Item Coversheet

Committee Assignments - C4  E




COMMISSION MEMORANDUM

TO:Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission 
FROM:Commissioner Alex Fernandez 
DATE:January  31, 2024
 



SUBJECT:

REFERRAL TO THE LAND USE AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AND THE PLANNING BOARD - AMEND THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS TO EXEMPT STI TESTING FROM THE RESTRICTIONS IN THE CITY'S MEDICAL USE REGULATIONS, IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF STI TESTING AND MITIGATE THE RECENT SPIKE IN HIV AND OTHER STI TRANSMISSIONS IN MIAMI BEACH.


RECOMMENDATION

Please place the above item on the January 31, 2024 City Commission meeting agenda as a joint referral to the Land Use and Sustainability Committee ("LUSC") and Planning Board.

 

According to recent data, Miami-Dade County now ranks No. 4 in the country for total HIV cases by county. By rate of transmission, Miami-Dade ranks No. 17 nationally, with 1,190 people diagnosed with HIV per 100,000 people. See Miami Herald, December 12, 2023, available at https://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article282501213.html. The HIV "hot spots" in Miami-Dade County include zip code 33139, which covers all of South Beach.

 

In light of the public health crisis impacting our community, which disproportionately impacts the LGBTQ community and people of color, I would like the LUSC to consider amending the Land Development Regulations to exempt STI testing from the restrictions in the City's medical use regulations, particularly in commercial, mixed-use, and multifamily districts.

 

Following review by the LUSC, an Ordinance will be transmitted to the Planning Board.

SUPPORTING SURVEY DATA

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FINANCIAL INFORMATION

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Applicable Area

Citywide
Is this a "Residents Right to Know" item, pursuant to City Code Section 2-14? Does this item utilize G.O. Bond Funds?
Yes No 
Legislative Tracking
Commissioner Alex Fernandez