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LTC 78-2002 ,. . I ~ 1 'lo CITY of MIAMI BEACH Office of the City Mana.ger Letter to Commission No. 7 j/. ~ Z m TO: Mayor David Dermer and Members of the City Commission Jorge M. GOnZale~ .~ City Manager . P" 0 WEEKLY UPDAT Date: March 22, 2002 FROM: SUBJECT: The purpose of this LTC is to provide the Mayor and Commission with an update describing some of the areas the Administration focused on during the weeks of March 11 and 18, 2002. Mayor's Blue Ribbon Tourism Task Force - The findings and recommendations of the Task Force were presented to the Mayor on March 11 and will be discussed with the entire Commission at a Commission Workshop on April 5, 2002. A separate LTC that includes the findings and recommendations has already been sent to the Mayor and Commission. Major Events Planning Meetings - Representatives of the Administration have been meeting on a regular basis to discuss, plan and prepare for several major events that are taking place in Miami Beach over the course of the next several weeks, including the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, the Winter Music Conference, the Sports and Fitness Event on Easter Weekend, and Memorial Day Weekend. Staff is in the process of implementing different portions of the Major Events Plan (MEP) for these events on an as needed basis. An LTC with additional details about the March and April events, and our preparations for each event, was forwarded to the Mayor and Commission on March 15. Neighborhood Leadership Academy - The Neighborhood Leadership Academy, the civic and public information program designed for residents of Miami Beach which provides them with the information and resources to become more knowledgeable members of our diverse community, was launched on March 11. During the last two weeks, the Manager's Office and the Budget, Finance and the Information Technology Departments made presentations to the participants. The participant's surveys completed at the end of each session have been extremely positive. The feedback is very important, as this is a constituent driven program and provides Neighborhood Services Department with information for future sessions. ~ Miami Modern I New York Architecture Photography Exhibit - Representatives of the Administration and Commission attended events surrounding the opening of the Miami Modern I New York Architecture Photography Exhibit at the Municipal Art Society in New York City from March 13-15, 2002. Wolfsonian Museum - The City Manager met with representatives of the Museum to discuss ways in which the City and the Museum can better partner together to make the Museum more recognized and accessible to residents and visitors. A private tour of the Museum has been scheduled for April 26 for those of you who may be interested in learning more about the Museum. North Shore Park Groundbreaking - Representatives from the Administration and the Commission were on hand on March 18 for the groundbreaking of the North Shore Park and Youth Center which is scheduled to begin construction before the end of the month. Collins Avenue Project - Representatives of the Administration met with about 30 residents to discuss the second round of construction related projects on Collins Avenue between 22 and 26 Streets. The residents there were pleased to hear about the new sidewalks, curbs and gutters, and lightening and traffic signals that will be worked on. Construction will begin on the West side of Collins on April 8 through mid July and then on the East side from mid July until October 17,2002 when the project is estimated to be completed. Neighborhood Services Department I Mayor on the Move Meeting - Was held on March 19 for residents of the West Avenue Neighborhood. Approximately 35 residents attended and those in attendance identified a number of concerns affecting the community's quality of life. This session allowed participants an opportunity to discuss neighborhood issues and concerns. The following six items were identified as neighborhood priorities: (1) Police and Parking, (2) Code Compliance, (3) Parking, (4) Public Works, (5) Zoning, and (6) Private Construction Projects. A comprehensive overview addressing the five identified priorities will be provided to the West Avenue Neighborhood in the form of a newsletter. Communications Workers of America Local 3178 (CWA) - Representatives of the Administration completed negotiations on March 20 with the negotiating team of the CWA. Members of the Union will now meet to vote to ratify the contract and the item will be forwarded to the Mayor and Commission at its April 10, 2002 meeting for first reading to approve the agreement. \ ) Miami-Dade County Manager - The City Manager and representatives from the Administration met with County Manager Steve Shiver to discuss several issues of mutual concern, including the proposed County-wide General Obligation Bond, the Convention Development Tax, Beach Renourishment, Transportation, Homeland Security and Disaster Preparedness Funding, Community Redevelopment, Social Services, Major Events Assistance Policy, Countywide Strategic Plan, Incorporation and Municipal Revenue Sharing. An LTC with more specific detail about each of these issues will be sent to the Mayor and Commission shortly. Miami-Dade County Community Relations - The City Manager and representatives from the Administration met with Larry Capp, Executive Director of Miami-Dade County's Office of Community Relations and Adora Obi Nweze, Chairwoman of the Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board to discuss the County's recent appointment of a member of their Community Relations Board to the City's Community Relations Board. In addition, issues relating to the upcoming Memorial Day weekend and how the County and City can partner together to make it a successful, fun weekend for all our visitors and residents were discussed. If you have any questions or need any additional information about any of these items, please feel free to contact me. JMG/ri F:/cmgr/Salllltc-01/March8Weeklyupdate I: 1\: