Try working with the County - Miami-Dade County paid for the other traffic circles under my administrations - the money is there, but it takes a partnership.

Lawsuit? Bad choice. Funding now or no funding in the future? The Special Council Meeting of October 17 will be interesting. The Mayor and Council voted against the traffic circle at their last meeting; a traffic control device that they claim to have negotiated for with the County. 

My advice to the current Mayor and Council is to be diplomats, not litigators. All posturing aside, this is the time to work with, not fight with, Miami-Dade County. 

Pick your battles. This one should not be your choice. The lawsuit proposed offers a very faint hope of a single short term win, but at loss of a long time much-needed partnership for future projects, including Old Cutler Road, Farmer’s Road, the 152/77th areas immediately come to mind. 

I developed many relationships at Miami-Dade County, including Transit and Public Works. Our Village Manager, Ed Silva has many outstanding professional relationships with Miami-Dade County, including Transit. 

So .... quit the posturing. We know a lawsuit sounds good to the angry where the mayor and council will attempt to deflect to the County, but has no long term goals.  So call Miami-Dade County. There is still time. You might be surprised at what you hear. The money is there. Don't throw out partnerships. 

I am proud of having a history of working with Miami-Dade County - and like traffic circles or not, Miami-Dade County funded the traffic circles at 82nd Avenue and 160th Street, as well as the two along 168th Street at 82nd and 87th Avenues.  The County would have funded a traffic circle at 87th Avenue at SW 144th Street.

See my prior post of October 10, 2019, Update on Malbrook intersection issue - discussion of options to threatened removal of 4 way stop signs on 87th Avenue. Meeting noticed for 7 PM, Oct. 17, 2019. All posturing aside, the advice I offer is work with, don't fight with, Miami-Dade County. Pick your battles. This one should not be your choice.

Lawsuits offer a possible one short term win at risk of losing a long time much-needed partnership. And that assumes the Village has a viable lawsuit. We still have not learned of any opinion from the Village Attorney (a well-respected litigator) on the prospects for a lawsuit. It is one thing to threaten a lawsuit when there are grounds, but you look silly and lose credibility threatening a lawsuit where no grounds exist.

I developed many relationships at Miami-Dade County, including Transit. Our Village Manager, Ed Silva has many outstanding professional relationships with Miami-Dade County, including Transit. so ....

Quit the posturing. We know a lawsuit sounds good to the angry, but a lawsuit offers no long term benefits.  Call Miami-Dade County and seek funding of the 87th/174th Traffic Circle. The money is there. Don't throw out partnerships.

Make the call! It will be a huge loss not to make the calls, to fail to make the ask.  The real issue is, if the call is made, how will the Council rationalize flip flopping on the vote to deny the traffic circle. The stated issue was public support, not cost.

Eugene Flinn