Miami’s newly-elected commissioner is getting her baptism by fire.
Sabina Covo, who beat a dozen candidates to come out on top in District 2[s special election, has already had her first battle with another commissioner — and it wasn’t on the dais.
Guess who it was?
Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla — who skipped her swearing-in with Commissioner Joe Carollo — had taken Covo’s future office even before she was elected. It used to be the other District 2 commissioner’s office. But Ken Russell resigned to run for Congress (he lost) and had to vacate.
It’s reportedly a bigger office. Nicer. It’s in a better space at City Hall. Maybe the sun hits it just so in the afternoon. For whatever reason, The Dean wants it. He put his name on the door, like marking his territory.
Read related: Sabina Covo beats 12 others to win the special election in Miami’s District 2
But he didn’t move in. Diaz de la Portilla wanted some renovations first, including a private bathroom. Ladra knows what everybody is thinking but maybe he has IBS. So he was waiting for that to happen while the greedy little troll continued to use his original City Hall space.
This week, sources say he was told to pick: Stay in his original office or move into the big one ASAP. When he didn’t move, the office was seized on Wednesday afternoon. Sources told Ladra that the police stood by while general services scraped ADLP’s name from the glass.
“I don’t know the details,” Covo told Ladra. “The city manager said they got the office for me.”
Maybe that is why Diaz de la Portilla has a pocket item for Thursday’s commission meeting — to discuss the city manager and his performance.
Read related: Who is Sabina Covo? What you need to know about Miami’s new commissioner
It’s going to be fun. A typical dysfunctional meeting for Covo to get her feet wet. Carollo may bring up the pollo protest at the Dog and Cat walk. Certainly someone is going to talk about the lawsuit against Trick Vicky Mendez and her husband for using the city’s code enforcement office to buy and flip a house.
The new commissioner, who was in briefs all day Wednesday, says she has a couple of items of her own on the agenda, zoning changes for Casa Valentina and Christ Episcopal Church — although Ladra couldn’t find the items on the online agenda.
She said a Morningside Park item will be deferred.
New Miami commissioner has her office, first meeting and trial by fire added by Ladra on
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