Ordered by a court to go back to the literal drawing board to define new commission districts for the city, Miami Commissioners will have a special meeting Wednesday to discuss which direction to take — including the possibility of abolishing districts completely.
But commissioners don’t want to hear from the public.
The original redistricting meetings drew dozens of residents who expressed their opinions, mostly against the commissioners’ proposed maps. But the agenda for Wednesday states there will be no public comment at the meeting because, says City Attorney Victoria Mendez, no action will be taken.
“Public comment pursuant to state statute is allowed when the governing body plans to take action on a proposition,” Mendez told Political Cortadito. “So if they plan to take action Wednesday, of course there will be public comment. If they discuss amongst themselves and reset it, they do not need to take public comment.”
If they plan to take action?
Read related: Coconut Grove residents are ignored as Miami carves up D2 in redistricting
The agenda says “legislation may result from city commission consideration of any commission discussion item.” Right there in black and white, preceded by the word NOTE all in caps.
Note, Victoria.
The item itself says the discussion is for “the purpose of considering and taking any and all actions related to the redistricting of city commission districts, including, but not limited to the drafting and/or adoption of any related maps and boundaries.”
But it also says right there on the agenda, no public comment: “It is anticipated that no input from anyone other than the city personnel is needed or expected while the city commission is considering any matter in this portion of the agenda; accordingly, no member of the public may address the city commission during this time.”
Mixed messages? Intentional?
There may be people who don’t show up because of that line. That must be the idea — to avoid the many people who attended the first redistricting meetings, especially the One Grove people who wanted to keep District 2 intact.
Mel Meinhardt, one of the One Grove leaders, said he has seen two different versions of the meeting notice. The first one did not say anything about no public comment. Meinhardt is traveling and won’t be able to attend the meeting Wednesday, but he expects other Grove residents to be there.
“There is no more important topic for discourse in a public forum than the representation of the people,” Meinhardt told Political Cortadito. “It’s the foundation of our government.”
Read related: Miami redistricting cuts Coconut Grove into three rather than add districts
The issue will also be a test for Commissioner Sabina Covo, who won a special election to represent District 2 — including the Grove — after Ken Russell resigned to run for Congress. And it sounds to Ladra like she may pass.
“My constituents, they want to keep the neighborhood together. My intent is to keep the Grove together,” Covo told Political Cortadito. “I don’t know if I’m going to have the support from the other commissioners, but I’m going to fight for it.”
Of course, that didn’t work for Russell.
Covo also said that she believed the public could make comment because the commission could take action. “It shouldn’t say that,” Covo said about the line that says no public comment. She said she would talk to her chief of staff and City Clerk Todd Hannon to see why that line was in there.
Later, Covo issued a statement: “As a former news reporter I can say with clear certainty that public comment must always be welcomed and allow ample opportunity for residents to speak up and petition their local government. During tomorrow’s special meeting, I will ensure that public comment is properly opened up. It’s important on any matter that comes before this body, especially one where the public stood up and spoke out regarding a fair redistricting process.”
Read related: Miami should have more commission districts for fairness, not fewer of them
Of course, uniting the Grove is not the only issue that might come up.
Miguel Gabela, who is running against Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla in District 1, is worried that his home — which is in the southeast corner of the district — could be intentionally drawn out in a new map after he’s already campaigned for months and knocked on thousands of doors.
“He’s polled and he knows he’s in trouble,” Gabela told Ladra.
Diaz de la Portilla has publicly said that he might support going to citywide elections with no districts.
The chance that some action is taken Wednesday, even if it’s just directing the city manager to bring back options, is too high not to allow public participation. Maybe Tricky Vicky wants another lawsuit?
Miami commission doesn’t want public comment or input on new redistricting added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
