May City Hall: A Recap of Two Commission Meetings

At its first meeting in May, the Coral Gables City Commission discussed:

SELLING MUSEUM DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS

Voted 5-0 to approve the sale and transfer of development rights (TDR) from the Coral Gables Museum to Aurora LLC. Transfer of development rights is a zoning technique that permits the passing of development rights from a historic building to another project planned for development, for a price. The added benefit is that the property selling the rights is now locked in as-is, effectively protecting it. All proceeds from the TDR will be placed in the city’s Historic Building Fund to be used for much-needed improvements at the museum. (Sponsored by Vice Mayor Anderson and Commissioner Menendez)

SUNDAY DRINKING APPROVED

Voted 5-0 to amend the City Code and change the prohibited hours of alcohol sales on Sundays so that retail operators and vendors can begin sales at 7 am and end at 1 am, consistent with the rest of the week. (Sponsored by Vice Mayor Anderson)

PICKLEBALL PLAY

Discussed use of the pickleball courts at the Youth Center, where demand is high and many non-residents are coming to play. The Community Recreation Department is beginning to staff the courts during busy hours to determine how many residents versus non-residents are using the courts. Commissioner Kirk Menendez suggested having at least one day of free play for residents, while non-residents would have to pay. Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson was in favor of a membership option. More data will be collected before a decision is made.

During the public comments section of the meeting, another discussion regarding the placement of additional courts at or nearby the Youth Center was held, during which residents expressed concerns over an initial idea floated by Mayor Vince Lago to replace one of the Youth Center’s baseball diamonds with pickleball courts. Lago vowed to keep the baseball field and city staff is researching other options, including the area between the Youth Center and the Coral Gables Library. (Sponsored by Commissioner Fernandez)

SAVING THE SILVER LIGHTS

Voted 5-0 to defer an item regarding the replacement of silver streetlights by Florida Power & Light. The city’s Historic Preservation and Landmarks Advisory boards made recommendations to the Commission, wherein the removal of all silver streetlights in residential areas north of US-1 be ceased immediately, that they be reinstalled where they were removed, and that any further installation of other non-silver streetlights, whether by the city or FPL, be submitted to the Historic Preservation Board for approval.

FPL, meanwhile, appears unwilling to take on the full cost of the project. The Commission decided to take more time to flesh out their proposal and make a public commitment before the city manager begins negotiations with FPL, given the amount of legal and procedural questions involved. “We really don’t have any leverage,” said Vice Mayor Anderson. Michael Maxwell of the Historic Preservation Board argued that a public commitment to the recommendations made by the boards would be enough leverage.

RELATED The Saving of the Streetlights

TIME FOR AN INSPECTOR GENERAL?

Discussed the hiring of an inspector general to sniff out supposed corruption in the city, an allegation Commissioner Menendez leveled when he said the city was “adrift in a cesspool of corruption” at a previous Commission meeting. Commissioner Ariel Fernandez has been at the forefront of new regulations on employee spending, repeatedly stating that he thought some purchases made by employees using their company cards were inappropriate. Mayor Lago and Vice Mayor Anderson cautioned once again about damage to morale by accusing employees of any kind of malfeasance.

In a not-so-subtle comment, Commissioner Melissa Castro responded, “I’m more concerned about elected officials than actual employees,” implying she was concerned about some of her colleagues’ trustworthiness. “Trust me, we all are. We’re all very worried about elected officials,” Lago replied. As the discussion came to a close, Castro added an accusation to her comment, claiming that Lago was actively “sabotaging” her Ethics Commission case, which centers around her ability to run a permit expediting business in Coral Gables while also acting as commissioner.

HANDICAPPING THE THEATER

Voted 3-2 to reimburse Actors’ Playhouse at Miracle Theatre for the construction of a new ADA compliant ramp and railings at the theater, provided they return with a lower quote than initially provided. The playhouse originally requested $42,000, based on a quote they received, an amount which Vice Mayor Anderson — a passionate supporter of and attorney for disability rights — called “horrifically overpriced.”

As a city tenant, the theater is supposed to be responsible for such upgrades under their contract. Anderson and Lago both voted against the resolution, arguing that giving Actors’ Playhouse special treatment would open up the city to myriad issues and that the Commission should have the opportunity to review any subsequent quote before approval. (Sponsored by Commissioner Menendez).

At its second meeting in May, the Coral Gables City Commission discussed:

UPDATE ON LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Listened to an update on the latest state legislative session from Senator Ileana Garcia and the City of Coral Gables’ lobbying team. Senator Garcia highlighted issues such as lowering homeowners’ insurance rates, public transportation, and traffic safety. The lobbying team, meanwhile, went over Gables projects funded by the State of Florida, including the citywide sidewalk replacement project (funded at $800,000), the water quality assessment project (funded at $300,000), and the golden gate stormwater project, which address flooding and drainage (funded at $350,000). 

The team also addressed the new regulation passed by the State that prohibits local governments from preventing the demolition of certain structures, making it much easier to demolish historic structures. Though the bill did pass, it was ultimately limited specifically to structures that make a negative impact on the coast through beach erosion and other environmental concerns, eliminating the impact on Coral Gables.

NEW MUSEUM FUNDING

Voted 5-0 to authorize $500,000 in funding as a matching grant to the Coral Gables Museum for the completion of capital improvement projects. The museum has been unable to get loans due to issues with its building, including porous walls, termites, and the lack of humidity control. Museum Director Elvis Fuentes presented a list of issues, their estimated costs, and how they will be fixed using the funds. Projects include replacing the HVAC system, cleaning the exterior walls, upgrading and renovating the Fewell Gallery, replacing window shades and the floor in the Community Meeting Room, renovating the bathrooms and kitchen, and purchasing an emergency generator.

The museum must first receive approval for the $500,000 from the City before it can go to the State of Florida to apply for a grant for the remaining $500,000. The money will be coming from the transfer of development rights, which the Commission approved at its last meeting.

DOOR HANGERS REQUIRED

Voted 5-0 to require door hangers as an additional notification for public information meetings regarding multi-family and mixed-use developments. The developers will also be required to remove any door hangers still outside within 48 hours after the meeting, due to concerns from residents about the hangers notifying potential criminals of their absence. 

CORAL WAY & GRANADA TRAFFIC UPGRADE

Listened to an update on the Coral Way and Granada Boulevard traffic signal project. The project includes drainage improvements, sidewalks, resurfacing of the street, ADA compliant pedestrian curb ramps, landscape improvements, and better signage and signals, including improved crosswalks and a pedestal traffic light. The existing traffic light hangs from wires and does not meet current hurricane standards. The city has been working on this project for several years and construction is imminent. Vice Mayor Anderson also suggested using audible crosswalk buttons for blind pedestrians.

LOWER WASTE COLLECTION COSTS

Voted 3-2 to reduce the resident fee for the collection and disposal of solid waste to $550 with a five percent fee for late payments. Commissioners Menendez and Castro dissented, asking for  more time and information. Currently, residents are charged a flat fee for garbage collection, regardless of the amount of waste they produce, though there is a discount offered for those who pay the full amount in advance. The Commission discussed ways to reduce this amount for those with smaller homes and/or smaller families that generate less waste.

“If you live in a 10,000-square-foot lot, why should you pay the same as somebody who lives on a two-acre site?” asked Mayor Lago, who spoke in favor of lowering the fee. As it is, the current rate does not cover the cost to the city.

Finance Director Diana Gomez recommended increasing the rate to cover rising costs, while Vice Mayor Anderson argued that state reps in Tallahassee had been pushing Coral Gables to lower taxes, and this was one such mechanism to do so.

Over an hour of discussion was held regarding the different impacts on the budget for certain percentage decreases, whether the rate should be decreased at all, and whether there should continue to be an early discount.

AN AUDIT FOR ‘CORRUPTION’

Discussed the potential options for a forensic audit. Option one involves auditing everything, which has a hefty price tag. Option two is the regular auditing process that will happen regardless, which develops a risk assessment and an audit plan for the next few years. Option three involves the Commission directly giving advice to the auditing department on which areas they think need to be looked at more closely with a forensic audit.

At the next Commission meeting, the three options will be presented in a presentation by staff so that the Commission can make an informed decision. Commissioner Castro was the only outspoken dissenter, advocating for redirecting the funds to other matters. 

THE COST OF SPEED BUMPS

Listened to an update on temporary speed tables (aka speed bumps). The city currently has 11, which are ready to be installed within the next four to six months. A larger batch of 44 is still to come. Before each speed table is installed, there must be a traffic study, balloting, and a meeting with residents to determine where is most appropriate to place the speed table.

Vice Mayor Anderson recommended using more crews to install the speed tables to expedite the process.Mayor Lago, meanwhile, argued for using permanent rather than temporary speed tables, due to the cost difference. Temporary speed tables cost $5,000 without installation, while permanent ones cost $12,000 all included. “Spending our money on permanent is more bang for your buck, especially when you’re almost at 50 percent cost,” he said. 

MONEY FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS

Voted 5-0 to create a Historic Building Maintenance and Restoration capital project with an annual funding of $50,000.

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