALENDAR       ABOUT THE RIVER         ABOUT THE COMMISSION       DREDGING      GREENWAYS    
URBAN INFILL PLAN    STORMWATER RETROFITTING   MINUTES OF MEETINGS      LINKS