Rumor has it (actually, well-placed sources that are honest) that there is a deal pending that this suit will be ‘dropped’ (dismissed) in exchange for Miami-Dade County funding and installing the traffic circle at the intersection of SW 87th Avenue and SW 174th Street. This 'rumor' has neither been admitted nor denied by Village Council. It just sits there - like the stalled traffic mitigation programs in the pipeline in 2018 (CLICK HERE to view October 17, 2018, Update on Palmetto Bay Traffic Projects - and further updates will be posted as available - under a different mayor and council and, therefore, different priorities.
Back to the lawsuit. What is up with the
lawsuit to protect public safety at 87 & 174? Neither the facts, nor the
law are on the side of Palmetto Bay, yet it is strange that this is not being
discussed publicly; that the allegations of the alleged deal were conspicuously
not addressed at the Special Council Meeting held on Thursday, January 23,
2020. Item 3 of this meeting (III) was "A traffic circle on SW 87th Avenue
and SW 174th Street.” The can keeps getting kicked down the road and, what,
another ninety (90) days has been requested by the Village. Really? What for?
The Village dodged a bullet of a prior January 17 removal date thanks to
grassroots resident action (the ‘in spite of the elected officials’
result). See January 13, 2020, Palmetto Bay - salvage what you can before the
door actually closes on the traffic circle for 174 and 87th Avenue
Will Palmetto Bay officials accept the inevitable on the traffic
circle or, if not, why does it take 90 more days to simply say no to the county
and move on the lawsuit? Is there another plan other than delay, delay, delay?
Experience matters as does maturity. It is time for Palmetto Bay
to move forward on the traffic circle – and this should be done before the
4-way stop signs are removed and the “do not block the box (intersection)"
paint is placed on 87th avenue.
 |
| Screen shot of official court docket - Palmetto Bay v Miami-Dade County as of 3:00 PM, Friday, 1/31/2020 |
Why must this important
item of traffic safety proceed behind the scenes? How are the various members
of the Village Council being advised/included without violating Florida’s
Sunshine Law?
It is beginning to look
more and more like there is deliberate foot dragging (if not actual hiding
under the bed to avoid responsibility) calculated to make the county take
unilateral action; just as the county did after the current Palmetto Bay
Village Council denied the traffic circle at SW 87th Avenue and SW 144th street
which forced Miami-Dade County to step in and unilaterally install the 4 way
stop signs.
This is all most
irregular – no action, little communication, no leadership. Miami-Dade County
removed a 4 way stop at SW 82nd Avenue and SW 148th Street in Mangowood in
2016 (which did lead to significant Village council uproar, but under a prior
Mayor and Council). Things have certainly changed under this current mayor and
council:
- Miami-Dade
County installed a 4 way stop at SW 87th Avenue and SW 174th Street– that it
now wants to remove in favor of a fully funded and installed traffic
circle.
- Miami-Dade
County has installed, apparently as a permanent solution, the
aforementioned four way stop at SW 87th Avenue at SW
144th street (mere blocks from where the Mangowood signs were removed
- the irony!)
All this without a peep,
and with no comment by the current mayor or other village elected officials.
There is no action
(resolutions or other foreshadowing of discussion) relating to any of these
areas listed on the official village agenda for the February village council meeting
for Monday, February 3, 2020 (CLICK HERE to view the agenda as it was posted as of Friday, January
31, 2020).
It is all beginning to
look like the current mayor and council continue to abdicate their
responsibilities in order to simply throw shade and point fingers, all the
while waiting on Miami-Dade County to tire of the endless delays and take
action without them, thereby allowing Palmetto Bay officials to maintain
plausible deniability and blame others – in this case Miami-Dade County.
The tool box on this issue - prior relevant posts:
- BREAKING NEWS - County was set to remove stop signs, but will wait for Village Council to reconsider Traffic Circle
- Palmetto Bay - salvage what you can before the door actually closes on the traffic circle for 174 and 87th Avenue
- What is next for traffic management in Palmetto Bay. I missed a report if there was one on Jan 6. Where is the plan?
- South Dade Updates Guest Blog- view of the 12/12/2019 Palmetto Bay / Miami-Dade County conflict resolution proceeding
- Waiting for Palmetto Bay’s official response – Cutler Bay site alleges that the 174/87th 4 way stop to be removed January 17. Where is the announcement, what about the lawsuit?
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