[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6551039,"mediaKeyId","5360532-4d71c173805363eedfa205b44289d33e","parentId",5360532,"title","Miami‑Dade transportation director cites $2 billion unfunded needs; potholes, sidewalks understaffed","audioSeconds",624,"startMs",3638000,"endMs",4262000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5360532-4d71c173805363eedfa205b44289d33e&start=3638&end=4262","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5360532-4d71c173805363eedfa205b44289d33e/thumbnail_3638000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6551039/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/MiamiDade-transportation-director-cites-2-billion-unfunded-needs-potholes-sidewalks-understaffed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6551039-6fa466c8028ae9a05db42aa90f078cbb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442833&Signature=cetv4xOq89ZJprgiAB3TLqDGv0B4NoqPtPaOmNyRnTJ6WD-COyM6nW4E6qJe90mm6X75jYsJQHUHm85eGCx-jfZ4wPz0bqrSXRZml50LPvMVL~FdVre369Y2i3ZxLK-bV60rGV6W4iwqUnl06w5nfA1LiKRGOstEAllpXNvbWOi~KnAn37jatal4zo~x7HCq5m~ZvOwNPO4LZOKbzyjDSbNE8mds3sodLFnxYh7W~mqrPNu8RUjXU6MTmcgNub~DpYCAmUUmAu-GlZlrYAuUWJ0A1nIUt1sW751QtHnWU4sGounPXBTrI8l-HjFfNFfWc-H2K4GuQPctq9z2-n4B0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Miami-Dade County","date","2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","article","Stacy Miller, director of the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW), told the GET committee that DTPW manages more than 4,200 employees and a budget exceeding $2 billion and that the county’s transportation system ranks among the nation’s largest. Miller said DTPW moves roughly 85 million riders a year across its modes and reported a 5.7% ridership increase overall, including an 11% jump on Metrorail during the most recent period.

Miller laid out a list of capital and maintenance challenges: nearly $2 billion in outstanding needs concentrated in bridge repair and roadway resurfacing, increased project costs (she cited 20–30% cost growth since COVID), limited resurfacing funding, and an operating mismatch for transit services. She told commissioners that beginning in fiscal year 2027 the county will face a projected operating shortfall of “$200,000,000 plus” to maintain existing transit services at current levels.

Commissioners focused on service‑level concerns. Miller said DTPW repaired more than 10,000 potholes and cleaned over 440,000 linear feet of stormwater pipe in the prior year but acknowledged that crews are small: she said the department has 10 workers dedicated to pothole repairs and six dedicated to sidewalks, and that those numbers limit the pace of work. Miller said the county receives about $20 million annually for resurfacing countywide, which she characterized as insufficient to maintain the road network.

Commissioners raised operational coordination issues. Multiple commissioners noted timing misalignments between DTPW project schedules and outside bodies such as the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust (CITT) and urged staff to align timelines so funding approvals and project programming occur with minimal delay. Miller said DTPW is working with CITT to realign the five‑year approval cycle to permit earlier inclusion in the county budget process.

Separately, the administration noted a planned transfer of a fully funded stormwater group (about 35 positions) into DTPW as part of the budget: administration officials said those positions are not new hires but a consolidation of existing, funded staff into DTPW to improve coordination of stormwater maintenance and capital work.

Miller described transit‑oriented development progress — more than 10,000 housing units built near transit stations, about 5,000 of which were affordable — and highlighted efficiency metrics tied to the mayor’s WISE initiative: DTPW reported a 20% decrease in cost per boarding, a 16% decrease in cost per revenue hour and a 6% decrease in cost per revenue mile following operational reviews.

What commissioners asked for: several said they want prioritized asset inventories and engineering‑justified prioritization for resurfacing and bridge work and urged better cross‑department coordination (for instance, sequencing water or utility work ahead of resurfacing). Miller said DTPW plans to procure a contract to inventory assets and apply engineering analyses to prioritize limited resurfacing funds.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Miami-Dade County - Government Efficiency & Transparency Ad Hoc Committee - Jul 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Department of Transportation and Public Works Director Stacy Miller told the committee the county faces roughly $2 billion in unmet capital needs, warned of an operating transit shortfall beginning in FY2027 and said only limited crews maintain sidewalks and potholes.","taxTitle","Miami-Dade County, Florida","taxId",2864,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6551042,"Miami‑Dade IT department outlines AI tools, data dashboards and cost‑saving steps; commissioners press on staffing, website access and cybersecurity",713,1425000,2138000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5360532-4d71c173805363eedfa205b44289d33e&start=1425&end=2138","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5360532-4d71c173805363eedfa205b44289d33e/thumbnail_1425000.jpg","/articles/6551042/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/MiamiDade-IT-department-outlines-AI-tools-data-dashboards-and-costsaving-steps-commissioners-press-on-staffing-website-access-and-cybersecurity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6551042-c18321015e4fe24087ff1dd24ba95ce6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442833&Signature=S5KNb-W6G8LrMWujOUBBIElIikCL~kRCTETHL2cRqdRBPLqpUcycekv-9pbMRpjze11xJzCapW00jb8AP1HqL2yxoQ2UdL1y1ollr8Bhj6mzMWF~pW7vKHG6fuQHTOmt-w8vnIE~hJPbuwy4~oe9XDyo4dskwpf5C2GT0n-vg6CDvg~F1XQy3kTHxOvsDHVnW3C~XcwEYyqGAAU0WSFdweaZRwmOPBokMfNxys92UnEDXBXAmeI4x8WPeij3tvyNgiiR2PZfwoDfmRY44OaOIXWf-K-JwnHjeoHp3v7ho29eAA9hRJj816h83VMUwk-WStPlETqlyaObSjpaZcFK~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carla Denise Armbrister, acting director of Miami‑Dade County’s Information Technology Department (ITD), and Assistant Director George Elazabal briefed the GET committee on ITD operations, modernization plans and recent cost‑avoidance efforts.

Elazabal described ITD as the county’s “central nervous system” for technology, saying ITD manages about 1,200 application systems and approximately 962 full‑time equivalent positions. He said roughly 97% of ITD’s budget is funded through customer revenue and memoranda of understanding with county departments and partner agencies; less than 1% comes from the direct general fund.

Elazabal highlighted several modernization efforts: renegotiation of countywide master agreements that he said produced “contract savings and/or cost avoidance of just over $4,500,000 over the next five years”; rollout of a county contact center using an AI‑enabled interactive voice response system for Miami‑Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD); a county “trusted data platform” and more than 1,000 operational dashboards; and the county’s open data portal, which he said “provides access to over 5,000 datasets.”

Commissioners asked whether the AI contact‑center rollout has reduced call hold times and whether it has replaced staff. Elazabal said the WASD implementation is the first AI‑powered rollout and that hold times have been halved in a cited customer example; he deferred direct staffing‑impact questions to the WASD contact center leadership, saying ITD supplies technology rather than setting staffing policy.

Commissioners also pressed ITD on the department’s growth and on public access to county video and meeting materials. Vice Chair Milian Orbis said a resident told her it required several steps to find meeting videos on the county website; commissioners asked ITD to work with the County Communications/CCED team to evaluate the public site’s navigation and consider streamlining. ITD officials acknowledged the comment and said they would explore improvements with CCED and other partners.

Questions about budget reduction targets were raised. Carla Armbrister said ITD was not on the list of departments assigned a uniform 10% general‑fund reduction because ITD is primarily funded by departmental customer revenue; she said ITD is nevertheless pursuing savings from contract renegotiations, retiring legacy applications, and organizational consolidation tied to administrative streamlining.

Commissioners also raised cybersecurity concerns; ITD described an AI vendor security matrix and an AI Council to shape AI strategy and vendor compliance processes. The department plans upcoming items for security, networking and AI to the board.

","Information Technology Department leaders described AI contact centers, a county trust data platform and contract renegotiations that saved about $4.5 million in projected costs; commissioners raised questions about staffing growth, website usability and cybersecurity.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6551047,"Miami-Dade Community Action and Human Services details services, warns of looming grant cuts",495,275000,770000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5360532-4d71c173805363eedfa205b44289d33e&start=275&end=770","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5360532-4d71c173805363eedfa205b44289d33e/thumbnail_275000.jpg","/articles/6551047/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/Miami-Dade-Community-Action-and-Human-Services-details-services-warns-of-looming-grant-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6551047-c2f2c28a33845041eb1c0720d0c82ee1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442833&Signature=Z9jYC9QADYZf9yeDqNAUTabf7~FM1ihlCILsr7cm2uhx0NMk~3uT~aDA0OhUFxnBNztI2AO0FrKL53CZ48djoaAD~FyrGHSrR3scASbHby85VsKbFtKWHKn47ZHmQGgDJ7MigJlQS2vvrC2UfLml9XlGDTKIHFTPETPBXMx0zpyuyNar3wwrXFe5jY-TJ9Gsrp7ofwI6DImeu1N~qZBv1h83t4K3e8tUUEKVIqTOzj2dMn4rJHJWvaYTsvva40ydGtGpoJWqYUShBwRTpziUpDAisTHsxfOSpkB1C3XX-uOKhv-qHSMLNMGwNSaTqAftCd6NDfmP778PTiWYtmNzOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sonia Grice, director of the Community Action and Human Services Department, told the Miami‑Dade County Government Operations and Fiscal (GET) committee that her department runs the county’s largest social‑service programs and faces “a significant reduction in grant funding” from federal and state sources.

Grice said Community Action and Human Services — which she described as nationally accredited and serving all 13 county commission districts — operates one of the nation’s largest Head Start programs, a summer meals program and four state‑certified domestic violence shelters. “Our mission goes beyond providing services. We’re here to ignite empowerment through comprehensive support and unwavering commitment,” Grice said.

The department presented a string of program statistics the director said illustrate its scope: roughly 13,500 children served by the summer meals program at about 340 sites; more than 8,750 children receiving school‑readiness support; more than 22,000 tenants and landlords aided with eviction‑diversion services; close to 300 evictions prevented; and roughly 17,000 households receiving utility assistance. Grice also highlighted transitional housing, rapid re‑housing and a coordinated victims assistance center for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

Why it matters: Commissioners pressed Grice about funding and staffing because roughly two‑thirds of the department’s funding comes from federal and state grants, she said, and several commissioners warned that pending cuts at those levels could force reductions in services. Commissioner Cohen Higgins asked for specifics about grant losses and about whether the department had a plan to absorb cuts; Grice said staff and county lobbyists were actively monitoring changes and maintaining contact with funders.

Committee members also pressed practical questions about staffing and program delivery. During the presentation a commissioner corrected an apparent transcript confusion: committee members stated that the department has about 665 employees (commissioners referenced “665” during the Q&A). Grice emphasized most staff provide direct services and outlined efforts to reduce intake time for clients through a new smartphone referral process: she said the new intake approach cut average intake time from about two hours to under one hour and produced a further 36% decrease in wait time in recent figures.

Commissioners asked whether the department’s eviction‑diversion figures were from a single office. Grice said the eviction‑diversion program cited in the presentation is housed in the Office of Housing Advocacy and partners with legal services; she said the mayor’s separate eviction diversion office also exists and they partner as needed. Chief operating officer Jimmy Morales and an administration representative confirmed the Office of Housing Advocacy oversees agencies that provide eviction diversion services directly.

Grice described large planned projects that use county bond funding, including a project she called the “hostess center,” which she said will add 148 residential units (82 designated affordable) and 50 supportive housing units in Wynwood; she said general‑obligation bond dollars will fund portions of that project.

The presentation concluded with an explicit appeal for continued county support. “Continue investing — our clients are also our neighbors,” Grice said.

What’s next: Commissioners said they will monitor grant decisions closely as the county prepares its budget and requested follow‑up information about specific grant impacts and outreach strategies to increase public awareness of the department’s services.

","Director Sonia Grice told the county committee that the department runs large Head Start and nutrition programs and prevents evictions, but faces significant reductions in federal and state grant funding and is pushing technology and partnerships to maintain services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Miami‑Dade transportation director cites $2 billion unfunded needs; potholes, sidewalks understaffed

Miami‑Dade IT department outlines AI tools, data dashboards and cost‑saving steps; commissioners press on staffing, website access and cybersecurity

Miami-Dade Community Action and Human Services details services, warns of looming grant cuts