Bayfront Park Trust meeting spotlights allegations of no‑bid contracts, missing records; chairman pushes for forensic audit

MIAMI — At a special meeting of the Bayfront Park Trust on May 20, 2025, residents, former board members and trust personnel raised repeated allegations of mismanagement, no‑bid emergency contracts and missing or incomplete records tied to the trust that runs Bayfront Park and Maurice Ferre Park.

"For those of us that care deeply about Bayfront Park… the constant there has been the chaos cloud that surrounds 1 commissioner in particular," resident Fernando Monti said during public comment, summarizing concerns voiced by multiple speakers about past stewardship of the trust.

The meeting brought a string of specific allegations from speakers: that a no‑bid emergency contract worth roughly $5.5 million was awarded to a company identified in testimony as DG Aqua to restore a long‑dormant fountain; that the fountain work lacked completed permitting and safety features such as a permanent railing and warning signs; that tens of thousands of dollars in cash were handled without consistent controls; and that park assets and staff time were used to support district political activity rather than trust business.

Former board member Christina Palomo said she resigned in part because of how a project was advanced without due process. "I walk into a meeting 1 day that is scheduled. It is not an agenda item, and it was proposed to take a vote on that million dollar or so project expenditure," she said, describing a single bid that she said arrived to private email addresses and not the board.

Multiple speakers described…