The Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce ended the year with guest speaker Mayor Manny Cid.
Cid shared the town’s accomplishments with 80 local business owners at the Miami Lakes Hotel on Main.
“This past year was a great year for our community,” Cid said during the luncheon on Dec. 14. “We broke ground on the largest infrastructure improvement project in our community’s history, that was the stormwater project, $33 million, about 28 different projects.”
Four of those projects are under construction and 12 others are in the design phase, Cid said.
Flooding is residents’ top concern, he said.
Other milestones for the year:
--Opening the Northwest 170th Street bridge that crosses Interstate 75 between Hialeah, Miami-Dade County and the town.
“I know that one was highly controversial, it kind of made me famous in parts of Hialeah,” Cid said. “People [in town] weren’t too happy with me but it’s OK.”
As far as anticipated traffic problems, he said, “With even the folks who were against opening 170th today acknowledged that it hasn’t had a negative impact on our community. The most important one was [the Northwest] 154[th Street bridge], we were able to keep that closed.”
--License plate reader technology, which can identify stolen cars that are often used by criminals. Cid called the program “incredibly successful.”
--The Northwest 59 Avenue bridge to Costco: Residents traveling from Miami Lakes Drive to businesses in the upper east side won’t have to drive on Northwest 57th Avenue. Money from the state allocated to the project was instead applied to hurricane relief. Cid said federal funding will enable it to be built.
--Sidewalk repair complaints are down, repairs are up.
--The proposed Miami Lakes Zip Code may go before Congress again.
--Optimist Park: The town is seeking funding sources to improve its largest green space after voters denied a municipal bond referendum.
--Cid said he is working with the county to lessen noise from flights at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.
--The town council approved projects planned by The Graham Companies: A Baptist Health emergency room; renovation of the golf course with a new restaurant and apartments, and a senior village. It will have a senior center that will be donated by the company.