|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Commissioner Cohen Higgins:
I would love for [MIA] director to give us some specifics and if you have photos, I think photos would be helpful as well so that our community knows how much work and time is being invested to get that airport and to maintain that airport at the level that we require that our residents and our visitors deserve so to our director, please thank you very much commissioner.
Director Ralph Cutie:
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So first of all commissioner, thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to set the record straight on their narrative, you mentioned regarding the court and cold lack of improvements at MIT which I can assure you is simply just not true and you’ll see that as we move along with my presentation. So under our mayor’s leadership and with the support of our entire Board of County Commissioners, we are making unprecedented. I want to specify stress unprecedented investments in not only our infrastructure but in our plans for the future and our Capital Improvement program, and I will get into some of that and address some of those Four million complaints that you mentioned that and we spoke about yesterday. But before I get into the meat of the presentation, if you could indulge me, I want to ask your permission to kind of establish a little bit of context and perspective before I get into the presentation on where we are and some of the work both short-term and long-term improvements where we are will work is in progress and provide some background and facts to be able to then establish a context for the presentation if that’s okay with you, so if I can move on just to start it out by comparison take and I said this last week at the state delegation event at hard work Stadium. The Pentagon is the largest office building in the entire world and it’s 6 million square feet by comparison. Our terminal is eight and a half million square feet of air conditioned space when you add in the ramp, that’s an additional almost one and a half million square feet. So that means our terminal overall is nearly 10 million square feet of space. So that gives you an idea of the breadth of operation and the level of responsibility and what has to be maintained and improved at Mia to give you an idea by comparison just to get into some of our numbers also as context and background. So this past year 2023 that we just closed out. We had another record-breaking year. We had fifty two point three million passengers come through our airport. That was a 3% percent increase from last year’s record, which was 50.7 million. So it’s three percent over last year and a little bit over 13 and a half percent. Over the previous record, which was Pre-Covid in 2019 46 million in 2019. So huge numbers and the numbers last year included our busiest day ever December 23rd. We had 195,000 passengers or normal is anywhere during our busiest time of the year is anywhere between 195,000 and 182,000 passengers a day. So that’s our those are our daily numbers. We are the fat we continue to be three years running the fastest growing Airport in the entire United States in the year of see capacity, which is the key metric that the industry uses for measuring future passage passenger volume counts. So that’s something to be very very excited about and we’re also the fastest recovery airport after covid so that kind of lays a little bit of a groundwork and if you look at our top ten days as I mentioned, you know, we had right now six of our top 10 days ever in the airport’s history six of them are in December of twenty three and four are already in January of 2014. That gives you an idea of the growth the volume and how those numbers continue to incrementally increase again something to be excited about and something that we have to we have to prepare for what do all those numbers translate into and I mentioned this also before and if I’m repeating myself, but the numbers are what they are. We have very lofty rankings both nationally and internationally as an airport with a second busiest airport in the in the entire United States for international passengers were the eighth busiest airport in the United States for total overall passengers those rankings internationally were the twenty third busiest airport for international passengers in the world and 14th busiest for total passengers and our Airfield is averaging anywhere between 11:00 and 12:00 flights daily. Now during the holidays. We had a couple of days. We’re almost at thirteen hundred flights a day with American flying their most ambitious schedule in their history 391 flights a day during the holidays, so we are right now the eighth busiest Airfield in the entire world when it comes to number of flights. We have more Airlines as in any other airport in the United States nearly 100 airlines that fly with us and that number continues to increase we have another three or four Airlines waiting in the wings. No pun intended to come start flying with us. So that gives you an idea of the breadth of our operation the long-term projections based on those numbers that we’re supposed to be at 77 million passengers by the year 2040, which is only 16 years away and that goes by pretty fast. If you don’t plan for it and we are planning for it with our Capital Improvement program and I’ll get into some of the details on that as I move. So as far as quality of service over the last three years JD Power has ranked our airport number one in 2021 number 9 and 2022 a number for back this past year in customer satisfaction. That is three years in the top 10 to in the two numbers in the top five and one you’re number one over the over a three-year span that is all based on scientific data that is gathered in surveys where the organization that does the surveys surveys approximately 30,000 passengers that come through airports around the country and come up with those rankings. So again, all of these passenger numbers notwithstanding with social media may say are very lofty rankings considering the volume we have and the Aged quite frankly of some of our facilities which were addressing so that lays the groundwork when it comes to passengers and cargo as I’ve mentioned to most of you before then use a similarly incredible. We are we have had four straight record-breaking years in
Volume in Tronics 2 point 3 to point seven two point seven five and 2.8 million tons this past year that’s forestry record breaking news in cargo and our rankings and cargo are similarly impressive for the number one airport in the U.S. or International Freight three in total Freight and three in total cargo with the stratum in those same categories internationally are 777. So when you take all those numbers into account we are one of the busiest Premier airports in the entire world for both passengers and cargo Twilight a little more perspective when you take those rankings and you look at them. There is about 430 airports in the entire United States and hundreds and hundreds of more airports throughout the world. If you take those rankings and compare that to the number of airports were competing against I think we’re doing pretty well. Are we perfect? No do we have work to do absolutely and we are actively addressing all those areas. That you see on social media and I’ll get into some of that now as a point of comparison and I like to show these numbers because to give some perspective to the complaint. So on any given day as I mentioned we had our busiest day December 23rd, 195,000 passengers. So let’s take that as our worst case scenario. We also have 35,000 employees that come to work at the airport every day. So if we take just the worst case 195,000 and 35 that’s 230,000 people that are at our airport daily.
I like a medium-sized City. If we were to get one percent of those individuals that are at the airport and that’s not even including people to come and visit pickup family relatives Etc, 230,000 1% which we would consider a minimal small amount that would mean that we would be getting 2300 complaints daily. We’re not getting 2300 complaints daily. We are averaging anywhere between 150 and 200 complaints annually every year, so if you double that number triple that number make it 400 600 we’re still way under significantly under a sista tist eclis small 1% Just again, I try perspective to some other things that you see on social media. Obviously, we do not ignore anything. We don’t shy away from any of the challenges and we’re addressing them. So what I’m going to do now is I’ll get into a little bit on the actual short-term plan and the long-term plan again under the mayor’s leadership as I mentioned, we’re making unprecedented Investments and our short-term plan, which we call our modernization in action or am IA program is addressing some of the low-hanging fruit in our terminals on the Airfield Etc. They need to be addressed. So I’ll go through them one by one and you’ll see now on the screen the and I’ll go and order our passenger loading bridge program. We have approximately 126 loading Bridges which are the pieces of equipment that connect our terminal to the aircraft and passenger used to board. We’re investing more than 230-234 million dollars in the replacement and refurbishment of all of our bridges to put that in some context the useful life of a British 20 years. We have some bridges that are 40 plus years old quite a few that are in their high 30s mid 30s again, a lot of this maintenance was deferred for many decades for whatever reason like a budget or other priorities, whatever the word but there are priority now and we’re addressing them as we speak so to date we’ve compleaded 27 percent of those bridges through I mean 34 of them are done. We have another 10 that will be advertising in the next couple of months. We’re moving forward to The Cutting Edge of the industry by going to Glass Bridges. So now all of our bridges from now on or I’m going to be glass the next batch of our advertising will have a very nice view of the Airfield there easier on maintenance because they have less metal parts Etc and they will include the very latest precondition are and are 400 electrical systems, which is the equivalent of short power at the seaport. So when our aircraft birth and they dock out of at a loading bridge that connects so they don’t have to run their engines pollute the air and spend more money Airlines don’t have to spend as much money running fuel. So all good news on that front and over the next five or six years. We anticipate having just about all if not a large percentage of our loading bridges either replace and totally refurbished. That is the first thing a passenger sees when your lights from an aircraft is he’s got a watch with that tunnel if that’s a positive experience. That’s number one, that we get. Next item restrooms, which we’ve all talked about as you mentioned we have 447 restrooms in the terminal when I say that number people get wide eyed but that is the numbers. So for many years these restrooms were not updated and if you go to the next slide, I got the clicker here. This gives you a look at some of the bridges I mentioned if you look at the photographs glass Bridge beautiful view of the Airfield really enhances the customer experience when our passengers are waiting to board their aircraft and also from the exterior also, a completely different look from just a regular steel tunnel, which is kind of drab and not the nicest. Look these are our new designs for our restrooms. Currently. We are handling phase one which will address the first 225 of the 447 restaurant. We have completed already about 34 are completed and you’ll see some of the photographs here. You can tell it’s very just very beautiful design minimalistic. It’s got hooks for backpacks and purses for both men and women hand dryers, you know, just to the yard small grout lines to avoid any dripping trap just really really beautiful restrooms. We’ve completed about 34. We have another 40 to 50 that are either in permitting or already under construction and another 141 which are board approved last late last year to move into design and which will start the design on those in the next month or two. So we are again actively addressing that pain point and that social media complaint by getting a project moving forward which is going to take some time. By the end of this year we should have at least 70 or 80 of those bathrooms completed. We already have 30 or 40 so. On other pain point that we’re actively addressing and then the next one which is one. Here’s another beautiful view of a bathroom with the Patriot. I mean totally different from the current bathroom. So next pain point that we get a lot of complaints about our our conveniences again under the mayor’s leadership and with our board is approval and again, I’ve thanked them before but I’ll thank him again commissioner Cabrera sponsored both those items. We were investing 81 million dollars into conveying systems that is an unprecedented number that has never been done in the history of our airports 681 million dollars to increase shifts increase repair times have more repairs more preventive maintenance and most importantly the modernization of almost 200. If not more than 200 units total again. So perspective the county has 1200 elevator convenience or conveyance units throughout all its facilities. We have 616 at MIT. So we represent more than half. Half of all the counties conveying systems and ours take much a much greater beating than other facilities because we are as we all know a 24/7 operation. We don’t stop. So obviously, our units require a lot more tender loving care and this modernization program over the next six, seven years will actually go a long way towards getting us where we need to be on convenience. And so again unprecedented investment actively addressing a complaint and paint point not shying away from anything. We have leaks that people have complained about we have a terminal wide roof replacement project which will replace about four hundred thirty thousand square feet of roof and will include solar panels along with that which when it’s all said and done could provide up to two megawatts, if not potentially for megawatts of power for the airport. To give you an idea of how much that is that would make us the biggest power generator outside of FPL in the southeastern United States on airport. So, we’re very excited about that. That project is the long-term project it’s going to be in seven at 75% design by the end of March. But in the interim we have two roof maintenance contracts that we have in place to go ahead and address some of the roof leaks we have now and during the holidays. We actually engaged with two additional roofing contractors to do interim Patchwork and repairs again. So we can mitigate the number of leaks. So over the years we have mitigated them. But again, we are putting out all the stops to make sure that our passengers have a positive experience. When it comes to the roof and then the last two things back in December this board again, I’m very grateful for that approved a 912 million-dollar FPL contract which will which will allow us to address very aged electrical infrastructure at the airport that is feeder Cable Systems, switch gears, and about 74 backup generators. So, if PL is currently working on the 32-week investment-grade audit, the survey of all of facilities, and then once you’re done with that, they will start beating out the work to start replacing that and that is so that is an opportunity where we are being proactive. So we’re not in the same situation as well with the elevators. We’re trying to adjust, address the problem before we have a catastrophic power outage Etc. Again, an unprecedented investment out of that 900 tourmaline dollar contract. I think we represent about 60% of it. So big numbers and trying to make our passengers have the best experience possible. And then lastly obviously were tapping into all kinds of innovation initiatives. We have currently a biometric boarding project underway, facial recognition to make sure that our throughput through our checkpoints is enhanced. Right now, we’re currently ranked sixth in the US as far as checkpoint wait times with an average of ten point four minutes, which is pretty good. So when people and I get the text as well as everybody else when people tell me the lines are long I go yes, sometimes they are but they move pretty quick because getting through the line in Tempo 4 minutes on average that ranks us at 6 in the country. So good news on that front and we’re and we’re working to make all of those pain points even better and I actively be addressing them. So the myth that we’re not doing anything or that the airport falling apart is a complete falsehood and I can tell you that with a straight face.
Now long-term, we have our Capital Improvement program, which most of you are aware of it’s a very ambitious 7 billion dollar fifteen year program and that program is comprised of more than 150 projects. I can go over some of the bigger ones that we have going on right now. We’re going to be building out our design build contract for the south terminal expansion, which will be the first terminal expansion in more than 20 years at the airport that proposal and that RFP should go out by the end of this month. That’s a 750 million dollar project again unprecedented investment in our infrastructure that will expand South Terminal by six Gates and including three of which will become ultimately International capable, all kinds of great amenities which we desperately need.
We’re also going to be advertising phase one of our Central Terminal Redevelopment the design contract for that, the overall project cost is three hundred seventy three million dollars, again unprecedented investment and we are advertising the design contract for that. Hopefully by the end of this month if not in February. So those are obviously Central terminal is our oldest terminal at more than 70 years old and all of you that have been that at the airport when you were in south or set or north and you go into Central you can tell the difference. So actively getting on that and trying to get that expedited commissioner Cabrera and I have discussed potential ways of expediting and trying to get Central Terminal done sooner and we’re working with our procurement folks with you we can do about that
Commissioner Hardemon
Before you move on that. Is there an RFP for the Central Terminal that that direction so sort of waiting in the wings there?
Director Ralph Cutie:
We have an RFP for both south terminal and Central Terminal that are being finalized and we’re incorporating industry comments. We had an industry day for south terminal and on December 5th, so we’re incorporating those comments to get ready to advertise.
Commissioner Hardemon
What about the North Terminal?
Director Ralph Cutie:
So no, that North Terminal, Central we have the design contract ready and we expect I get that advertised by end of this month beginning of February.
Commissioner Hardemon
Is that include?
Director Ralph Cutie:
That’s phase one. It’s only half a Central Terminal. So it’s not the entire simple term. That is what our Mac committee or Miami Airport Affairs committee, which is comprised of 18 Airlines. That’s what they were proved so far. So, that’s the one we forward with first.
Commissioner Hardemon
What about it? As far as the the individuals that I pray businesses within the terminals, is there an RFP that sitting in the wings for that.
Director Ralph Cutie:
I’m sorry. Mr. Commissioner.
Commissioner Hardemon
The name of the sort of operates. This escapes me but collections.
Director Ralph Cutie:
Yeah. We are working on an RFP for concessions as well. I don’t have the advertisement for you. I can get that for you.
Commissioner Hardemon
How long have you been working on it? Around about not going to hold you to the time
Director Ralph Cutie:
Over the last year maybe six months to a year. We’ve been working on that RFP getting ready to get it out. Anyway, so those are some of the long-term things upcoming events that we have this board awarded our Park six employee garage contract back a few months ago. We expect the had the groundbreaking for that at the end of February that’s 130 million dollar project which will increase our parking spaces by about 2400 spaces, which we desperately need now, when we do that project there will be complaints because the there will be impacts to traffic coming in and out of the airport again, you can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs, so we will be doing our best and we are working actively with our contractor to mitigate the traffic impacts as much as we can with an as robust of Maintenance of a traffic plan as we can come up with but there will be complaint, it’s right at the entrance of of Central Boulevard and we also have the MIA hotel which was approved back in July and that is that is supposed to start sometime next year the the work on that. So those are some of the long-term projects that we have to address. Again, long-term the 77 million passengers were going to have coming and some of the amenities that we’re going to need desperately the hotel. For example, it’s going to be state-of-the-art 451 rooms and 18,000 square foot business and Conference facilities Etc. So some of you were very excited about and it will change the look as you go up on Central Boulevard both the hotel in the garage once they’re done it will give it a totally new fresh look as people are coming in a more signature Miami look as both passengers and people that are dropping off passengers and other customers come through the airport. So again something we’re excited about you had mentioned. My last two items were Sky Train and back on September 15th. We took the sky train out of service when some structural cracks were discovered and economy in a couple of Pier caps. That was the right decision to make it was it was discovered as part of a biannual ADT required inspection of our Pier caps. I’m happy to report right now that we issued notice to proceed after several months of working with an independent engineer that we hire working together with the original Engineers of record and our and our bond engineer and we’ve issued NTP on December 18th to the specialized civil and Specialty contractor to start the work. They’re going to start Shoring up those Pier caps between stations to and for two of them now at the end of this, I believe at the end of this month then the work from February to mid-march on repairing the crack. So we anticipate being back in service by on or about March 22, March 23rd between stations 2 and 14. There’s another three pier caps near station one goes have more severe cracks, may take a little longer, but at a minimum we can run service on three-quarters of the system. The overall SkyTrain is point seven miles of the one point one miles total of more terminal. So we will be able to run servers for three-quarters of that .7 miles. So, looking forward to that happening. In the meantime, we continue to operate with golf carts and the shuttle which work very well during our busiest Thanksgiving and busiest Christmas Seasons that were so we had an 80% on time working together with the air terminal and American specifically in North Terminal. We had an 80% on time reliability performance. Our parking garages were good were able to manage the overwhelming volume of both cars and passengers with Nary a complaint when it came to the parking garage. And so we plan for that. So that’s the update on the SkyTrain hoping to get hopefully to get that done soon. And then the last thing was what you mentioned at the beginning commissioner the issue of that pipe that burst in late December over D 37 when you look, at that Instagram post through that social media post they claim that it was sewage. It was not sewage and I can walk you through 30 seconds of how that happened. All of our lease hold all of our policies are responsible for all the work inside their lease holds. In this particular case American Airlines had a plumber doing his job, sneaking and clearing a line in their kitchen and their Admirals Club Lounge when he was doing that. He perforate the line was roasted and then I was perforated and then not cause water to leak from that lying down through our ceiling tiles down to D 37. The water was not bathroom water. It was not throw water. It was water from the kitchen. The kitchen was immediately shut down the American Airlines plumber stayed overnight replace the pipe repaired it our staff came in that night replaced. All the ceiling tiles cleaned up the area and we were back in business under normal operations very early the next morning again. So sometimes the things that come out on social media are not always accurate. That is the accurate story there. It was not a suicide. And so I guess in closing I want to just reiterate what I said at the beginning with your support our board support. The mayor’s leadership. We are actively addressing every single one of those complaints that you hear about on social media from loading Bridges to restrooms to elevators. Everything else is being addressed, but it’s not going to happen overnight. Are we perfect? No, but it’s very difficult to overcome 20 30 years of just things being deferred and in particular cans being kicked down the road and they’re not going to be fixing a year. It’s going to take some time. But we have projects contracts in place to address each and every one of those pain points. Now, what’s the challenge? Getting all that work done while we continue to operate one of the busiest airports in the world and keeping our numbers where they’re supposed to be while getting all this work done. And you know, that’s exactly what we’re doing is trying to make sure that happens. So with that, that’s all. Open questions.
Commissioner Cohen-Higgins
Thank you to the director. I don’t have any follow-up questions. I appreciate the presentation, even though we had spoken prior to today’s hearing you added additional pieces of information that informed me that I wasn’t even aware of so I certainly appreciate you giving that comprehensive update and clarifying that you know, things were not necessarily what was communicated publicly to our residents. I think that’s very important to clear up and I appreciate that presentation directly.
Commissioner Bermudez
Mr. Chair. I just have a couple questions and comment, but I’ll start with the the attorneys more so than the director on the issue with the SkyTrain. Is there anything any are there any legal options? I know that the thing was built a while back, but obviously I don’t think these cracks were expected…
Director Ralph Cutie:
Those pier capsules for the record. Those pure cops were poured back in 1999. So I’ve been 25 years plus or minus.
Commissioner Bermudez:
So just a in general question. Is there any?
County Attorney:
We’ve been working with airport staff to make sure that to the extent that there is a legal remedy that it’s preserved given the age and some recent changes in the law that there may not be a legal remedy, but we’re certainly cognizant of a vat and then making sure that our rights are protected.
Commissioner Bermudez:
Okay, I think the the question I have is director is you know, one of the things is we move forward because I know you’re inheriting a lot of things that need to be corrected because they accumulated over the years for whatever reason one of the things that does concern me as we move forward is you know being competitive as far as the landing fees are concerned not to be priced out of being able to and we’re obviously very dependent on one major carrier in particular, but the, at least from my perspective is when you compare it to some of the other airports, I would because we’re not talking just about for a long tail. We’re talking about, you know, Atlanta used in ETC. So we’re do we stand in that world of not having to hopefully increase those Landing fees.
Director Ralph Cutie:
Well, I can tell you for now commissioner over the last seven years. We have maintained our Landing fee flat at $1 62 cents for and I’ll get this formula, right every thousand pounds of nominal Landing weight. I always mess up the categories. Sorry, but we’ve kept that flat. We are one of the most competitive when it comes to Landing fees of any of our competitors. I can provide you with charts that show where I think, second or third lowest out of the 20 or 25 busiest airports in the country were second or third lowest when it comes to Landing fee. The numbers are similarly good for cost per and plane passenger now. Yeah, when you move forward with a large Capital Improvement program, they could be impacts tool but our budget folks are constantly working together with our Airlines and the airline regain our liaison office to make sure that we keep ourselves as competitive as we can but our Landing fees have been 162 for the last 6, 7 years and we’ve got the flat specifically to keep us competitive and I can provide you some some tables and charts that I have available that reflect exactly that
Commissioner Bermudez:
And my third thing is a common first of all, thanks for getting back to me so quickly because I’m sure I was not the only one that bothered you and when I started getting text on the supposed, whatever you want to call it leak or whatever the heck it was. You know this is more of a comment. I don’t know you. I’m sure you’re because when you presented today, I think it’s very important, too. Be able to be assertive and presenting that to the general public, you know, we’re in a situation now. It’s no great secret with our friends in Tallahassee that the airport and the port certainly would be something that at some point could really crippled County government and would at a certain point eliminate the need certainly would change things. It will be a game changer. I you know, maybe, you know, maybe to say what people are thinking but are afraid of saying to offend some of our friends, but I think there’s a clear effort, you know to some of these stories to make it appear, you know, and there’s no doubt. There’s room for improvement because I know some of the terms you mentioned are certainly outdated and there has to be a particular one when you’re coming from international flights. They could look a lot better. But I you know, there were clearly there is an effort whether I’d ever it is coordinated, not coordinated is really irrelevant. But what I think is important is that the airport be able to and I don’t know how you respond to these things. But I think that the airport and along with the port but the airport in particular would need to be able to respond quickly to from the the Press perspective to some of these things. I have no doubt. That if there isn’t a coordinated effort, there’s definitely an effort and I think you need to be able to respond to this because you were kind enough to give me that answer. But once you create that public perception, it’s very hard to get rid of it. It’s kind of like, you know, it’s just so I just hope that you have the right resources and if you don’t if you let us know because I think you have to be able to the airport has to be able to respond you as a director but your team as quickly and as efficiently as possible on these things, you know in my opinion it’s going to be critical moving forward because I don’t think this is going to finish here or stop here. So if you if you need more resources, or you know, yeah, I think you need to let us know. Number two, I think and again, I’m not an expert in this but you definitely need to have somebody or someone or somebody at the county that is will do respond to these things quickly not not be but because by the time a day has gone by it gives the perception that nothing was done. So I leave it at that. That’s just my observation and I just hope you know that you know, as I responded to a couple of those individuals that send me text messages, you know, they this is not a true perception of what’s going on, but it’s very difficult to do that. If you know the proverbial cat is out of the bag within with an untruthful message.
Director Ralph Cutie:
So to answer just your question commissioner briefly. So we are working with our comps team is working with the mayor’s calm Steam on putting together a report that we will provide to our friends in Tallahassee periodically with all the things and all the progress. We’re making on the different fronts that I mentioned. Also. We will be going up to Tallahassee as well and briefing some of our state that listen up there and kind of walk them through what I just said today all the things that were working on and that we’re actively addressing see because there may be things that they’re not aware of so we’re going to be doing that as well. So we’re approaching this in a multi-pronged effort. Both actual meetings, face-to-face meetings with all these State reps and Senators to make them understand all the work working on and we’re also working with the comms team on getting that message out both in reports, social media Etc. So everybody’s aware that, that myth that we’re not doing anything or that there are no improvements going on is exactly that a myth.
Commissioner Bermudez:
Yeah, I commend you for doing that and I commend you for being proactive in dealing with Tallahassee, but I just warn you you know, having been in politics for a while now, you know, these things don’t happen in a vacuum and you know, we’ve seen as time has gone on and I have been one of the harshest critics sometimes about the Home Rule Charter not giving municipalities, but we are looking now at you know, the potential that there certainly is a possibility that there may be an effort to you know, change the reality that the port and the airport and the two key economic engines of this County may have a different structure if we don’t make it clear that the most effective way to have these things work is to have professionals like you run them not politicians. And number two, you know, get the message out that it’s being run locally, which is much more effective then giving it to a group of people that may have other interests. So there’s no doubt in my mind that as you go up there, you know, you should be as proactive as you can but you should be cognizant and I hope the mayor you know is going to be cognizant of the fact that this is something that is looming.
Commissioner Hardemon:
Thanks. Mr. Cabrera.
Commissioner Cabrera:
Thank you, mr. Chair, and Ralph. I just want to say thank you because I think you do a great job given the circumstances at hand. And as you said right when you have elevators and some conveniences that are 40 years old and when the lifespan supposed to be 20, this is not a problem that started overnight and it’s not a problem that we can fix overnight either but I do think that it’s important as most of us who recognize that it is as we’ve heard time and time again a new day in Miami-Dade County to a new Commission. I have to say today about the commission’s past but we’ve made a very concerted effort and making sure you have all the resources necessary to do this maintenance having sponsored those contracts. I can tell you I know firsthand that we have the resources that we’ve never had in the past both in Staffing and weekend shifts and all those sorts of things to make sure these things get fixed. And I think the one thing that I would agree with Commissioner Bermudez, is that where we still have, you know to improve is on the I think the public relations side. We’ve got to make sure that when these things happen that were, you know at the Forefront making sure that the facts are out there and it’s not, you know, it’s not fake news as they say. So, we’ve just got to do a better job on the pr side. But again, I know you’re doing the best you can given the circumstances and I think that folks will start to see improvements. Hopefully very shortly given the amount of resources that we put into that airport.
Director Ralph Cutie:
That is our plan. Thank you commissioner.
Commissioner Hardemon:
Any other questions? No, our hearts and Minds clip wonderful, wonderful. Oh, yeah.
Jimmy Morales; Chief Operations Officer:
Jimmy Morales chief operations officer. Let me assure you the mayor this is obviously a very top priority of hers and my a is the single greatest economic engine in this community how it functions is critical to our tourism our economy our trade even our quality of life here in this community as residents. She recognizes you all do that sadly in government politics perception becomes reality and so we obviously are upping our game in terms of communications and messaging and we appreciate partnering with all of you in that process by Duke but I do want you to understand that if there’s any concern that this Opera airport isn’t being operated at a top level in the last two weeks. Am IA has had the 10 busiest days in its history are all occurred last two weeks averaging somewhere like 185 thousand passengers a day, which is like a 30 percent increase over where we were 4, 5 years ago and you didn’t see stories about the airport falling about we processed, we moved, we park them, we unpark them. So this airport operates at a very high level but on any given day. Are you going to walk through and find a bathroom that has an issue or an elevator? There might be down? Heck you find them here in the Stephan P Clark Center, but rest assured this airport is operating at an incredible level and that’s not even talking about cargo. So if there’s a concern about economically it continues to be a very thriving and strong engine for our community, but we’re taking these concerns seriously and thanks for your support. We’re putting a lot of money into making sure we’re as spic and span as we can be so.
Commissioner Hardemon:
Thank you very much, sir.
Pingback:Transformative Times at Miami International Airport - LOPEZGOVLAW