LTC 485-2015 Resolution from the Committee on the Homeless AtA 1 AAA 41,
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER_
NO. LTC# 485.2015 LETT rR TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Nhiliip Levine and Members if the City Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager �
DATE: December 18, 2015
SUBJECT: Resolution from the Committee on t'e Homeless
The purpose of this Letter to Commission (LTC) is to transmit the attached resolution
approved by the Committee of the Homeless at its December 16th meeting offering
several recommendations to augment the City's efforts to address homelessness within
our community.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to contact
me.
JLM/KGB/MLR
Resolution of the Committee on the Homeless
WHEREAS, homelessness in Miami Beach has a significant adverse impact on our community;
WHEREAS, up to 85% of the City's homeless come from other communities; they have not
resided in the City prior to becoming homeless;
WHEREAS, the number of non-Miami Beach residents seeking homeless services from the City
significantly taxes the City's limited resources;
WHEREAS, most of the City's homeless are resistant to engagement and refuse shelter
services due to mental illness, addiction, and the adoption of homelessness as a lifestyle
choice;
WHEREAS, the City has taken deliberate and substantial steps to address homelessness by
funding its Homeless Outreach Program, paying overtime for police, purchasing shelter beds,
and establishing a variety of services to encourage the homeless to leave the streets; and
WHEREAS, the response to homelessness in Miami Beach requires strategic planning and
actions beyond the plan currently in place.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE COMMITTEE ON THE HOMELESS RECOMMENDS THE MAYOR
AND COMMISSION ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIC ACTIONS:
1. Encourage the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust to compel all
municipalities in the county to take responsibility for homelessness in their
respective communities by creating their own municipal response plans for
their respective communities. This may include training of police and other
municipal employees;
2. Amend the City Code to include a police officer as a member of the
Committee on the Homeless to ensure police participation and involvement
in the formulation of strategy and policy recommendations addressing
homelessness in our City;
3. Require the Miami Beach Police Department to enforce trespass statutes
after hours in public spaces (including the City Hall campus, Lincoln Road,
Convention Center and Public Parks) and to utilize the City's Client
Management Information System (CIMS) when electing whether to make a
referral or an arrest; and
4. Encourage the City's business community to participate in the trespass
signage program and register their participation with Miami Beach Police.
This enables police to enforce after-hours trespass laws and increases
exposure to homeless services.
5. Develop and disseminate a media awareness campaign targeting our tourists
and residents discouraging panhandling and educating the public about the
negative impact panhandling has on the community.
UNANIMOUSLY PASSED and ADOPTED this 16th day of December, 2015. ,
Al ell
Omar
'an Nagler,Chair
On Behalf of the Corn ittee