The redistricting process in the city of Miami has turned into a land grab.
A battle erupted Friday between Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla in District 1 and Chairwoman Christine King in District 5 over who would get the Wharf Miami, site of a proposed $185-million mixed use project with a 165-room hotel.
It looks like residents of Coconut Grove might get their wish, to keep the historic neighborhood in one commission district. That is, if Commissioner Joe Carollo — who surprisingly decided to abstain, acknowledgeing that he could benefit from his vote — continues to stay out of it and the other two amigos accept the alternative that still fits the criteria.
That would make everyone whole, if not happy. But we’ll get back to that.
Because what stole the show Friday was the ADLP meltdown after what many think must have been a liquid lunch. And to beat Loco Joe’s morning Wild Projection Deflection Ride against Commissioner Ken Russell on the crazy scale is not easy (more on that later). But The Dean did it.
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The new map drawn by former State Rep. Miguel DeGrandy and Palmetto Bay Councilman Steve Cody took the Wharf Miami area adjacent to the Miami Riverside Center out of District 5 and put it in District 1. This was a surprise to King, who wants it back — which raises questions about where DeGrandy got that direction.
“I’m going to restore it,” King said, very convincingly. “It’s an economic engine that will create wealth for District 5.”
She thought it would be easy. There is no population, so it won’t affect the reason for redistricting, which is to shift population growth so that no district is too large and to conserve representation for protected classes. And. it seemed she had the votes. Russell, ready to vote on a new map, made the motion and Commissioner Manolo Reyes — who had already rejected the Grove because they rejected him — seconded.
“That little piece? You want that little piece,” he asked, like it was nada.
Not so fast, said Diaz de la Portilla. This presents way to many shakedown opportunities. It’s an economic engine, alright. But he wants it to create wealth for himself and his gang of merry thieves.
ADLP tried to justify the taking — because that’s what it is, a taking — by saying that eventually there would be residents there. And they won’t be black, he said. So he’s protecting her seat. The district’s black majority.
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“I happen to know what projects are in place to happen down the line and it’s going to be predominantly Hispanic,” Diaz de la Portilla said.
Hmmmm. What would he know that the rest of the commission doesn’t? They all voted Thursday to put the project on a ballot referendum (more on that later).
Eventually, he convinced Reyes to vote with him and the change — switching the Wharf Miami area back to District 5, where it belongs — died 2-2.
But Diaz de la Portilla — who, again, stepped away during the entire public comment period — had already lost control of his mouth. His speech was not only a little slurred, but also all over the freaking place, jumping from one thing to another, not finishing sentences. Don’t take Ladra’s word for it. Watch it here. Start when they come back from the break.
First, he went off on the dozens of Grove residents who had gone to defend their community and tell their elected leaders what they wanted them to do. Remember when he called them activists and actors? That was nothing.
“I’ve probably spent more time in the Grove than many of you people have,” he said, wild-eyed and waving his finger around. King tried to get him to stop. For his own good.
“No, I’m not finished,” he yelled. “I bet you I’ve been there more than you guys so don’t tell me about Flagami or Little Havana or Liberty City or Overtown..” Wait, weren’t we talking about Coconut Grove?
“Twenty people have come here and make us look like we’re bad people and a Cuban American commissioner cannot represent a black community, but a white person can,” he said, going off the rails. “I’m offended by it.”
People in the front row may have gotten spittle on ’em. And it may have smelled a little like scotch.
Read related: ADLP power grabs Omni CRA from Ken Russell in Miami — again
He was adamant about not making changes to the map, even though he and the commission passed it on first reading saying they could make “tweaks” to it later. Guess he didn’t like the tweaks. Or he didn’t mean what he said.
There were hints in the discussion about possible Sunshine Law violations. “We can’t talk to each other, obviously. But my understanding from Mr. DeGrandy was that you were interested in having the MRC in your district,” Diaz de la Portilla said, reminding her that he supported her early on.
Does that mean that DeGrandy carried messages from commissioners to one another? Because that’s a violation of Sunshine, too.
At one point, Diaz de la Portilla even gets up and actually walks over to Reyes, leans over and says something. Maybe something like, “Oye, cuidado. Vote this way or I’ll take el DDA.”
Maybe that’s why Reyes said he wanted to give it more time.
“Since we have this controversy here I think we should have a little time and defer because I was ready to vote. You want me to defer it,” Reyes asks ADLP. “Let’s defer it and let them get together and see how we can solve this impasse.”
DeGrandy said first that he didn’t have enough direction, though he does. I mean, Ladra understood it and she’s just a dog. He also said that he would come back with five or so different maps. So he did understand. And that, of course, it would cost the city more. By the hour.
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Russell tried to get it done. He doesn’t want to lose his gains.
“I don’t think we learn anything new in the next two weeks or four weeks. We spend a little more money, bring everyone out again but I think that the four of us can negotiate all of this today and put it to bed.”
Said Diaz de la Portilla: “No.”
The dance will start again at 2:30 p.m. on March 24.
Before the meeting ended, Reyes and Diaz de la Portilla both said that they wanted to get Carollo back in on the dais. They asked the city attorney for an opinion.
ADLP needs him now as the tiebreaker.
City redistricting falls apart again over border fight on the Miami River added by Ladra on
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