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MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
c/o Rosenstiel School
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy,
Miami, Fl. 33149
305-361-4850
Fax: 305-361-4755
  e-mail: mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

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I.  Status of Miami River Greenway Historical Signage - Dr. Ernie Martin informed the Greenways subcommittee that the Trust for Public Land (TPL) submitted the proposed design of the historical markers to the Villager’s, including but not limited to the preferred porcelain enamel material and having the historical text in English and Spanish.  Dr. Martin stated Ms. Ellen Uguccioni, Villagers President, confirmed her receipt of the package.  Mr. Brett Bibeau, MRC Managing Director, provided Mrs. Lavinia Freeman, TPL, with the contact information to obtain a digital version of the Villagers logo, which they required to appear on the historical markers.  Mr. Bibeau provided the Greenways subcommittee with copies of pages from The Miami River and its Tributaries, by Donald Gaby, Wilderness to Metropolis (Second Edition), an article entitled “Lummus Park on the Miami River” by historian Dr. Paul George, and text from William Kadell, regarding the history of the William English Slave Quarters / Fort Dallas, Wagner Homestead and Lummus Parks, all phase I historical marker sites.  Bibeau provided draft text for the William English / Fort Dallas marker.  Bibeau noted he had reached out to several local historians for their input on the historical markers, including Gary Beiter, Dr. Paul George, the Dade Heritage Trust, and the Villagers.  Dr. Martin stated he would re-extend the invitation to those and additional historians to work as a subcommittee in writing the text for the historical markers.  Mrs. Freeman stated she would ask the historical marker designer to confirm the 220 estimated historical text word count, and agreed to e-mail the designs to the MRC.  Dr. Martin stated Ms. Uguccioni requested a review of the Orange Blossom Trail planned historical marker locations, to reassure that there are no duplicates in the signage.  Dr. Martin stated he reviewed the list and does not see any conflicts.  Dr. Martin stated immediately after the January 13, 2004 Greenway Subcommittee (GSC) meeting, Ms. Freeman, Mr. Bibeau and he met with Sarah Eaton, City of Miami Preservation Officer, regarding the Miami River Greenways historical signage.  Dr. Martin mentioned that Dr. Fran Bohnsack, Miami River Marine Group Executive Director, requested for the maritime historical sites to be included in Miami River Greenway historical markers.  Bibeau noted the “Latitude On the River” development had offered installing a marker on their riverwalk section at the historical slip, which was used to build PT boats in World War II.   

II. Status of Miami -Dade County Proposed General Obligation Bond - Dr. Martin stated County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro invited the Miami River Commission to submit information on the Miami River Greenway for funding consideration from the proposed Miami-Dade County General Obligation Bond (GOB) issue.  Bibeau provided the Greenways subcommittee with copies of the MRC’s October 2, 2001 letter to the Board of County Commissioners, recommending GOB funding for Capital Improvement Projects within the Miami River corridor, including the Miami River Greenway. Bibeau stated per the recent Greenways subcommittee discussions and subsequent correspondence and coordination with TPL, he attended the County’s January 29, 2003 public hearing on the proposed GOB bond issue, and recommended funding for the Miami River Greenway.

Bibeau asked for the Greenways subcommittee’s input on a draft letter to the Board of County Commissioners, recommending funding for the Miami River Greenway and Stormwater improvements to be funded in the proposed GOB bond issue.  The Greenways subcommittee revised the letter, which will be mailed in the near future.  Ms. Freeman stated the Greenway development, including construction engineering documents, is $770 per linear foot, therefore the Greenway development along both shores of the River between I-95 and NW 12 Ave Bridge is estimated at $31,077,000.  The Greenways subcommittee agreed with Ms. Freeman’s suggestion to increase the funding recommendation from $10 million to $12 million, to provide addition funding for necessary construction engineering documents.  The recommended funding would be used to develop the Miami River Greenway public “on-road” sections in rights-of-way and parks, and additional funding sources will continue to be sought.. Dr. Martin asked for a re-cap of the $14 million in secured Miami River Greenway funding cited in the draft letter.  Mr. Bibeau replied the following funding sources:

• Florida Department of Transportation - $6,160,000
• City of Miami Homeland Security and Neighborhood Defense Bond Issue Greenways Line item - $2 million
• City of Miami Homeland Security and Neighborhood Defense Bond Issue Appropriation for the publicly accessible One Miami Riverwalk from the Downtown Infrastructure line item - $4.1 million
• Spring Garden Greenway City of Miami Capital Improvement project - $1.6 million
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Miami Circle Greenway Grant - $100,000
• Privately funded development of the publicly accessible riverwalk at “Brickell on the River”, Latitude on the River”, “Neo Vertika”, “Miami River Village”, etc.

III. Status of Miami River Greenway items in the City of Miami Homeland Defense and Neighborhood Improvement Bond Issue- Dr. Martin noted that Dianne Johnson has been attempting to re-schedule a meeting with the City of Miami Department of Capital Improvements, TPL, MRC, and Mr. Walter Harvey, a representative of the City of Miami’s Homeland Defense and Neighborhood Improvement Bond Oversight Board, regarding the remaining $1,725,000 in the Greenways line item.  Mr. Bibeau reported that on January 27^th, 2004 the Bond Oversight Board was presented the following required 6-month updates of Miami River related projects:

• Dianne Johnson provided the status for the $4.16 million appropriation for the publicly accessible One Miami Riverwalk from the Downtown Infrastructure line item.  The riverwalk will be a part of the final construction phase of One Miami.  Riverwalk construction at the site is scheduled to commence in summer 2005.
• Dianne Johnson provided the status of the $250,000 appropriation for the publicly accessible riverwalk adjacent to the “Neo Lofts” development.  The City is reviewing 90% complete construction documents for this section of the Miami River Greenway. 

• Brett Bibeau provided an update on the City Commission unanimously approved $25,000 required match of the awarded Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) $100,000 Miami Circle Greenway Grant.  In a July 2002 letter, the Department of State Division of Historical Resources identified available funding for necessary repairs to the seawall at the Miami Circle site, and requested a request for proposals to be drafted for the work.  Unfortunately, the sea-wall repair has not commenced, and it is necessary prior to developing the riverwalk.  Bibeau noted he has spoken with Mr. Fred Gaskee, the new Director of the Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources, whom is supportive of moving forward with the Miami Circle issue, and offered to provide a timeline for the repair of the seawall and convening a meeting of the Miami Circle Planning Group.

Bibeau stated the MRC had submitted a written request for the FDEP to provide a time extension for the awarded $100,000 Miami Circle Greenway grant funding, and Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Senator Bob Graham have recommended that FDEP grant the requested extension.

Bibeau informed the Greenways subcommittee that the Bond Oversight Board recommended denial of an appropriation from the Sewell park line item to remove the existing operational public restrooms in the park, because the item did not include immediate plans and funding for new facilities.  Bibeau cited the Miami Corridor Urban Infill Plan recommendations for Sewell Park , including keeping the public restrooms monitored and open 7 days per week.  Bibeau asked the subcommittee if the City Commission considers the item, would they like to recommend an advisory recommendation for the MRC to make on it.  The Greenways subcommittee agreed not to recommend the MRC take a position on this issue.

The Greenways subcommittee confirmed the next regularly scheduled second Monday of the month meeting for Monday, March 8, 2004 at 10:00AM in the Miami Riverside Center , 444 SW 2^nd Avenue , 8^th Floor, North Conference Room.

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