Letter from Mayor to Chairwoman Audrey EdmonsonDAN GELBER
MAYOR
July 3, 2019
Honorable Chairwoman Audrey Edmonson
Miami -Dade County
Board of County Commissioners
111 NW 1st Street, Suite 220
Miami, FL 33128
Avdfe
Dear Chairw dmonson:
1 appreciate your efforts and the efforts of the entire Miami -Dade Board of County
Commissioners, and the leadership of Mayor Gimenez, as we all seek to address the complex
and pressing transportation challenges facing our community. While I recognize that merely
approving the publication of a solicitation does not commit the County or our City to a
specific plan, proposal, route or mode; I also recognize that sometimes when the metaphorical
train leaves the station, it's difficult to alter its route. Accordingly, I thought it might be
helpful to relay some of the observations and concerns regarding Agenda Item 8(F)(22) with
the hope that we can inform your decision - making and provide full transparency to this
process.
First, the City of Miami Beach is not yet in support of a specific rendition of the Smart Plan as
it relates to our community. Although we support its general goals and have for some time, we
have not settled on the all - important details. Nor have we seen any of the details of the
proposal that is being considered. Given the unrelenting disruption that our residents and
businesses have endured from FDOT's recent MacArthur Causeway bridge repair project, and
the expected longer -term disruption that will result from the Signature Bridge I395 project,
these details are paramount to our analysis and to our residents. To assist this process, 1 have
asked our City Commission to meet for a transportation workshop on July 15 and we will
again discuss the item during our July 17 Commission Meeting.
In order to make sure we have the most informed view, and to assist our Commission and our
professional staff, I have asked our City Manager Jimmy Morales to retain a consulting firm
with no direct ties to the potential vendors at issue, to provide us an independent analysis.
Frankly, this accelerated timeline poses challenges, especially since the ongoing Parsons study
evaluating our corridor and its connectivity is yet to be completed. Although a deferral of your
Agenda Item 8(F)(22) would be appreciated, if the matter is not continued we will endeavor
to reach our judgements with the information and data that is available.
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
1 700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33138
305.873.7035 • DANGELBER C+ MIAMIBEACHFL.GOV
DAN GELBER
MAYOR
Second, although I can only speak for myself as Mayor, I believe that most or all of my
Commission will strenuously object to any plan that might allow for, or even contemplate, a
casino that is placed nearby or that is actually tethered to our community. Our City has for
many years opposed casino gaming within our city limits or outside our gateways. I believe
casino gambling is an ekistential threat to our community fabric and our quality of life which
is why I have opposed it as a State Representative, State Senator and now Mayor. 1 have also,
as a private citizen, been chair of NoCasinos (as was my father when he was Mayor).
Recently, when we approved our new Convention Center Hotel, we didn't merely prohibit
gaming in the facility, we also required that any developer of the project not maintain gaming
interests.
I apologize for not being able to attend your July 10, 2019 meeting as I will be out of town on
a family vacation. But I thought it important to give you some sense of our concerns and
process so that your own decision making might be better informed.
Thank you, again, for your service to our community,
Dan Gelber
cc: Honorable Carlos Gimenez
Miami Dade County Commission
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE. MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
305.673 .7035 • RANGELBER @MIAMIBEACHFL.GOV