Small Bites - TPO Bridge vote Post-Mortem review. Miami-Dade County has ALWAYS been willing to negotiate. Background and Example 1. Village Wide residential speed limit report.

I am providing a few examples of concessions made by Miami-Dade County (MDC) to show its willingness to work with the Municipal partners (including Palmetto Bay). This is first of a series.

Other examples will include my work with MDC to obtain bike lanes along SW 136th Street (Howard Drive). Negotiations are always ongoing as current leadership worked with the County to revise that plan in order to place a 8-10 foot wide shared recreation path solely on the Palmetto Bay (south) side of SW 136th Street.

In regard to the Bridge - this was never a surprise. I won't go into all that went into the effort that lead to the political slaughter before the TPO (SPOILER ALERT: most of the factors where absolute lack of follow through on the commitments made the last time Palmetto Bay appeared before the TPO on the bridge). I did put this issue out in December 15, 2020 - just days before the current Palmetto Bay mayor had a comprehensive meeting with our County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins. See: December 15, 2020, 2021's first test - the bridge is back. Will it unite or divide Palmetto Bay? Will it happen without input from Palmetto Bay's so-called leaders? 

The sad part is that this TPO fiasco went as poorly as I feared - it has moved forward so far in spite of, and worse, without input from Palmetto Bay's so-called leaders who would rather play victim and allege lack of notice despite the fact that they were warned - and not just by me. Walking away from an issue will not make it go away. But I spoke about it  in the initial Post-Mortem of March 10, 2021, TPO committee moves 87th Ave bridge forward to full TPO Board. Antagonism politics is not working for this Palmetto Bay mayor and council.

You want "no right turn signs"? The County has always been reasonable. What has been unreasonable has been the cost of enforcement.

You want "traffic tables"? We have secured these anytime we have asked.

In fact, the County has even looked away when Palmetto Bay has conveniently failed to comply with the requirements that the 'temporary traffic tables' (informally identified as the black rubber mats) be removed after 90 days.

So after all the background - here is Example #1 - ready for implementation - Resolution 2018-12 - years of hard work and ready to be implemented to the extent that the present or any future mayor and councils desire: the 2017 Village Wide Speed Limit report and traffic calming. By the way, there is a lot in here that is applicable to Golf Carts in Palmetto Bay. This resolution was adopted in February 2018, prior to the elections. Realize that new mayor and new councils bring with them different ideas, priorities and policies - as well as tactics and relative abilities in transparency and work ethic. What has happened with this report post 2018 elections? Not a darn thing. 

My suggestion? I may have talked tough at times but I negotiated tougher - and achieved results. We need to get the village back on the track of co-existing and being civil - both to those we are negotiating with as well as the legions of residents who feel that their voices are currently not being heard.