miamirivermeet1

I. Approval of Minutes & Chairman’s Report-

Mr. Parks welcomed everyone and introduced Pamella Dana from Governor Bush’s office. Mr. Parks hopes that Ms. Dana will be the Governor’s Designee to the MRC. Mr. Parks also announced that there is a new Designee from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Megan Kelly. She will be taking over the Economic Development Working Group.

Mr. Parks asked for the approval of the minutes of the April 13^th meeting. Janet McAliley moved the approval of the minutes, which was seconded by Gary Winston. The motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Parks also advised that David Miller and Mr. Parks had a very productive meeting with Bill Cullom and others at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) breakfast meeting concerning MRC plans for the river. David presented the Economic Impact Study. The GMCC is presently setting up a number of meetings for the MRC to attend and bring them up to date with the entire scope of work that the Commission has embarked upon.

Finally, he wanted to bring everyone up to date on the fact that David Miller, Dick Bunnell and Mr. Parks had a meeting with the new County Manager and his assistant concerning the dredging project. Mr. Parks would like everyone to note that on May 22^nd the County Commissioners will vote on final approval of the Project Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the Army Corps of Engineers for the dredging project. Mr. Parks feels this is one of the most critical days in the MRC’s existence because this vote will move the project forward. The Corps is ready to go to forward. The state has approved the dredging funding and the MRC’s administrative budget and Mr. Parks is greatly appreciative of everyone’s efforts in these areas. Mr. Parks asked David to prepare a draft letter of support for the dredging project and provide it to each MRC member for their individual refinement and hopefully all MRC members will send a letter to their County Commissioner.

Mr. Parks stated that pursuant to the instruction from the MRC at the last meeting, he set up a meeting with the Customs people, Drug Czar and the river business community. The meeting was held in April at Dick Bunnell’s office. There was a very large turnout and Mr. Parks felt that it went well. The purpose was to sort out some of the rough spots that had come about as a result of “Operation Riverwalk”.

II Brickell on the River Development -

Ms. Lucia Dougherty gave a presentation on the “Brickell on the River” development. This project is a modification of an existing major use special permit, which was originally granted in 1995. Originally the development was to be 60 stories and it has been reduced to 42 stories with a much better orientation to the river and a 50-foot setback from the river. There is a Riverwalk, which is open to the public. They have increased the size and accessibility of the Riverwalk. It is on the south side of the River near South Miami Avenue and the people mover. The Coconut Grove Bank owned the property and did the environmental cleanup that was required. Discussion took place. Janet McAliley made a motion requesting that the developer enlarge the clear path Riverwalk from 13 feet to 16 feet. Sandy O’Neil seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Mr. Parks explained to Ms. Dougherty that the MRC’s support is conditioned on increasing the clear path of the Riverwalk to 16 feet. Jim Murley asked if there would be cleats for boat tie-ups? The motion was amended by Jim Murley to include cleats for the boat tie-ups. The developers plan to begin as soon as all the approvals have been received, probably the first of next year.

III. River Shipping Operation -

Tom Parker gave a brief presentation. The shipping industry on the river plays a very important role in the City of Miami. They would like to put a human face on the economic role that they do play. There are about 1900 jobs that are a direct result from shipping on the river, good paying jobs. The shipping companies cooperate with each other and are involved in several programs on the River including: primary funding for Miami River Day, funding the QAT annual report, providing over $200,000 for manatee protection and close cooperation with law enforcement. On a local basis, shipping industry pays a tremendous amount in property taxes. Their role on the Miami River Commission has been to support downtown development. They support expansion and protection of park space for the public on the River; cleaning of the River, the dredging of the River and thank the MRC for its hard work on the dredging project. The shippers want to continue to cooperate with their neighbors. Ships can only move when the tide is high and that makes it a 24-hour operation. A lot is done on site to limit the amount of noise that goes on at night. They try to limit ship movements at night, but they do have to work on a 24-hour schedule because of the depth of the River. Their number one concern is that no more restrictions be placed on the bridges and their openings. Because their cargo has to go when the tide is high, it is very expensive if they miss the opportunity to move the ship. Their last concern is their relationship with Miami-Dade County. It has been a struggle. They want to continue to improve their relationship with the various governing agencies as they continue to comply with the regulations to make the neighborhood safer and cleaner. Discussion was held regarding the curfew and other concerns on the River. Mr. Parks asked the Economic Development Committee to take everything into account and begin to try to address problems before they occur. Mr. Parks stated that the MRC welcomes the opportunity to work with the Shipping Companies on these important issues. Mr. Parks asked that Tom Parker meet with Megan Kelly. If the MRC can act as a mediator or facilitator they will be glad to that, as that is the role of the MRC under the statute.

Mr. Parks welcomed Customs personnel attending the meeting. Mr. John Clark with U.S. Customs stated that he was a little disappointed that the operation that they are conducting on the River to clean up the drug smuggling was not better coordinated with this Commission and others that were involved with the River. The Governor’s office, the Florida Drug Czar’s office had intended all along in developing the operation that the integral part would not just be the law enforcement, but also working to improve economic development opportunities. There should have been better cooperation in what the various agencies are doing. He is hoping for improved communications, so that when issues do arise, they can address them rapidly and fix them quickly. Customs personnel are attending this meeting to make sure that on a continuing basis they are monitoring what goes on. He has a vested interest in making sure that the economic, regulatory, and the prosecution all get done right, because the end game for everyone is to make sure the smugglers are put out of business and the legitimate businesses on the River can thrive in their absence. Mr. Parks appreciates Mr. Clark’s efforts in this regard.

In regard to the issue of re-naming “Operation Riverwalk”, Mr. Clark feels that there has been an understanding with the Governor’s office that it can be re-named. Mr. Parks asked David Miller to follow up with the Governor’s office and report back.

IV SFWMD Presentation on Forward Pumping -

Jerry Fernandez, as a Governing Board Member and Designee from the Chairman of the South Florida Water Management District, wanted to explain about the water discharged through the gates in order to alleviate the flooding on the western parts of Miami-Dade County. Roman Gastesi (SFWMD) stated that this is one of 26 projects that they have identified in Miami-Dade County to increase the water flow and reduce flooding. Victor Powell (SFWMD) explained the three discharge points - the Miami canal, Tamiami canal and the Comfort canal. He did a quick presentation on water management so that everyone could get an idea of what happens downstream. When it rains, 1" of rain soaks into the soil and this causes a 5" raise in the ground water. In the dry season, SFWMD holds the water to recharge the ground water and prevent saltwater intrusions. During the wet season, the canal is lowered to keep the ground water lower to have enough storage to deal with flooding. Before a storm they bring the canal even lower to get as much storage as possible. Currently, all the structures in Dade County operate by gravity. Basically, when the freshwater of the Everglades is low the gates remain closed (preventing saltwater intrusion) and when the freshwater reaches a high level the gates open (preventing flooding) and drain the water to the ocean. This high and low range is where they would like to keep the water level. The ranges can be overridden based on extreme conditions.

The SFWMD wants to release more water during times of heavy rains, but they are hampered by the limitations of gravity drainage. They propose a forward pump station to pump water downstream to prevent or minimize flooding. The proposed capacity is 600 cubic feet per second (CFS), which is only 10% of flowage when the gates are opened during low tide. When the tide gets higher, those gate structures are closed and if they need to move water out, they can’t move it. This forward pumping will allow the SFWMD to pump water out when the gates are closed. That means there is no other flow other than the pump station itself. Their studies reveal there would be a 3" and 6" rise of water over normal conditions downstream of the pump station, but by the time the pumped water reaches the fork at N.W. 20^th,where the Miami Canal and the Tamiami Canal come together there will be only a 1" to 3" rise in the water elevation over a normal tide. The difference in water level downtown is insignificant. Pumping only occurs when the gravity structure is closed. In other words, more flow is not being added to the existing high peak discharges. The pump station operation will not adversely impact downstream. They cannot legally impact someone else’s flood protection to help some other area. This is only designed to alleviate flooding it is not going to resolve the flooding problems. Mr. Parks stated that the question the MRC had that generated this interest was whether or not the force of the flow when the pumps were operating would cause a problem for shipping and boating on the River. Mr. Powell stated that the canal is designed for 2000 CFS, so this is well below the design criteria. The pump station is insignificant in terms of what is seen during peak discharges. The project is fully funded and they are ready to move forward. David Miller asked if the design problems with the Fifth Street Bridge concerning the restrictions of water flow were impacting the flooding issue. Roman did not know and said he would check on that issue.

Dr. Martin stated that more attention has been given on storm water run off during the last year or so due to the flooding problems out west. Indications have been seen of a big new allocation from the State Legislature to deal with storm water. One of his concerns is that they have been identifying storm water run off into the Miami River as major source of pollution of the River itself. He has been trying to retrofit some of the outdated storm drainage systems that exist. There has been a lot of diversion of attention to west Dade. Discussion was held. Concerning water quality, Carlos Espinoza stated that the longer an area is flooded the greater the damage to water quality, so reduction of flooding will improve water quality. Mr. Parks thanked them for taking their time to come before the MRC and explain their pumping project.

V. Committee Reports -

DREDGING WORKING GROUP - Dick Bunnell advised the group that the Corps of Engineers (about 2 weeks ago) held an industry day that was well attended. They had a lot of interest from contractors nationwide. They are looking at a lot of alternatives to the conventional method of dredging the River. They intend to put out a contract proposal. The Corps intends to put the contract out to dredge and remove the sediments and dispose of the sediments in one single contract. They will look for the best value to the government and the community, which gets the job done the quickest and with the least disruption. This will be a very unique project and will get worldwide attention. They are asking the County Commissioners to authorize the Manager to negotiate and sign the project cooperation agreement - PCA. Without his ability to move forward on a rapid basis to sign that agreement with the Corps, they are going to get further behind on this project. Mr. Parks again stressed the importance of the MRC members to write letters to everyone before the meeting on May 22^nd. Mr. Parks asked David and Dick to get someone from the Corps to attend the June MRC meeting to brief them as to where things are technically and environmentally.

PUBLIC SAFETY WORKING GROUP- Captain Bowling stated that they are trying to get some of the larger derelict vessels off the River and into the artificial reef program. They have been working with Customs and the Artificial Reef Coordinators to try to come up with a program to streamline getting some of the vessels to the reef. This is on going.

QUALITY OF LIFE - Jim Murley referred the MRC to the minutes of the Urban Infill Committee for April 26^th. It shows where they are in regard to funding. He credited Brett Bibeau with carrying the ball and getting the Urban Infill plan together. Mr. Murley asked Commissioner Sanchez about the City’s goal of $150,000 in cash and noted that the City Manager needs to sign the Joint Planning Agreement. If all conditions are met, he hoped that planning agreement could get signed. They need to move ahead on this quickly.

Mr. Parks asked Brett about the City’s grants for over $2.1 million for the Riverwalk. They were going to lose those grants by July and they needed to get with the City on that. Dianne Johnson stated the grants will not be lost and will be extended for another year.

GREENWAYS AND GRANT APPLICATION - Dr. Martin reported that in regard to the Quality of Life along the river there is a lot of attention concerning airline flight paths from the airport. The noise abatement task force from the aviation department has made a recommendation that the Miami River corridor is the best place to move flights, because people on Brickell and the Morningside area are objecting to the noise. Dr. Martin stated he has noticed a significant increase in the noise level since they have diverted night flights. They begin at 2:00 a.m. and continue for the balance of the morning. They have to bring that to the attention of the County Commission at the next meeting. They want to meet first with the Quality of Life Committee.

Dr. Martin stated that the second biggest issue is going before the City of Miami Commission on May 10^th. It is the Miami River Greenway Action Plan for its final adoption after the 45 public hearings that they have had. He needs for all to attend the City Commission meeting to show their support. It will not be heard before 3:00 p.m.

Further discussion was held regarding the noise on the River. Mr. Parks suggested that Jim Murley get with anyone who had a complaint regarding the noise on the River.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Investigation Committee

Mr. Parks stated he advised the GMCC that the MRC had set up a TIF Working Group and he asked for technical assistance from the Chamber. The problem with the TIF politically is that once the funding amount is set, who gets it and for what projects. There is a difference of opinion between the City and the County. Mr. Parks stated that the MRC job was not to get trapped into having the TIF be a stadium oriented deal, but merely a vehicle by which River improvements could be made and funded and maintained, i.e. the Greenway. Mr. Parks feels that the MRC’s job is to say this is how it is done and this is what it would bring in and the City and County are going to have to make the funding decisions. The MRC is on record as supporting a TIF district along the river. Mr. Parks does not feel the MRC should take a position with reference to how the funds should be allocated. The people getting the funds should make that decision. Dr. Martin stated that they had a meeting with the new person from the Chamber and others in trying to look at some of the issues again with regard to the TIF. It may be one of the funding vehicles, which puts the Marlin’s issue back on the table. The governmental entities are going to make the overall decision regarding the funds.

VI. New Business -

The Miami River Cleanup, sponsored by Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, flyers were passed out. It was requested that if anyone can help with a boat it would be appreciated. Mr. Parks encouraged everyone to attend.

Dr. Martin thanked those who participated in the Heritage Day event at Spring Gardens and they were focusing on the needs of Wagner Creek. He thanked DERM for its help with staff personnel to answer questions.

Janet McAliley asked about the buffer zone between the ships and docks to protect the manatees. The Manatee Protection Plan recommends that fenders be installed on the River to allow a three-foot zone between ships and the dock, except for the narrow stretch River. Most facilities have complied. It is required only for large ships more than 100 feet. Mr. Parks stated that they would monitor this.

Next, a video created by the MRC to highlight the need for the dredging project was presented. David Miller explained the video is to be utilized to educate people about the river and the economic importance of the river. It came about through the dredging working group, as they realized that most people are not familiar with the river. It also promotes civic pride in the River.


JOIN US!! For more information, contact us via email at mrc@rsmas.miami.edu 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	MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION GENERAL COMMITTEE MINUTES: Minutes of meeting	MONDAY, MAY 7, 2001 12:00 NOON (THIS IS A PUBLIC DOCUMENT)
	The Miami River Commission meeting was called to order by Robert Parks, Chairperson, at 12:00 noon on Monday, May 7, 2001, at the Downtown Development Authority, First Union National Bank Building, Suite 1818, 200 South Biscayne Boulevard in Miami.
	Miami River Commission Policy Committee members and/or Designees attending were: Robert L. Parks, Chairperson, Member at Large, appointed by the Governor Sandy O'Neil, Mayor of Miami-Dade, Designee Ernest Martin, Neighborhood Rep., appointed by City of Miami Commission Janet McAliley, Rep. of Environmental or Civic Org., appointed by the Governor Tom Parker, Member at Large, appointed by Miami-Dade Commission, Designee Gary Winston, Miami-Dade State Attorney, Designee Richard Bunnell, Miami River Marine Group, Designee Jim Murley, Governor of the State of Florida, Designee Commissioner Joe Sanchez, City of Miami Commissioner Alonzo Menendez, Executive Director DDA, Designee Jane Caporelli, Neighborhood Rep., appointed by Miami-Dade Commission, Designee Ex Officio (non-voting) members: Captain Larry Bowling, U.S. Coast Guard Debbie Zimmerman, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s Office MRC Staff: David Miller, Managing Director Brett Bibeau, Assistant Managing Director Others attending interested in the River: Pamella Dana, Governor’s Office Carlos Espinosa, DERM Dianne Johnson, City of Miami Susan Markley, Miami Dade DERM Fran Bohnsack, MRMG Dusty Melton Scott Mitchell Dan McIntyre CDR Joseph Boudrow, Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Richard Kolbusz, U.S. Customs Service John Clark, Office of Investigations, U.S.Customs Zach Man, U.S. Customs Mike Sinclair, U.S. Customs Victor Powell, SFWMD Jose Fuentes, SFWMD Roman Gastesi, SFWMD Ms. Lucia Dougherty
	I. Approval of Minutes & Chairman’s Report- Mr. Parks welcomed everyone and introduced Pamella Dana from Governor Bush’s office. Mr. Parks hopes that Ms. Dana will be the Governor’s Designee to the MRC. Mr. Parks also announced that there is a new Designee from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Megan Kelly. She will be taking over the Economic Development Working Group. Mr. Parks asked for the approval of the minutes of the April 13^th meeting. Janet McAliley moved the approval of the minutes, which was seconded by Gary Winston. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Parks also advised that David Miller and Mr. Parks had a very productive meeting with Bill Cullom and others at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) breakfast meeting concerning MRC plans for the river. David presented the Economic Impact Study. The GMCC is presently setting up a number of meetings for the MRC to attend and bring them up to date with the entire scope of work that the Commission has embarked upon. Finally, he wanted to bring everyone up to date on the fact that David Miller, Dick Bunnell and Mr. Parks had a meeting with the new County Manager and his assistant concerning the dredging project. Mr. Parks would like everyone to note that on May 22^nd the County Commissioners will vote on final approval of the Project Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the Army Corps of Engineers for the dredging project. Mr. Parks feels this is one of the most critical days in the MRC’s existence because this vote will move the project forward. The Corps is ready to go to forward. The state has approved the dredging funding and the MRC’s administrative budget and Mr. Parks is greatly appreciative of everyone’s efforts in these areas. Mr. Parks asked David to prepare a draft letter of support for the dredging project and provide it to each MRC member for their individual refinement and hopefully all MRC members will send a letter to their County Commissioner. Mr. Parks stated that pursuant to the instruction from the MRC at the last meeting, he set up a meeting with the Customs people, Drug Czar and the river business community. The meeting was held in April at Dick Bunnell’s office. There was a very large turnout and Mr. Parks felt that it went well. The purpose was to sort out some of the rough spots that had come about as a result of “Operation Riverwalk”. II Brickell on the River Development - Ms. Lucia Dougherty gave a presentation on the “Brickell on the River” development. This project is a modification of an existing major use special permit, which was originally granted in 1995. Originally the development was to be 60 stories and it has been reduced to 42 stories with a much better orientation to the river and a 50-foot setback from the river. There is a Riverwalk, which is open to the public. They have increased the size and accessibility of the Riverwalk. It is on the south side of the River near South Miami Avenue and the people mover. The Coconut Grove Bank owned the property and did the environmental cleanup that was required. Discussion took place. Janet McAliley made a motion requesting that the developer enlarge the clear path Riverwalk from 13 feet to 16 feet. Sandy O’Neil seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Mr. Parks explained to Ms. Dougherty that the MRC’s support is conditioned on increasing the clear path of the Riverwalk to 16 feet. Jim Murley asked if there would be cleats for boat tie-ups? The motion was amended by Jim Murley to include cleats for the boat tie-ups. The developers plan to begin as soon as all the approvals have been received, probably the first of next year. III. River Shipping Operation - Tom Parker gave a brief presentation. The shipping industry on the river plays a very important role in the City of Miami. They would like to put a human face on the economic role that they do play. There are about 1900 jobs that are a direct result from shipping on the river, good paying jobs. The shipping companies cooperate with each other and are involved in several programs on the River including: primary funding for Miami River Day, funding the QAT annual report, providing over $200,000 for manatee protection and close cooperation with law enforcement. On a local basis, shipping industry pays a tremendous amount in property taxes. Their role on the Miami River Commission has been to support downtown development. They support expansion and protection of park space for the public on the River; cleaning of the River, the dredging of the River and thank the MRC for its hard work on the dredging project. The shippers want to continue to cooperate with their neighbors. Ships can only move when the tide is high and that makes it a 24-hour operation. A lot is done on site to limit the amount of noise that goes on at night. They try to limit ship movements at night, but they do have to work on a 24-hour schedule because of the depth of the River. Their number one concern is that no more restrictions be placed on the bridges and their openings. Because their cargo has to go when the tide is high, it is very expensive if they miss the opportunity to move the ship. Their last concern is their relationship with Miami-Dade County. It has been a struggle. They want to continue to improve their relationship with the various governing agencies as they continue to comply with the regulations to make the neighborhood safer and cleaner. Discussion was held regarding the curfew and other concerns on the River. Mr. Parks asked the Economic Development Committee to take everything into account and begin to try to address problems before they occur. Mr. Parks stated that the MRC welcomes the opportunity to work with the Shipping Companies on these important issues. Mr. Parks asked that Tom Parker meet with Megan Kelly. If the MRC can act as a mediator or facilitator they will be glad to that, as that is the role of the MRC under the statute. Mr. Parks welcomed Customs personnel attending the meeting. Mr. John Clark with U.S. Customs stated that he was a little disappointed that the operation that they are conducting on the River to clean up the drug smuggling was not better coordinated with this Commission and others that were involved with the River. The Governor’s office, the Florida Drug Czar’s office had intended all along in developing the operation that the integral part would not just be the law enforcement, but also working to improve economic development opportunities. There should have been better cooperation in what the various agencies are doing. He is hoping for improved communications, so that when issues do arise, they can address them rapidly and fix them quickly. Customs personnel are attending this meeting to make sure that on a continuing basis they are monitoring what goes on. He has a vested interest in making sure that the economic, regulatory, and the prosecution all get done right, because the end game for everyone is to make sure the smugglers are put out of business and the legitimate businesses on the River can thrive in their absence. Mr. Parks appreciates Mr. Clark’s efforts in this regard. In regard to the issue of re-naming “Operation Riverwalk”, Mr. Clark feels that there has been an understanding with the Governor’s office that it can be re-named. Mr. Parks asked David Miller to follow up with the Governor’s office and report back. IV SFWMD Presentation on Forward Pumping - Jerry Fernandez, as a Governing Board Member and Designee from the Chairman of the South Florida Water Management District, wanted to explain about the water discharged through the gates in order to alleviate the flooding on the western parts of Miami-Dade County. Roman Gastesi (SFWMD) stated that this is one of 26 projects that they have identified in Miami-Dade County to increase the water flow and reduce flooding. Victor Powell (SFWMD) explained the three discharge points - the Miami canal, Tamiami canal and the Comfort canal. He did a quick presentation on water management so that everyone could get an idea of what happens downstream. When it rains, 1" of rain soaks into the soil and this causes a 5" raise in the ground water. In the dry season, SFWMD holds the water to recharge the ground water and prevent saltwater intrusions. During the wet season, the canal is lowered to keep the ground water lower to have enough storage to deal with flooding. Before a storm they bring the canal even lower to get as much storage as possible. Currently, all the structures in Dade County operate by gravity. Basically, when the freshwater of the Everglades is low the gates remain closed (preventing saltwater intrusion) and when the freshwater reaches a high level the gates open (preventing flooding) and drain the water to the ocean. This high and low range is where they would like to keep the water level. The ranges can be overridden based on extreme conditions. The SFWMD wants to release more water during times of heavy rains, but they are hampered by the limitations of gravity drainage. They propose a forward pump station to pump water downstream to prevent or minimize flooding. The proposed capacity is 600 cubic feet per second (CFS), which is only 10% of flowage when the gates are opened during low tide. When the tide gets higher, those gate structures are closed and if they need to move water out, they can’t move it. This forward pumping will allow the SFWMD to pump water out when the gates are closed. That means there is no other flow other than the pump station itself. Their studies reveal there would be a 3" and 6" rise of water over normal conditions downstream of the pump station, but by the time the pumped water reaches the fork at N.W. 20^th,where the Miami Canal and the Tamiami Canal come together there will be only a 1" to 3" rise in the water elevation over a normal tide. The difference in water level downtown is insignificant. Pumping only occurs when the gravity structure is closed. In other words, more flow is not being added to the existing high peak discharges. The pump station operation will not adversely impact downstream. They cannot legally impact someone else’s flood protection to help some other area. This is only designed to alleviate flooding it is not going to resolve the flooding problems. Mr. Parks stated that the question the MRC had that generated this interest was whether or not the force of the flow when the pumps were operating would cause a problem for shipping and boating on the River. Mr. Powell stated that the canal is designed for 2000 CFS, so this is well below the design criteria. The pump station is insignificant in terms of what is seen during peak discharges. The project is fully funded and they are ready to move forward. David Miller asked if the design problems with the Fifth Street Bridge concerning the restrictions of water flow were impacting the flooding issue. Roman did not know and said he would check on that issue. Dr. Martin stated that more attention has been given on storm water run off during the last year or so due to the flooding problems out west. Indications have been seen of a big new allocation from the State Legislature to deal with storm water. One of his concerns is that they have been identifying storm water run off into the Miami River as major source of pollution of the River itself. He has been trying to retrofit some of the outdated storm drainage systems that exist. There has been a lot of diversion of attention to west Dade. Discussion was held. Concerning water quality, Carlos Espinoza stated that the longer an area is flooded the greater the damage to water quality, so reduction of flooding will improve water quality. Mr. Parks thanked them for taking their time to come before the MRC and explain their pumping project. V. Committee Reports - DREDGING WORKING GROUP - Dick Bunnell advised the group that the Corps of Engineers (about 2 weeks ago) held an industry day that was well attended. They had a lot of interest from contractors nationwide. They are looking at a lot of alternatives to the conventional method of dredging the River. They intend to put out a contract proposal. The Corps intends to put the contract out to dredge and remove the sediments and dispose of the sediments in one single contract. They will look for the best value to the government and the community, which gets the job done the quickest and with the least disruption. This will be a very unique project and will get worldwide attention. They are asking the County Commissioners to authorize the Manager to negotiate and sign the project cooperation agreement - PCA. Without his ability to move forward on a rapid basis to sign that agreement with the Corps, they are going to get further behind on this project. Mr. Parks again stressed the importance of the MRC members to write letters to everyone before the meeting on May 22^nd. Mr. Parks asked David and Dick to get someone from the Corps to attend the June MRC meeting to brief them as to where things are technically and environmentally. PUBLIC SAFETY WORKING GROUP- Captain Bowling stated that they are trying to get some of the larger derelict vessels off the River and into the artificial reef program. They have been working with Customs and the Artificial Reef Coordinators to try to come up with a program to streamline getting some of the vessels to the reef. This is on going. QUALITY OF LIFE - Jim Murley referred the MRC to the minutes of the Urban Infill Committee for April 26^th. It shows where they are in regard to funding. He credited Brett Bibeau with carrying the ball and getting the Urban Infill plan together. Mr. Murley asked Commissioner Sanchez about the City’s goal of $150,000 in cash and noted that the City Manager needs to sign the Joint Planning Agreement. If all conditions are met, he hoped that planning agreement could get signed. They need to move ahead on this quickly. Mr. Parks asked Brett about the City’s grants for over $2.1 million for the Riverwalk. They were going to lose those grants by July and they needed to get with the City on that. Dianne Johnson stated the grants will not be lost and will be extended for another year. GREENWAYS AND GRANT APPLICATION - Dr. Martin reported that in regard to the Quality of Life along the river there is a lot of attention concerning airline flight paths from the airport. The noise abatement task force from the aviation department has made a recommendation that the Miami River corridor is the best place to move flights, because people on Brickell and the Morningside area are objecting to the noise. Dr. Martin stated he has noticed a significant increase in the noise level since they have diverted night flights. They begin at 2:00 a.m. and continue for the balance of the morning. They have to bring that to the attention of the County Commission at the next meeting. They want to meet first with the Quality of Life Committee. Dr. Martin stated that the second biggest issue is going before the City of Miami Commission on May 10^th. It is the Miami River Greenway Action Plan for its final adoption after the 45 public hearings that they have had. He needs for all to attend the City Commission meeting to show their support. It will not be heard before 3:00 p.m. Further discussion was held regarding the noise on the River. Mr. Parks suggested that Jim Murley get with anyone who had a complaint regarding the noise on the River. Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Investigation Committee Mr. Parks stated he advised the GMCC that the MRC had set up a TIF Working Group and he asked for technical assistance from the Chamber. The problem with the TIF politically is that once the funding amount is set, who gets it and for what projects. There is a difference of opinion between the City and the County. Mr. Parks stated that the MRC job was not to get trapped into having the TIF be a stadium oriented deal, but merely a vehicle by which River improvements could be made and funded and maintained, i.e. the Greenway. Mr. Parks feels that the MRC’s job is to say this is how it is done and this is what it would bring in and the City and County are going to have to make the funding decisions. The MRC is on record as supporting a TIF district along the river. Mr. Parks does not feel the MRC should take a position with reference to how the funds should be allocated. The people getting the funds should make that decision. Dr. Martin stated that they had a meeting with the new person from the Chamber and others in trying to look at some of the issues again with regard to the TIF. It may be one of the funding vehicles, which puts the Marlin’s issue back on the table. The governmental entities are going to make the overall decision regarding the funds. VI. New Business - The Miami River Cleanup, sponsored by Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, flyers were passed out. It was requested that if anyone can help with a boat it would be appreciated. Mr. Parks encouraged everyone to attend. Dr. Martin thanked those who participated in the Heritage Day event at Spring Gardens and they were focusing on the needs of Wagner Creek. He thanked DERM for its help with staff personnel to answer questions. Janet McAliley asked about the buffer zone between the ships and docks to protect the manatees. The Manatee Protection Plan recommends that fenders be installed on the River to allow a three-foot zone between ships and the dock, except for the narrow stretch River. Most facilities have complied. It is required only for large ships more than 100 feet. Mr. Parks stated that they would monitor this. Next, a video created by the MRC to highlight the need for the dredging project was presented. David Miller explained the video is to be utilized to educate people about the river and the economic importance of the river. It came about through the dredging working group, as they realized that most people are not familiar with the river. It also promotes civic pride in the River.
IV. Adjournment	There being no further business to come before the meeting, the meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m _______________________________Recording Secretary
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