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Opa-locka commission rescinds earlier approval and directs manager to renegotiate sale of water-tank site
Summary
The City Commission voted 4-1 to rescind a prior resolution that approved a single bid for a surplus property known as the water-tank site and authorized the interim city manager to negotiate with the bidder or pursue a new sale process after a more recent appraisal raised the propertyvalue.
The City of Opa-locka Commission voted 4-1 on March 26 to rescind Resolution 24-1124, which had accepted a single bid for city-owned surplus property (the former water-tank site), and directed the interim city manager to negotiate a sale based on a more recent appraisal or restart the sale process.
The action matters because the city received an updated appraisal valuing the site at $420,000 after the commission had earlier approved the sale based on a lower appraisal. Commissioner Louis Santiago voted against rescinding the earlier resolution, saying he had only just received full documentation and wanted clarity on process and timing.
Interim City Manager (name not specified) told commissioners an RFP had been issued for the property identified by folio 2129-005-1621 and that only one proposal was received, from Florida Industrial Properties 8 LLC. The manager said a new appraisal dated May 1, 2024, valued the property at $420,000 and she asked the commission for authority to engage the bidder to negotiate a fair market price based on that appraisal.
Commissioner Santiago said he learned detailed information only days earlier and pressed for an explanation about how the commission approved the prior resolution without the updated appraisal. "How can it come in now?" Santiago asked during debate, arguing the commission had voted months earlier without that information.
City Attorney (name not specified) advised the commission that giving the interim city manager authority to pursue negotiations or a new sale process was an appropriate remedy and that any legal issues that emerged could be handled later. "I think this is a totally appropriate action on her part," the city attorney told the commission.
The commission approved the motion to rescind and to authorize the manager to negotiate, with Commissioner Santiago voting no and Commissioners Bass, Irvin, Vice Mayor Joseph L. Kelly and Mayor John Taylor voting yes. The motion passed 4-1.
What the resolution does and what happens next: the resolution formally rescinds the prior acceptance of the single proposal, directs the interim city manager to either negotiate with Florida Industrial Properties 8 LLC at an updated fair-market value or implement a new process for sale based on the new appraisal, and requires any result to be brought back to the commission for approval.
Officials said the updated appraisal had been delivered to prior administration staff in mid-May 2024 but had not been disclosed to the commission before the September 11, 2024 vote that accepted the earlier proposal. Several commissioners and the city attorney said the newly directed negotiations will be brought back to the commission for final approval once there is a negotiated number or a recommendation for a new sale process.
Votes at a glance Motion: Rescind Resolution 24-1124 and authorize interim city manager to negotiate sale or implement a new sale process - Mover: Commissioner Louis V. Santiago - Second: Vice Mayor Joseph L. Kelly - Vote: Bass (Yes), Irvin (Yes), Vice Mayor Kelly (Yes), Mayor Taylor (Yes), Commissioner Santiago (No) - Tally: 4 yes, 1 no - Outcome: Approved (rescission and authorization to negotiate)
Speakers quoted in this article are identified by their roles as recorded in the meeting transcript; if a quoted line could not be tied to a named person in the record it is attributed by role.
