LTC 114-2005 Miami Beach Schools Used As Election Voting Locations
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No. 114-2005
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From:
Mayor David Dermer and Date: May 3. 2005
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez \~' --- /'
City Manager U 0
MIAMI BEACH SCHOOLS USED AS ELECTION VOTING LOCATIONS
To:
Subject:
On February 15, 2005, Ms. Wendy Hart, Chairperson of the Miami Beach Committee for
Quality Education, and on behalf of the Committee, sent a letter to the Mayor and City
Commission regarding using public schools as election voting locations. See Attachment
"A".
On February 22, 2005, Commissioner Bower sent a Memorandum to Jorge M. Gonzalez,
City Manager, with copies to Bruno Barreiro, Miami-Dade County Commissioner, and Dr.
Rudolph F. Crew, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, requesting the
City of Miami Beach work with both Miami-Dade County Government and Miami-Dade
County Public School system regarding using public schools as election voting locations.
See Attachment "B".
On March 1,2005, the Administration, under my signature, sent a letter to Ms. Constance
Kaplan, former Supervisor of Elections, forwarding both Ms. Hart's letter and
Commissioner Bower's Memorandum and asked Robert Parcher, City Clerk, to work with
the Elections Department to see if alternative voting locations could be found. See
Attachment "C".
Attached for your review is the response letter from Mr. Lester Sola, Supervisor of
Elections, Miami-Dade County Elections Department indicating that the current facilities
have provide area voters with a history of familiarity, stability and reliability. Unless the City
of Miami Beach is able to identify available and accessible facilities by July 15, 2005, the
Elections Department's recommendation would be to not make any change at this time.
See Attachment "D".
Please advise if there is any further action you would like the Administration to take.
F:\CLER\CLER\FORMS\voting locations Itc.doc
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Miami Beach Committee of Quality Education
1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FI. 33139
http:\\ci.miami-beach.lI.us
Telephone (305) 673-7193
Facsimile (305) 673-7"2
DA TE:
February 15, 2005
TO: Mayor and Commission
FROM: Wendy Hart - Chair for Committee of Quality Education
Committee Members
SUBJECT: Public Schools Voting Locations
Dear Major and Commissioners:
On behalf of the Miami Beach Committee for Quality Education, I am writing to you today with a
request for your assistance in improving our children's education. In order to enhance our students' safety
while at school we have laws requiring notification of convicted sexual predators living near our schools,
requiring volunteers at school to have background checks, and strict consequences against weapons brought to
school. We strongly support all of these safety measures. Additionally, we strongly support voter education in
our schools and community, and firmly believe that a well-educated voting populace is essential for our
society.
However, we must request for your assistance in improving our children's education this was clearly
brought to focus after our recent presidential election. After witnessing firsthand some of the disruptions and
then speaking to several of our feeder pattern's principals and teachers, the feedback was unanimous against
this practice. We are inviting the entire populace into our schools for an entire day at a time without any extra
security precautions, extra parking, or regard for the effect upon our students, teachers, and administrators.
Some of the issues raised were lack of coordination between the poll workers and administration, requiring one
principal to spend over an hour of time insuring that things went smoothly during the last election. Students
had to be prevented from using bathrooms or going from class to class without escorts. Classes had to be
shifted from one location to another to segregate the voting location, which caused a domino effect on other
classes' locations as well. Bathrooms had to be accommodated to voters. Some Physical Education fields get
used for parking, so PE classes are kept inside, etc. Of course, no weapons checks are done, and tempers can
get short occasionally when its hot, lines are long, and an important election is being held. Clearly all of this is
highly disruptive to our children's learning environment.
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It is the opinion of this Committee that practically any other public locations are better suited for Lie
task of voting locations than are our public schools. Aside from all of the above security issues, the parking
considerations of voters alone could be argued for not using public schools, as most schools in our feeder
pattern do not have any or many public parking lots nearby. In the strongest possible way, we urge you to
please review the available locations for voting and make the necessary law changes to prevent this regular
commotion from affecting our students' safety and educations in the future. If this reasonable and responsible
choice is somehow not an option, than we at least request that you would consider making teacher workdays on
the days that voting would be held at school locations. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Wendy Hart, Chair
Committee Members
Miami Beach Committee for Quality Education
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CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR & COMMISSION
MEMORANDUM
TO:
JORGE M. GONZALEZ
CITY MANAGER
cc:
BRUNO BARREIRO
COUNTY COMMISSIONER
FROM:
DR. RUDOLPH F. CREW
SUPERINTENDENT OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC
SCHOOLS
MATTIH.BOWER ~.~
COMMISSIONER - TYt1J
DATE:
February 22, 2005
RE:
Miami Beach Committee for Quality of Education- Use of Miami
Beach school as Voting Locations
Attached please find a letter from the Miami Beach Committee for Quality of Education requesting
that the City of Miami Beach look into using public facilities other than the local schools as voting
locations. They are concerned for the safety of the children as well as the disruption caused by the
influx of voters into the schools on Election Day.
I understand that the assignment of voting locations is controlled by Miami-Dade County, and I
would like to request that the Administration work along with Miami-Dade County and Miami-Dade
County Public Schools in determining the best solution for both our students and our voters.
I thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter. If you have any questions, please do not
hesitate to contact my office at (305) 673-7105.
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Thank you.
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CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
www.miamibeachfl.gov
City Manager's Office
Telephone 305-673-7010
March 1, 2005
Ms. Constance Kaplan
Miami-Dade Elections
2700 NW aih Ave.
. Miami, Florida 33172
Dear Ms. Kaplan:
Attached for your perusal is a letter from Ms. Wendy Hart, Chair of the Committee for
Quality Education in Miami Beach Schools and a Memorandum from Miami Beach City
Commissioner Matti H. Bower regarding using Miami Beach Schools as voting locations.
The Miami-Dade Elections Department is presently utilizing five (5) schools in Miami Beach
as voting precincts: 11-Biscayne Elementary School, 24-Nautilus Middle School, 29-North
Beach Elementary School, 40-South Pointe Elementary School and 42-Feinberg-Fisher
Elementary School.
In trying to address the concern expressed by both the Committee for Quality Education in
Miami Beach Schools and Commissioner Bower, the City of Miami Beach will be happy to
work with your staff to try to secure replacement voting locations.
I know that the Elections Department has a difficult time securing voting locations. I have
asked Robert Parcher, Miami Beach City Clerk, to contact you and work with your staff to
try to identify replacement sites. '., J 0
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Jorge M. Gonzalez
City Manager
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c: Matti H. Bower, Miami Beach City Commissioner
Bruno Barreiro, Miami-Dade County Commissioner
Dr. Rudolph F. Crew, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Robert Parcher, Miami Beach City Clerk
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Miami-Dade County Elections Department
2700 NW 87th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33172
T 305-499-VOTE F 305-499-8547
TTY: 305-499-8480
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Mr. Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager
City of Miami Beach - City Hall
1700 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, Florid 33 172
This .eorrespondence . s in response to your March 1,2005 letter to Ms. Constance Kaplan
regarding Miami Be ch Schools utilized as voting facilities. Your letter identifies five (5)
schools in the Miami Beach area that you would like for Miami-Dade County Elections
Department to discontinue using as polling places - Precinct Il-Biscayne Elementary School,
Precinct 24-Nautilus Middle School, Precinct 29-North Beach Elementary School, Precinct 40-
South Pointe Elementary School, and Precinct 42-Feinberg-Fisher Elementary School.
In consideration and appreciation for the concerns expressed by the Committee for Quality
Education in Miami Beach Schools, and Commissioner Bower, I directed my staff to explore the
possibility of relocating the polling places at issue. Our findings are detailed below:
Precinct 11 - Biscayne Elementary School
800 - 77 Street
Precinct Term:
Surrounding Precinct(s):
Area Facilities:
Option:
25 years (established as precinct in 1980)
Precinct 13 (North Shore Library -7501 Collins Ave) - too small to double up)
- within Precinct 14 boundaries.
Precinct 14/21 (North Shore Community Center -7251 Collins Ave) - within
boundaries.
North Shore Recreation Center (501 72 Street - within Precinct 14 boundaries).
Move Precinct II to North Shore Library and move Precinct 13 to North Shore
Recreation Center.
---...----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Precinct 24 - Nautilus Middle School
4301 North Michigan Avenue
Precinct Term:
Surrounding Precinct(s):
Available Facilities:
Area Facilities:
Option:
13 years (established as precinct in 1992)
None
None
La Gorce Golf Course - 5680 Alton Road (Private Club - not available for use)
Indian Creek Fire Station - 6880 Indian Creek Drive. Previously used - out of
boundaries. Relocated to school because fire station presented a safety hazard.
None
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Jorge M. Gonzalez
April 7, 2005
Page 2 of3
Precinct 29 -
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------..----------...-...------------------------------------------
North Beach Elementary School
4100 Prairie Avenue
Precinct Term:
Surrounding Precinct(s):
Available Facilities:
Area Facilities:
Option:
Precinct 40 -
6 years (established as precinct in 1999)
None
None
St. Patrick Catholic Church - 3885 Meridian Avenue
In boundaries. Previously used - Permission withdrawn twice because
scheduled activities, solicitors, and parking problems.
Mt. Sinai Medical Center - 4300 Alton Road
In boundaries. Previously used - Relocated because voter access was difficult
and hard to find.
St. John's on the Lake United Methodist Church - 4760 Pinetree Drive - In
boundaries. Previously used - Permission withdrawn because of solicitation
and daycare activities.
None
South Pointe Elementary School
1050 - 4 Street
Precinct Term:
Surrounding Precinct(s):
A vaila ble Facilities:
Area Facilities:
Option:
Precinct 42-
6 years (established as precinct in 1999)
None
None
South Bay Towers - 800 West Ave. - Previously use - withdrew permission
because of parking (gated condos) - voter raised safety concerns.
South Shore Hospital- Previously used - Relocated because of voter complaints
that hospital was not suitable for voting process.
None
Fienberg Fisher Elementary School
1420 Washington Avenue
Precinct Term:
Surrounding Precinct(s):
Available Facilities:
Area Facilities:
Option:
3 years (established as precinct in 2002)
None
None
Miami Beach Police Athletic League - 999 11 Street
Denied use in 2002 because of scheduled activities.
Miami Beach Senior Center - 610 Espanola Way - Previously used. Permission
withdrew because voting process interfered with senior citizen activities and
concern for seniors' safety.
None
Jorge M. Gonzalez
April 7, 2005
Page 3 of3
Conducting voting in our local schools provides an invaluable opportunity for adult parents to
create positive civic experiences for their youth by exemplify voting as vital to American life and
fostering the development of active, engaged and well-informed citizens. My staff has met with
members of Miami-Dade School Board who have supported the Elections Department's
utilization of Miami-Dade schools to conduct elections, while ensuring a safe, secure and non-
disruptive environment for students.
The current facilities have provided area voters with a history of familiarity, stability and
reliability. Changes will undoubtedly result in complaints to the Elections Department, the City
of Miami Beach, and other organizations involved. While our canvassing effo'rts have been
unsuccessful, my staff is working with the Miami Beach City Clerk to identify area facilities in
close proximity to the precincts. Unless the City of Miami Beach is able to identify available
and accessible facilities by July 15,2005, the Elections Department's recommendation would be
to not make any changes at this time.
pc: Matti H. Bower, Miami Beach City Commissioner
Bruno Barreiro, Miami-Dade County Commissioner
Dr. Rudolph F. Crew, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Robert Parcher, Miami Beach City Clerk
Alina Tejeda-Hudak, Assistant County Manager
Penelope Townsley, Deputy Supervisor of Elections Operations