The resolution sounds harmless, even responsible. A little housekeeping. A little “good governance.” Just Miami-Dade County taking inventory of properties that are critical to operations but not actually owned by the county. You know, bridges, buildings, facilities, maybe a few strategically located parcels that keep the whole machine running.
Nothing to see here, folks.
Except, buried in the polite prose, are two magic words: eminent domain.
And between the lines there are shades of the Fisher Island fuel depot debacle last year, when the critical facility that stores the fuel for all the cargo and cruise ships docked at PortMiami — which is one of the county’s main economic drivers generating more than $60 billion of dollars in revenue — fell into private hands.
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Sponsored by Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins and co-sponsored by freshly minted Commissioner Vicki Lopez, this resolution isn’t really about making a list. It’s about making a target sheet. Who owns something the county needs? Who controls 
access? Who has leverage? And how fast can the county line up the paperwork to take control — by purchase or by force.
They want briefings to commissioners within 90 days. Closed-door updates. Quiet strategy sessions. A comprehensive analysis of every privately held asset the county relies on. Translation: find the pressure points.
To be fair, government does need to know where its vulnerabilities are. It would have been nice had the county been able to buy the fuel depot property itself, since it went for a bargain $180 million. That’s a big woulda, coulda, shoulda they are likely trying to avoid from happening again.
But Ladra also knows how this works. First comes the study. Then comes the declaration of “public necessity.” Then comes the offer. And if the offer isn’t accepted… well, the law has other options.
And the timing? Interesting. Commissioner Lopez, who was appointed to the seat vacated by Eileen Higgins (the new mayor of Miami) in November, has barely unpacked her office at County Hall and she’s already co-sponsoring a resolution that expands the county’s power to acquire property. Some politicians collect yard signs. Others collect leverage. Lopez has hit the ground running.
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And is there something else that sparked this interest now? Is there a private operator controlling another key transit, water, port, or utility asset? Or a long-term lease expiring soon? Or a politically inconvenient landlord with leverage over county operations?
Current negotiations between the county and the developer who last year bought the fuel depot wants to build luxury condos — 
which would leave the county without its critical fuel depot for the industry.
Uh oh. Commissioners were losing their minds over this last year. Oliver Gilbert was especially peeved and said the county needs to be ready to move on eminent domain right away. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the loss of the depot would put Miami at “an extreme competitive disadvantage.”
That was in October, when the commission voted to enter mediation with the developer, who purchased the property for $180 million. They likely want the county to give them much more, if they’re going to give up future profits. The mediation was supposed to end last month but has been extended. The current contract for fueling up at the Fisher Island facility is good for another two years or so. If an agreement is not reached, the county could forcibly buy the land for market value through eminent domain proceedings. Looking for another location does not seem like a feasible idea.
So, in short, when this comes up at Wednesday’s county commission meeting, don’t let the bureaucratic language lull you to sleep. This isn’t a paperwork exercise. It’s an insurance policy — with a map.
And once they draw the map, they’ll decide where to march.
The Miami-Dade County Commission meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. in commission chambers at County Hall, 111 NW First St., and can be seen on the county’s webcast. There is also a full agenda here.
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Eminent domain item at Miami-Dade could be result of fuel depot debacle added by Ladra on
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