What's the rush? It's summer, no one's around
The city's budget workshop was rescheduled for August 14, so as not to infringe on Mayor Manny Diaz's Miami 21 August 6 meeting, which had been scheduled the same day. While many citizens were upset that the mayor chose to have the first reading of Miami 21 on a summer day, when many folks are out of town, the meeting will non-the-less go on.The City Commissioners had planned a budget workshop to go over all the details before the public has their say in September. They wanted to be sure they knew what they were talking about, when it comes to next year's budget, so the workshop was planned.
The mayor has the right to call a special meeting of the Commission, and as the Chair of the Commission Joe Sanchez does not have the power to cancel it. Sanchez requested that the Mayor reschedule the Miami 21 meeting but the mayor refused. So, there will be a Miami 21 meeting on August 6, 2009 at 2 pm, at City Hall (3500 Pan American Drive) which presents the Miami 21 legislation on first reading. There will also be a second reading.
Many feel that the mayor wants to push Miami 21 through before his term is up in November because he thinks this will be his legacy and of course he needs to take care of his big shot developer buddies, but his real legacy will be the mess that he left the city in with a deficit of $118 million (that we know about) and the exorbitant salaries and city fees.
The list of salaries here. Miami 21's website here.
Graphic by Harry Emilio Gottlieb
posted by Tom Falco at 8:00 AM
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12 Comments:
Miami 21 is not ready for public approval.
A careful reading shows that if Miami 21 passes selected campaign contributors will make millions and many other property owners will lose hundreds of millions.
Why can't the commissioners just concentrate on finding $118 mil to fill the budget gap?
The world does not stop spinning because it is summer. Nobody can afford to take a vacation, anyway.
I think people should be more outraged over the 100 people making 200,000 or more in the city.
NO Zoning code will ever satisfy everyone... There's a saying if there's some opposition on each side that disagree you probably got it pretty well!
Ditto Jorge!
Has anyone heard of multi-tasking? Why is it that our leaders must tackle one issue at a time? If they are leaders, I would like to think they can handle two hot issues at once. I wouldn't expect any less!
Plus the two meetings are happening in two different weeks. Give it up and jump on the bandwagon. Miami 21 is coming, whether you like it or not. I look forward to reading a follow up story on your blog gloating over Miami 21 and what is had done for our city.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters/story/1166777.html
Leadership issues
I enjoyed reading the July 27 editorial, Where's the leadership? My regret is just how quickly our leadership passed the stadium issue even when most of us said no. They said they knew better than us and should use government funds to build a private stadium. Wow!
One day, they say look what we have done with your money. Then they say we have no money. No food for the poor, no after-school programs for the single mom or dad. But the Marlins have a stadium.
Vote them out, cut their pay to zero, then they might look at this as their problem, not just ours.
JOSEPH GACUSANA, Pembroke Pines
Miami 21 is just another scam that is intended to make a few insiders rich. Think massive fees. Think hidden agendas.
Marlins bailout, illegal Fire Fee, unethical land deals, $118 mil budget deficit, massive pay and benefits for public sector jobs, rape of Watson Island, loss of Bicentennial Park...
Why the rush? Did rushing to act benefit any of the above scams? Who benefits from rushing?
I have been a Miami-Dade County homeowner for over 30 years, and also an over 30-year Miami business owner and commercial property owner. Many long-time stakeholders like myself request that Miami 21 be deferred at this Thursday, August 6th, 2:00 PM special Commission meeting.
Liz Plater-Zyberk makes Miami 21 sound heavenly in the general descriptions she sets forth. But beware! Many of the particular details in this complex zoning code (over 500 pages long) are difficult to implement and have no "city-wide benefits," as Ms. Plater-Zyberk claims.
One must take Ms. Plater-Zyberk's statements with a grain of salt. For example: She states that one of the "advances" under Miami 21 is a "new use type allowing live-work - including in industrial areas." The fact is, the new D1, "Workplace" designation, only allows "1 unit per lot of record." Translation: 1 residential unit per commercial lot, meaning possibly a night watchman can be allowed to live on the premises ... no big deal, and not a very big advancement. This problem might have been fixed but we have seen no proof. Many other problems remain.
Clearly Miami 21 does not take into account the new economic reality facing Miami which is 11% unemployment and the dire recession. People might be renovating and doing adaptive reuse to their properties IF they have the money and the confidence BUT few residents and investors have any intention or ability to do new construction. Ms Plater-Zyberk and the Miami 21 promoters appear to live in an ivory tower full of pretty pictures but divorced from real life.
It is important to note: The Miami 21 "Recent Modifications List and Marked Code" (462 pages long!) was posted on Friday, July 31st, at 7:15 PM. That only allows the City Commissioners and the public less than six (6) days to review and analyze the monumental proposed zoning code. The timing is made even worse because the Commissioners need to find solutions to the City budget crisis in the next few weeks. Concerned citizens rightfully request that the budget take precedence, and that Miami 21 is postponed ... best until after the elections, so the new Commissioners and a new Mayor can devote proper time and effort to this complex item.
The revisions are minimal. Take a look at the first two pages where ALL changes are listed. The rest is just the code, re-posted with marked revisions. The people have had over six months to review the pages.
Anon 2:00 PM: Do me a favor, take a look at the technical changes posted where you will see the 1 unit per lot of record restriction is being proposed as a modification. So you're only negative comment has been fixed. What will you come up with next to be against the code?
To Anon 4:37 pm.
With the City facing a $118 mil budget deficit shouldn't the Administration be spending every minute trying to list employees to fire? Isn't it true if Miami 21 passes that Miami 21 administration will add to the City's deficit? Won't Miami 21 reduce property values by definition?
To Anon Aug. 2, 4:37 PM: You say, "The revisions are minimal" - that's YOUR opinion - and "The people have had over six months to review the pages." Thousands of people will be negatively affected by Miami 21. Most haven't read the hundreds of complex, detailed pages. Even worse, the marked revisions came out less than six days from the Aug. 6th meeting.
You also say that my "only negative comment has been fixed." I cited the "1 unit per lot of record" as ONE example of many unresolved complaints.
Miami 21 should be deferred on Aug. 6th.
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