LTC 272-2002
CITY of MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No. J 1- d -~C:f);)
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TO:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Date: December 9, 2002
FROM:
Jorge M, Gonzalez
City Manager
SUBJECT: WEEKLY UPDAT
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
November 18 through December 6, 2002:
Management Retreat - The City Manager, alongside members of the executive
staff, attended a two-day retreat focusing on leadership development. The
retreat also served to identify goals and priorities for the upcoming year. I will be
finalizing the outcome of this retreat shortly and will submit a summary to you
under separate cover.
Neighborhood Leadership Academy - The Public Works Department held their
presentation on November 18; the Parking Department on November 25 and the
Police Department on December 2. The participant's surveys, completed at the
end of each session, were extremely positive and the residents participating keep
offering very positive feedback about the sessions. The Neighborhood Services
Department will compile these results and share the feedback provided with each
department that presented as well as with the Mayor and Commission.
Pine Tree/La Gorce Homeowners Association Meeting - Representatives
from the administration and the Police Department met with residents on
November 19 to address crime prevention and safety. Residents expressed a
desire for stricter traffic enforcement on the Pine Tree and La Gorce roadways
and were assured that Middle District police and patrol officers would augment
their efforts, Residents praised the Police Department for their hard work,
Royal Palm Crowne Plaza - Representatives from the administration have
continued negotiations discussing a variety of issues, Both sides are expected to
reach a compromise soon,
Venetian Islands Homeowners Association Meeting - I, along with other
representatives from the Administration, had an opportunity to meet with
residents of the Venetian Islands HOA on November 20 to discuss a variety of
issues important to the community.
Mount Sinai Hospital - I, along with our CFO and the City's financial advisor,
met with Steve Sonenreich and other representatives from Mount Sinai to
discuss the hospital's fiscal issues and potential refinancing request.
La Gorce Park Residents General Obligations Bond Project
Representatives from the administration met with members of the community on
November 21 to discuss various issues of concern, Residents concur that traffic
calming issues have been resolved and a consensus now exists on how to best
proceed. The City will continue to work with Miami-Dade County in addressing
additional traffic flow and congestion issues as they arise, Project enhancements
will also highlight landscape improvements within the area north of 63rd Street.
Pine Tree Circle Homeowners Association Meeting - Representatives from
the administration and the Police Department met with residents on November
21 to address crime prevention and safety, Residents were informed of crime
statistics within the area and advised of numerous ways to protect themselves
and their property.
Brown Bag Luncheon - As part of an ongoing series with the various city
departments, I had an opportunity to meet with the staff of the Public Works
Department on November 21 and had informal discussions on a multitude of
issues of internal and external concern.
South Pointe Streetscape Project Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony - The Mayor,
several members of the Commission and representatives from the administration
celebrated the Phase I completion of a $6 million streetscape improvement
project for the South Pointe area on November 22. City improvements within the
South Pointe area are split into five phases with an estimated overall project total
upwards of $27 million when concluded. Upon completion of all five phases,
every street south of Fifth Street will have experienced some type of
rehabilitation as needed, including roadway, drainage, landscaping, streetscape,
irrigation, water and sewer, electrical and street lighting enhancements.
Individual enhancements have been carefully selected to complement ongoing
private development within the area.
Multi-Family Housing Rehabilitation Program Workshop City
representatives coordinated a workshop on November 22 which introduced
participants to the general guidelines of the housing rehabilitation program.
Residents were also instructed on how to best take advantage of the housing
resources available to them through City services while community input was
sought regarding possible future amendments to the guidelines,
Ad-Hoc Citizens Committee on Swale Maintenance - Representatives from
the administration met with residents on November 25 and December 5 to
discuss the creation of a citywide maintenance criteria and policy for swale
areas, Further information will be provided as it becomes available, The next
meeting is scheduled for December 19.
State of the City Address - I delivered my third State of the City address
outlining the major accomplishments from the past year and addressing the
priorities that I and the Administration will focus on over the next year. A copy of
this year's State of the City is available on the City's website and the intranet.
Employee Intranet - The Employee Intranet, designed for enhanced internal
communications with staff, was successfully launched on November 27. The
intranet, a citywide information tool, will assist employees in accessing a wide
range of valuable information ranging from minute details to in-depth policy
details. The Intranet is a work in progress and will continue to be updated and
modified to better serve the needs of our employees.
Art Basel I Miami Beach - The City successfully kicked off the eagerly
anticipated international art show Art Basel/Miami Beach, running from
December 4-8. Boasting an exclusive selection from 150 leading art galleries
from North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia, the show exhibited
20th and 21st century art works by over 1000 artists, By all accounts, all of the
events associated with Art Basel/Miami Beach have been extremely successful
and a number of very positive media stories have been generated. I plan to
assemble a compilation of press clippings to share with all of you soon.
800 MHz Public Radio System - I have been meeting individually with members
of the Internal Review Committee, as well as with representatives from RCC
Consultants, to discuss the positives and negatives associated with the two
proposals that have been submitted. I will continue meeting with various
stakeholders before making a final recommendation,
Staff Recruitment - Interview committees comprised of staff and other relevant
stakeholders are in the process of interviewing candidates for the Director of
Tourism and Cultural Development and the Special Assistant to the City Manager
and will forward their top two-to-three candidates for each position to me for me
to meet and make a possible selection, I hope to have the process for both
these important positions wrapped up by the end of the year with the candidates
in place by January, 2003,
Fire Union - Met with representatives from the Fire Union regarding pension
issues they are interested in discussing.
Under 21 Ordinance - Staff met to discuss the Under 21 Ordinance and the
Nightlife Industry Task Force's (NITE) request to amend the restriction.
Bay link - Representatives from the administration met and had a planning /
visioning session to explore issues arising from the recent Y2 penny sales tax
referendum and how it relates to the Bay Link.
Miami Beach Community Development Corporation - I met with
representatives of the MBDCC to discuss issues regarding their Housing
programs and ongoing projects and costs,
Orange Bowl Committee - I met with members of the Orange Bowl Committee
regarding their funding request for this year's program,
Commission Retreat - Met with staff from Finance and the City's financial
Advisor to develop material regarding the fiscal plan for the proposed
commission retreat.
Alaska Property Commission Workshop - Representatives from the
Administration met and held a pre-workshop organizational meeting to prepare
for the December 9,2002 Commission Workshop on the Alaska property,
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