“When we had the Bob Moran, the consultant, come in, I met with him multiple times and gave him many, many different residents and businesses. And I know that when Vince came on board, he's made at least 30 or 40 of those implementations to streamline the process and make it better. And I see a difference.”

Praising improvements made by Vince and consultant recommendations

“This has been quite the work in progress and been years in the making. I know that as a resident, firsthand experience I had what several people have already mentioned where I had different renovations happening in my condo, and every single time an inspector came, it was a different one. Everything got great. And then the last one came and something that was not related he felt that the architect didn't list something that was unrelated to any of the work being done. He failed it.”

Personal experience with inconsistent inspections and permit failures

“I do also have to mention that Leonore in your department is a superstar, and I don't know what I would do without her because I try to figure things out in my aides do too. In getting the job done and sometimes getting it over the finish line means calling Leonore because she's exceptional.”

Complimenting department staff member Leonore

“And that's what I want to see happen here to I mean, either you're going to advocate to blow up MDPL completely because it doesn't matter, which I think is exactly what folks in Tallahassee would love to see. Or you support the organization and want to help bring it into the new direction with the information from the IG in its current home because to say that you support the organization, but they can do just fine in a fourth floor office off of Lincoln Road is an insult. It is a it is a center of learning. It is a community center.”

Commissioner Dominguez advocating against relocating MDPL and supporting its continued operations from Ocean Drive location

“You know, I've talked to Meg about the direction that she is hoping to bring the organization into much more education and outreach and community building, which has been sorely lacking under the prior directorship. You know, when when we we currently have an excellent police department. There have been years where we have had less than excellent police departments, and we have had to deal with it. That didn't mean that we blew up the police department and we kicked them out of their home. It means it meant that we had to make sure that the proper direction and guidelines and operational procedures were put into place while they continue their work.”

Commissioner Dominguez advocating for maintaining MDPL's operations while implementing reforms

“It was it has been very complicated. And there were problems all along that some of us tried to fix and clearly were not able to get nearly where we needed to be. But that doesn't change that. The fundamental mission of of MDPL is critical to the city, not just for Ocean Drive. Which is Commissioner Dominguez pointed out, would not be existing in its current state were it not for ocean drive, but also for MIMO up in North Beach and the new Mediterranean single family homes throughout Mid-Beach.”

Commissioner Dominguez discussing MDPL's critical historical role in Miami Beach preservation

“So I have a couple of thoughts. First of all, the agenda was published last week and we got the call from the IG. I don't remember if it was yesterday or two days ago, but it wasn't more than two days ago. And so it's I know it's a very complicated audit, and I know that Roger and Meg and team have been trying to create recreate information that has been lost or buried or destroyed by prior the prior director. I, I find it really troubling that there is a seems to be a desire to punish an organization that is so central to who Miami Beach is for the the sins of its former executive director.”

Commissioner Dominguez defending MDPL while acknowledging prior leadership issues

“I think we all received an email from the organization Serve Robotics. The first comment was that the per device fee was not reasonably related to our city's stated regulatory objectives.”

Raising concerns about the per-robot fee structure in the delivery device ordinance

“I'm not super in favor of raising it, and I definitely don't want to go up to 10 anywhere, because I don't know if anyone's ever been hit by a bike going 10 miles an hour or anything else, but feels pretty lousy.”

Expressing concern about raising speed limits for delivery robots

“There is no place for anti-Semitism in our city or for hate of any kind. The climate lately has really been escalated. It's shocking to me to read my email and see some of the messages I get from residents and what they feel is appropriate to say to another human being.”

Statement condemning hate and discussing hostile communications

“The City had worked with the County on the bridges. That's really the Coast Guard. Is the Coast Guard also in the loop? The Coast Guard is the one that controls the bridges going up and down.”

Discussing bridge control and causeway closure possibilities

“Keeping the garage and lots open on Lincoln Road. The businesses last year really suffered and this year, on top of everything, they also have construction. So it's really tough time and we need to help them any way that we can.”

Supporting open parking facilities for struggling businesses

“If that absolutely needs to get done, it should start later so that people that are coming over to have dinner in our restaurants can do so without waiting and missing their reservations.”

Advocating for later start time for DUI checkpoints

“The month of March is beautiful weather. A lot of our businesses rely on March to get them through July, August, September, which are really, really tough months in our city.”

Emphasizing March's importance for business viability

“I hear you, but I also think that before 2024, the audience was COVID. Post COVID, it was completely different. And with the activations that we've done from 2024 to now, it's improved dramatically.”

Arguing that conditions have improved significantly and support for policy changes

“Between first and second reading, if we can make sure that all multifamily residences between 9 and 16 units would be able to apply annually to have the waste collected by the single family waste contractor.”

Discussing amendments to solid waste ordinance

“I had a similar amendment that I would like to make. So between first and second reading, if we can make sure that all multifamily residences between 9 and 16 units would be able to apply annually to have the waste collected by the single family waste contractor.”

Proposing amendment for annual application option

“I want to give a nice shout out to our Police Department, our Code Enforcement. There was a lot of steps taken here to the big picture to clean up some of the chaos we were having at the Marina. A shout out to Sophia South of Fifth Neighborhood Association, who was very active in reaching out to all of us. And we took legislative steps. But of course with the enforcement tool. So good job all around.”

Acknowledging efforts to address Marina issues

“And that's what I want to see happen here to I mean, either you're going to advocate to blow up MDPL completely because it doesn't matter, which I think is exactly what folks in Tallahassee would love to see. Or you support the organization and want to help bring it into the new direction with the information from the IG in its current home because to say that you support the organization, but they can do just fine in a fourth floor office off of Lincoln Road is an insult. It is a it is a center of learning. It is a community center.”

Commissioner Dominguez advocating against relocating MDPL and supporting its continued operations from Ocean Drive location

“You know, I've talked to Meg about the direction that she is hoping to bring the organization into much more education and outreach and community building, which has been sorely lacking under the prior directorship. You know, when when we we currently have an excellent police department. There have been years where we have had less than excellent police departments, and we have had to deal with it. That didn't mean that we blew up the police department and we kicked them out of their home. It means it meant that we had to make sure that the proper direction and guidelines and operational procedures were put into place while they continue their work.”

Commissioner Dominguez advocating for maintaining MDPL's operations while implementing reforms

“It was it has been very complicated. And there were problems all along that some of us tried to fix and clearly were not able to get nearly where we needed to be. But that doesn't change that. The fundamental mission of of MDPL is critical to the city, not just for Ocean Drive. Which is Commissioner Dominguez pointed out, would not be existing in its current state were it not for ocean drive, but also for MIMO up in North Beach and the new Mediterranean single family homes throughout Mid-Beach.”

Commissioner Dominguez discussing MDPL's critical historical role in Miami Beach preservation

“So I have a couple of thoughts. First of all, the agenda was published last week and we got the call from the IG. I don't remember if it was yesterday or two days ago, but it wasn't more than two days ago. And so it's I know it's a very complicated audit, and I know that Roger and Meg and team have been trying to create recreate information that has been lost or buried or destroyed by prior the prior director. I, I find it really troubling that there is a seems to be a desire to punish an organization that is so central to who Miami Beach is for the the sins of its former executive director.”

Commissioner Dominguez defending MDPL while acknowledging prior leadership issues

“I'm not super in favor of raising it, and I definitely don't want to go up to 10 anywhere, because I don't know if anyone's ever been hit by a bike going 10 miles an hour or anything else, but feels pretty lousy.”

Expressing concern about raising speed limits for delivery robots

“I think we all received an email from the organization Serve Robotics. The first comment was that the per device fee was not reasonably related to our city's stated regulatory objectives.”

Raising concerns about the per-robot fee structure in the delivery device ordinance

“The City had worked with the County on the bridges. That's really the Coast Guard. Is the Coast Guard also in the loop? The Coast Guard is the one that controls the bridges going up and down.”

Discussing bridge control and causeway closure possibilities

“Keeping the garage and lots open on Lincoln Road. The businesses last year really suffered and this year, on top of everything, they also have construction. So it's really tough time and we need to help them any way that we can.”

Supporting open parking facilities for struggling businesses

“If that absolutely needs to get done, it should start later so that people that are coming over to have dinner in our restaurants can do so without waiting and missing their reservations.”

Advocating for later start time for DUI checkpoints

“The month of March is beautiful weather. A lot of our businesses rely on March to get them through July, August, September, which are really, really tough months in our city.”

Emphasizing March's importance for business viability

“I hear you, but I also think that before 2024, the audience was COVID. Post COVID, it was completely different. And with the activations that we've done from 2024 to now, it's improved dramatically.”

Arguing that conditions have improved significantly and support for policy changes

“Between first and second reading, if we can make sure that all multifamily residences between 9 and 16 units would be able to apply annually to have the waste collected by the single family waste contractor.”

Discussing amendments to solid waste ordinance

“There is no place for anti-Semitism in our city or for hate of any kind. The climate lately has really been escalated. It's shocking to me to read my email and see some of the messages I get from residents and what they feel is appropriate to say to another human being.”

Statement condemning hate and discussing hostile communications

“I had a similar amendment that I would like to make. So between first and second reading, if we can make sure that all multifamily residences between 9 and 16 units would be able to apply annually to have the waste collected by the single family waste contractor.”

Proposing amendment for annual application option

“I want to give a nice shout out to our Police Department, our Code Enforcement. There was a lot of steps taken here to the big picture to clean up some of the chaos we were having at the Marina. A shout out to Sophia South of Fifth Neighborhood Association, who was very active in reaching out to all of us. And we took legislative steps. But of course with the enforcement tool. So good job all around.”

Acknowledging efforts to address Marina issues