No Can Do - The Downside of Positivity

Our village has fallen into the habit of "No Can Do".   No matter how badly the residents want something, no matter how often the commission instructs, no matter how obvious the need, our commission has come to accept "No can do" as a reasonable answer.   

Food Trucks - This wildly popular new trend came to North Bay Village last spring.  A local developer, Mr. Barbagallo, generously offered his property as a temporary place for the Food Trucks and the residents poured in.   In July, when Shuckers reopened, they reclaimed the space for their parking and according to the village manager, that was that.  No more food trucks for us.  Some suggestions were floated:  

• Persuade Shuckers to forego the additional parking one Wednesday per month, perhaps calling it "Food Trucks Presented By Shuckers".   No can do. 
• Open the village municipal lot for the Food Trucks one Wednesday per month.  No can do. 
• Seek another spot on the Causeway, say the Lexi Parking lot.  No can do.  

Rather than find a solution for this very popular event, the answer was "No can do."  

PAL - Four years ago, in September 2010,  the police chief summarily "suspended" the Police Athletic League over the strenuous objections of the parents.   For three years, the commission has directed the reinstatement of the program and funded it.  This year, there was not even a token attempt in the budget.  No explanation.  No can do.  

The Parking Problem - After a disastrous public meeting when the police chief could not even provide the base line statistics for the parking usage and demand, the subject was dropped.  No can do.  

Bay Front Access - The so called "Bay Walk" plan has been in place for nearly 10 years.  It calls for a single, unified walkway for the northern bayfront on Treasure Island.   It also calls for the waterfront condos to provide public access to the bay.  The largest condo, the 360, closed the access and the village response to demand for reopening is "No can do."   

Dog Park - The final "No can do" hasn't come down yet.   But if you read the article in today's Miami Herald (click here) you can see the groundwork being laid.  

• Putting any money at all in the budget to meet this demand?  Village manager Frank Rollason's response was "not one single thin dime."  No can do.  
• Working to get the right permissions if there is indeed a problem with the temporary space being offered.  Village manager Frank Rollason's response "“If he can legally have that there, God bless him.”.  No can do.  
• Using the municipal lot which is currently employed storing parked police cars and bounty seized during drug raids.  Per Village manager Frank Rollason, the lot can't be used for anything but a government building even though it is being used a parking lot right now.  No can do.     

A "Study" to Build A Troll Park Under The East Metal Grate Bridge - CAN DO.  Take $50,000 for our parks fund, and $50,000 from state money and throw it away on a bizarre walkway where North Bay Village Residents can relax in the evening by strolling and sitting in a dark, damp, stunningly noisy walkway under a metal gate bridge.  THAT WE CAN DO! THAT'S HOW POSITIVITY WORKS - IF YOU WANT IT, YOU GET IT.   

Kevin Vericker

August 20, 2014