Each and
every administration is held accountable for decisions made. Others now take on
the responsibility of public office and will be judged by their own promises
made and kept, their own accomplishments reached and their own handling of
issues as they arise.
I remain
proud of our accomplishments, and while not everyone may have agreed, we
certainly moved our village forward from humble beginnings.
I am proud of my record for sustainability here in Palmetto
Bay. I have worked hard to make Palmetto Bay a green city and make it
greener every day. Please click "Read more" to review some of my favorite accomplishments brought to Palmetto Bay. And, please feel free to review the official 2018 State of the Village Video to review some of the accomplishments of Team Palmetto Bay:
Accomplishments
we share:
As
Mayor, I refused to meet with developers in private. I am the only member of
the Palmetto Bay council to date, who can say this. I have held meetings in
public where interested members of the public can attend, listen and actually participate.
I
am also proud of working with the original Village Council to renovate existing
parks and buying new parkland, as well as bringing diverse park amenities
including a dog park, softball complex, beach volleyball courts, and a skate
park. I have seen to it that we include and protect our environment sensitive
areas such as the 5 acre Pineland in Coral Reef Park. I have also worked with
the team to purchase and preserve a bay front park (Thalatta Estate).
Activities include Earth Week (to raise environmental awareness) and age
friendly programming and promoting bicycling within the village. I participated
annually with the various bike to work, alternative transportation events.
I
created “Shade Palmetto Bay” – our annual tree / plant give away (native of
course). This year, I put my money where my mouth is and personally
donated 130 seedling pines for the giveaway.
I
worked for recognition of our green spaces as Florida-Friendly Landscapes. Note
that in our Village of Parks, Coral Reef, Palmetto Bay and Perrine Wayside
Dog Park were recognized on June 18, 2018.
I
signed on to the US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and
joined Sierra Club’s Mayors for 100% Clean Energy – not just signing, but
following up on and keeping the commitments made.
I was
the prime sponsor in bringing Palmetto Bay in
as a participating municipality with the Southeast Florida RegionalClimate Change Compact when it was formalized back in
2009/2010.
I was
the first of our local officials to advocate for the completion of CERP/BBCW in
our region. See Palmetto Bay Resolution: 2007-044
I sponsored (with a single co-sponsor) Reso 2009-018 Urging the
US Congress and Florida Legislature to fully fund Biscayne Bay Wetlands
projects
Reso2007-073 – in
support of the SFWMD request for congressional appropriation of funds necessary
to bring the Herbert Hoover Dike into compliance with current levee protection
safety standards
Reso2016-036 Urging
the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection and the SFWMD to expedite Phase II of the Biscayne Bay Coastal
Wetlands Project.
Under my leadership, Palmetto Bay led the way in green
initiatives, building the first countywide LEED-certified park building at
Coral Reef Park, followed by the very first statewide Platinum LEED-certified
Village Hall!
Palmetto
Bay Charter member PACE – I served on the district board
Preserving
green space, creation of new green space/parks as well as updating existing
green space and parks.
Championed
the creation of a Sustainable Community Plan (SCP).
I
sponsored resolutions preserving the following acreage:
Ludovici
Park, working with our Miami-Dade County Environmental Crimes to take ownership
of land which had previously suffered mangrove destruction, restoring those
mangroves and placing that land in the public domain, eventually becoming
Ludovici Park – where a library now stands and the restored mangrove area
rests, off the private ownership and in protective hands.
Land that
the County was about to surplused to developers into public ownership
- soon to be known as The Woods along 168th street.
I was the
sponsor of Palmetto Bay Resolution 2010-32, Opposing the FPL application
relating to Turkey Point Units 6 & &, power lines, opposing the siting
transmission lines down US1 (the subsequent administration pulled out of this
effort, leaving Pinecrest and South Miami to win this effort without Palmetto
Bay’s collaboration).
Notable
resolutions are numerous, but some of my favorites that I sponsored include:
2005-043, calling
upon the Board of County Commissioners to oppose any extension to the Urban
Development Boundary (“Hold The Line”)
2007-049 Relating
to protecting the land considered to be a wildlife sanctuary at SW 168th Street
and 88th.
2008-078 Requesting Miami-Dade to authorize the use
of low emission vehicles on County Owned Residential streets located within
Palmetto Bay and the County as such low emission vehicles would assist with
greening communities by lowering gas emissions and curtail use of gas, ensure
slower speeds and thus protect residents, pedestrians and general public.
2016-68,
opposing the DEP's weakening of restrictions that would allow an increase in
the release of toxic chemicals into Florida’s Waters.
Obtaining
the Tree City USA Designation in my second term.
I am
including the following blog posts I have written on these and other
environmental topics.
CLICK HERE or the
following heading to view a blog post from March 28, 2016, Our environment, our community, ourfuture - a collaborative effort to maintain ourquality of life. Part 1 - ourlocal environment, documenting part of my longterm (not election time) actionsrelating to our environment.
We need to protect and prepare for our future, whether it is
protecting our native Pine Rocklands, Mangroves, or Everglades. We
need to grow smart or not at all. And don’t leave out
transportation. Transportation is another Number One issue (yes -
there are more than a single critical issue facing South Florida) as growing
gridlock is rapidly eroding our quality of life – but more on that in a future
post.
I remain proud of my accomplishments to date as well as my ongoing
commitment to continue the vision and work to further and exceed these past
accomplishments, including:
Palmetto Bay seeks to become a model community for energy
savings and environmental conservation. The Municipal Center is a testament to
this goal.
For more information, please feel free to review the following
Official Palmetto Bay webpages:
And a
few of my past blog posts, including:
October
9, 2012, Great news. It is official.Palmetto Bay's Village Hall receives Platinum LEED certification.
August
23, 2017, The Smart Growth Partnership - The Village of Palmetto Bay wins a smart growth award for its DUV Code
Also
see the article posted online through the Southeast Florida Regional
Compact (an organization I have sponsored participating with): Village Hall LEED Platinum Certified Facility
Obtaining
certification of the first Green Certified municipal building in Miami-Dade
County (our Parks building at Coral Reef Park).
Solar
power initiatives. Co-sponsoring Solar Co-Ops
Prime
sponsor of permit fee waiver initiatives for Solar Panel initiative.
Championing
the efforts to purchase and preserve Thalatta Estate - working with the willing
seller to buy the property through the Trust for Public Lands and Florida
Communities Trust to bring this property into public ownership for all to
enjoy.
Went
electronic, eliminating paper - for e-newsletters - first created
e-currents and now "Your Village At Work."
Tree
City USA Designation
Working
for recognition of our green spaces as Florida-Friendly Landscapes. Note that
in our Village of Parks, Coral Reef, Palmetto Bay and Perrine Wayside Dog
Park were recognized on June 18, 2018.
I have
also actively worked to support the efforts of community groups such as
LivableCutler at the county and state level to halt over development. These
efforts led to public acquisition of 130 acres earmarked for CERP/BBCW. My
entire family have been part of the volunteer effort to restore the acquired
coastal wetlands.
Finally
– I established a Palmetto Bay “Environmentalist of the Year” Award – to recognize
and encourage environmental action.
Thank you fellow residents of Palmetto Bay!
Eugene Flinn
Eugene Flinn
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