FYI Miami: July 21, 2016

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.

CRIME DECLINES: Violent crimes handled by Miami-Dade County Police decreased 7.85% and non-violent major crimes dropped 4.42% in the first six months of this year from the first six months of 2015, Mayor Carlos Gimenez reported to county commissioners Monday. Homicides decreased from 39 to 37 in the period from last year’s first half, the report said. The major deviation from a general decline was an 11% increase in forcible sex offenses, driven by an 18.85% increase in rape cases, which rose from 191 to 227. The report does not cover crimes occurring in those areas of the county with municipal police departments.

ANTI-NOISE PILOT PROGRAM: Commercial deliveries in the dead of night will be prohibited in District 4 of the City of Miami after recent action by the city commission. Repeated complaints to Commissioner Francis Suarez led him to propose limiting commercial deliveries to businesses that abut residential neighborhoods. The original legislation covered the entire city, limiting off-street freight and commercial deliveries to businesses within 100 feet of properties in the T-3 Transect Zone – typical residential neighborhoods of single-family homes and duplexes. After Commissioner Wifredo “Willy” Gort raised concerns about how the proposal would impact some businesses in his District 1, commissioners agreed to make it a pilot program for one year, in District 4 only, which includes Coral Way, Shenandoah, Flagami and more. Violations will trigger $500 fines to the property owner.

HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES: County commissioners approved on first reading Tuesday decreasing an exemption to $700,000 or less for certified small businesses to obtain certain Miami-Dade contracts. Previously, the exemption was $2.5 million or less for professional architectural, engineering, landscape architectural, surveying and mapping and construction services under the county’s Small Business Enterprise Services program, which is designed to aid in their growth, development and contribution to Miami-Dade and South Florida economies.

STILL OLD HOMESTEAD CITY HALL: The building – which received the title when the new city hall opened its doors in March – is still sitting vacant on an 18-acre lot. In April, city officials told Miami Today there were no immediate plans for the building but in the future they would look into putting it up for sale. Homestead City Manager George Gretsas confirmed last week that he had “nothing new” to say about the fate of the 50-year-old structure.