It was a good thing that Dildie went to the Antique Show at the convention center before visiting the brew masters at the Beer Festival
on the beach across from Lummus Park. Talk about your tipsy Cynical Young Woman!
But of course, the real fun stuff for the frisky gal is still up on the third floor at city hall, where another kind of tipsy-do is always in play. That’s just how
it was at last week’s Miami Beach City Commission meeting, a cablecast adventure that Dildie did truly enjoy from her home office on West Avenue. And so, this is what
the Cynical Young Woman said your elected seven did and didn’t do at its most recent coming together.
*The commission overturned City Manager Jorge Gonzalez’s recommendation to terminate the agreement with Jasco for
construction manager at risk services for the construction of water storage tanks for Fire Station Number Two. The commission then voted 5-2 (Saul Gross and Jose Smith
dissenting) to direct the manager to try and renegotiate a better contract with Jasco, one with stronger safeguards for the city.
*The commission unanimously approved a lease agreement to Fort Lauderdale Harley Davidson Inc. for the lease of fourteen Harley
Davidson police motorcycles.
*Ignoring a bid protest by the second lowest bidder, the commission unanimously approved the awarding of a contract to Cazo Construction
Corp. in the amount of $3,358,000 for ADA renovations at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
*The commission approved on second reading all three ordinances relating to campaign finance reform.
On a 5-2 vote (Luis Garcia and Jose Smith dissenting) campaign contributions by lobbyists on procurement issues are now prohibited. On a 6-1 vote (Luis
Garcia dissenting) campaign contributions by real estate developers are now prohibited. On a 6-1 vote (Luis Garcia dissenting) campaign contributions by
lobbyists on real estate development issues are now prohibited.
*The commission unanimously approved a resolution consenting to the appointment of Donna Shaw as director of tourism and cultural development
*City Manager Jorge Gonzalez’s statement to the press that he would have the votes on the commission at this meeting to approve the Baylink
train from Miami into Miami Beach didn’t quite pan out. It looks like the manager still has at least one member of the commission to convince on this
$400 million plus project. The next shot for the manager and the Baylink proponents will be in March. One of the pro-train commissioners, Simon Cruz, suggested a
trip to other cities to see how a similar system works. Matti Bower liked that idea, so Gonzalez offered to send them to two cities in California. The trip will
not be by train.
*In a reversal of fortune, the commission, however, did vote 6-1 (Richard Steinberg dissenting) in favor of a resolution declaring its
intent to spend $1,611,555 from the proceeds of the transportation half penny sales tax for the Washington Avenue streetscape project.
*A discussion and status report regarding the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau’s possible move into a Miami Beach office building
did not fare well for GMCVB executive director Bill Talbert. Several commissioners chastised Talbert, saying they had felt misled and lied to about the office space
issue. Incoming chairman-elect of the GMCVB, Don Peebles, will now have to utilize all of his businessman’s skill and charm to regain the commission’s
confidence in the bureau.
*The commission unanimously approved a resolution creating the City of Miami Beach Ad Hoc Charter Review and Revision Board. Each
member of the commission will have a direct appointment. Mayor David Dermer appointed Steve Zack, who chaired the last charter review committee in 1993, and Matti Bower
appointed Victor Diaz.
And that’s just some of the things the Cynical Young Woman said that your elected seven did and didn’t do at last week’s most
collegial, spine tingling and elongated coming together.
