From City Hall: Safety Updates, Biltmore Issues, and More
At Its Meeting In October, The City Commission:
City Hall Safety
Listened to an update on the City Hall restorations. At the recommendation of structural engineer Douglas Wood, the City Commission meeting was moved to the Public Safety Building while shoring (a construction technique that uses temporary supports to stabilize a structure) is ongoing. Mayor Vince Lago argued that there was nothing unsafe about the building and that there was no reason to vacate it, even while shoring was ongoing. He maintained that staff should still use the building, and he will still hold his weekly office hours there. Lago continued, “I wholeheartedly agree we need to move out of the building once we start… real construction. [But] you don’t even have plans yet.” As of now, the larger renovations are still in the beginning stages of planning; construction may not begin for another two years.
City Manager Amos Rojas Jr. argued that there are environmental concerns, due to dust disturbed by ongoing renovations, that could affect city employees’ health, to which Lago suggested using a negative air pressure machine. During the public comment portion of the issue, former City Manager Peter Iglesias made a surprise appearance to comment on the matter, stating that, in his professional opinion as an engineer, City Hall was currently safe to occupy, and refuting Commissioner Ariel Fernandez’s claims that the project had been delayed under his tenure and that he had deliberately kept Fernandez and other members of the Commission in the dark about the renovation project.
The Biltmore Brouhaha
Listened to an update regarding alterations made to the Biltmore Hotel’s ground-floor lobby, which were done without permitting. Biltmore EVP Tom Prescott was not on-hand to respond to the Commission, as Commissioners Fernandez, Melissa Castro, and Kirk Menendez voted in favor of moving the item forward even though Prescott was unable to join the meeting until later in the day. Fernandez outlined some of the code enforcement issues city staff found during their walk-through of the hotel the previous week, including non-permitted painting, the construction of a speakeasy, and the lobby renovations. Prescott, though not present, did record a video in which he took full responsibility for the oversight and agreed to pay for any elements that needed to be restored to their historic form. A letter of default was sent to the Biltmore warning that legal action may be taken.
Resident Fees (And Discounts)
Voted 5-0 to analyze the city’s accounts with various credit card processing companies to determine if there should be a flat fee for all credit card payments made by residents, rather than having the city absorb the costs. A potential free e-check option was considered, which would have no fees. Discounted parking rates for residents were also discussed, especially in garages, which the city is trying to encourage more people to use.
A Cola For Retirees
Voted 4-1 to give a four percent cost-of-living increase (COLA) to retirement benefits for former city employees, including police officers and firefighters. This was a reduction from a proposed eight percent increase. Several impassioned retirees from the Coral Gables police and fire departments spoke on the matter, urging the Commission to approve the original eight percent raise. In the last decade, only one COLA for just over three percent has been approved.
Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson motioned to create a reserve for cost-of-living increases to the budget each year in order to streamline the process in the future, which was passed in a separate 4-1 vote (only Commissioner Castro dissented). Commissioner Fernandez advocated for the decreased rate due to budgetary concerns, while the vice mayor was in favor of a single lump sum payment for the moment and revisiting the issue next year.
The vote was interrupted by several former city employees, who singled out members of the Commission, asking them to vote in favor of a COLA of any kind, be it four or eight percent. “Please Ariel, please Kirk, look me in the eye,” cried one former firefighter. “We beat up our bodies and we took our jobs home to our families… and the City said, ‘Do that, and we’ll give you this.’ And now you have a chance to correct and do that.” Police Chief Ed Hudak advocated for the four percent increase this year, which was what ultimately passed, with only Mayor Lago dissenting.
Birds Run Afowl
Voted 4-1 to modify the city’s bird sanctuary protections by excluding pigeons, chickens, ducks, roosters, and other domestic fowl. Residents are still subject to state laws governing the protection of fowl, but by downgrading the city’s protections, it is easier for residents to remove these birds from their properties through compassionate and professional means. The city is not responsible for removing any birds. Vice Mayor Anderson suggested removing the birds to a specific area or farm, thereby preventing them from returning. She was the sole dissenter, wanting more time to find a better solution.
More Construction Issues
Voted 4-0 to authorize all legal action, including a potential lawsuit, against the designer and contractor of the Police & Fire Headquarters (AKA the Public Safety Building) due to water intrusion issues. Commissioner Menendez was absent for the vote.
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