Time to Act

Vol. 3, No. 12 22 June 2022

RAPID TRANSIT ZONE

Since its first introduction the draft of the proposed changes to the Miami-Dade Code has been revised. It now includes language that lets incorporated municipalities regulate their own development as long as they meet certain standards. Here is some of the language of the proposed ordinance:

(a) Except as provided in this section and section 33C-5, and notwithstanding section 33C-2 regarding County jurisdiction, for properties within the SMART Corridor Subzone that are located within a municipality, the applicable municipality may continue to exercise jurisdiction over regulatory decisions, water and sewer installations, street maintenance, and utility regulation to the extent it otherwise exercises jurisdiction over those functions. (b) Each municipality shall, by ordinance, adopt:

(i) its own zoning districts and its own development standards satisfying the minimum floor-area ratio requirements of this section; such ordinance may include, without limitation, protection of existing single-family neighborhoods from encroachment by incompatible development, exclusion of existing single-family neighborhoods from the Rapid Transit Zone, and requirements that buildings meet LEED or other green building standards that promote ecological and resource-efficient construction or operations; development of existing single-family or two-family neighborhoods.

More excerpts from this ordinance are here:

The full draft is here.

A public hearing to consider this ordinance is scheduled for the Chairman's Council of Policy meeting on Wednesday, July 13 , 2022 at 2:00 PM. This meeting is scheduled to take place at 111 NW First Street, Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor, Miami, Florida 33128. At the Government Center MetroRail stop.

Interested parties may:

(1) view a live broadcast of the Commission meeting in the lobby of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, located on the first floor;

(2) speak, where permissible, in the Miami-Dade Commission Chambers located on the second floor of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center; members of the public will be required to register to speak on the first floor and will be escorted to the Commission Chambers at the appropriate time;

(3) view a live broadcast on Miami-Dade Television;

(4) view a live webcast at https://www.miamidade.gov/webcasting;

(5) after the meeting, view an archived copy of the meeting at www.miamidade.gov/webcasting;

The Chairman's Council of Policy is made up of:

Jose Diaz (Chair) 12, Oliver Gilbert (Vice-Chair) 1, Keon Hardeman 3, Sally Heyman 4, Eileen Higgins 5, Kionne McGhee 9, Jean Monestime 2, Raquel Regalado 7, Rebeca Sosa 6, and Javier Souto 10.

All of them have the same format for their emails: districtX@miamidade.gov

where X is the number of the district each represents. The district is the

number behind each Commissioner's name.

I believe that a Public Hearing in front of the Board of County Commissioners is scheduled for July 19 at 9:30 am. I will let you know as soon as I am sure this is the correct date.

JOBS IN THE MIAMI-DADE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS (DTPW)

For those interested in joining the DTPW team as an operator or in one of the many jobs available, visit miamidade.gov/busdriver or miamidade.gov/jobs.

Now offering $5,000 sign-on bonus.

Join Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) as a full-time bus operator. Bus operator trainees will earn $15.95 per hour, and after successfully completing the training program will earn $16.81 per hour to start, plus built-in overtime and an additional 1.5% allowance added to the Bus Operators’ base pay, and the option of earning double-time for working County-observed holidays.

Sign-On Bonus: $2,500 paid after acceptance, enrollment, and completion of DTPW Bus Operator Training Program and six (6) months of successful performance; remaining $2,500 paid after 18-months of successful performance as a DTPW Bus Operator.

SUNSHINE MEETING MAY 24

For those who are interested I have received a transcript of the Sunshine meeting the Commission held in May. We met to get clarity on how Robert's Rules of Order applies to how our Commission meetings are conducted. I am grateful to Commissioner Corey for taking the lead in setting up this meeting. The transcript has many "scrivener's errors," but it is very close to what was said.

Click here to see a copy.

FIRST STOP IN THE CENTER

On Monday, my friends and I went to have (what turned out to be a delightful) dinner at a restaurant in South Miami's

business center. I drove up the steep incline of the City's parking garage. (I think it's about the same angle as the one to the parking garage at the Lennar Center.) I was pleased to see that the garage was well-lit and that the lines on the floor were clean and bright. I like the facts that I didn't have to go block after block to find a space, didn't have to parallel park, and paid half of what it would have cost on the street. After our delicious and ample meal, it was fun to challenge ourselves to the walk up the ramp, rather than take to elevator. I had forgotten how nice the murals along that climb are.

TUESDAY, JUNE 28

Fifty-three years ago (1969) June 28 was the beginning of the Stonewall Uprising, a series of events between police and LGBTQ+ protesters that stretched over six days. "Although the Stonewall riots cannot be said to have initiated the gay rights movement as such, it did serve as a catalyst for a new generation of political activism." More about the Stonewall Uprising is written here.

Stay healthy and keep safe!