Government

Government

West Avenue Contractor Sues Miami Beach, Asks Court to Let It Terminate Stormwater Project

Ric-Man Construction says City-caused delays have pushed the North of 14th Street project's completion from June 2026 to as late as 2029. It wants a judge to confirm it can walk away and pay it for work done. The City has not yet responded in court.

Journal Staff Oct 15, 2026

Government

Wednesday at City Hall: Water Rates, the Barclay Lease, North Lincoln Lane and a 210-Item Agenda

The Oct. 14 City Commission agenda runs 210 items long and carries more than 90 leftovers from Sept. 10. Here is the day in time order, with links to our coverage of the biggest votes.

Journal Staff Oct 13, 2026

Government

Art Basel in Line for a Five-Year Renewal, a Fee Cut, and a Formal Zone of Protection

Miami Beach commissioners will consider a five-year deal with Art Basel U.S. Corp. that sets a $500,000 venue fee for 2026, formalizes an "Art Basel Zone" across a large swath of South Beach, and packages $150,000 in annual community contributions.

Journal Staff Oct 12, 2026

Government

Ten Live Local Items Reach the Commission Wednesday: A Repeal Push, a Possible Lawsuit and a Fight Over What 519 Feet Means

Miami Beach commissioners have ten Live Local Act items on the Oct. 14 agenda: urging Tallahassee to repeal the law, studying a challenge alongside Miami, asking outside counsel whether Five Park's 519 feet sets the height ceiling, endorsing the city's stop on 1575 Alton Road, and asking for a special meeting, a community meeting and utility-capacity reports.

Journal Staff Oct 12, 2026

Government

Design Review Board Approves Pier Park Beach Club and Two Residential Buildings, Pushes Back on Pump Station Siting

The Design Review Board met on October 8, 2026, taking action on four applications — approving a landmark beach club replacement at South Beach, two multi-family residential projects, and issuing an advisory recommendation against the proposed location of a sewer pump station near Mount Sinai Medical Center; the board also continued the La Gorce Country Club paddle court case to January 14, 2027, while the club completes a rezoning of a newly acquired adjacent lot that would allow further...

Journal Staff Oct 09, 2026

Government

Commission to Vote on Water, Sewer and Stormwater Rate Hikes to Fund $522 Million Infrastructure Plan

Miami Beach commissioners will consider final approval of utility rate increases that would add $12.63 per month to a typical residential water bill starting October 2026, funding a five-year capital program targeting aging pipes, pump stations and flood-prone neighborhoods.

Journal Staff Oct 10, 2026

Government

Miami Beach Faces Lawsuit Over Officer's Alleged Rear-End Crash on State Road 836

The City of Miami Beach has served a proposal for settlement in a negligence lawsuit brought by a Miami-Dade woman who says an on-duty police officer rear-ended her vehicle in May 2025.

Journal Staff Oct 08, 2026

Government

Miami Beach Cyclist Sues City Over Pothole Injury Near 17th Street

A Miami-Dade man is suing the City of Miami Beach for more than $50,000, alleging a deteriorated pothole at 17th Street and Lennox Avenue threw him from his bicycle in June 2025 and caused severe, permanent injuries.

Journal Staff Oct 08, 2026

Government

City Hosts 'We Stand With Israel' Ceremony on Third Anniversary of Oct. 7 Attacks

Mayor Steven Meiner, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Israel's consul general spoke at a Wednesday ceremony at Fire Station No. 2, where a former IDF soldier and a local student also shared accounts of the attack and its aftermath.

Journal Staff Oct 08, 2026

Government

City Honors 'Big Art' Martineau With a Plaque at the PAL He Led

Family, colleagues and city leaders gathered at the Police Athletic League headquarters to unveil a plaque remembering Arthur "Big Art" Martineau II, the longtime executive director who died in January 2025.

Journal Staff Oct 08, 2026

Government

Planning Board Urges City to Clear Swale Obstructions in Single-Family Districts

Miami Beach's Planning Board directed staff to send the City Commission a recommendation letter urging a ban on obstructions in single-family swales and street trees limited to Miami-Dade County minimums.

Journal Staff Oct 07, 2026

Government

How the Live Local Act Was Made — and Widened Three Times

Passed almost unanimously in 2023 as a workforce-housing bill, Florida's Live Local Act was amended in 2024, 2025 and again in 2026 — and the changes have mostly reached further into local zoning.

Journal Staff Oct 06, 2026