Ryan Nicol
Just months after celebrating its Phase One opening, The Underline in Miami-Dade County nabbed $2.5 million in the sprinkle lists unveiled Monday night.
The Underline is a 10-mile linear park and urban trail running underneath the area’s famed Metrorail line, adding some greenery to the transit system. The Senate slotted away $2.5 million in trust fund cash for the park project, according to its sprinkle list.
As annual budget negotiations near a close, both the House and Senate get millions in tax revenue to play with in order to garner support from members for the final budget document. Monday night’s release of the sprinkle list shows that the budget negotiation process is all but wrapped up.
The Senate was also generous to Hialeah’s elder meals program, as that operation received nearly $1.36 million in nonrecurring sprinkle funds. The House added $935,000 for water and sewer capital improvement work in Hialeah as well.
The House also allotted $1 million in trust fund money for a median improvement project on South Royal Poinciana Boulevard in Miami Springs.
Most of the other cash carve-outs unveiled Monday were nonrecurring. The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine courted $800,000 for its Florida stroke registry system. That money came from the House, which also allocated $500,000 for the Badia Senior Center in Miami and nearly $430,000 for The SEED school of Miami.
The Senate sent more than $740,000 toward repairs and hardening for the Florida Keys emergency standby power system. Another $375,000 in Senate cash will go to stormwater improvements at the Dorsey-Riverbend neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale.
Cash for similar improvement projects was littered throughout both chambers’ sprinkle lists. The Senate also provided $250,000 each for neighborhood improvements in Golden Pines and to help fund phase one of the C-14 pump station in North Lauderdale. Another $100,000 is set to go to Lake Okeechobee watershed area stormwater improvement in Belle Glade.
The House threw in $250,000 for a water service project in Lauderhill and nearly $200,000 more for water quality improvements in Lauderdale Lakes
House negotiators also added $281,000 for a Miami-Dade Homeless Trust project aiming to find shelter for individuals with special needs. The South Florida Children’s Mental Health Crisis Center will also net $240,000 from the House.
The Miami Jewish Health senior care center secured a rare recurring pot of money, netting nearly $225,000 for its memory disorder clinic.
Arc Broward, a center to help individuals with developmental disabilities, courted nearly $88,000 from each chamber for a $175,000 total. That center helps individuals with developmental disabilities.
