LTC 453-2025 E-mail from SOBESafe Board of Directors — Important Items on this Wednesday's Commission Agenda — October 29, 2025 Commission Meeting.453-2025
MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
LTC#
TO:
FROM :
DATE:
SUBJECT:
LETTER TO COMMISSION
Mayor Steven Meiner and Members of the City Commission
Eric Carpenter, City Manager
Ricardo J. Dopico, City Attorney
Jo~~o~o, Inspector General
for R~rf. Granado, City Clerk
October 28, 2025
E-mail from SOBESafe Board of Directors -Important Items on this
Wednesday's Commi ssion Agenda -October 29, 2025 Commission Meeting.
I am sharing with you an Email from the SOBESafe Board of Directors regarding the following
items on the Commission Meeting agenda for Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
C7 V Organize Community Mtg, Explore Leveraging Tech -Based Policing Tools.
(KRG/TB/LD/AF) PD
C7 AF Prioritize Capture and Treatment of First Flush Stormwater Runoff in FY2027. (Suarez) CA
C7 AG Noise Camera Citations as a 2026 Legislative Priority. (Dominguez/Meiner) CA
R5 P 10:45 a.m. 2nd Rdg, Reconsideration of MB Lobbying Ordinance 2025 -4775. (Suarez) CA
R7 W Amend 1 % Resort Tax Allocations. (Suarez) CA
F:\CLER\$ALL\L TC FROM ASSOCIATIONS\SOBESAFE 10282025.docx
Mena Caceres, Keila
To:
Subject:
Granado, Rafael
RE: Important Items on this Wednesday's Commission Agenda
Memorandum for the Mayor and Commissioners
CC: City Manager and ACMs
Subject: Agenda for the Commission Meeting of October 29 th
Date: October 21th, 2025
Although SOBESAFE finds much to commend in the Commission's
agenda, we find that two efforts --one that would cripple the residents'
voices, the other that would gut arts and culture programs -to be hugely
worrisome. Given their devastating potential, we address both of them in
greater depth than our custom. SOBESAFE strongly recommends
against both of these efforts.
1. SOBESAFE, like all the neighborhood associations of which we are
aware, strongly urges the Commission to reject the proposal R5P -
a proposal which "solves" no identified problem, will be impractical to implement, will
inhibit residents from speaking through associations, and will impose needless
burdens on residents who voluntarily provide their essential voice to the City.
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The Code has long explicitly recognized that a member of the community is not, by
any reasonable understanding of the word, a "lobbyist" when he or she "only appears
as a representative of a neighborhood association without compensation or
reimbursement for the appearance, whether direct, indirect or contingent, to express
support of or opposition to any item." Section 2-481.
Neighborhood associations consist of dedicated City residents who contribute their
time and energy to help make Miami Beach a better place. Their volunteer members
are not compensated in any way, represent no one but themselves, and, apart from
the benefits to the entire community they seek to advance, have nothing financially
to gain through their advocacy.
Businesses operating in Miami Beach with specific financial objectives speak
effectively though their lobbyists, whereas it is the Neighborhood associations who
represent the vital voice of the citizens who live here.
For no discernable reason and despite the absence of any identified problem over
the more than two decades that the Code has lacked any such requirement, the
proposal would now require representatives of neighborhood associations "to
complete and submit a separate written disclosure for each issue on which the
person appears, on a form maintained by the City Clerk (sic), identifying the person's
name, address, and the principal on whose behalf they are communicating." The
proposed filing for "each issue" as to which they may express their views would
effectively deter residents from speaking out-chilling an essential resident-focused
voice to policymakers.
2. SOBESAFE strongly opposes items C7 AF and R7 W which
collectively would undermine Miami Beach's support for culture
and the arts.
Defining and promoting the Miami Beach brand is among the most important
responsibilities of our City Commission. How the City presents itself to the world will
determine who chooses to live here, who visits, and, over time, what our city
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becomes. A sustained commitment to arts and culture is essential to Miami Beach's
immediate vitality and its long -term success.
Our city's cultural institutions-the New World Symphony, Miami New Drama, Miami
City Ballet, The Bass, The Wolfsonian, Art Basel, the Miami Beach Classical Music
Festival, the North Beach Bandshell, and so many others , large and small-together
form the creative heartbeat of our community. They enrich the lives of residents,
attract visitors from around the world , and distinguish Miami Beach as a global
destination defined by both beauty and substance.
For these same reasons SOB ESAF E supports C7 AB -Approval of 2026 Ocean
Drive Promenade Music Series Funding.
While the Commission should continue to review individual programs, any effort to
diminish Miami Beach's overall investment in the arts would be short-sighted -a
huge self-inflicted wound. The strength of our cultural community is not an adjunct
to Miami Beach's success-it is fundamental to this success.
3. On a different topic, SOBESAFE supports the two reso lu tions--C7 V
and C7 AG --w hi ch advance the smart use of advanced
tec h nolog i es as a Police fo r ce m ultip l ier.
C7 V will inform the community, via a citywide community meeting, about MBPD use
of advanced technologies , an excellent idea. Along these lines, our own visit to the
new Real Time Crime Center has convinced us that the MBPD will make good use
of drones and of the integration of smart software with the many cameras that are
already established City-wide:.
C7 AG seeks State authority for municipalities to issue summonses for excessive
vehicular noise violations , based solely on noise -detection devices. (Currently these
devices may be deployed for general information, but not used to issue summons.)
Blasting vehicles damage resident quality of life and contribute to the "anything goes"
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reputation that the City is trying so hard to reverse --closing this loophole would
reduce this damage dramatically.
The SOBESAFE Board
Make Your Voice Heard
Your feedback is encouraged by email or during Sutnick Hour, the public comment
period taking place at 8:35 AM and 1 :00 PM, either in person or virtually.
Mayor Steven Meiner: stevenmeiner@miamibeachfl.gov
Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez: kristen@miamibeachfl.gov
Commissioner Laura Dominguez: laura@miamibeachfl.gov
Commissioner Tanya Bhatt: tanya@miamibeachfl.gov
Commissioner David Suarez: david@miamibeachfl.gov
Commissioner Alex Fernandez: alex@miamibeachfl.gov
Commissioner Joseph Magazine: joe@miamibeachfl.gov
In Person:
Miami Beach City Hall, Commission Chamber, 1700 Convention Center Drive, 3rd
Floor, Miami Beach, FL
Virtual Participation:
Join via Zoom or by calling 1.305.224.1968 (U.S.) or 888.475.4499 (Toll-Free)
Webinar ID: 81392857671#
To speak virtually during the Commission Meeting, click the "raise hand" icon in Zoom
or press *9 if dialing in by phone.
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