As expected, the American Dream megamall project passed its first hurdle — if one can even call it a hurdle — at Wednesday’s meeting of the Miami-Dade County Commission as they voted to move forward with a proposd change to the county’s Comprehensive Development Master Plan that would allow the development of the massive retail and enterainment complex.

But what is more surprising is that there were no ifs, ands or buts.

Commissioners didn’t set any conditions on the development of the 200-acre plot north of Northwest 170th Street between the Turnpike and I-75 into six million square feet of retail, restaurants and amusement park features — like an indoor ski slope and a water park and an indoor lake with submarine rides and performing seals — that aims to attract up to 30 million visitors a year and that will no doubt wreak havoc in that corner of the county.

Read related story: American Dream mall seeks first county approval

They set no limits on Canada-based Triple Five, the family-owned company that built Minnesota’s Mall of America and wants to build American Dream Miami in the county’s farthest Northwest corner. They requested no promises to use no public money or prioritize locals when hiring for the 14,000 promised permanent low-wage jobs or protect the wetlands that are part of the property they got for government-to-government prices in a sketchy deal authored by Mayor Carlos Gimenez or mitigate traffic impacts or invest in infrastructure or never turn it into a casino destination, as they may do with their New Jersey version of the American Dream (more on that later), or even cap admission fees for the amusement parks that so many delusional supporters think their kids and grandkids are going to hang out at after school every day.

Not one. That’s a lot of stuff to leave up in the air.

“The battle really is in April or May, whenever it comes back,” said Commissioner Joe Martinez.

The vote Wednesday simply sends the proposed change down the pipeline to the state agencies that will review it for transportation, utility and environmental compliance before sending it back to the county with notes and conditions of their own. To be fair, commissioners do get a few more bites at the apple.

But Ladra is not so sure the developers are going to be in a mood to negotiate once they have their ball rolling. Heck, they don’t even believe traffic is going to be a problem to mitigate.

“Twenty years from now, traffic is going to be less than it is today,” said Triple Five Chief Executive Officer and patriarch Don Ghermezian, even after he already got what he wanted. He said people would work from home on computers. “All this traffic? Twenty years from now, it will be zero.”

Zero? Ladra couldn’t stop laughing. Then it hit me how serious this is: Is this ludicrous vision of a fantasy future going to be guiding the negotiations for an eventual development agreement? A development agreement, by the way, that may include some form of tax break in the form of kick-backs through a special taxing district or deferred tax payments or economic incentive grants or whatever they come up with next.

That’s a real issue. Especially since the mayor admitted that the developer had repeatedly verbalized the intention to get public dollars to pay for some of the infrastructure improvements that they should be responsible for. Maybe that preclusion, at least, should have been negotiated on Wednesday. Gimenez told them he said no, repeatedly. So it shows that they are already being persistent.

This was an opportunity to get that off the table, and to set some standards, some criteria and some conditions for the project. And our county electeds — for all their talk about no public dollars — blew their chance to get it in writing. Only Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, in her first show of real spine — knowing she would be the sole dissenting elected didn’t stop her — voted against sending this amendment to Tallahassee as is. The vote was 10-1 (commissioners Audrey Edmonson and Jean Monestime were absent).

“I know it’s the process but the process doesn’t lend itself to the magnitude of this project,” Levine Cava complained. “It should be like a development of regional impact.”

She said she read the Miami Herald story about the tax break that Triple Five got in Bloomington, the Minnesota home of the Mall of America which agreed to a special tax district that funded costs for parking garages and new roads hasn’t gotten a single dime from the property on its tax rolls since it opened 25 years ago. Now that it will, the city may have enough new revenue to lower the average resident’s tax bill by five percent.

Read related story: Miami Lakes wants a piece of American Dream pie

“I’m not opposed to this project. I see the economic benefit,” Levine Cava said. “The question is, at what cost? When will we be able to reap the benefits?”

That’s a question that wasn’t answered Wednesday. Lots of questions weren’t answered. 

“If we delayed, some things could be included in the covenant,” Levine Cava said, practically imploring. “Agreeing to move forward without seeing an agreement …”

Is crazy? Is absolutely nuts?

Now, we have to wait until April or May, when they come back with whatever the state agencies say and to review any requested zoning amendments and an eventual development agreement. I guess that’s when they’ll ask for stuff. Not developers. Oh, they’ll ask for stuff, of course. A ton of stuff they didn’t dare ask for now. But that’s also when our elected representatives will start to represent our best interests. Or at least we hope they will.

Because they haven’t so far. Gimenez has simply acted as a pass through, a real estate broker, if you will — for 80-some acres that we bought from the state — after convincing Florida officials to put it on a surplus land list — for a government-to-government price. Rather than put it out to bid or see what else could happen there, we then passed the savings along to the developer — again without any quid pro quo guarantees of what will happen with it. That’s not looking out for our interests. That is looking out for their interests.

Read related story: Megamall gets its public land on rushed timeline

Is the commission doing that again by delaying any talk about the ifs, ands or buts. Won’t it be too late to start asking for concessions after the fact? I mean, how hard can we really negotiate on the back end of the deal? Isn’t the front end when we have the most leverage? Once the wheels are rolling, Triple Five knows that the county will not want to roll it back. They have the advantage.

Then there’s the issue of covenants. Levine Cava’s intention was good, but what good are covenants when in the next breath (read: the next item), commissioners actually considered breaking one only halfway through its 99-year life?

After approving the CDMP changes, or voting to send them down the pipeline (same thing), commissioners looked at another application to redevelop a golf course into 600-some townhomes. That item wasn’t rejected outright, as it should have been. Even after 42 people who would be directly affected spoke against it, the change was simply deferred (more on that later).

But it certainly brings into question what good any agreement signed by Miami-Dade County will be.

Especially when we’ve started by giving them the upper hand.

The big news this week is on Hump Day, when the county mayor gives his annual State of the County address (more on that later). Expect it to be a full house with every elected under the sun — not just the county ones but the municipal council or commission members and Ladra will even throw in a congress member and a state rep or two.

After all, this is Carlitos’ first big public to do since he beat former Miami-Dade School Board Member Raquel Regalado in November, solidly winning another four years — people will want to gain favor.

All the lobbyists will be there, too, jostling to kiss the ring. Look and listen for the cheering and applause on cue.

The rest of the week will be ho hum in comparison.

But, hey, help me keep the Cortadito Calendar populated if not entirely always relevant. Please send any news about meetings, campaign rallies, powwows and other events to edevalle@gmail.com.

MONDAY — Jan. 16

8 a.m. — There are no public meetings because it’s Martin Luther King Day. But there is the 34th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 5K Run Walk, which starts at the MLK Plaza Metrorail station, 6205 NW 7th Ave., and the annual MLK Day parade in Liberty City (along NW 54th Street, from 10th to 32nd avenues. You can bet that Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado with his kids, especially Raquel and Tommy Regalado, who many say is dead serious about running for commissioner. All the Miami commissioners will be there, but so will all the candidates. Or all the serious candidates, anyway. If you can’t be there, stalk the Regalados and Commissioner Francis Suarez on twitter.

6 p.m. — Newly elected State Rep. Daisy Baez (D-Coral Gables) will open her district office Monday night at 5542 SW 8th Street. Baez beat Republican John Couriel 51 to 49% (a difference of 1,336 votes) to replace former Rep. Eric Fresen who was termed out and could be running for state senate in two years against newly elected Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez. Why didn’t she just keep the same district office Fresen used on 62nd Avenue and Bird Road? Ladra doesn’t know but will ask tonight.

6 p.m. — The future of Little Haiti will be the topic of discussion at a roundtable townhall-like meeting that begins at 6 p.m. Two proposed developments will be discussed. One is a mega development that would rise where moderate housing is now. Another is an “innovation center” proposed for the abandoned trailer park on the north side of the neighborhood. Activist Grant Stern is moderating the panel. Newly elected Miami-Dade Democratic Party Treasurer Francesca Menes, policy and advocacy coordinator for the Florida Immigrant Coalition — and a Little Haiti native, born and bred — will be there as will several community activists. Stern will produce a podcast for those of us who found out about it late. Ladra will post a link later.

TUESDAY — Jan.  17

7 p.m. — South Miami City Commissioners will meet to discuss an amendment to the land use code that would permit medical marijuana facilities in the industial and residential/office districts and only with a special use permit. They’ll also talk about a contract for consulting services with Redevelopment Management Associates (RMA) for Phase I of a business improvement district plan. The most curious item on the agenda, however, is the resolution consenting to a potential conflict by hiring Brett Schneider as their outside counsel for labor matters, even though his firm, Weiss Serota, represents developers and other clients that may or want to do business in the city. Basically, they’re saying that they know there’s a potential conflict and they’re not concerned, so long as Mr. Schneider doesn’t directely represent anyone else. Really? The meeting is at City Hall, 6130 Sunset Drive.

7 p.m. — State Sen. Jeremy Ring (D-Margate) will be the speaker Tuesday at the South Dade Democrats meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami, 7701 S.W. 76th Ave. What? Were all the local Democrats busy or just too embarassed? The club meets for social time until 7:30, then does business until 8 when Ring speaks.

WEDNESDAY — Jan. 18

10 a.m. — The much anticipated State of the County address comes Wednesday when Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez gets to pound on his chest about how great a job he’s done and tell us about what he wants to leave as his legacy. After all, to the victor go the spoils! The speech, if you want to watch it in person, is open to the public for free at the South Dade Cultural Center, 10950 SW 211th St. Or you can watch it online here. Or you can follow county spokesman and chief Gimenez cheerleader Mike Hernandez on twitter and get the gist. But it’s a fun place to people watch — if you like watching lobbyists and insiders rubbing elbows with electeds from all over. There’s no other reason to go, really. His pat-on-his-own-back speech will be published and analyzed (sorta) in the news media. If you go, it’s because you like the dog and pony show. Admit it.

6 p.m. — The Homestead City Council will get a visit from Miami-Dade Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava Wednesday. She will be at the next meeting to provide a summary of the last two years of what she’s done and tell council members what her priorities will be for the second half of her first term, (which still has not yielded all it promised). Homestead will also be the next city to consider a moratorium on medical  marijuana facilities. It’s the city where any cannibusiness makes the most sense, right? Agriculturally? The city council will discuss a 12-month moratorium at its meeting Wednesday at the Taj Majal of City Halls, 100 NE Civic Ct. Other items on the agenda include hiring Greenberg Traurig to do the city’s special tax credit counseling and several board appointments (congrats to Ladra’s pal and good guy Stephen McDuffie , who has worked for both Republicans (Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen) and Democrats (Rep. Kionne McGhee) for getting named to the city’s Community Affairs Board).

THURSDAY — Jan. 19

6:30 p.m. — The Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works is having a community meeting on the roadway improvements scheduled for Southwest 142nd Avenue, from Coral Way to 8th Street. The event is to provide area residents and businesses with information about the constrution phase of the project, which includes roundabouts, sidewalks, curbe and gutter, signatliation and pavement markings, signage and improved storm drainage. Funds for the project come from road impact fees. Plans will be available for review during the first half hour of the meeting at Joe Hall Elementary School, 1901 SW 134th Ave. Staff presentation begins at 7 p.m. with a question and answer period promised afterwards, but the meeting is expected to end about 8 p.m.

FRIDAY — Jan. 20

9:30 a.m. — It’s the first meeting for the Miami-Dade County Unincorporated Municipal Services Area Committee with Commissioner Javier Souto as chairman. Among the items on the agenda is a resolution directing the mayor to find funding sources for a $3 million community center to be built next to the county’s Ronald Reagan Equestrian Center at Souto’s beloved Tropical Park (also the site of a kick-off rally last year for Sen. Marco Rubio‘s failed presidential bid). He also wants the mayor to provide a summary of all Building Better Communities GOB funds provided by district and by municipality. The committee will also talk about amending the county rules for annexation, requiring municipalities to provide a comparison of county and municipal land use regulations before any annexation. The meeting is in commission chambers at County Hall, 111 NW 1st St.

A group of Democrat electeds and wannabe electeds got together Friday to denounce gun violence and call for gun reform at what amounted to basically a campaign stop.

Standing side by side to deliver their message of support for common sense firearm restrictions, were former Congressman Joe Garcia, who is running to get his seat back in Florida’s 26th congressional district, State Senator Dwight Bullard, who is in a heated race to keep his seat and Democratic Party candidates Debbie Mucarsel-Powel (state Senate against Anitere Flores) and Dan Horton (state House against Holly Roschein). 

Miami-Dade Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava was the only politician at the event who isn’t in a race this November. 

“We have more than 3 billion guns in this country. That’s more than we have people,” Levine Cava said, adding that gun violence is the number one cause of death for young black men between the ages of 18 and 25. 

See a video of the press conference here

“This is a national crisis, a national disaster. And it is hitting us right here are home,” she said, adding that it claimed the lives of too many innocents. The press conference was at Goulds Park in Southwest Dade, near a home where six teenagers at a party were shot in a drive-by recently.

Garcia said that among those innocent victims were 45 children shot in 2016 and 70 in 2015. “This isn’t some faraway war. This is happening right here in our community,” he said. “It’s unacceptable.”  

Among the group of politicos also stood Regina Talabert, mother of one of the 2016 gun violence victims, 17-year-old Noricia Talabert. The South Dade High School senior had just picked up two friends at a local corner Florida City grocery store when a man opened fire on her car with an AK47 rifle about two months ago. Her mom held a large color photo of her daughter’s graduation class picture Friday.

They were also joined by Greater Goulds Optimist Club President J.L. Demps Jr. and Dr. Willy Wright of the Goulds Coalition of Ministers and Lay People who rolled out a pledge in support of common-sense gun reform and called on the attendees to advocate for an end to gun violence in our communities. They signed a Coalition pledge:

• Support a comprehensive ban on assault weapons
• Support background checks on all gun sales and transfers — including elimination of the gun show loophole
• Support legislation to keep guns out of the hands of suspected terrorists
• Support a ban on high capacity ammunition magazines
• Oppose legislation that allows concealed weapons on schools and other sensitive areas

“The legislation we are fighting for will make a difference and save lives,” said Garcia, who has challenged U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, who beat him in 2014 amid headlines about absentee ballot fraud in Garcia’s campaign.

Read related story: Joe Garcia releases first web ad in congressional contest

“I’m asking Republicans to have some courage and take a stand for once,” Garcia said. “If Carlos Curbelo would rather pocket contributions from the NRA than save lives, then I challenge him to tell these families that cash for his reelection matters more than their safety.”

Garcia said that 90% of Americans want gun control reform and seemed especially troubled by the gun show loophole.

“In this district, here in South Florida, we have one of the largest gun shows in the country, where you can walk in and buy a weapon with absolutely zero background check,” Garcia said. “These weapons end up on these streets, killing our kids. It’s unacceptable. We have to stop it.”

A Garcia campaign spokesman said they had tracked at least $44,000 in contributions to Curbelo directly from the NRA alone. They believe the support is over $50,000. Curbelo has voted against background checks and to relax gun restrictions, has gone on TV to say gun control is not the answer and, with the rest of the GOP, blocked debate in 2015 on legislation to ban the sale of guns to individuals on the no fly list.

Read related story: Joe Garcia and Carlos Curbelo agree on Zika

He must have changed his mind because this past summer, after the mass shooting tragedy at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Curbelo filed bipartisan legislation to ban sales to suspected terrorists. Garcia immediately called it pandering. 

The Brady Campaign, one of the nation’s leading anti-gun violence advocacy groups has rated Curbelo — a lobbyist who put his firm in his wife’s name so he wouldn’t have to reveal who he lobbied for — as a “lap dog” for the NRA. 

Hey, maybe they are one of his secret clients.