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LTC 117-2004 Weekly Update CITY OF MIAMI BEACH Office of the City Manager Letter to Commission No. 117-2004 m From: Mayor David Dermer and Members of the City Commission Jorge M. Gonzalez \ .IV'"-~ City Manager . i . J V WEEKLY UPDATE Date: May 14, 2004 To: Subject: The purpose of this LTC is to provide you with an update describing some of the areas the administration has recently been focusing on: Budget Preparations - The Office of Budget and Performance Improvement (OBPI) continues to work on budget preparations for the next fiscal year. I have been meeting with staff from OBPI to discuss various issues relating to the budget and have met with several Departments during the past two weeks to discuss the department budgets. Briefings with the Commission are scheduled to take place in early June, 2004. Commission Retreat - The leadership retreat for the Mayor and Commission took place on Saturday, May 8. The second part of the retreat is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 22, 2004 beginning at 10:00 a.m. A separate LTC providing specific details about the location of the retreat has already been sent. A packet of information to help you prepare for the May 22 session will be provided to each of you prior to May 22. Quality of Life Issues - Staff from the Police, Neighborhood Services, Public Works and other City departments continue to meet on a weekly basis to focus on issues involved with improving the quality of life for all on Miami Beach. A separate LTC providing an update on recent initiatives to improve quality of life issues on Miami Beach was sent on May 10. Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) - I met with staff on May 3 to discuss recommendations made by the CDAC for funding options that will be discussed at the next CDAC meeting scheduled for May 17, 2004. 2004 Florida-Mexico Cinco de Mayo Celebration - Staff from the Tourism and Cultural Development Department worked with representatives from the Office of the Florida Governor and the Consulate General of Mexico to coordinate a "celebration of cultures" on May 5 at Collins Park. Several hundred participated in the event that included food, music and arts and crafts. 1 Major Events Plan (MEP) - Staff continues to plan and prepare for several major events that will be taking place on Miami Beach in the next couple of weeks, including the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Staff has been meeting with several community groups, including the Miami Beach Community Relations Board, the Cultural Arts Council, the VCA, the Chambers of Commerce, and representatives from the hotel industry to share the City's plans for the upcoming holiday weekend. Several more meetings are scheduled with other groups in the next couple of weeks. In addition, staff met with representatives from Miami- Dade County on May 3 to talk about the allocation of resources and how the City and County can work together again to ensure that it will be a safe weekend for our residents and visitors. A final report on the City's plans will be presented to the Mayor and Commission at the May 26 Commission meeting. Career Shadowing Day - Staff from the City participated in the "Career Shadowing Day" on May 5 sponsored by the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and the School Board of Miami-Dade County. Students from local public schools were matched with employees who mentored the students and provided a first hand experience of what it is like to work in local government. Hurricane Preparedness - The City's third annual Hurricane Information and Preparedness Fair is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 5, 2004 from 10 a.m. to 1 :00 p.m. along the 1000 block of Lincoln Road. The purpose of the event is to reach out to the community and provide information on what the City does and what is suggested for residents and businesses to do, before during and after hurricanes in an effort to educate and protect our residents and businesses. In addition, a meeting with representatives from all the hotels took place on May 6 to provide them with important information to help them prepare. Police Department - On May 6, the Police Department officially swore in 3 new police officers. One of the recruits had the highest academic marks for his academy class. Also on May 6, the Miami Beach Police Memorial Ceremony was held at the Monument in front of the station to formally honor those Miami Beach police officers who have given their lives while protecting others. The Police Department (Strategic Investigation Unit and Patrol Division) continue with their Prostitution Mapping Program and have arrested 28 females and 4 males for related prostitution offenses. On May 14, the Mayors Office, the Miami Beach and City of Miami Police Departments and the Mayor's Black Host Committee sponsored a day long educational event on the Hip Hop Culture. The purpose of the event was to enhance communication between the law enforcement community, the Hip Hop Industry and the general community. The first part of the day was an educational workshop for law enforcement professionals and the later portion included a panel discussion with local community leaders, scholars, Police Chief DeLucca, City of Miami Police Chief Timmoney, and representatives from the Hip Hop community. 2 Children's Trust - Staff is working to prepare for a public meeting to discuss the role of the Children's Trust and possible funding opportunities for the Miami Beach provider community. This will be an opportunity for members of the community to provide input into the process. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 18 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers. National Association of Hispanic Public Administrators (NAHPA) - On May 7, I had an opportunity to participate in a panel discussion at the annual NAHPA conference to discuss the City's strategic management initiatives and the results we have achieved through these initiatives. Other panelists included representatives from Miami Dade County, the School Board and Florida International University. Retired Employees' Luncheon - Was held on May 7 for all general, unclassified and elected officials who have retired from the City. More than 100 former employees came together for this annual event Potamkin Issues - Staff and I met with Wayne Pathman and Jeff Berkowitz on May 7 to discuss outstanding issues dealing with the Potamkin site. Our discussions focused on (1) the FTA requirements and pending approval by FTA and (2) the rising cost of construction, and its impact on the City's contribution to the project. An item dealing with this issue will be placed on the May 26 City Commission agenda. Municipal Clerk's Week - You each had an opportunity to participate in this year's event which took place on May 10 and brought together approximately twenty students from Nautilus Middle School to experience government "first hand". The students participated in a "mock" City Commission meeting assuming the roles of the Mayor, Commissioners, City Manager, Fire and Police Chiefs, City Attorney, and City Clerk. The students were selected according to their interests in government, their goals and aspirations. Grants Management - The City was awarded three grants recently. The first is from the Children's Trust for funding in the amount of $126,500 for the Parks and Recreation Department's Summer Program. Additionally, we received two grants from the VCA - one in the amount of $20,000 for the City's July 4th event, and the second was also in the amount of $20,000 for the City's Camp Miami Beach program. Organizational Development - As part of my ongoing organizational development efforts, I invited all staff from Fleet Management to join me for a brown bag lunch on May 10 to talk about issues that may be important to staff and the division. My goal is to meet with all City Departments in this informal setting to further open the lines of communication and make sure that staff at all levels have an opportunity to share information with me. 3 Nightlife Industry Task Force (NITE) - Members from the NITE met on May 11 with the participation by several area residents from South Pointe, Ocean Drive, and Sunset Harbour. The NITE members met for over three hours and primarily discussed the review and potential establishment of districts to address enhanced service needs for the entertainment and visitor areas. The NITE members suggested a working group be convened to evaluate area service needs. Additionally, the NITE members discussed the license revocation ordinance amendment passed on first reading at the April 14 City Commission meeting. Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) - Staff and I met with Bill Talbert and other representatives from the GMCVB on May 13 to continue discussing issues and providing input to the GMCVB's draft strategic plan which will be presented to the GMCVB's Executive Board at their next meeting. Relay for Life - The City's ongoing fund raising efforts continue with several departments continuing their events to benefit the Relay for Life program scheduled to take place on Memorial Field at Flamingo Park on May 15-16, 2004. A detailed summary of the events taking place over the course of the two days has been provided to each of you. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me. Electronic Copy: Leadership Team F:CMGRlALUL TC04/Weekly Update/April30.doc 3811:J0 S,)Hl::1T)I.l.I~) Z I : I Wd '11 A'~~ ~O a3^1383t! 4