Miami-Dade County to explore new strategies for Sargassum removal at upcoming commissioners' meeting

As sargassum continues to wash up along South Florida beaches, one county is considering asking commissioners for flexibility in cleaning up more beaches.

A memorandum filed before the Miami Dade County Board of Commissioners would instruct the county to ask the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for leeway to clean more areas without having to seek new approvals.

Currently, the memo states the county has permits to clean six specific areas.

"...if granted more flexibility to select additional sargassum hot spots to include within the scope of the Permit, as needed and whenever feasible, and without further review by FDEP, the County may remove sargassum from beaches more efficiently," the memo reads.

Beachgoers tell CBS News Miami that the sargassum bloom has become a growing nuisance.

"It's a beautiful day. It's a beautiful beach," said visitor Plaka Mehaj. "But the seaweed definitely stole the spotlight. It's heavier than it's ever been before." 

Even at beaches that have been cleared of sargassum, sometimes the smell lingers, beach visitors say.

"I really don't want to smell the seaweed here," said Nick Parker, who is visiting from New York. "I feel like if I want to smell stuff, we get it in New York enough, not here."

The proposal is set to be discussed at Tuesday's County Board of Commissioners Meeting, which will be open to the public and livestreamed at 9:30 a.m.