LTC 467-2023 Resolution from SOBESafe Board of Directors - Relating to Item R5 H on the October 18, 2023, Commission Meeting.M IA M I BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
L TC # 467-2023
LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commission
Alina T. Hudak, City Manager
Rafael A. Paz, City Attorney
Joseph M. Centorino, Inspector Gen~ /(
Ratel E. Granado. coy cerk/ ({
October 16, 2023
SUBJECT: Resolution from SOBESafe Board of Directors -
Relating to Item RS H on the October 18, 2023, Commission Meeting.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of SOBESafe, please find a resolution in advance of the Commission
Meeting of October 18, 2023, pertaining to:
R9 H DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION REGARDING THE MOTION OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND
NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE, AT ITS MAY 23, 2023 MEETING,
RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COMMISSION ADOPT A RESOLUTION STRONGLY
URGING THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT
TEMPORARY OCEAN DRIVE PROMENADE AND TO ALLOW THE CITY TO PILOT AN
EXTENSION OF THE CURRENT PROMENADE DURING CERTAIN HOURS.
Granado, Rafa el
Subject: Taking the Ocean Drive Promenade Permit Across the Finish line
To the Mayor and Commissioners of Miami Beach:
In Item R9 Hof the October 18 meeting, the Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of
Life Committee moves that the Commission Apply to Miami Dade County fo r the
permit to maintain the current temporary Ocean Drive promenade. Action is long
overdue - this issue has been under discussion for more than a year, and the County
is demanding action from the City before October 20, or they will, simply as a result of
City of Miami Beach inaction, terminate the current temporary Ocean Drive promenade.
The Manager's cover memo provides all the info that is needed. Although it is a long
memo, four items stand out:
1. " ... based on the latest email correspondence from DTPW dated September
4, 2023, DTPW (the County) stated that if the City can confirm and
demonstrate that all businesses located within the temporary promenade
can be serv iced via the alleyway, it would be amenable to discussing the
possibility of full pedestrianization of the temporary promenade" To be very
clear, the County has not shown a desire to open the promenade to service
traffic. The County's clear central "demand" is unequivocal, no passenger traffic
on Ocean Court permitted.
2. "As of October 4, 2023, the City has received feedback from 24 of the 25
businesses stating that they can be serviced via Ocean Court." Businesses
do not require service access to Ocean Drive - they can be serviced via Ocean
Court.
3. From the report of the Miami Beach Administration's survey conducted in late
August, "74.50% of resident respondents and 73.02% of business
respondents support the temporary promenade remaining in its current
configuration."
4. And in the "Next Steps" section of the cover memo, the Manager spells out how
she stands ready to respond in a timely manner to guidance from the
Commission fo r whatever configuration the Commission may choose.
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It is c ritic a l th a t th e C o m m is s io n a c t n o w to direct the Administration to respond to
the County by accepting a version of the County's Option A, modified to remove
non-emergency vehicular traffic on Ocean Drive between 14th Place and 13th
Street. It is the closest solution to the strong recommendation of the Commission's
Public Safety Committee, and to the residents' and businesses' expressed wishes,
which is also acceptable to the County.
We support the content of the Manager's letter, up to the recommendation at the very
end, which we find out of harmony with the rest of her excellent memo. Inconsistent,
in that, as the Manager's letter states that 24 of 25 businesses stated that they
could be serviced from Ocean Court. Thus, there is no requirement that the
promenade be open to service traffic.
Therefore, we implore the Mayor and Commission to accept the motion of the
Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee and the will of the
overwhelming majorities of residents (74.5% favorable) and businesses (73%
favorable), and give the direction (County Option A, as modified to exclude all
service traffic on the Pedestrian Promenade) to the Manager to apply for the
Permit - it is the only resident -responsive, business-responsible, and Ocean
Drive-enhancing course of action!
The SOBESAFE Board
cc: Alina Hudak, City Manager
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