FYI Miami: September 17, 2015

Below are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here.

DEEP DREDGING DONE: PortMiami is now ready for the Panama Canal expansion. The port’s dredging, which deepened its main harbor channel to 50 to 52 feet, is now complete. A VIP luncheon at noon Sept. 18 is to celebrate the completion as well as the on-dock intermodal rail service. Both projects were part of the $1.2 billion investment the port made in preparation for the Panama Canal expansion, which is scheduled for completion in April. The port now has the capacity to welcome a fully laden 14,000-container vessel, compared to the 5,700 containers that ships calling at the port were limited to before the harbor was deepened.

SENSITIVE WATERWAYS: Miami city commissioners have urged the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to place more signs on the Miami River and in the Bill Sadowski Critical Wildlife Area informing boaters of the Idle-Speed Zone and No Entry Zone. Those designations came from the state commission. The resolution says that despite the restrictions, boaters violate the rules by speeding on the river and entering the wildlife area, damaging property and hurting environmentally sensitive lands, and become a navigation hazard. The resolution urges the wildlife commission and Miami Police Department to better enforce the restrictions.

BEST FACE FORWARD: City commissioners on Sept. 10 preliminarily approved creating a City of Miami Beautification Committee to advise the city commission on beautification and landscaping projects citywide, including tree plantings, median maintenance, traffic circle maintenance and similar projects. The ordinance spells out the committee’s purpose, powers, duties, composition, appointment qualifications and membership requirements. The committee would have seven unpaid voting members. Each would have interest or experience in landscaping, landscape architecture, gardening, construction, the natural environment or beautification. A final vote may come in October.

DOMAIN LAUNCH: Mayor Tomás Regalado and the CEO of Minds + Machines Antony Van Couvering are to host a press conference at 10 a.m. today (9/17) at Miami City Hall on the forthcoming launch of the new .MIAMI top-level domain. Details of the new online option will be explained, including its goals and benefits to city residents and businesses as well as all of South Florida. City Hall is at 3500 Pan American Drive.