There is the truth, then there is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Its time for the members of the Palmetto Bay Village Council to 'fess up. The legislative session is nearly over and they Village council has three (3) big legislative asks still pending before the legislature. One looks speciously like the Village Council is fully aware of the contents of the Unsolicited Bid and are working hard to obtain funding from the State for its share of this proposed public/private partnership (details below). Here are the pending appropriation requests:$ 1,790,800 Total money requested from the legislature limited for 3 projects, broken down as follows:
$ 745,900 Multimodal center – location undisclosed (23% of the total estimated cost)
$ 745,900 Enviro Center to be constructed at Coral Reef Park
$ 299,000 Drainage for sub basin 61 (50% match from Village)
$ 1,790,800 Total money requested from the legislature to cover:
$ 6,089,800 total cost of these proposed projects to the residents of Palmetto Bay.
Approximately 29% of the total cost is covered by the proposed appropriations (if 100% funded)
I am going to focus on the big one - the annual attempt to gain money from the legislature for the Multimodal Center - $745,000 from the legislature to build (representing 23%) a project currently estimated to cost $3,245,900 at the present time. Note this is also a capital expense – no operational or maintenance money is sought, nor is there a plan enumerated as to where this is going to go. (CLICK HERE to view prior posts relevant to the multimodal proposals) Questions include:
- How much additional money will be received from other sources to complete this project, as the total cost is ESTIMATED to be $3,245,900 as listed on page 7 (out of 8) (item #19.) (TPO Grant?)
- Is this to be built on land owned (and, therefore to be leased) from South Motors, the Owner of the Banyan lot I proposed some time ago?
- Is this money to be added as the Village contribution to the mysterious unsolicited bid project (CLICK HERE for prior related posts). Please note: The specifications for parking in the The proposed project (presently proposed as a five story project) state that the Development initiative includes the construction of a mixed-use facility including a 450 space minimum parking garage
This is why I ask, is this 'unsolicited bid' process really unsolicited or has it been carefully crafted behind the scenes? Its a fair question.
Here are the Palmetto Bay appropriation requests pending before the Florida Legislature:
HB 3763 - Palmetto Bay Multimodal Transit Station (23% of total project cost)
Appropriations Project by Fernández
Palmetto Bay Multimodal Transit Station: Provides an appropriation for
the Palmetto Bay Multimodal Transit Station.
Effective Date: July 1, 2019
Last Event: Now in Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, March 6, 2019
6:11 PM
CLICK HERE to view the full bill text
Details/Amount sought: $745,900 (total cost of project est.:
For fiscal year 2019-2020 the nonrecurring sum
of $745,900 from the State Transportation (Primary) Trust Fund is appropriated
to the Department of Transportation to fund the Palmetto Bay Multimodal Transit
Station as described in Appropriations Project Request 1445. Purpose (CLICK HERE) to view the 8 page Appropriations Project Request
Description: To build a multimodal station as a regional park and ride for county transit services. The park & ride will provide parking to support Miami-Dade County's Bus Rapid Transit system on the county's Transitway that will transport residents as far south as Homestead to the S. Dadeland Metrorail Station, which lacks sufficient parking to support the S. Dade commuter ridership. The park & ride will provide approx. 500 parking spaces, on-demand service dropoff/pick-up & other amenities.
*** *** ***
HB 4081 - Palmetto Bay Nature Education Center
Appropriations Project by Aloupis
Palmetto Bay Nature Education Center: Provides an appropriation for the
Palmetto Bay Nature Education Center.
Effective Date: July 1, 2019
Last Event: 1st Reading on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 11:28 PM
CLICK HERE to view the full bill text (
Details/Amount sought: $745,900
For fiscal year 2019-2020 the nonrecurring sum
of $745,900 from the General Revenue Fund is appropriated to the Department of
Environmental Protection to fund the Palmetto Bay Nature Education Center as
described in Appropriations Project Request 1620.
Purpose (CLICK HERE) to view the 7 page Appropriations Project Request
Description: To capitalize on the existing 20-acre natural pineland
preserve area within the 52-acre Coral Reef Park and establish a Nature
Education Center to provide educational courses to the general public in an
effort to promote conservation of the natural environment. This is particularly
important for younger children to learn about nature, the outdoors and
environmental protection.
(EDITOR’s NOTE: This can also be described as defining the money ask to
enable it to be used to rebuild the Community Building at Coral Reef Park)
*** *** ***
HB 4069 - Palmetto Bay Drainage Sub-Basin #61 Construction
Appropriations Project by Aloupis
Palmetto Bay Drainage Sub-Basin #61 Construction: Provides an
appropriation for the Palmetto Bay Drainage Sub-Basin #61 Construction.
Effective Date: July 1, 2019
Last Event: Now in Appropriations Committee on Sunday, March 10, 2019
6:55 PM
CLICK HERE to view the full bill text
Details/Amount sought: $299,000
For fiscal year 2019-2020 the nonrecurring sum
of $299,000 from the General Revenue Fund is appropriated to the Department of
Environmental Protection to fund the Palmetto Bay Drainage Sub-Basin #61
Construction as described in Appropriations Project Request 1621.
Purpose (CLICK HERE) to view the 9 page Appropriations Project Request
Description: Palmetto Bay is requesting funding for the design, construction and construction support of stormwater improvements to its sub-basin #61. Improvements include building, additional catch basins, manholes, culverts & exfiltration to connect the catch basins within sub-basin #61. Improvements will reduce pollutant load contribution from 3 main pollutants from the sub-basin into Biscayne bay Aquifer, control flooding during storms such as Hurricane Irma and improve surface water quality.
(EDITOR’s NOTE: Stormwater money has been important to Palmetto Bay which historically has received anywhere from $100,000 to the high of $800,000 in any one year – there have also been years where ZERO was received for Stormwater improvements.)
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