JOIN US!!
For more information, contact us via email at mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
c/o Robert King High
1407 NW 7 St., 
Suite D
Miami, FL  33125 Phone 305 644 0544
Fax 305 642 1136
Email:
  mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

MONDAY
March 7, 2005
12:00 NOON
(THIS IS A PUBLIC DOCUMENT)

Miami River Commission (MRC) Chairperson Irela Bagué convened the MRC meeting at noon , Monday, March 7, 2005 , Robert King High, 1401 NW 7^th Ave , Miami , Florida .

• Chairperson Irela Bagué, South Florida Water Management District

• Phil Everingham, President of the Marine Council, MRC Vice-Chairperson

• Roman Gastesi, designee for Mayor of Miami-Dade County Carlos Alvarez

• Steve Wright, designee for City Commission Chairman Joe Sanchez

• Gary Winston, designee for Miami-Dade State Attorney 

• Ernie Martin, Neighborhood Representative, appointed by City Commission

• Charles Morton, Miami River Marine Group

• Eddie Rodriguez, Appointed by Miami -Dade Commission, designee     

MRC Staff: Brett Bibeau, Managing Director, Ashley Chase Assistant Managing Director

Others attending interested in the River:  

• Jim Murley, Florida Atlantic University

• Tony Garrastazu, Office of the Governor

• Dr. Fran Bohnsack, Miami River Marine Group, Executive Director

• Dianne Johnson, City of Miami , Capital Improvements Program

• Evan Skornick, SFWMD

• Jose Fuentes, SFWMD

• Gwin Tate , United States Coast Guard

• Lucia Dougherty, Greenberg Traurig

• Patrick Range , Greenberg Traurig

• Ed Llorca, Mouriz Salazar Architect

• Captain Beau Payne, P & L Towing

• Carlos Espinosa, Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resource Management

• Carol Perrelet, DHS-ICE

• Jack Wolfe, Impact Miami

• Christina Bird, Impact Miami

I. MRC Chairperson Report:    

MRC Chairperson Irela Bagué noted the MRC meeting was short one board member for quorum, and decided to conduct the publicly noticed meeting without taking any formal actions.  Brett Bibeau, MRC Managing Director, stated this was the first MRC meeting since its inception in 1998 that the MRC hasn’t obtained quorum, and Bagué noted this was the first MRC meeting in the new location, which may have been a factor. Chairperson Bagué deferred motions related to the February 10, 2005 MRC minutes to the MRC’s April 4, 2005 meeting.

Chairperson Bagué presented the MRC’s new enlarged aerial photographs of the entire Miami River Urban Infill Corridor.  Bagué thanked the SFWMD for preparing the aerials to assist the MRC in deliberations.  Each MRC member was provided a CD of the aerials, which divide the river into quadrants, a-y.  Bagué explained future MRC minutes would reference the appropriate quadrant of the aerials, for further review and consideration.

Chairperson Bagué stated MRC member Gary Winston has recently expressed a desire to expand the MRC’s current standard operating procedures for publicly noticing MRC meetings.  Therefore, MRC staff has contacted the following newspapers to request MRC meeting notification in their respective community calendars/listings of local events: The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald, Sun Post, South Florida Business Journal, Daily Business Review, New Times, and the Miami Today.

Ms. Bagué announced the SFWMD would embark on a Public Awareness Campaign of the Miami River entitled, “The Miami River…Works for Me!” The campaign, she noted, would be launched during the Ninth Annual Miami Riverday on March 19, 2005 , and would feature video spots of elected officials and Miami River stakeholders repeating the campaign slogan in English Spanish or Creole.

Dr. Ernie Martin asked for an update related to the Miami River Board Member retreat, and Ms. Bagué said she would provide the Executive Board with more information once she had met with the potential retreat facilitator.

Dr. Martin asked how the Miami River Greenway would be maintained, and Ms. Bagué commented that delegating that specific responsibility to the Miami River Commission could prove to be an option.

II. Presentation of “Coastal on the River”, 2215 NW 14 Street

Due to being one board member shy of quorum, the Miami River Commission deferred the item to the nextmext regularly scheduled first Monday of the month meeting, April 4, 2005, noon, 1401 NW 7 ST.

III. Presentation of Draft “ Miami River Greenway Regulatory Design Standards”

Dr. Ernie Martin, MRC Greenways Subcommittee Chair, stated that MRC staff had mailed copies of the draft ordinance “Greenway Regulatory Design Standards” to all Miami River Commission board members for their review a week prior to the March 7 MRC meeting.

Dr. Martin noted the draft ordinance “Miami River Greenways Regulatory Design Standards” is based on, and considered “the next step” of, the previously adopted Miami River Greenway Action Plan, a conceptual plan aiming to create 11 miles of linear park along the Miami River , eventually transforming the area into an amenity and major urban destination. The draft ordinance, added Dr. Martin, outlines the steps and guidelines necessary to continue bringing this vision for the Miami River to fruition.

Dr. Martin noted that he and Mr. Bibeau met with Mr. Kevin Brown, City of Miami Capital Improvements Program , and Mr. Enrique Nuñez, City of Miami Planning Department, on Thursday, March 3 at the City of Miami Riverside Center to discuss certain sections of the draft ordinance. As a result of the meeting, the Miami River Greenway Action Plan recommended 16-feet of unobstructed pedestrian path will be inserted into the language of the draft ordinance, and will become a legal requirement for all redevelopments not zoned industrial or low density residential.

Ms. Irela Bagué introduced Mr. Nuñez to the MRC board and meeting attendees to provide a brief overview of the draft ordinance “Miami River Greenway Regulatory Design Standards,” prepared by Kimley-Horn & Associates, under contract with the City of Miami .  Mr. Nuñez explained the draft ordinance is divided into three zones: “Lower,” “Middle,” and “Upper” River.  Each section, commented Nuñez, promotes waterfront linkage to all Miami River neighborhoods and is intended to be adopted as future rules for development along the River. Therefore, he added, it is important to obtain as much input and feedback as possible.

Chairperson Bagué encouraged MRC board members to review the draft ordinance and submit their comments to MRC staff by Monday, March 14.  Mr. Kevin Brown stated he would collect the MRC’s feedback and submit it to Kimley Horn to make revisions and/or additions before the publicly noticed MRC Greenways Subcommittee workshop to be held on Monday, March 21, 10 am , University of Miami Rosenstiel School. Mr. Brown stated that members of the City of Miami Planning Department, Kimley Horn, Trust for Public Land and the general public are expected to attend the workshop.  The revised document would then be presented to the MRC on April 4, 2005 , in order to formalize the MRC’s advisory recommendation. 

Chairperson Bagué asked Mr. Brown if the City of Miami had held any public meetings in relation to the draft ordinance, and Mr. Brown answered that they had not. Though not considered a requirement, Mr. Brown added that the City might present the draft to the public once all comments have been incorporated.

Ms Lavinia Freeman, Trust for Public Land , provided a brief greenway construction update. Ms. Freeman stated construction documents for the next phase of Miami River Greenway construction are nearing completion, and a groundbreaking ceremony is expected on either April 12 or 13.  In addition, Ms. Freeman stated the development of the riverwalk in Lummus Park would recommence this week.

 IV MRC Subcommittee Reports

 a.  Dredging Subcommittee

MRC Dredging subcommittee co-chair Dick Bunnell stated the Miami River Maintenance Dredging contractors desire to replace the sediment processing equipment and subcontractor in order to achieve their desired productivity rate.  Bunnell explained the general process would remain unchanged, and the project should be back up to speed by June 2005, and on schedule by September 2005.  Chairperson Bagué stated a fact sheet would be helpful, and Bunnell replied the contractors were developing a fact sheet in cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers.

 b.  Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan

MRC Urban Infill Working Group (UIWG) chair Jim Murley reported the UIWG is working with Miami-Dade County on final revisions to their drafted Marine Industrial zoning overlay district.  In addition, Murley noted the UIWG continues to attempt to coordinate the Florida Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organization, Miami-Dade County , and the City of Miami to conduct the MRC recommended comprehensive multi-modal Miami River Corridor Transportation Study. 

c.   Stormwater Subcommittee-

Mr. Evan Skornick, SFWMD, stated that the next phase of smoke testing in Wagner Creek will commence, following a finalized agreement between DERM and the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD).  Mr. Skornick stated that members of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) met with the SSC on March 2, 2005 , regarding the establishment of Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) water quality parameters for Wagner Creek and the Miami River .

Mr. Skornick stated that the SFWMD received a grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND), and is currently working on an agreement with the County for the Miami River Maintenance Dredging Project. The contract is expected to go before the SFWMD for approval in May. Mr. Skornick said that the SFWMD would have to reapply to FIND with the City and County for additional Miami River maintenance dredging funding.

d.    Economic Development & Commerce –

Mr. Phil Everingham stated that on Tuesday, March 8, 9 AM , Hazen & Sawyer is hosting a meeting at 999 Ponce de Leon Blvd. to obtain input regarding the third draft of their Biscayne Bay Economic Analysis, a study funded by the SFWMD. Ms. Bagué stated that the City of Miami had been invited to attend the meeting. She hoped the City would consider the draft to be their Economic Analysis; particularly the component of the economic analysis related to the Miami River , especially considering the City of Miami ’s contracted Miami River Economic Analysis is overdue.  Mr. Dick Bunnell asked if the City had obtained a copy of the Hazen-Sawyer draft, and Ms. Bagué said she believed they had. Mr. Bunnell asked if they had commented on the draft, and Ms. Bagué responded that they had not-to her understanding-but she was expecting to receive comments at the meeting.

e.      Miami River Safety Committee-

Mr. Gary Winston asked Dr. Fran Bohnsack, Miami River Marine Group, to provide an update related to Miami River port security. Dr. Bohnsack stated that the Department of Justice had recently performed site visits along the Miami River ’s shipping terminals, and were very pleased with current security conditions.  Mr. Bud Morton noted he had also been impressed. Dr. Bohnsack reminded MRC board members and meeting attendees of the next Port Security meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 2 pm .

VI.       New Business - Dr. Fran Bohnsack congratulated Chairperson Bagué, who is being recognized at Vizcaya on Thursday, March 10, 2005 with an “In the Company of Women” award.  Ms. Bagué thanked Dr. Bohnsack, and noted how nice it was to follow in her mother’s footsteps, whom is a community activist and former recipient of the same honor.

The meeting adjourned.

IV. Adjournment 

There being no further business to come before the meeting, the meeting adjourned.

_____________________________Recording Secretary

     HOME      CALENDAR       ABOUT THE RIVER         ABOUT THE COMMISSION       DREDGING      GREENWAYS    URBAN INFILL PLAN  
     STORMWATER RETROFITTING   MINUTES OF MEETINGS      LINKS