They had their goodbye ceremony already and each got a key to the county, but the termed out commissioners who are being replaced next week just had to have another fire sale, er, another meeting to give away more county land, move around and allocate more GOB monies, and dole out the rest of the federal COVID stimulus money before they go.
Oh, and vote on the controversial Brightline contract for the north corridor.
The Miami-Dade Commission has a special meeting Friday — the first in person meeting at County Hall since the COVID crisis struck in March — to make sure they spend all the federal CARES stimulus money before they go. After all they’ve been through, why should someone else distribute that pie?
Other than the COVID discussion and update, however, nothing on the draft agenda seems like a legitimate emergency and, frankly, are items that could be left for next week and beyond, when the new commission with five new members comes on board to represent voters for the next four years.
Read related: Miami-Dade Commissioners question Virgin Trains deal — then approve it
Is it because the new commission might want to get a better deal for us?
The lame ducks also continue to have no interest in having to face the people. While commissioners will be having this meeting back in a new commission chamber, where they will be separated in plexiglass boxes like zoo animals, the public is not allowed inside. Something about not being able to keep the six-foot social distance rule in there.
So they have opted, instead, to provide a space and a video screen for people — who already have had their time cut from two minutes to one — on the second floor of government center. You can also watch it here.
Among the things commissioners could do this Friday the 13th at the meeting that starts at 10 a.m.:
- Revise (read: expand) the inventory list of county-owned real estate, “declaring certain properties surplus” and authorizing their use for the development of affordable housing.
- Make a “significant modification” to the Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond program to reduce the allocation for the redevelopment of Liberty Square and transfer those $3.2 million to the redevelopment of Culmer Place and Culmer Gardens.
- Direct the county mayor (which mayor?) to finalize negotiations with Brightline Trains Florida LLC for the implementation of rail service along the Northeast corridor of the SMART plan, including payments to Brightline of $50 million in one or more installments and $12 million a year for an agreed upon term.
- Approve and authorize the mayor to submit the 2020-2021 public housing agency plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for final approval. (Wouldn’t the new commissioners want to weigh in?)
- Allocate an amount from the Building Better Communities GOB funds to Miami Wilds, LLC, the controversial animal theme park approved for the property adjacent to ZooMiami.
I don’t know about this timing. It seems like some of these things are starting long term projects. And when they are direct or authorize the mayor to do something, is it Deputy Mayor Ed Marquez, who is in charge now since newly-elected Congressman Carlos Gimenez is in D.C. already learning the ropes? Or is Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava — who is going to be mayor starting Tuesday — going to vote to authorize herself to finalize negotiations with Brightline?
This doesn’t seem collegial. Especially since Commissioner Joe Martinez already tried to seal what this commission spends from the CARES Act in stone, making it impossible for newly-elected commissioners — who have the mandate of the voters, Joe — to make any changes. He failed, but he might try again Friday.
Read related: Miami-Dade’s three new commissioners: Hardemon, Regalado and McGhee
Ladra might be a little upset if she was, say, new District 7 Commissioner Raquel Regalado or District 9 Commissioner Kionne McGhee and left out of the loop. Maybe former Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert and former State Sen. Rene Garcia — commissioners in Districts 1 and 13, respectively — will say something.
And a lot of these items are in Chairwoman Audrey Edmonson‘s district, what is going to become Miami Commissioner Keon Hardemon‘s.
What are they? Chopped liver? Leave a little bit on the bone for them!
Miami-Dade Commission has last fire sale on properties, Brightline contract added by Ladra on
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