The Miami-Dade County Transportation Committee approved an ordinance to expand the county's rapid transit system development zone (RTZ) to include private properties near Northwest 30th Avenue and Northwest 30th Street.

The expansion was read into the record as an amendment to chapters 33C-2 and 33C-3.3 of the Code of Miami-Dade County and was approved by roll call after a motion to move both public hearing items. The committee recorded four affirmative roll-call votes and one absence; the motion passed unanimously.

The City of Miami opposed immediate consideration. Melissa Fernandez Steers, speaking for the City of Miami, asked the committee to "respectfully request a denial or continuance of agenda item 1G1," saying the expansion would place private properties "under the county's exclusive regulatory jurisdiction" and listing construction- and permitting-related authorities she said would be affected. Fernandez Steers added that the asserted jurisdiction "is being challenged in court and also creates major public safety concerns." Fernandez Steers identified several folio numbers for properties in the western portion of the city that would be included in the RTZ expansion.

Fernandez Steers cited the county charter in her public remarks, saying subsection 6.02 provides that municipalities may adopt higher standards for zoning and regulation than those of the Board of County Commissioners. The committee record shows the ordinance text references amendments to chapter 33C-2 and 33C-3.3 of the County Code; the transcript does not show additional charter or statutory citations beyond the city representative's reference to subsection 6.02.

A motion to approve the ordinance was seconded by Commissioner Bastien. The clerk called the roll: Commissioner Bastien, Commissioner Bermudez, Vice Chairwoman Regalado and Chairwoman Higgins each voted yes; Senator Garcia was recorded as absent earlier in the meeting. After the vote the chair acknowledged a request from a commissioner to move the item to March 18; the chair agreed to reschedule items that meet public-hearing requirements and that the department asks to move.

The ordinance as read includes severability and an effective-date provision; the transcript does not specify the exact effective date for this amendment.

Votes at a glance: Ordinance (Item 1G1) ' Motion: approve ordinance amending chapters 33C-2 and 33C-3.3 (mover not specified; seconded by Commissioner Bastien). Vote: roll-call recorded as Bastien: yes; Bermudez: yes; Regalado: yes; Higgins: yes. Outcome: approved.

The record shows the City of Miami has a pending legal challenge to the county's asserted jurisdiction over some properties included in the RTZ expansion; the committee did not take additional action on that litigation, and no city-requested continuance was granted in place of the committee vote reported in the transcript.