Miami City Commission may get rare visit from Mayor Francis “VIP” Suarez

Miami City Commission may get rare visit from Mayor Francis “VIP” Suarez
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Controversial scooter program could be reconsidered

Will there be paparazzi?

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez may make a special rare appearance at the city commission meeting on Thursday, when he is personally involved in several items.

Ladra can’t imagine he wouldn’t be there to personally advocate for the establishment of the Miami Baywalk Greenway. The move would take the concrete boardwalk along Biscayne Bay and make it “park land,” a move many see as an assist to the Miami Freedom Park developers who have to invest in and return park space.

Even if Suarez has to take precious time away from his national spotlight tech tour, he is expected to be there. After all, Baby X needs four of the five commissioners to approve the Baywalk Greenway because he needs this to pass to get Commissioner Ken Russell‘s possible swing vote on the Freedom Park 99-year lease coming up later this month — if it’s not delayed again.

Suarez also needs four of five commissioners to approve mitigation of a code enforcement lien on a property at 3485 Northwest 17th Ave. for more than $670,000 — that’s $250 a day for the past seven years. Ladra wonders how much Suarez thinks is fair and why he is metiendose in this code enforcement issue when he didn’t bother to show up during the difficult redistricting process.

Read related: No veto for Miami’s new map as Mayor Francis Suarez bows out — again

Mayor Postalita did not return calls and texts to his phone.

Other items on the agenda include a reconsideration, again, on the controversial electric scooter program, which has had its share of ups and downs in the city. Late last year, the commission voted to suspend the program and ban electric scooters, which are mostly concentrated in the downtown and Brickell area.

But the ban only lasted a little more than a week before the program was reinstated with additional safety requirements.

Read related: Scooters are legal again on Miami streets and sidewalks, with more rules

Also on Thursday’s agenda:

  • Commissioner Manolo Reyes wants to give the city manager 90 days to present a written plan on the installment of lightning warning systems in all city parks. The plan should include environmental impact analysis, estimated costs, potential funding sources and timelines.
  • Commissioner Christine King wants the manager to negotiate and execute a four-year lease agreement with the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation to rent about 6,355 square feet of office space for a District 5 office at $9,532.50 a month, which comes out to $18 per square foot. Oh, and they can increase the rent 3% a year. The funds will come from King’s office budget.
  • City Attorney Victoria Mendez wants the commission to approve a $149,000 settlement with the mother of a boy who was mauled by a police dog in 2019. Saile Herrera sued the city after Maddox, the K9 partner of Officer Mario Urrutia, attacked her son Javier, who was then 9, as the boy rode his bicycle outside. The police officer was the Herrera’s neighbor.
  • Commissioner Joe Carollo wants to terminate the revocable license agreement with Event Entertainment Group, Inc., for the Ultra Music Festival at Bayfront Park. He also wants to authorize the Bayfront Park Management Trust’s executive director to negotiate and execute a revocable license agreement with EEG for Ultra, so the Trust manages the festival in the future. Carollo is chairman of the Bayfront Park Trust y esto no tiene buena cara.

Carollo also has a secret discussion item — just “a discussion item” — again. Or still. Because it’s the same undisclosed discussion item that was deferred from the last meeting.

It’s unknown if he really has anything to bring up or if he is just trying to create drama and intimidate someone.

The commission meeting begins at 9 a.m. Thursday at City Hall, 3900 Pan American Drive. It can also be viewed on the city’s website.

6 Responses to "Miami City Commission may get rare visit from Mayor Francis “VIP” Suarez"

  1. Wow. Why does Christine King need to further steal from taxpayers? 6,300+ sq ft? Why pay almost $10,000 per month? In the ghetto? WTF. Does King own the building?

  2. If I were Russell, I would join Reyes and vote the Melreese scam down… After all, Baby X did not do crap about the redistricting boondoggle.

  3. With all The Bribes Given To The Politicians From The NWO Companies and TNC’s Wonder WHY NOT The SCOOTERS to run Over Pedestrians and Violate “ALL” Traffic Laws on MDC. Others Politicians Have Done IT . ¿ Have you notice How Many NON Tax Payers We Have Operating and NOT Regulated in #OURCOUNTY ? Uber , Lyft , Alto , Go Connect , Spin , BrightLine , Sidecar ,+ All NON REVENEW PRODUCERS !

  4. “Ladra can’t imagine he wouldn’t be there to personally advocate for the establishment of the Miami Baywalk Greenway. The move would take the concrete boardwalk along Biscayne Bay and make it “park land,” a move many see as an assist to the Miami Freedom Park developers who have to invest in and return park space.” Well stated. This scam of calling a concrete walkway “parkland” is a step in the Demolish Melreese Park Scam. This step is meant to deceive and trick Ken Russell and other uneducated citizens.

  5. I looked up the dog attack and sadly not surprised one iota because it is the MDP with what I feel are third world standards or if you prefer lack of standards .

    ” On January 7, Saile Herrera says she was watching her three young children play on a dead-end road in front of the family’s home. Her 9-year-old son, Javier Jr., pedaled around outside on his bike.

    Eventually, Javier Jr. began biking closer to her neighbor’s home across the street — that of Miami Police Department K9 Officer Mario Urrutia. As her son got closer, Herrera says, she heard a commotion and saw a massive German Shepherd sprinting — unleashed and uncollared — from the house. In a lawsuit filed earlier this month in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, she says she watched in horror as the dog lunged at her son, knocked him from his bicycle, and sunk its teeth into Javier Jr.’s back.

    Her husband, Javier Sr., sprung into action. She says she watched as he ran over to the dog and tried to rip the canine’s head from their son to no avail. Maddox had locked onto the 9-year-old’s back. She says Javier Sr. eventually tried to wrap his entire arm around the dog’s neck and wrench Maddox away, but that still didn’t work. The child continued to scream in agony.

    “The struggle with K9 Maddox continued while Javier Jr. was panicked, screaming, and in severe pain as K9 Maddox’s jaws were locked on Javier Jr.’s lower back,” the suit alleges.

    Herrera says the dog remained in attack mode for a full five minutes. At that point, she says, Urrutia finally exited his house in his underwear and started shouting commands at the dog to no avail. Maddox kept biting. Urrutia then gave up shouting and instead just helped Javier Sr. wrench the dog away from the child.

    The two men succeeded in removing Maddox’s jaws from the boy’s flesh, but she says the dog kept its jaws locked on Javier Jr.’s clothing. She says the adults had no choice but to strip the boy’s clothing off in order to save him. According to Herrera, Urrutia told the family to run inside to safety because he couldn’t control the dog.

    “Javier Jr.’s two younger siblings had been screaming and waiting outside the home by the garage door, attempting to seek refuge,” the suit says. As Urrutia dragged Maddox into his home — and the dog kept Javier Jr.’s clothing in his teeth — the family left to take the boy to the hospital. While doctors treated Javier Jr., Herrera says, additional MPD officers arrived and spoke to the family.

    Herrera is now suing the City of Miami on her son’s behalf for negligence and infliction of emotional distress. Her lawyers did not respond to messages from New Times this week. But the court complaint accuses Urrutia and MPD of failing to properly train the dog or keep Maddox under correct supervision while living at Urrutia’s home.

    MPD did not respond to a request for comment and has not yet responded in court. As of this past July, Urrutia has been the subject of three citizen complaints since joining the force in 2013 and has been involved in six use-of-force incidents.

    The Herreras say their son was left permanently traumatized by the attack. The family says it has begged MPD to remove the dog from Urrutia’s home. But the Herreras say the police department told them the dog was staying — and that for several months, they lived next to the dog in fear that it might attack again.

    “Defendant’s employees indicated that ‘there was nothing they could do’ and refused to remove K9 Maddox from Ofc. Urrutia’s property,” the suit alleges.”

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