LTC 140-2006 Memorial Day 2006
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MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 140-2006
LETTER TO COMMISSION
FROM:
Mayor David Dermer and Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager ~ II'- 0-
May 19, 2006 ~
TO:
DATE:
SUBJECT: REPORT ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 2006 (THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2006
- MONDAY, MAY 29, 2006)
Similar to the City's successful planning efforts for Memorial Day Weekend 2002,
2003, 2004, and 2005, the City has begun a comprehensive and coordinated
planning effort to prepare for the upcoming Memorial Day 2006 Holiday Weekend
(Thursday, May 25, 2006 - Monday, May 29, 2006). Irrespective of any events and
based upon early occupancy reports, it is anticipated that this year's holiday
weekend will attract at least as many people as previous Memorial Day weekends,
causing the City's resources to be strained.
The City has advised event promoters that its resources would be fully extended
during the Memorial Day weekend (a major holiday weekend) and unavailable to
support any events.
As part of the City of Miami Beach's Major Events Plan (MEP), in 2003, the City
began submitting a request for In-Kind Services assistance to Miami-Dade County
to provide enhanced public safety resources, beach maintenance and the
participation of members ofthe County's Goodwill Ambassador Team, to assist the
City of Miami Beach throughout the Memorial Day holiday weekend. In 2005, the
County included In-Kind support for Memorial Day weekend in their annual budget,
which eliminates the need for a separate request. Annual in-kind support is based
on actual costs from the previous year.
As in the past year, the City will be canceling off-duty assignments and deploying
public safety staff on an alpha bravo shift assignment. This will be supplemented by
approximately 118 Miami-Dade County Police officers per day and additional
assistance from Florida Highway Patrol, City of Miami, Florida Department of Law
Enforcement, Miami-Dade Corrections Department, Coral Gables, Fort Lauderdale,
and Miami-Dade School Board Police.
Transportation Plan
Closure of Ocean Drive is not contemplated this year, but must be planned for in the
event crowd control issues arise. Nonetheless, the Miami Beach Police Department
will implement a transportation plan between Ocean Drive, Collins and Washington
avenues from 6th Street to 16th Street from 7:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. daily, beginning
Friday, May 26 through Monday morning, May 29. The plan will be similar to prior
years with the exception of allowing east/west vehicular traffic on some cross streets
between Ocean and Washington. This plan includes the closure of some 100 and
200 blocks between 6th Street to 15th Street throughout the weekend. Washington
Avenue and Collins Avenue will remain with two-way traffic. If population
expectations surpass or do not materialize, the transportation plan will be altered
accordingly to ensure public safety.
French barricades will be utilized along the curb on the east side parking lanes of
the 600, 1200 and 1400 blocks of Washington Avenue to allow for pedestrian
overflow on the sidewalks and prevent overflow into the street. Additionally,
portions of Washington Avenue remain in the final stages of construction.
Miami-Dade Transit Agency will operate the Local shuttle bus service and offer free
transportation throughout the weekend.
Other Initiatives
In accordance with the MEP, several other initiatives continue and are ongoing,
including:
. Monitoring Hotel Occupancy and collaborating with the Greater Miami
Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) and the Hotel Association of
Greater Miami and the Beaches.
. Nightlife Advisory Task Force (NITE) coordination/communication with City
staff.
. Ongoing outreach, communications and meetings with hotels, nightclubs,
entertainment establishments and merchants.
. Monitor and assisting with promoter licenses.
. Department staffing plans, including enhanced levels of service and fiscal
impact, are being developed.
. Miami Beach Police enhanced staffing plan on alpha/bravo and
eliminating off-duty staffing during the weekend has been authorized.
. Pre-planned coordination with City, County and State law enforcement
agencies to develop an effective resource deployment allocation including
provision of off-duty police for area hotels has been ongoing.
. Internal staff meetings have been conducted and expanded to include
County beach maintenance, public safety, code compliance and
transportation system staff and community stakeholders.
. Goodwill Ambassadors will be utilized and training sessions are
forthcoming.
. Transportation plan(s) being developed and implemented based upon
population expectations including provisions for shuttle transportation in
the Entertainment District to alleviate congestion.
. The Miami Beach Community Relations Board (CRB), including the Miami-
Dade County CRB representatives, have been actively participating with
City Staff.
. Developing a community outreach and pre-publicity campaign with media
partners.
Community Outreach
Additionally, attached please find a list of meetings attended or those that staff
plans to attend and provide a report on the City's planning efforts.
To date, and based on early indications of full occupancy in the region's hotels, the
City is continuing to conduct a broad and concerted outreach effort throughout the
community, as delineated above. This outreach has been coordinated with the
assistance of the Nightlife Advisory Task Force, the Greater Miami and the Beaches
Hotel Association, GMCVB, South Beach Restaurant and Hotel Association, and
Miami-Dade County.
The City has been effectively communicating all action plans prior to the weekend's
events. While we cannot assure any major impact weekend will go without incident,
the City is effectively planning and preparing its resources to assure a safe, clean,
and successful weekend.
c: Management Team
JMG/HMF/MAS
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