FYI Miami: August 26, 2021

Below are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here.

NEW CITY IN COUNTY?: A resolution calling for a special election  Nov. 2 to ask voters in the Biscayne Gardens area of unincorporated Miami-Dade if they want the county commission to create a municipality there is to be presented at the Sept. 1 commission meeting. Boundaries for the proposed municipality are Northwest 167th Street to the north, Northeast 18th Avenue to the east, Northwest 128th Street to the south and Northwest 17th Avenue to the west. The resolution proposes the designation of water and sewer pump stations, the Golden Glades Multi-Modal Facility and Golden Glades Trash and Recycling Center as being of countywide significance, meaning the county would retain regulatory control over them, as established by a 2005 ordinance requiring charters of new municipalities to contain such a provision as a condition for their incorporation.

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT COUNT: There is no count. Miami-Dade County Public Schools has not released yet a first-day count of students enrolled. Jaquelyn Calzadilla, executive director of external communications, told Miami Today via email that as of October 2020 “we have approximately 334,400 students.” Statistics from the schools show that from 2018-2019 to 2019-2020 the county saw a decrease of 2,971 students. Only when numbers are released will the public know enrollment changes. Broward County already made public its first-day count; Palm Beach County has a February enrollment report.

MEDICAL EXAMINER: Kenneth D. Hutchins M.D. was just appointed interim director of the medical examiner’s office by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, starting Sept. 1. After 30 years of service, Dr. Emma Lew is retiring from leading the department. Dr. Hutchins joined the department in 2001 and was promoted to deputy chief medical examiner in 2020. His most recent work includes support during the pandemic and the Surfside building collapse. The Medical Examiner Department becomes the third in the county with a provisional director. The Aviation Department has had Ralph Cutié as interim director since June, and Animal Services has had Lorna Mejia in the interim position since May.

NO BEACH JOBS FUNDING: Miami Beach city officials have decided to not go further with a capital investment grant program to help the city attract non-tourism businesses that was proposed at a Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee in late January. The program would have incentivized businesses by granting them up to $250,000 if they had at least 10 jobs paying 120% of the county’s average wage. City spokesperson Melissa Berthier said, “we may look at this option in the future, but we went in another direction.”