From City Hall: Iglesias Reinstated, Stella Sculpture Approved, and Permit Program Halted

During its last meeting in May, the Coral Gables City Commission:

The Return Of Iglesias

Voted 3-2 to reinstate former city manager Peter Iglesias in his past role, effective May 23. Iglesias served in the city manager’s office from 2017-2024, before he was abruptly fired by the majority vote of Commissioners Melissa Castro, Ariel Fernandez, and former Commissioner Kirk Menendez. Fernandez alleged that Iglesias was “insubordinate,” though did not provide supporting his claim.“The plan is to have, over the next 20 months, Mr. Iglesias come in as city manager, stabilize the city… move forward, and do a national or local search for the most competent replacement,” said Mayor Vince Lago. “And then, after that person has been named, have Mr. Iglesias stay a few months after to make sure the transition is seamless.” In response, Commissioner Fernandez again alleged that Iglesias had “actively kept [certain Commission members] in the dark” on certain issues. Both he and Castro voted against Iglesias’ reinstatement.

A Frank Stella To Come

Voted 5-0 to acquire “Puffed and Inverted Star II,” an artwork by Frank Stella, to be installed at the Fred B. Hartnett Ponce Circle Park project. The sculpture was recommended by a 5-2 vote of the Cultural Development Board. Stella died in 2024 and is still recognized as one of the most important American artists, known for his abstract expressionism. His works are in prominent collections across the globe, including at the MoMA, the Met, and the Guggenheim.

An Alhambra Sidewalk

Voted 3-2 to install a sidewalk with a concrete curb along Alhambra Circle from Salvatierra Drive to San Rafael Avenue. The vote ends a three years-long campaign by city staff and local residents to add a sidewalk to the area that pleases all – or, at least, most. At issue was which plan would move forward; some options required more trees to be removed, while others were considered less safe. The concrete curb addresses most residents’ concerns. Commissioners Fernandez and Castro voted no, saying the option presented was not “the safest,” despite the plan aligning with state safety regulations. Mayor Lago accused Castro and Fernandez of politicizing the issue and argued that the safest option would simply be to keep people in their homes or remove cars from the road, both obviously unrealistic.

A New Building On Minorca

Voted 3-2 to approve the transfer of development rights for a mixed-use project called 299 Minorca, located at the parking lot across from Bachour and the nearby Public Safety Building (PSB). The eight-story project will include 45 units and over 4,500-square feet of ground-floor retail. All city boards from the Board of Architects to the Parking Advisory Board have approved the project, with conditions including pedestrian streetscape improvements on Salzedo and Minorca.

Police Chief Ed Hudak, however, expressed concerns over traffic and parking potentially affecting the nearby Public Safety Building and police officers’ response times. He recommended the city conduct a traffic study to determine if heightened traffic would affect police officers leaving the building. Mayor Lago, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, and Commissioner Richard Lara voted to approve the project, explaining that the PSB’s location downtown made it inherently subject to traffic, and a development that had met all criteria and received unanimous board support should not be punished for the PSB’s location. Commissioners Castro and Fernandez were “no” votes, explaining that until a traffic study was conducted, they would not vote to approve the project. The Commission also voted 3-2 to grant remote parking to the project, in the form of 56 parking spaces at the 255 Alhambra parking garage.

A Transit Travel Zone?

Listened to an update from County Commissioner Raquel Regalado, whose district encompasses most of Coral Gables, on Rapid Transit Zone legislation. The county’s Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit plan will expand transit options along six corridors, and include more housing, retail, and office developments near transit stations. Some Gableites have expressed concern over an ordinance sponsored by Regalado that would create a Coral Gables/University Station subzone which could encompass property within a quarter mile of the University Metrorail station, and therefore potentially upzone or over-develop it.

Connecting To Sewers

Voted 5-0 to modify the city code to be in accordance with Florida statutes regarding the compulsory connection to sanitary sewer laterals. The city’s current code states that a property abutting an existing sewer line has 120 days to connect. Now, the property owner will have 165 days, or 190 days if the septic tank is imperiled. The city will also take on responsibility for the portion of the sewer lateral in the street, rather than having it continue to be the property owners’ purview. Sewer fees will increase by two or three dollars per month to offset the cost.

City Hall Repair Funding

Voted 4-1 to reallocate funds of $5 million from the Phillips Park project to City Hall repairs; initially, $7.1 million was scheduled to be reallocated, but that number was reduced after discussion. Commissioners Castro and Fernandez advocated for finding alternative funding methods for City Hall, rather than reallocating the money. Vice Mayor Anderson, meanwhile, pushed for a phased renovation approach to the park, rather than doing the entire renovations at once, which would keep the park open for longer and leave immediate funding for City Hall.

Citizen Salary Controls

Voted 4-1 to add a question to the November 2026 ballot asking residents if the city charter should require that any changes to elected officials’ salaries beyond annual cost of living adjustments receive an affirmative vote from residents. Commissioner Castro was the lone dissenter.

No To Doge Oversight

Voted 3-2 to not transmit the city’s latest annual budget to the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Commissioner Fernandez, who sponsored the item and voted alongside Commissioner Castro in favor of supplying the budget information, argued that giving DOGE the data would increase the city’s favor in Tallahassee. However, the city’s finance team maintained that until more information on what criteria DOGE is using to make its analyses is released, transmitting the budget to them was a risk. Finance Director Diana Gomez made an example of backyard trash pickups, which would likely be considered inefficient, but are something residents in Coral Gables have come to expect and are a marker of the city’s world-class services.

Capping General Fund Spending

Voted 5-0 to add a question to the November 2026 ballot asking residents if the city charter should be amended to require that the city maintain a 25 percent General Fund and requiring the approval of the electorate prior to any expenditure of funds from the General Reserve outside of emergencies.

No To VIP Permitting

Voted 3-2 to halt the development of an expedited permit review services program that Commissioner Castro created. The program offered expedited services for those who paid an extra fee, something Mayor Lago called antithetical to “equity, fairness, and integrity” in the City Beautiful. “Residents should not have to pay for VIP treatment from their own government,” he said. “If permits are taking too long, the real solution is to address the root cause: the inefficiencies within the system; not to create a workaround that only those with the financial means can access…. By tying revenues to faster service, we inadvertently incentivize the slowing down of standard service in order to drive more applicants into the expedited lane.” He added that an analysis of the Development Services Department is already under way, with consultants using surveys, focus groups, and other methods to determine where those areas of inefficiency are. Castro made an impassioned plea to keep the program, arguing that because independent contractors would be the ones dealing with expedited permits, city staff would be more available to help those that chose not to pay the extra fee, meaning everyone would receive faster service. She and Fernandez were the lone detractors.

No Bonds For Projects

Voted 4-1 to rescind the previous Commission’s intent to reimburse certain project costs by going out for bond. “It’s very simple: the voters… do not want the city taking out a $59 million bond that would cost $40 million in interest,” said Vice Mayor Anderson, who sponsored the item. The previous Commission, with Menendez, had voted to use bonds to fund projects such as the City Hall renovations and sidewalk repairs, a move some considered fiscally irresponsible. Only Commissioner Castro voted against the resolution.

During Its First Meeting In June, The Coral Gables City Commission:

No Consulting!

Voted 4-1 to prohibit City Commissioners from serving as paid campaign/political consultants for candidates vying for elected office in Coral Gables. The ordinance would also ban former elected officials from lobbying the City Commission for two years after their term ends. During the last election, there were rumors that Commissioner Ariel Fernandez was running then-Commissioner Kirk Menendez’s mayoral campaign. Commissioner Melissa Castro dissented on the basis that the legislation could potentially violate someone’s First Amendment right to political expression. She advocated for a revised ordinance with more specificity.

Fixing City Hall

Listened to an update on City Hall repairs. The plan was originally scheduled for two phases, but City Manager Peter Iglesias said his team is now attempting to condense it into one phase, which could save a year or more in time. The windows are awaiting approval by the Historical Board, which requested an assessment of them that Mayor Vince Lago and Iglesias opposed because of the cost – about $100,000 – and time involved. Instead of restoring the historic windows, new windows will be installed, though they will match the originals as much as possible while reinforcing safety standards.

Salvadore Expansion

Voted 4-1 on second reading to approve the purchase of a parcel of land that will be used to expand Salvadore Park. The Commission initially voted 3-2, which effectively canceled the acquisition, as a supermajority vote of at least 4-1 was required. Later in the meeting, however, after comments from city staff on the importance of acquiring the land, Commissioner Fernandez changed his vote. He and Commissioner Castro initially voted against the item, saying the property was too expensive. Two city appraisals priced the property at $2.6 and $2.9 million respectively, but the city will be purchasing the land for $3.1 million, which Fernandez and Castro considered too expensive. The city initially offered $3 million, before agreeing to $3.1 million in negotiations with the seller, who initially wanted $3.5 million.

Charging Time

Voted 4-0 to award a contract for 28 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to Blink. The stations will be in five parking garages and four parking lots, and will replace older units. Commissioner Castro was absent for the vote.