The City Commission agreed to address traffic problems on eight Grove streets, established an advisory committee on trees, scheduled a voter referendum on the city’s election calendar, and deferred a decision on $450 million in new bond funding.
The Miami City Commission approved traffic calming devices last week to slow traffic on seven streets in the South Grove, and on Elizabeth Street near Bird Avenue, where neighbors have been complaining for years (read more: What About Us?).
In the South Grove, the city is asking the county to waive concurrence (the approval of affected property owners) for traffic calming installations on Crawford Avenue, Poinciana Avenue, El Prado Boulevard, Malaga Avenue, Barbarossa Avenue, Woodridge Road, and Battersea Road. See a map of the proposed locations here.
“Although the City is adopting this resolution after a public hearing in lieu of concurrence, it is the intent of the City, to the best of its ability, to seek concurrence from the residential property owners whose frontage directly abuts the proposed traffic calming devices,” the city’s Public Works department said in a memo.
In other action last week, the City Commission:
- Voted to establish the Miami Tree Ordinance Advisory Committee with 10 members to gather public input and make recommendations regarding possible changes to the city’s tree protection policies. Miami District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo has signaled his intention to appoint Grove arborist Ian Wogan and Chris Baraloto from the International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong as the committee’s District 2 representatives.
- Agreed to ask voters to shift the city’s election calendar to even-numbered years, beginning in 2034, to boost voter turnout. The August ballot proposal would accomplish the shift by subtracting a year in office for city officials elected in 2031 and 2033. After that, city officials would again serve four-year terms (read more: Pardo Drops Bonus Year). The proposal passed 3-to-2 with Commissioners Christine King and Miguel Gabela voting no. Voters will have the final say on Aug. 18.
— Deferred a decision on a proposed $450-million bond program to repair and replace the city’s aging public safety buildings. Mayor Eileen Higgins urged the commission to act, but commissioners voted 4-to-1 to defer the item, saying the cake wasn’t baked. It was the second deferral in less than a month (read more: Miami Delays Votes on $450-Million Bond Proposal). Members of the public were skeptical last week as well. “This is the wrong plan at the wrong time,” said filmmaker Billy Corben, a persistent critic of Miami’s political leadership. The item was deferred to May 28.
