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Resolution 2019-30973 RESOLUTION NO. 2019-30973 A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA,, ACCEPTING BY 5/7TH VOTE, FOLLOWING A DULY NOTICED PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2019, THE PLACEMENT OF A COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE NEAR THE 3RD STREET BEACH ACCESS POINT AND ADJACENT TO MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS OCEAN BEACH PARK, IN HONOR OF THE LATE MARIAN DEL VECCHIO. WHEREAS, Marian Del Vecchio, a political cartoonist and long-time Miami Beach activist, passed away on June 15, 2019; and WHEREAS, originally from the former nation of Czechoslovakia, Marian Del Vecchio migrated to England in 1938, and subsequently fled from London to Brazil, and finally settled in New York; and WHEREAS, her cartoons were regularly featured under the section "A Different View" for the Miami Herald, from 2000 to 2005, and her drawings were also featured at a recent exhibit by the Miami Design Preservation League at the Art Deco Museum; and WHEREAS, at the June 26, 2019 Presentation and Awards Commission meeting, as required pursuant to Section 82-504(a)(1) of the City Code, the City Commission referred a discussion regarding a commemorative plaque in remembrance of Marian Del Vecchio to the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee ("NCAC"); and WHEREAS, at the July 23, 2019 meeting, as required pursuant to Section 82- 504(a)(4) of the City Code, the NCAC recommended the installation of a commemorative plaque in honor of Marian Del Vecchio; and WHEREAS, at the July 31, 2019 meeting, the City Commission accepted the NCAC's recommendation to install a commemorative plaque in honor of Marian Del Vecchio, and, as required pursuant to Section 82-504(a)(6) of the City Code, set a public hearing for September 11, 2019 to consider the matter; and WHEREAS, recognizing Marian Del Vecchio's civic contributions (See Exhibit A), the proposed location for the commemorative plaque would be the beach walk extension between 3rd and 5th Street, which is adjacent to Marjory Stoneman Douglas Ocean Beach Park; and WHEREAS, the proposed language for the plaque will read, "In memory of Marian Del Vecchio (1935-2019)", and the estimated cost of the design, fabrication, and installation of the bronze plaque is $1,300.00; and WHEREAS, the Parks and Recreation Department will be funding this plaque and the nominal future maintenance costs of the plaque will be assumed by the City; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 82-504(a)(6) of the City Code, a duly noticed public hearing was held on September 11,2019. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City Commission hereby approve, by 5/7th vote, following a duly noticed public hearing on September 11, 2019, the placement of a commemorative plaque near the 3rd Street beach access point and adjacent to Marjory Stoneman Douglas Ocean Beach Park, in honor of the late Marian Del Vecchio. - PASSED AND ADOPTED this 11th day of Septe.e- 019. Dan Gelber, Mayor ATTEST: ,skits Rafael . Granado, City Clerk .01 \1n1 4. 11 y INCORP ORATED' 2 " APPROVED AS TO FORM & LANGUAGE & FOR EXECUTION (9\()-lay. Cfc2-25-( City Attorney Date Resolutions -R7 C MIAMI BEACH COMMISSION MEMORANDUM TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager DATE: September 11, 2019 2:10 p.m. Public Hearing SUBJECT:A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA,ACCEPTING BY 517TH VOTE, FOLLOWING A DULY NOTICED PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2019, THE PLACEMENT OF A COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE NEAR THE 3RD STREET BEACH ACCESS POINT AND ADJACENT TO MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS OCEAN BEACH PARK, IN HONOR OF THE LATE MARIAN DEL VECCHIO. RECOM M ENDAT ION Mayor and City Commission to approve, by 5/7th vote, and following a duly noticed public hearing, the placement of commemorative plaque near the 3rd Street beach access point and adjacent to Marjory Stoneman Douglas Ocean Beach Park in honor of Marian Del Vecchio pursuant to Section 82-504 of the City Code. ANALYSIS Marian Del Vecchio, a political cartoonist and long-time Miami Beach activist, passed away on June 15, 2019. Originally from the former nation of Czechoslovakia, Marian Del Vecchio migrated to England in 1938, only later to flee the London Blitz to Brazil and then settle in New York. Her cartoons were regularly featured under the section "A Different View' for the Miami Herald, from 2000 to 2005. Her drawings were also featured at a recent exhibit by the Miami Design Preservation League at the Art Deco Museum. At the June 26, 2019 Presentation and Awards Commission meeting, a discussion regarding a commemorative plaque in remembrance of Marian Del Vecchio was referred to the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee ("NCAC"), co-sponsored by all members of the Commission. The NCAC issued a favorable recommendation at its July 23, 2019 meeting, which recommended the installation of a commemorative plague in honor of Marian Del Vecchio. At the July 31, 2019 City Commission Presentation and Awards Meeting, the City Commission Page 1166 of 2228 adopted Resolution No. 2019-30924 accepting the recommendation of the NCAC to install a commemorative plaque, near the 3rd Street beach access point and adjacent to Marjory Stoneman Douglas Ocean Beach Park, in honor of Marian Del Vecchio, and set a public hearing for September 11, 2019 to consider the matter; and Recognizing Marian Del Vecchio's civic contributions (Exhibit A), the proposed location for the commemorative plaque would be the beach walk extension between 3rd and 5th street, which is adjacent to Marjory Stoneman Douglas Ocean Beach Park. The proposed verbiage for the plaque will read, "In memory of Marian Del Vecchio (1935-2019)" and the estimated cost of design, fabrication, and installation of the 12"x12" bronze plaque is $1,300.00. The Parks and Recreation Department will be funding this plaque and the nominal future maintenance costs of the plaque will be assumed by the City. Pursuant to Section 82-504 of the City Code concerning monuments and memorials, the City Commission is required to hold a public hearing prior to final approval of the commemorative plaque. Legislative Tracking Parks and Recreation Sponsor City Commission ATTACHMENTS: Description o Exhibit A—Marian Del Vecchio Civic Background ❑ Exhibit B- Resolution No. 2019-30924 ❑ Resolution • Page 1167 of 2228 Subject: FW: Marian Cartoon Signature for Memorial Plaque at Beach Entrance from Ocean Beach Park Attachments: IMG-0851.JPG From: Frank DelVecchio [fdelvecchio©atlanticbb.net] •Sent:Tuesday, June 18, 2019 1:41 PM To: Gelber, Dan; Morales,Jimmy Cc: Bob Goodman; Patricia Posner; Gerald Posner; Clare McCord Subject: Marian Cartoon Signature for Memorial Plaque at Beach Entrance from Ocean Beach Park Dear Mayor Gelber: I very much appreciate your willingness to consider the installation of a memorial plaque in recognition of the civic contributions by my recently deceased wife, Marian Del Vecchio, specifically her successful role, with me, in initiating a homeless assistance program at Ocean Beach Park and the dune crossover there. These were the first matters she discussed in her April 15 FIU/MDPL video. The first day we arrived at our 301 Ocean Drive apartment, adjacent to the park, Marian looked out over the balcony and remarked: "Frank, look at the homeless encampment. You've got to do something about it." I had directed HUD homeless programs in New England, among others, and went right to work on it. The Pottinger settlement agreement had paralyzed and demoralized the City of Miami Beach police, who felt that if they arrested homeless the NAACP would get the Federal Court to assert its jurisdiction over the City of Miami Beach, which would lose control. I talked to the attorneys in the case, and formulated a homeless assistance program proposal that would enable the City of Miami Beach to make the offer of housing and assistance which would satisfy the underlying premises of the Pottinger Settlement agreement. Captain Casey Conwell of the CMB police, chief Barreto, and city manager Sergio Rodriguez recognized this as the avenue out, and the city commission agreed to an initial budget. [I even wrote the first contract with the Salvation Army Shelter in Miami.] Marian was with me all the way, drawing cartoons that told the story in a nutshell. This was just the beginning. We advocated repair of the boarded-up playground in Ocean Beach Park, and eventually the construction of a wonderful fenced-in playground. Marian's cartoons were instrumental in all of the successful legislative initiatives which fostered a viable South of Fifth neighborhood, now home to hundreds of families with children. It is stable and sound. Even the most recent controversy over the path for the Beachwalk extension from 3rd to 5th Street has been brilliantly solved. Instead of a low-lying path adjacent to the walls of the oceanfront buildings, from which no part of the beach could be seen, there is now a higher path in the dunes that is embraced by residents and tourists, dozens of whom photograph every day the life guard stands and the beach from the serpentine Page 168 of 2228 path. The dunes have been strengthened in the process. We advocated for this, and Marian supported this with her cartoons of the beach. Always a partner. I think a legitimate case can be made for city recognition of this remarkable woman's contribution to the civic good. I ask that you consider a location (I will forward photographs) at the Beachwalk opposite the shower as one enters the beach area of Ocean Beach Park. There is a palm tree set in a few feet from the path, fronting on a sandy spot that should prove ideal for a plaque on a stand. I assume it would be a bronze, engraved plaque tilted so as to be best seen. This e-mail contains one of Marian's universally recognized cartoon signatures: a cartoon of Marian on the left and me on the right. I would use Marian's signature cartoon on the left, just her, and on the left of the plaque,which I think the engraver could copy in bronze, and to the right, the simple words: In Memory of Marian Del Vecchio (1935 - 2019) With heavy heart but with appreciation that the mayor is willing to move forward with an initiative I believe the community and the city commission will recognize as legitimate. Many thanks, Frank Del Vecchio 301 Ocean Drive, Apt. 604 Miami Beach, FL 33139 Page 1169 of 2228