BIE - BTR Commecial Vessel Decal (5/23/2025)
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
TO: Mayor Steven Meiner and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Eric Carpenter, City Manager
MEETING DATE: June 25, 2025
SUBJECT: BUSINESS IMPACT ESTIMATE FOR:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER
102 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, ENTITLED
“TAXATION,” BY AMENDING ARTICLE IV, ENTITLED "LOCAL
BUSINESS TAX," BY AMENDING SECTION 102-368 THEREOF,
ENTITLED "POSTING OF BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT AND
DECAL; DISPLAY OF BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT NUMBER IN
ADVERTISEMENTS," BY REQUIRING THAT COMMERCIAL
VESSEL-RELATED BUSINESSES PROMINENTLY DISPLAY A
CITY-ISSUED BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT DECAL ON EACH
COMMERCIAL VESSEL IN THEIR FLEET; AND PROVIDING FOR
REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, CODIFICATION, AND AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
Is a Business Impact Estimate Required?
☐ Yes ☐ No (If no, please check one of the boxes below)
If one or more boxes are checked below, this means the City of Miami Beach has
determined that a Business Impact Estimate for the above-referenced Ordinance is not
required by State law.
☐ The proposed Ordinance is required for compliance with Federal or State law or
regulation;
☐ The proposed Ordinance relates to the issuance or refinancing of debt;
☐ The proposed Ordinance relates to the adoption of budgets or budget
amendments, including revenue sources necessary to fund the budget;
☐ The proposed Ordinance is required to implement a contract or an agreement,
including, but not limited to, any Federal, State, local, or private grant or other
financial assistance accepted by the City;
☐ The proposed Ordinance is an emergency ordinance;
☐ The Ordinance relates to procurement; or
☐ The proposed Ordinance is enacted to implement the following:
a. Part II of Chapter 163, Florida Statutes, relating to growth policy, county and
municipal planning, and land development regulation, including zoning,
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Business Impact Estimate
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development orders, development agreements and development permits;
b. Sections 190.005 and 190.046, Florida Statutes, regarding community
development districts;
c. Section 553.73, Florida Statutes, relating to the Florida Building Code; or
d. Section 633.202, Florida Statutes, relating to the Florida Fire Prevention Code.
If none of the above exceptions apply, this Business Impact Estimate is hereby provided
in accordance with Section 166.041(4), Florida Statutes.
1. A summary of the proposed Ordinance and its purpose is more fully set forth in the
Commission Memorandum accompanying the Ordinance, as well as in the recitals to the
Ordinance itself, which are attached hereto.
2. The proposed Ordinance shall require every person and entity conducting commercial
vessel activity to post a decal, issued by the City, to indicate that the vessel is operated
pursuant to a current business tax receipt. The decal shall be posted on every
commercial vessel operating pursuant to the business tax receipt and each decal shall
be prominently displayed on the forward port side of the vessel
The proposed amendment is expected to be revenue neutral, as the fee structure for the
vessel decals mirrors the fees being charged for Conditional Use Permit (CUP) decals.
The fees are established for cost recovery of the initiative.
3. Good faith estimate of the number of businesses likely to be impacted by the proposed
Ordinance:
The City of Miami Beach estimates that 100 businesses, with their 200 vessels, are likely
to be impacted by the proposed Ordinance. At a cost of $10 per decal, revenues are
expected to be approximately $2,000.
4. Additional comments: None
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Ordinances - R5 {{item.number}}
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: City Attorney Ricardo J. Dopico
DATE: May 21, 2025 10:55 p.m. First Reading Public Hearing
TITLE: AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER 102 OF THE CODE OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ENTITLED "TAXATION," BY AMENDING
ARTICLE IV, ENTITLED "LOCAL BUSINESS TAX," BY AMENDING SECTION 102-
368 THEREOF, ENTITLED "POSTING OF BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT AND DECAL;
DISPLAY OF BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT NUMBER IN ADVERTISEMENTS," BY
REQUIRING THAT COMMERCIAL VESSEL-RELATED BUSINESSES
PROMINENTLY DISPLAY A CITY-ISSUED BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT DECAL ON
EACH COMMERCIAL VESSEL IN THEIR FLEET; AND PROVIDING FOR
REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, CODIFICATION, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
RECOMMENDATION
Click or tap here to enter text.
BACKGROUND/HISTORY
ANALYSIS
The proposed ordinance, sponsored by Vice-Mayor David Suarez, is submitted for consideration
by the Mayor and City Commission.
The City has many vessels (including charter boats, rental boats, and jet skis) operating within its
jurisdictional limits and the sizeable number of individuals boating has posed numerous
challenges for the City.
Presently, the City Code requires commercial vessel businesses operating on, or from, any real
property in the City to obtain a business tax receipt (“BTR”) and abide by all state and local
regulations in conducting their business operations. However, the City has received complaints
concerning potentially unauthorized commercial vessel activity taking place in the City wherein
such unpermitted and unregulated activity is illegal and causes numerous public safety, noise,
sanitation, and other issues.
In order to allow for more effective and efficient enforcement of unauthorized commercial vessel
activity, the proposed Ordinance (which, if adopted, would take effect on October 1, 2025) would
require commercial vessel-related businesses to prominently display a City-issued decal (with a
machine-readable code linking the vessel to a specific BTR) on each commercial vessel in their
fleet. This would aid the City’s enforcement efforts by enabling its Code Compliance Officers and
Police Officers to readily identify any vessel as a commercial vessel and, moreover, to quickly
determine whether any such vessel is operating pursuant to a valid BTR.
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FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
The sponsor of this item requests that the Administration be prepared to address the fiscal impact
of this proposed measure, if any, at the City Commission meeting.
Does this Ordinance require a Business Impact Estimate? Yes
(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
Is this a “Residents Right to Know” item,
pursuant to City Code Section 2-17?
Is this item related to a G.O. Bond
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)
Commissioner David Suarez
Co-sponsor(s)
Condensed Title
NR- 10:55 p.m. 1st Rdg PH, BTR Decal Required for Commercial Vessel-Businesses. (Suarez)
CA
Previous Action (For City Clerk Use Only)
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