87 Avenue Bridge Update. Here is the complete document - the proposed Interlocal Agreement between Palmetto Bay and Miami-Dade County. What does the agreement really provide?

CLICK HERE to view the complete document, the terms and conditions to be discussed by the mayor and village council at a Special Council Meeting set for Thursday, September 23, 2021.

The devil is in the details, so it is important that you read for yourself. I remain concerned that this matter was handled through dispute resolution, behind closed doors rather than in a collaborative matter involving the affected residents in public meetings.  Their voices (should) matter! Involving the affected residents would have brought the personal messaging to this matter in a way that cold negotiations through administration and lawyers cannot fully convey (which is why witnesses provide the testimony in court – not mere argument by attorneys).

This agreement is the result of meetings (including mediation sessions) involving the current mayor, Village Manager, In-house Village Attorney, and at least one outside counsel. Again, affected residents were never invited to present their impact statements. What would help (if anything) in this matter.

I am very concerned. I don’t see anything here that was not offered previously. In fact it appears that Palmetto Bay caved on significant items, including splitting costs (50/50) on expense items that should be carried entirely by Miami-Dade County. The County is seeking to build the bridge; therefore the County should bear the costs of the traffic studies, not our taxpayers. This agreement bills Palmetto Bay taxpayers $100,000.00. See paragraphs 3.a. and 3.b. where it the mayor and other participants agree that Palmetto Bay should contribute $50,000 for each of the two studies.  $100,000 to the $200,000.00 in study costs. Why? No wonder taxes are going up. A significant number of the County duties are conditional, using language such as:

… If the post-construction traffic study supports the implementation of the traffic circles referenced below and such traffic circles meet the eligibility for road impact fee (“RIF”) funds and subject to funding availability, the Department of Transportation and Public Works will submit the necessary recommendations to seek approval of the use of RIF funds for the construction of such traffic circles. Alternatively, and so long as the post-construction traffic study supports the implementation of the traffic circles referenced below, the County will apply to the Florida Department of Transportation for County Incentives Grant Program funds to apply towards the construction of such traffic circles.

IMPORTANT ISSUE: Who pays or what happens (other than a bridge) if these conditions fail to line up?

OTHER FAIR QUESTIONS:

A.           Will this agreement be simply voted up or down without concern for the affected residents?
B.           Will there be a mad fury of attempts by the 4 of 5 council members who were not involved to make substantive changes to this document?
C.           Speaking of plan B, is there a “Plan B”? If, situation B occurs, will the County entertain reopening negotiations or what is the plan, chaos?
D.          Is this really just a stall tactic to create chaos in an attempt to stall the bridge? 

Background - there have been numerous posts on this topic. Recommended reading includes:

May 18, 2021, Any updates on the 87th Avenue Bridge "fight"? Why are village officials not holding any public stakeholder town halls?

January 6, 2020, Palmetto Bay’s current Mayor needs to stop hiding behind proxy attacks and build coalitions, not angry mobs through misinformation. 2020’s first textbook example of poor leadership.