|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
For the City of Coral Gables 2022 was a year of achievement and innovation in the areas of public safety, sustainability, transparency, customer service, and quality of life.
Additionally, the Central Business District continues its strong rebound. In 2022, more than 5.7 million pedestrians visited Miracle Mile marking a 62 percent increase from 2021.
“Our city continued to provide services that enhance the quality of life for our residents, businesses and visitors,” said city manager Peter J. Iglesias. “We look forward to continuing to provide top-of- the-line innovative services in 2023 with projects coming online such as the new mobile app, the Minorca Parking Garage and the start of undergrounding utility lines.”
Some of the 2022 notable achievements include:
Public Safety
• Implemented a piloted drone technology enhancing the Police Department’s ability to protect and respond during emergencies and/or large-scale events.
• Began planning to add a new police unit dedicated to patrolling Downtown Coral Gables, expanding the city’s presence in the Central Business District.
• Named the Fire Department as one of the Top Five Emergency Medical Services agencies with the highest Patient Satisfaction and Engagement.
• Implemented the Lifenet program in all rescue vehicles which can better assist heart attack victims by providing critical patient information to hospitals prior to arrival.
• Began using Everbridge, a text emergency notification system, to alert residents about possible life safety issues.
• Premiered new Mobile Command Center providing satellite capabilities for emergencies and/or special events.
• Installed new security cameras and traffic sensors at four key intersections.
Transparency and Accountability
• Continued as one of only three cities in the State of Florida with a Triple-A (AAA) bond rating from the three primary bond rating agencies: S&P Global, Moody’s, and Fitch. This is the highest rating that bond agencies award to an investment that is considered to have a low risk of default.
• Maintained the second lowest millage rate of any full-service city in Miami-Dade County.
• Secured $2.525 million in funding for city project from the State of Florida, the largest allocation in the city’s 97-year history.
• Instituted open data dashboards providing easily accessible information on services and traffic.
Customer Service
• Launched a new state-of-the-art website offering an updated look, greater ease of use, and improved search and navigation capabilities.
• Opened the Development Services Center at 427 Biltmore Way. This facility serves as a one-stop shop for all permitting, code enforcement, planning, and zoning needs providing a streamlined permitting process. Transitioned the Building Department to on-line permitting and digital plan reviews.
• Expanded hours of trolley operations from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, added QR code signage at trolley stops providing real time information for customers and upgraded three surface parking lots.
Quality of Life
• Installed15 traffic calming devices and 56 ADA-detectable warning mats, replaced more than 2.5 miles of sidewalks and pedestrian ramps, milled, and resurfaced nearly four lane miles of roadways, and planted 60 trees to increase tree canopy.
• Continued to advanced LED street light conversions increasing visibility, reducing glare, and improving overall safety.
• Began operating the historic Coral Gables Golf & Country Club.
• Inaugurated two new neighborhood parks: Maggiore Park and Lamar Louise Curry Park, and renovated Pierce Park.
Sustainability
• Received LEED for Cities Gold certification, the world’s most widely used green building rating system and was recognized for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions to improve sustainability.
• Earned the Keep Florida Beautiful 2022 Outstanding Project Award for a mangrove cultivation project, in partnership with the Coral Gables Garden Club.
• Hosted the city’s first Business Recycling Drive-Thru event.
• Installed the first reverse vending machine at the War Memorial Youth Center to encourage recycling of plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
• Continued to upgrade wastewater system replacing some 4,600 feet of 20-inch sanitary sewer force main pipes reducing filtration.
Innovation
• Started expansion of public Wi-Fi and fiber optics.
• Named 2022 Smart City by the Institute of Electrical Electronics Engineers and the Smart Cities.
Council.
ABOUT US:
For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area. Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts about the community, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered.
