The Board of County Commissioner considered many important issues during the past few meetings, prior to recessing for the month of August. Here are some highlights:

Creating a Resilient County (July 23) – The Board adopted the Greater Miami and the Beaches Resilient 305 Strategy. This marks a pivot point for our community; a new approach that looks at many of the challenges we already face – like affordability and traffic – with the added pressure of sea level rise. Read more.
Pictured with Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert

Kick-starting Industrial Hemp Production (July 17) – The Health Care and County Operations Committee voted unanimously to move forward my legislation supporting the start of hemp production in Miami-Dade County, positioning South Florida to lead on this booming new agricultural sector . Hemp is forecast to become a $20 billion industry in the U.S. in the next three years alone, and has nearly limitless industrial applications – everything from food to clothing and cosmetics. We need to make sure Miami-Dade and our farmers are ready to see the full economic benefit of this new industry. Learn more.

Curbing Illegal Dumping (July 10) – Illegal dumping continues to be a huge problem throughout our county, especially in South Dade. I was proud to cosponsor legislation to create an Illegal Dumping Task Force and to dedicate additional law enforcement resources to combat the pervasive problem.

Promoting Public Safety (July 10) – The Board approved the purchase of 10 acres of land in South Dade for a co-located police and fire station facility, to help meet the need for more public safety services in growing communities and extend police/fire protection to our rural neighborhoods.

Advocating for Tropical Fruit Growers (June 18) – In an effort to protect our county’s tropical fruit industry, the Board supported my urging to the US Department of Ag to stop the importation of specialty tropical fruits from Mexico. We must protect our local farmers and our local economy.