LTC 051-2005 Weekly Update CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No. o5 -2oo5
To:
From:
Subject:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez ~ .~,--
City Manager ~/~' ~/~
WEEKLY UPDATE
Date: February 18, 2005
The purpose of this LTC is to provide you with an update describing some of the
areas the Administration has recently been focusing on:
FY 2005106 Budget - Staff from the Office of Budget and Performance
Improvement (OBPI) have held a series of training sessions with representatives
from all City Departments to begin preparing for the FY 2005/06 budget using the
new Eden budget preparation module. Discussions and budget preparations
with all City Departments will continue throughout the next several months.
Miami Beach Community Survey - The phone calls to residents started on
February 5 and continued through February 15 with approximately 550
completed surveys. Given the impact the Boat Show may have on the results of
the survey, no calls will take place from February 16 through March 1. Phone
calls to residents are scheduled to resume on March 2. An LTC with a draft
copy of the business and a draft copy of the civic organization surveys was sent
on February 9 asking for feedback from the Mayor and Commission. The target
date to start the business and civic organization surveys is early March.
Major Events Plan (MEP) - Staff continued to plan and prepare for several major
events taking place on Miami Beach in the next couple of weeks including the
Miami International Boat Show and the Yacht & Brokerage Show from February
17-21 and the South Beach Wine and Food Festival from February 25-27.
2005 Elections - Staff has been working with the County to coordinate the City's
efforts for the County-wide election taking place on March 8. City Hall and the
North Shore Library are both early voting sites starting on Monday, February 21
through Sunday, March 6. All precincts throughout the City will be open on
Election Day, March 8. Additional information regarding the March 8 election can
be found at the County's electi%n website at: www.elections.metro-dade.com/
City Hall Parking Complex - A community design workshop was held on
February 10 for the new City Hall parking complex. Several design concepts
were presented. This proposed project is to add a substantial amount of parking
and will free up parking in the garages along Lincoln Road and accommodate the
New World Symphony Project. Some limited retail is also proposed, and a
connection to the main City Hall building and 777 Building.
Public Safety - Representatives from the Police Department attended the
February 10 Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board meeting to discuss
our current policies as they relate to mentally ill intervention. During the
discussion, Circuit Court Judge Liefman complimented the Miami Beach Police
Department's Crisis Intervention Team's efforts. On February 10, members of
the Strategic Investigations Unit worked an Anti Prostitution Detail with 26 arrests
being made, of which, 21 were for prostitution related offenses, two for strong
arm robberies, two for disorderly intoxications and one for obstruction of justice.
On February 10, Chief De Lucca attended a Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(MADD) awards ceremony where he accepted an award on behalf of the Miami
Beach Police Department for our ongoing efforts in ensuring safety in our
community.
Organizational Development - Training on our new, enhanced customer
service standards have begun with the goal of ensuring that all employees
receive the proper training and resources to be able to deliver outstanding
customer service. I also had an opportunity to hold brown bag lunch meetings
with all staff from the Building Department on February 8, the Sanitation Division
on February 9, and Office of the City Manager on February 10 to discuss any
issues that may be of concern to employees in those areas. I also took this
opportunity to discuss the Excellence Miami Beach initiative which focuses on
the City's Mission, Values and Vision. An LTC with details regarding this
initiative was sent on February 16.
Parks & Recreation - The Parks & Recreation Department hosted approximately
150 young people as part of the "Step Up Florida" event on February 16 at the
North Shore Park and Youth Center. "Step Up Florida" is part of the Florida
Department of Health's statewide program aimed at promoting physical activity
and healthy lifestyles among the state's residents and visitors. On February 17,
the Parks and Recreation Department hosted a "Kids Come First" town meeting
at the North Shore Park Youth Center. A dozen representatives from several
public and private organizations participated and offered suggestions on our
current, programsth as well as new ones that will address the '~nterest and needs of
youth ~n K-12 grade. This meeting was a first step in continuing our efforts to
open channels of communication amongst the various diverse groups we serve
and to establish working partnerships with the various organizations. Our newest
program, "Movies in the Park" is scheduled to begin on February 25 at 6:00 p.m.
at the North Shore Park and Youth Center with the film Shark Tales. You and
your families are welcome to attend this first in a series of movies in the park.
Victory Garden - The dedication and opening of the community Victory Garden
took place on February 17 with community gardening information and heritage
exhibits complimenting the opening. A good number of residents from South
Pointe turned out for the dedication which also honored the late Joseph Villari.
Labor Relations - Staff from the Office of Labor Relations completed a state
certification program administered by the Florida Public Employer Labor
Relations Association (FPELRA), a division of the National Public Employer
Labor Relations Association (NEPLRA) which is a nationwide organization of
over 2,000 public sector professionals employed by federal, state and local
governments, schools and special districts. The certification focused on
collective bargaining, and related employment law areas under Chapter 447 of
the Florida Statutes which governs the Public Employees Relations Act.
Cultural Arts Council (CAC) - On February 9, I had an opportunity to meet with
the Chair of the Cultural Arts Council to discuss several ongoing issues and
explore ways in which the City can further help the Cultural Arts Council achieve
its mission and deliver its various programs to the community.
City Boards and Committees - Staff from the Office of the City Clerk and the
City Attorney met with all Board and Committee staff liaisons on February 8 to
talk about the role of the liaisons as they relate to providing support to the Boards
and Committees staff is assigned to.
Black History Month - February is Black History Month and an employee led
committee has been working on plans for this year's celebrations. An exhibit is
currently on display in the 4th Floor Gallery of City Hall which pays tribute to
African America musicians. A proclamation will be presented at the February 23
City Commission meeting declaring February Black History Month in Miami
Beach and an employee luncheon event is scheduled for February 24.
Women's History Month - March is Women's History Month and to
commemorate, the City is planning its first ever art exhibit during the month of
March in the 4th Floor Gallery of City Hall. In addition, the City is partnering with
the Commission on the Status of Women to host an event to present this yea¢s
"Women Worth Knowing" awards on March 22 at the South Beach Marriott. An
LTC with additional details regarding this event will be sent shortly.
City's 90TM Birthday Celebration - Staff is working on several initiatives to
celebrate the City's 90th birthday. With a proposed theme of "Miami Beach, our
vibrant, tropical, historic community...90+ years in the making" several events
are being planned that will take place over the course of the year. Once
additional details are available, I will share with you. In the meantime, if you
have any ideas on how to celebrate the City's birthday, please let me know.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact me.
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