Bridging Palmetto Bay - the plan is back and apparently this has been put together without any opposition or input from current Palmetto Bay officials.

 What did they know and when did they know it?

The late US Senator and statesman Howard Baker is known for his famous query of then President Nixon: "What did the President know and when did he know it?" Well, I have the same thought today.  Apparently our Palmetto Bay elected leaders were caught flat footed, blissfully unaware of a plan pushing through the County Commission to bridge Palmetto Bay, starting at 87 Avenue. This is kind of important information to stay on top of - both for supporters and objectors.

I served with two different county commissioners and both would meet regularly with me to discuss issues and projects that concerned and/or impacted Palmetto Bay. I am quite taken aback by this alleged lack of knowledge by the Palmetto Bay Mayor and Council. Commission Danielle Cohen Higgins has been accessible to those who have questions or concerns. I could not see how it is any different for fellow elected officials. There are also the South Dade Municipal Coalition meetings where transportation issues have been discussed as well. In any event, there was a Palmetto Bay Council Meeting last night (Monday, 2/1/2021). Do the current council members support this proposal or not? Do they have an action plan either in support or opposition? If so, could they please share it with all of us?

Here is a link to the Miami Herald Article - viewable by those who subscribe to the newspaper. See:  The fight over the 87th Avenue bridge is back, and up for a last-minute county vote, by Douglas Hanks, 2/01/2021

So it is a fair question to ask: What did the current Palmetto Bay Mayor and Council Members know and when did they know it? And if they knew nothing, then why? Why aren’t questions asked in the numbers meetings and opportunities that they have shared with our County Commissioner, Danielle Cohen Higgins?

Finally – here is a link to the Miami-Dade County Commission item set for today, yes, TODAY, Tuesday, February 2, 2021, beginning at 9:00 AM.

 210164ResolutionDanielle Cohen Higgins, Prime Sponsor   RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING COUNTY POLICY THAT THE COUNTY ARTERIAL NETWORK EXTEND WITHOUT DEAD-ENDS, WITHIN TRAFFIC ENGINEERING STANDARDS, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND IN FURTHERANCE OF THAT POLICY, DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR’S DESIGNEE TO TAKE ALL ACTIONS NECESSARY TO CONSTRUCT A BRIDGE THAT WOULD EXTEND SW 87TH AVENUE FROM SW 164TH STREET TO SW 163RD TERRACE CROSSING OVER THE CUTLER DRAIN CANAL C-100 (“BRIDGE PROJECT”); APPROPRIATING $3,100,000.00 IN UNENCUMBERED ROAD IMPACT FEE FUNDS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY CARRYOVER FUNDS, FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 COUNTYWIDE GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGE PROJECT; AND FURTHER DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR’S DESIGNEE, SHOULD ADDITIONAL FUNDS BE NECESSARY, TO IDENTIFY AND APPROPRIATE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 2-1796 OF THE COUNTY CODE, LEGALLY AVAILABLE FUNDS FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 COUNTY BUDGET FOR THE BRIDGE PROJECT, AND TO INCLUDE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SAID BRIDGE PROJECT, AS NECESSARY, IN THE MAYOR’S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022Add-on PDF    1/29/2021Per Ord 20-38, item placed by BCC Chair without committee review and is not subject to 4-day rule

I hear the lamentations of the current mayor and council.  I want to hear the plan, and see it effectively put into operation, either in support or in opposition to this bridge plan.

Recent meetings documented on official's social media:

Is there actual conversation of substance between our elected officials when these events take place or its it merely posing for the camera?