Minutes - May 9 2023 NBCRA Committee
1700 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139 www.miamibeachfl.gov/northbeachcra
MEETING MINUTES
AD HOC NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 – 4:30 pm
Virtual Meeting
Members in Attendance: Vice Chair Betsy Perez, Ronnie Issenberg, Romina Orozco-Encio,
Manning Salazar, and David Sexton
Members Absent: Chair Jose Smith
1. Welcome & Attendance
At 4:32 p.m., Vice Chair Betsy Perez, leading today’s meeting in place of Chair Jose Smith,
greeted those in attendance and commenced the meeting.
2. Approval of April 18, 2023, Meeting Minutes
Motion: to approve the Committee’s April 18, 2023, meeting minutes
Made by: David Sexton
Seconded by: Romina Orozco – Encio and Ronnie Issenberg
Motion passed by acclamation.
3. Legislative Update: Committee Ordinance/Façade Program
At 4:34 p.m., Rickelle Williams, Committee Co-Liaison and Assistant City Manager, informed that,
following a first reading on April 28, 2023, the City Commission will consider on second reading
the proposed ordinance, sponsored by Commissioner Laura Dominguez, to establish the Advisory
Committee as a permanent Commission Committee. Ms. Williams reminded the attendees that
the proposed ordinance would have no effect upon the terms of any current Committee members
and there still exists a vacant seat available to be filled on the Committee.
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Meeting Minutes - May 9, 2023
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As concerns the CRA’s proposed Commercial Façade Improvement Program and Residential
Property Improvement Program, the joint discussion item was not heard during the Finance and
Economic Resiliency Committee’s (“FERC”) April 21, 2023 meeting. Ms. Williams anticipates that
the FERC will discuss the item at its next scheduled meeting on May 24, 2023.Ms. Williams
relayed that, on April 28, 2023, the City Commission also referred discussion of the proposed CRA
Cultural Branding and Marketing Sponsorship Program to the May FERC meeting.
4. Update: 72nd Street Community Complex
At 4:35 p.m., Maria Cerna, Division Director, Office of Capital Improvement Projects (CIP),
delivered a status update on behalf of Committee Co-Liaison David Martinez, CIP Director,
concerning General Obligation (G.O.) Bond Program Project No. 1, the 72nd Street Community
Complex. Ms. Cerna informed that, on April 28, 2023, the Mayor and City Commission adopted
Resolution No. 2023-32599, authorizing negotiations pursuant to RFQ 2023-121-ND, for
Architectural Design Services, with the top-ranked proposer, Wannemacher Jensen Architects,
Inc., with additional authorization to execute an agreement if negotiations prove successful.
Further, Ms. Cerna anticipates that the City Manager may make a recommendation for award of
a contract, at the City Commission’s June 28, 2023 meeting, pursuant to RFQ 2023-120-ND, for
the project’s Construction Manager at Risk (CMR).
New Business
5. Public Safety and Enhanced Services
At 4:38 p.m., Officer Julio Blanco, North Beach Neighborhood Resource Officer with the Miami
Beach Police Department (MBPD), addressed public safety and enforcement levels of service
within the North Beach CRA, noting that, to date this year (2023), MBPD has dedicated
approximately 399 police service hours within the Redevelopment Area. Officer Blanco shared
additional law enforcement statistics concerning arrests, moving violations, and case reports,
including unscrupulous commercial activities documented at certain North Beach businesses. The
Committee posed questions and discussed law enforcement in the CRA with Officer Blanco.
6. Update: Ocean Terrace Project
At 4:57 p.m., David Gomez, Division Director, Capital Improvement Projects, provided an update
on the Ocean Terrace public development project. Mr. Gomez assured the Committee that the
City Administration has been collaborating closely with the Project’s design and development
team, to resolve permitting comments which have contributed to a protracted permitting process
for the project. Mr. Gomez shared that, as of May 8, 2023, the developer possesses the requisite
information from the City to revise and resubmit permit plans within the following three weeks.
Vice Chair Betsy Perez inquired about a realistic, estimated timeframe for the project to obtain a
building permit. Noting how each submittal and re-submittal of permit plans necessitates review
and approval separately by multiple City departments, Mr. Gomez opined that the permitting
process would elapse at least an additional six (6) weeks. However, per the development
agreement with the City, within sixty (60) days from building permit issuance, the developer must
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Meeting Minutes - May 9, 2023
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mobilize construction commencement on the project’s first phase, the public
streetscape/oceanfront park. When Ms. Perez inquired whether the City Administration could
further expedite the review process, Mr. Gomez reassured her that the multiple departments
involved are collaborating to ensure that City regulatory review is not unnecessarily adding delay.
Public Safety and Enhanced Services (continued)
At 5:04 p.m., Tom Curitore, Assistant Director, Code Compliance Department, followed up to
MBPD’s discussion of Agenda Item #6 with a code enforcement perspective. Mr. Curitore also
offered to conduct an on-site walking tour through specific commercial areas in the CRA, if
Committee members are inclined. Vice Chair Betsy Perez accepted the offer and suggested that
other Committee members would benefit from firsthand knowledge of existing conditions at Ocean
Terrace. Ms. Williams advised that the Administration, with the participation of MBPD and Code
Compliance staff, will coordinate and schedule a walking tour for those Committee members
interested in attending.
7. Transportation Planning in North Beach
At 5:06 p.m., Jose Gonzalez, Director, Transportation and Mobility Department, provided an
overview of the comprehensive list of projects in various stages of deployment throughout North
Beach that his department is involved with. These include: incorporating bicycle infrastructure and
travel lanes within the Ocean Terrace project; design of enhanced pedestrian safety measures at
several intersections, including in front of Stella Maris House at Harding Avenue and 87th Street;
the installation of illuminated bridge signage for the 63rd Street Bridge; roadway resurfacing and
installation of bicycle lanes and pedestrian pathways on various segments of Collins Avenue;
optimization programs to synchronize signal timing and traffic flow improvements along the 71st
Street corridor; performance of a pedestrian safety audit for 71st Street that will also identify
deficiencies concerning pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic configurations; and design of the
Normandy Isle Traffic Calming Project, a component of General Obligation (G.O.) Bond Program
#GO42.
Committee member Manning Salazar inquired about the Transportation Department’s efforts to
seek resident input on Normandy Isle traffic calming initiatives and net reduction to on-street
parking. Mr. Salazar also advocated for traffic calming on 71st Street at the Normandy
Fountain/Vendome Plaza. Mr. Gonzalez explained that 71st Street is a State road under the
jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and any efforts to slow traffic
speed on this major arterial roadway would be strongly resisted.
8. Committee Member Comments
No comments.
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9. Public Comment
At 5:25 p.m., Assistant City Manager Rickelle Williams noted that Miami-Dade County must
approve the CRA budget on an annual basis and, on May 10, 2023, the County’s Airport and
Economic Development Committee will provide advisory review of the CRA’s Fiscal Year (FY)
2023 Budget. Assuming a satisfactory committee review, the FY 2023 Budget will be transmitted
by the committee to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval on June 21, 2023. In
addition, Ms. Williams informed the Committee that the FY 2024 Budget preparation process is
underway at City Hall, with budget planning meetings taking place throughout the months of June
and July 2023. To assist in this annual undertaking, Ms. Williams looks forward to the Committee
once again providing its insight and recommendations to the CRA budget development process.
For the next Committee meeting in June, Ms. Williams suggests the Committee consider an
agenda discussion topic regarding FY 2024 preliminary budgetary priorities.
10. Adjournment
Motion was made and the meeting adjourned at 5:27 p.m.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, June 13, 2023 – Normandy Shores Golf Club, 2401 Biarritz Drive