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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

I) Miami River Basin Water Quality Improvement Report Agency Implementation Progress Report – Mr. Jose Lago, City of Miami Capital Improvement Department, distributed copies of the City of Miami’s Miami River Basin Water Quality ImprovemenImprovement Quarterly Report (January 1, 2005-March 31, 2005). Mr. Jose Lago noted the following progress represented in the report:

v     Status of retrofit drainage in remaining areas of Miami River starting with Pinehurst neighborhoods: The Pinehurst Stormwater retrofit project is in the final design phase, created to provide water quality treatment and inhibit the discharge of solids into Wagner Creek, was completed in December 2004. Construction is anticipated to commence by May 2005 and is expected to take 10-12 months to complete. Estimated total construction cost is $1.6 million. The project is fully funded with $400,000 from the City’s storm sewer General Obligation Bond, and $1.2 million from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). The project boundaries are bounded on the north by NW 28^th Street , on the south by NW 20^th Street , on the west by NW 17^th Avenue and on the east by NW 12^th Avenue .

v     Status of Allapattah Storm Sewer Project: The construction for this project was completed in December 2004. The project is located along NW 15^th Street between 13^th Court and 14^th Avenue and along NW 13^th Court between 15^th and 16^th Street .

v     Status of Downtown Storm Sewers Rebuilding Project: This project is divided in two phases: Phase I (SW 15^th Road) and Phase II (North Bay Shore Drive at NE 18^th Street, NE 17 Terrace, NE 18 Terrace, NE 4 Avenue, NE 19 Street, NE 17 Street). Phase I was completed in August 2002. Phase II consists of drainage improvements and roadway reconstruction. The engineering design consultant assigned to this project is R.J Behar. The design phase is approximately 30% complete. The design commenced in February 2005 and is anticipated for completion in August 2005. Subsequent to procurement phase, construction is expected to begin in February 2006 and be completed in December 2006. The estimated total project cost is not known at this time. Current funding allocated for this project is $671,000

Mr. Steve Blair, Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resource Management (DERM), asked Mr. Lago for the scope of Phase II of the project. Mr. Lago responded that he currently did not have those details since the project is only at 30% design completion, but agreed to verify and provide the scope before the next regularly scheduled MRC Stormwater Subcommittee meeting. Mr. Omar Abdelrahman, DERM, asked Mr. Lago about the projects specific design, and Mr. Lago stated that design notes and details would be in place by the time the project is at 50% completion. Mr. Lago added that once the $671,000 in allocated funding is utilized, the City of Miami would search for additional funding.

v     Status of Wagner Creek Dredging Project, Phase III, IV and V: According to Mr. Lago, Phase III of the project (between 20^th Street and NW 14^th Avenue); Phase IV (between 14^th Avenue and NW 15 Street); and Phase V (between 15^th Street and NW 11 Street), will remain on hold until a temporary storage/dewatering site is identified and a public meeting is held with regards to this site and project. Once the City selects a dredging methodology and a temporary storage/dewatering site is identified and approved, a Corrective Action Plan will be revised and resubmitted to DERM for their review. The City will then conduct publicly noticed meetings to inform residents of plans for the overall project, establish construction costs/estimates, and determine the project’s funding feasibility.

Mr. Blair asked for the project’s timeline, and Mr. Lago responded that the City did not have a set time frame since it was currently researching potential staging sites and continuing to evaluate a series of innovative technologies for dredging and dewatering creek sediment.

Mr. Brett Bibeau, MRC Managing Director, referred to the April 6, 2005 MRC Stormwater Subcommittee meeting minutes, in which Mr. Lago had stated that the City of Miami expected to select a new temporary staging site by June 2005. Mr. Bibeau asked Mr. Lago if the City would need to extend that timeline and Mr. Lago replied the June site selection may need to be extended indefinitely.

Mr. Evan Skornick, South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), recommended that the City utilize the SFWMD $1 million grant appropriated several years ago for the Wagner Creek dredging project Phases IV and V for engineering and study fees. Mr. Lago thanked him for the suggestion and agreed to pass that information along to his supervisor.

Mr. Bibeau asked Mr. Lago if the City would consider conducting a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Wagner Creek dredging project before it selected a new temporary staging site, as was the case with Miami River Maintenance dredging project. Mr. Lago responded that the City intended to select the site, host a public hearing, refine the cost estimate, secure the necessary funding, followed by selecting the project’s contractor. The entire selection process, noted Lago, would be closely regulated by DERM. Mr. Dieter Bauer, representing Power U, asked Mr. Lago if the City had already selected a company to remove dioxins from Wagner Creek, and Mr. Lago responded that the City was currently examining different options.

Mr. Bibeau, on behalf of MRC board member Dr. Ernie Martin, asked if Phase IV of the Wagner Creek dredging project would extend further south to include the Seybold Canal . Mr. Lago responded that he had recently spoken to the City of Miami ’s Director of Capital Improvements regarding that recommendation, who had advised him to fill out and submit a budget/analysis form to determine its feasibility.  Mr. Lago mentioned to meeting attendees that he had submitted the form to the CIP’s accountant, who would then assign Seybold Canal a project number. Mr. Bibeau asked Mr. Lago for a copy of the form to submit to Dr. Martin for his personal records, and Mr. Lago agreed to provide a copy.

Mr. Lago noted he had also discussed with his director the possibility of having the City of Miami Public Works Department install more “No Fishing” and new “No Swimming” advisory signs along Wagner Creek.  Mr. Blair stated he has been exchanging e-mails with the Florida Department of Health regarding posting new advisory signs along Wagner Creek. Mr. Lago stated he had recently spoken to Mr. Samir Amir, Department of Health, who had been involved with past sign installations. According to Lago, Amir informed him that the City of Miami was responsible for installing the signs, while the Department of Health was responsible for assisting the City in drafting the sign’s appropriate language. Mr. Lago noted that although the Department of Health had already approved the sign’s language, he was currently awaiting the final approval from his director to post the signs.

Mr. Bauer expressed an urgent need to install more advisory signs along Wagner Creek as soon as possible. Mr. Blair addressed Mr. Bauer’s concerns and informed meeting attendees that all Wagner Creek neighbors had received letters nearly two years ago advising them not to fish or swim along Wagner Creek. Mr. Bauer noted Power U representatives had recently spoken to the Department of Health, and are considering posting the signs themselves. Mr. Lago asked Mr. Bauer to please wait for the City to install the appropriate advisory signs, and Mr. Bauer noted the City had agreed to posting the advisory signage in 2003. Ms. Elyrosa Estevez, stated the City’s Print Shop may manufacture the signage, and Public Works may provide installation.   The SSC recommended if the City of Miami decides to create new signage, that the listed telephone number for additional questions be that of someone familiar with the project, therefore able to address any questions that are called in, and to consolidate the “No Swimming” and “No Fishing” signs into one. Mr. Lago and Ms. Estevez agreed to look into those recommendations.

v     Status of Installing Sold Waste Interceptors at all Miami River Outfalls: The successful bidder of the “Wagner Creek Inlet Retrofitting Project” is Environmental Performance Systems, Inc. This project will retrofit 250 inlets in the Wagner Creek drainage basin by installing leaf-collecting baskets and vertical grates at inlets. Construction is expected to start in about a month.  Contract time, stated Ms. Estevez, has been set for 120 days. Funding has been made available from the City of Miami ’s Stormwater Utility Fund, since the FDEP denied the City’s 319-grant application.

 Mr. Blair then asked if the City had any plans in place to maintain and clean the soon- to- be- installed solid waste interceptors. Ms. Estevez responded the City pays $196,640 per year for all outfalls and catch basins to be inspected and cleaned once a year. Mr. Michael Gambino, DERM, commented that once a year is insufficient to remove the debris which will be collected by the new solid waste interceptors. Ms. Estevez stated that Ms. Barbara Pruitt, City of Miami Solid Waste , was currently compiling an implementation plan to ensure the future cleaning/street

sweeping of the City’s interceptors, which are also required by the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) State permit.

Ms. Estevez stated the top two-four feet of contaminated soil adjacent to Wagner Creek on NW 14 ST are being removed and replaced with clean soil, in preparation for the “ Wagner Square ” residential development.

II. Status of the Draft Wagner Creek Corrective Action Plan and Dredging Permit Applications- As Mr. Lago explained during his presentation of the City of Miami “Miami River Basin Water Quality Improvement Report,” the City is currently seeking new staging sites.

III. Update on the Development of TMDL’s for Wagner Creek- Mr. Blair stated he had met with FDEP and the City of Miami to discuss the possibility of drafting a “Reasonable Assurance” document on Wagner Creek, which would eliminate the need to establish TMDL’s. According to Blair, a “Reasonable Assurance” document must show the planned and budgeted activities that will address specific, problematic water quality parameters. Mr. Blair stated it was determined that although there are several projects planned to address the water quality parameters, they are not all fully budgeted for, therefore there were insufficient budgeted projects to list in the “Reasonable Assurance” document.  Therefore, the planned projects would be compiled for inclusion in the Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP), which will be required to outline the projects designed to achieve the water quality standards set by the new TMDL’s. The extended (9 month extension) deadline to establish TMDL’s in Wagner Creek is now March 2006, and the BMAP is due by June 2007. Ms. Estevez stated that the City of Miami is hiring an Environmental Engineering firm to work on the TMDL and BMAP. Mr. Blair noted that DERM currently has in-house and contracted firms to assist the County in the TMDL process. Mr. Gambino asked if the issue of TMDL funding could be brought before the Miami River Commission in order to heighten the public’s awareness of the TMDL process and address any misconceptions. Mr. Bibeau pledged the MRC’s support to increase public awareness, and stated that the MRC SSC has agreed to have TMDL’s on every agenda until the process has been completed.  The SSC noted the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) owns several roadways and outfalls within the water basin, and encouraged MRC staff to invite a FDOT representative to participate in the monthly SSC meetings.  Blair stated those that contributing to the pollution sources must fund the improvements outlined in the BMAP.  Blair suggested they should commence drafting a “Reasonable Assurance” report for the Miami River now, which is due to have TMDL’s established in 2007.  Ms. Estevez explained that TMDL’s are part of a second 5-year permit, and assured that the city remains very active and aware of the process.  Mr. Bibeau thanked Ms. Estevez for her attendance at the meeting and her continued assistance.

IV. Status of WASD Smoke Testing of the Western Sub Basin- Smoke testing identified a minor failure in the sanitary sewer gravity line located at NW 12 CT and NW 8 Terrace, which has since been repaired.  Mr. Lago stated Mr. Mitchell, Assistant Director Public Works, wrote a memo to the Director about the permitting repair issue with the Water and Sewer Department, which has been discussed at previous SSC meetings.

V.  New Business- Ms. Estevez stated that the City of Miami ’s contract with the Scavenger 2000 de-pollution vessel would expire in May 2006. She mentioned that the City would not extend the $200,000-a-year contract until it received an alternate funding source. The Scavenger 2000’s $200,000 annual contract funds operation 4 hours a day, five days a week, throughout the City of Miami .  Ms. Estevez stated the City of Miami approved a renewable “sole source” contract for the Scavenger 2000, and was pleased with the effective services provided thus far.  Ms. Estevez stated the MRC was responsible for cleaning the Miami River , and Bibeau replied the MRC’s enabling legislation dictates the MRC’s role is to provide intergovernmental coordination in an advisory capacity, yet is not solely responsible to clean the Miami River , whose outfalls are owned by the City of Miami , Miami-Dade County and FDOT.  Bibeau stated the MRC is currently in discussion with the South Florida Water Management District and Miami-Dade County about new cost-shares for the Scavenger 2000 de-pollution vessel services.  

Mr. Bibeau stated he was recently hosting an important Miami River boat tour, regarding the Miami River maintenance dredging project, when a large plume of white water was noticed emanating from the stormwater outfall located on the river’s south shore, immediately west of the metro-rail.   Ms. Estevez stated it was due to a recent water main break on a construction site in that vicinity, which has since been repaired.

Mr. Skornick stated that the SFWMD had recently completed its “Elephant Gun” dredging approach in the upper C-4 canal. Skornick stated that the SFWMD also plans to dredge the S-25 B structure to C-6 ( Miami River ), and all necessary funding has been secured.  Mr. Skornick stated that an 18-inch elevated seawall would be constructed along the banks of the C-4 portion of Sweetwater in order to increase water capacity flowing to the Miami River . Mr. Skornick stated that the north bank of C-4, between 87^th Avenue and the Palmetto, has also been identified as a “low area” in need of a retaining seawall to improve water capacity. The SFWMD will be working with the municipalities in regards to the construction of both seawalls, noted Skornick. Mr. Skornick stated that the SFWMD was currently in discussion with DERM regarding the implementation of sediment re-use along the Melreese golf course. Mr. Skornick explained that funding is available for all projects (except the Palmetto seawall project), and the SFWMD expects to receive its permits by October.  Mr. Skornick noted the Tamiami Swing Bridge structures built into the Tamiami Canal create an obstruction to the flood conveyance capacity, and felt the MRC recommendation to replace the problematic bridge was appropriate. 

The next regularly scheduled SSC meting was confirmed for the first Wednesday of the month, June 1, 2005 , 10 am , Miami River Inn, 118 South River Drive . 

The meeting adjourned.

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