[1:20] good evening. Any person who
[1:21] receives compensation,
[1:23] remuneration or expenses for
[1:24] conducting lobbying activities
[1:25] is required to register as a
[1:27] lobbyist with the city clerk
[1:28] prior to engaging in lobbying
[1:29] activities before city staff
[1:31] boards, committees or the city
[1:32] commission. A copy of the
[1:33] applicable ordinance is
[1:34] available at the office of the
[1:36] city clerk miami city hall
[1:37] located at 3500. Pan american
[1:39] drive, miami, florida 33133.
[1:42] Thank you chair. Thank you very
[1:45] much. I will do the pledge of
[1:54] allegiance for discussion. The
[1:56] flag of the united states of.
[1:58] America and to the republic for
[2:00] which it stands one nation
[2:04] under GOD. Indivisible.
[2:05] >> with liberty and justice for
[2:16] all. Rafael, do you have to do
[2:18] a formal roll call or just
[2:20] obvious that there's only four
[2:27] four people here tonight? Okay.
[2:29] >> um, just to note that
[2:31] christopher norwood who was
[2:31] appointed by the mayor.
[2:33] >> he's here. He's just I think
[2:34] he stepped out for a second but
[2:35] he's going to be sitting right
[2:37] here. Oh great. Thank you. And
[2:40] how many people do we need for
[2:47] quorum? Eight people would be
[2:51] needed for quorum. Okay so
[2:53] we're we're only we only have
[2:56] five. Assuming with chris.
[3:01] >> norwood we have five. So yes
[3:02] with christopher norwood it's
[3:13] five. Okay.
[3:22] MR. Norwood thank you very much
[3:25] for joining us. Peter. So I'm
[3:25] just going to.
[3:27] >> do the the roll call.
[3:27] >> for for.
[3:29] >> to be on the record. Okay.
[3:32] Peter erlick here. Nicholas
[3:36] lopez jenkins. Luis casamayor.
[3:40] stephen lightner. Gary milano.
[3:43] Christopher norwood. Monte
[3:49] traynor. Daniel lopez.
[3:53] Alejandro martinez. Steve. And
[3:54] if we can just have everybody
[3:56] speak on the mics just so
[3:56] everybody.
[4:01] >> can hear. Thank you. All
[4:03] right. Any requests.
[4:06] >> for absence waiver? No I had
[4:08] didn't receive any. So we're
[4:09] going to move on to the
[4:11] discussion items. Um taking
[4:13] them slightly out of order if
[4:14] you don't mind. From the city
[4:16] attorney would like an update
[4:17] on the city commission agenda
[4:19] item that a resolution that we.
[4:23] Provided last year about
[4:23] changing.
[4:25] >> the quorum. Can we have a
[4:27] status for that item that. Yes.
[4:30] So the resolution passed. Um
[4:32] now the resolution essentially
[4:33] provides that the city manager
[4:35] will come back and bring an
[4:36] ordinance which would require
[4:37] two readings that city
[4:40] commission. So the next step is
[4:41] for the city manager to bring
[4:43] an ordinance consistent with
[4:44] what you guys have passed,
[4:46] which was attached to.
[4:47] >> the to the. Resolution and
[4:49] then that would require two
[4:51] readings. Oh, I was under the
[4:53] impression that was being taken
[4:55] care of when we submitted our.
[4:56] Resolution to the city
[4:58] commission to be approved. No,
[5:00] the resolution that was passed
[5:01] by commission essentially
[5:02] provides that the.
[5:04] >> manager will bring back an
[5:05] item. So that.
[5:06] >> wasn't completed at that
[5:08] time. So when will that item be
[5:08] back in.
[5:10] >> front of commissioners? I
[5:10] don't have that information
[5:12] would be the manager who brings
[5:14] the item. Can you can you
[5:15] follow up with the manager so
[5:16] it can be heard.
[5:18] >> in the next two or or at
[5:20] best three. Meetings I can have
[5:21] I can.
[5:23] >> have I can reach out to rafa
[5:25] rafael to reach out to the
[5:28] manager rafaela because we've
[5:31] been waiting on 12 or 18 months
[5:33] for this one item to go through
[5:37] the city commission. It's a
[5:39] shame there's still a delay.
[5:40] Parks will follow up. We will
[5:42] follow up. Will you? Yep. Thank
[5:43] you very much. We appreciate
[5:46] that. Any questions from any
[5:48] board members on that everybody
[5:50] familiar with that item how
[5:54] that item works? We have it for
[5:56] those that are in the audience.
[5:58] We submitted an item resolution
[6:00] last year to change our quorum
[6:02] requirements. It's very hard to
[6:04] get eight people almost from
[6:06] any board to show up for
[6:08] meetings like this. We often
[6:10] get sick sometimes seven five
[6:13] to night and our our item would
[6:15] change the quorum requirements
[6:16] to only require three three
[6:18] people to show up to conduct
[6:21] business. Luckily we often have
[6:24] five, 6 or 7 but the new
[6:25] legislation would let us go
[6:27] forward with three. So we hope
[6:28] that gets.
[6:29] >> gets.
[6:30] >> passed by the city.
[6:31] Commissioners as soon as
[6:33] possible through the chair.
[6:35] Yes. Just to clarify, the.
[6:36] Resolution provides for five
[6:39] voting members to constitute a
[6:40] quorum. Does it? Yeah. All
[6:43] right. Well it's still better
[6:46] than 7 or 8. Thank you very
[6:53] much. Um so then we're going to
[6:57] quickly go to the um the miami
[6:59] marine. Stadium basin mooring
[7:03] field. Is there rafael is there
[7:04] anybody from the.
[7:05] Administration here to speak on
[7:07] that or present on that item
[7:09] and the status of the miami
[7:17] marine stadium basin field. So
[7:19] alejandro is here from the
[7:20] dream department but they
[7:22] requested to provide updates in
[7:22] the.
[7:24] >> OCTOBER meeting um, when
[7:26] there will be better updates.
[7:30] Okay. Um then we we will we are
[7:32] going to hear from the public
[7:34] tonight on that item and we can
[7:37] also um continue that item
[7:39] until the next meeting in two
[7:41] months. And so we will be
[7:43] hearing from. Alejandro in in
[7:46] more detail in two months
[7:48] unless he wants to add some.
[7:49] Comments tonight. After he
[7:52] hears from the public and we
[7:53] would like to hear from the
[7:55] public. There's some wonderful.
[7:57] Advocates I know in the room
[7:58] tonight who have great
[7:59] information and have been
[8:01] attending meetings for years.
[8:06] You can speak in any order. Any
[8:06] .
[8:07] >> microphone that's working.
[8:09] Excuse me. Clearly the
[8:11] microphone works. I'm sorry
[8:14] ma'am. Um, I'm I'm new here
[8:17] and, uh but there's an item on
[8:19] the agenda and there's no one
[8:21] here to speak about what the
[8:23] item is or is anybody going to
[8:25] speak as to what what you know
[8:28] what the item. Even as a
[8:31] discussion item? Uh, that's a
[8:32] great question. The board's
[8:34] been discussing this particular
[8:37] item for three or 4 or 5 years.
[8:39] So I understand you're new to
[8:41] the you're new to the to the
[8:43] board there we requested
[8:44] somebody from the
[8:46] administration to speak on this
[8:47] specific item tonight, but
[8:50] nobody from the. Administration
[8:51] wants to go into detail
[8:53] tonight. Unfortunately there
[8:55] are members of the public that
[8:56] have a massive amount of.
[8:58] Information and some
[8:59] information that hasn't even
[9:01] been. Distributed to the board.
[9:03] They've been attending some.
[9:05] Meetings with government
[9:08] officials that we have not been
[9:09] attending, and they're going to
[9:11] be updating us on what they've
[9:14] heard. So if you if you like,
[9:16] we're going to hear from some
[9:16] members of the.
[9:18] >> public and I think you'll
[9:20] you'll learn a lot fairly
[9:22] quickly. MR. Chair, I would
[9:23] love to hear from the and we
[9:24] will hear from the public. But
[9:26] first I would like to hear who
[9:28] from the. Administration is
[9:29] attending this meeting.
[9:35] >> right now. Two members.
[9:36] >> gentleman on your left.
[9:36] Yeah.
[9:38] >> so director danny lopez
[9:40] acting parks director okay. And
[9:42] alejandro martinez. I'm the
[9:43] director of the dream
[9:45] department. Of the marine
[9:46] department. Dream department of
[9:47] real estate and asset
[9:49] management. Got it. And so can
[9:52] someone explain to me what the
[9:53] miami marine stadium basin
[9:56] mooring. Field is? What exactly
[9:59] is it? Why don't we let.
[10:01] Alejandro handle that question?
[10:04] Yeah. So I think the better way
[10:05] to probably to handle it. So go
[10:07] ahead and listen listen to the
[10:08] public give their presentation
[10:09] because like the chair
[10:10] mentioned this this project has
[10:12] a long standing history. Um,
[10:14] you and I can probably meet
[10:16] offline as well and I can give
[10:17] you a better summary of what
[10:19] the project is. Um, so so a lot
[10:21] of the topics on this there's
[10:22] going to be a more formal.
[10:24] Presentation made in OCTOBER. I
[10:25] would like the benefit of
[10:26] listening to the public because
[10:27] then maybe we can incorporate
[10:29] some of their points in that
[10:30] presentation and address some
[10:32] of their concerns. So I think
[10:33] the best course of action is to
[10:34] go ahead and listen to the
[10:36] public and then we can I can
[10:38] provide comments as appropriate
[10:40] and if not we can give you, you
[10:41] know. Documentation onto the
[10:42] project itself because it's
[10:43] it's it's a pretty.
[10:45] >> significant project with a
[10:47] pretty significant history. Um,
[10:49] if you don't mind, MR. Chair.
[10:52] No, not at all. Uh, I'm new to
[10:55] this committee but I'm not new
[10:57] to serving on. Committees and
[11:00] boards and I've never sat on a
[11:01] committee or board when there's
[11:02] an item on the agenda that
[11:04] there's not somebody from the.
[11:06] Administration who. Presents
[11:09] what. Exactly the item is. And
[11:11] so I definitely want to hear
[11:13] from the public and I'm sure
[11:15] they can add to whatever the
[11:17] later. Presentation MAY be by
[11:18] whomever from the
[11:19] administration. I just want to
[11:21] know what is the miami marine
[11:23] stadium basin mooring field and
[11:25] why is it on the agenda? And I
[11:27] would like to hear from staff
[11:30] to explain that so I can
[11:32] provide a little bit of insight
[11:35] on on this I why is it in the
[11:37] agenda I don't know right. But
[11:41] um the. Basin mooring field
[11:43] basically there for years folks
[11:45] have been able to you know, go
[11:47] to the basin anchor and
[11:49] completely neglect their boats.
[11:53] And so now the city has worked
[11:55] through a process of creating a
[11:56] mooring field there to now
[11:58] create rules and. Regulations
[11:59] for folks to come and.
[12:00] Properly.
[12:03] >> uh, you know, secure their
[12:05] boats and also pay a fee to the
[12:07] city for for for that. And then
[12:09] you know, with that comes.
[12:09] Services.
[12:12] >> uh, from the marinas also
[12:15] the marinas uh, division.
[12:17] Itself used to be under the
[12:18] dream department and now it's
[12:20] under the gsa department. Uh,
[12:22] so that that change just just
[12:24] happened not too long ago.
[12:25] That's a little bit of insight,
[12:27] you know, on on that, but
[12:28] that's basically what the
[12:31] mooring field is. Uh, you know,
[12:33] I don't know as.
[12:34] >> far as it being in the
[12:36] agenda this is my first
[12:39] meeting. So so just to clarify
[12:42] the the the the marine, the I'm
[12:44] sorry, the. Stadium basin field
[12:47] is a is a is a is out in the
[12:49] water. Yes. Okay. So it's.
[12:51] >> a it's it's it's near the
[12:53] marine stadium. Yeah. So
[12:53] basically.
[12:54] >> you have the marine.
[12:55] >> stadium and then.
[12:57] >> you have the basin right in
[12:57] front of it.
[12:58] >> so it's a body of water.
[13:00] It's a body of water. It's
[13:01] called the basin mooring field.
[13:03] The basin is called the marine
[13:05] basin uh the marine the marine
[13:07] stadium basin that's what it's
[13:08] called. And a mooring field is
[13:09] going to be.
[13:11] >> implemented in that basin.
[13:13] Thank you. All right. Thank you
[13:15] very much. Um you asked very
[13:17] good questions, MR. Norwood.
[13:20] you're absolutely right.
[13:22] Normally and it's completely
[13:24] appropriate for an expert from
[13:26] the city or the county or
[13:27] whatever government entity we'd
[13:30] like to in front of us to give
[13:31] us a background information on
[13:34] a particular item. The the
[13:36] mooring field that we're.
[13:39] Discussing will be in the miami
[13:40] marine stadium. Basin.
[13:41] >> which I believe is
[13:44] approximately 45 acres. Is that
[13:47] correct? And it's also.
[13:51] Designated historic. Um
[13:52] everybody's. Familiar with
[13:55] that. Gary milano you recall
[13:57] the designation of the miami
[14:02] marine basin as historic. Okay.
[14:05] Um, which which means it has a
[14:07] whole whole different set of.
[14:07] Requirements.
[14:09] >> that should be honored. Uh,
[14:12] anything historic should be
[14:19] should be reviewed. Um. I have
[14:21] a for for chris norwood to
[14:23] review quickly. There's an
[14:24] article there's a publication
[14:27] here. This is from dade
[14:29] heritage trust. Independent
[14:32] called. Preservation today.
[14:35] Historic miami marine stadium
[14:38] rebirth of an icon. This is.
[14:41] 1617 years ago. This is from
[14:43] 2009. Gary can you hand this to
[14:45] chris to [Laughter] Look at the
[14:48] pictures? I'm I'm fine. I I
[14:49] would love to review this
[14:51] absolutely absolutely. I just
[14:53] wanted to understand just what
[14:55] what it is and and it's on the
[14:56] agenda. It's on the agenda.
[14:59] >> because we're. Reviewing
[15:02] what about it? Oh we've been
[15:04] we've had we've heard a lot of
[15:05] comments from. Constituents
[15:09] taxpayers. Residents um. Rowers
[15:12] dragon boat rowers about the.
[15:14] Future of marine stadium basin
[15:16] and they they been asking for
[15:18] an. Update on the.
[15:20] >> status of the proposed
[15:21] mooring field. Perfect. I'm
[15:23] good I'm ready all right thank
[15:25] you thank you thank you your
[15:26] comments are excellent.
[15:28] Questions are excellent. Um
[15:29] leah would you like to speak
[15:33] first? Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN.
[15:36] My name is leah kennard and I
[15:39] am a very frequent user of the
[15:41] basin and I thank you MR.
[15:43] Norwood for asking those
[15:45] questions. Um and I also am
[15:47] just going to state the value
[15:50] of this this board.
[15:52] >> for the involvement of the
[15:56] public has renewed my belief in
[15:59] democracy. Um it's really it's
[16:02] a vibrant opportunity for the
[16:04] public to participate in city
[16:06] decision making. And so I'm
[16:08] very grateful that we can talk
[16:10] about what's happening in the
[16:12] basin tonight so that the
[16:14] people who are here are all
[16:15] people who are interested
[16:17] either because they're out
[16:20] there rowing or paddling or
[16:21] because they're concerned about
[16:23] the environment and what
[16:26] happened. And the reason we are
[16:28] all here is because like you,
[16:31] we did not know what was
[16:33] happening in the basin and the
[16:36] city was moving forward with a
[16:39] full permitting process to put
[16:43] in 195 healix anchors into the
[16:45] floor of the basin that
[16:48] literally covers the acreage of
[16:50] the basin. Some changes were
[16:54] made initially um to what the
[16:56] city's plan would be, but it
[16:58] was never brought to this board
[17:00] to discuss this. And so we have
[17:02] not had an opportunity as
[17:05] paddlers as the community of
[17:07] paddlers, uh, to be able to
[17:09] react to what the plans were.
[17:12] So it is something that is
[17:14] discoverable through all of the
[17:17] permitting process with
[17:18] diagrams of what the anchorage
[17:20] will look like. And the city's
[17:24] plan has been a very good idea
[17:26] that we don't want boats to
[17:28] just be dropping anchors in the
[17:30] basin and and dragging the
[17:33] anchors around. And so the idea
[17:35] of having a mooring field would
[17:37] be that boats would come in and
[17:39] they would connect to boys that
[17:40] are anchored in the bottom of
[17:43] the basin. And that would be a
[17:46] better idea for preserving the
[17:51] environment. Uh, it also is um
[17:53] it would take care of the
[17:54] derelict boats. There used to
[17:56] be a number of derelict boats
[17:59] sitting in the basin. Um and
[18:02] then after covid began, uh,
[18:04] people discovered that the best
[18:06] way for me to live is on the
[18:08] water in the basin or all
[18:10] around miami on a boat. And so
[18:13] there were close to 200 boats
[18:15] that were parking in the basin
[18:17] and we were all out there
[18:18] paddling around them. All these
[18:22] people know that um and it was
[18:24] very uncomfortable because
[18:26] there was a lot of sewage in
[18:28] the water as well. It used to
[18:30] be that the miami marine
[18:32] stadium basin was a place for
[18:34] manatees. We would see them
[18:36] frequently for dolphin
[18:37] sometimes stingray. I even
[18:39] remember seeing a baby shark
[18:41] out there one time from the
[18:43] boat. When you're paddling or
[18:45] rowing you are touching the
[18:47] water so you understand the
[18:50] water. It's not like being in a
[18:51] motor boat where you're looking
[18:53] down at the water. I mean we
[18:55] experience what the marine
[18:59] stadium basin is. And so when I
[19:03] became aware through the um
[19:04] friends of biscayne bay that
[19:06] the permitting process was
[19:09] process was going on, I read
[19:12] every single um permit and I
[19:15] was shocked and so I prepared
[19:17] this document that highlights
[19:19] what I think the real issues
[19:22] are so that you have some
[19:24] background information to be
[19:28] able to um to consider and so
[19:29] you can read through the
[19:31] document. I'm just going to hit
[19:33] the high points of this and
[19:35] that is that um the first item
[19:37] number one says the current
[19:39] proposal represents a dramatic
[19:41] expansion beyond previous
[19:43] public discussions and ignores
[19:45] the long standing concerns of
[19:47] long standing stakeholders. And
[19:50] I know that roger bernstein and
[19:52] I have been talking at this
[19:55] microphone since 2018 about
[19:58] mooring fields. Roger is very
[20:00] familiar with mooring fields.
[20:03] I'm I'm familiar as a user of
[20:06] the basin and so um, something
[20:08] that is of interest to me is
[20:10] that the virginia key advisory,
[20:13] the virginia key master plan
[20:16] that dates back to 2010. And
[20:18] this is also for those of you
[20:20] who are newer in this group, it
[20:23] is it was developed by city
[20:25] charrettes that went on for a
[20:27] long period of time and the
[20:29] public actually designed what
[20:32] they thought the master plan
[20:34] for virginia key should be. And
[20:37] the master plan is still being
[20:39] used. And one of the reasons
[20:41] that that got my attention is
[20:43] because it was used as an
[20:46] argument to build the boat ramp
[20:48] and we were not people that
[20:50] were really in favor of the
[20:51] boat ramp because we weren't
[20:53] sure how the parking was going
[20:54] to occur, how the traffic was
[20:56] going to exist, what the
[20:57] traffic on rickenbacker was
[20:59] going to be. But in the
[21:01] meantime the city used the
[21:03] virginia key master plan and
[21:07] one line that said boat ramp.
[21:09] And so I point that out now
[21:11] that the virginia key master
[21:14] plan has no lines about a
[21:17] mooring field, it does not
[21:19] exist in the master plan. And
[21:21] so if we're going to use the
[21:23] master plan, I would put that
[21:25] out there that it doesn't exist
[21:27] in the master plan. Secondly,
[21:29] the current proposal is not
[21:31] consistent with the long term
[21:34] vision for virginia key and
[21:36] that's where I was that's I
[21:37] read that instead I need to go
[21:39] back to the first one because
[21:40] the argument for the first
[21:42] statement is that the city
[21:46] commission has approved 75
[21:50] mooring buoys for a mooring
[21:52] field. There has been no
[21:54] conversation about 195 anchors
[21:58] in the basin anywhere in in the
[22:00] public in a general public
[22:02] meeting that I'm aware of. Um
[22:08] and so we jump from 75 buoys to
[22:11] 195 anchors which are also
[22:14] potential buoys. Number three
[22:16] the mooring field must not be
[22:17] planned in isolation. And
[22:19] that's because all of the
[22:20] projects that are going on on
[22:22] virginia key right now have
[22:23] interaction they intersect with
[22:27] each other and um and I find it
[22:30] sort of interesting that when
[22:33] it comes to traffic, there's
[22:34] traffic that all of these
[22:36] projects create, there's
[22:37] parking needs that all the
[22:39] projects create and there's
[22:42] also traffic in the basin as
[22:43] well and and the permitting
[22:45] process. There's no
[22:46] consideration of any traffic in
[22:52] the basin. Um. Going on the
[22:55] current proposal falls a fails
[22:56] to account for the basin's
[22:58] daily recreational use by the
[23:00] paddling community who are
[23:01] represented here. I know here
[23:04] we see outriggers the outrigger
[23:07] community is represented the
[23:09] paddling teams uh dragon
[23:11] slayers who've been out there
[23:13] for at least two decades. Um I
[23:15] don't know that there are any
[23:16] puff representatives here
[23:19] tonight and the sos are the
[23:21] dragon boat team that I'm a
[23:23] member of um is currently
[23:24] competing in [Laughter] France.
[23:26] That's why none of my friends
[23:29] are here. I stayed back
[23:33] [Laughter] And um but oh thank
[23:38] you but so they I mean and it's
[23:40] a statement that all of these
[23:41] teams are internationally
[23:44] known. The coaches for our
[23:46] teams are people that are
[23:48] recognized around the world.
[23:50] They're usa certified quite a
[23:52] number of them are they offer
[23:54] training and so the basin is
[23:55] not only a place for
[23:57] competition it's also a place
[24:01] for practice um public input
[24:03] and changes in state and county
[24:04] laws are helping to support the
[24:06] basin as a safe place for
[24:08] marine life and the reputation
[24:09] and attraction for miami for
[24:11] water sports. And I'm going to
[24:13] refer here to and have roger
[24:16] bernstein talk because um, in
[24:18] going back through my notes, I
[24:21] realized that in 2018 we were
[24:23] already talking about anchorage
[24:26] limitation area. We ourselves
[24:28] had talked to an attorney who
[24:29] was knowledgeable about that
[24:31] and roger has kept up with that
[24:34] all along and he can speak in a
[24:35] much more intelligent way about
[24:37] it than I can. But that's
[24:39] referenced in the last part. So
[24:40] I have two things that I would
[24:42] like to see happen that the
[24:44] city discontinue the committing
[24:47] the current permitting process.
[24:50] That's why to meet tonight
[24:52] rather than waiting until
[24:55] there's a quorum until OCTOBER
[24:58] because if the city could get
[25:01] serious about involving the
[25:03] community about this, we can
[25:05] avoid making a lot of mistakes.
[25:08] So that's one of my asks. The
[25:11] second one is to engage the
[25:12] public in the planning
[25:13] committees and workshops to
[25:15] consider all the factors
[25:16] associated with the mooring
[25:18] field. And so we're ready to
[25:21] help. I mean I think the city
[25:22] could come up with a much
[25:24] better plan if we are involved
[25:27] in doing that. But roger can
[25:29] explain a lot more about the
[25:32] laws and policies. Before you
[25:35] sit down for a quick question
[25:39] if there were I mean this this
[25:41] board did was aware of the
[25:42] legislation pending for I think
[25:45] it was 50 mooring that I
[25:47] believe. It's turned into 75 at
[25:48] a city commission meeting.
[25:50] >> I believe it went to the
[25:51] city commission with 50 and
[25:52] during the meeting
[25:56] commissioners suggested through
[26:00] the interest of some of the
[26:02] boating lobbyists that it go
[26:04] from 50 to 75 and I think it's
[26:08] 75 past. 75 past. 75 didn't I
[26:10] believe come to this board? But
[26:13] my question is if there were
[26:15] 100 or 195 mooring in the
[26:17] basin, what would that do to
[26:20] people's ability to grow cruise
[26:22] shells or dragon boats or
[26:25] triathlons or use the basin for
[26:27] recreation and and
[26:30] non-motorized boating? My
[26:32] opinion is it would basically
[26:34] put us out of business because
[26:37] we have a need for events. Uh,
[26:39] i know that the permitting
[26:42] process includes the estimate
[26:44] that the marine stadium might
[26:47] have five events in a year that
[26:50] would require moving vessels if
[26:54] the basin was filled up with
[26:57] vessels on those mooring, the
[26:59] marine stadium would not be
[27:02] able to have events. Um because
[27:05] you cannot move we can tell you
[27:06] it's tough to move any vessel
[27:08] because we tried to do that
[27:10] before. Okay, so I guess we're
[27:12] going to hear from roger and
[27:13] anybody else that wants to
[27:15] speak. Does anybody else have a
[27:17] question for leah I do jerry.
[27:19] Um you said that they're in
[27:21] permitting right now. Do they
[27:23] have not obtained a permit for
[27:25] the project yet? Correct. So
[27:26] they're not amending an
[27:29] existing permit. They're
[27:30] requesting a new permit.
[27:36] Actually, uh julia and I can
[27:38] explain more about that. Um
[27:40] that's how I became familiar
[27:43] with the process was because of
[27:44] the work that they were doing.
[27:46] And the other thing is the
[27:48] objective the objective of the
[27:50] mooring field originally was to
[27:53] get rid of the derelict vessels
[27:54] that were anchoring in the
[27:56] basin, correct? Correct.
[27:59] >> and right now all of those
[28:00] boats derelict vessels have
[28:03] moved out of the basin and
[28:05] they're on the south side of
[28:07] the causeway at this point.
[28:07] Correct.
[28:10] >> do you know why and how that
[28:12] occurred since the original
[28:14] objective of the mooring field
[28:18] was to provide a mechanism to
[28:20] regulate the area within the
[28:22] marine stadium basin? That's a
[28:25] wonderful question, gary. Um,
[28:28] for those of us of us that have
[28:30] been out there watching vessels
[28:34] disappear, it was a mystery
[28:37] where all at once the vessels
[28:40] are gone, the the dolphin are
[28:44] coming back. Um we can only um
[28:46] you know, think that it was
[28:48] because of enforcement and we
[28:51] can say that enforcement worked
[28:54] for calming down the jet skis.
[28:58] We had a horrible jet ski
[29:02] problem in the basin. Um and in
[29:04] fact caesar is here tonight
[29:07] and. So you'd have to you have
[29:08] to speak on the microphone.
[29:10] >> yeah. Why don't you come up
[29:11] and. Talk and I'll step away.
[29:12] Thank you.
[29:13] >> very much.
[29:17] >> I'll introduce andre. Or do
[29:20] you want excuse me. My name is
[29:22] andres sosa. Andres sosa. I'm
[29:25] also part of this community.
[29:27] It's that we use the basin what
[29:30] I see in the proper way like
[29:33] the basin historically we have
[29:35] the marine station. I think
[29:37] it's a purpose that we are
[29:39] spending money renewing the
[29:42] marine stadium and at the same
[29:43] time we're discussing something
[29:45] that is going to block the
[29:47] purpose of the renewal of the
[29:49] marine stadium. In my point of
[29:50] view marine stadium the basin
[29:52] was built for sports yes motor
[29:54] sports water sports but it was
[29:57] sports and we want to keep it
[29:59] that way. We have the mrc here
[30:01] that we have a growing
[30:02] community over there. We have
[30:03] dragon boaters, we have
[30:06] paddlers. That is the only spot
[30:07] one of the few spots that we
[30:09] have in miami with access to
[30:11] the water for small watercraft
[30:14] not suffering dangers like
[30:16] crazy people driving jet ski
[30:18] and run over the. I saw this
[30:20] personally both friends of mine
[30:22] run over by jet ski. I saw
[30:24] people dying in the marine
[30:26] stadium with jet ski because in
[30:28] miami it's really easy to rent
[30:30] a boat. You don't need a
[30:31] license or nothing. Anyone can
[30:33] have a boat in my opinion
[30:36] transforming as you ask you ask
[30:39] the most crucial question. The
[30:41] purpose of the mooring fields
[30:43] was to block people from
[30:45] sleeping with boats over that
[30:48] and control that from the past
[30:49] year and a half this is not
[30:51] happening and I have an answer
[30:53] for that because cesar put a
[30:54] race over there every year I
[30:56] put an event every day every
[30:58] year that is a polynesian
[30:59] festival that I bring people
[31:00] from french polynesia, from
[31:02] hawaii, from rapanui, from
[31:04] brazil and I do a festival
[31:06] polynesian festival. So we have
[31:08] to deal with the police
[31:10] requesting to move those boats.
[31:13] They move those boats. So on my
[31:15] point of view I think it's like
[31:16] they understand that it's
[31:18] better to take care or have
[31:20] suffering three months we are
[31:22] taking more of the marine
[31:23] stadium so the law enforcement
[31:26] is working right now. We just
[31:27] need to keep the law
[31:28] enforcement running and we
[31:30] don't need to spend money
[31:31] putting more infields over
[31:33] there that is going to cut the
[31:34] purpose. Maybe we can put
[31:36] sports again in the basin using
[31:37] the marine stadium. You know,
[31:39] with that beautiful skyline of
[31:41] miami that's one one we can
[31:44] work together as a community if
[31:46] you guys allow us to
[31:48] participate and help you guys
[31:51] to restore that the amazing
[31:53] place that is the basin, you
[31:55] know the marine stadium that's
[31:59] our only access to the water
[32:01] safely. You know to put like
[32:02] you have like a ladies here
[32:05] dragon boaters for from 15
[32:08] years old to 80 using that
[32:10] basin you know and you don't
[32:11] know how dangerous it is
[32:12] sometimes people in the boat
[32:15] they don't have the knowledge
[32:17] and the view and the
[32:19] perspective of being in a small
[32:21] watercraft in the ocean with a
[32:23] 55 foot boat they come close to
[32:26] you, they make waves. You can
[32:28] you can go down in the water if
[32:30] a person that already has a
[32:32] certain age turns like a death
[32:34] and life in that moment, you
[32:37] know? So it's a very crucial
[32:39] point this this discussion here
[32:41] and we want to be involved.
[32:43] It's not about oh we're here to
[32:44] block this or block no, we want
[32:45] to get involved to ban better
[32:46] for everyone. That's the whole
[32:48] point of we are. Here staying
[32:49] on second. Gary do you have a
[32:51] follow up question? Thank you.
[32:53] Um the other thing I see is
[32:56] that the marine stadium
[32:58] restoration just passed through
[33:01] the referendum. So the marine
[33:03] stadium is going to happen. So
[33:05] the marine stadium to have
[33:08] venues needs to have the basin
[33:10] available to be able to provide
[33:13] a variety of different.
[33:13] Exactly.
[33:16] >> so I see the mooring field
[33:18] conflicting with the marine
[33:21] stadium venues in the future as
[33:22] well. Exactly. So at this point
[33:24] I think it's important you know
[33:26] again we're going to hear a
[33:28] formal presentation on OCTOBER
[33:30] 27th here at 530 and we'll hear
[33:32] from the city and we'll be able
[33:34] to ask them questions and find
[33:36] out where the permitting is and
[33:38] where the funding is. The
[33:40] biggest problem we as a board
[33:42] have seen through the years is
[33:46] that the city provides they put
[33:48] together these projects, they
[33:50] go to the funding source, they
[33:52] obtain the funding without
[33:54] coming to us and I've got
[33:56] documentation here that any
[33:59] project on virginia key is
[34:00] supposed to come before this
[34:03] board before it goes forward
[34:04] and that's something that the
[34:06] city has failed doing and
[34:08] because of that they get
[34:11] project funding which they
[34:13] don't want to return. They've
[34:14] got you know, a gazillion
[34:16] dollars and they go oh, but we
[34:18] got this money now we we just
[34:19] can't turn away from it. But
[34:21] that's the thing the city needs
[34:25] to do to provide the proper to
[34:27] follow the master plan. Exactly
[34:28] .And that's something that
[34:31] this board was put together to
[34:33] oversee the implementation of
[34:34] the master plan. And that's
[34:36] what we do every day on this
[34:38] board is basically look at
[34:39] projects and hopefully this
[34:41] project will be reviewed, you
[34:44] know by you you know once we
[34:45] get a formal presentation we'll
[34:47] be able to ask questions. But
[34:48] permitting is one thing and
[34:50] funding is the other. And
[34:51] that's the thing that we need
[34:53] to kind of see where that's at
[34:55] and see if there's a way that
[34:57] through community involvement
[34:59] we can maybe change the course
[35:01] the direction of this mooring
[35:03] field project. Thank you so
[35:05] much. And I just want to point
[35:06] out that this amount of people
[35:09] that you see here actually I
[35:10] wouldn't say there's not 110%
[35:12] of what we have of paddlers
[35:14] over there, but it's a huge
[35:15] community that we if we bring
[35:16] everyone we're going to load
[35:18] this like three times. It's a
[35:20] big community that enjoys the
[35:22] basin and we just keep
[35:23] continuing enjoying and we
[35:24] don't want to stop progress.
[35:26] I'm not here we know that
[35:28] progress but like as you said
[35:30] we can use the money properly
[35:32] maybe make the basin better for
[35:33] everyone really better for
[35:33] everyone.
[35:34] >> well thank you for taking
[35:36] the time to come. Roger
[35:38] bernstein and anybody else that
[35:40] wants to speak and we'll be
[35:42] able to get up after roger
[35:45] speaks. Hi there, I'm roger
[35:46] bernstein. I live in the city
[35:50] of miami. I've rowed in the
[35:52] marine stadium basin for over
[35:53] 30 years and I've seen it
[35:55] change. I've seen it
[35:56] deteriorate and I've seen it
[36:00] improve this proposal for
[36:01] mooring field and this is a
[36:03] proposal that doesn't exist at
[36:05] this point. Proposal for a
[36:07] mooring field is a solution in
[36:09] search of a problem that no
[36:12] longer exists. The problem was
[36:15] that the basin had over the
[36:18] years accumulated all kinds of
[36:20] vessels including derelict
[36:24] vessels at risks of sinking
[36:25] boats that were anchored out
[36:29] there as the rate for wet
[36:32] storage docks went up and up.
[36:33] People said I'm not going to
[36:35] pay $3,000 a month for my 30
[36:37] foot sailboat. I'll find a
[36:41] place to put it. And the marine
[36:43] stadium was fairly accessible
[36:45] from the shore and it became
[36:47] covered with these things. Now
[36:50] these boats would sit out there
[36:53] and not be used. I would row at
[36:54] 6:00 in the morning. It was
[36:56] pitch dark by law they're
[36:58] supposed to have lights on
[36:59] them. They had no lights. They
[37:02] were improperly anchored. They
[37:03] drifted all over the place. You
[37:06] had no idea where the boat was
[37:07] here yesterday and today it's
[37:11] over there. It was horrible. So
[37:15] the city of miami said we under
[37:18] florida law do not have the
[37:20] authority to regulate our own
[37:23] water. It has to come from fwc
[37:26] and tallahassee by law they
[37:28] regulate the waters of the
[37:31] state of florida and the one
[37:33] solution the city came up with
[37:36] they said if we applied fwc and
[37:38] we get a permit for a mooring
[37:40] field, we can put that mooring
[37:42] field in the basin and then we
[37:47] will displace all of these
[37:48] garbage boats that are anchored
[37:51] there. And that was the idea.
[37:53] So originally it was 50 mooring
[37:57] .Then the commission passed
[37:58] 752 years ago they came up with
[38:01] this plan for 195 and I've
[38:03] asked that it be circulated
[38:05] here. It covers the basin from
[38:07] top to bottom side to side.
[38:11] That's it. No more public use.
[38:13] Why did they do that? I sat
[38:15] with them at dream and they
[38:19] said we're doing this because
[38:21] the mooring field by law will
[38:23] prohibit anybody from anchoring
[38:25] their boat there. And in
[38:28] addition the law says 100ft
[38:31] perimeter beyond that mooring
[38:32] field they can't anchor their
[38:36] boat so mechanically to fill up
[38:37] the basin. That's what we do.
[38:39] So that plan is two years old.
[38:41] Guess what the last session of
[38:44] the florida legislature they
[38:45] extended the 100 foot perimeter
[38:49] to 300ft. So that's 600ft from
[38:51] side to side and top to bottom.
[38:53] You don't have to put mooring
[38:55] there because you can't anchor
[38:58] there by law that plan does not
[39:00] anticipate that. The second
[39:03] thing that has happened is I
[39:07] told you that the state had
[39:09] authority to regulate anchoring
[39:13] in the county's and they were
[39:15] very jealous about that
[39:16] authority and they would not
[39:20] let the counties do very much.
[39:22] The legislature recently passed
[39:27] a law and the beginning of it
[39:30] says previously florida
[39:31] statutes generally preempted
[39:33] local governments from
[39:34] regulating the anchoring of
[39:36] vessels outside the mark
[39:40] boundaries of mooring field.
[39:45] Section 327.4 e108n2 of the
[39:47] florida statutes provides a
[39:49] limited exception to the
[39:50] anchoring preemption under
[39:52] which a county could establish
[39:54] a 45 day anchoring limitation
[39:57] area under certain conditions.
[40:00] With that 45 days means is if a
[40:02] boat is anchored in the marine
[40:04] stadium, it can be there for no
[40:06] more than 45 days. Then it has
[40:09] to move. So the idea of
[40:10] derelict vessels sitting there
[40:14] for years until they sink is
[40:17] finished. This is a county
[40:19] ordinance. It has gone through
[40:21] all of the procedures. I
[40:23] believe the final reading is on
[40:29] OCTOBER uh it will create.
[40:33] Section 7-40.1 of the of the
[40:38] code of miami-dade county. This
[40:41] means that the county can
[40:43] working with the city designate
[40:47] any portion or all of the
[40:49] marine stadium basin as an
[40:51] anchoring limitation area and
[40:53] boats can't go in there. So
[40:57] this ridiculous 195 ball
[41:00] mooring field made the plan
[41:02] made two years ago does not
[41:04] take account of the 300 foot
[41:05] perimeter does not take account
[41:07] of the anchoring limitation
[41:09] area. It can't go forward. We
[41:12] need to look at this and say
[41:14] hey there's been enforcement.
[41:19] The basin is clear. We don't
[41:23] need 195 ball mooring field to
[41:26] clear the basin. We MAY not
[41:29] need any mooring field in the
[41:38] basin. And. As leah said, they
[41:41] can't blindly move forward with
[41:43] this thing when the
[41:46] circumstances have changed. The
[41:47] basin is empty of derelict
[41:52] boats. There's a 600 foot area
[41:54] 300ft on each side top and
[41:56] bottom around a mooring field
[41:58] and the county has the ability
[41:59] to create an anchoring
[42:02] limitation area for some or all
[42:06] of the basin. So this idea of
[42:10] 195 ball mooring field is a
[42:12] solution to a problem that no
[42:17] longer exists. Questions? Roger
[42:18] .
[42:19] >> yes. Quick question. Thank
[42:21] you. I know you've been working
[42:23] on this issue for for years
[42:25] many years and you've been
[42:26] wonderful coming to the
[42:28] meetings and educating all of
[42:29] the board members and city
[42:32] staff. And in the next few
[42:34] weeks can you reach out to
[42:37] alejandro on my right who is
[42:40] the director of dream and um
[42:42] maybe have a meeting with him
[42:45] and and share your ideas. A
[42:47] question is this under dream or
[42:49] capital improvements or what?
[42:52] Um, I think daniel lopez said
[42:54] can you can you enlighten us
[42:55] daniel and who's in charge of
[42:57] this project now? Yeah.
[42:59] >> so my understanding is that
[43:02] mooring fields are within the
[43:04] marinas division and the
[43:06] marinas division is now under
[43:08] the gsa department. Now I can't
[43:11] speak to specifically you know
[43:13] how that has transpired but
[43:14] that that's the best
[43:15] information I can provide at
[43:17] the time. You can go ahead and
[43:18] reach out to me and then I'll
[43:19] make sure that the appropriate
[43:21] people are part of the
[43:22] discussion because it's going
[43:23] to be multifaceted, right? So
[43:24] it's obviously a very
[43:26] complicated project. It has a
[43:27] lot of moving pieces. So I'll
[43:28] make sure that the right people
[43:30] are in attendance to this
[43:31] discussion. Good.
[43:34] >> uh certainly we will do that
[43:39] and. I think everybody has the
[43:42] same intention here which is to
[43:44] keep the basin open and free of
[43:48] derelict vessels and available.
[43:50] Well roger that's that's not an
[43:54] accurate statement. Since
[43:57] you've got a drawing here with
[43:59] 195 mooring, you cannot say
[44:02] that everybody is in favor of
[44:04] keeping the basin open.
[44:06] Somebody is working diligently
[44:08] and incredibly detail and
[44:11] putting in dozens or hundreds
[44:13] of hours to achieve achieve
[44:13] this goal.
[44:15] >> yeah. But the expressed
[44:17] reason for that horrible thing
[44:21] is to displace the illegally
[44:24] anchored boats. I believe I
[44:25] hear you and I understand. And
[44:28] I'm not going to question the
[44:30] intention of whoever is behind
[44:34] this yet all I'm saying is the
[44:37] the problem has been solved by
[44:39] enforcement. And by the way, if
[44:41] you put a mooring field in
[44:42] without enforcement guess what
[44:44] happens? You get illegally
[44:47] anchored boats. Gary do you
[44:50] have any questions? Roger chris
[44:52] norwood roger bernstein for
[44:55] roger. Yeah, I do I not
[44:58] necessarily from the gentleman
[45:00] at the microphone but. Is your
[45:02] microphone on? Oh I'm sorry.
[45:04] Yeah I do have some questions
[45:06] but perhaps for the gentleman
[45:09] but not necessarily um you
[45:10] mentioned before someone
[45:12] mentioned before that there has
[45:15] been a project that has uh not
[45:17] gone before this board relating
[45:19] to virginia key. What what is
[45:21] that exactly? Is it is it the
[45:22] the subject matter that we're
[45:24] talking about right now? Well,
[45:26] essentially by charter and the
[45:28] city attorney can opine more
[45:30] accurately than I can but items
[45:33] that affect virginia key park
[45:35] that are substantive and might
[45:36] be changing the park are
[45:38] supposed to come before this
[45:41] board before moving on to the
[45:42] city commission and we're
[45:44] supposed to hear the items in
[45:47] detail and vote. We can vote.
[45:49] We only vote as
[45:50] recommendations. We can vote
[45:51] yes or no. It doesn't have to
[45:53] have any impact whatsoever on
[45:54] the city commission. No, I
[45:55] understand that, MR. Chair. My
[45:57] question was what has gone
[45:58] before the city that has not
[45:59] come before this board? What
[46:00] exactly are we talking.
[46:02] >> about this we did hear this
[46:04] item as it pertained to request
[46:09] for 50 more moving it up above
[46:11] 50 to 75 which was occurred
[46:12] during the course of a
[46:14] commission. We haven't seen any
[46:16] item or any information
[46:18] whatsoever about the mooring
[46:21] fields going up from 75 to 190
[46:22] 100 or 195..
[46:24] >> got it. And then um I'm
[46:26] hearing from some of the
[46:28] members here some of the people
[46:30] from the public I I'm the
[46:31] question just keeps popping in
[46:33] my mind what is it that we're
[46:34] trying to accomplish that can't
[46:35] be accomplished through
[46:38] enforcement? What exactly are
[46:40] we trying to accomplish with
[46:41] the more info that cannot be
[46:43] accomplished with proper
[46:45] enforcement under the current
[46:48] policies or codes of the city?
[46:49] Roger, do you want to answer
[46:51] that? Well, I would like to
[46:53] know from the parks like or
[46:55] dream what exactly are we
[46:57] trying to do that cannot be
[47:00] done by proper code
[47:04] enforcement? So that's one of
[47:06] the items that that we need to
[47:07] circle back. So so obviously a
[47:08] lot of the information that's
[47:10] presented to here is very
[47:11] valuable. I don't want to give
[47:12] an incomplete answer. So I want
[47:14] to circle back with staff and
[47:15] in the OCTOBER presentation
[47:17] that's obviously going to be
[47:18] you know part and parcel of
[47:20] what's presented to the group.
[47:22] >> thank you very much. And
[47:23] that that's going to be a big
[47:25] question for me at that meeting
[47:27] because I I really need to
[47:29] understand, uh you know, what
[47:31] is it that we're trying to do
[47:33] that just simply cannot be done
[47:34] through proper enforcement? And
[47:36] then lastly, um, my last
[47:39] question is, um, give me one
[47:45] second the um. If and this is
[47:47] actually to the question that I
[47:50] had because as I read the the
[47:54] code, you know, the in 50-2 it
[47:56] talks about the marine stadium
[47:58] prohibitive anchorage area and
[48:01] so what additional regulatory
[48:03] authority does establishing a
[48:05] permitted mooring field give us
[48:06] that we do not presently have?
[48:08] And again I know that's going
[48:10] to be a question I'm going to
[48:11] ask in OCTOBER and I would
[48:13] really like an answer, uh, to
[48:16] that to that question. And then
[48:17] this is someone who doesn't
[48:19] know too much about rowing or
[48:20] anything like that, but I'm
[48:22] assuming the basin is important
[48:25] again, I, I offer that clearly
[48:27] I don't know a lot about rowing
[48:28] and things of that nature, but
[48:30] I'm assuming this is attractive
[48:32] because it's calm water. Is
[48:34] that why it's attractive to
[48:37] boating and boats wanting the
[48:38] more that and so on and so
[48:40] forth. It's attractive because
[48:43] it is protected on three sides
[48:48] but it doesn't not have the
[48:50] infrastructure that you would
[48:52] want in a mooring field. In
[48:54] other words, if I'm coming here
[48:57] from connecticut on my 40 foot
[48:59] sailboat and I want to come to
[49:02] miami and spend 2 or 3 weeks
[49:04] here getting my boat ready to
[49:07] go to the bahamas, I want a
[49:09] place where I can safely attach
[49:13] my boat which you can to a
[49:16] mooring. I want ready access
[49:21] to. Grocery stores, marine
[49:24] supply stores, parking
[49:27] restaurants none of that exists
[49:29] around the marine stadium. If I
[49:32] put my boat there now I'm
[49:34] taking taxis and ubers and
[49:35] busses to get all this stuff.
[49:38] If I put my boat in dinner key
[49:41] in coconut grove, all of that
[49:43] infrastructure is available and
[49:46] my understanding is that there
[49:52] are unused mooring ball permits
[49:54] for dinner key you could put
[49:57] another 100 or 150 boats there
[50:00] where they already have parking
[50:04] showers, trash walking to
[50:07] stores, marine stores there is
[50:10] no need from a boating
[50:12] community point of view to put
[50:15] this thing in the marine
[50:17] stadium. I understand but I
[50:19] guess my question was way more
[50:21] basic than that. The reason why
[50:23] these boats want to go there is
[50:24] because it's calm water. Yes,
[50:26] and the reason why people row
[50:28] and paddle and all these things
[50:30] because it's very calm water is
[50:31] that not duplicate is I guess
[50:33] it's not not necessarily
[50:35] duplicated in too many places.
[50:38] No like that. There there are
[50:39] plenty there are better places
[50:41] to put a mooring field if you
[50:41] want. I'm talking.
[50:43] >> about one. I'm talking about
[50:44] just why all people whether you
[50:45] want to put a boat there,
[50:47] whether you want a paddle boat,
[50:49] whether you want a row I'm just
[50:50] saying in general the reason
[50:51] why we're having this
[50:52] discussion is because you guys
[50:54] like it to be there because
[50:55] it's calm water and it's
[50:56] attractive to what you're
[50:57] doing. Yeah, but I'm saying
[50:58] there are better places to put
[51:00] a mooring field in the county
[51:02] than the marine stadium. There
[51:04] are not a whole lot of other
[51:06] places where the water is calm
[51:09] to row, to paddle, to swim and
[51:12] to do water based activities.
[51:15] Got it. So if you put 195
[51:17] mooring in there, you
[51:19] basically kick the people out
[51:20] who are doing passive water
[51:23] sports. Mhm. Roger quick
[51:26] question. There's rowing now at
[51:28] the on indian creek at the
[51:30] indian creek rowing club. Yes
[51:32] miami beach rowing club. Miami
[51:34] beach rowing club yes. That's
[51:37] uh what is it? 70s and 70s yes
[51:41] on indian creek. What are the
[51:43] complications or benefits and
[51:45] problems with rowing and I know
[51:47] a lot of college teams come
[51:49] down to florida and train there
[51:52] during the year to prepare for
[51:54] their spring season. But are
[51:57] there problems um practicing on
[52:00] indian creek hurdles from jet
[52:02] skis and motorboats and. The
[52:05] city of miami beach has
[52:07] embraced the rowing club there
[52:11] from the beginning and provided
[52:13] space for it, provided
[52:15] enforcement provided
[52:18] facilities. Uh, that's not
[52:20] exactly the way things have
[52:22] worked in the city of miami and
[52:24] miami rowing club is here to
[52:26] talk about that. But mrc is
[52:31] operating without a lease. From
[52:35] the city. Um do do the rowers
[52:38] on indian creek have have to
[52:40] stop a practices because
[52:42] there's a bridge is down or a
[52:44] bigger boat coming towards
[52:47] them. They don't have problems
[52:51] um. They don't have jet ski
[52:53] problems they don't have
[52:54] speeding boat problems because
[52:55] number one there's enforcement
[52:59] and number two from what I
[53:02] understand of the setup there
[53:04] they're not a lot of places or
[53:06] any places nearby where you can
[53:07] drop a boat into the water.
[53:08] Okay.
[53:11] >> so you can go to you can go
[53:14] to virginia key, throw your jet
[53:15] ski in the water and you're
[53:18] off. So looking at your drawing
[53:20] that you've provided of 100 is
[53:21] this 195.
[53:24] >> that's 195. Where'd you get
[53:25] this drawing. From the that's
[53:30] the city plan. So if this was
[53:32] executed and there were close
[53:35] to 195 yachts or boats tied up,
[53:37] what would that do to people
[53:39] that wanted to row? It would be
[53:41] over there would be no room
[53:46] there. Plus in that same basin
[53:50] with the proposal for a new
[53:52] lease on the rickenbacker
[53:54] marina there would be what,
[53:58] another 600 boats that'll be
[53:59] launched into that basin from
[54:03] dry storage force force into a
[54:05] little corridor on the south
[54:07] side of the mooring field to
[54:10] get in and out. Okay. Um leah
[54:12] said you can't look at this
[54:15] proposal for mooring field
[54:17] without looking at the
[54:18] seaquarium proposal without
[54:20] looking at the marine stadium
[54:22] proposal without looking at the
[54:25] rickenbacker marina proposal.
[54:27] Um, I noticed that our esteemed
[54:30] board member steve steve
[54:33] leibner is in the room. To my
[54:35] right. Thank you so much peter.
[54:37] I apologize for my tardiness.
[54:39] Tardiness? I was actually on a
[54:41] trolley at 5:00 but the driver
[54:42] decided to take a very long
[54:45] break. Oh so so roger, I
[54:48] appreciate all the all the
[54:49] investigation and all the
[54:50] information you provided for
[54:53] us. What I'm hearing is there
[54:54] is absolutely no justification
[54:57] for this mooring field and I
[54:59] take it we don't have a quorum
[55:01] tonight but I certainly would
[55:03] support, uh, a resolution
[55:05] opposing a mooring field in the
[55:07] marine stadium basin. So I'm
[55:09] waiting to hear justification
[55:11] for mooring field of which I
[55:12] haven't heard maybe in OCTOBER
[55:17] I doubt it. Um that's my $0.02.
[55:19] Thank you very much, board
[55:21] member. Could I just add to the
[55:23] record that we do have a lease
[55:24] agreement with the miami rowing
[55:26] club? The city does have a
[55:27] lease agreement with the miami
[55:30] rowing club. It's a license
[55:33] agreement but it's yes. Peter
[55:35] if I MAY add have we have we
[55:36] passed any resolutions
[55:38] regarding the mooring field,
[55:41] the marine stadium basin? No we
[55:43] haven't discussed the item. The
[55:45] item hasn't been brought to us
[55:47] by city staff and several years
[55:51] we did get an a um some
[55:53] information when it was headed
[55:56] to the commission for 50 votes
[55:58] a 5050 ball mooring field which
[56:01] got expanded to 75. Nobody as
[56:03] far as I know nobody from the
[56:04] administration has come back to
[56:07] update us on the plans to go
[56:11] from 75 to 195, which is shown
[56:16] in this drawing. Thank you.
[56:18] Thank you thank you very much
[56:21] roger bernstein. MR. CHAIRMAN,
[56:24] I want to I wanted to address
[56:27] the question of why the mooring
[56:29] field is so important to the
[56:31] people that are in this room
[56:34] and that is because of the the
[56:36] use by human powered boats. All
[56:40] of us are human powered and the
[56:43] likelihood of tipping or
[56:45] hooting as we would say in open
[56:48] water is so much greater than
[56:51] it is in the quiet, uh the
[56:53] quiet gentle waters of the
[56:56] basin. So the basin is the
[56:59] favored place for rowers to
[57:01] learn how to row in their
[57:02] shells and for paddlers and
[57:04] we're all very specific about
[57:06] that. Some of us are paddlers
[57:08] and some of us are rowers, but
[57:11] it's a big deal for us to get
[57:13] out in the open water of
[57:15] biscayne bay. Now that's not
[57:16] the case with the outriggers
[57:19] the outrigger paddlers who are
[57:21] here tonight these are very
[57:25] strong individuals who paddle
[57:28] for miles and they use the
[57:30] basin as their launching place.
[57:33] They cover a lot of territory
[57:35] and they train in the basin and
[57:37] there is no other place like
[57:39] when you ask about other places
[57:41] during covid we tried to use
[57:44] the miami yacht club uh very
[57:45] difficult. We could not get
[57:47] boats there. There's very
[57:49] limited space for sharing but
[57:52] we had to alter our schedule.
[57:56] Um it it was not ideal at all.
[57:58] Sometimes we've gone up to
[57:59] broward county and we actually
[58:02] have people who um in our team
[58:05] in the sos team we have people
[58:07] from the keys and people from
[58:10] broward county who come and so
[58:13] virginia key serves as a great
[58:16] meeting place for such a wide
[58:18] audience of paddlers. So and I
[58:20] don't want to take any more
[58:21] time because I know all these
[58:23] people are trying to burst
[58:24] their bursting their themes and
[58:25] [Laughter] Talking about why
[58:27] the basin is important. Who who
[58:29] else wants to talk? You do a
[58:32] great fantastic job. Leah chair
[58:34] I just have a question. Yes.
[58:36] >> chris norwood. Uh, the
[58:38] people here, uh, just to talk
[58:39] about the basin are some of the
[58:41] other items that we have on the
[58:42] agenda. That's a that's a good
[58:44] question is is everybody
[58:45] there's a few people in the
[58:47] room that that would like to
[58:48] talk about other items. So
[58:49] we'll we'll finish up with this
[58:51] item soon and we'll move to
[58:52] finish up the other items.
[58:54] Peter just to let you know also
[58:56] you requested that the miami
[58:58] rowing center have a
[58:59] representative to provide an
[59:00] update on their activities and
[59:02] since that is here. Wonderful
[59:04] and we'd love to hear from that
[59:07] person. Good evening. I don't
[59:08] mean to interrupt you because
[59:10] it's just a I'm just trying to
[59:12] understand how we function. Um
[59:15] we take items and have public
[59:16] comment after each item. Is
[59:18] that how this board functions?
[59:18] Yes.
[59:19] >> normally there's a
[59:20] presentation from the
[59:22] administration and then we hear
[59:23] from the public afterwards. For
[59:26] every item. So so we have a
[59:29] presentation a discussion and
[59:31] then public comment and then
[59:33] the next item presentation
[59:35] discussion and public. Yes but
[59:37] often in our meetings we only
[59:39] have 3 or 4 people in the room
[59:41] from the public. Tonight is one
[59:43] of the largest gatherings of
[59:44] the public that I've ever seen.
[59:47] Got it. I'm sorry sir. Sure.
[59:49] >> thank you. Good evening. I'm
[59:52] leonard levy. Uh, I'm a
[59:54] lifelong resident of south
[59:56] florida, having grown up in
[59:58] south beach living in key
[1:00:00] biscayne, active in all kinds
[1:00:02] of paddling and boating
[1:00:04] activities. I've been boating
[1:00:07] in these waters since I'm 14
[1:00:12] and 15 years old. I remember
[1:00:15] the miami marine stadium
[1:00:17] activities in the 60s. They
[1:00:20] were just fantastic the
[1:00:22] concerts, the activities we had
[1:00:26] on the barge it was wonderful.
[1:00:28] One thing we're not talking
[1:00:31] about here is the ecology and
[1:00:34] the effect of these mooring
[1:00:38] fields on marine life in those
[1:00:42] waters. This was addressed I
[1:00:44] think we had meetings about 7
[1:00:46] or 8 years ago in which
[1:00:50] somebody went to the extent of
[1:00:52] having a scuba diver going
[1:00:54] through the waters of the
[1:00:57] marine stadium, taking videos
[1:01:00] of the marine life and there
[1:01:02] was shown to be active marine
[1:01:07] life all kinds of fish, crabs,
[1:01:13] all kinds of fish. We enjoyed
[1:01:17] seeing the beauty of tarpon,
[1:01:23] manatees, dolphin, even
[1:01:27] crocodiles in our waters. It's
[1:01:29] fantastic. It's beautiful to
[1:01:31] see. It's wonderful to have
[1:01:34] this. How durham would ever let
[1:01:37] this happen is beyond me.
[1:01:40] Durham is there to protect
[1:01:43] marine life. You know we have
[1:01:45] so many condos going up along
[1:01:46] brickell avenue and downtown
[1:01:49] miami, edgewater everywhere all
[1:01:53] these places want a marina, a
[1:01:55] dock space for boats to make
[1:01:57] their developments more
[1:01:59] attractive to people. Durham
[1:02:02] has been tough on those people.
[1:02:03] they're not letting them have
[1:02:05] those marinas. How could they
[1:02:09] let this happen really a
[1:02:11] density that we're seeing of
[1:02:15] all these 195 mooring fields
[1:02:18] with the boats, those are
[1:02:20] casting great shadows over the
[1:02:22] bottom of the water. These are
[1:02:23] shallow waters. It would
[1:02:26] destroy the seagrass. You
[1:02:27] destroy the seagrass. You don't
[1:02:29] have the crabs. You don't have
[1:02:31] the fish to for the other fish
[1:02:34] to want to come in and feed it
[1:02:38] would be a disaster. So you
[1:02:40] know to preserve and I think
[1:02:41] that this is not just
[1:02:45] applicable this argument to the
[1:02:47] marine stadium, but I'm sure
[1:02:50] that you have the bailiwick of
[1:02:52] considering what's going on
[1:02:54] with some other projects in our
[1:02:57] waters like buy this aquarium
[1:03:00] and whatever nearby this is all
[1:03:03] going to be affected. The
[1:03:05] waters are not the same as what
[1:03:06] they used to be. Believe me,
[1:03:09] you talk to any old person who
[1:03:12] grew up in miami out in the bay
[1:03:14] catching grouper, catching you
[1:03:17] know, diving for lobster. You
[1:03:19] can't do that anymore. You know
[1:03:21] it's just too much boat
[1:03:22] traffic, cruise ships, all
[1:03:24] kinds of stuff. We have to sort
[1:03:26] of put the brakes on it at some
[1:03:29] point. Thank you. Thank you
[1:03:34] sir. We have a speaker with a
[1:03:36] colorful shirt on. Yes thank
[1:03:39] you. My name is balazs vandor
[1:03:41] uh, resident of the city of
[1:03:43] miami for about 15 years now.
[1:03:45] Uh, I've been paddling at the
[1:03:47] at mrc for about 20 years
[1:03:49] before I you know, I was coming
[1:03:51] down from broward, you know,
[1:03:53] before I moved to miami. Uh,
[1:03:55] you know, it's such an
[1:03:57] important, uh, place for
[1:03:59] paddling and rowing in south
[1:04:02] florida. Uh, just one quick
[1:04:04] comment, uh, additional answer
[1:04:06] to the question of why this is
[1:04:08] so important, you know, for
[1:04:09] paddling. Yes, it is a
[1:04:10] protected area and why a
[1:04:12] protected area is important is
[1:04:14] because these are racing teams
[1:04:15] competitive teams. So it's not
[1:04:17] like oh let's go out for a
[1:04:18] sunday evening paddle. No I
[1:04:20] mean there's a coach this
[1:04:22] practice plans that need to be
[1:04:23] followed without interruption.
[1:04:25] You can't just stop for
[1:04:26] somebody doing it or a couple
[1:04:27] of dinghies to cross your path
[1:04:29] and you know, wait on your
[1:04:31] recipes. No, I mean these these
[1:04:32] these are serious teams as leah
[1:04:35] was saying, you know her uh,
[1:04:36] cancer survivor team that my
[1:04:38] wife is also a member of you
[1:04:39] know, they are in france right
[1:04:40] now competing. You know, my
[1:04:42] team also goes and competes. So
[1:04:44] that's why it's very important
[1:04:46] to have, you know, a large flat
[1:04:48] body of water that's available
[1:04:50] for these sports. The you know,
[1:04:52] my other comment is that you
[1:04:54] know, if you want to see what
[1:04:55] this really means, just come
[1:04:57] out to mrc on a saturday
[1:04:58] morning, you know, see the
[1:04:59] number of people you know, the
[1:05:01] number of teams and what you
[1:05:02] will see is just a fraction. I
[1:05:04] mean my team has probably about
[1:05:06] 80 members probably 30 or 40
[1:05:08] will come out for us today
[1:05:09] morning practice. But there's a
[1:05:11] lot you know it's not always
[1:05:12] the same people. It's a lot of
[1:05:14] people who are connected to
[1:05:15] this space in spite of the fact
[1:05:17] this is a very limited space. I
[1:05:19] mean there could be a lot more
[1:05:20] rowing, a lot more paddling in
[1:05:23] miami if we had the space. But
[1:05:25] you know, that is just you
[1:05:26] know, the facilities are very
[1:05:28] limited. I like to give the
[1:05:30] example you know andre is from
[1:05:33] brazil. Outrigger paddling for
[1:05:35] example started in miami in the
[1:05:37] early 2000. My team was founded
[1:05:40] around 2003 in brazil in rio
[1:05:42] started around the same time
[1:05:44] after 23 years in miami. Now
[1:05:47] there is two teams for
[1:05:52] outrigger paddling in rio about
[1:05:55] 4087 teams in rio they they
[1:05:57] organize world championships
[1:05:59] thousands of visitors coming in
[1:06:01] for that impossible in miami.
[1:06:03] So thank you thank you very
[1:06:05] much. Okay and do we have a
[1:06:06] representative here from the
[1:06:09] miami rowing club? Would you
[1:06:13] would you like to speak. We'd
[1:06:18] love to hear from you. And we
[1:06:20] notice we're we are provided
[1:06:23] with a I think a six page six
[1:06:25] page summary from the miami
[1:06:27] rowing club. Thank you very
[1:06:29] much for putting this together
[1:06:31] for for our board and we'd love
[1:06:35] to hear your comments on your
[1:06:42] activities. Hi.
[1:06:44] >> good evening. My name is
[1:06:45] cesar herrera. I am the head
[1:06:47] coach and operations director
[1:06:50] in miami rowing center. So in
[1:06:52] this moment we have a lease
[1:06:55] agreement with this regulation
[1:06:58] that uh we are running several
[1:07:00] programs under the umbrella of
[1:07:02] miami rowing club, the
[1:07:04] principal program or one of the
[1:07:05] principal program is the youth
[1:07:07] program. We have a program that
[1:07:09] we have been the in the in the
[1:07:11] same place for more than 50
[1:07:15] years. Uh, I wonder you know
[1:07:17] that in this moment the the
[1:07:18] youth program in miami rowing
[1:07:20] club is the most important
[1:07:21] program that we have in the
[1:07:24] country and they are in the top
[1:07:28] in the in the state. Uh, at the
[1:07:29] same time we have different
[1:07:31] programs that they are under
[1:07:33] the umbrella of miami rowing
[1:07:36] club. We have several programs
[1:07:39] of the dragon boat and other
[1:07:41] paddle program program that
[1:07:43] also we have in this moment
[1:07:45] also we have one small youth
[1:07:50] sailing program. Um that that's
[1:07:52] that's our principal activity
[1:07:55] in miami rowing club. I wonder
[1:07:57] you know that also during the
[1:08:00] last uh I am talking about the
[1:08:02] last 20 years that I have been
[1:08:05] working there, you know, so uh,
[1:08:08] the program has been winning
[1:08:10] more than 17 state
[1:08:11] championships, the youth
[1:08:14] program we have been that they
[1:08:16] have participated in the usa
[1:08:18] national team in different
[1:08:20] category of the 23 on the 19
[1:08:25] and also we have the master
[1:08:27] program that they we have a
[1:08:30] group of members that they
[1:08:31] have. They are training
[1:08:32] consistently all the time in
[1:08:36] the [Laughter] In mrc really
[1:08:38] the the beautiful place that we
[1:08:40] have in the basin and
[1:08:41] supporting the everything that
[1:08:44] we have been talking here. So
[1:08:48] the miami the in this moment
[1:08:49] that we have is a beautiful
[1:08:51] place and the only place in
[1:08:53] miami that we have to running
[1:08:57] our program. Um really I we
[1:09:01] have been the support I want to
[1:09:03] to say that one I have I have
[1:09:04] been receiving the support of
[1:09:06] the miami police and the marine
[1:09:08] patrol from the miami city
[1:09:12] miami and really the last year
[1:09:15] and a half they they were
[1:09:17] measured the vaccine has been
[1:09:21] safe for the first time really
[1:09:25] in the past. We have one coach
[1:09:28] that that she is a woman that
[1:09:31] she was in reach of the half a
[1:09:33] serious injury of maybe losing
[1:09:36] her life because we have five
[1:09:38] jetski running around her for
[1:09:42] more than ten minutes and in
[1:09:44] one moment also one guy he
[1:09:47] showed me one agung uh we have
[1:09:49] in this moment one coach that
[1:09:51] is still in court because for
[1:09:53] one situation that we have with
[1:09:58] the uh with one uh girls boat
[1:10:01] and he was in the front of
[1:10:03] between the the girls and the
[1:10:05] guy that was in the boat drunk
[1:10:08] and we I call the police in
[1:10:09] that moment the police arrived
[1:10:11] immediately and they stopped
[1:10:14] the situation this guy was in
[1:10:17] jail was under arrest and this
[1:10:20] coach is in still in the court.
[1:10:23] But really I wonder you know
[1:10:26] that in this moment the the
[1:10:28] most important activity that we
[1:10:32] have in the in the mrc uh are
[1:10:34] all the partners that we have
[1:10:36] we have today that we have more
[1:10:37] than 300 people at the same
[1:10:39] time on the water the day that
[1:10:42] we have more traffic is
[1:10:44] saturday and sunday that also
[1:10:46] we use our flow in the in the
[1:10:50] flexi park sometime during the
[1:10:52] week that according to the
[1:10:53] schedule that they have the
[1:10:55] different dragon boat. Uh also
[1:10:58] we have more people in traffic
[1:11:00] around the the area. MR..
[1:11:04] >> MR. Herrera um, I don't know
[1:11:06] if you've seen this drawing
[1:11:09] with 195 mooring in the
[1:11:11] historic marine stadium basin,
[1:11:14] but what would this do to the
[1:11:16] ability of paddlers and rowers
[1:11:18] or anybody that wants to use
[1:11:20] the basin if there are 195
[1:11:23] yachts and boats. This
[1:11:24] situation with the mooring
[1:11:27] field is nothing new that is
[1:11:30] coming for a while and you have
[1:11:32] some information that I know
[1:11:35] that this is coming from 2017
[1:11:40] or before that a year the
[1:11:41] mooring field was a solution
[1:11:43] that the city was giving us to
[1:11:46] try to keep safe the the the
[1:11:48] basin and all the problem that
[1:11:50] we have really that's what the
[1:11:52] principal goal in that moment
[1:11:54] many years ago I was part of
[1:11:57] that conversation with the um
[1:11:59] in that moment with the
[1:12:01] director of the department and
[1:12:02] and other people that were
[1:12:04] involved in this, uh, in this
[1:12:08] job, uh, that was here also he
[1:12:11] was in this, uh, in this group.
[1:12:15] Um, we found in that moment
[1:12:20] like the principal solution for
[1:12:22] for the situation that we have
[1:12:25] in the basin for the for the on
[1:12:27] board and all and everything
[1:12:29] that you know that we have in
[1:12:33] the, in the past, uh, we have
[1:12:35] been several meetings. Um
[1:12:37] facundo is the board PRESIDENT.
[1:12:39] We have been several meetings
[1:12:41] with with the city, uh,
[1:12:44] including the uh, the the
[1:12:46] commissioner of the district
[1:12:48] about [Applause] This situation
[1:12:50] with the mooring field and
[1:12:52] really what we needed to
[1:12:53] continue running the program
[1:12:55] because we need to be sure that
[1:12:57] we can continue running our
[1:12:59] program because. Well, this is
[1:13:01] this is 195. That is.
[1:13:03] >> what would what would that
[1:13:05] do to your programing your
[1:13:07] ability of people to use the
[1:13:09] basin? The problem that the
[1:13:14] combination field. Yeah. So
[1:13:17] this I'm. Facundo barrera I'm a
[1:13:18] PRESIDENT Of the miami rowing
[1:13:19] club PRESIDENT Of the board. I
[1:13:22] work with cesar every day. So
[1:13:23] we've been in conversations
[1:13:27] with uh city staff in
[1:13:28] preparation for a previous
[1:13:30] version not this exact version
[1:13:32] the previous version of the
[1:13:34] mooring field. We gave some
[1:13:37] feedback to the city staff of
[1:13:39] how the mooring field would
[1:13:41] have to be adapted for us to be
[1:13:44] able to operate if a mooring
[1:13:48] field with 195 boys and 195
[1:13:49] boats is established in the
[1:13:51] basin, we will not be able to
[1:13:53] operate. That is very clear now
[1:13:55] we've also been assured that
[1:13:57] it's. Do you mind repeating
[1:13:59] that? I will repeat it but I
[1:14:03] will repeat it for 195 mooring
[1:14:05] fields with 195 yachts would
[1:14:07] not let us operate. However I
[1:14:09] need to finish the sentence the
[1:14:12] city has promised us that there
[1:14:16] will be not 195 yachts nor 195
[1:14:19] more that there will be 195
[1:14:21] anchors only. So if it's only
[1:14:24] anchors we can operate above
[1:14:28] the anchors. That's all. So and
[1:14:30] what we gave the feedback on is
[1:14:32] we need whatever the number of
[1:14:34] anchors anchors don't interfere
[1:14:37] with our rowing. What
[1:14:38] interferes with our rowing is
[1:14:40] the number of mooring boats and
[1:14:44] yachts. So please keep in mind
[1:14:48] if the plan is to put in 195
[1:14:51] anchors, there is no problem
[1:14:54] with us for operating if their
[1:14:57] plan is to putting 195 mooring
[1:15:01] and 195 yachts yes there is
[1:15:04] okay. Thank you. Anybody any
[1:15:05] board members have any
[1:15:08] questions? Steven I'd like to
[1:15:10] know what what damage 195
[1:15:11] anchors are going to do to the
[1:15:13] floor of the basin. So we might
[1:15:15] need a representative from
[1:15:19] durham to help us with that.
[1:15:22] This item will be heard again
[1:15:24] in two months. So maybe
[1:15:26] somebody from durham can
[1:15:28] request somebody from durham to
[1:15:30] show up any other any other
[1:15:32] anybody else like to speak on
[1:15:34] this item? I'd just like to.
[1:15:36] Reinforce one thing that we are
[1:15:38] going to be in circles here. I
[1:15:41] didn't participate in any of
[1:15:43] those meetings before I for my
[1:15:45] understanding, if the mooring
[1:15:47] field is to block people from
[1:15:49] coming and stopping your boats
[1:15:51] in the basin, we don't have
[1:15:53] them. We don't need one more
[1:15:54] field. We don't need zero
[1:15:56] morning field over there. We
[1:15:59] need that water clear to to be
[1:16:01] doing our sport with that
[1:16:04] safely. As soon as you put one
[1:16:06] anchor over there and you don't
[1:16:08] put law enforcement it's done.
[1:16:10] We're talking about miami. We
[1:16:12] have people here from different
[1:16:14] I'm from brazil. I'm like
[1:16:16] cubans. We have we have people
[1:16:17] from different countries here.
[1:16:19] It's difficult to control these
[1:16:21] people. You guys saw what
[1:16:24] happened on the world cup here
[1:16:25] the year before they did like
[1:16:28] thank GOD they did the world
[1:16:30] championship here and they saw
[1:16:32] what like different people from
[1:16:34] different countries they can do
[1:16:36] right when you it's difficult
[1:16:38] to follow rules. You know here
[1:16:41] in miami what I see if you put
[1:16:42] one anchor over there and you
[1:16:46] don't put law enforcement has
[1:16:48] no purpose and if you're going
[1:16:50] to put an anchor and put law
[1:16:50] enforcement. The law
[1:16:52] enforcement is doing their job.
[1:16:54] It's not it's doing their job.
[1:16:55] It's avoiding people to go
[1:16:57] crazy in the water. It's not
[1:16:59] only about the anchors. It's
[1:17:00] not only about the morning.
[1:17:01] We're talking about people
[1:17:05] coming to party crazy party in
[1:17:06] places that with people doing
[1:17:07] sports.
[1:17:09] >> all right. In conclusion in
[1:17:11] conclusion. In conclusion I'm
[1:17:13] point my point is this it's
[1:17:15] like we don't need a mooring
[1:17:17] florida we did zero morning I
[1:17:18] don't know whether it was
[1:17:20] discussed before but if the
[1:17:22] purpose was to not bring boats
[1:17:23] over there the purpose is
[1:17:25] already done for last year and
[1:17:26] a half we don't have boats over
[1:17:28] there. Thank you so much for
[1:17:32] for speaking. Do we have a
[1:17:36] young lady? Good evening. I'll
[1:17:38] make it quick. Hi, my name is
[1:17:39] julia. Good evening everyone.
[1:17:41] I'm the executive coordinator
[1:17:43] for the friends of biscayne
[1:17:44] bay. We've actually been
[1:17:46] holding a citizen meeting every
[1:17:49] friday at 11 A.M.. We'd love to
[1:17:50] have you so that you can
[1:17:52] continue to gather information
[1:17:54] on everything that we've been
[1:17:55] researching not only for the
[1:17:56] mooring field but everything
[1:17:58] that's going on on key
[1:17:59] biscayne. I think everybody
[1:18:00] already expressed everything
[1:18:03] that I was going to comment on,
[1:18:04] so I'm not going to repeat
[1:18:06] myself, but I think it's clear
[1:18:09] the community is very opposed
[1:18:12] to the mooring field for
[1:18:15] reasons of the rowers, the
[1:18:17] businesses, the ecological life
[1:18:19] and everything that's affected
[1:18:21] around it. And um I'm just
[1:18:22] going to keep it short. Thank
[1:18:23] you so much for listening to
[1:18:25] me. Thank you for attending the
[1:18:26] meeting. Anybody else have any
[1:18:27] questions before we go to
[1:18:30] another item? And for the
[1:18:31] members of the public that have
[1:18:33] sat through this meeting since
[1:18:36] 5155 30 thank you very much. We
[1:18:38] appreciate your presence. And
[1:18:40] MR. Chair, I do have a
[1:18:41] question. I guess it MAY be
[1:18:43] pertaining to this. I'm just
[1:18:45] trying to understand something
[1:18:46] conceptually. Uh, I've heard
[1:18:48] several times about jet skis in
[1:18:50] the basin. Is it lawful for jet
[1:18:53] skis to be in the basin? Uh, I
[1:18:55] believe it's lawful, but
[1:18:57] there's a speed limit. Would
[1:18:58] anybody else like to answer. So
[1:19:00] I can add a little bit? Um you
[1:19:02] know, as everyone expressed
[1:19:03] already the basin in the past
[1:19:06] was very unsafe. Uh, then one
[1:19:07] of the first things the city
[1:19:09] was able to accomplish was to
[1:19:11] put channel markers and these
[1:19:13] markers, uh, they were actually
[1:19:15] no wake zone markers. So that
[1:19:18] was will give the police
[1:19:20] department and marine patrol
[1:19:22] and you know, and and fwc and
[1:19:25] any other marine patrol within
[1:19:28] the area to enforce the low
[1:19:30] speeds. So there is so when you
[1:19:31] come into base you have to
[1:19:32] lower your speed. Yes to what?
[1:19:34] To no wake zone. It's just a no
[1:19:36] wake zone. So that means that
[1:19:38] as you're moving you cannot
[1:19:39] create a wake. Five miles. It
[1:19:41] needs to be as flat as right.
[1:19:43] And there's a law that you know
[1:19:44] you you are responsible for
[1:19:46] your own wake. So whatever your
[1:19:48] wake does and if it damages
[1:19:49] something that's your
[1:19:51] responsibility. Um do people
[1:19:54] follow that. MR. Norwood um a
[1:19:56] year a year, a year and a half
[1:19:59] ago three people were killed in
[1:20:01] the marine stadium basin from
[1:20:03] accidents with jet skis. I
[1:20:05] believe they involved um
[1:20:06] drivers that were drunk or
[1:20:08] drugged, but three people were
[1:20:11] killed within a six month
[1:20:14] period. It was the problem was
[1:20:16] terrible before, uh,
[1:20:21] enforcement was improved. Okay
[1:20:22] so I understand so there is a
[1:20:23] speed limit. It's supposed to
[1:20:25] be like very very low. Yes.
[1:20:27] >> and the people who are
[1:20:29] forced that are. Marine patrol.
[1:20:31] the marine patrol which would
[1:20:33] be the city the. City's the
[1:20:34] city's marine patrol. The
[1:20:36] county marine patrol also has
[1:20:38] the jurisdiction and fwc
[1:20:39] florida fish and wildlife. Got
[1:20:40] it.
[1:20:44] >> okay. Thank you.
[1:20:46] >> we're going to move on to
[1:20:48] another item if you if those of
[1:20:50] you in the room that were here
[1:20:51] for the marine basin item,
[1:20:53] you're welcome to leave you
[1:20:55] don't you certainly don't have
[1:20:57] to stick around but please come
[1:20:59] back in two months OCTOBER 27th
[1:21:01] and this item will be back on
[1:21:03] the agenda. Thank you. Thank
[1:21:05] you so much for your comments
[1:21:11] and for participating. Roger.
[1:21:18] Thank you very much. And leah.
[1:21:19] Excuse me.
[1:21:23] >> oh left on the agenda. Oh
[1:21:26] it's a great question. We we
[1:21:27] have an item on the
[1:21:30] rickenbacker marina site and a
[1:21:33] referendum question and also
[1:21:35] there's litigation involved in
[1:21:38] that site. We're not going to
[1:21:39] be talking about that for very
[1:21:41] long, but it's very important
[1:21:44] to the city of miami and the
[1:21:46] rickenbacker um the marine
[1:21:49] stadium basin uh, depending on
[1:21:51] who who's the who takes over
[1:21:54] that site is important to the
[1:21:57] rowing on the on the on the
[1:22:01] basin and the other item yes,
[1:22:02] that is that's another item on
[1:22:05] the agenda my miami seaquarium
[1:22:07] site that will be on the agenda
[1:22:10] in two months again we and if
[1:22:12] there's anybody in the room who
[1:22:14] has information on that site.
[1:22:16] Thank you very much. We will
[1:22:17] hear from anybody who would
[1:22:19] like to be heard but it will be
[1:22:21] heard in more detail with I
[1:22:23] believe the. We hope to have
[1:22:26] the principal um from terror
[1:22:28] group who will be at our
[1:22:30] meeting on OCTOBER 27th for
[1:22:32] that item to be heard in more
[1:22:35] detail and then um so those are
[1:22:37] the only two items left to be
[1:22:40] heard the miami seaquarium site
[1:22:41] and the discussion on the
[1:22:45] rickenbacker marina site. Um
[1:22:47] well sir. Uh yes. So for the
[1:22:50] for the item. I hate to keep
[1:22:52] doing this but I need to
[1:22:54] understand when we do an item
[1:22:56] that I expect somebody from the
[1:22:58] administration to tee it up. Um
[1:23:00] and that's good for I don't
[1:23:01] know if this is being recorded
[1:23:03] for the public. It's good for
[1:23:04] the people here that MAY not be
[1:23:06] aware of why the item is on the
[1:23:09] agenda. So are you are we going
[1:23:12] to the item or the miami
[1:23:13] seaquarium site? Well first
[1:23:15] we're going to hear from this
[1:23:17] uh from the public on an item
[1:23:19] that they're here to speak
[1:23:22] about and then we will go on to
[1:23:25] the discuss that that item and
[1:23:26] then the last item that we
[1:23:28] haven't hadn't discussed yet.
[1:23:30] Um but I'm confused MR. Chair.
[1:23:32] Uh, what is the next item on
[1:23:35] the agenda? Which item are you
[1:23:38] here to speak on? Seaquarium
[1:23:40] seaquarium. So if that's the
[1:23:41] next item on the agenda then I
[1:23:42] think it would be wise for us
[1:23:44] to have the administration just
[1:23:46] you know, why is this on the
[1:23:47] yes just tee it up for us a
[1:23:49] little bit. We that's the item
[1:23:50] has been on the agenda for
[1:23:52] weeks. We would love to hear
[1:23:53] from somebody from the
[1:23:54] administration on this item.
[1:23:56] Rafael, is anybody from the
[1:23:57] administration here to give us
[1:23:58] a briefing on the miami
[1:24:00] seaquarium site? This is a
[1:24:02] county property. So per the
[1:24:04] request of the board I reached
[1:24:07] out to david martin and he will
[1:24:08] I'm in communication with him
[1:24:10] to see if he's going to be able
[1:24:11] to attend the meeting in
[1:24:13] OCTOBER. But this is not a city
[1:24:14] of miami item so that's why
[1:24:16] there's no city administration
[1:24:17] to provide an update
[1:24:18] specifically on it. Understood.
[1:24:21] >> so MR. CHAIRMAN, uh is this
[1:24:22] why is this on the agenda? What
[1:24:23] is the. Well because this
[1:24:26] aquarium is is incredibly
[1:24:28] important to virginia key park.
[1:24:31] It's a 32 acre park site owned
[1:24:33] by the county on the south side
[1:24:35] of the causeway. And anything
[1:24:37] that happens there is going to
[1:24:39] impact virginia key park and
[1:24:41] anybody who's in leadership
[1:24:43] position at the city of miami
[1:24:45] should be incredibly curious
[1:24:47] and interested what's going to
[1:24:49] happen with the miami
[1:24:51] seaquarium site and from what
[1:24:52] we've read in the paper and
[1:24:54] we've we've sent articles to
[1:24:55] the board members over the last
[1:24:57] week or so on that issue. But
[1:24:59] given the current proposal that
[1:25:01] we're aware of on this aquarium
[1:25:02] site, I mean, they're they
[1:25:03] would increase the traffic
[1:25:05] count in the rickenbacker
[1:25:07] causeway by 1500 vehicles a day
[1:25:09] that's meaningful to virginia
[1:25:10] key park and everything the
[1:25:13] city is trying to achieve and
[1:25:15] many leaders of the city of
[1:25:16] miami should be following that
[1:25:18] issue incredibly closely and
[1:25:20] wanting to get involved in any
[1:25:21] capacity they can even though
[1:25:23] the site is owned by the
[1:25:24] county. So this is on the this
[1:25:26] is on the agenda. How long has
[1:25:27] this been on the agenda I
[1:25:31] should ask. 3 or 4 weeks. 3 or
[1:25:33] 4 weeks you mean it was on it
[1:25:34] was put on agenda just for this
[1:25:37] meeting. I um I don't have the
[1:25:38] our previous meeting MR.
[1:25:40] Norwood if I don't think it was
[1:25:42] on our previous meeting. Okay
[1:25:43] but it's probably been on
[1:25:45] requested three weeks ago. Well
[1:25:47] can we hear from gary milano?
[1:25:47] Well.
[1:25:49] >> maybe I can help. Well no
[1:25:51] no, I think I just want to hear
[1:25:52] from the chair because the
[1:25:53] chair controls the agenda. So
[1:25:55] I'm asking the CHAIRMAN What
[1:25:57] items are on the agenda and
[1:25:58] when they were put on there for
[1:26:00] a reason. So I'm assuming that
[1:26:02] you put this on the agenda for
[1:26:04] discussion at the last meeting.
[1:26:05] Is that what happened? Yes.
[1:26:07] >> or maybe shortly thereafter
[1:26:11] the last meeting. Now the chair
[1:26:13] puts items on the agenda but
[1:26:17] with chair also um adds items
[1:26:19] that are contributed by any
[1:26:21] board member or any anybody of
[1:26:21] interest.
[1:26:22] >> that's all I want to know
[1:26:24] like how it got on the agenda.
[1:26:25] That's all that's all. Gary
[1:26:27] milano do you want to speak to
[1:26:29] that to the in the microphone
[1:26:31] gary. Um, the last meeting
[1:26:33] before we adjourned we
[1:26:35] basically work with the city as
[1:26:37] far as the coordinator to talk
[1:26:39] about what we'd like to hear
[1:26:41] about as far as projects
[1:26:43] because we hear we read in the
[1:26:44] newspaper as far as this
[1:26:47] project aquarium or marina
[1:26:49] being developed and we just
[1:26:50] like to have a representative
[1:26:52] come talk to us about it and
[1:26:54] sometimes the city is able to
[1:26:56] do that in this case for this
[1:26:57] aquarium site they're not. But
[1:26:59] I was able to work with the
[1:27:01] city to direct them to the
[1:27:02] person but they were not able
[1:27:04] to make it tonight. So that's
[1:27:06] why we moved that presentation
[1:27:08] for this aquarium site which is
[1:27:11] a county site. But this board
[1:27:14] oversees all of virginia key
[1:27:17] county sites the rosenstiel
[1:27:18] school, everything you know and
[1:27:20] that's why this board was put
[1:27:22] together to review all projects
[1:27:23] associated with virginia key.
[1:27:25] So maybe that helps you
[1:27:27] understand why it was put on as
[1:27:28] a discussion item.
[1:27:31] >> I think for me from a from a
[1:27:32] procedural perspective, when I
[1:27:36] see an agenda item, uh, when I
[1:27:38] see an agenda, I just if I
[1:27:40] expect there to be a
[1:27:41] presentation, someone should
[1:27:43] tee it up before we give it to
[1:27:45] the public. You know that
[1:27:45] that's just something I'm
[1:27:46] accustomed.
[1:27:47] >> to and that's the way it's
[1:27:48] always been. It's just that we
[1:27:50] were not able to get a
[1:27:51] representative here for
[1:27:52] tonight's meeting. But we
[1:27:54] thought since other people were
[1:27:56] here about it maybe we would
[1:27:57] discuss it a little bit.
[1:27:58] >> I have no problem. With
[1:28:00] that. What I'm saying is from a
[1:28:01] board perspective, every agenda
[1:28:05] item when it's here and it's
[1:28:07] advertised to people somebody
[1:28:08] should give a presentation
[1:28:10] about it whether it's the
[1:28:11] chairperson. If the chair asks
[1:28:13] one of the members to just tee
[1:28:15] it up and say this is an item
[1:28:17] on the agenda that we thought
[1:28:19] was important for us to discuss
[1:28:20] and then open it up [Laughter]
[1:28:22] To the public. I think you have
[1:28:22] made a difference tonight.
[1:28:24] >> and. You'll see in the
[1:28:26] future. MR. Norwood, you're
[1:28:27] 100% accurate.
[1:28:30] >> yes. Thank you very much. Um
[1:28:32] so the the miami seaquarium
[1:28:34] item we hope to hear from david
[1:28:36] martin, the principal of the
[1:28:40] terror group on OCTOBER 27th
[1:28:43] and maybe anybody from the city
[1:28:44] that has some background on
[1:28:46] that item. And we'll also hear
[1:28:48] from members of the public on
[1:28:51] OCTOBER 27th and it's crucial
[1:28:53] it's a crucial item. It's also
[1:28:55] a crucial item to the to the
[1:28:56] village of key biscayne. It's
[1:28:58] going to have a huge effect on
[1:29:00] any residents in key biscayne,
[1:29:01] and anything that's happening
[1:29:02] on that site would be
[1:29:04] incredibly important to them.
[1:29:06] I've already talked to people
[1:29:07] in key biscayne and I. I know
[1:29:09] they're very concerned and
[1:29:11] curious what's going to happen
[1:29:12] with. So we had a member of the
[1:29:14] public who who's going to speak
[1:29:17] I believe. Which would you like
[1:29:19] to [Laughter] Speak? Yeah I
[1:29:23] apologize uh. Oh good. Yeah.
[1:29:26] >> so um so my name is valeria.
[1:29:28] I'm my degree is I have a
[1:29:29] master's degree in marine
[1:29:30] chemistry and atmospheric
[1:29:32] science and I work with the
[1:29:34] friends of biscayne bay. Uh,
[1:29:35] and actually got my degree at
[1:29:37] an institution that is directly
[1:29:38] adjacent to this aquarium site,
[1:29:40] which is rosenstiel school. Um
[1:29:44] ,so there is no question that
[1:29:45] the former aquarium property,
[1:29:48] uh, is an important landmark in
[1:29:49] virginia key and its
[1:29:50] redevelopment presents an
[1:29:51] incredible opportunity for the
[1:29:52] city and the county to provide,
[1:29:54] you know, for improvement and
[1:29:55] public benefit. But the
[1:29:56] question we should be asking is
[1:29:57] not simply can this property be
[1:29:58] redeveloped? The question is
[1:30:00] what kind of redevelopment is
[1:30:02] appropriate for this publicly
[1:30:03] significant waterfront and what
[1:30:05] does it mean for the rest of
[1:30:06] virginia key and biscayne bay?
[1:30:07] The aquarium site cannot be
[1:30:08] viewed in isolation. We are
[1:30:09] simultaneously considering the
[1:30:11] marine stadium mooring field,
[1:30:12] the rickenbacker marina
[1:30:13] proposal, the marine stadium
[1:30:14] restoration. So if we add
[1:30:16] another significant marine
[1:30:17] component to this aquarium
[1:30:19] site, we need to understand the
[1:30:20] cumulative impact of vessel
[1:30:21] traffic water quality stresses,
[1:30:23] wildlife, recreation and public
[1:30:25] access. We also need to make
[1:30:26] sure that the public receives
[1:30:27] meaningful opportunities to
[1:30:29] participate. Uh friends of
[1:30:30] biscayne bay along with engaged
[1:30:31] stakeholders have identified
[1:30:33] several areas that deserve
[1:30:34] careful review including
[1:30:35] impacts to seagrasses, coral
[1:30:37] and mangrove resources,
[1:30:38] proximity to known manatee
[1:30:40] congregation areas, dredging
[1:30:41] impacts including water
[1:30:42] quality, increasing water
[1:30:44] quality, stress, noise and
[1:30:45] light pollution issues. I mean
[1:30:47] you name it. We're also asking
[1:30:48] questions about the existing
[1:30:50] lease and whether the proposed
[1:30:51] use represents a substantial
[1:30:52] change from the property's
[1:30:54] historical purpose, including
[1:30:56] whether article seven or other
[1:30:57] legal requirements could
[1:30:58] therefore apply in this case.
[1:31:00] Those are questions that
[1:31:01] deserve serious and legal
[1:31:03] public consideration. I want to
[1:31:03] emphasize that this doesn't
[1:31:05] have to be an adversarial
[1:31:06] conversation. We can support
[1:31:07] responsible redevelopment while
[1:31:08] still demanding a higher
[1:31:10] standard for our bay. The goal
[1:31:11] should be to create a project
[1:31:12] that provides genuine public
[1:31:13] benefits, protects the
[1:31:14] environment, preserves public
[1:31:16] access and most importantly we
[1:31:17] want to leave the bay in a
[1:31:18] better condition than it is
[1:31:20] today. I would encourage the
[1:31:21] advisory board to ask for a
[1:31:22] transparent, transparent public
[1:31:24] process, an independent
[1:31:25] environmental review and clear
[1:31:27] assessment of how this project
[1:31:28] fits into the larger vision for
[1:31:30] virginia key. We have an
[1:31:31] opportunity here so let's make
[1:31:33] sure that we don't simply
[1:31:34] redevelop the property but
[1:31:35] create a better future for
[1:31:36] biscayne bay and virginia key
[1:31:38] thank you. Um thank you very,
[1:31:40] very much for your summary.
[1:31:42] Your summary was excellent. You
[1:31:44] covered a lot of ground. You
[1:31:47] spoke very quickly. Um
[1:31:49] excellent and all excellent
[1:31:52] questions. And as you know this
[1:31:54] aquarium is owned by miami-dade
[1:31:56] county not the city of miami.
[1:31:57] We're all in this board.
[1:31:58] Everybody in the room is
[1:32:00] incredibly curious and
[1:32:01] interested in those questions
[1:32:03] being answered appropriately.
[1:32:05] Um but unfortunately it's owned
[1:32:07] by owned by the county. I'm
[1:32:09] sure you're reaching out to
[1:32:12] county officials to anybody
[1:32:14] anybody else. MR. Milano. I
[1:32:15] just want to point out, MR.
[1:32:18] Chair, that this board was put
[1:32:20] together to review all
[1:32:23] properties on virginia p so we
[1:32:25] can put a resolution together
[1:32:28] to the city commission whether
[1:32:30] we support the project or not.
[1:32:32] And it's important to do that.
[1:32:34] So I don't think it's a county
[1:32:36] city sort of thing. It's a
[1:32:38] community project. Thank you.
[1:32:40] >> oh hopefully maybe somebody
[1:32:42] will propose a resolution at
[1:32:44] the next meeting when there's a
[1:32:44] quorum.
[1:32:47] >> I'm sure there will be.
[1:32:50] Let's see. Chair, if I just
[1:32:52] would like to add there's an
[1:32:53] interesting dynamic with the
[1:32:55] sea aquarium lease and that the
[1:32:57] lease is in fact in bankruptcy.
[1:32:58] The previous owner is in
[1:33:00] bankruptcy. So there's a a
[1:33:03] curious dynamic, uh, in terms
[1:33:07] of the new supposed leasee
[1:33:09] having access to this lease
[1:33:11] depending on what the
[1:33:12] bankruptcy court determines.
[1:33:14] Well, there's been some
[1:33:17] articles that um, rafael sent
[1:33:20] along to us in our emails, but
[1:33:23] I believe I read that the you
[1:33:25] know, the current proposed
[1:33:27] tenant bought out the assets
[1:33:30] from the bankrupt former tenant
[1:33:32] and then subsequently got
[1:33:34] approval from miami-dade
[1:33:37] county, miami-dade county to to
[1:33:40] approve them as to be the new
[1:33:43] tenant with a 99 year lease. Is
[1:33:46] that if I could defer to the
[1:33:48] audience member is that in fact
[1:33:49] the the lease is out of
[1:33:57] bankruptcy. You can speak on
[1:34:00] the microphone. I think even we
[1:34:02] are in some in some confusion
[1:34:02] there because we have
[1:34:04] conversations with dave martin
[1:34:06] and there is something going on
[1:34:07] with the permitting and the
[1:34:08] lease and it's not exactly
[1:34:10] explained to us. The details
[1:34:11] are not being revealed
[1:34:13] basically. So I'm not entirely
[1:34:14] sure because now there is a
[1:34:15] conversation about apparently
[1:34:16] permitting potentially being
[1:34:19] put on pause. But before we
[1:34:20] were informed that the
[1:34:21] permitting cannot be put on
[1:34:23] pause because they are in the
[1:34:25] bankruptcy court, we cannot get
[1:34:26] a clear idea on that either. I
[1:34:27] asked that exact question last
[1:34:30] last friday on the call and we
[1:34:31] are kind of at a loss right
[1:34:33] now. Those are all good
[1:34:34] questions, steve, and hopefully
[1:34:36] we'll have more answers and
[1:34:37] some of the articles that have
[1:34:38] been in the media have been
[1:34:41] have been fairly complete. Um
[1:34:43] they're in 3 or 4 different
[1:34:44] publications. Journalists have
[1:34:46] done a good job tracking down
[1:34:49] the history and even the
[1:34:51] history of the previous tenant
[1:34:52] and previous tenants
[1:34:56] bankruptcy. Any other any other
[1:34:57] questions for anybody at the
[1:34:59] board? MR. Norwood your
[1:35:02] questions have been excellent.
[1:35:05] Alejandro um so there's only
[1:35:07] one other item that's left on
[1:35:09] the agenda which we're not
[1:35:11] going to go into too much
[1:35:12] detail but this the
[1:35:15] rickenbacker marina um, that
[1:35:19] issue is going to city
[1:35:21] referendum this year for voters
[1:35:23] to decide on a new tenant.
[1:35:25] There's also litigation
[1:35:29] involved. Um and we MAY get a
[1:35:32] fuller summary in on the
[1:35:34] OCTOBER 27th meeting with with
[1:35:36] the city attorney. Do you have
[1:35:38] any any update on us on the
[1:35:40] situation with the rickenbacker
[1:35:45] marina referendum question? So
[1:35:48] that, um, there's still an
[1:35:49] active litigation relating to
[1:35:51] that. So I I'd prefer not to
[1:35:53] publicly comment on what's
[1:35:55] going on with litigation. Um
[1:35:57] but the ballot question is
[1:35:59] going to the voters in
[1:36:00] NOVEMBER. Okay.
[1:36:01] >> and if if you if you all
[1:36:04] want I can have um rafael
[1:36:06] circulate a copy of the
[1:36:07] resolution establishing the
[1:36:08] ballot question so you can all
[1:36:09] see what it says.
[1:36:10] >> that would be that would be
[1:36:12] great. That'd be that'd be very
[1:36:14] nice and I think it should that
[1:36:16] item will be on the OCTOBER
[1:36:18] 27th agenda even though early
[1:36:19] voting would have started a few
[1:36:21] weeks before OCTOBER 27th. But
[1:36:23] I think this board should hear
[1:36:25] that item in some degree and
[1:36:27] the seeing the legislation in
[1:36:28] the ballot language would be
[1:36:31] helpful. Gary milano. MR.
[1:36:34] Chair, I I saw a permit drawing
[1:36:36] for an expansion of the marina,
[1:36:37] the rickenbacker marina. Does
[1:36:39] this tie in to what you're
[1:36:41] talking about? I honestly
[1:36:43] haven't seen a lot of details
[1:36:45] on the proposal. Major
[1:36:47] expansion marina out into the
[1:36:50] bay um going west northwest.
[1:36:53] That should certainly be just
[1:36:54] shown and discussed by this
[1:36:56] board. This is a perfect
[1:36:59] example where I'm going to
[1:37:00] request that the next meeting
[1:37:02] that we have somebody from the
[1:37:04] city come talk to us about the
[1:37:06] marina expansion that is being
[1:37:08] permitted. It's being applied
[1:37:10] for right now and that's not
[1:37:11] something that's been brought
[1:37:13] to us before they go to
[1:37:14] affirmative. Gary can you speak
[1:37:16] into the mic? Sure. [Laughter]
[1:37:18] Thank you. I said everything
[1:37:21] already so I'm done. No I'm
[1:37:23] requesting that we have someone
[1:37:25] from the city talk to us about
[1:37:27] the marina rickenbacker marina
[1:37:29] expansion project where they're
[1:37:31] expanding the number of piers
[1:37:34] out into the bay. So I just
[1:37:37] wanted to give MR. Norwood an
[1:37:38] example of where how these
[1:37:40] discussion items come about and
[1:37:42] sometimes we don't get a
[1:37:43] representative to talk about it
[1:37:44] because the person can't be
[1:37:46] there or for whatever reason
[1:37:46] I'll let the.
[1:37:48] >> court raphael, can you have
[1:37:49] somebody can you put that item
[1:37:51] again on the agenda for the
[1:37:52] 27th and have somebody from the
[1:37:53] city able to talk to us?
[1:37:55] >> is that is that MR. Chair?
[1:37:59] MR. Chair, is that from from
[1:38:01] when you say that there's a
[1:38:03] permit for more piers.
[1:38:04] [Laughter] Yes.
[1:38:05] >> is that because of the sea
[1:38:08] aquarium site? No no. No no. No
[1:38:10] I'm sorry we were talking about
[1:38:12] the the rickenbacker wickham.
[1:38:14] Rickenbacker marina site. So
[1:38:16] you're saying that that that
[1:38:19] permit is for that site right.
[1:38:20] >> there's two different
[1:38:21] projects sea aquarium is over
[1:38:23] there and then the rickenbacker
[1:38:24] marina is just as you're coming
[1:38:26] down on the big high bridge
[1:38:26] it's the.
[1:38:28] >> one on what's the difference
[1:38:30] between the the the marina site
[1:38:32] that you're referring to and
[1:38:37] the one that the referendum is
[1:38:38] is is referring to? Is it the
[1:38:40] same site? I believe it. Is the
[1:38:42] rickenbacker marina. There's a
[1:38:44] voter referendum pertaining to
[1:38:46] that exact site. I was unaware
[1:38:49] of any proposed enlargement or
[1:38:51] expansion or expansion of that
[1:38:54] site. Um and that kind of is
[1:38:55] the kind of thing that should
[1:38:56] be brought to this board before
[1:38:58] anybody's applying for permits.
[1:39:00] But this aquarium site I know
[1:39:02] it's different but isn't that
[1:39:04] like a huge development. 30
[1:39:06] it's 32 acres I think. Yes
[1:39:08] that's huge and that's
[1:39:09] specifically controlled by the
[1:39:11] county but we should be
[1:39:13] informed about it and updated
[1:39:18] on it. Got it. Okay. Any any
[1:39:21] other questions? Thank you guys
[1:39:22] are wonderful to be here
[1:39:23] tonight even though we didn't
[1:39:26] have a quorum 20 after seven we
[1:39:27] covered a lot of ground and
[1:39:28] that should be a good meeting
[1:39:31] on OCTOBER 27th. Hopefully
[1:39:32] we'll have some great
[1:39:36] informative speakers. I, I
[1:39:38] raphaela thank you very much
[1:39:41] for everything tonight. Is