A summary of actions taken by the Miami Lakes Town Council during its January 13 regular meeting:
The Council voted to oppose an I-75 overpass leading onto N.W. 154 Street, which would add to the traffic gridlock during morning and afternoon rush hour, and make it difficult for residents to get their kids to school on time.
The town’s proposed resolution is in response to the city of Hialeah’s development plans for land west of I-75, which requires Miami-Dade County to open up N.W. 170 Street.
The roadway would cause traffic plights for residents living in Northwest Miami-Dade, including Miami Lakes and Palm Springs North, but placing an overpass onto Miami Lakes Drive would create a nightmare for motorists, council members said.
The town doesn’t have authority over N.W. 170 Street but Miami-Dade is mandated to open-up the roadway once Hialeah starts developing plans for residential, commercial and recreation use on the land which the city annexed in 2003.
"I would like to keep both roads locked but I was told about the development west of I-75 and 170 Street would be opening," said Councilmember Ceasar Mestre who sponsored the resolution. "Let's hope opening up 170 Street would be less disruptive as possible for Miami Lakes."
Mayor Wayne Slaton said he recalls years ago the county had planned to extend N.W. 170 Street from two lanes to four but rescinded the idea following protests from Miami Lakes and Palm Springs North residents.
"The county took it out of its MPO project," said Slaton. "We can reinforce the idea that an overpass shouldn't be open in the western parts of the county."
The resolution was scheduled to go before councilmembers at their February 3 meeting.
In other Town Council News:
• Councilmembers authorized Town Manager Alex Rey to award contracts to the YMCA of Greater Miami and Pear Programs for summer camp and after school programs.
The YMCA programs will be held at Royal Oaks Park and Pear Programs at Park East Youth Center.
The Royal Oaks Park location was selected as the location for the YMCA programs due to the facility’s larger recreation and field space which is needed to accommodate the variety of active and passive activities in their proposed program.
The YMCA offers programming to Miami Dade County Public Schools, Miami Dade County Parks and Recreation, and the City of Hialeah at a cost of $40/week to participants for After School Programming and $120/week to participants for the Summer Camp Programming, including a one-time $45 registration fee. The YMCA is offering the Town $160/month ($40/week) for After School Programming and $120/week per child for the basic Summer Camp Programming, with no registration fee.
The Town will see a sharp increase in fee sharing with the YMCA from the previous years. The Town currently collects $1 per participant per month from the YMCA; the new agreement will send 20 percent of the monthly gross receipts back to the Town.
PEAR was selected as the proposer to service the Park East Youth Center which is currently under construction. While PEAR’s rates are higher than those of the YMCA, the programming is quite different than those offered by the YMCA. Activities focus on core values, offering good character development and supporting physical, social, emotional, and mental development.
Activities will include: Wellness/nutrition/fitness activities, team training to allow opportunities for children to enhance leadership and communication skills, team building activities, performance play through dance and improvisation, art adventures and techniques, and academic assistance/enrichment/and homework help.
The After School Care, Spring Break, Winter Camp and Summer Camp proposals meet the needs of the Town by offering wellness based programs and placing an emphasis on the "whole person" to stimulate development in all areas.
PEAR will provide After School Care at $10/day and Summer Camp at $115-$150/week based on the number of weeks a participant registers for each program. The Town will receive a 30 percent fee share from PEAR.
• Councilmembers authorized the Town Manager to waive the competitive bidding process in accordance with Section 5.d. of the Town’s Procurement Ordinance 12-142 and award a contract to Metro Express, Inc. and DCorp Construction, Inc.
The scope of work includes asphalt, drainage, and concrete repairs, replacements and new installations for small tasks/projects. This includes, but is not limited to repair/replacement of potholes, sinkholes, or curbs, gutters and sidewalks. The work would also include the installation of new drainage or sidewalks, curbs and gutters on a small scale. The work will be performed on an as needed basis through the issuance of work orders that will typically not exceed $25,000.
• Councilmembers approved a Town of Miami Lakes Education Compact created by Mayor Wayne Slaton in coordination with Miami-Dade County School Board chair Perla Tabares Hantman and Miami-Dade Public Schools district staff. The compact will strive to meet the educational needs of the town's youth and enhance learning opportunities through student achievement, community involvement, facilities and communications.
• Councilmembers amended the budget for 2013-14 to carryover money that was allocated to fund projects in 2014 but were not completed. A portion of the carryover was allocated for park capital improvements along with funds for the Town’s marketing initiative; and to fund a performance bonus for Town employees and independent contractors. The proposed budget amendments total $467,400 which would leave a General Fund balance of $3.916 million.
• Councilmembers adopted the Town’s Dog Recreation Area Concept plan and authorized the Town Manager to secure design services for construction documents not to exceed $25,000. The concept was presented at two public meetings in December and received general support while discussions focused on future management and operation issues to include maintenance, rules and security. The current Capital Budget allocates $150,000 for the design and construction of the dog recreational area.