Resolution 2024-33263 RESOLUTION NO. 2024-33263
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING
AND DIRECTING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO
IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR
SPRING BREAK 2025, IN AN EFFORT TO PROACTIVELY
STEM THE THREATS TO PUBLIC SAFETY THE CITY HAS
EXPERIENCED DUE TO EXCESSIVELY LARGE CROWDS
AND LIFE-THREATENING VIOLENCE DURING SPRING
BREAK.
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach (the "City") is an internationally renowned
tourist destination that is famous for its beautiful beaches, world-class shopping,
entertainment, fine dining, and vast array of artistic and cultural events; and
WHEREAS, in recent years, the City has seen an increasingly large number of
visitors during the Spring Break period, which has posed significant challenges including,
but not limited to, extreme traffic and congestion, and severe impacts to the City's Police,
Fire, Sanitation, and Code Compliance services; and
WHEREAS, many of the visitors to the City during high impact periods, such as
Spring Break, are under the influence of alcoholic beverages and have demonstrated a
blatant disregard for the rule of law; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, unruly crowd control issues during Spring Break resulted in
the imposition of emergency measures, including an 8:00 p.m. curfew in the area between
5th Street and 16th Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue to Ocean Drive; and
WHEREAS, in March 2022, the City also experienced massive crowds and several
shootings in a concentrated tourist area over a period of a few days, resulting in the
declaration of a state of emergency and imposition of a weekend midnight curfew for the
last weekend of March, 2022, based upon the excessively large crowds and violence
occurring on the second and third weekend of March, 2022; and
WHEREAS, such 2022 incidents included the shooting' of 5 different innocent
pedestrians and created stampedes and mayhem in the public streets and rights-of-way;
and
WHEREAS, also in 2022, the Police Department and its law enforcement partners
impounded one-hundred (100) firearms from February 18, 2022 — March 21, 2022, with
approximately thirty-seven (37) of such firearms having been impounded during the third
weekend in March spanning March 18 —20; and
WHEREAS, in March 2023, the City experienced multiple fights, shootings, and
various other incidents and police calls for service—for example, for the period between
February 27, 2023 and March 18, 2023, there were four (4) aggravated assault arrests,
three (3) aggravated battery arrests, seven (7) robbery arrests, twenty (20) arrests for
carrying a concealed firearm, thirty-seven (37)felony drug arrests, twelve (12) arrests for
battery on a law enforcement officer, and eighty-two (82) arrests for other felonies; and
WHEREAS, in addition, the Police Department and its law enforcement partners
impounded over seventy (70) firearms from February 27, 2023 — March 19, 2023; and
WHEREAS, such March 2023 incidents included two (2) shootings that occurred
the weekend of March 17th, which resulted in two (2) fatalities and injuries to others, and
which also created stampedes that caused injuries to several people, including two (2)
volunteer goodwill ambassadors, and all of which posed a danger to public safety and
order in the public streets and rights-of-way; and
WHEREAS, in response to each of the two(2)deadly shootings, officers were able
to arrive on the scene within a matter of seconds, but nevertheless were unable to prevent
the shootings (and were, themselves, endangered by their close proximity to the
shootings); and
WHEREAS, for Spring Break 2024, the Mayor and City Commission adopted
Resolution No. 2024-32905, which authorized and directed the City Administration to
enact the proactive measures set forth in this Resolution, leading to the City's most
successful Spring Break response; and
WHEREAS, various after-action reports and meetings were held after Spring
Break 2024, where the input of residents and business owners were solicited and heard,
and there was consensus that the proactive measures employed for Spring Break 2024
were successful and effective; and
WHEREAS, based on the foregoing, the Mayor and City Commission desire to
approve and direct the City Administration to implement the measures specified in this
Resolution, as part of the Mayor and City Commission's comprehensive strategy to
mitigate the massive challenges associated large crowds and violence during Spring
Break, and protect the health, safety and welfare of all residents and visitors in the City
of Miami Beach.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby approve and direct the City Administration to implement the following
comprehensive strategy for Spring Break 2025, in an effort to proactively stem the threats
to public safety the City has experienced due to excessively large crowds and life-
threatening violence during Spring Break:
(1)adopt and execute a heightened law enforcement staffing plan, including "Alpha
Bravo" staffing from Thursday through Sunday on the second and third weekends in
March, in partnership with law enforcement agencies providing additional resources to
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the Miami Beach Police Department, including the Florida Highway Patrol, Miami-Dade
County Police Department, City of Miami Police Department, and Coral Gables Police
Department, among other jurisdictions;
(2) vigorously enforce the "Open Container" law, prohibiting consumption of
alcoholic beverages in public areas and rights-of-way;
(3) close public beaches, from 5th Street to 15th Street, or portions thereof, at 6:00
p.m., from Thursday, March 6, 2025 until Sunday, March 9, 2025, and Thursday, March
13 until Sunday, March 16, as authorized by Section 82-443 of the City Code;
(4) support, if necessary, the suspension of sidewalk café operations on Ocean
Drive, from 5th Street to 15th Street, at 7:00 p.m., from Friday, March 7, 2025 through
Sunday, March 9, 2025, and from Friday, March 14, 2025 through Sunday, March 16,
2025, as authorized by the City's outdoor dining concession agreements;
(5) enforce the City's Noise Ordinance to the fullest extent permitted by law, with
a focus on preventing the spillover of loud music from establishments that contribute to
the party atmosphere on public rights-of-way;
(6) increase Code enforcement, Parking enforcement and Fire Code staffing and
inspections of business establishments to ensure compliance with all laws;
(7) continue to explore the implementation of a secured perimeter on Ocean Drive
or portions thereof;
(8) continue to explore the implementation of midnight curfews and other
emergency measures in accordance with all laws, as deemed necessary by the City
Manager based on on-the-ground observations of conditions during and leading up to
Spring Break as well as historical data and trends;
(9) implement a robust marketing and communications campaign to apprise the
public and area businesses to anticipate possible curfews and to be aware of the
significant additional restrictions during Spring Break;
(10) work closely with Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare apps to communicate
restrictions to the pubic via their platforms;
(11) close all City-owned or City-operated parking lots and garages in the Art Deco
Cultural District, including along Washington Avenue and Collins Avenue, between 5th
Street and 15th Street, starting each Thursday at 6:00 p.m. and reopening at 6 a.m. each
Monday morning of the second and third weekends of March (and reserving the ability to
close any City-owned garages and parking lots, if necessary, any of the five weekends of
March 2025);
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(12) implement the high impact parking rate in City-owned or City-operated parking
lots and garages, with a daily rate of up to $100, with the exception of residents,
employees working in the City, and access card holders;
(13) restrict on-street parking on Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue, and Washington
Avenue, from 5th Street to 16th Street;
(14) work with Miami-Dade County to explore the closure of the Venetian
Causeway and/or restrict the Venetian Causeway for resident use only;
(15) create a special event zone or zones, if legally justified, pursuant to Fla. Stat.
316.1891, post all legally required signage, and enforce penalties, such as double fines
and vehicle impoundment for noncriminal traffic infractions within the designated special
event zone(s); and
(16) explore all alternative modes of transportation to reduce traffic congestion
during high impact periods.
PASSED and ADOPTED this // day of S-e '»7dev , 2024.
ATTEST: . Al/
SEP 7 2g24 Steven Meiner, Mayor
Rafael E. Granado, City Clerk
(sponsored by Mayor Steven Meiner and Vice Mayor Alex J. Fernandez)
Co-Sponsored by Commissioner Laura Dominguez
Co-Sponsored by Commissioner Joseph Magazine
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City Attorney Date
4
Resolutions -C7 AM
MIAMIBEACH
•
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: City Attorney Ricardo J. Dopico
DATE: September 11, 2024
TITLE: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING AND DIRECTING THE CITY
ADMINISTRATION TO IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR
SPRING BREAK 2025, IN AN EFFORT TO PROACTIVELY STEM THE THREATS •
TO PUBLIC SAFETY THE CITY HAS EXPERIENCED DUE TO EXCESSIVELY
LARGE CROWDS AND LIFE-THREATENING VIOLENCE DURING SPRING
BREAK.
RECOMMENDATION
BACKGROUND/HISTORY
ANALYSIS
The above-referenced Resolution was prepared at the request of the sponsors, Mayor Steven •
Meiner and Vice-Mayor Alex J. Fernandez. It will be submitted via Supplemental Agenda.
FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT •
N/A
Does this Ordinance require a Business Impact Estimate?
(FOR ORDINANCES ONLY)
If applicable, the Business Impact Estimate (BIE)was published on:
See BIE at: https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/city-hall/city-clerk/meeting-notices/
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
CONCLUSION
Applicable Area
Citywide
Page 599 of 1377
Is this a "Residents Right to Know" item, Is this item related to a G.O. Bond
pursuant to City Code Section 2-17? Project?
No No
Was this Agenda Item initially requested by a lobbyist which, as defined in Code Sec. 2-481,
includes a principal engaged in lobbying? No
If so, specify the name of lobbyist(s) and principal(s):
Department
City Attorney
Sponsor(s)
Mayor Steven Meiner
Commissioner Alex Fernandez
Co-sponsor(s).
Condensed Title
Comprehensive Strategy for Spring Break 2025. (Meiner/Fernandez) CA
Page 600 of 1377