Miami Commission Slaps Residents With New Rules

Miami FL

18 March, 2021

8:07 AM

Description

By Johania Charles, the Miami Times Mar 16, 2021 Residents can no longer utilize the live call-in option available to them during Miami City Commission meetings. The City of Miami is scrambling to implement a socially-distanced way for people to voice their concerns during public comment, in lieu of calling in from the comfort and safety of their home after a recent motion passed by the commission. Last meeting, District 1 Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla (DLP) suggested that the board eliminate the choice after an angry caller said she was "frankly disgusted" by how DLP and Joe Carollo handled Silver Bluff's road closures. The comments were made after public comment was reopened for discussion on nonagenda items. The alleged resident's outrage sparked controversy inside City Hall and opinions were exchanged to assess whether the comments were appropriate under free speech. DLP and Carollo's immediate reactions were to restore order by urging the other commissioners to vote on a motion to remove call-ins for public comments. It passed 3 - 1 with Vice-Chairman Ken Russell strongly opposed. District 5 Commissioner Jeffrey Watson followed the meeting virtually, according to his office, but did not vote on the matter. He had just been released from the hospital three days prior. "Let's put a stop to it," DLP pressed on during the meeting after confirming with the city attorney that there was no legal obligation to allow call-ins. He also commanded Russell to exercise his power as acting chair and reproached him for allowing the call. "The tough part about being chairman is maintaining that balance," explained Russell to The Miami Times. "I would rather have them say something they shouldn't than for them not to be allowed to say what they have the right to with free speech. I tend to err on the side of the residents but I can bring it back to the professional setting when required." At the start of the pandemic, the commission voted to create a telephonic option for public comment enforced last April to alleviate fears of coronavirus exposure. Prior to that, individuals interested in sharing their views on topics on the agenda were required to show up in person during past meetings. Without the call-in option, residents are left with few options to participate in public comment. A walk-up system will allow residents to visit Miami City Hall, located at 3500 Pan American Dr, Miami, FL 33133, to speak to the commission in-person, but they must be there before 9 a.m. A laptop setup with a live shot of the meeting will be made available and from there people can address the commissioners via Zoom. Other options include submitting an online comment form available at miamigov.com to be given to commissioners during the meeting. Videos within a two minute time frame can also be submitted through the site for showing. "Our job as commissioners is to answer to our residents and not the other way around. We work for them and need to make ourselves available," Russell told The Miami Times. A major concern he expressed during the vote was that nearly 1,000 total employees tested positive for the coronavirus at some point since the pandemic. That number coupled with variants permeating the state discouraged many residents from coming down in-person to discuss matters relevant to their district. "Just keep in mind that we have two commissioners with no masks on right now and we have one commissioner who's too sick to even be here because of a COVID-19 infection," he said last Thursday. "We are getting complacent while there is still a pandemic out there...I'm just trying to keep it safe as possible." Commissioners are required by law to be physically present for meetings despite the pandemic. "The expectation is that they need to be there physically. The exception is a medical condition or illness in which case it would be permissible to participate online via Zoom" said city clerk Todd Hannon. "I'm okay with the telephonic comment even without the pandemic because a lot of people don't have time to come down," added Russell. "Yes they can write an email, but it's not always as effective. I intend to respect their legal and moral right to address us on any item we vote on but unfortunately, just not over the phone." The Miami Times is the largest Black-owned newspaper in the south serving Miami's Black community since 1923. The award-winning weekly is frequently recognized as the best Black newspaper in the country by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.