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1
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MINUTES PREPARED BY:
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REPORT:
Jose Soto, Commission Reporter, (305) 375-1294
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1A
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INVOCATION AS PROVIDED IN RULE 5.05(H)
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REPORT:
Chairman Diaz convened the meeting at 1:05 p.m., and the Board of County Commissioners (hereafter referred to as the Board) observed a moment of silence.
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1B
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ROLL CALL
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REPORT:
In addition to the members of the Board and the Honorable Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, the following staff persons were present: Office of the County Mayor Chief Operations Officer Jimmy Morales and Chief Community Services Officer Morris Copeland; County Attorney Geri Bonzon-Keenan; Executive Assistant County Attorney Jess M. McCarty; Assistant County Attorneys Shanika Graves and Monica Rizo Perez; Clerk of the Board Director Melissa Adames; and Deputy Clerks Jose Soto and Rolando Perez.
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1C
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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
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REPORT:
Chairman Diaz led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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1D
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REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK
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REPORT:
Miami-Dade County Public Defender Carlos Martinez appeared before the Board and thanked the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the County Commission for addressing the need to reduce violence affecting youth throughout the County through youth-oriented programs. He informed the Board that his office was moved to the Miami-Dade Children�s Courthouse to better facilitate the work between his office and the County�s departments to improve the lives of youth and families. Mr. Martinez concluded that he was available to answer any questions.
Chairman Diaz opened the reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard, and the following individuals appeared before the Board to speak in support of the Administration�s proposed Peace and Prosperity Plan program:
1. Mr. Alex Piquero, professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology, University of Miami, 1129 Mariposa Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33146.
2. Ms. Lindsey Shook, 527 West 46 Street, Miami Beach, FL, a mother who chose not to take her children to public events and large retailers due to increased gun violence.
3. Ms. Jane Torres, 600 Grapetree Drive, Key Biscayne, FL, volunteer, Moms Demand Action For Gun Safety organization.
4. Ms. Maria Levasquez (phonetic), 2151 SW 142 Avenue, Miami, FL.
5. Ms. Carolyn �Kiani� Nesbitt, Concerned African Women and the VIP Academy, 18425 NW 2 Avenue, Miami, FL 33169.
6. Dr. Greyland Swily Woods (phonetic), 1951 NW 7 Avenue, Miami, Florida, in support of the Florida Children�s Initiative and the Peace and Prosperity Plan.
7. Dr. Chad Bernstein, President and CEO of Guitars Over Guns, 169 Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33131.
8. Rev. Dr. Theo Johnson, Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, 10701 SW 184 Street, Miami, FL 33157, supported the Peace and Prosperity Plan and the South Dade Safety Net.
9. Ms. Sharon Collins, 18216 SW 26 Court, Miramar, FL 33029, grandmother of Chassidy Saunders, a young girl that was killed in a gun crossfire on January 16, 2021.
10. Pastor Johnny Barber, Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, 3965 NW 165 Street, Miami Gardens, FL.
11. Ms. Susan Kennedy, founder of the Bullets 4 Life organization, 7509 Cleveland Street, Hollywood, FL 33024.
There being no other person wishing to speak, Chairman Diaz closed the reasonable opportunity to speak.
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SPECIAL ITEM(S)
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Special Item No. 1
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211166
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Discussion Item
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Jose "Pepe" Diaz
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DISCUSSION ITEM RELATING TO THE HEALTH, WELFARE AND PUBLIC SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, GUN VIOLENCE, JOBS AND YOUTH PROGRAMS
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Presented
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REPORT:
Discussion ensued among the Board members about the need to reduce gun violence which affected the County�s youth and the Peace and Prosperity Plan (the Plan) proposed by the Administration. The Plan would create programs which provided vocational or technical training, activities, and safe havens for the County�s youth during the summer of 2021.
Commissioner Regalado recalled her history at the Miami-Dade School Board when she and Public Defender Carlos Martinez helped introduce the civil citation program as an important tool to reduce violence and criminal activity among youth.
Mr. Martinez elaborated on how the reformed truancy rules and civil citations kept at-risk youth out of the juvenile delinquent system by having them brought to the Miami-Dade County Juvenile Services Department (JSD) for evaluation and assessment. He noted the JSD immediately engaged families and helped pinpoint any problems faced by youth at their homes for the purpose of interventions. He observed the major challenge was the complexity of the cases, which necessitated a multi-year approach that properly evaluated youth, and it was important to assess which programs were effective. Mr. Martinez recommended the County fully utilize the services of JSD because of their infrastructure and expertise in assessment, services, research, and data collecting.
The County Commissioners voiced the need to aid the County�s youth by providing programs and services to prevent crime and violence, and they praised the efforts to address the issue.
Commissioner Gilbert cautioned about the importance of not equating poverty to criminal activity and recommended the Plan include a strong law enforcement component to prevent criminal habits in younger children.
Commissioners McGhee and Garcia agreed with Commissioner Gilbert�s comments.
Commissioner McGhee noted many youth were prosecuted based on their backgrounds and were often misdiagnosed. He also noted that access to resources could have steered them away from crime.
Commissioner Garcia stated that the programs in the Plan needed benchmarks and stronger evaluations.
Commissioner Sosa noted that sixty three percent (63%) of youth-related shootings were due to suicide, while thirty five percent (35%) were due to homicides. She opined that focusing on mental health was a needed component to address the suicide rate among youth, and education and interventions were key tools.
Commissioner Hardemon opined the Plan did not have enough data about violence that occurred throughout the County Districts. He added that the commissioner�s budget allocations for the Plan should not exceed the amount that was allocated to each County Commission District. He proposed each commissioner should meet with the County Mayor to provide input to improve the Plan. Commissioner Hardemon also observed that funding for the Plan�s programs should be directly used for the County�s youth with a holistic approach to address violence.
Commissioner Cohen Higgins recommended the County needed to consult and defer to experts such as criminologists, Miami-Dade Chief of Police, or the Miami-Dade Director of Social Services. She also recommended that the Board appoint a chief officer to fully address the issue and report to the Board.
Commissioner Higgins stressed that funding should be used specifically to deal with neighborhood gun violence because of its direct impact in communities. She also favored that the Plan should use a holistic plan that was data driven, strategic, and targeted towards neighborhoods.
Commissioner Martinez recalled two past programs, which helped reduce youth violence and criminal activity: the After-School All-Stars, which provided after-school programs and targeted neglected youth, and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program. He stated the COPS Program created relationships between police and troubled youth and improved the relationship between the police and the communities they served and helped establish community-policing strategies. Commissioner Martinez opined these programs should be reinstated with better-paying jobs and athletes as mentors for the youth.
Commissioner Souto commented that the County�s parks offered suitable venues for youth and the parks needed more funding to support more youth-related programs.
Commissioner Heyman called for the reevaluation of past programs, such as sports, tutoring, parks and after-school programs, which were successful, and their reinstatement. She singled out the Miami Children�s Initiative for its after-school programs. She reminded the Board that the County�s civil citation program started ahead of the State Attorney�s Office and focused on assessing youth not arrests. Commissioner Heyman also said civil citations saved the County over $11 million dollars and prevented up to 8,000 children from having arrest records, which would have inhibited career opportunities in adulthood.
Chairman Diaz expressed his gratitude to the Board members for their comments after the discussion concluded and noted that the commissioners should meet with the County Mayor to provide input into the Plan.
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Special Item No. 2
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211190
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Resolution
 Clerk's Official Copy
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Jose "Pepe" Diaz
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RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO INCLUDE, AS PART OF THE COUNTY MAYOR�S ANNUAL PLAN FOR FUNDING FROM THE �ANTI-GUN VIOLENCE AND PROSPERITY INITIATIVES� TRUST FUND, FUNDING SUPPORT FOR THE FLORIDA VENTURE FOUNDATION, INC.�S PROGRAMMING TO ASSIST YOUTH TO ENROLL IN AND TO GRADUATE AND OBTAIN A CERTIFICATION OR CERTIFICATIONS FROM VOCATIONAL OR TRADE PROGRAMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION BASED ON DATA ON REPORTED SHOOTINGS
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Adopted
Resolution R-489-21
Mover: Joe A. Martinez
Seconder: Sally A. Heyman
Vote: 11 - 2
No: Higgins , Regalado
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REPORT:
Mr. William Delgado, Chief Executive Officer of the Latin American Business Association and member of the Florida Venture Foundation (the Foundation), appeared before the Board to voice his support for the foregoing proposed resolution. He noted the strengths of the Foundation in terms of its relationships with the Miami-Dade School Board, including other vocational and trade schools. Mr. Delgado concluded that the Foundation had the capability to immediately assist the County�s youth with the Peace and Prosperity Plan (the Plan) outlined in the item.
Commissioner Higgins requested to examine the entire plan on how it specifically addressed gun violence in neighborhoods. She proposed the resolution be amended to have the Foundation be the sole provider of services rather than having multiple organizations providing a single service, and she preferred to wait until the entire plan was presented before the Board for full approval before supporting it.
Chairman Diaz informed Commissioner Higgins that the Plan already included several organizations, and the item only added the Foundation to the Plan.
In response to Commissioner Gilbert�s statement relating to the participation of similar organizations to the Foundation, Chairman Diaz replied that other organizations would be added to the Plan; and during the May 18, 2021, Regular Board meeting, the entire Plan would be brought back before the Board for a full vote.
Commissioner Hardemon said the Plan lacked complete input from all of the commissioners. He also opined that commissioners should not allocate to the organizations an amount that surpassed the amount of funds allocated to their County Commission District for that purpose.
Commissioner Monestime pointed out the item did not require the County Mayor to allocate funding for the Plan, and he opined this was necessary. He added that organizations in the Plan must have the expertise in areas, such as after-school programs or counseling, to address the issues.
Commissioner Regalado observed that, since the Plan was not completed, it was too soon to move forward with the resolution; and it was necessary to use data and consult with the Administration about the Plan for the first two years. She also commented that other organizations would want to be included in the Plan because the item only included the Foundation.
Commissioners Sosa and Cohen Higgins voiced their support for the resolution.
Chairman Diaz summarized the benefits of the Plan, which provided immediate assistance and safety to the County�s youth through summer programs, jobs, and vocational training. He reiterated that the resolution was only for adding the Foundation to the Plan, and the Board was not addressing funding allocations nor voting on the Plan itself. He reminded the Board the Plan itself had not been completed by the Administration for today�s (5/12) meeting.
Chairman Diaz expressed his intent to withdraw the foregoing resolution due to the issues voiced by some Board members; but a consensus was reached among the Board members to move forward with the resolution.
There being no further comments or objections, the Board proceeded to vote on the foregoing proposed resolution as presented.
Following the vote and the adoption of the item, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava thanked the Board members and members of the public who came to speak about the Plan. She emphasized the urgency of addressing the issue of violence and stressed the importance of quickly implementing the Plan by the summer of 2021 for the County youth.
Mayor Levine Cava pointed out that many experts were consulted on the Plan which was created based on evidence and data, she also noted the County lacked data from municipal police departments. She asked that the County Attorney draft an appropriate legislation that would provide for the development and establishment of a centralized database.
Mayor Levine Cava announced the input provided by the Board members and the public speakers would be integrated into the Plan. She also stated the newly created Office of Neighborhood Safety would administer and revise the Plan.
Commissioner Gilbert commented that vocational training should be current and relatable to youth, and he recommended that the Plan incorporate training in coding or music production.
Chairman Diaz expressed his gratitude to those who supported the item and said he looked forward to working with the County Mayor on the Plan.
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15F
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NON AGENDA ITEMS
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15F1
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211322
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Report
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NON AGENDA REPORT ITEM(S) FOR THE MAY 12, 2021 BCC SPECIAL MEETING
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Approved
Report
Mover: Oliver G. Gilbert, III
Seconder: Jose "Pepe" Diaz
Vote: 12 - 0
Absent: Martinez
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REPORT:
The following funding allocation was made from District 1�s portion of the 30% of the net revenues received from the FTX naming rights agreement, subject to budget appropriation and execution of a grant agreement, as requested by Commissioner Oliver G. Gilbert, III:
$50,000 to Code Fever, Inc. dba Center for Black Innovation for the Camp King Innovate program
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19
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ADJOURNMENT
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REPORT:
There being no further business to come before the Board of County Commissioners, by motion duly made, seconded and carried, the meeting was adjourned at 3:43 p.m.
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3
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CONSENT AGENDA
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| 8/21/2026 |
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Agenda Key: 4601 |