Title
A Resolution of the City Commission directing the City Manager and City Attorney to reinitiate the annexation process for Little Gables.
(Sponsored by Mayor Lago)
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Little Gables is an enclave bounded by the City of Coral Gables to the East, West and South. In July 2017, pursuant to Chapter 20, Article I of the Miami-Dade County Code, the City conducted a petition process to ascertain support amongst registered voters in Little Gables for the annexation of Little Gables into Coral Gables. In response to the petition, 23.9% of registered voters in Little Gables supported annexation, surpassing the 20% required to initiate annexation contained in the County Code.
Shortly thereafter, the City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2017-344, directing the City Manager and City Attorney to prepare and submit an application for the annexation of Little Gables to Miami Dade County in accordance with the County Code. The City’s annexation application received a positive recommendation from the County’s Planning Advisory Board; and from then Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
On July 17, 2019, a public hearing was held on the annexation application before the Health Care and County Operations Committee (HCOC), where the HCOC laid the City’s application on the table. Without the approval of the HCOC, the annexation application could not proceed any further in the process and was effectively denied without the full Board of County Commissioners ever hearing the matter and without giving residents in the area the opportunity to vote in a referendum.
There are changes to the annexation process currently under consideration by the Board of County Commissioners (“BCC”) that are relevant to this resolution. On July 19, 2022, the BCC passed an ordinance on first reading that would amend the annexation process as follows: it would require notice be sent to both property owners and registered voters for all phases of annexation requiring mailed notice; require a survey be conducted at...
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