Below are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here. WATER AND SEWER SECURITY: Miami-Dade is seeking security and emergency response planning standards for municipally run water and sewer utilities because they are critical infrastructure. Last week commissioners were unanimous in a preliminary vote to set the standards, and they suspended normal notice periods to cities in order to take a final vote Nov. 6. The proposal by Chairman Oliver Gilbert III would affect locally operated water and sewer systems in North Miami, West Miami and other communities that operate outside of the Miami-Dade water and sewer system. They would have to submit annual security plans to the county’s Department of Emergency Management, and systems that rely on police or fire protection from another municipality would have to make agreements to ensure that those protections are adequate.  UHEALTH DUE AT DORAL: UHealth at Doral is working toward an Oct. 28 opening, spokespeople say. The ambulatory medical center at 8375 NW 53 Terr. is still seeking a temporary certificate occupancy, they said. The facility, which is to provide academic-based healthcare, is to offer specialties in cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, executive medicine, GI/endoscopy, gynecology, interventional radiology, oncology and ophthalmology. As Miami Today previously reported, both a valet and parking garage across from the building are to be available. MORE BUYING AUTONOMY: County commissioners passed on first reading last week a measure by Eileen Higgins to increase the mayor’s delegated authority to award and reject competitive contracts, including professional services contracts, from the current $1 million ceiling to a new $5 million maximum. Ms. Higgins cited in documents a 2022 report that such an increase would reduce the timeframe to make a contract award from a then-current average of 412 days to 200 days in order to move county action along faster. She also cited a report that the dollar has lost 42% of its purchasing power since 2003 as evidence that $1 million doesn’t buy what it used to. The only voted against the measure was from Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who has taken strong stances on the county’s purchasing efficiency. JOBLESS CLAIMS JUMP: Florida had a nearly two-year high in unemployment claims during the first full week after Hurricane Helene hammered the state’s Gulf Coast and parts of North Florida. The US Department of Labor estimated that 9,377 initial claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Oct. 5, up from 5,535 during the prior week.  Related Posts:Six-story Doral UHealth hub on track for openingUHealth on track to open in DoralFYI Miami: May 11, 2023FYI Miami: September 21, 2023FYI Miami: April 18, 2024The post FYI Miami: October 24, 2024 appeared first on Miami Today.