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JULY 21 - 27, 2009
Community Council 12 $301 million BRT line protests staff cutbacks proposed for Kendall BY RICHARD YAGER special meeting to draft a resolution protesting Planning and Zoning staff cutbacks will be scheduled by East Kendall’s Community Council 12, following release of mayor’s county budget proposal designed to cover a $427 million shortfall within a $7.8 billion budget for the fiscal year 2009-10. The action came eight hours after release of Mayor Carlos Alvarez’s budget recommendation to the media and public at noon on July 15. The budget for the year which runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2010 proposes 5 percent across-the-board county employee pay cuts and elimination of positions. “As I read it, the mayor’s proposed budget will be devastating for operation of community councils,” said council chair Elliot N. Zack, speaking at the beginning of the council’s July 15 session. “It would eliminate staffing of council meetings, meaning no agendas, recording of minutes, followup reports and all other responsibilities now handled by the Planning and Zoning Department staff,” he added. “This is incredible,” declared former chair Carla Ascensio-Savola who has fought for council recognition during a four-year term that will end in January following her decision to run for state office in 2010. “Some of our county commissioners simply do not want the councils to operate.” Council member Ileana Vazquez said,
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PROTESTS, page 4
Youngsters learn about importance of recycling The Miami-Dade Department of Solid Waste Management and MiamiDade Parks recently joined forces to teach 130 summer campers about the importance of recycling and proper waste management. The event was part of Miami-Dade Parks’ “Fit to Play, Green it Up” summer camps program, designed to teach children about the health benefits of going green. Pictured is Gayle Love of the Miami-Dade Department of Solid Waste Management explaining the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling to a group of summer campers at Continental Park.
iami-Dade County set a new record in June, reaching the largest monthly total tonnage for recycling since the county started curbside recycling 19 years ago. “We looked back all the way to May 1990 and found that this past June our curbside recycling program collected more recyclable materials than any other month
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$301 million Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line extending from Miami International Airport to SW 152nd Street near Miami Metrozoo has been proposed by a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) consultant to help solve Kendall’s commuting issues and traffic overloads. Details were part of a 32-slide presentation made by Fred Silverman of Parsons Engineering Consultants of Miami and Wilson Fernandez, MPO strategic planner, to East Kendall Community Council 12 on July 15. The plan proposes conversion of an existing freight line corridor over an approximate 12-mile right of way to combine a BRT system that could accommodate linear parks with bike paths and pedestrian walkways.
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June a record month for recycling in county BY ROBERT HAMILTON
BY RICHARD YAGER
before,” said Solid Waste director Kathleen Woods-Richardson. “We recovered 5,556 tons of recyclables in June 2009, a new record for Miami-Dade County.” The record comes as Miami-Dade County completes the first full year of its new single-stream curbside recycling program, where residents place all recy-
BRT LINE, page 4
KENDALL DEALS << FOR SALE BY: HOMEXPERTS 305.351.8628
33156 2/2 – 998 sq-ft.
$129,900 33% below value
FOR RENT>>
33156 3/2 – 2,474 sq-ft.
$2,800/mo Annual Rent is 7% of Estimated Value
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RECYCLING, page 4
Based on Info from SEFML as of 7-14-09. Details and more undervalued homes at:
www.communitynewspapers.com