With little fanfare, Edward Silva was appointed Village Manager on June 1, filling the position vacated by the retiring Ron Williams. Mr. Silva received a unanimous vote by the Palmetto Bay Village Council. He had been serving as Interim Village Manager since April 1, when he was appointed to that job by the Mayor and Council. Silva had previously been the village’s Director of Building & Capital Projects and will continue to serve in that capacity until a successor is named, but Leo Llanos will serve as the Interim Building Official due to statutory requirements. We congratulate Mr. Silva, and we are sure that his years of experience with the village will serve him and the residents well. He can be contacted by email at esilva@palmettobay-fl.gov or by calling Village Hall at 305-259- 1234.
Training program… We hear from Village Communications Director Bill Kress that Larissa Siegel Lara, in her first term as a Village of Palmetto Bay Councilmember, has been accepted to the Leaders of Excellence program, a prestigious certificate course specifically designed for early-career elected officials. The unique program is offered through former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson’s Good Government Initiative (GGI) at the University of Miami. Lara is one of a select group of local public officials comprising Leaders of Excellence Class V. The hands-on course includes 60 hours of training, focusing on topics such as: ethics, budget and finance, land use, media relations, economic development, and working with constituents.
“I anticipate bringing back specific actions that can be taken to make municipal government more effective and responsive, in critical areas such as financial controls, safety and public works,” said Councilmember Siegel Lara. “I became aware of the program through recommendations by several elected officials, from Palmetto Bay and surrounding municipalities. I think it’s a fantastic opportunity to meet and learn from experienced leaders.”
Leaders from Pinecrest, Lauderdaleby- the-Sea, Miami Springs, Miami Shores, Aventura and other cities, as well as School Board members are participating. Classes commence in late August.
Storm warning… Mayor Eugene Flinn and Councilmember Karyn Cunningham hosted a hurricane preparation presentation at Village Hall on June 15. Robert Molleda, who is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service spoke about seasonal predictions, NWS info and services during a storm, and awareness tips. A selection of brochures and fact sheets were made available by the village’s Public Works Department. Turnout for the meeting, which had a lot of work put into it, was surprisingly light. Possibly the fact that it’s been 23 years since Hurricane Andrew and 10 years since Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma has caused some residents to grow complacent about storms, but all would do well to remember how much damage and inconvenience they can cause.
For those who missed the presentation, a video of the meeting is available for viewing on the village’s website, www.palmettobay-fl.gov/ in the video archives.
Thought of the Day:
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
— Oscar Wilde
Gary Alan Ruse contributed to this column.
Got any tips? Contact me at 305-669- 7355, ext. 249, or send emails to Michael@communitynewspapers.com.
