LTC 103-2024 Donation of Leave for Israel AidMIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
LTC# 103-2024
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
LETTER TO COMMISSION
Honorable Mayor Steven Meiner and Members of the City Commission
Alina T. Hudak, City Managty,'(l(<
March 20, 2024
Donation of Leave for Israel Aid
The purpose of this letter to Commission is to provide the Mayor and City Commission with an
update on the status of employees' leave donations for Israel Aid.
On December 13, 2023, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution 2023-4578 that
authorized City employees to donate annual and sick leave pursuant to Section 78-3 of the City
Code for specified humanitarian relief, as may be approved by City Commission.
Further, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2023-32858 on December 13,
2023, desiring to allow City employees to voluntarily donate annual and sick leave hours (to be
converted into currency at the donating employees' respective hourly rates) to aid the people of
Israel via American Friends of Magen David Adorn, Inc., (MDA), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3)
organization.
As of March 14, 2024, City employees donated 323 hours of sick and annual leave to this cause.
These hours are converted to $19,451.92. These funds will be transferred to the MDA no later than
March 29, 2024.
I want to express my gratitude to all the employees who have generously donated their leave for
aid to Israel. Your selfless act of kindness and compassion is truly commendable and reflects the
spirit of unity and support within our team.
ORDINANCE NO. 2023-4578
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER 78 OF THE CODE OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ENTITLED "PERSONNEL," BY
AMENDING ARTICLE I, ENTITLED "IN GENERAL," BY CREATING SECTION
78-3 TH EREOF, TO AUTHORIZE QUALIFYING CITY EMPLOYEES TO MAKE
DONATIONS OF ANNUAL AND SICK LEAVE FOR HUMANITARIAN
DISASTER RELIEF, AS MAY BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION;
PROVIDING FOR REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, CODIFICATION, AND AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach prides itself on being a diverse, inclusive international
community with respect for the rule of law and democratic institutions, with the Mayor and City
Commission routinely supporting measures that promote human rights and dignity; and
WHEREAS, in 2005, the Mayor and City Commission enacted Ordinance No. 2005-3471,
which allows for qualifying City employees to donate a portion of their annual or sick leave to the
surviving dependent beneficiaries of a City employee who dies while in the employ of the City, to
thereby convert annual and sick leave into cash for the benefit of family members of deceased
employees, in the spirit of shared community and a desire to help our extended City family
members in times of great need; and
WHEREAS, recently, an unprecedented number of people around the world have been
affected by various disasters and catastrophes, both natural and manmade; and
WHEREAS, on April 16, 2023, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Ordinance No.
2-23-4485, creating Section 78-3 of the City Code authorizing employees having at least 260
combined hours of annual and sick leave after any donation, to donate annual and sick leave for
specified humanitarian disaster relief, as may be approved by the City Commission by Resolution;
and
WHEREAS, the Ordinance had the sunset date of August 1, 2023, after which it was
automatically repealed; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission desire to re-establish the provisions of
Section 78-3 through August 1, 2024, to authorize City employees to donate annual and sick
leave for humanitarian disaster relief for the benefit of persons displaced and/or adversely
impacted by terror acts by terrorist organization Hamas, as may be subsequently approved by
the City Commission by Resolution for any specific humanitarian relief effort.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. That Section 78-3 of the City Code shall be created as follows, and as hereinafter
set forth below:
C H A P T E R 78
P E R S O N N E L
# k k
ARTICLE I. IN GENERAL
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Sec. 78-3. Donation of annual leave and sick leave for humanitarian disaster relief.
(a) If approved by the city commission via resolution for any specific humanitarian relief effort,
city employees may donate a portion of their annual leave and/or sick leave for specified
humanitarian disaster relief.
(b) The donating emplovee must maintain a balance of at least 260 combined hours of annual
and sick leave.
(c) The donated time will be computed at the donating employee's current rate of pay at the time
of donation.
(d) One check of all donations made shall be issued by the city to the appropriate disaster relief
agency. entity or organization.
(e) Donations may only be made during the period of time designated by the city commission
on such authorizing resolution. No donations will be accepted after that date.
(f) The amount of time donated by the donating employee will reduce that employee's final leave
settlement.
(g) The donating employee will be required to sign a form indicating the hours donated and that
these hours will reduce such employee's final leave settlement. This signed form will be
retained in the donating employee's personnel file.
SECTION 2. REPEALER.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. SEVERABILITY.
If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance is held to be invalid or
unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, then said holding shall in no way affect the
validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance.
SECTION 4. CODIFICATION.
It is the intention of the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, and it is
hereby ordained that the provisions of this ordinance shall become and be made a part of the
Code of the City of Miami Beach, Florida. The sections of this ordinance may be renumbered or
re-lettered to accomplish such intention, and the word "ordinance" may be changed to "section,"
"article," or other appropriate word.
2
SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Ordinance shall take effect on Dtrb<er 3 2023
PASSED and ADOPTED this _.2 day or _D ther _,2023.
ATTEST:
Et 92023
Steven Meiner, Mayor
Rafael E. Granado
City Clerk
Sponsored by Commissioner Alex J. Fernandez, and Co-Sponsored by Mayor Steven Meiner,
Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez and Commissioner Laura Dominguez and Co-sponsored
by Commissioner Tanya K. Bhatt
Underline denotes additions
Strikethrough denotes deletions
A P P R O VED A S T O
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FO R EX EC U T IO N
City At tor n ey g, t
3
R E S O L U T IO N N O . 2 0 2 3 -3 2 8 5 8
A R E S O L U T IO N O F T H E M A Y O R A N D C ITY C O M M IS S IO N O F T H E C IT Y
O F M IA M I B E A C H , F L O R ID A , A U T H O R IZ IN G C IT Y E M P L O Y E E S T O
D O N A T E A N N U A L A N D S IC K L E A V E , P U R S U A N T T O S E C TI O N 7 8 -3 OF
T H E C ITY C O D E , T O A M E R IC A N F R IE N D S O F M A G E N D A V ID A D O M ,
IN C ., A N O T -F O R -P R O F IT , 5 0 1 (C }(3 ) O R G A N IZA T IO N ; A N D F U R T H E R
D IR E C T IN G T H E C IT Y A D M IN IS T RA T IO N T O R E M IT T H E D O N A T E D
F U N D S T O A M E R IC A N F R IE N D S O F M A G E N D A V ID A D O M , IN C ., IN
S U P P O R T O F T H E P E O P L E O F IS RA E L W H O H A V E B E E N A D V E R S E L Y
IM P A C T E D B Y T E R R O R A C T S B Y T E R R O R IS T O R G A N IZA T IO N
H A M A S .
W H E R E A S , October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks by terrorist organization Hamas have
targeted the people of Israel on Shabbat and during the Jewish holy days, resulting in the
loss of innocent lives; and
WHEREAS, the City condemns all acts of terrorism and violence targeting innocent
civilians, and acknowledges the resilience and courage of the people of Israel in the face
of these threats; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission approved, at first reading on October
18, 2023, and at second reading on December 13, 2023, an Ordinance ( creating Section
78-3 of the City Code) authorizing City employees having at least 260 combined hours of
annual and sick leave after any donation, to donate annual and sick leave for
humanitarian disaster relief, as authorized via Resolution by the Mayor and City
Commission; and
WHEREAS, Magen David Adom ("MDA") is Israel's only government-mandated
ambulance and emergency medical responder, serving as Israel's second line of defense;
and
WHEREAS, MDA's fleet of 700 MDA ambulances and Mobile Intensive Care Units
travel over 6.75 million miles a year, taking care of more than 700,000 patients annually;
and
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach prides itself on being a diverse, inclusive
international community with respect for the rule of law and democratic institutions, with
the Mayor and City Commission routinely supporting measures that promote human
rights and dignity; and
WHEREAS, as such, the Mayor and City Commission desire to allow City
employees to voluntarily donate annual and sick leave hours (to be converted into
currency at the donating employees' respective hourly rates) in order to provide much
needed assistance to the people of Israel who have been adversely impacted by terror
acts by terrorist organization Hamas.
N O W T H E R E F O R E , B E IT D U L Y R E S O L V E D T H A T T H E M A Y O R A N D C IT Y
C O M M IS S IO N O F T H E C IT Y O F M IA M I B E A C H , FL O R ID A , hereby authorize City
employees to donate annual and sick leave, pursuant to Section 78-3 of the City Code,
to American Friends of Magen David Adom, Inc., a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization;
and further direct the City Administration to remit the donated funds to American Friends
of Magen David Adom, Inc., in support of the people of Israel who have been adversely
impacted by terror acts by terrorist organization Hamas.
PASSED and ADOPTED this ___!1___ day of December, 2023.
, yyl oar
Rafa~l E. Granado, City Clerk
(Sponsored by Commissioner Alex J. Fernandez)
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR EXECUTION
Date