The Wednesday, March 19, 2025 Commission Meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. with the Sutnick Hour where residents may speak on any topic. The meeting will be held at: Miami Beach City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive, 3rd Floor, Commission Chamber

or Zoom at https://miamibeachfl-gov.zoom.us/j/81392857671

or Telephone: 1.305.224.1968 or 888.475.4499 (Toll-Free) Webinar ID: 813 9285 7671

November 20, 2024 - 8:30 AM

It will also be streamed live on MBTV Channel 660 on Atlantic Broadband or 99 on AT&T U-Verse, on the City’s website, and on Facebook Live at facebook.com/cityofmiamibeach.

IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM DURING THE MEETING: 

Via Zoom, please click the “raise hand” button on the screen to raise your hand as soon as the item is called. This will pull you to the top of the list and make it easier for the team to find you in the list of attendees. Or via phone, press *9 to raise a hand to be placed in queue to speak.

Want to read the proposed Commission agenda items and get info about the Commission meeting? Click HERE

Want to contact your elected officials directly? Click here.

C7AA Sponsored by Meiner

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO TERMINATE THE CITY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF LIVING ARTS TRUST, INC. D/B/A O CINEMA

MBU RESOLUTION:

Miami Beach United DOES NOT SUPPORT this resolution calling for the termination of Miami Beach’s relationship with and financial support of the O Cinema and its lease at the city owned facility at Old City Hall. Miami Beach United firmly supports the 1st Amendment right to free speech and opposes all forms of government censorship. 

Miami Beach has an international reputation for support of art and culture. Art Basel and other prestigious cultural organizations hold events in our city, and Miami Beach is home to museums, galleries and venues dedicated to artistic expression. Censorship of the O Cinema would tarnish Miami’s Beach’s reputation as a suitable location for these activities, putting at risk the enormous financial benefits to our economy. Our reputation and brand have already been damaged by media coverage of this issue, including the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Variety, Guardian UK, and other well-known media outlets. Finally, passing this resolution puts Miami Beach at risk of losing lawsuits that are inevitable. For these reasons Miami Beach United urges the commission to reject the resolution.

Read the Commission document by clicking HERE

C7AG Sponsored by Bhatt

TO ADVISE THE CITY COMMISSION, VIA SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA

MEMORANDUM, OF THE PLANNING BOARD’S RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDING

THE VOTE OF THE BOARD WHEN THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING OCCURS

AFTER THE DATE THE COMMISSION AGENDA RELEASE

Miami Beach United SUPPORTS this resolution as it seeks to ensure the City Commission is fully informed of the Planning Board’s recommendation before voting on any amendments to the Comprehensive Plan or Land Development Regulations. We believe the City Manager should advise the Mayor and Commissioners of the Planning Board’s recommendation immediately after the recommendation is made if it occurs after the Commission Memorandum is issued.

Read the Commission document by clicking HERE

R5A Sponsored by Fernandez, Dominguez, Magazine, Bhatt

– 9:15 AM Second Reading Public Hearing

ORDINANCE AMEMENDMENT REQUIRING A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT FOR

LARGE SCALE RESIDENTIAL PARTIES AND EVENTS (piloted during Art Basel}

MBU RESOLUTION:

Miami Beach United SUPPORTS this resolution. Large scale events and gatherings, often commercial in nature, and with commercial grade sound equipment, have a serious detrimental impact on residential neighborhoods both in terms of noise and traffic. This ordinance amendment would require a city special permit in order to hold such gatherings.

Read the Commission document by clicking HERE

R5C Sponsored by Fernandez – 9:25 AM Second Reading Public

Hearing 

AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO AUTHORIZE THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR

GENERAL TO NOTIFY THE CITY COMMISSION AND ADMINISTRATION OF A

PROPOSED OR IMPENDING CITY ACTION WHICH WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF

CITY POLICIES OR RULES, OR GOVERNING LAW, OR WOULD RESULT IN WASTE,

FRAUD, ABUSE OR INEFFICIENCY.

MBU RESOLUTION:

Miami Beach United SUPPORTS this ordinance to strengthen the independence of the

Inspector General (IG) and to further empower the IG to act proactively in notifying the

Commission and Administration when there is potential legislation or proposed projects,

programs or plans which in the opinion of the IG would be significantly detrimental to the

efficient operation of the City. However, as currently drafted, Sec 256(d)(17) appears to

obligate the IG to review all Commission and Commission Committee agendas to

determine if any of the proposed actions would result in significant waste, fraud, abuse

or inefficiency. We do not believe that the IG currently has the resources to review all

agendas in sufficient detail to make this determination and still fulfill their current audit

responsibilities, so we recommend that the ordinance be amended to require that the IG

notify the Commission or City Administration only if they identify a significant violation in

the ordinary course of their investigative work.

Read the Commission document by clicking HERE

R5J Sponsored by Fernandez – 10:10 AM Second Reading Public

Hearing

AN ORDINANCE CONFORMING/IMPLEMENTING INTO THE CODE VOTER-

APPROVED AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY CHARTER AND CITIZENS’ BILL OF

RIGHTS CONCERNING INCREASED PUBLIC RIGHT TO BE HEARD VIA TWO (2)

STANLEY SUTNICK CITIZENS’ FORUMS AT REGULAR CITY COMMISSION

MEETINGS, ALTERNATIVE PUBLICATION OF LEGAL NOTICES ONLINE, AND

AMENDED PROCEDURE FOR DEFERRAL OF COMMISSION ITEMS AS WELL AS

REQUIREMENT FOR TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR CITY ORDINANCES

Miami Beach United SUPPORTS this ordinance which amends the City Charter and

Citizens’ Bill of Rights to include voter-approved enhancements to the public’s right to

know and right to speak on issues before the Commission.

Read the Commission document by clicking HERE

R7E Submitted by Public Works

DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO: 1) PRESENT AN ORDINANCE FOR FIRST

READING AT THE APRIL 23, 2025 CITY COMMISSION MEETING, AMENDING

THE CITY"S WATER, SEWER AND STORMWATER RATES, WITH THE INITIAL

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MONTHLY RATE STRUCTURE TO TAKE EFFECT ON

OCTOBER 1, 2025 AND THE IMPACT FEE ADJUSTMENT TO START AS

PROPOSED IN THE COMMISSION MEMORANDUM ACCOMPANYING THIS

RESOLUTION; AND 2) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN EDUCATIONAL

CAMPAIGN REGARDING THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM,

INCLUDING AN EXPLANATION OF THE CITY'S WATER AND SEWER RATE

STRUCTURE.

Miami Beach United strongly believes in recalibrating and enforcing development project impact fees to meet today's costs associated with support, repair and replacement of critical public infrastructure. For nearly three (3) decades, the City of Miami Beach has not increased the fees and in many cases waived them all together for new projects. These impact fees must be adjusted to cover costs associated with repair and replacement.

Miami Beach United is opposed to any increase of water and sewer rates due to deferred

maintenance by the City of Miami Beach for work which has been funded by previous rate increases and not delivered. This places an undue burden on residents. Pursuant to Ordinance 2020-4384, the base and consumption components of the water and sewer charges were increased by 3.7% and have increased every year since 2020. In addition, Ordinance 2019-4299 as a result of the CPI increase of 5.7% the Stormwater utility fee is now indexed to the CPI and has also increased every year.

Read the Commission document by clicking HERE

R9P Sponsored by Dominguez

DISCUSS/TAKE ACTION: PERSISTENT DEFECTS IN THE GRANICUS

ONEMEETING ELECTRONIC AGENDA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND LACK OF

FUNCTIONALITY FOR "RESIDENTS RIGHT TO KNOW" AND "MB RESIDENT CONNECT" FEATURES.

Miami Beach United strongly SUPPORTS this action. It is critical that Residents Right to

Know and MB Resident Connect features be functioning optimally to fulfill the City’s

commitment to provide timely information to our residents on issues which impact their

properties and lives.

Read the Commission document by clicking HERE

2025 MBU Board of Directors

Officers

Clare McCord, President

Ron Starkman, VP Government Affairs

Robert Selsam, VP Organization

Saul Gross, Treasurer

Adam Kravitz, Recording Secretary

Committee Chairs

Hortense De Castro, Membership

Gayle Durham, Strategic Policy & Advocacy

Elizabeth Latone, Strategic Policy & Advocacy

Roger Goldblatt, Marketing

Valerie Navarrete, Forums & Events

Amanda Knapp, Administration

Directors

Jack Finglass

Scott Needelman

Manning Salazar

Special Advisor

Jorge Gonzalez

Our Mission Dedicated to improving the quality of life for Miami Beach residents, managed and measured growth of our city, and ethical leadership of government – for a vibrant city rooted in history, its people, resources and neighborhoods, with focus on the future – by providing educational and analytical focus on the organization, structure, policies and performance of Miami Beach government. We share our newsletters with over 8,000 subscribers, the majority of whom are registered Miami Beach voters.