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City of Miami Beach

Meeting

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

What happened

Statura summary

The real action was housing and budget, with the housing side carrying the sharper policy signal. The biggest substantive land use item on the agenda was the ordinance to waive workforce housing fees by amending Chapter 118 of the land development regulations. Paired with the Collins Park artist workforce housing lease revision, which explicitly adds City money funded through the General Obligation Bond, the Commission is not just talking about affordability, it is reducing project friction and putting public dollars behind delivery. That helps developers and operators of qualifying workforce projects first, and it shifts more of the cost burden onto city resources and foregone fee revenue rather than onto project pro formas. The other binding center of gravity was the FY 2023 fiscal package: final budgets, final capital plan, and the final general operating millage of 5.8155 mills, which the agenda states is 13.2 percent above the rolled back rate. For businesses and property owners, that is the practical takeaway, the city locked in its spending plan and the tax rate that supports it. The salary ordinances for classified and unclassified employees also matter because they bake labor cost increases into that budget, including retroactive cost of living adjustments in the unclassified ordinance. Everything else was a tier below. The Park View Canal item ratified up to $122,000 for University of Miami contamination research, a real response to an immediate environmental issue. The nightlife task force and loud vehicle noise enforcement items are more governance and quality of life positioning than direct economic change. The Barclay Plaza item is notable because it commits the city to stop selling the property and keep it in the affordable or workforce housing lane. Ceremonial, litigation, and cleanup requests were background noise.

Statura-generated summary of the official agenda and minutes. Verbatim per-item votes and dollar figures are in the Agenda & votes tab.

Key decisions

  1. Workforce Housing Fee Waivers
    Pending

    Would amend Chapter 118 of the land development regulations to waive fees for workforce housing, lowering upfront development costs and shifting support from project budgets to city fee policy.

  2. Final Budgets for Fiscal Year 2023
    Pending

    Would adopt the city's final FY 2023 operating budgets across general, debt service, CRA, enterprise, internal service, and special revenue funds, locking in the spending framework for the year.

  3. Final Capital Improvement Plan and FY 2023 Capital Budget
    Pending

    Would approve the FY 2023 to 2027 capital plan and the FY 2023 capital budget, setting the pipeline for city infrastructure and facility spending.

  4. Final Ad Valorem Millage for Fiscal Year 2023
    Pending

    Would set the general operating millage at 5.8155 mills, which the agenda states is 13.2 percent above the rolled back rate, fixing the tax rate that funds the adopted budget.

  5. Collins Park Artist Workforce Housing Ground Lease Revisions
    Pending

    Would revise the ground lease for the artist workforce housing project to reflect additional city monetary contributions funded through the General Obligation Bond, increasing direct public support for the project.

  6. Classified Employees Salary Ordinance Amendments
    Pending

    Would amend the classified salary ordinance in line with negotiated collective bargaining agreements, embedding labor cost changes into the city's operating structure.

  7. Unclassified Salary Ordinance Amendment
    Pending

    Would provide a retroactive across the board cost of living adjustment for unclassified employees effective from the first full pay period ending in April 2022, adding immediate personnel cost pressure to the FY 2023 budget.

  8. Park View Canal Water Quality Research Ratification
    Pending

    Would ratify the City Manager's emergency engagement of the University of Miami for up to $122,000 in contamination research and analysis, using sustainability funding to respond to a specific water quality problem.

  9. Barclay Plaza Apartments Sale Halt and Affordable or Workforce Housing Commitment
    Pending

    Would cease the sale of the city owned Barclay Plaza Apartments at 1940 Park Avenue and commit the site to affordable or workforce housing, taking a city asset off the disposition track and preserving it for housing policy.