The money flow follows a strategy promoted by billionaire Jay Faison, whose companies urge coastal municipalities to invest in expensive infrastructure, creating projects that for engineers, contractors, equipment manufacturers and construction businesses. <\/a>The Independent last year detailed the connection between Faison and Village Manager Steve Williamson.\u00a0<\/p>\n Williamson said a consulting position with a Faison non-profit to lobby municipalities and their residents for big stormwater projects\u00a0 \u2013 called Flood Defenders \u2013 ended before he was hired by the Village.<\/p>\n The Big Dig, which includes burying utility lines, raising\u00a0 roads, and fortifying the coastline, is estimated at $320 million. Zone 1 of the project, which encompasses the K-8 school, saw its price tag double last year to $85 million.<\/p>\n READ: Key Biscayne\u2019s manager has ties to a billionaire who promoted new stormwater systems for coastal communities<\/a><\/p>\n The flow of dollars to Black & Veatch intensified last month when it was learned the VIllage paid it $20,000 to fill out paperwork so Key Biscayne can qualify for a low interest state loan.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the work orders were for $33(million) and they\u2019d spent $20 (million) by the time we came to the meeting,\u201d London said. \u201cI think you should take a look at the application. If you\u2019ve never seen it. I\u2019m sure we could have filled it out ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n London has long been a \u2018no\u2019 vote for money allocated to Black & Veatch and was the impetus behind the Village seeking an alternative to the Big Dig. Independent readers chose him as 2025 Newsmaker of the Year<\/a> after his opposition led Mayor Joe Rasco to appoint him to a review committee with Council Members Fernando Vazquez and Michael Bracken.<\/p>\n Never miss a story! Sign up for our FREE newsletter<\/p>\n The Independent also detailed before a Thursday workshop a report <\/a>on the new plan developed by GIT Consulting and engineer Giorgio Tachiev. It envisions using the existing drainage pipes aided by wells that would store water until rain subsides and then send it into the Biscayne Bay with smaller, less expensive pumps.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Big Dig aims to upsize stormwater pipes and use big pumps to push the water to new outfalls after it has been treated to meet new Miami-Dade County water quality standards.<\/p>\n READ: Small dig engineer raises questions about Key Biscayne\u2019s $320 million flooding plan<\/a><\/p>\n Tachiev on Thursday outlined the new concept\u00a0 for council members. For his part, Williamson seemed to embrace the presentation that could derail his signature project. \u201cThis is an important step. This is the first workshop that we have had at the council level to talk about the alternative approach of addressing our flooding in Zone 1,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n What became apparent during the workshop is that the \u201cSmall Dig\u201d plan has hurdles of its own. Vazquez \u2013 a former AECOM engineer \u2013 said he was concerned about using existing outfalls and pipes without a thorough video examination.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know whether that pipe has root intrusions, or whether there\u2019s, you know, God forbid, I don\u2019t know something inside,\u201d Vazquez said.<\/p>\n Tachiev briefly addressed water quality, saying green infrastructure could help treat water locally. He said\u00a0 directing the \u201cfirst flush\u201d (initial runoff) underground via injection wells would also address treatment needs, potentially simplifying outfall discharges.<\/p>\n \u201cSo far, what we have done here is theoretical,\u201d Tachiev said. He is developing a more detailed plan that Williamson said he expects in April.\u00a0<\/p>\n As for the Big Dig, AECOM has it 100% designed and the project is ready to be sent out to bid, setting the stage for\u00a0 the $308,000 work order to Black & Veatch to supervise that process. That vote, put on hold last month, is in front of the Council Tuesday.<\/p>\n London is, of course, a \u2018no\u2019 vote but the question is whether there will be signs of wavering among his peers, which could be an indication the Big Dig is in trouble \u2014 since it takes a supermajority to approve any borrowing for the infrastructure project.<\/p>\n Williamson said, in a memo to the Council, that if the work order is not approved then staff would need to take over for the Garden District stormwater project \u2013 which is separate from the Big Dig \u2013 manage the analysis of the GIT plan, and do its own permitting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Feasibility Study \u2013 just to name a few of his bullet points.<\/p>\n \u201cIn addition, the Village would lose access to Black & Veach\u2019s deep technical bench and multi-functional team, which currently provides engineering expertise,\u201d Williamson said.<\/p>\n London said he is tired of Black & Veatch becoming entrenched in the Village to the point that the Council is held hostage. London has sometimes argued the Village could hire its own technical staff at lower cost and greater accountability, but has not offered a formal motion to do so.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBasically, we\u2019ve been using them as our project engineer, our project manager, our project supervisor, whatever you want for a project we\u2019re not even doing or haven\u2019t done,\u201d London said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey also want $50,000 to supervise GIT,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s also crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n Vazquez, speaking after the workshop, said: \u201cWhat this Council is doing now is that you\u2019re creating the battle of the engineers. You\u2019re going to have a solid opinion from two professionals, and now we\u2019re going to have to dictate which.\u201d<\/p>\n Invest in Local News for Your Town. Your Gift is tax-deductible<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Williamson-London-6498-1024x636.jpg\")
FILE \u2013 Council Member Ed London speaks to Village Manager Steve Williamson before a council meeting, July 1, 2025 (KBI Photo\/Tony Winton)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Fernando-Vazquez-1024x683.jpg\")
FILE \u2014 Council Member Fernando Vazquez speaks about the Big Dig project at a Key Biscayne Village Council Meeting, Jan. 14, 2025 (KBI Photo\/Tony Winton)<\/p>\n
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