Blasting Advisory Board finalizes workshop logistics, outreach and materials

Miami Lakes — Members of the town’s Blasting Advisory Board on Monday reviewed final logistics for an upcoming public workshop, setting deadlines for speaker materials, confirming outreach targets across Miami‑Dade and Broward, and approving purchases for event materials within a limited budget.

The board set a deadline of Feb. 20 for speakers to submit talking points and said the workshop will include presentations from municipalities and community representatives, public comment, and an information table with QR codes to file complaints and view resources. Francesca (committee member), who led marketing updates, read the board’s mission: “The Blasting Advisory Board will establish, discuss and provide the Town Council with recommendations and possible solutions to ease the effects of rock mining and blasting.”

Why it matters: The workshop is intended to collect community reports and municipal input about damage and health effects residents attribute to blasting and to provide the Town Council with recommendations. Board members emphasized outreach to neighborhoods near active mines and to surrounding municipalities that may be affected but do not typically attend Miami Lakes meetings.

Most important decisions and logistics

- Scheduling and meetings: Members moved to hold the next subcommittee meeting on Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. (motion seconded by Patricia); the board’s next regular meeting was listed as Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. The motion passed by voice vote. (Transcript records: “I make a motion to have the next subcommittee meeting, February 2020 again.” Second: Patricia. Chair: “All in favor? Aye.”)

- Speaker rules and deadlines: The board agreed on a five‑minute guideline per presenter and set Feb. 20 as the deadline for speakers to submit talking points and any presentation materials so staff can assemble the event slideshow.

- Outreach and expected attendance: Board members reported outreach to communities in Palm Springs North (PSN), Hialeah Gardens, Sunset Lakes and other neighborhoods west of I‑75, as well as limited outreach into Broward County. The town hall where the workshop will be held has about 50 seats; committee members estimated roughly 25 seats available to the public after officials and staff are seated, with additional standing room noted.

- Materials and budget: The board reviewed production items and vendor options. Reported pricing discussed in the meeting included name tags at approximately $30 each and retractable banners estimated between $250 and $300. A town staff member said a tablecloth typically runs in the low‑$200 range with about a week turnaround. The committee reviewed a remaining budget balance and discussed choosing a lower‑cost vendor to free funds for a tablecloth and name tags. The board noted it does not need to follow full procurement for committee purchases but must avoid conflicts of interest when a vendor is associated with a member.

- QR codes and resources: The committee agreed to include a single QR code on the banner directing attendees to the town’s blasting resources page that will contain three elements: the complaint form, the Miami‑Dade pilot program page, and a resources link or file repository.

- Virtual participation and IT cost concerns: Town staff explained that livestreaming the entire workshop with two‑way virtual participation would require dedicated IT staffing and cost money. The estimate discussed was roughly $70 per hour for an IT technician, with a typical minimum booking of three hours (about $210). The board agreed to prioritize in‑person attendance for elected officials and defer a decision about expanded virtual interaction pending available funds.

What was discussed: outreach and community responses

Board members described targeted outreach efforts: textable invitations and a JPEG flyer for social media; Eventbrite and municipal invites for elected officials; and direct contact with homeowner associations, chambers and business networks (BNI chapters and local realtor networks). Several members reported community responses, including some management companies that declined to distribute materials to their boards.

Community context raised at the meeting included:

- Variation in awareness and reporting: members said long‑term residents were likelier to have filed complaints to Miami‑Dade County than newer residents in changing neighborhoods. - Reliance on civic associations: Palm Springs North was described as having fewer active outreach channels than Miami Lakes, which can limit complaints reaching county officials. - Examples for outreach: Riviera Isles, Rio Riviera Isles, Sunset Lakes and areas backing up to the mine were cited as neighborhoods with damage reports or concerns.

Decisions versus directions

- Formal action: The only recorded formal action in the transcript was the motion to schedule the Feb. 20 subcommittee meeting, which passed by voice vote. - Staff directions: Staff were directed to assemble Eventbrite and textable invitations, produce a single QR code on the banner linking to the town’s blasting resources, pursue lower‑cost vendors for banners and name tags, and confirm payment and W‑9/vendor invoice procedures with finance. The communications lead was asked to collect speaker talking points and presentation files by Feb. 20.

Outstanding items and follow‑ups

Board members flagged these items for follow‑up: confirmation of vendor pricing and payment methods; final banner design and whether town branding limits logo size; collection of high‑resolution assets for printed materials; the number of name tags to order once new appointees are sworn in (the committee noted that some appointees have not yet been sworn in and would be excluded until then); and a final decision on whether elected officials unable to attend in person could be accommodated virtually if funds permit.

The meeting closed with a review of deliverables, a reminder that the mission statement and banner text will match the town website language, and confirmation that IO (town staff) will distribute the Eventbrite/registration links and printed invitations.