Miami-Dade County convenes a series of discussion meetings with elected leaders to pursue policy reforms in wake of Surfside tragedy

Today, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz announced a series of meetings with a group of local, state, and federally elected leaders to pursue specific policy and legislative discussions following the Surfside building collapse.

Participating elected leaders include:

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County
Board of County Commissioners Chairman Jose "Pepe” Diaz, Miami-Dade County
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio
U.S. Senator Rick Scott
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27)
Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24)
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25)
Congressman Carlos Gimenez (FL-26)
Kathy Fernandez-Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney
State Senator Jason Pizzo (SD-38)
State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez (HD-39)
State Senator Annette Taddeo (SD-40)
State Representative Joe Geller (HD-100)
State Representative Dotie Joseph (HD-108)
State Representative Daniel Perez (HD-116)
County Commissioner Sally Heyman, Miami-Dade County
Mayor Charles Burkett, Surfside
Mayor Joseph Corradino, Pinecrest and President, Miami-Dade League of Cities
Mayor Anthony DeFillipo, North Miami Beach
Mayor Yioset De La Cruz, Hialeah Gardens
Mayor Joshua Fuller, Bay Harbour Islands
Mayor Dan Gelber, Miami Beach
Mayor Gabriel Groisman, Bal Harbour
Mayor Carlos Hernandez, Hialeah
Mayor Brent Latham, North Bay Village
Mayor Glen Singer, Golden Beach
Mayor Francis Suarez, City of Miami
Mayor Enid Weisman, Aventura
Vice Mayor Larisa Svechin, Sunny Islands
Chief Operations Officer Jimmy Morales, Miami-Dade County

The first Sunshine meeting will be held Monday, August 30, 2021 at 10 am.

“The collapse of Champlain Towers South on June 24 will forever be remembered as an unthinkable, unprecedented tragedy in our community and around the world,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “In the days and weeks following the collapse, federal, state, and local leaders worked hand in hand to respond to this tragedy and to move the search and rescue and recovery efforts forward. As we now move ahead with the task of seeking answers and developing policy remedies, it’s just as critical for us to once again coordinate our efforts to ensure a comprehensive, whole-of-government response.”

“This partnership is necessary but is also key for our community to heal from this terrible tragedy,” said Chairman Diaz. “We will never forget the Champlain Towers South victims and their families; and I hope that through this collaboration we will be able to find comprehensive solutions, so this type of catastrophe never happens again.”

“From the early days after the building collapse, the federal government was on the scene lending all possible support and resources to the rescue and recovery effort, as well as to the impacted families,” said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23). “We’re committed to partnering with state and local leaders to ensure we are looking at needed solutions from all angles, updating federal policies in order to safeguard our communities in Florida and across the country and assisting families affected by the Champlain Towers South collapse.”

“As our South Florida community continues to recover from the Surfside tragedy, it is critical that our officials at all levels of government work together to protect our residents,” said Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (FL-27). “Together, we can create smart policies and provide proactive solutions to keep our community strong, safe, and resilient.”

“As I intend to sponsor state legislation to both honor our victims, and prevent further tragedies, I’m greatly encouraged by the Mayor’s and Chairman’s efforts to replicate the same cooperative engagement we had during rescue and recovery, to the necessary next steps of research, evaluation and substantive proposals,” said State Senator Jason Pizzo.

“We can’t delay in investigating all factors contributing to the Champlain Towers South building collapse and exploring possible solutions,” said State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez. “I’m proud to work alongside local, state, and federal leaders to move this important work forward and provide answers and accountability to our communities.”

“I’m proud that Miami-Dade County is stepping up to seek accountability and new solutions following this horrific tragedy,” said County Commissioner Sally Heyman. “I'm hopeful that the efforts of this working group will result in specific actions that government at all levels can implement to ensure the safety of our residents.”

“The League of Cities believes these meetings will be critical in the effort to prevent a similar disaster from ever happening again,” said Pinecrest Mayor Joe Corradino, President of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities. “We thank Mayor Cava and Chairman Diaz for their leadership on this issue.”