LTC 285-2002
CITY of MIAMI BEACH """-
Office of the City Manager ~
Letter to Commission No. d?8..5-d~ _
TO:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Date: December 20, 2002
SUBJECT:
Jorge M. Gonzalez J'''''''/
City Manager fI- U
WEEKLY UPDATE
FROM:
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 week of
December 16, 2002:
Neighborhood Leadership Academy - The final session for the current
enrollment class was held on Monday, December 16 and included a presentation
from the Arts, Culture and Entertainment, Tourism and Economic Development
Division. The participant's surveys, completed at the end of the session, were
extremely positive and continued to provide positive feedback regarding the
sessions. The Neighborhood Services Department will continue to compile these
results and are in the process of preparing a report which will be shared with
each presenting department as well as with the Mayor and Commission.
Major Events Planning (MEP) - Staff representatives met on December 16 to
discuss preparations for several upcoming major events, including New Year's
Eve, Art Deco Weekend and the 2003 Boat Show. A debriefing session on Art
Basel/Miami Beach was also held, providing logistical feedback and
enhancement suggestions for next year's event. An LTC with details on New
Year's Eve planning and events will be sent to the Mayor and Commission early
next week.
800 MHz Public Radio System - I, alongside members of our staff, are
continuing our review process of the various systems available. My next step is
to meet with representatives of each vendor to continue examining the positives
and negatives of each system. A final decision is expected before the end of the
year.
Penrod's Concession Agreement Negotiations - Members of the
administration met on December 17 to discuss alternative solutions to pending
contract negotiation issues. Further details will be disseminated as they become
available.
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Miami Beach Golf Club Rlbbon-Cuttlng Ceremony - I, alongside the Mayor,
several members of the Commission and representatives from the
administration, celebrated the opening of the Miami Beach Golf Club on
December 17. The newly renovated golf club has undergone a $6.5 million
major improvements makeover, including new tees, greens, fairways, cart paths,
bunkers, irrigation, landscaping and lake treatments. Boasting an innovative
environmentally-friendly turf and state-of-the-art golf carts, the new golf course is
poised to become a premiere destination for golfers everywhere and has already
gathered significant media interest.
Ad Hoc Citizen Committee on Swale Maintenance - Representatives from the
administration met with members of the community on December 19 to continue
discussing the creation of a citywide maintenance criteria and policy for swale
areas. The committee is in the process of developing a viable maintenance
concept to be submitted for Commission review which allows for greater resident
input
Employee Recognition Initiatives - Staff members continue to meet to plan
several upcoming programs aimed at recognizing the good work performed by
our employees. The "Employee Recognition/Holiday Celebration" successfully
took place on December 20 at the Bass Museum of Art. The "Annual Employee
Awards and Recognition Event," taking place on January 17, is still in the
planning phase. The Awards Show, previously referred to as the "Pin Party", will
highlight longevity anniversaries as well as include a talent show and is part of
our 'Waves of Change Customer Service Appreciation Week" schedule for
January 13-17.
Staff Recruitment - Staff representatives met with a group of twelve finalists for
the Special Assistant to the City Manager position. The top remaining candidate
names will be forwarded to me for interviews, leading to the final selection. The
top candidates for the Director of Tourism and Cultural Development have
already been identified and I am in the process of finalizing a selection for this
position.
2003 Memorial Day Weekend - I, alongside members of the staff, met with
representatives from the Luther Campbell Entertainment Group (LCEG) on
December 20 to discuss preliminary plans regarding the upcoming Memorial Day
weekend. Representatives from LCEG are scheduled to make a presentation to
the Nightlife Industry Task Force on Tuesday, January 14, 2003.
"Expired Meter" Parking Courtesy Extension - In celebration of the holiday
season, the City's Parking Department will grant all vehicles parked at expired
parking meters an additional bonus hour to correct the infraction without
assessing violation fees. The courtesy hour extension will begin at 9:00 a.m. on
Saturday, December 21 and conclude at midnight on Wednesday, December 25.
Normal enforcement resumes on Thursday, December 26 at 9:00 a.m.
City Vehicle Fueling Pilot Program - The City has started testing the innovative
program which allows city vehicles to fuel at the Chevron gas station on Alton
Road and 19 Street. The program calls for city vehicles to have a device
installed at the gas nozzle and tank which accurately identifies the operator and
automatically transmits how much gas is being spent and miles utilized.
City Vehicle Four-Wheel Alignments - In order to become more cost-effective
and minimize private contractor fees, the City has acquired a new four-wheel
alignment machine which will allow Fleet Management to do in-house repair
work. This will eliminate the costly practice of transporting city vehicles to
outside contractors while giving the City the opportunity to decrease future repair
incidents through preventive measures.
2003 Boat Show - Staff representatives met with members of the Miami Beach
PT A and boat show organizers on December 20 to discuss pOSSible parking
usage of the swale areas in front of Miami Beach Senior High School. Group
consensus was reached on swale usage, maintenance regulations and fee
schedule. Funds generated from the use of the swale area will go directly to the
high school to ensure various program funding. A resolution requesting approval
will be presented at the January 8 Commission meeting. A follow-up meeting
has been scheduled for January 14.
JMG/rVjl
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