Remarks by James E. McDonald
121 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 3 of 5
- Play at 15:54
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 35:39
“I mean, there are a couple of other options. Joe, I have a question. I've seen these emails, but that's all I've seen. I'm not aware. What is the issue? I see these floating islands.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 40:09
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 40:50
“My comment is that something like this, turning over a lake to a private HOA type thing, I think it makes a little bit of more consideration than just some emails coming in. And if we're doing a scientific study with FIU about water quality and how to maintain the water quality, is that what it is?”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 41:26
“Does this particular water, does it in the summertime get blue-green algae or anything like that in there?”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 42:57
“And this particular, what are we calling it, a pond or a lake? It's a canal. It's part of, so it's connected.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 43:32
“My only observation is just what I'm hearing here. I think it would be, I don't want to know more, but I think turning it over to a private group, if it's connected to other waterways, and it definitely has an environmental impact, I can't see allowing some homeowners take responsibility even if they're having a special taxing district because it impacts both the water coming in and water going out. I just... I'm not saying we do it. I'm saying we explore the possibilities of doing it.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 48:28
“Or more veterinarians. Or we should perhaps think about going to the county commission to revise the code. I know you've got people that love them, and you've got a lot of people that hate them. They are not a native species.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 49:00
“No, I get that. But why were they given this status in the first place? Because they were pretty? They were pretty. OK. And that was how many years ago?”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 49:20
“OK. Well, if it was a mistake and one of the proponents is admitting it, why are we not collectively with the League of Cities or cities that are involved in this, go back to the county commission and say, what you thought was a good idea 20 years ago is now we're now overrun with species that don't have a natural predator. And our neighbors, they're a nuisance. And why not try that? Get the League of Cities to, or other cities.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 50:39
“And what was the opposition, though, at the time? I assume people that like Peacocks.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 51:54
“I would propose that we, Mr. Mayor, as a municipality, we consider going back to the county commission, working with other municipalities, Coral Gables is one, to talk about going back to the county commission. I think all this talk about euthanizing or not euthanizing, The tuba ligations and all this stuff, it's not doing it. I mean, for the people that have them in their neighborhood, as the vice mayor is saying, they're all over the place, right? Yeah. So I think it's their nuisance, and we have to do something about it.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 55:15
“Well, okay. I don't have a solution other than I do think the first step is to go back to the county and say you did something 20 years ago that you thought was a smart move. Now we've known 20 years later we are invaded by peacocks or peafowls. They're all over the place. They're a nuisance and people want them out. And we've got to deal with it. We can't have a protected species which is invasive, just like we have pythons and we have what else? Iguanas. Iguanas, all of them. So we've got to deal with it. And the only thing, if they're being protected by law, then we've got to change the…”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 55:52
“We don't trap them. I understand. It'll let all the county. It'll let the neighbor.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 56:27
“People could trap them, or they could hire a trapper. I think the root of it is that the law says they can't be touched. I agree with you 100%. So that's where we start.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 1:00:04
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 1:02:00
“I would accept that, yeah. Go to Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay. City of Miami, whoever it might be. I wouldn't limit it to that.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 1:02:15
“So that would be my motion. To start out, we contact the municipalities in our area, find out who else has a peacock problem, have that conversation. We can either do it as council members or attorney or the manager and then see what kind of response we get and then bring it back to council to move forward. That's the motion.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 1:03:11
“MR. Mitch, I remember that. I think that was on council then. And what I remember is, yes, we could gather them up, but nobody wanted them. MR. Right.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 1:08:12
“to approach the county commission. No, excuse me, withdraw. We're gonna start speaking with fellow municipalities. Anyone to see if there's a consensus to get together to then approach our county commissioners and go to the county to see to amend or revise the ordinance that's dealing with peacocks.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 1:09:55
“Okay. And I would just like to say, I don't have to recuse myself, I'm just saying it's deja vu again with Gulliver. The last time we had Gulliver, we went until three in the morning. If we go to three o'clock in the morning on this puppy, we are in deep, deep trouble.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 1:29:50
“Yeah. I would suggest it would be, I think, good for us to have, if we can put it on our next month's schedule for the meeting, to have our state senator and state representative come and explain, give us sort of their input from Tallahassee on this. I understand that both of them voted against this. No, they both voted for it. Oh, that's even better to get them in here then. Because I'd like to know why our legislature can do something like this in one day without any committee meetings, while at the same time, year after year, they cannot deal with property insurance, which also is a burden…”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 1:30:58
“But my point being, Okay, there's if there's a reason to to increase the exemption I get that because property values have gone up etc etc, but I have grave concerns over the how this Legislature did it, you know, the governor's office handed them something and they all raised their hand and said yes Just like the Politburo and I think we need to hear from our representatives Okay, why did you guys go along with this because it's going to have a negative impact on cities statewide. It may not pass I mean We'll see. But I just think they owe it to us and to our constituents on why they did…”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 1:32:01
“OK, I'm sorry. I didn't mean. You mean they were voting like that, just like they did?”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 1:34:00
“I think it's important that we hear from them because we want responsible government. And as I said, I get it that maybe the exemption has to increase. But without any consideration, they were told what to do. And then as we all know, our property insurance. That's a major cause of stress for our people down here. And they don't deal with it. They don't deal with it. We all know why. Anybody who knows the legislative process knows why. So I think, yeah, having them here to explain their vote, and I think it would be instructive for all of us. And I won't call them the Politburo. OK, that's…”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026