Already owning the highest COVID-19 rate of infections and deaths in Florida and dealing with an unemployment rate that more than doubled in March, Miami-Dade County has its hands full trying to contain the fallout from the global pandemic that has jarred life across the world to a near halt.
At the same time, a couple of Miami-Dade commissioners are laying the groundwork to extend a no-bid contract to a holiday theme park operator and steer an abandoned Miami International Airport hotel deal to a development team featuring two entrenched County Hall insiders.
On Monday morning, Miami-Dade Chairwoman Audrey Edmonson’s policy council, which is made up of her and six other county commissioners, is holding a virtual meeting to consider recommending a slate of COVID-19 measures for approval by the full commission.
Some of the proposed legislation includes directing Mayor Carlos Gimenez to prepare a report analyzing racial, ethnic and demographic data of county residents who have tested positive and coming up with a financial relief plan for county parks vendors who have been unable to earn a paycheck since public places were closed last month.
