LTC 065-2005 Weekly Update
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No. 065-2005
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To:
From:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez fl.. ~ ~
City Manager 1~ 0
WEEKLY UPDAT
Date: March 4, 2005
Subject:
The purpose of this LTC is to provide you with an update describing some of the
areas the Administration has recently been focusing on:
FY 2005/06 Budget - Staff from the Office of Budget and Performance
Improvement (OBPI) continue to meet with representatives from City
Departments to continue preparing for the FY 2005/06 budget using the new
Eden budget preparation module. Discussions with all City Departments will
continue throughout the next several months to focus on the FY 2005/06 budget
preparations.
Miami Beach Community Survey - The phone calls to residents started on
February 5 and continued through February 15 with approximately 550
completed surveys. The calls resumed on March 2 and will continue until
approximately 1,200 residents have been contacted. The business and
community organization surveys are scheduled to begin next week.
2005 Elections - The City Clerk continues to work with the Elections
Department to coordinate the City's efforts for the County-wide election taking
place on March 8. City Hall and the North Shore Library have been serving as
early voting sites since February 21 and will continue through March 6. All
precincts throughout the City will be open on Election Day, March 8. Vote Miami
Beach activities will continue this year and staff is working on activities that will
promote voter registration in the City.
Major Events Plan (MEP) - Staff continued to plan and prepare for several major
events that took place and will be taking place on Miami Beach. The Miami
International Boat Show and the Yacht & Brokerage Show from February 18-21
drew a record number of attendees this year as did the South Beach Wine and
Food Festival which took place from February 25-27. March will be a very busy
month again this year with several special events taking place throughout the
City. The Winter Music Conference, the world's largest dance music conference,
celebrates it 20th anniversary this year and will take place on March 21 - 27
bringing an estimated 25,000 - 35,000 participants to Miami Beach.
Public Safety - Representatives from the Police Department attended an
Internet Crimes Symposium sponsored by the u.S. Department of Justice in
Washington, D.C. Staff from Neighborhood Services and Police Departments
met on March 2 to continue to coordinate issues associated with the homeless
population in Miami Beach. On March 2, representatives from the Police
Department attended a Pinetree/La Gorce Neighborhood Association meeting to
discuss crime trends and crime prevention in the area. On March 4,
representatives from the Police Department attended a meeting at the Florida
Department of Law Enforcement headquarters with representatives of local,
state, and federal law enforcement agencies to discuss the potential problems
associated with the pending release of refugees from a federal prison in Atlanta.
Beachwalk Project - Staff from the Public Works Department continues to work
on finalizing the Beachwalk project, which is now nearly 85% complete. State of
the art, environmentally friendly lighting has been installed along the path so as
not to disturb nesting sea turtles and non-native vegetation has been replaced
with native species along the dunes. Pedestrians, rollerbladers, and bicyclist are
now able to use most of the path to exercise and travel between hotels and
restaurants.
Dune Restoration Project - The Public Works Department was awarded
$200,000 from the Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond from Miami-Dade County to
restore the dune system from 79th street to 22nd street. Work began in November
2004 and was recently completed last month. Non-native plants were removed,
including Australian Pine and Scaevola, and replanted with Sea Oats, Railroad
Vines, and Beach Sunflowers.
Earth Day 2005 - In conjunction with the City Parks & Recreation Department,
the Environmental Resources Management Division will be hosting the first
annual Earth Expo on Miami Beach taking place on Earth Day, April 10 from
12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The Earth Expo will be free and open to the public and
will create a forum for sustainable businesses and will provide exhibits on hybrid
cars, green investing, energy efficient and water conservation products for the
home, natural cosmetics, and organic foods. Attendees will also have the
opportunity to participate in native plant identification workshops. Together these
exhibits will address some of the more pressing environmental issues of our time
- economic, social, and environmental.
Miami Beach Regional Library - Staff has been working with representatives
from Miami Dade County to coordinate the Regional Library opening and ribbon
cutting ceremonies on April 1 at 2:00 p.m. Other activities taking place over the
opening weekend include an Author's evening scheduled for April 2 and a free
family festival day on April 3. The new library includes a newly-ordered collection
off 75,000 reading materials, a large auditorium, a coffee bar, a reading garden
with fountains and a reading area for children.
Parks & Recreation - The "Movies in the Park" showing of Shark Tales on
February 25 at the North Shore Park and Youth Center was a huge success with
over 700 adults and children attending. An LTC with additional details about this
event and the future of the "Movies in the Park" program was sent on March 4.
Staff is working on the City's first ever Duathlon which will offer runners and
swimmers of all ages a chance to compete on March 20 in Flamingo Park.
County G.O. Bond Projects - Staff and I met with representatives from the
County on February 28 and then again amongst ourselves on March 1 to discuss
funding and next steps involved with the various Miami Beach projects.
Miami Beach Channel 20 - On March 1, I met with staff from the City Clerk's
Office to discuss ways to further improve programming on channel 20 and
implement newer technologies that will be beneficial to our viewing audience.
Organizational Development - Training on our new, enhanced customer
service standards have begun with various City Departments. The goal of the
training is to ensure that all employees receive the proper training and resources
to be able to deliver outstanding customer service. Training will continue through
the end of this month.
Women's History Month - March is Women's History Month and to
commemorate, the City has coordinated the first-ever art exhibit by female artists
currently on display in the 4th Floor Gallery of City Hall. In addition, the City is
partnering with the Commission on the Status of Women to host an event to
present this year's "Women Worth Knowing" awards on March 22 at the South
Beach Marriott. This year's honorees include Dr. Georgina Garcia, Elsie Sterling
Howard and the Honorable Shelly Kravitz who were chosen for their contributions
to the Miami Beach community.
City's 90th Birthday Celebration - Staff is working on several initiatives to
celebrate the City's 90th birthday. With a proposed theme of "Miami Beach, our
vibrant, tropical, historic community...90+ years in the making" several events
are being planned that will take place over the course of the year. A historical
exhibit from the City's archives will be on display beginning March 28 in the 4th
Floor Gallery. The Mayor's State of the City is scheduled for April 8 followed by a
ceremonial birthday cake and the burial of a time capsule at City Hall.
Throughout the year, activities and events will incorporate the City's birthday
theme. The Miami Herald's Miami Beach Neighbors editorial staff has agreed to
run articles throughout the year highlighting the City's history. The March 3
Neighbors included the first of these articles with a story on Avery Smith, the
"father" of Miami Beach tourism. An LTC with additional details will be sent
shortly.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact me.
F:CMGRlALUL TC05/Weekly Update/March4.doc