FYI Miami: February 27, 2025

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.

BLACK MUSEUM QUEST: Miami-Dade’s lobbyists are being instructed to push once again in this year’s legislative session to select Opa-Locka as official site of a Florida Museum of Black History. Commissioners approved the effort unanimously last week at the request of Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III, who sought to reaffirm Miami-Dade’s support for Opa-Locka. Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins asked Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to find $250,000 to support the site there. Miami Today previously reported that after a state task force last year called for putting the museum in St. Johns County, Sen. Tom Leek of Ormond Beach filed a bill in January to move that site forward. His bill would create a museum board of directors, which would work with the Foundation for the Museum of Black History Inc., a non-profit, to help create the museum.

METHANE STUDY FOR LANDFILLS: Miami-Dade County is seeking a detailed look at options to extract methane gas from existing and future landfills. Commissioners approved the measure last week without discussion. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is to report in 90 days not only on methane in county landfills but on other landfill facilities and projects in the state. A detailed report is to pinpoint permitting time and agencies involved in accomplishing the project, the capital costs, the costs of operations and maintenance, and the increased costs the county would charge per ton for solid waste processing for municipalities and the county’s unincorporated municipal service area.  

LOOPING THE LOOP: Finetuned recycling for just Miami International Airport and PortMiami is launching after county commission approval last week. “At the end of the day we will control what goes into the site,” Roy Coley, chief county utilities and regulatory services officer, told a committee. “Therefore, what comes out of the site could be more responsible and compostable.” The legislation calls on Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to develop the closed loop recycling for the ports, investigate more cost-effective recycling, seek added markets for recycled materials that could be cost effective, find sources to pay to build and run closed loop recycling, look for grants, and see if the plan fits into the current county recycling contract.

GAS PRICES UP: Average gasoline prices in Miami rose 4.3 cents per gallon last week to $3.05, according to GasBuddy. Prices are 12.3 cents lower than a month ago and 31.8 cents lower than a year ago. The national average fell 3.8 cents in the week to $3.08, down 4.4 cents from a month ago.