Residents urge Biscayne Park commission to revisit Freebie transit contract; special meeting tentatively set

Residents pressed the Village of Biscayne Park commission on June 16 to reconsider a recent vote that ended the municipality's Freebie (also spoken as FreeV) transit contract, saying the service supports elderly and disabled residents and that losing it could forfeit matching funds.

"It should be a no-brainer to keep the service that was added after bus routes were removed. It's actually a matter of public safety," said the resident who identified themselves by address (590 Northeast 121st Street) during public comment, urging Mayor Grath to call a special meeting so the full commission could vote again.

Barbara Cule, another resident, asked for a revote with all commissioners present and said the May vote's timing—including Vice Mayor Gonzalez leaving during the meeting—meant the outcome did not reflect the full commission's intent. Cule also challenged staff comments about how Freebie funds related to road repairs, saying, "there's only $20,000 that could be used for roads" and that a county-provided $60,000 match would be lost if the service stops, a point she tied to the village's budget accounting.

Gary Kuel urged retention of Freebie as a community service, questioned how the $20,000 figure fit into the village's larger balance (he referenced a $139,000 balance), and said services like Freebie distinguish village life.

Commissioners acknowledged the public concern but also flagged procedural limits. The mayor and staff noted that the commission could not take final action on the contract at that special meeting because the contract item was not on the noticed agenda, and Robert's Rules and the village's noticing requirements restrict action without proper public notice. Staff and commissioners said time was short if the current contract ends at the end of June.

Commissioners asked staff to circulate financial figures prepared by Paul in finance and debated whether Village Manager Al needed to appear in person to present numbers. Several commissioners emphasized they wanted precise cost and grant-match information before voting.

To address the urgency, the commission tentatively agreed to hold a one-item special meeting the week before the contract's expiration (members discussed a Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. as a tentative slot). The mayor asked residents who favor keeping Freebie to attend the special meeting to make their case in person.

What happens next: staff was directed to poll commissioners to finalize the special meeting date, circulate the finance figures, and notify state and county partners as appropriate; the transcript does not record a formal revote or a final contractual action during this session.