Miami’s Bayfront Park may come under park department control

Miami officials are considering dissolving the agency responsible for overseeing the operations of downtown’s two waterfront parks and transferring its duties to a new division within the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

The Miami City Commission is to review legislation today (2/13) that would repeal part of the city code that established the Bayfront Park

Management Trust over 30 years ago. The new proposal, sponsored by District Three Commissioner Joe Carollo, who also chairs the trust, would create a division under the Parks and Recreation Department tasked with supervising the day-to-day operations of Bayfront Park and Maurice A. Ferré Park.

The trust was created by the commission in 1987 with the aim of ensuring the city’s two downtown waterfront parks were managed efficiently and maximized for community use. It consists of nine members, with five nominated individually by each commissioner and four appointed at large by the commission.

Under the portion of the city code that establishes the trust, the commission has the authority to abolish it with a three-vote majority, at which time the powers and duties would revert to the city, which would assume responsibility for the maintenance, operation and management of the parks going forward.

The proposal before the commission would replace the trust with a new Division of Bayfront Park and Maurice A. Ferré Park that would be incorporated into the Parks and Recreation Department under the supervision of the department director and the city manager. A separate director would oversee the functions of the division and report directly to both supervising officials.

“The functions of the Division shall include the management, maintenance and supervision of the day-to-day operations of the Bayfront Park and Maurice A. Ferré Park, including but not limited to the coordination and management of planning, development, and construction efforts, and the planning and management of promotions, negotiations, and bookings of special events as appropriate in the Parks. The Division shall endeavor to attract organized activities and functions to the Parks consistent with this purpose,” the legislation reads.

If approved, any funds currently allocated, appropriated or received for park management and maintenance would be transferred to the city and placed in a restricted special revenue account solely designated for the two parks.

The proposal comes after an earlier effort to restructure the trust’s composition. At the last commission meeting on Jan. 23, a separate measure was on the agenda to establish commissioners as ex-officio members of the trust and grant the District Two commissioner, who represents the downtown area, two appointment slots. That item was ultimately deferred to the Feb. 27 meeting.

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