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MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
c/o Rosenstiel School
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy,
Miami, Fl. 33149
305-421-4850
Fax: 305-421-4755
  e-mail: mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

MONDAY
Oct. 10, 2004
12:00 NOON
(THIS IS A PUBLIC DOCUMENT)

Chairperson Irela Bague called the Miami River Commission (MRC) meeting to order at noon , on Monday, October 4, 2004 in the United Way , Ansin Building , 3250 S.W. Third Avenue , Miami , Florida .

• Chairperson Irela Bague, South Florida Water Management District designee

• Phil Everingham, President of the Marine Council, MRC Vice Chairman

• Ms. Debbie Zimmerman, designee for ex-officio MRC member Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

• Roman Gastesi, designee for Mayor of Miami-Dade County Alex Penelas

• Otto Boudet-Murias, designee for City of Miami Mayor Manuel A. Diaz

• Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, Board of County Commissioners

• Ms. Betty Gutierrez, designee for Commissioner Barreiro

• Steve Wright, designee for City Commissioner Joe Sanchez

• Ernie Martin, Neighborhood Representative, Appointed by City Commission

• Megan Kelly, designee for Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce

• Sallye Jude, Neighborhood Representative, appointed by Miami-Dade Commission

• Tony Garrastazu, attended for Dr. Pamela Dana, designee for Governor of State of Florida

• Gary Winston, designee for Miami-Dade State Attorney

• Charles Morton, President of the Miami River Marine Group

• Eddie Rodriguez, designee for Member-at-Large appointed by Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners

MRC Staff: Brett Bibeau, Managing Director

Others attending interested in the River:

• Jim Murley, Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Cantenese Center

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

• Officer Wade Orner, City of Police Department Environmental Crimes Unit.

• Officer David Kosloske, Miami-Dade County Police Department

• Jeanette Stanley, Trust for Public Land

• Pietro Taballione, University of Miami , MRC Volunteer Intern

I. Chair's Report: 

Chairperson Irela Bague stated the presenters of “Brisas del Rio ” requested a deferral to the MRC’s November 1, 2004 meeting.  Bague called for the MRC subcommittee reports.

II.        MRC Committee Reports

Dredging Working Group - Mr. Brett Bibeau, MRC Managing Director, stated the MRC dredging co-chairs, Dick Bunnell and Scott Mitchell are unable to attend the MRC meeting.  Bibeau reported the following five steps have occurred towards commencing the Miami River Maintenance Dredging project, since the MRC’s September 2004 meeting:

1)  All permits have been issued.

2)  The dredging contractors have commenced construction of the sediment processing sites ( NW 33^rd Street and NW 36 Ave and across the street at the riverfront “Hooper site”), which will be used to separate and temporarily treat the dredged materials.  The contractors believe that some of the treated sediments may be accepted from the local land fill to be used as “clean fill”.  On a daily basis sealed trucks will transport the treated sediments to two existing class III land fills.         

3)   On September 30, 2004 the contractors commenced the dredging preparation activity known as “snagging”, which made it eligible for the Army Corps to reprogram funding to the Miami River dredging project from unused Federal Fiscal Year 2004 funding.

4)  An Army Corps’ Washington DC headquarters representative, sent an e-mail stating the “reprogramming funding is indeed safe”.

5)  A Miami River maintenance dredging project commencement event was being planned by the involved agencies for later in October 2004, and as soon as the exact date, and location are agreed upon, all MRC members and designees, elected officials, and other interested parties will be invited to the event. 

Mr. Bibeau noted the attendance of Roman Gastesi, Miami-Dade County ’s Miami River dredging project manager, and offered Mr. Gastesi to make any additional report.  Mr. Gastesi stated the project is going well and commended the MRC for their efforts.  Ms. Bague thanked Mr. Bibeau for all of his hard work and keeping everyone working together in partnership through the process to bring the dredging project to fruition.  Ms. Bague thanked Congress, the Army Corps, State of Florida , Miami-Dade County , City of Miami , South Florida Water Management District and MRC members for making the Miami River Maintenance Dredging project a reality.

Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan Working Group -  

The MRC’s Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan Working Group chair, Mr. James Murley, stated they continue to work with the FDOT towards creating a scope for a holistic Miami River corridor transportation study, with direct participation from the MPO, City and County.

  Sallye Jude asked about the status of the City of Miami ’s efforts to create a new Citywide Master Plan and revise their Comprehensive Plan.  Murley stated MRC representatives have meet with Liz Plater-Zyberk, regarding her consultant work on “Miami 21”, and had been involved in the Evaluation Appraisal Report (EAR) process, which leads to amending the City’s Comprehensive Plan.  Murley asked Bibeau for any additional update.  Bibeau stated the City of Miami Planning Department had contacted MRC staff, requesting the river related EAR components be placed on the MRC’s Urban Infill

Working Group’s October agenda, so that it may be presented to the full MRC during the November 1, 2004 meeting. 

Greenways Subcommittee -  Dr. Ernie Martin, Chair of the MRC’s Greenways subcommittee, stated the Trust for Public Land ’s consultants are continuing to work on construction engineering documents for the next phases of Miami River Greenway development.  Martin noted the Greenways subcommittee conducted a productive site visit, to determine the precise placement of the historical markers and way-finding signage.

Dr. Martin stated under grounding FPL utility poles needs to be addressed, in order to maximize the Greenway benefits.  Commissioner Bruno Barreiro stated the Florida Legislature is conducting a feasibility study to underground utilities, and Miami-Dade County is conducting a 6-month study on the potential cost, procedure, and who would be responsible for relocating the utility lines underground.  Commissioner Barreiro stated he believed the utility poles will eventually be placed underground, and future projects maybe required to incorporate underground utilities.  Sallye Jude noted under grounding utilities would reduce maintenance costs, and protect power supply through storm events.

Dr. Martin stated the Greenways subcommittee will be providing a presentation to the City of Miami ’s Homeland Defense and Neighborhood Improvement Bond Oversight Board on October 26, 2004 , 6 PM , City Hall.  Dr. Martin stated one component of the presentation will be the recommendation for the $1,975,000 in the Bond’s Greenways line item to fund engineering documents and construction of an “on-road” greenway section along SE 5 ST, connecting the Miami Circle site to the “Brickell on the River” development, as approved at the MRC’s September 2004 meeting.

Martin noted “Question 3”  of the pending Miami-Dade Bond Issue, which will appear on the November 2, 2004 ballot, contains a $7.5 million Miami River Greenway line item.  Bibeau thanked Commissioner Barreiro, and Roman Gastesi for their assistance in including that important line item in the County’s bond package.  Ms. Bague encouraged everyone to vote.

Stormwater Subcommittee - MRC Stormwater subcommittee co-chair Sallye Jude reported the MRC’s storm drain stenciling project is completed, and “Don’t Pollute Drains to the Miami River ” in English and Spanish, with a fish icon, have been applied adjacent to 75 storm drains along North and South River Drives.  In addition, Ms. Jude reported that the subcommittee will be reviewing the preliminary “Upper Wagner Creek Isolation Survey” notes, which have been submitted by the MRC’s consultant, during the Stomwater subcommittee’s October 6, 2004 meeting. 

Economic Development and Commerce Subcommittee - MRC Economic Development and Commerce (EDC) subcommittee chair Ms. Megan Kelly, stated the Miami River Marine Industries Symposium was held on September 27, 2004 .  Ms. Kelly stated the symposium was a successful event.  Kelly noted it was a tough call to host the invent as scheduled, due to potential threat of Hurricane Jeanne.  Kelly stated the sponsors and over 100 participants were pleased with the Symposium.  Kelly thanked the sponsors, Jim Murley for moderating, Commissioner Barreiro, Tony Garrastazu from Governor Bush’s office, and Irela Bague for speaking at the Symposium.  Kelly provided the MRC members with the three-ring binder of information provided to Symposium attendees, along with press on the event.

Miami River Security and Safety – Mr. Gary Winston noted the attendance of Officer Wade Orner, City of Miami Police Department, and Detective Dave Kosloske, Miami Dade Police Department.  Winston stated the Police Officers are involved in the Environmental Crimes units.  Ms. Bague encouraged the officers to continue participating in the MRC’s meetings, as the MRC works to coordinate different agencies to work together to improve the Miami River Corridor.

Dr. Bohnsack, Executive Director of the Miami River Marine Group, stated the river wide camera surveillance system is almost fully installed and operational.  The camera system was funded by a Federal Homeland Security grant awarded to the Miami River Marine Group.  Bohnsack stated twenty-two Miami River Port terminals have been certified by the U.S. Coast Guard as compliant with the Federal Maritime Security Act, and therefore will be allowed to continue operating on the Miami River with regular inspections and annual certifications.  Bohnsack stated the next Miami River Security and Safety meeting will be held in the U.S. Coast Guard, 100 McArthur Blvd. Way, October 5, 2004 , and the next Miami River Port Security meeting will be held in the Homeland Security Office, located in the Port of Miami terminal 6, at 2 PM on October 12, 2004 .  Bohnsack reported the Miami River Port Security Group will be conducting a test of their new communication systems during October 2004.

Dr. Bohnsack stated Antillean Marine, a Miami River Shipping Terminal has volunteered to provide free shipping of hurricane relief supplies to Haiti , and over 20 cargo containers have been shipped thus far.  Ms. Bague asked Dr. Bohnsack to e-mail the details of the opportunity to MRC staff, and directed Mr. Bibeau to forward the e-mail to MRC members and designees.        

IV.       New Business

Ms. Bague, asked if anyone had any new business to address.  Mr. Gary Winston stated he wanted to state something with the full MRC, which he had previously discussed with the MRC’s Executive Committee.  Mr. Winston stated everyone on the MRC deserves recognition for the commencement of the Miami River dredging project.  Winston stated Dr. Bohnsack of the Miami River Marine Group has worked on the dredging project longer than he can remember.  Winston stated the MRC board members which have served the longest on the MRC, such as Commissioner Barreiro, Ernie Martin, Sallye Jude, Phil Everingham and others, deserve special recognition.  Winston stated the 46 Grand Jury members and State Attorney Kathy Fernandez-Rundle, whom worked with the two Grand Juries, which strongly recommended and advocated dredging the Miami River , also deserve recognition.  Mr. Winston stated he understood the dredging commencement event / press conference will be jointly hosted by the project’s partners, therefore the MRC does not have final authority over the commencement event’s agenda.   Ms. Bague stated the MRC’s Executive Committee should further discuss the issue, and possibly consider having a separate ceremony hosted solely by the MRC, in order to have more control over the event’s agenda.  Roman Gastesi stated he felt there should only be one jointly hosted commencement ceremony / press conference, and everyone should be recognized during the event.  Mr. Bibeau stated the Miami River Dredging project is becoming a reality through a thirty-two year partnership, which has involved numerous agencies and even more individuals, therefore the commencement ceremony may take over two-hours, in order to provide all of the partners with speaking and recognition opportunities.              

IV. Adjournment 

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

_____________________________Recording Secretary

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