147-2001 LTC
.
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No, 111<2 ()() L
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July 9, 2001
SUBJECT:
Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez \~
City Manager ()
WEEKLY UPDATE
TO:
FROM:
The purpose of this LTC is to provide the Commission with an update describing some of
the areas the Administration focused on during the week of Monday, July 2 - Saturday,
July 7, 2001.
Collins Avenue - Contract was executed late Friday, June 29th. The Contractor has
accelerated construction activity and more work is being done. We are expecting to be
paving from Lincoln Road to 18th Street in about two weeks. Representatives from the
Administration plan to meet with hoteliers and area businesses next week to identify and
discuss access routes for pedestrians and vehicles.
Upcoming Holiday / Event Weekends - The Administration has continued to work to
assure that planning and resources are appropriately allocated for all upcoming holiday
weekends as well as events associated with the Source Awards. The Fourth of July
holiday was relatively quiet with no reported incidents. The Administration is continuing
to monitor hotel occupancy 45, 30, 15 and 7 days out; monitor special and nightclub
events; assess the impact of City permitted special events; develop and maintain ongoing
community contact, including with nightclub and hotel owners (a meeting was held on
July 5th to discuss the establishment of the Nightlife Industry Council); researching
internet information and websites; limit off-duty police available for those weekends to
maximize the number of officers available; and develop appropriate transportation plans.
In addition, on July 6th, representatives from the Administration, the Police Department,
SMG, and the Miami Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau met with Dave Mays and
several representatives from the Source Magazine to discuss the upcoming Source Music
Awards on August 20th and the related weekend events associated with this event.
G,O. Bond Oversight Committee - Was held on July 2nd and included the following
agenda items: City Projects status report; a Parks Project status update; a report from
Hazen and Sawyer that included a Neighborhoods Summary Report and a Program
Management Status Report; a status report on the Street Tree Masterplan and Tree
Ordinance; a presentation on the URS Contract; and a CIP Office update. Minutes from
the meeting are expected to be sent soon.
Fourth of July Holiday - The Celebration in North Beach was a huge success with an
estimated 30,000 in attendance. Twenty-three children from around the world were
sworn in as new U.S. citizens, the musical and entertainment performances were very
well received and the fireworks were spectacular. Next year's event is being planned for
10th Street and Ocean Drive.
Microsoft Convention - Preparations continue for the Microsoft Global Briefing which
began Saturday evening, July 7th with a "welcome" reception and will continue through
July 17th. Conference attendance will build from 5,000 this past weekend to 11,500 on
July 10th and then taper back down to about 2,500 by the end of the conference. Weekly
meetings of Department representatives have been held and will continue to be held
through the end of the conference. The purpose of these meetings is to address specific
items related to conference activities and events as well as to ensure that the overall City
looks its best and functions properly during the conference. In addition to the welcome
reception on July 7th, Conference events include a Club Night on July 9th at five area
nightclubs and a Beach Party on 21st Street from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. on July 10th.
Please note that these events are only for the attendance of Microsoft conference
attendees.
Tour of Fleet Management and Sanitation Departments - The City Manager along
with other representatives from the Administration toured and had an informal lunch with
the staffs of the Fleet Management and Sanitation Departments at Terminal Isle on July
2nd to learn first hand about the issues both these Department's are dealing with.
Electrowave Long-Range Plan - Representatives of the Administration met to discuss a
seven year long-range plan for the Electrowave which in year one would include
improving headways to between 10 and 12 minutes on existing routes, improving
maintenance problems, developing service standards, and identifying viable funding
sources. In year two, it would include implementing the Alton Road route. In years three
and four it would include implementing Collins Hotel routes in Mid Beach and finalizing
service standards. In years five, six, and seven it would include implementing the North
Beach circulator route. This plan will be further reviewed as part of the budget
development and the Administration will make a recommendation shortly.
State of Florida Legislative Session - Representatives from the Administration met with
Florida Representatives Gus Barreiro and Dan Gelber and Florida Senator Ron Silver to
begin to discuss legislative, administrative, and funding items for the 2002 legislative
session scheduled to begin in January 2002. The Administration plans to meet with state
agencies starting in August 2001.
America's Meeting Point - The Mayor coordinated a meeting with the Administration
to discuss the possibility of the City of Miami Beach hosting the 2002 America's Meeting
Point convention at the Miami Beach Convention Center. America's Meeting Point
would be sponsoring the 2nd International Real Estate Show (the first International Real
Estate Show was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina).
Budget Meeting - On Saturday, July 7th, members from the City Manager's Office, the
Finance Department and the Office of Management and Budget met to review FY 01/02
Department requests for current services and their enhancements in order to begin to
balance the budget.
Capital Improvement Program Commission Workshop - Will be held on Monday,
July 23rd, beginning at 3:00 p.m. to discuss the funding levels for neighborhood and parks
projects and resident's expectations ofthese projects.
Should you desire any additional information about any of these items, please feel free to
contact me.
JMG:RI
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