NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – It got a bit heated during Tuesday night’s commission meeting at North Miami City Hall.
The contention was over renaming Breezeswept Park after a former city councilman and the exchanged lasted for nearly 45 minutes.
In the end, the name stayed the same.
The park is located along Northeast 125th Street and Second Avenue.
Last month, councilmen, in a 3-0 vote, decided on naming not only a portion of Northwest 131st Street after former trail blazing Councilman Jacques Despinosse, but also Breezeswept Park.
Then, a resolution from Councilwoman Mary Estime-Irvin was brought up and put on Tuesday’s commission meeting agenda to rename the park after Commissioner Marleine Bastien.
This created drama on the dais, and a back and forth among Mayor Alix Desulme and other council members.
Desulme said he wasn’t aware until last Thursday that Estime-Irvin wanted to name it after another elected official.
In the end, Estime-Irvin said its unfortunate all of this had to be done in public, that she stands on the shoulders of Despinossee, and that the park was not on the agenda last time.
She ended up rescinding her resolution.
Councilmembers voted 3-2 to keep the park’s name them way that it is, at least for now.
It’s unclear whether anyone on the council will take up this issues again during the next meeting, which is scheduled for June 24.