That clock that Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago wants to put somewhere downtown was manufactured by a company that held a fundraiser for his BFF Miami Mayor Francis Suarez‘s now-abandoned presidential campaign in June.
Lago brought up the Masion F.P. Journe clock again during a discussion in a commission meeting last month, where he sought direction on where to put it. Where the sun don’t shine was not an option. The mayor liked a corner on Miracle Mile and Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Commissioner Melissa Castro wondered out loud if it was in front of Crema, which apparently the mayor has some financial interest in (more on that later).
“It’s free. It’s being donated. And it’s by one of the most iconic watch manufacturers in the world,” Lago said.
“If you go to cities like, where I was last summer, Aspen, like Milan, you go to Paris, these clocks are in the main square. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s iconic. People come to take pictures with it.”
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Commissioner Ariel Fernandez said it was also free publicity. “This is going to be perennial advertising on the streets of the city. Are they going to be paying on an annual basis? If we’re talking about not doing advertising, this is clearly advertising.”
“It’s something beautiful,” Lago said. “The advertisement is very small and I think it’s a very limited price to pay to have such a beautiful, well-respected manufacturer in our downtown.”
He did not mention that it’s a manufacturer who held a fundraiser for his best bud, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, at their wristwatch and cigar lounge and bar at the Epic Hotel in downtown Miami.
Lago seemed surprised by the resistance: “If you don’t want it, we’ll tell them you don’t want it. The previous commission accepted it. They’re not going to pay to have that clock. They are giving us that clock,” the mayor said, estimating the value at between $75,000 and $100K.
“This is something again that provides an added caché to our downtown and its something beautiful. The advertisement is very small,” Lago said, sounding very much like a clock salesman. “It’s a very high end limited brand. And again it’s something that is coming free to the city.”
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Fernandez wondered if the city shouldn’t have an open bid process to allow other clock manufacturers the chance to make an offer. “We’re looking for revenue all the time. Let’s make sure we find the right clock and the right manufacturer that can satisfy all our needs.”
Said Lago: “This is more like a sculpture that is being donated to the city. They’re an exceptional brand.”
As usual, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson provided Lago with some back-up: “This is quite an honor. You wouldn’t go out on RFP on a gift. This is a gift. We’re not buying this. Pardon my French, but we would be fools if we turned it down.”
That’s French?
Said Commissioner Kirk Menendez: “It’s a lot nicer than the Cassio I used to wear in the 80s.”
Fernandez also wondered about the maintenance. Lago said the pole and area around the clock would be maintained by the city. “But the actual clock itself would have to be handled by the manufacturer.
“It is a fragile mechanism. That is to be respected.”
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