FYI Miami is a weekly feature of Miami Today, keeping readers ahead of the news. Here are highlights from the most current edition.

EVERGLADES STUDY: Florida International University has won a $4.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study the Florida Everglades. The Long-Term Ecological Research project, to get $700,000 annually over six years, will monitor the ecological effects of the $8 billion restoration of the Everglades, said Dan Childers, who heads the project administered by the university's Southeastern Environmental Research Center.

ARGENTINE ADIOS: Santos Goni, Argentina's consul general in Miami for the past two years, is preparing to leave his Miami post, returning to foreign ministry work in Buenos Aires. Mr. Goni has served in Miami since September 1998. His past tours of duty have included Argentine embassies in Chile, the US and France

PANAMANIAN RECEPTION: The US-Panama Business Council is holding a reception in honor of Dominador Kaiser Bazan, Panama's vice president, from 6-8 p.m. Aug. 10 in the Inter-Continental Miami Airport West, 2505 NW 87th Ave. The UM North-South Center and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce are co-sponsors. RSVP. Details: Tania Valenzuela, (305) 577-5472.

WEDNESDAY STARTUPS: The Minority Business Development Center holds free orientations for minority-owned startups and small businesses in Miami-Dade and Broward at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays. RSVP. Details: (305) 591-7355.

URBAN INFILL: The City of Miami and the Florida Department of Community Affairs have agreed to end a dispute over the city's comprehensive land-use plan. The state sued last year, threatening to find the master plan in non-compliance after the city tried to classify the entire city as urban infill. In a settlement reached last week, city officials agreed to re-classify Virginia Key and Watson Island. The change means the state must review any large-scale development plans for the two islands, said Clark Turner, chief of community planning.

PARKING LOTS: Miami Commissioner Arthur Teele says he has a plan to redevelop vacant land under I-395 as parking lots to serve the Omni area and nightclub district. Working with the Florida Department of Transportation, which owns the land, Mr. Teele said the city would develop parking lots and direct parking revenues to the Community Redevelopment Agency to fund Park West redevelopments. He said the deal includes land on Northeast Third Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard between Northeast 11th and 14th streets.

TOWER TUNE: Because a new parking garage under construction in Coconut Grove blocks radio transmissions for the City of Miami police, fire and other government departments, city commissioners have agreed to spend $25,602 to re-tune and realign the city's microwave transmission system. Broadcasts will be directed over residential areas with fewer high-rises.

NEW RADIOS: Miami police will soon get 656 portable radios to replace 14-year-old models that have outlived their eight-year intended life and are prone to malfunction. Miami commissioners approved $2.2 million in grant funds for the purchase.

GARBAGE FEE: Miami commissioners have given a preliminary OK to hike solid waste fees to move the item along. In the city's fiscal year starting Oct. 1, fees for garbage collection climb to $325 per single-family home, up from $234, bringing in $22.3 million. The proposed increases will be discussed at a hearing at 5 p.m. Sept. 14.

FIRE, TOO: That hearing will also give Miami residents a chance to comment on fire fees, expected to raise $18.7 million. Residential rates are $61 per single-family home. Other rates are based on a sliding scale starting at $124 for commercial, $46 for industrial and $135 for institutional uses under 1,999 square feet.

DOWNTOWN MILLAGE: Also due for review at the hearing is the one-half mill tax downtown property owners pay to fund Downtown Development Authority operations.

NATURE TRAIL: The Virginia Key Coastal Hammock Nature Trail will be built with $79,873, including $19,973 from the South Florida Community Urban Resources Partnership. Miami commissioners have approved funding for the trail, including removal of exotic plants, installation of guideposts and development of a guidebook.

LAW ENFORCEMENT: Over the past five years Miami police have spent $23.8 million in monies obtained through forfeitures, says Police Chief Ra£l Martinez. He says the city spent about $13.9 million for investigations, equipment and training and about $9.8 million for crime prevention programs in the period. City commissioners have asked police officials to review programs eligible for funding and form partnerships with community development programs in the city to expand social service initiatives.

SURPLUS LAND: The City of Miami may auction off five vacant lots at 5900 NW Seventh Ave. after commissioners agreed to declare as surplus property bought in 1991 and 1993 for a housing project that was never built. Lori Billberry, director of asset management, said the site would be rezoned for commercial use. Development proposals would be evaluated based on the proposed use, number of jobs created and purchase price.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: Miami Commissioner Joe Sanchez is proposing an ordinance regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages. Modeled after a Miami Beach law, the item would impose a weekend curfew on package stores. He said tougher laws and law enforcement are needed to curb late-night drinking and related issues in the downtown nightclub district.

DOWNTOWN FACADES: Miami commissioners in two separate actions have approved $112,800 in Community Development Block Grant funds to be administered through Downtown Miami Partnership so that 87 downtown businesses get help funding facade renovations, including painting, improved signs and awnings and other upgrades.

AIR CHECKS: The Miami-Dade County Aviation Department is getting $100,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration for investigating its security department and possibly developing a vendor security system at Miami International Airport that can be used nationwide. A first payment of $50,000 was presented last week. The effort had to do investigating employees entering secure areas for possible criminal records and other background information. In presenting the check, Diane Patrick, an FAA representative, said "this is the first case of its kind in the country."

CLASS I: Coral Gables is now the second US city to receive the highest rating for enforcing building codes from the Insurance Services Office. The office is a national firm that evaluates municipalities' capabilities for property and casualty insurers. Fremont, CA, was the first US city to get the company's Class I distinction in building code enforcement last year. Details: (305) 460-5311.

INN BOUND: Ramada Inn Miami Beach is reporting a 95.7% average occupancy during the first quarter 2000. The large occupancy percentage can be attributed in part to the hotel's free car rental service for guests, says spokesperson Bernard Resnick. The inn, he says, offers visitors from the airport a free rental car from Alamo to view the sites of South Beach and other areas. Details: (305) 531-5771.

PASS AGAIN: The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce plans to soon reintroduce Resident Pass to increase resident participation in local activities. The pass, which was launched by the chamber's hospitality committee in the early 1990s, gives Miami residents discounts on local attractions, among other things. Details: (305) 577-5442.

EVENT HONORS: The Miami-Dade County Youth Fair & Exposition, Italian Renaissance Festival of Vizcaya and the Bank of America Coconut Grove Arts Festival won 14 awards from the Florida Festivals & Events Association. The July fair won best newspaper special section, best print ad and best news media kit. The Vizcaya festival won second place for best event newsletter, print ad and souvenir. The arts festival brought in second place awards for best VIP party invitations, best newspaper special section and best commemorative poster.

COAST MEETING: The Internet Coast Tri-County initiative will present updates on the group's activities and will unveil an official poster from 3-6 p.m. Aug. 3 at Florida Atlantic University's Boca Campus. Traver Gruen-Kennedy, director of Internetworking Strategy at Citrix Systems Inc. is guest speaker at the by-invitation-only meeting. Details: (561) 835-1008, ext. 2121.