LTC 449-2017 City of Coral Gables Resolution NO. 2017-211.1MIAMIBEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
N O. 449-2017
LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members of the Ci Commission
FROM: Rafael E. Granado, City Clerk '���
DATE: September 5, 2017
SUBJECT: CITY OF CORAL GABLES RESOLUTION NO. 2017-211.1
Attached for your information is Resolution No. 2017-211.1, adopted by the Mayor and
Commission of the City of Coral Gables on August 29, 2017.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA, SUPPORTING DISTRICT
COURTHOUSES, INCLUDING CORAL GABLES DISTRICT
COURT, AND SUPPORTING THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY CLERK'S
REQUEST FOR BRIDGE FUNDING.
The City of Coral Gables Clerk has requested that a copy of this resolution be provided to the
Miami Beach Mayor and Commissioners.
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 305.673.7411.
REG/Ic
Attachments
F:\CLER\$ALL\LILIA\LTC's - Transmittal's\Resolution 2017-?_11.1 Coral Gables.docx
CITY OF CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA
RESOLUTION NO. 2017-211.1
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA, SUPPORTING
DISTRICT COURTHOUSES, INCLUDING CORAL
GABLES DISTRICT COURT, AND SUPPORTING THE
MIAMI-17ADE COUNTY CLERK'S REQUEST FOR
BRIDGE FtTNDING.
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County is the third largest county, in terms of land
area, in the State of Florida, with 1,946 square miles; and
WHEREAS, in 2016 Miami-Dade Cnunty had a population of approximately
2,700,000 residents; and
WHEREAS, throughout Miami-Dade County there are five full-service District
Courthouses and two additional limited-service offices, that render important gavernment
services to their respective areas, including marriage licenses, uncontested divorces,
traffic tickets, domestic violence hearings and capies of court cases; and
WHEREAS, due to a significant funding deficit, starting on September $�', all
seven District Courts and offices will be forced to discontinue these important services;
and
WHEREAS, the discontinuation of these services at the District Courts will force
all individuals needing court services to travel to the Richard E. Gerstein Building, the
Miami-Dade County Courthouse, the Marriage License Bureau and/ar the Parking
Violations Bureau, all located in or around downtown Miami; and
WHEREAS, traveling to the downtown area is difficult, can be expensive and is
often a hazdship, especially for underprivileged individuals and those that live in areas
without easy access to public transportation and this significant reduction in staff will
lead to longer wait times in the downtown locations, in order to receive the same
sernces;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES:
SECTION 1. The foregoing "Whereas" clauses are hereby ratified and confirmed
as being true and conect and are hereby made a specific part of this Resolution upon
adoption hereof.
Page 1 of 2- Resolution No. 2017-211.1
SECTIUN 2. That the City Carnmission supports District Courthouses,
including the Cora1 Gables District Court, r�rhich provides a vital public service to the
residents of Coral Gabies and neighboring are�s.
SECTION 3. That the City Commi�sion supports the request made by the
Miami-Dade County Clerk for bridge fundiog in the amount of $4 million from the
Count}' and requests that the Board of County Commissioners provide expedited
cansideration of this request.
SECTIQN 4. That the City Commi�sian supports the request by the Miami-Dade
Caunty Clerk for a lang-term legislative salution to the funding problem, at the State
level.
SECTION 5. That the City Cammi s�ion directs that a copy af this Resolution be
sent ta the Governor of the State of Fiorid�, the Miami-Dade legislative delegation, the
Miami-Dade County Mayor, each member of the Miami-Dade Board of County
Cammissioners, the Miami-Dade I.eague of Cities and all other municipalities in Miami-
Dade County.
SECTTON 6. That this Resolutivn shall become effective upon the date of its
passage and adoption herein.
2017.
PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS T'�wrENTY-NINTH DAY OF AUGUST, A.D.,
(Moved: Quesada ! Seconded: Mena�
(Yeas: Keon, Lago, Mena, Quesada, Valdes-Fauli)
(Unanimous: S-0 Vote)
(Non-Agenda Item}
APPROVED:
:
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RAUL k�'ALDE -
MAY R
APPROVE O
LEGAL SLTFFICIEr
CRAIG E. LEEN
CITY ATTORNF
Page 2 of 2- Resalution No. 2017-211.1
I��1�7
THE CITY OF C{3R�i.L GABLES
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CITY HALI. 403 91LTMOR@ WAY
OFFICE QF CITY COh4MtSSiONER CORAL GAHL�3. Ft.ORIDA 33134
Tke CPiy Bt;�ctid�ial
l�UgLiSt � � , �Q 1 �%
Re: A Call to Action — Suppflrt For Our State Jadiciai Branch
Dear Elected Official,
As elected officials, we alI have a duty to protect the members �f our communities and ta ensure
that each resident has reasonably canvenient access to #he services provided by our state judicial
branch of government. UnfortunaEely, this very access has recently been significantly impacted
by a lack of funding for the Miami-Dade County Clerk's 4ffice by the Florida Legislature.
State funding for County Cterk's Uffice has been severely cut, and these budgetary cuts have
wide-reaching effects, beyond the boundaries of Miami-Dade C�unty. C3ur clerks store and
provide access to records, and provide necessary services, such as paying parking citations,
obtaining marriage licenses, and filing sanall cIairns cases, among many athers.
I am writing on behalf of the City of Coral Gables to express the City's support for the Ofiice of
the Clerk of Caurts and the district caurthauses throu�Yiout the County.
If the Clerk's sa#eilite workforce is lost, it �vill require critical court c�perati4ns to cease
thrtiughaut the County, resulting in unprecedented dclays and limitations for basic and necessary
services. For instance, it will require countiess r�sidenis ta expend additional tirne, money, and
energ}r to traveI great distances ta obtain basic Clerk services. Significantly, these cuts wi�l
result in the loss of stable and necessary jobs in aur Iocal economy, and the dismissal of valued
County emplayees.
In light of the recent State fundin� cuts, yesterday, the Miami-Dade Cc�unty Mayor and County
Cammissioners stepped in and provided bridge funding to mitigate the State Legislaiure's
shortfalls. Howeuer, this is only a temporary fix as the State Le�;islature must ensure that our
judicial branch of gavernment is sufficiently funded every year.
P.O, BOX i415d9 CORAL GABLES, FL.BRiDA 331 14=i S4$ {905} 55$-1817 FAJC {905y 4B0^5337
Accordingly, we urge a lang-term legislative solutian, at the state-level, to guararztee that in the
fiiture, khe judiciat branch and its administrative arm receives adequate funding.
I encourage you to review the attached City of Coral Gables Commission resolution, which
further details the City's position. Ii has also been provided to Governor Rick Scott; the Miami-
Dade League af Cities; all Miarni-Dade municipal electeci afficials; and the entire state court
judieiary in Miami-Bade Caunty.
If you have any questians regarding the attached resoluti4n, ar the City's positian on this matter,
nleas�.�o nc�t hesita#e to contact me.
�`� C. Quesaci�
Commissioner
Ciry of Coral Gables
Enclasure: C4ral Gables Resolutian
cc: Clerk of Courts, Harvey Ruvin
Chief Circuit Judge, Bertila Soto