From City Hall

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At Its One Meeting in July, the City Commission

Resisting Tallahassee

Listened to local LGBTQ residents who urged the city to oppose Florida Senate Bill 1134, which bans local governments from funding, promoting, or taking official action for DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives. “It handcuffs us on many fronts,” said Mayor Vince Lago. Chelsea Granell, the city’s director of government affairs, said the city would stick to the requirements of the law, due to start Jan.1, while “thinking of creative ways to circumvent certain prohibitions.”

Helping Local Artists

Voted 5-0 to approve $228,228 in grants for local artists, plus $50,000 for youth arts programs, as presented by the city’s Art and Culture Specialist, Catherine Cathers. Some 45 applications in music, theater, film, dance, opera, literary arts, and poetry were accepted. The estimated economic impact from local performances by the artists is $20 million. The board also voted to allocate $110,000 for the “Intervals” public art installations during Art Basel, with funds from the public art fund paid by developers.

Ensuring a Home for Autistic Students

After an exhausting two-hour debate, including commentary from 31 members of the public, the Commission voted 3-2 to approve the zoning changes necessary for the 110 Phoenetia Ave. project to move forward. At issue was resistance from neighborhood activists who wanted to preserve The Garden of Our Lord and the adjacent 1950 Lutheran Church on the property, across the street from the historic Woman’s Club. Opponents have blocked the project for five years. What ultimately won approval by three commissioners (Mayor Lago, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara) was the promise by the Chicago-based developers, Fifield Companies, to provide a 99-year free lease for the Crystal Academy. The academy currently operates in the Lutheran church and is the city’s only school dedicated to teaching autistic children. When built, the project will be 9-stories high, with 184 rental units, 16 live-work spaces, and 5,000-square-feet for the school – along with a 4,000-square-foot playground for the academy that becomes a public park after school hours. Approval still requires a second vote, which takes place after this magazine goes to press. Go to coralgablesmagazine. com for the final vote Aug. 25.

Launch Pad for Future Tennis Stars

Voted 4-1 to again be the official host city and festival sponsor for the 2026-2027 Junior Orange Bowl Festival Season. The city has supported the festival for 78 years. One of the festivals signature events is the Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship, Voted 4-1 to again be the official host city and festival sponsor for the 2026-2027 Junior Orange Bowl Festival Season. The city has supported the festival for 78 years. One of the festivals signature events is the Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship,

which last year attracted 600 athletes and 2,000 spectators. Numerous tennis legends and Grand Slam champions launched have their careers at the championship, including Roger Federer, Coco Gauff, Andy Murray, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, and Monica Seles. The city contributes $33,250 in cash and $205,000 in services. Commissioner Melissa Castro voted no because she thought a one-year contract was not long enough.

Hope for the Future

Listened to the presentations of a dozen high school students who had served this summer as Summer Page Interns for the city. Some were informational – two students reviewed the latest exemptions from Tallahassee for the Florida Sunshine Laws, while two others explained the cost and need for converting homes from septic to sewer. But several presented solutions for city problems. Two students presented a marketing strategy for the city to explain the Mobility Hub to citizens. Two others presented their design for an app that would allow all city boards to file their notes with a common, easy to use template. The most interesting was a study by one team about why more young people hung out in Coconut Grove than Coral Gables. (Answer: Atmosphere, plus open spaces to hang out where you don’t have to spend money).

Final Changes to the City Charter

Listened to a report by former Mayor Don Slesnick, who has chaired the city’s (soon-to-be-dissolved) Charter Review Committee for the last three years. Many of their recommendations became items for the city referendum earlier this year. Several of the Committee’s recommendations were never heard, however, and Slesnick proffered two of them: 1) That the rules be changed to require anyone running for office to have lived here for at least a year before they are registered to run (vs. a year before the election, which means living here only six months); and 2) That the threshold for city contracts that do not require competitive bids rise from under $25,000 to under $300,000, which is consistent with state statutes. Slesnick said that two other issues discussed by the Committee were worthy of consideration: prohibiting the future sale of any park property and extending the mayor’s term from 2 years to 4 years. All four of these issues were later voted on, and all received 5-0 approval to put to voters in the November election.

Moving Ahead on Another Dog Park

Voted 3-2 to change the zoning to permit a dog-run park across the street from the War Memorial Youth Center (at 520 University Drive). Despite hundreds of signatures from dog owners in the area, there has been strong opposition from adjacent neighbors. Their Keep University Green organization is (so far unsuccessfully) suing the city to block the project. Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, who has championed the idea of a dog-run park there, did however agree to look at a new proposal to convert one of the Youth Center parking lots into a dog-run instead.

Creating a Government Enclave

Voted 5-0 to purchase 475 and 495 Biltmore Way, buildings adjacent to the city Building and Planning & Zoning departments. This should place most city departments on the same block as City Hall.