What Miami-Dade's District 5 Commissioner Wants Every Resident to Know | Vicki Lopez

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Vicki Lopez joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about everything happening in District 5. She shares what drives her public service, how her family shaped her values, and her journey from State Representative to County Commissioner — including facing racism along the way.We get into the Fisher Island fuel tank controversy, Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive's comeback, the sargassum problem on our beaches, senior food assistance programs, mom and pop entrepreneur grants, DDA criticism, homelessness, the 836 extension to Kendall, and the Urban Development Boundary debate. Commissioner Lopez also shares her message to District 5 voters ahead of the August 18th election.This is everything happening in your district — straight from the source.A Day in Miami Website:https://adayinmiami.com/Manny Alfonso:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mannyalfonso8/Kiko Suarez:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/querikoconkiko/Eduardo Moya:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr_moya/Follow Us! - A Day in Miami:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adayinmiami/Listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/20WEys6jxiliBCLoo9iSID________________________Produced by: Ben SchwedeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/benthecreatorrr/0:00 Intro2:18 What Drives Her3:33 How Her Family Shaped Her as a Person6:49 Studying at Notre Dame7:52 Notre Dame vs UM8:08 Encountering Racism10:34 Becoming a State Representative13:11 Getting Appointed as District 5 Commissioner14:57 District 516:04 Fisher Island Fuel Tank Controversy23:00 ADIM Providing Information25:20 Spreading Misinformation and Verifying Truth26:44 Jurisdiction29:53 Lincoln Road31:38 Ocean Drive is Coming Back36:10 Sargassum39:14 Cheesesteak for Sale40:34 Senior Communities44:51 Mom and Pop Grants and Entrepreneurial Spirit47:55 Downtown and DDA Criticism53:58 Homelessness Issue55:54 Elections59:06 Sacrifices of Being a Commissioner1:00:55 Update on 836 Extension to Kendall1:02:21 UDB Line1:05:01 Top 3 Restaurants1:08:53 Outro