PR 5-25-23 Minutes
PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ADVISORY BOARD
MINUTES OF THE MAY 25, 2023, MEETING
VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS/TELEPHONIC
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Members in Attendance: Sean Smith, David Berger, Jonathan Fryd, Carolina Jones, Shannon Koonin, Joshua Lifshultz,
David Nguah, Joelle Gringarten, Janie Hayes and Joseph Hernandez
Members not Present: N/A
City Staff: Cynthia Casanova (Assistant Director, Parks & Recreation), Jose del Risco (Assistant Director, Parks and
Recreation), Vianca Peron-Sellan (Admin Services Manager) and Cesar Vezzoso (Facilities Manager)
Meeting called to order at 5:30 p.m.
• Approval of the April 13, 2023 Minutes
o The April 13, 2023 minutes were approved.
Motion made by: Shannon Koonin
Motion seconded by: David Berger
Motion passes: unanimously
• Recognition of Parks and Recreation Employee – Cesar Vezzoso
o The employee recognized this month is Cesar Vezzoso.
o Cesar Vezzoso introduced himself, he is the Facilities Manager for the North. He spoke a little about
himself and about his duties.
o Sean spoke a little about the ribbon cutting for Brittney Bay Park.
• G.O. Bond Update
o Carolina updated the board about the 72nd Street project. The Commission did select the first rank design
firm, they are currently in the negotiation stage. They are the firm that is designing the fire station. It is not
the firm that was originally selected, so it's not the same design. CIP says that things are going very
smooth. The price is within range. Their contract is expected to be executed within a few weeks, so
everything is smooth. June 28th, we except a selection of the construction manager at risk. 72nd Street is
moving along.
o Bayshore Park, the contracts have should be executed and bonds should be issued right after Memorial
Day weekend and groundbreaking is expected this summer.
o Flamingo Park, the softball field, which was supposed to start this summer, and the baseball field have
been delayed for a full year. They have amended the softball field scope and design. It's going to be a
much better field for the kids, but it's not going to start until the summer of 2024.
o The Baseball Field also experienced the same situation, so they kind of did a swap around instead of
changing all of the turf in the baseball to artificial turf, which is very expensive, the Parks Department and
CIP Department agreed there are greater needs behind the fence line. Those include walkways,
PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ADVISORY BOARD
MINUTES OF THE MAY 25, 2023, MEETING
VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS/TELEPHONIC
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restrooms, lighting, dugouts, grandstand, landscaping, etc. The grass was renovated, it's doing well, so
they kind of switched that around, so they're (CIP) going to start on the Summer of 2024, and we do not
foresee any stoppage for the high school kids at all.
o There was a question on the Flamingo Park Tennis Center and being run by a private entity. Cindy
answered the question: The only reason that the City took over the operations of the Flamingo Park Tennis
Center was twofold in that the contractor at the time was having some issues and could no longer and had
no desire to continue to run the center. We were only in there as a stopgap measure. It was never our
intention to continue to run the center for an extended period of time. It was always the intention to put the
center back out to bid and to have an actual tennis contractor who has the expertise in running tennis
centers, who can bring in tournaments, and who can elevate tennis at the center to the next level. We did
a great job at having our staff go in there and manage the customer service there but the staff members
that I have running that center don't really have the tennis level expertise that the center really needs. We
wholeheartedly feel that that tennis center, needs to be run by a tennis provider that can give it the
attention and more of the love that it needs. So that was the reason why it made sense for us to take the
center back out to bid and we're comfortable with the recommendation of the contractor who was
selected.
• FY 2024 Parks and Recreation Capital Project Requests
o Vianca Peron-Sellan informed the board on the FY 24 Parks and Recreation Capital Project Requests.
o Vianca discussed the projects and gave details.
o Carolina asked about the Miami Beach Golf Club renovations and a discussion ensued.
o Jose del Risco discussed and informed the board on the Miami Beach Golf Club renovations.
o David Berger asked about the 2nd phase of the Miami Beach Golf Club and the budget.
o Jose updated the board on the 2nd phase for the Miami Beach Golf Club renovations.
o Discussion ensued on Commissioner Arriola’s plan to update parts of the Golf Course.
o Discussion ensued on the budget and making a motion on the budget and the Golf Course.
o Discussion ensued on the plan to reduce the Miami Beach Golf Course.
o Discussion ensued on the revenues for both Miami Beach and Normandy Isle Golf Clubs.
o Discussion ensued on the Miami Beach Golf Course and possibly being reduced. Sean asked the board if
this could be discussed in the June meeting.
o Discussion ensued on Fairway Park and the remainder of the 2 million dollars being requested.
o Jose informed the board on the pending items from the Fairway Park project.
o Discussion ensued on youth programming at Fairway Park.
o Discussion ensued on Soccer at Fairway Park.
o Carolina commented that the Biscayne Elementary project is a very important project for sports field
usage.
PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ADVISORY BOARD
MINUTES OF THE MAY 25, 2023, MEETING
VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS/TELEPHONIC
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o Discussion ensued on the priority list that Vianca presented to the board. The list is priority by fund.
Fairway, Normandy and Belle Isle Dog Park Artificial Turf have been placed elsewhere, under the
Property Management budget. We added it back on this list and it has not been prioritized yet.
o Discussion ensued on the Skate Park and the 2-million-dollar capital request to cover the existing funding
gap. Jose updated the board with the funding breakdown and explained that the Skate Park would not be
prioritized by the Administration funding-wise for another one to two years, as other higher priority
projects with funding gaps exist.
o Jose discussed the priority projects with details.
o Discussion ensued on the Normandy Pool project.
o Discussion ensued on Pickleball Courts and Flamingo Park and Normandy locations.
o Discussion ensued on the list of projects and priorities.
o Discussion ensued on the Miami Beach Golf Course being reduced.
o Motion [00:40:02]: The Parks and Recreational Facilities Advisory Board motions to support the Parks
and Recreation Department’s Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Capital Project Requests.
Motion made by: Shannon Koonin
Motion seconded by: Carolina Jones
Motion passes: unanimously
Members Present by phone for Motion: Sean Smith, David Berger, Jonathan Fryd, Janie Hayes, Joseph
Hernandez, Carolina Jones, Shannon Koonin, David Nguah, Joelle Gringarten, Joshua Lifshultz and
Donald Goldberg
• Discussion on Soccer Fields
o Sean commented that a couple of comments have been made about soccer. There is a need for soccer
fields.
o Cindy updated the board on this topic. This has been a long-standing discussion. Not only with this board,
but also at the committee level as recent as the March Public Safety in Neighborhoods Quality of Life
Committee meeting where we went through a soccer field presentation to the committee and out of that
committee, we received favorable support. That was ratified by Commission to proceed with what you
saw on the capital budget requests for the artificial turf soccer field at Fairway and for the lighting project
for Biscayne Beach.
o We have been meeting with a lot of travel soccer parents who have been frustrated with the inability to
expand the program. Their desires are to have more fields to play on and to fix existing fields, which has
led to our prioritization of some of the capital projects what we’ve had in the books for a while now. Some
of these projects were reshuffled due to other city priorities, such as the renovation of the soccer field at
Flamingo and the renovation of the memorial field, also at Flamingo.
PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ADVISORY BOARD
MINUTES OF THE MAY 25, 2023, MEETING
VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS/TELEPHONIC
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o Short term, these are the items that you see on the capital budget requests which are the replacements of
those two fields at Flamingo, the lighting project at Biscayne Beach and the artificial turf replacement at
Fairway.
o Discussion ensued on the soccer youth programs and their needs.
o Discussion ensued on the programming enhancement for the soccer programming. It was $415,000 to
help continue to support this program with better uniforms, better equipment, better soccer goals, tents for
their travel games, tournaments, better coaching, and more staff.
o Discussion ensued on supporting the short-term plan and to revisit the master plan.
o Cindy showed the master plan for the West Lots. Discussion ensued on the age group usage for the fields.
o Jose discussed the fields that was shared with the board for the West Lots.
o Discussion ensued on the size and usage for the West Lots fields.
o Discussion ensued on the soccer program needing additional space.
o Discussion ensued on the Pickleball group also needing more space.
o Discussion ensued on the West Lots and that the Parks board supports active uses on the specific lots.
o Discussion ensued on the West Lots location and that all should be park use.
o Discussion ensued on the West Lots parking and Ocean Rescue headquarters.
o Discussion ensued on making a motion for soccer fields.
o Motion [01:03:48]: The Parks and Recreational Facilities Advisory Board motions that the soccer field
capital projects identified by the Parks and Recreation Department for consideration as part of the Fiscal
Year 2023-2024 budget be prioritized and further motions that the West Lots between 85th and 87th
Streets be earmarked and considered for active sports use.
Motion made by: Carolina Jones
Motion seconded by: David Berger
Motion passes: unanimously
Members Present by phone for Motion: Sean Smith, David Berger, Jonathan Fryd, Janie Hayes, Joseph
Hernandez, Carolina Jones, Shannon Koonin, David Nguah, Joelle Gringarten, Joshua Lifshultz and
Donald Goldberg
o Carolina informed the board that the Budget Commission meeting is interesting and not a lot of people
attend… but they listen to you.
o Discussion ensued on the Commission item to add a board member in the subject area of soccer and
another one in the subject area of baseball.
o Motion [01:14:49]: The Parks and Recreational Facilities Advisory Board motions to the Mayor and
Commission that an 11 member Board with the existing at large youth recreation appointees is sufficient to
represent all youth sports within the City of Miami Beach.
Motion made by: Carolina Jones
Motion seconded by: Donald Goldberg
PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ADVISORY BOARD
MINUTES OF THE MAY 25, 2023, MEETING
VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS/TELEPHONIC
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Motion passes: unanimously
Members Present by phone for Motion: Sean Smith, David Berger, Jonathan Fryd, Janie Hayes, Joseph
Hernandez, Carolina Jones, Shannon Koonin, David Nguah, Joelle Gringarten, Joshua Lifshultz and
Donald Goldberg
• Public Input / Open Discussion
o Discussion ensued on the lot beside Beach High, the grassy area. It used to be part of Par 3.
o Discussion ensued on the bike stations on the boardwalk between 54th and South Pointe. Jose will inform
the Transportation Department on the issue.
o Discussion ensued on related items that the board discusses.
o Cindy gave an update on the Flamingo Tennis RFP. It was on the agenda at last week's Commission
meeting and the Commission accepted the recommendation of the city manager to go with the number
one ranked proposer.
o Discussion ensued on Danny Berry Baseball. We just have finished negotiating his contract points and
we'll be taking his contract to the June 28th Commission meeting.
o Discussion ensued on the North Shore Tennis program.
Attachments Submitted with Agenda:
o Upcoming City Commission Meetings & Committee/Board Meeting Parks and Recreation Items
o Parks and Recreation Updates and Upcoming Events
o Parks and Recreation Capital Project Updates
Meeting Adjourned at 7:00 p.m.
UPCOMING 2023 MEETING DATES
June 27, 2023