LTC 037-2004 Miami-Dade GO Bond Town Hall Meeting CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No. 037-2004
To'
From:
Subject:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez ~X. ~
City Manager (~u" /~
tJ
MIAMI-DADE G.O. BOND TOWN HALL MEETINGS
Date: February 9, 2004
Attached please find a notice and article referencing the Miami-Dade G.O. Bond Town Hall
Meeting to take place tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. at Feinberg Fisher and on
Wednesday, February 11,2004 at 7:00 p.m. at Bay Harbor Island City Hall, 9665 Bay
Harbor Terrace.
I am also attaching the preliminary G.O. Bond list the City Administration has compiled
consisting of regional projects to be considered by the County and Miami Beach
community for inclusion in this Countywide G. O. Bond referendum.
The attached list will be referred and discussed at the next Miami Beach Finance
Committee meeting on Friday, February 20, 2004.
encourage you to attend one or both of these town hall meetings if your schedules permit.
If you have any suggestions or comments, please contact me.
JMG\CMC\rar
F:~cmgr~$ALL\LTC-04\GOBond Town Hall Meetings. CMC.rar.doc
Feb. 5. 2004 .4:27PM No,~4~O P. 2
Citizens of Miami-Dade ,County
If you wa. hr t..o.have a positive ~mpact on your
community, join us to build a better tomorrow
Together, the residents of Miami-Dade County
have a unique opportunity to develop a
comprehensive capital improvement General
Obligation Bond program to address the most
important needs for the future of our community.
As our County progresses into the 21 st century, we
are seeking your input in making our community a
better place to live, work and enjoy life to the fullest.
You can help decide the proper mix of community
centers, health facilities, roads and sidewalks,
parks, museums, water and sewer improvments and
much more to meet the needs of' the future. A
General Obligation Bond Program would provide
funding for projects without increasing your property
tax rates for debt service.
Town Hall Meetings are being held throughout the
County to provide residents an opportunity to
express their views as to which projects should be
included. The bond program will be presented to the
Miami-Dade County voters in the General Election
on November 2, 2004.
We need your help!
Join us at a town meeting.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
7:00 pm
Feinberg/Fisher Elementary School
1420 Washington Avenue
Feb. 5, 200~ ~:27P~ No.2~20 P. 3
2004 GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND
What Is a General
Obllllatlon Bond
Program?
^ General Obligation Bond
Program is a way t~ finance
govemment capital
improvement projects. With voters'
approval, Miami-Dada County would
be able to issue long-term bonds to
fund new construction, renovations
and expand facilities. These quality
of life improvements would serve
residents for many generations to
come much like the 1972 Decade of
Progress bond program that funded
rnucn of Miami-Dada County's
e×isting infrastructure over the past 30
years including MetroZoo, libraries
and road improvements.
Will a General
Obligation Bond
j~,,,i?, higher taxes?
........ The new bond program would
not require an increase to the
tax rate. While future taxes would be
used to repay the bonds~ the millage
rate now budgeted for repayment of
the Decade of Progress bonds, other
general obligation debt, and a
tamporary emergency contingency
reserve would be sufflcient to cover
debt service on a new bond program.
(The County currently earmarks. 105
re~lis for an emergency contingency
reserve. Once this reserve is fully fund-
ed, the. 105 m#15 would be added to the
current, 285 countywide det~t service
rate bringing the total debt service rate
~o .390 mills. This represents no
increase in the tax rate.)
What typ,~ of projects
would bo funded In
bond program?
The CountyManager has
thai are aimed at building
better communities ttnroughout Miami-
Dada. It is expected that projects
selected for bond funding would fulfill a
muttitude of needs including:
· Keeping fha Community Safe. To
maintain a Iow rote of crime and a
higher level of personal safety, we
must consider the need for
expanded and new public safety
facilities and equipment including
po[ice, courts and jails.
· Preserving Our Resources. Our
natural resources are critical to our
quality of life. Improvements to
protect our water supply for future
generationa, beach restoration,
better drainage and funding to
address other environmental
conc. ems are important to our quality
of life,
· Sustaining a Healthy Community.
Public healt;n fadlities and affordable
housing are cdtical to the well being
of our residents.
· Accessing Services, Expanded
community centers in convinient
locations would provide better
access to County services for all
residents. Technology investments
could significantly improve the
delivery of services and make more
services available online 24 hours a
day.
· Enjoying Arts, Culture and
Recreation; Parks, museums,
libraries, MetroZoo and other
community recreational facilities
enrich our lifestyle and play a vital
r~le in tourism, tt~e County's
number one industry.
· Neighborhood Improvements.
The bond program could provide
additional funds for much needed
neighborhood projects including
more traffic signals, sidewalk
repairs, and expanded bikeways.
· Creating and Retaining Jobs.
Adequate infrastructure is critical for
economic development. Expansion
of our water and sewer system, for
example, would provide new
opportunities for business
development in older urban
neighborhoods as well as newer
areas. Aisc, bond proceeds could be
used to fund infrastructure
improvements to induce new
business to locate in Miami-Dada
County.
,~?=. How much would it
{i As Decade of Progress
ibonds and other general
Obligation bonds are retired
~ii,'~iii~: over the next 40 years, new
debt will be issued; The cost of the
new bond program would be an
average of less th~n 50-cents a week
on the average home (vaiued at
$127,000 in 2004).
i 'l:!illi decide what proJect~
to Include In e new
bond program?
A series of town
meetings
are being held throdghout
Miami-Dado County to hear from
residents on their prioriti~s. Ali
residen~ are
being encouraged to voi~ their
opimon by a.~ending the town
meetings and ¢~mmunicating with
County o~ci8~s. Meeting
schedules are being published
local newspapers and can be faund
on the County's website. Tho~e
w~th computer a~ess ~n provide
input at
~.miamidaQ~lb~nd200~
by answering the online
quesiionnaire. Following the town
meetings, the County Msnager
~mpile a list of recommended
~roje~s to be submi~ed to t~e
Board of County Commissioners.
The Commission has Be final
au~odty in deciding what projec~
will be included in the bond
prog~m to be presented [o voters
as referendum question(s) on the
November 2, 2004 General
Election ballot.
How can voters be
sure bond dollars
will be spent on the
projects they
~,pproYed In tho bond
referendum?
Bond funds can only be used on
projects included in the bond
program approved by voters. The
project list will be finalized in July
2004 prior to the November
election.
Whet will happen if
Miami-Dada
"!ii~ a new bond
residents vote NO for
program?
Many of the improvemept
projects that affect residents' quality
of life will not happen. Further
postponement of critical projects
could lead to higher cost~ in the
future, Much of the infrastructure
in the County today-from MetroZoo
and parks to our water and sewer
systems and traffic improvements-
was built with bond funds from the
1972 Decade of Progress bond
program. It's hard to imagine the
County without these projects.
?!; Who can vote on the
i!i~ bond issue?
%. All Miami-Dado County
~!~ voters registered in time
iis who caste ballot in the
iiiil~l!~ November 2, 2004 General
Election.
If the bond program
is approved by
voters in November,
when would the
community see the
improvements?
Work on the projects would begin
immediately while the bonds would
be repaid over a 40-year time-
period. The community
improvements would be seen over
the next few years and would
continue for approximately 10-15
years.
Alex Penates
Mayor
Board of County Commissioners
Barbara Caray-$huler, Ed.D, Chairperson
Katy Sorenson, Vice Ci~alrpe~on
Betty T. Ferguson Katy Sorenson
O~stfict f District 8
Dorrin D. Rolle Dennis C. Moss
District 2 l~t#ct g
Barbara Carey-Shuler, Ed.D. Sen. Javier D. Souto
D/strict 10
Joe A. Madinez
Distric! 11
Jos~ 'Papa" Diaz
O~str~cf 12
Natacha Seljas
District 13
District 3
Sally A. Heyman
District 4
Bruno A. Barreiro
District .5
Reb. ca Sosa
Jimmy L. Morales
Di~ttfct 7
Harvey Ruvin
Clerk of Courts
George M. Burgess
County Margay, er
Robed A. Oinsburg
County Attorney
Miami. Dada County prey/des equal access and equal
opportunity in employment and services end toes not
dlscriminate on the basis of di~abili04
The Miami Herald I 02/08/20041 Forums to discuss bond issue
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Hiami-Dade County will host two town hall meetings for Miami Beach
residents to discuss a proposed General Obligation Bond issue that
will be on the November ballot.
County staff will discuss proposed projects for the bond initiative,
which is similar to the 1972 Decade of Progress Bond that was used
to fund projects such as Metrozoo, new libraries, regional parks, and
capital improvement projects including water and sewer system
expansions,
The new plan proposes to issue approximately $1.6 billion to $2
billion in bonds that would fund projects to be constructed over the
next 10 to 15 years. If voters approve the new bond program, the
current tax rate supporting debt service would not change, according
to a release from the county.
Among the projects the new bond initiative would fund are public
safety facilities, park and cultural projects, roadway and bikeway
systems, sidewalk and pedestrian improvements, new museums,
additional water and sewer system extensions, public health facilities
and neighborhood service centers.
At the meetings, Miami-Dade County staffers will seek input from
residents prior to creating a project list for the proposed bond
program.
The meetings will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Fienberg/Fisher
Elementary School, 1420 Washington Ave.; and 7 p.m. Wednesday at
Bay Harbor Island City Hall, 9665 Bay Harbor Ter.
For more information, visit www.miamidade.govbond2004.
email this J print this
htt~://www~miami~c~m/m~d/miamihera~d/news/~~ca~/states/~~rida/c~unties/miami~dade/citi~~~ 2/9/2004
List of Projects to be considered for inclusion in Miami-Dade County
General Obligation Bond Issue
Re,qional Proiects:
Convention Center Expansion
Ballroom - $50 Million
Parking Garage - $35 Million
Beachwalk / Baywalk
Indian Creek Greenway-$15 Million
10th Street Auditorium - $5 Million
Frank Gehry Park - $15 Million
Jackie Gleason Theater
Beachfront Restrooms - $2.5 Million
Lummus Park - $5 Million
Monument Island
Fire Station # 2 EOC - $4 Million
Altos Del Mar Park - $5 Million
South Pointe Park - $5 Million
Police Department Capital Needs
Fire Department Capital Needs
Beach Patrol Capital Needs
Old City Hall
Organizational Proiects
Wolfsonian - $40 Million
Miami Beach Botanical Garden
Bass Museum of Art Phase II
Boys and Girls Club Recreation Center
Police Athletic League Recreation Center
Byron Carlyle Theater Phase III
County Proiects
North Shore Library
Venetian Causeway Master Plan Phase II
North Shore Open Space Park Maintenance
Facility - $1.8 Million
Citywide ADA Beach Access
Environmental Projects
Beach Renourisment
Shoreline Stabilization
Canal Cleanup / Dredging
Parkinq & Transportation Proiects
Electrowave Expansion and Vehicles
41 st Street Bridge Repair/Restoration, 41 st
Street Streetscape Improvements
Washington Avenue Masterplan - $11.8
Million
West Avenue Corridor Improvements
Cultural Campus Streetscape
Dade Boulevard Intersection Improvements
La Gorce / Pine Tree Median Improvements
Alton Road Corridor Enhancements
23rd Street Bridge
Parking Garage Projects
-City Hall West Garage Expansion
-Walker Parking Implementation
-Collins Park Parking Project
-North Beach Parking Structure
-Surface Lot Renovations
Infrastructure & Amenities
Neighborhood Water and Sewer
Improvements
Neighborhood Stormwater Improvements
Collins Avenue Water Line Relocation
Lincoln Road Improvements
South Beach Service Team Equipment
Citywide ADA Sidewalk Curb Cut Plan
Citywide Signage Plan, Entrance Signage
20th Street and Alton Road Fountain
South Shore Community Center
Colony Theater
North Shore Open Space Park Nature
Center- $1 Million
Normandy Shores Golf Course
Miami Beach Golf Club
Allison Park
Collins Park
Flamingo Park
Normandy Isle Park