December City Hall: Public Education, Pension Liability, and More
At its December meeting, the City Commission:
Voted to Keep Astroturf
Voted 3-2 on second reading to strike down an ordinance requiring residents to use specific materials (i.e. natural grass) other than artificial turf between open joints of pavement. Commissioners Melissa Castro, Ariel Fernandez, and Kirk Menendez voted no on the basis that artificial turf looks “better than nothing,” according to Castro, and that the city itself uses artificial turf in public parks.
Added Public Education to the Master Plan
Voted 5-0 to include education in the 2026-2029 Coral Gables Strategic Plan, as per the School Community Relations Committee’s (SCRC) request. In July, several parent-teacher associations advocated to include funding for local public schools in next year’s budget. Mayor Vince Lago agreed but asked for a list of specific issues to be addressed.
SCRC representative Dr. Winnie Chang explained that the committee had decided that “in order to craft the most efficacious plan,” they would need a survey of residents regarding issues in public education. After a lengthy discussion, it was agreed that the City and SCRC would meet jointly with the School Board to get data and discuss how to proceed before bringing the survey item back in the first February Commission meeting.
Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson said it was important to get feedback from residents who choose to send their children to other schools on why they do so and what it would take for them to change their minds. Joshua Goodman, a representative from The Gables Education Initiative, a grassroots organization created by eight local PTAs, suggested hiring a consultant with expertise in education to come up with survey questions and recommend future initiatives.
Declined to Increase the Pension Liability
After a lengthy discussion and several proposed alternatives, the commission did not pass any cost of living increases for city pensioners. An initial proposal for an 8% increase failed to garner the required 4/5 vote to pass. It would have added $27 million to the unfunded pension liability that the city now faces; only Commissioner Castro voted in favor.

That liability currently stands at about $150 million, down from more than $244 million ten years ago. The city has been paying down that liability with required contributions annually. Under Mayor Lago’s administration, additional payments have been made to reduce the city’s exposure — this year an additional $9.3 million was paid, so that now 75% of the pension liability is covered, up from about 52% ten years ago.
Decided to Get In Front of Developments
Voted 5-0 to move the Public Information Meeting — required for developers to explain their projects to the public — to take place before their review by the Board of Architects.
Commissioner Menendez, who sponsored the bill with Vice Mayor Anderson, explained that the shift would give the community more time to learn about the project and provide feedback. “By doing [this], they [residents] can give their ideas and thoughts,” he said. “Why don’t we try to get things addressed earlier to avoid [later] problems?” Anderson added that the Board of Architects was also in favor of this measure.
Voted to Go Digital with Notices
Voted 5-0 to update the city’s code to reflect the city’s decision to change from newspaper publication to online publication for legal notices to residents. As of January 2024, online notices will be published on the county website and linked to the City of Coral Gables’ site.
“We think this will actually increase the amount of residents who are getting notifications of our public hearings and legal notices,” said Deputy City Attorney Stephanie Throckmorton.
Got Burger Bob’s and Parc Café Updates
Listened to an update on Burger Bob’s/Granada Diner and Le Parc Café. Construction on the former has begun and completion is expected by September 2024. Negotiations will take place in the first quarter of 2024 for a suitable private sector manager.

Regarding Le Parc Café, the city has found an operator for the 90 days which began the Monday after Thanksgiving. This 90-day period will be used to evaluate whether the operator should be retained for a long- term contract.
Put a Pause on New Streetlights
Voted 5-0 to stop installing replacement streetlights in the North Gables, where some residents have taken issue with the aesthetic of the new lights, until a better solution can be found. Commissioner Fernandez, who sponsored the item, claims the lights do not look like they belong in Coral Gables, particularly in more historical areas of the city like the North Gables. Also at issue was the placement and height of the lights, obscured by trees in certain areas. RELATED: The Saving of the Streetlights
Got Feedback From Its Tallahassee Trip
Listened to an update on the legislative priorities trip to Tallahassee that Commissioners Castro, Fernandez, and Menendez went on. The three commissioners met with state legislators to discuss suggestions and recommendations for current and future city projects. Funds for the City Hall renovations and electric vehicle project were a particular focus, said Castro.
Vice Mayor Anderson, who did not attend the meetings, warned that some moves the city has made recently regarding fiscal responsibility were “not sitting well” with state reps she had met with earlier. She cited the recent controversial pay raise, efforts to dip into emergency reserves for non-emergency projects, the decision to not move local elections to coincide with federal ones, and the lowering of pension contributions as reasons why “appropriations [will] not be available this year unless we get our house in order.” All these decisions were made with 3-2 votes by Castro, Fernandez and Menendez, the trio that traveled to Tallahassee.

Mayor Lago also said he had heard from representatives who were “unhappy” with some of these fiscal decisions, meaning that funding could be scarce this year. (Last year, the trip to Tallahassee, led by Lago, brought back a record $4 million in state funding.) Commissioner Fernandez disagreed. “That was not the sentiment we got in Tallahassee at all,” he said, adding that at least one legislator had expressed appreciation for the city’s willingness to fund its own capital improvement projects.