[0:10] Mr. Chair, would you like to call the meeting to order?

[0:23] Yes.

[0:26] And welcome board members to your September 3rd.

[0:30] What a way advisory board meeting. I'm going to go ahead and call the roll.

[0:34] Mr. Meyer. Chair Meyer.

[0:37] by Chair Swayer or member Roberto,

[0:42] board member Fernandez,

[0:45] board member Goldsmith,

[0:48] board member Laine,

[0:50] board member Menendez,

[0:52] board member Nolan,

[0:55] and board member Portoando.

[0:58] Thank you,

[0:58] currently we don't have a quorum and we'll proceed as such.

[1:10] We have a discussion updates and so forth.

[1:32] Good afternoon everyone.

[1:35] Going to go over the statistics for the past month briefly.

[1:40] We last month we did 102 area checks.

[1:43] Little lower than normal.

[1:46] We had nine traffic stops.

[1:50] Five citations, three community contacts.

[1:54] And fortunately, no major incidents.

[1:56] The biggest thing we had on August 7th

[2:01] fire with people on board south of Dearing near the featherbed banks. So technically it's a little

[2:05] outside our area but our guys went and I don't know if I mentioned it before but our fire

[2:11] rescue now has a boat. So we've stepped up to that and they had the opportunity to respond.

[2:18] We've been involved with helping train their crew. We've been helping train their divers for the

[2:22] last few years and now we're my guys are teaching their new guys how to drive the boats.

[2:30] The fire

[2:31] got there. The crew on the boat was able to put out the fire before they needed help, but they

[2:36] went out anyway and got a little practice responding to those calls, which we get once in a while.

[2:42] So it was good. Nobody hurt, and there was some damage to the boat,

[2:48] and

[2:48] but at the end of the day was all right. Other than that, the big good news is our new boat will be

[2:55] ready in early October.

[2:58] Maybe even a little sooner, like I was telling you,

[3:00] the big one, the big one.

[3:02] I had the chance to see it last week.

[3:04] It's turning out very nice, everything is,

[3:06] as we requested it, it's going to get finished up,

[3:10] shrink wrapped, put on a trailer and brought down here.

[3:13] So you'll be the first to hear about it when it goes like,

[3:15] what does it look like?

[3:16] It's a safe boat, it's similar what the Coast Guard runs,

[3:19] a big aluminum hull with a foam collar around it,

[3:23] purpose built for for law enforcement looks like a police boat my favorite feature it has

[3:28] little cutouts at the back so if we have to pull someone out of the water we're not trying

[3:32] to pull them up over a gun or it's you know you get two guys on the side of the boat

[3:36] to the lower you can slide them on in just makes recovering whether it's our divers or you

[3:41] know someone who's injured makes it a lot better also in terms of protection when we're

[3:47] pulling up next to boat we don't need those benders anymore that tend to bounce out of the

[3:50] And we risk scratching boats. I don't even like stopping boats on rough days because last thing I want to do is damage. I don't want a damage our boat

[3:57] I don't want a damage your boat. It's probably a lot more expensive than ours. So with this soft-sided boat that

[4:03] It's a lot a lot safer a lot easier

[4:06] Great great. It's been determined to be faster

[4:10] We did a study. We went back and forth with with gray and black. It's it's a nice gray. The aluminum is is that

[4:18] kind of brush aluminum look. So it's, it's, it's nice. Once it's docked, I'll let you all know and you can come in, have a tour.

[4:25] It'll be, there will, there's, is there a panel or space for it to save

[4:29] Corganese police? Yes, we're, we're working on the striping, but the outer collar is going to

[4:34] save police and we're going to have the badge and, um, on the side of the console.

[5:00] Yeah, we definitely wanted on there. Yeah, and I get your point. It's very difficult. Sometimes we'll be out in the middle of the bay. We see another police boat and often times we don't know who it is until we get closer. It'll say it, but, you know, maybe 150, 200 yards away, you might be able to see it, but we want it visible. We want people to know we're out there to kind of spread the word, you know, don't come in the gables and do stuff.

[5:30] I haven't seen the recent ones.

[5:32] They have some good ones.

[5:33] They have some others.

[5:34] I'm glad we're not doing that.

[5:38] We've done a few of them.

[5:39] We try to keep ours pretty pretty straightforward.

[5:43] It's a trend.

[5:43] All departments are doing it.

[5:44] I don't agree with everything, but you know,

[5:47] the educational ones.

[5:48] I think are great to get the message out there.

[5:50] The personal ones where we're talking about ourselves and all that.

[5:53] They can have that.

[5:54] I don't think it has a place,

[5:56] but that's why I'm not in that department.

[5:58] And I think we do a pretty good job with ours for the most part.

[6:01] We have a good crew.

[6:04] But yeah, we recently did a video for the coral gables cable channel.

[6:10] So I don't know if you've seen that one yet, they put it out on YouTube.

[6:16] And that's the big news.

[6:17] So we're moving forward.

[6:18] I'm excited about it.

[6:20] And then the other boat is the little one that'll allow us another boat that can go under the bridges.

[6:24] And that's still...

[6:26] say, well, I guess I'm going to be equipped with you won't they won't they?

[6:31] It's both are U.S. the CTO ones.

[6:35] They put down a little thing and they enter the low tide they come through.

[6:39] Yeah, no they do.

[6:41] Like our fireboat has that.

[6:43] But once you have the radar and all that other stuff up it gets it gets challenging weight issues.

[6:49] To see giving another example are contender the T top had to get welded again.

[6:52] We managed to break it again.

[6:54] all that weight up top, all that bouncing, we tend to drive them when we're trying to get

[6:57] somewhere, you know, it's not like going out fishing, we're going. And if it's bad weather,

[7:01] the boat is bouncing, so we developed some stress cracks in the T-top frame for the second time,

[7:07] and they had to put a cap on it and welded. We might even have some supports welded in.

[7:11] So when you're dealing with a folding T-top, that adds a whole other level of complexity and

[7:15] other failure point. But yes, that's why the boat will be great. That's why we're keeping the

[7:24] the ability you get up there. So that's good. And plus we get to visit you, which is, we don't

[7:30] do it as much as I'd like, but

[7:34] maybe questions. What were most of the citations? I don't have that

[7:40] in front of me, just historically can tell you they're almost always excessive awake. I mean,

[7:46] sometimes we'll stop someone and they might not have the right safety equipment. On a lot of those,

[7:51] we give them warnings, you know, if the flares are expired by a few months or something like that,

[7:56] if they're making a, you know, a goodwill effort to comply with a law where we try to be understanding,

[8:02] but when they're kicking up a wake and in the manatees zone, potentially damaging votes, injuring

[8:06] manatees, all that stuff, we still exercise discretion, but they're much more likely to get a

[8:13] citation out for that. That's a nine out of 10 of our citations are for that. And the other

[8:18] thing is we don't stop as many votes as, you know, the change in the law, we can't just stop a

[8:23] for a safety inspection, like we used to be able to. We need a violation or a suspicion of

[8:28] something. So it's gotten a little bit harder to just stop people. It's good and bad, right?

[8:36] It's good if you're out voting, you're less likely to get stopped and meet your local marine patrol,

[8:41] but if we have something, we have to work a little harder to develop, probably cause to be able to stop them.

[8:48] I have I have a question. I made a report on Saturday.

[8:56] I'm a jet ski.

[8:57] Yeah. A jet ski by the blue by the bird road bridge. Okay, we've been having a few of those.

[9:04] Yeah, and I took video and I've dealed at him or whatever, and then I called it in immediately, but I wonder,

[9:10] I will be more of the end of the meeting. I hope to have an answer for you.

[9:14] You know, if they stop something like that,

[9:16] I usually don't get a phone call.

[9:19] Those citations get put in the system.

[9:20] Unless it turns into a rest or something like that,

[9:22] then they'll write all right.

[9:25] We've been getting those.

[9:26] There was a,

[9:27] yeah, so we had to find this looking up somewhere near Bird.

[9:32] And they didn't catch them in the act,

[9:34] but they had kind of phone call from a previous board member.

[9:37] Actually, we got a phone call,

[9:38] went out, found the guy and he was a guy in a girl,

[9:42] and explained to them like, hey,

[9:43] We didn't catch it doing it, but we know you were kicking up a wake.

[9:46] You can't do that anymore.

[9:47] I got a nice, got a nice photo with their, what they're, the number on the jet ski.

[9:57] And I did a video, so you.

[10:01] I think are they just kids or were they were adults? They're young adults,

[10:09] right? They're kids to us, but legally they're probably adults.

[10:14] They're definitely, they look, they look, I wouldn't idea. I'd say early 20.

[10:19] Old children. They're old enough to know better. Oh, no, no, they're kicking them up a way.

[10:28] Um, yeah, I'll send that picture to my guys right now and yeah, let me uh

[10:33] I can send that on the uh and the video the one

[10:37] And so as you know, we can't write a ticket based on a video. I'm seeing it. But we have no problem if I see them

[10:44] Hey, we know you're doing this and they usually get the message if they don't then they have to learn the hardaway

[10:48] We catch them the next time and then there's no no breaks give it

[10:52] I'll give you my

[10:53] I don't do that.

[10:57] All right, great.

[10:57] But I have your your your conflict information as well.

[11:00] Sure.

[11:00] So I'll give it to everyone when we're not not on here.

[11:03] Because I want to get those phone calls.

[11:05] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[11:07] But sure.

[11:09] Well, I mean anything else.

[11:13] I think we're good.

[11:14] That's great news.

[11:14] All right.

[11:16] Yeah, I'm excited.

[11:17] Less than a month away now or go about a month.

[11:21] We are planning something.

[11:23] Not sure when it's going to be.

[11:24] I don't want to do it the day it gets here you know how that goes. I want to get it in the water make sure everything works get it striped get everything set up and then we'll we'll have a date set up

[11:33] We were hoping to do it with fire. They're doing theirs later in September, but the boat probably won't be here. I'm a something

[11:40] You know, like I said, I think early October's another shipping up. Well, that is no we'd love to attend. Yeah, yeah, thanks on me

[11:47] I give the champagne bottle that we can't break

[11:51] That's embarrassing when it doesn't break

[11:52] it. They make special bottles for that that have scores in them. Oh yeah, if you pass that down.

[11:58] Pass it down. Perfect. I, um, you'll also hear a whistle on the video that was me when I,

[12:04] when they went up towards the bill more. Yeah. And inside got my phone and got my NFL whistle.

[12:10] I used for. Yeah. I went out there and started blasting out. And that's when they slowed down.

[12:15] I'm so they actually listened, but they, they heard that. They heard. You know, and it might just be

[12:21] ignorance, a lot of them just don't know, but some of them just don't care. And that's kind of the difference, right? If they don't know, we're happy to tell them if they comply. Well, then I don't know why they mustn't do, but I told them slow down our soul.

[12:35] You see in English, you know, doing actually, yeah, you got to get a run that runs some line with the last holes. It just glass bowls.

[12:43] something fast goals. Oh goodness. Yeah, all right. No, that's excellent news. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. And it's going to hear work.

[12:58] All right.

[12:58] Hi, I'm from the secretary.

[13:01] Yes, we could review the painting items report.

[13:12] Why don't we just skip to the skip to the parts that actually have updates. Okay. Well, let's leave the rest out. Correct. That makes sense. So,

[13:22] My girl of pruning, we're getting ready to coordinate the actual

[13:27] schedule or coordinate that work, we expect to be completed by the

[13:32] end of October. So that's moving along as far as the

[13:39] Ruth Brian Owen Park, the consultant has completed the

[13:45] design for that area and has shared it with the community

[13:50] recreation director. The goal is to get feedback from Fred if you don't know

[13:56] Mr. Crusader. And then we will proceed to have community meetings and

[14:02] presented as the overall project. So that will be a little bit because there's

[14:07] going to be feedback back and forth. They probably have to go back and revise the

[14:11] drawings and then schedule some of the meetings. Hopefully before the holidays,

[14:17] If not, it will have to be after the office.

[14:21] So we get sufficient inputs.

[14:24] Question, a question real quick.

[14:25] Yes.

[14:26] Not on this.

[14:27] Does anybody have a question about Ruth Brown Park?

[14:29] Daddy.

[14:31] Would you mind it?

[15:00] I want to jump back to the Riviera outfall. Yes. There is currently a construction fence around that, where the, you know, where there was dirt, some dirt, road and rock, people like would pull up officers would often sit parked their cars there.

[15:16] There's been some construction fence saying it looks like they're doing some kind of work over there. If it's not the outfall removal device, if it's like it looks like that's still.

[15:27] Yeah, that's not still pending yes, and it's not the park, it's not the landscape

[15:33] beautification project for the Marie for the manity park or whatever, there's

[15:37] neither those two what is going on there. I will somebody suggested that it was

[15:43] maybe the county working to repair the the motor for the dam that looks

[15:50] rusted and old, but I don't know. So would nice to know what is happening there? I will get back to you on that.

[16:00] Because it's got everybody kind of, I was like, I saw the fence go up.

[16:03] Yeah, I thought they were doing the improvements and that was it. That was fast.

[16:08] Yeah, so I thought that was going on.

[16:10] And I know that we're still showing the spending.

[16:14] So if it's none of those two things and what is it?

[16:16] All right.

[16:17] And the improvements will not happen until after that project.

[16:21] it's going to be it's probably not going to go anywhere um it they'll damage whatever we

[16:29] install there so just so you know and then as far as the pontoon boat we reported that

[16:37] we were down that boat we're expecting to receive a December sometime and with um we hope that

[16:45] that goes well, so that's our proposed schedule for that.

[16:53] To receive the boat or the budget.

[16:55] The boat, the actual boat, yes.

[16:59] Very good.

[17:02] One more thing, I reached out to my immediate county.

[17:05] Regarding the legion bridge, replacements.

[17:09] They responded, and I'm not sure if I shared this

[17:12] during our last meeting, but they're still under the procurement

[17:16] process.

[17:16] And they hope to come back to us to present as far as the logistics and what would be expected from them and what they're going to do.

[17:25] The bridge repairs their place and correct.

[17:30] So I'm going to reach out around November.

[17:35] And hopefully they can attend either November, December, if not, we'll roll it over.

[17:39] But just so you know that they are still within the procurement process.

[17:43] I guess they're having some, you know, back and forth with that.

[17:46] so it's taking a little bit longer. But they're still claiming to be honest. Yes. Yes. That's what they said. Yes.

[17:56] That.

[17:59] I do have a new report on a dredging grant. We received a small amount for dredging to 125,000 or so.

[18:12] And we plan on using that those funds for the Ponds and US1 Bridge under underneath to do some of the DRAGING.

[18:24] So it would be about 100 feet upstream and then I want to say 300 feet downstream.

[18:35] The idea of the DRAGING is to make it deeper or the idea is to clean both both both.

[18:40] So that would be a lengthy project because right now we have to have our engineering consultants go start drying up and the permitting alone is a very lengthy.

[18:53] I would say six months to eat. It all it all depends budget that was allocated or that it was a grant.

[19:02] If that was a grant, it's a matching grant, a 225,000, and the city will match that, I believe.

[19:10] 450 total. I want to say they want to go somewhere around 900,000, and we would have more

[19:17] information once we put that out to bid and see what that comes out to be. But the grant is 225.

[19:24] Yes, that's from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection at the EEP.

[19:34] I think the time that my firm did it, did the design, it took us two years just for the core format.

[19:42] Yes.

[19:42] It was a problem.

[19:44] We had a problem with a person.

[19:47] Yeah, I know it's lengthy.

[19:49] Same thing with, you know, terms sometimes.

[19:52] But we will do what we can.

[19:56] That's Ponson, US one.

[20:00] I don't know if you've seen the, the, the, the, the underline bridge. Yeah, that's yeah, that's, I mean,

[20:08] throughout the world. Yes, there, and it's, yeah, there's the, the, the, the, the underline green looks great everywhere except on that bridge.

[20:16] In my opinion, but I'd say I'm, but it's to be in my work. I'm, I had to get on my knees across the US from bridge,

[20:24] So I could talk my head off.

[20:27] And it was nice to be able to kind of stand up.

[20:31] I think I feel like, oh, thank God.

[20:36] The most under how we were pretty sure either.

[20:39] It was, the fact, the notion that putting it at the same height

[20:44] wouldn't affect people was like, it's like, well, how long

[20:47] do you expect people to crawl on their knees or hold a squat?

[20:52] like it's like a little there we've seen the TikTok trends and you're like

[20:55] where everybody holds where people hold the squad to see who can go for longer it's

[20:59] like a no it's looking not a young man's game that's it's not a old man yeah yeah

[21:05] but I'm already it's already looking great I think the height was you know would we love to

[21:10] have another three feet higher short but I mean again getting US one higher would be nice too

[21:15] but right now that is significantly different I don't think anybody has a problem in the highest

[21:20] sometimes with it. Yeah, the only thing, so I, or even take the, or even lower the

[21:24] top. Walking exercises around that area, daily basis, and I actually, they had a

[21:33] gate so I didn't walk the bridge, but I walked the area. The only thing that I didn't

[21:36] notice that I thought I'd sort of mention it to the team here is that the way that

[21:42] they branded that bridge, they're calling it a balcony. So it's branded on the, on the, on

[21:51] as a fifties, not called how can you, but it's not something that's happening.

[21:56] And so just, you know, again, and I, and I get it rightfully, so a beautiful feature of that space.

[22:06] Just my, my caution is make sure we have the no fishing.

[22:12] Signs up.

[22:12] Be a couple extra no fishing signs.

[22:16] Hang in.

[22:17] It's very daily just kept crossing that bridge.

[22:21] Yeah, it might have made the adjustments to the bridge and not taking this and not going to the other sheet and yeah.

[22:29] Yeah, they're probably branded that area.

[22:31] Yeah, which is fine.

[22:33] The names of everything.

[22:34] Yeah.

[22:35] We get it because I can see it already.

[22:38] And our no fishing science can't go on that bridge.

[22:40] Correct.

[22:41] That would have to be Miami County.

[22:43] But they did mention that from the beginning that the no fishing science would.

[22:47] be installed. So let's wait for all of that to be complete with that.

[22:59] What's it? What's it? That's all I have. We're doing a bike tour to there to that location on the 20th.

[23:08] The tour on the 20th is parks and green spaces. So we're going to go see the blue road park.

[23:14] we're going to go see Dorothy Park and then we're going to go over to the underline. The

[23:17] underlying people will be there to where it's accessible, that we'll ride on it and they'll show

[23:23] the blue part's phenomenal. Yeah, it's actually I meant to report I have to do that in a

[23:28] game with that, but there's some some kids wet and graffiti up the the whole area that by the fence that

[23:35] goes down to the water on the the fence. Yeah, it was kids like to hang out underneath the bridge there.

[23:43] there are some missing. You know there's like where the pontoon used to go?

[23:47] I'm sorry I had a pontoon boat is supposed to go. That little area has been fully, fully

[23:54] graffiti already. I saw it the other day and I forgot to mention it, the blue road. I took a picture

[24:00] and I just forgot. I got all the blue road bridge, right? Yeah, where the access to the water used to

[24:05] be? Yeah. It's still accessible. So I do see people go down there even though they're signs.

[24:11] Yes, kids for the most part that are kind of, they just go and, yeah, but I see, I see families

[24:17] out there. Why is there a gate on the platform that not, not where it goes down to the water,

[24:27] but the platform on the west side? There was a, you know, go out and it's all fence-stemmed,

[24:33] but why is there a gate just to get to that? I mean, I do. I would have to find out to see what the purpose

[24:39] that is. Yeah. I mean at some point that might be where the water access is going to be. It could be.

[24:46] So maybe that was already there. I know that we had to do some revisions to

[24:52] to meet a permit requirement. I'm not sure if that's why. Okay. But I could definitely find out.

[25:00] A little library, my group, put there is all kinds of kids stuff. It's fun to see that.

[25:07] Okay. One more item.

[25:10] What's the other item? By the way, that's really great news, though.

[25:13] I think I would love. I'd seems that that is something, for what you're telling us, this is, like, we got a grant.

[25:21] There will be a match. It's nothing to get excited about in 2026 or seven, maybe eight. Probably nine. Hopefully before 30 fingers crossed.

[25:37] All right. But I think that's it.

[25:41] I love to know more about what that process looks like.

[25:46] Is it definitive or is it possible that the grant comes through but then the city doesn't match it or the big

[25:52] No, it that the grant has been awarded

[25:56] So it's it's for sure money. That's amazing. Okay, so that's good. And who's the design consultant so I could be really judging

[26:06] I'm not sure if we have somebody yet. I'm

[26:11] But I will definitely let you know. Yeah

[26:19] That's what happened last time with that two year delay where it's still wide and you have

[26:24] to see if city management at that time said just pay whatever mitigation they want.

[26:30] Mr. Chair.

[26:32] Mr. Chair.

[26:34] Okay.

[26:36] Mr. Chair.

[26:37] I don't fully understand that.

[26:39] Thank you.

[26:41] Yes.

[26:41] Order.

[26:41] Next. Thank you. I have one more item that I'll just

[26:48] kindly remind of me we do have our board report that's coming up that is to October 1st.

[26:54] I know that we did that last year. My plan is to send you last year's report along with the

[27:03] mission. I don't like that state of the state of the waterways and if we want to update that

[27:08] can go ahead and do so and then use that as a backup to to that report. If if that's okay with

[27:15] everyone. Yeah, that would be for October. You're going to get the next. I'm going to send it via email

[27:21] that way. And if we need to make some edits, maybe we could send a revised report to our

[27:28] office, at least to comply with the actual requirement. I'm here for a lot of it. Thank you.

[27:34] Excellent. I don't know any discussion items.

[27:41] I just brought it up on the last meeting again.

[27:46] I don't know if anything's been done or what the status is reported that the crossing at the Granada Bridge. There's a lot of rush that's almost covering that hole.

[28:00] So if you're going to go from, oh, oh, I got a final on your knees.

[28:06] Lord, if you're going, there's, there's going towards a bit more or anything.

[28:10] Or there's three that go. Yeah. Yeah. And it's, it's obstructing the water.

[28:15] I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I think pictures. I think it's city property.

[28:18] I'm almost sure because it's on the edge of the of the bank.

[28:22] But, um, I do some needles.

[28:25] Awesome.

[28:26] Taste.

[28:26] Yeah.

[28:27] Yeah, I know that code of those points yana trees that are like fully growing over there

[28:31] And they hang low and it's it's already as it is it's a tight bridge because it has a pipe that goes over it

[28:38] And it's narrow as it as it stands. So yeah, it's I know what you mean

[28:43] That's my route

[28:44] Exactly, that's that's the house the house on your university. It had a tree going over into the waterway

[28:53] I, last month we had code enforcement here and I had, I see they've got all kinds of violations

[29:02] posted on their front door now. So, hopefully that's going to be taken care of.

[29:13] So, well, you're noting that one down, you'll, yeah. And then you know, reported, same with the

[29:18] graffiti at the Blue Road Park, I'll report and send those. Okay, I think other than that, I don't

[29:25] do we have a new business to discuss. We covered for today.

[29:33] Please.

[29:37] Yes. That's the

[29:38] Mary. Back. Sorry. I checked with my guys. They stopped the jet ski and he was issued a

[29:44] citation. The one he's gone. He got an equipment citation, but he was cited and educated

[29:50] and hopefully if he comes back again. Call us, please. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Waterways Advisory Board

Agenda

Transcript