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Commission Minutes 05/16/1984 . R-1C REQUEST BY MILDRED FALK, PRESIDENT, MIAMI BEACH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. TO DISCUSS ... .PREDICATED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE RESORT TAX COLLECTED BY THE COUNTY ON HOTEL ROOM OCCUPANCY WILL BE USED AS THE SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND GIl.RAGE SYSTEM, WHAT DECISION HAS BEEN REACHED AS TO THE METHOD OF FUNDING THE PROJECT. WHAT ENTITY WILL AUTHORIZE THE REVENUE BONDS AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM?.... Action: Mrs. Falk expressed concern that people are not adequately informed on matter and raised questions as to which governmental agency (Metropolitan Dade County or Miami Beach) will authorize bonds, how maintenance of expanded facility will be funded, etc. She also advised that tourists are saying they will not return to Miami Beach because of tax increase to 10%. Commissioner Grenald suggested she Tourist & Convention Center Expansion meeting on 5/24/84 at 8: 30 a.m. Director's conference room. direct questions to Authority which will be in Convention Center FALK: The point is there is a lack of information, again it goes back to the education of people. People do not know whether or not the County is going to authorize the bonds, or the City, and that to me is a great source of unhappiness because I want my city to state straight, we're going to do this, or this, and then people know where they stand. It's the ambiguity an~ not knowing that creates problems. So' I suggested that we just boil this down. Sidney Weisburd had said that the County will issue the bonds. WEISBURD: Definitely. FALK: But the Commission has never taken this up. The Commission has never voted to.. .of any matter concerning the Convention Center. You've talked all around the Convention Center but you never addressed it. Now, I come up here and I talked to Pat DeYoung, and I did speak to her, and I said I'd like this straightened out so that we know where we are. She said, .1 think it's a good idea." Then I come along and I find that in the agenda it says that...and you can read it, that no useful purpose would be served. Well, I respectfully disagree. WEISBURD: I believe she gave you an answer. FALK: In the agenda package which said the County is considering it... is working on it. WEISBURD: Well, they haven't approved it yet but that's the procedure we're fOllowing. FALK: But no one knows this. Agenda package today. But I just learned it when I picked up the PARKINS: It's been widely reported in the newspaper. FALK: Never. Larry Burgess said the people of Miami Beach voted for it. PARKINS: S imUar to other problems, Mrs. Falk may not have heard it. That was actually my recommendation, Mrs. Falk, not Pat DeYoung. I felt that this had been sufficiently explained. FALK: No, it was never explained. FROMBERG: Okay. FALK: Now, I'd like to ask you one or two more questions on it. The bond has not been authorized yet, is that true? PARKINS: No. COMMISSION MINUTES 5/16/84 PAGE 128 . .' FALK: No. FROMBERG: Why don't you just ask them privately and they'll tell you the whole story because it isn't an easy .....(voices overlap) FALK: I spoke to Pat DeYoung on it. They're working on it. FROMBERG: Basically, it came down through the Legislature about a year ago. It went back up because there were some fundamental problems in the language. It's going back down through the Legislature again. It will probably be approved in the next two weeks. FALK: This is the 3% sales tax, right? FORMBERG: This is the 3% sales tax. FALK: All right, but has the bond...has the County authorized the bonds yet? FROMBERG: Not yet, until the legislation is approved. FALK: Okay. All right. Has it been placed...has the public been given a chance at any of your meetings to discuss the Convention Center? FROMBERG: We've discussed it continuously. appointed. . . We have a committee that's FALK: Yes, you have. But there's never been a specific....I was distressed last night, let me finish my three minutes. FROMBERG: What do you want us to discuss? FALK: I was distressed so much last night. I got a telephone call from a lady who is a comptroller and accountant for quite a few of the Kosher hotels on the Beach. She says, Mrs. Falk, I'm terribly upset. People are writing me letters and saying they're never coming back to Miami Beach. They're paying 10% tax now on the rooms. These are not people who are going to go to conventions. These are people who come down here for the holidays, people who come down for three or four months. SINGER: There's an exception for people who are here for over 30 days. They're excluded. FALK: But if they come down, Bruce, for ten days for the Passover holidays, they're no longer ... they're not conventioneers, and she said I will bring you some letters and show you where the people are wr i ting, they'll never come back to Miami Beach. Now these are the people we want to encourage to come back because conventioneers come and go. They fly in and they fly out. FROMBERG: How much tax do you pay in a New York City? FALK: I've haven't been there. GRENALD: 8% - New York, and 31 cities have more than 11%. FROMBERG: It's 11% or 12%. FALK: All I want is discussion On this. Another thing I want to know, sir, and this is a very important question because I made the point to the Manager just in passing. Who is going to pay for the maintenance of this Convention Center. We are already paying $500,000 deficit for what we have here now. Don't tell me that the fees from the conventions are going to pay for a tremendous structure like that. If it's going to be, let them show us. GRENALD: Mrs. Falk, tomorrow morning the Convention Center Expansion Committee is meeting in Mr. Litz's office. The whole board will be there. May I respectfully suggest that you go there and these are questions, because you'll have Mr. Redford there from the County, who will be there... FALK: What time, Ben? COMMISSION MINUTES 5/16/84 PAGE 129 . . GRENALD: If you go to that meeting.... FALK: What time, Ben? GRENALD: It starts at PARKINS: 8:30. GRENALD: ...8:30. FALK: What time? FROMBERG/GRENALD: 8:30. GRENALD: And honestly they really are on top...these men have worked really very hard. FALK: But do you get my concern? GRENALD: No, absolutely. I'm not criticizing, I think the input should be now but j.t should there where they can give you the answers. Mr. Redford, who represents the other side of the Bay, will be there and you'll ask these questions and I think he can give you better answers than we can. FALK: Ben... GRENALD: They have to filter it to us and then to you. Go directly to the horse's mouth. FALK: Where's it going to be held? GRENALD: In Mr. Litz's office. FALK: I was going to go to the beauty parlor tomorrow but I'll go there instead. GRENALD: I think it's a very important meeting for you to attend. FALK: I will be there. PARKINS: It's in Mr. Litz's conference room. FROMBERG: Okay, thank you. FALK: And this is the first time that anybody has given any information. You understand, as I say it's not that you're doing wrong, but it's what people perceive may be happening but they don't know and that's what I want to correct. Thank you. FROMBERG: Thank you. R-8C. R-8C COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO. 313-84 CONDITIONAL USE REQUEST BY GREYHOUND LINES, INC. TO OPERATE A BUS TERMINAL AT 7101 HARDING AVENUE (RELOCATING TERMINAL FROM l622 COLLINS AVENUE. Action: Hearing scheduled for 6/20/84 at 2:15 p.m. PARKINS: R-8C. SHOCKETT: Well, I'd like to...after R-8C ask you to take up something. PARKINS: My apologies to you, Commissioner, I thought we were on R-9. R-8C is a Conditional Use request by Greyhound Lines to operate a bus terminal at 7101 Harding Avenue. Our recommendation is that we establish or schedule a public hearing and notify neighboring property owners to permit them to have input into this process. I'm not reading you the whole memo, Mayor. COMMISSION MINUTES 5/16/84 PAGE 130 ,/