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LTC 435-2017 Special Election Voter's GuideMIAMI BEACH OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK No. 435-2017 LETTER TO COMMISSION TO : Mayor Philip Levine and Members of the City Commission FROM: Rafael E. Granado, City Clerk 7Y DATE: August 22, 2017 SUBJECT: SPECIAL ELECTION VOTER'S GUIDE Attached please find the final draft of the November 7, 2017 City of Miami Beach Special Election Voter's Guide . The purpose of this Voter's Guide is to provide objective and impartial explanations of ballot questions, so that City voters may, in casting their votes, be more informed with the City issues presented to them at the polls. The Voter's Guide was prepared by the Office of the City Attorney and has been edited by the City Clerk to ensure objective and impartial explanations of the ballot questions . The Voter's Guide will be published in both English and Spanish in the upcoming MB Magazine and will be posted on the City's Elections webpage . If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 305 .673. 7 411. Attachment F :\CLER\$ALL\LILIA\L TC's - T ransm ittal's\vote r guide 201 7.docx VOTER'S GUIDE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH'S NOVEMBER 7, 2017 GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS AND NOVEMBER 21, 2017 RUN-OFF ELECTION, IF REQUIRED KEY DATES AND INFORMATION: General and Special Elections October 10, 2017: Last day to register to vote for the General and Special Elections. October 23 through November 5, 2017 : Early Voting for the General and Special Elections. Vote at any of the two Miami Beach Early Voting sites : • Miami Beach City Hall (1st Floor Conference Room), 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, and • North Shore Branch Library, 7501 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach . For Early Voting times, please visit http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/cityclerk/elections/ or contact the Miami Beach Office of the City Clerk at 305.673. 7 411; TTY users may call via 711 (Florida Relay Service). November 1, 2017: Last day to request a Vote-By-Mail ballot for the General and Special Elections. November 7, 2017: Election Day, from 7:00 a .m . to 7:00 p.m. Vote at the designated precinct printed on your Voter Information Card. Run-Off Election (if required) A Run-Off Election, if required, shall be held from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on November 21, 2017. October 23, 2017 : Last day to register to vote for the Run-Off Election . November 18 and November 19, 2017: Early Voting for the Run-Off Election. Vote at any of the two M iami Beach Early Voting sites: • Miami Beach City Hall (1st Floor Conference Room), 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, and • North Shore Branch Library, 7501 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach . For Early Voting times, please visit http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/cityclerk/elections/ or contact the Miami Beach Office of the City Clerk at 305.673. 7 411; TTY users may call via 711 (Florida Relay Service). November 15, 2017: Last day to request a Vote-By-Mail ballot for the Run-Off Election. November 21, 2017: Election Day, from 7:00 a.m . to 7:00 p.m . Vote at the designated precinct printed on your Voter Information Card . PURPOSE OF THIS VOTER'S GUIDE: During the November 7, 2017 General Election, City of Miami Beach voters will be electing a mayor, three commissioners and will be presented with two ballot questions. The City's ballot questions, as set forth herein and followed by a brief explanation, will appear on the November 7, 2017 ballot, following any national, state , or county issues . The purpose of this Voter's Guide is to provide objective, impartial, and fact-based explanations of the City's ballot questions , so that City voters may , in casting their votes, be more informed with respect to the City issues presented to them at the polls . The explanations are intended to provide general information , and members of the public seeking further information may contact the Office of the City Clerk at 305 .673 .7411 or visit the City Clerk 's website at http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/cityclerk/elections/. Additional information regard ing voter registration , Vo te-By-Mail , Early Voting , finding your precinct, and how to obtain a customized sample ballot may be obtained by visiting the Miami- Dade County Elections Department webpage at http ://www.miamidade.gov/elections/home.asp or calling 305.499.VOTE (8683) or 305.499 .8480 (TTY). CITY BALLOT QUESTIONS WITH EXPLANATIONS Ballot Question 1 Changing alcoholic beverage sales/consumption termination time on Ocean Drive from 5th to 15th Streets City law currently allows the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages on private property at alcoholic beverage establishments located on Ocean Drive from 5th to 15th Streets from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 a.m. the following day. Shall an Ordinance be adopted changing this current 5:00 a.m. termination time to 2:00 a.m., exempting from this time change those indoor portions of alcoholic beverage establishments that are completely enclosed and located entirely within hotels? Explanation of Ballot Question 1 Currently, alcoholic beverage establishments located on private property on Ocean Drive, between 5th and 15th Streets, are permitted to offer alcoholic beverages for sale and consumption from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 a.m. the following day. This ballot question asks City voters whether the Mayor and City Commission should adopt an Ordinance changing the current 5:00 a.m. termination time for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, to 2:00 a.m. for alcoholic beverage establishments on private property on Ocean Drive, between 5th and 15th Streets. The proposed Ordinance would exempt (not apply to) the indoor portions of such alcoholic beverage establishments that are completely enclosed and located entirely within hotels. If a majority of the City's electors voting on this ballot measure vote in favor of it, that approval will have binding, official effect on the City of Miami Beach, and the proposed Ordinance will be codified upon its adoption by the City Commission. Ballot Question 2 FAR Increase For TC-1, TC-2 and TC-3 to 3.5 FAR Floor area ratio (FAR) is the measure the City utilizes to regulate the overall size of a building. Should the City adopt an ordinance increasing FAR in the Town Center (TC) zoning districts (Collins and Dickens Avenues to Indian Creek Drive between 69 and 72 Streets) to 3.5 FAR from current FAR of 2.25 to 2.75 for the TC-1 district; from 2.0 for the TC-2 district; and from 1.25 for the TC-3 district? Explanation of Ballot Question 2 This ballot question relates to a proposed increase in the current allowable Floor Area Ratio ("FAR") for the Town Center ("TC") zoning districts in the North Beach area of the City of Miami Beach. The area subject to the proposed FAR increase is bounded by Collins Avenue on the east, Dickens Avenue and Indian Creek Drive on the west, 69th Street on the south, and 72nd Street on the north. The following is a map of the area subject to the proposed FAR increase: Legend l:IAttected Area c:::IGU -TC-1 TC-2 0 125 250 500 Feet n ' The term "Floor Area Ratio" (or "FAR") generally describes the size of a building in relation to the size of the property where the building will be located. A property's maximum buildable floor area is calculated by multiplying the square footage of the property by the allowable FAR in the zoning district where the property is located. For example, if a property owner owns 10,000 square feet of land with a zoned FAR of 3.0, the owner can generally build a building with 30,000 usable square feet, subject to any applicable exceptions in the City Code. City Charter Section 1.03(c), which was approved by the City's voters in 2001, requires that any increase in zoned FAR for any property in the City must be approved by a majority vote of the electors of the City of Miami Beach. Accordingly, the proposed FAR increase for the Town Center ("TC") zoning districts requires voter approval. On October 19, 2016, and pursuant to City Resolution No. 2016-29608, the Mayor and City Commission adopted the North Beach Master Plan (the "Master Plan"). The Master Plan was developed by Dover, Kohl and Partners, Inc. and received significant public input. The Master Plan recommended increasing the FAR to 3.5 for the Town Center zoning districts (referred to as "TC-1," "TC-2," and "TC-3" in the City's land development regulations). The goal of this recommendation is to enable the design and construction of larger buildings within the Town Center, and to encourage the development of 71 st Street as a "main street" for North Beach. This ballot question would authorize the following increases in FAR: Zoning District Current FAR Proposed FAR TC-1 2.25-2.75 3.5 TC-2 2.0 3.5 TC-3 1.25 3.5 If a majority of the City's electors voting on this ballot measure vote in favor of it, that approval will have binding, official effect on the City of Miami Beach and the proposed Ordinance will be codified upon its adoption by the City Commission.