Note to self: Don't ever open a restaurant in Coconut Grove
Tim Dodson, Communications counsel to Miami Parking Authority was kind enough to get me some answers about the parking fees paid by businesses (story here). He says, according to Fred Bredemeyer, Chief Operations Officer for the Miami Parking Authority:
The City of Miami Code requires any business in the Grove that does not have adequate parking to pay into a fund that the City then uses to build parking at a later time. It is called "payment in lieu of" and it is a great tool, used in cities nationwide, to create funds for parking in areas where there is inadequate parking. MPA’s Oak Avenue Garage is an example of a facility that was built with the help of these funds. MPA is not the only eligible recipient of such funds, however; the public parking on the basement level of the Sonesta hotel was built by a private developer with the help of these funds.
As directed by the Code, MPA is responsible for collecting the "payments in lieu of." MPA did not write the Code, nor does it retain or control these funds. The money has been under the control of the BIC (Business Improvement Committee) for several years; now the fund is being transferred to the new BID (Business Improvement District).
If the restaurants in question have zero on-site parking, they would probably not be permitted to open their doors at all if the "payment in lieu of" option was not available. For the restaurants you mention -- in fact, for any business, regardless of location -- providing parking for customers is a cost of doing business, just like rent/mortgage, electricity, etc. Since the "payment in lieu of" is not based on a percentage of sales, there is no provision for reducing the charge during an economic downturn.
Here is the code.
The City of Miami Code requires any business in the Grove that does not have adequate parking to pay into a fund that the City then uses to build parking at a later time. It is called "payment in lieu of" and it is a great tool, used in cities nationwide, to create funds for parking in areas where there is inadequate parking. MPA’s Oak Avenue Garage is an example of a facility that was built with the help of these funds. MPA is not the only eligible recipient of such funds, however; the public parking on the basement level of the Sonesta hotel was built by a private developer with the help of these funds.
As directed by the Code, MPA is responsible for collecting the "payments in lieu of." MPA did not write the Code, nor does it retain or control these funds. The money has been under the control of the BIC (Business Improvement Committee) for several years; now the fund is being transferred to the new BID (Business Improvement District).
If the restaurants in question have zero on-site parking, they would probably not be permitted to open their doors at all if the "payment in lieu of" option was not available. For the restaurants you mention -- in fact, for any business, regardless of location -- providing parking for customers is a cost of doing business, just like rent/mortgage, electricity, etc. Since the "payment in lieu of" is not based on a percentage of sales, there is no provision for reducing the charge during an economic downturn.
Here is the code.
posted by Tom Falco at 3:00 PM
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24 Comments:
The idea is good - the money is to be spent providing public parking spaces. If it isn't, but is held in an account, it's of no good to anyone. Parking is essential in a place that does not have great public transportation.
Use the funds to attract business to the Grove, not by sponsoring sweet heart deals, make parking spaces cheaper in the Grove and free during off peak hours.
The scam is run by Dave Collins and his mafia at the BID? nuff said, my attorney will be contacted in the am. enough with this shit.
Who elected the BID to scam every business in the grove and then live on that money? class action law suit!
don't the businesses already tax themeselves for the BID? Why does this also go to the BID? Since they pay these parking fees, then why don't they get their own spaces from the lots that were paid for with these funds? They're to many unanswered questions, and the answers we have heard do not make any sense.
Nobody uses the garages why are businesses today paying for garages that may or may not happen in the future?
Sound like illegal taxation without representation. Totally against they law. I say get the Florida attorney general involved.
I think the chit just hit the fan!!! Now I understand soooooo much!!
Grape you should combine the comments here with the previous mention of MPA.
Double Dipping is illegal everywhere else.
Now it makes more sense why when the BID went into effect all of a sudden the open positions that were to be voted on all of a sudden became
Gift positions.
So these funds are taken from the businesses, then given to other businesses to open up private structures? Sonesta charges $20 per car for any amount of time, so I think they could probably foot their own bill, but instead, some businesses are swindled, and others get a free gift in the form of these funds to open - for profit ventures?
Also, Grape - please explain "oak avenue garage". The only one I know of on Oak is connected to my buddy's house. Did you mean on Virginia?
I recommend that each and every business in the grove contact their attorney.
I have another question for actually a string: What is Dave Collins salary? WE all know he is Sarnoff's right-hand man, and was given this position by Sarnoff, and has never held a public office. I would guess the salary is considerable. What about the rest of BID/BIC - how many paid positions? How many support staff? How much total? and finally, how much value can it demonstrate?
Think about what private industry could do with this money. Instead of letting businesses have any money for self promotion, improvements, upgrades, etc., it's taken by the govt. then funneled (with plenty spilling out into the pockets of the well connected) into funds for government run (read poorly run) promotional events.
Sounds brilliant. I know this sounded like a partisan rant, but it's not generalized or political. Promotion of business is best left to the businesses themselves - plain and simple.
So that you know, David Collins was in the BIC before Sarnoff got elected. The BIC has been around since Winton and then went to Haskins and then to Sarnoff. There was another Director before Collins also.
Sonesta Garage is a rip; they change their rates several times a day; no one ever knows what the charge will be when they go in there. That is the worse designed garage; unsafe, dark, poorly marked, and spaces are irregular. If you park the way they are marked and another car parks next to you, you can't back up.
BIDS are the way to go; Coral Gables is a BID and look how clean and attractive it looks. Now the upper Eastside, the MIMO District, wants to become a BID. However, it is obvious we need parking and the post office should allow parking on their lot like they did before rather than fencing in the property. They keep raising postage rates so they must need money. What went wrong there? It seems we just keep getting things taken away from us.
Agreed with 10:54 PM, post office should allow parking on their lot, off hours. Also a question, how much is Arthuro Noriega's salary and what part comes out of Coconut Grove? FREE COCONUT GROVE FROM THE THIRD WORLD.
@ that guy: MPA's Oak Avenue garage is located at the corner of Oak Avenue and Mary Street. The garage's street address is 2850 Oak Avenue and the entrance to the garage is on Oak Avenue.
ok know it all Grape
who was in position at the BIC before Dave Collins? and while your at it. Who are the
persons who drafted this idea. If it took so long was it so Dave would be in position when the BID it took effect.? This really stinks
Seems to me that who ever was there at the beginning most likely killed a lot of good things to getthe way cleared for the BID.
All these problems will be solved once Coconut Grove retakes its city status. We will be able to account for every penny and will spend the money in the same area it is collected. No Manny, nor Arthuro to deal with.
Grape for everyone that wants to know Joyce Nelson was the Director of BIC before Dave Collins. Someone should ask Ron or Joyce or maybe the NET office? People would be interested in this story!
Anon 2:23pm,
Like that's gonna happen.
SO HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE $70,000. THOUSAND DAVID COLLINS OR THE BID/BIC SPENT ON A STUDY OF THE GROVE AS TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THE GROVE WAS IN NEED OF MORE PARKING GARAGES??? THE RESULT OF THE STUDY CAME BACK ..."NO THE GROVE IS IN NO NEED OF ANY MORE PARKING". THIS WAS DONE WHEN THE WHOLE PARKING ISSUE WITH THE POST OFFICE. BUT STILL MPA ASKS FOR PARKING FEES BECAUSE OF NONSUFFICIENT PARKING!!!
Mr. Collins has been manipulating501C3 grants since graduation from college, helped form BIC with paperwork he's worked on for years and now collects $120,000.00 annually. The parking fees go directly into BID, which he controls without oversight. His business is failing, except for his vested interest in BIC; follow the papertrail and see how he manipulated the paper to gain a foothold in our community.
Follow the paper trail. See where the dots are connected. Look @ BIC records, ledgers, see who got what, who visited who and on what date. Look @ the $70,000.00, and when certain monies were dispersed. After the $70-thousand was awared look for the check that went to who @ BIC, actually it may have been a cash payment. This is not pointing the finger at any one individual-----but it shall.
Ron Nelsons wife? Don't recall seeing her around the BIC office. Was she a figure head?
This smacks of collusion. So if we bring suit
against the city do we step over Ron first :).
That shows what the Grove gets for being the quiet PIG bank for the City of Miamy... From abusive property taxes to extorsion-like parking fees... INDEPENDENCE is th answer !!!!!!
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