Coming Soon

Vol. 4, No. 4 4 December 2022

TREE LIGHTING

The traditional tree lighting ceremony will be held on Friday, December 9th, starting at 6:30 pm at the corner of 59th Place and 64th Street. I have attended for several years and have very much enjoyed this tradition.

COMMIMSSION MEETING, DECEMBER 6

Ihope that everyone knows how to access the City's Commission agenda and the back up materials. The agenda and backup materials are at:

https://southmiamifl.gov/102/Agendas-Minutes

The Mayor has sponsored more than half the items on Tuesday's agenda: 8 of 15. It is comforting to know that he has worked to become knowledgeable about issues that have been in progress for sometime.

I have concerns about several of them:

#9 It is proposed that work on the new Police Station and Emergency Operation Center be halted in favor of the possibility of erecting housing on that site. Certainly, the City Manager has been active in finding grants to complete the Police Station. There are many good reasons why the location would be much better than the current South Miami Police Station. At the same time, there is a need for affordable housing at all income levels. And that location would be an excellent spot for people who could use public transportation or walk to their workplaces.

My question is: why does it have to be either/or? Why not build housing units above the Police Station? Why not put parking between the station and the residences - like the plans for the Winn-Dixie property? Though the property is owned by the City, the structure could be divided like the garage.

#10 Even without disclosing the additional cost of running FreeBee to locations outside of the City limits, the proposal to increase the range of FreeBee is pre-mature. Until the Winn-Dixie is closed, there is no need to transport South Miami residents to food stores outside of the boundaries. Why diminish Winn-Dixie's customer base, why take away customers from South Miami's Hometown before there is a legitimate need? Actually, I have seen FreeBee drop people off at the CVS in the unincorporated Dace-County location. Even if the drivers were not allowed to drive north bound on Red Road (and as far as I have seen, they do so), people can walk across Red Road when they are dropped off in front of Lanes.

I will be really surprised if the money-conscious Group II Commissioner will support such an unnecessary expense at this time.

I hope that one of the Commissioners will propose an amendment to have this added service postponed until Winn-Dixie closes.

#11 The Commission is being asked to approve an unnamed City Manager and his/her contract for 8 months and 9 days. There is no provision for renewing the contract automatically. The problem with short-term contracts is it creates more work for the Commission and the City Manager toward the end of his/her term. I do not believe that the worry about position termination and search for another position is conducive to strong dedication. At any time, if the current Commission does not like the work that the City Manager is doing, it should work with that person toward improvement or toward termination.

Why not give the person a contract that, at least, will carry him/her beyond the next election? In November 2024, the possibility of three new Commission members and a relatively new Manager is not a good prognostic for continuity and stability of City management.

#14 The new board being proposed by the Mayor may be a very good idea - sort of a Chamber of Commerce. I hope some merchants will be appointed.

What I don't understand is why a quorum would be only 4 out of nine voting members. That sort of quorum could be stuck - evenly divided - and business would not go forward. I think a forum of 5 makes more sense.

This is (d) Duties (5): "Review special event applications in the Hometown area and approve or reject such applications." I wonder: what, exactly, does this duty entail? Does this board have the power to approved waivers of fees? To approve events that will close streets and require Police presence? To waive requirements? It would seem to me, especially since this may mean decisions about City funds, that this Board should review and make recommendations to the Commission in the same way that the Planning and Zoning Board does.

TWITTER TOTTER

"Elon Musk is providing the world a glimpse of what wholly unregulated speech, amplified ten thousandfold through digital media, actually entails: the mustering of the same ancient hatreds, prejudices and biases that have plagued humanity for the past two millennia. It is not pleasant to watch, but it is entirely predictable." Click here to read the rest of the article from which this quote was taken. One more selection that summarizes what I find so awful is: "... this phenomenon affects all communities routinely marginalized and attacked — gays, transgender people, Blacks and religious minorities -- ... all at tremendous risk — [including] the resurgence of a virulent antisemitism ... ."

I have asked a couple of the Commission members to sponsor a resolution that I did not have time to bring to the Commission. The resolution (which is here) instructs the City Manager to close the South Miami Twitter account. One of the members believes that requiring respectful, truthful communication is too restrictive of free speech; the other does not want to offend anyone who is his supporter. This man believes that the Twitter management will change its policy.

I have asked them to sponsor this resolution, because I think the more there is active protest, the sooner this uncensored insulting, hate speech, and lying will be condemned. I do believe that people have a right (and a duty) to express their opinions. I do not believe that they have a right to hurt others by the way in which they express these opinions. I believe that the increasing presence of hate speech in our country supports the ad hominem remarks by a Commissioner while on the dais and allowed another of the current Commissioners to slander an opposing candidate without any negative consequences.

Such behavior and such tolerance does not inspire pride in the City and residents of South Miami. It does not support the ideal of pleasant living. It is ugly and divisive.

When/IF the Twitter posting policy again requires decency and diplomacy, then, if it so desired, the City of South Miami could again open an account.

If you can find a Commissioner with enough courage and strong enough values to bring this resolution forward, please let me know. I believe that there are many in South Miami who would support the City's cutting all its ties to Twitter.

Keep healthy; stay safe.