Plus a few other interesting issues that will be raised
Newly elected Coral Gables Commissioner Melissa Castro is getting her stride. She has two items on the agenda for Tuesday’s city commission meeting and both should be passed unanimously — although Ladra has a feeling Mayor Vince Lago will come up with some excuse to block them.
Castro, who up to now has been seen by some as a shadow of newly-elected Commissioner Ariel Fernandez — but only because he is more experienced and knows more about the inner workings of the city — is learning fast.
One of the resolutions she proposes would allow each commissioner to identify up to three discussion items that would be open to public comment. Right now, no comment is allowed on discussion items where no action wil be taken.
But really, why not? Many Coral Gables residents want to be heard from the inception of ideas, not after they are ironed out. How can the commission lose with more resident input?
The truth is that Lago doesn’t want to hear from residents anymore. He has made that exceedingly clear. He loathes the peasants. At the last meeting, he said it was one of his only powers to decide how the meeting is run and that he was going to block public comment on commission discussion items. Fernandez objected and made a motion to override, seconded by Castro. But it failed 3-2.
Commissioners say they don’t want the meetings to go too late — even though that is their most basic job. Also, public meetings are often the only place and time for residents to make their wishes or opinions or objections known. This is what you signed up for people.
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Castro — who was elected on a platform of transparency and resident involvement — is limiting her rest to three discussion items per commissioner. So maybe they’ll go for the compromise. Fernandez has co-sponsored the resolution and Commissioners Rhonda Anderson and Kirk Menendez — who once claimed to stand for the residents — should prove it and vote in favor.
The new commissioner also wants to see a brief fiscal impact statement on any agenda items where the city spends money on every agenda from now on, the way the county does it.
“I want to know how much something is going to cost and where the money is coming from,” Castro said. “The mayor is always saying ‘there’s no money’ and ‘where is the money coming from.’ Now we can know.”
“The City Commission believes it is vital to understand the financial impact of an agenda item that may impact the City’s annual budget,” reads the resolution item. “Financial transparency increases the public’s trust in local government decision making and additional information will provide the Commission and public with a means to fully evaluate agenda items.”
Other items on the Coral Gables Commission agenda for Tuesday include:
- An amendment to the property insurance requirements in the least between the city and the operators of The Biltmore Hotel.
- Potential amendments to the Mediterranean bonus that allows developer more density and height for Mediterranean designs.
- And a discussion about moving the Election Day in the city from April to November, ahead of the election of a Supervisor of Elections. But this move also keeps Lago in office longer.
The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in commission chambers at City Hall,405 Biltmore Way. It can also be watched online at the city’s website.
Melissa Castro comes into her own with two good items on Coral Gables agenda added by Ladra on
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