Doral Residents ask for the return of law

Photograph of Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez

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Reprinted with permission by Doral Times

Juan Carlos Bermúdez assumed one more time the Mayor’s Office in the City of Doral, aware that he has a great challenge ahead: to demonstrate leadership and to include the neighbors in the process of returning to the values with which the city was founded. Optimistic, but with his feet on the ground, this new period begins.

Most definitely, nostalgia prevailed for those early days in which Doral became a city and quickly began to receive all kinds of recognitions. This was how a large majority voted for the return of Juan Carlos Bermudez, to the position he himself helped to sketch and launched.

He says the decision to run again was not easy. He received almost a thousand letters asking him to think about it, but in the end, he considered it more as a resident than as the founding Mayor. “The biggest investment for us as a family is our home that has been here in Doral for almost 20 years. My family has grown up here, my daughters have grown up here, “he explained. He added that, like many neighbors, he saw many things that worried him and he felt the change that took the city away from the values that founded it.

But before we get into the problems and the plans, we wanted to know, in perspective, how we see now what was done a little more than 10 years ago: “At that time a lot of good things were done, but I think the most important thing was, when compared to the cities that were incorporated at that time or a little earlier, that we were a city that focused on quality of life, order, inclusion and diversity. For example, the 4,000 trees that were planted in the first 3 or 4 years and that gave us Tree City USA recognition, becoming the youngest city to obtain it, or the Downtown Doral that was approved in that period, although it is nowadays when we begin to see it.” Those who were here surely remember that this was a discussion, a debate even on how the sidewalks would look like, in the year 2005, 2006. He also recalls that it was them, in the fourth or fifth year of office, who began to broadcast the meetings live on television to maintain the transparency of management. In the same way, he acknowledges that the fact that everything was yet to be done favored them, therefore everything was an advantage and there were not many problems.

About the things that went wrong, he thinks it was not easy to go from being an activist to being an elected official and that political differences sometimes led to unnecessary confrontations, “but that happens everywhere,” he added.

How Do You Find the City Now? How Has It Progressed?

I still do not know exactly where we are, because I’m still going through each department, taking notes, checking documents. There are more employees and you must check if all are necessary, maybe they are, the important thing is effectiveness.

I have spoken for example with the head of the police, because it is not a secret that we must have order and more presence again, which was what most of the people I talked to in the 3 thousand houses that I knocked on and at the 20 meetings I had with residents asked for. It’s not just about having more police in the streets, but also about getting neighbors involved in having a cleaner city, following the rules, respecting the parking lots, not using the handicap spaces and not throwing trash in the streets, because keeping the city beautiful is everybody’s job and if rules are not followed, there will be consequences.

020617-doral_residents_ask-photo-2What the Voters Asked For
Law and Order

Mayor, one of the problems that the neighbors refer more is the fast change due to the influx of new residents. When you come to a place and you are a minority, you make mistakes but you learn quickly. However, when there are too many at a time and there is no one to say “welcome, but you cannot do that here” problems begin.

“When I talk about changing the culture I mean that, because this is a diverse community and it does not have to do with whether you are Venezuelan, Cuban, French, or German … I mean to rescue community values, to educate. Before we worked together with schools and the police, and it is necessary to do that again and if people still do not follow the rules, we must stand firm.

However, a change of culture also means the participation of the community, knowing that you can be part of the solution with something as simple as not throwing papers on the floor, or getting in the checkout lanes limited to 10 items or less when you have 20.  I believe, and maybe I’m being very optimistic, that most people want to follow those rules.

That also includes City employees. When you work in the City, you are not only representing a Mayor or Councilmembers, but you are also representing all those who live there, so you must be very respectful if you must deal with a person whose opinion you disagree with. For example, police cars previously had cameras, and it is necessary to reconsider this because it is a great tool for me to know if the officer treats you appropriately or if you disrespect him.

We know that the families, churches and cultures of the countries, change with the leaderships. That is why I ran for Mayor again, because we need to return to our values. Not to mine, but to those with which we founded the city. Otherwise, what will happen is that properties will lose value, as well as the main reason why this city is attractive.

We cannot change things overnight, but we must start doing it.

Traffic

This is the most conflicting issue and I will start by saying that I will not solve the traffic problem. I said it during the campaign and I repeat it now, as all South Florida has this problem because we are reaching a point where we have a high population density. Furthermore, in the case of Doral we have golf courses and closed communities that limit the number of streets, as well as the 826 and Turnpike that bring more people crossing from one side to the other. However, there are four things we can do:

1. We need a permanent seat in the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), which is where funds are given for the development of projects that are proposed. Coral Gables and Doral already have more than 50,000 residents and we do not have a permanent seat. Unfortunately, it is based on the census, and this will not be done until 2020, but I think there are ways to have more impact, I talked to the head of the MPO governmental committee, a Doral officer, and I think we have the possibility to have a seat that even if it has no vote, we could be heard, until the census is repeated in 2020 and we have the official number. That is a step forward, because it gives us the opportunity to be there with the 13 commissioners, the Governor’s emissary and with the other cities.

2. We need to have better contact with other governments when projects are being done. For example, the case of 74th St. that has been two years under construction and it depends partially on the county and partially on the state. I’m going to sit with them and find out until how long they will continue to work on it.   Leadership is essential, we must communicate well with other governments, speak to them clearly and tell them that there are responsibilities and obligations that must be respected, as this cannot happen again.

3. We must work with the congressman at the federal level. Mario Díaz Balart is Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development that handles investments in infrastructure. We must have an open, constant and effective communication, someone who can communicate well at national, state and local levels with leaders, not only with elected officials but also with those who make decisions. Part of that is working with the county and establishing relationships. I also must represent you and myself before the governor or the Transportation Director. When I request that meeting to talk about 74th street, if I am not well prepared as the head, leader, and cannot explain in a clear, consistent and respectful way, I cannot get where I want to.

4. There is a traffic committee and there are very talented people in Doral. I am going to revitalize that committee and possibly appoint a task force to be creative in some of these things. There are traffic engineers who live here, who suffer the problem daily and who we can incorporate to the committee.

But I could give you a better idea once I meet with the Public Works Department, because I still have a lot of questions. For example, there are jobs that depend on the city, such as the 52nd street in front of John I. Smith, and I do not understand why it begun a week before starting classes when there is a full summer to do it. And now we are paying the consequences because the work on 102nd is finalizing and it should have been completed long ago.


And Resident Participation?

Once again, the role of the community is very important. It is necessary to change the culture of the residents for them to respect the rules.

What has happened to the prohibition of movement of trucks at certain times on the main avenues?

That will come back. Time restrictions for trucks return.

The Construction

We understand that cities grow and there comes a time when they start to expand upwards.  Are we going to keep seeing this increase?

There are things that are currently in progress that cannot be stopped, and others that are on the way that should not be stopped either, but can be changed a little. My emphasis has always been that higher population densities should be east of 87th, in the Downtown area. I think that when those projects of high population density west of 87th were allowed, the issue got complicated. There are rights of some properties west of 87th that must be respected. We must pass ordinances that say that if there is going to be a construction that will impact the traffic, it is necessary to make the required arrangements to improve, limit, or control transit.

In that sense, Bermúdez explains that these changes will be delayed, and assures that he cannot change in two days what in four years has been lost. “This is not only Juan Carlos Bermúdez, the four councilmembers, nor the administrator. We must work together. “

020617-doral_residents_ask-photo-1How is the Financial Health?

It remains to be reviewed in depth. After we analyze the budget, we will see where we are. We have good projects to do but they cost money. If we want to do some of these things we must look for the funds, because you cannot build a beautiful park and keep it for 15 or 20 years if we do not have the funds, since everything costs and it is not only a question of building it but also maintaining it. We have one of Miami-Dade’s lowest burdens, but the time comes when these services we want to provide cost money. And it’s not about allowing more buildings to get more funds. Decisions cannot be made in the short term, but in the medium and long term.

The Best and Worst of Doral

We always ask residents what they consider the best and worst in Doral. What do you think?

The best thing about Doral is its location, close to the airport in the heart of Miami-Dade, with a diverse community and resources that if used correctly to maintain the quality of life, can be an example for the rest of the County of Miami-Dade.

The worst thing is that we are very diverse. That is our strength, but also since we have so many residents from different places, many new ones, we must make sure that they understand that they are part of the solution and help us create the culture of being a model city of many nationalities. Another of our negative points is the traffic, because we cannot change it. We are in the heart of Miami-Dade, and that’s why we have so many businesses and so many people can live and work here, which is why we have 100 thousand people passing from one side to the other from Monday to Friday at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. But nothing is perfect in life.


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1 COMMENT

  1. I believe it was a GREAT decision by Mr.Juan Carlos Bermudez to once again run for the Mayors seat and even not being a resident of Doral I’m confident he will continue to make the City a great place to grow and prosper as has been his vision from the beginning.

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