Opponents of Key Biscayne’s “Big Dig” succeeded in temporarily derailing a $897,000 project management agreement Tuesday, building tension for yet another special Council session on the stormwater project next week. Once again, critics pushed for more studies they believe will show the system is overkill and based on questionable science.
After agreeing to the postponement, a frustrated Mayor Joe Rasco told his colleagues to “do their homework” for the Oct. 23 session. “Important decisions are going to be made.”
The delay is only a week, but it was indicative of the unsettled and increasingly bitter mood surrounding the project and the current municipal election, where some candidates want to slam the brakes on parts of the Big Dig, the biggest public works project in the island’s history. The current cost estimate is $310 million to replumb the island, protect the coast, and bury utilities.
The Council set the course for Zone 1 — $75 million — earlier this year. But since then, opponents have been looking for ways to cast doubt on the decision, the science, the administration, and even fellow council members. They assert — with sparse evidence — that the current drainage system can last for years if it’s properly maintained. The Council voted 5-1 to approve funding for Zone 1 in adopting the 2025 budget last month, but the opposition has continued.
READ MORE: Record $97 million Key Biscayne budget is approved
Tuesday, in a bid to stall a crucial work order, Council Member Ed London asked for a 60-day delay to learn whether AECOM, the project engineer, properly accounted for rainwater runoff, and whether a program to reduce impermeable surfaces like driveways might lessen demand on the system. He also cited a United Nations report that he said cast doubt on the amount of sea level rise.
In a first, London suggested that his colleague, Council Member Fernando Vazquez, be recused from a new special committee he wants created to study the runoff question. He said that’s because Vazquez, an environmental engineer, was once a top official of AECOM.
“I don’t think he should be involved,” London said, a comment that showed the political gloves are off. Vazquez left the company before running for office and now works for a competitor. Vazquez, who was participating remotely, said he was having Zoom connection issues and did not hear London.
Reached in Ecuador Wednesday, he called London’s statement “misinformed.”
“What credibility does he bring to the table? We should not accuse or try to be political with people’s careers.” Vazquez said the Village has already spent hundreds of thousands on model alternatives. “If it brings peace of mind to people who believe the Earth is still flat, we can do that, but it’s a waste of time.”
Council Member Brett Moss, another critic, chimed in, saying there was no need to vote on the work order for project management firm Black and Veatch because the Village had yet to specify the outfall location for Zone 1, a critical part of designing the system.
“I don’t know why we would hire a company to start working on something that we really can’t construct yet, until we have the outfalls that we need,” said Moss, who is about to leave office. The Council is set to decide soon on the outfall site, which may require purchasing a costly easement from an individual property owner.
Village Manager Steve Williamson and Chief Resilience Officer Roland Samimy objected to the delay, saying Black and Veatch needed authorization to move onto the next steps of the Big Dig — preparing construction designs, bid documents, and coordination with burying power lines.
“We’re done with the current work order,” Samimy said. “We’re moving to 60% design, which we should have by the end of November.” He said timelines are critical to get low-interest loans from a state revolving fund.
“If we don’t maintain a certain rhythm of battle, then we start having significant consequences in terms of our ability to actually build this thing in a timely manner.”
As the election grows closer, the rhetoric on the Big Dig has become more heated. Luis de la Cruz, a former council member, has become the face of the opposition, getting into a testy exchange with Rasco, who enforced a time limit and cut de la Cruz’s microphone during public comment.
De la Cruz has called for Samimy to be replaced, describing the Big Dig project as a “runaway train.” In his comments, he said candidate Nancy Stoner would change her support for the project “if she had more time to think about it.” Stoner watched from the audience and appeared to roll her eyes.
As for the United Nations study, Williamson said the Council — including London — voted to adopt the NOAA Intermediate High prediction for sea level rise, which is the standard other Florida municipalities are using. “If we start to bring in additional items, it will confuse what we’re trying to achieve.”
This story was originally published in the Key Biscayne Independent, a WLRN News partner.
