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Miami Lakes council approves phased $1.9M plan to upgrade Optimist Park after debate over restrooms and lighting
Summary
After hours of debate over scope and sequencing, the Town of Miami Lakes approved a phased plan to repair and upgrade Optimist Park — including new poles, backstops, pathways and a prefabricated restroom — using about $1.9 million in town funds and impact fees. An amendment to defer the restroom and complete lighting failed.
The Miami Lakes Town Council voted May 19 to proceed with a scaled, phased plan to repair and upgrade Optimist Park, approving staff’s recommendation to spend existing park improvement and impact fee funds to address safety and deferred maintenance.
Parks Director Jeremy Bagdon told the council the plan targets “immediate concerns,” including replacement of six remaining wooden light poles with modern metal poles and LED fixtures, repair of backstops and dugouts, installation of safety bollards, concrete pathways to improve ADA access and a prefabricated restroom with required utility connections. He said the town expects to have about $1.916 million available in the fund by the end of the fiscal year and proposed using that balance plus impact fee transfers to complete the work.
The discussion split the dais. Several councilmembers, including Councilman Guadalupe Garcia and Vice Mayor Moreira, argued the restroom was a priority for families and community users; Councilman Garcia said that residents had repeatedly asked for a permanent bathroom, not a seated porta‑potty. Council members favoring a narrower scope urged bifurcating the restroom into a later phase to avoid triggering additional permitting and joint‑use agreement negotiations with Miami‑Dade County Public Schools.
Vice Mayor Moreira proposed an amendment to remove the permanent restroom from phase 1 and instead use the funds to complete lighting across the park. After extended debate about permitting, cost, drainage and long‑term energy savings from LED fixtures, the amendment failed on roll call. The council then approved the full staff plan as presented.
Bagdon told the council replacing lights with LED fixtures would reduce energy costs and lower maintenance: “There’s a long‑term cost savings in prioritizing the lights,” he said. Council members also stressed that much of the work (fencing, lighting, backstops, ADA pathways) is routine maintenance that should be executed promptly and that including the restroom addresses a principal concern residents raised during prior bond debates.
The vote authorizes staff to proceed with preparing contracts, allow the budget amendments necessary to expend the identified funds, and return with final procurement steps. Staff said some elements, particularly any work on school‑board property, will require coordination and permitting with Miami‑Dade County Public Schools under the town’s joint‑use agreement.
Next steps: staff will finalize bid documents, return with any required design details and firm costs, and administer procurement to begin construction in phases.
