HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-25855 Reso
RESOLUTION NO. 2005-25855
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, RELATING TO THE ANNUAL
EVALUATION OF THE CITY MANAGER; RECEIVING THE CITY
MANAGER'S REPORT; RECOGNIZING HIS EXEMPLARY
PERFORMANCE; GRANTING MERIT INCREASE OF FIVE PERCENT;
GRANTING PERFORMANCE BONUS OF 12,500 DOLLARS; GRANTING
A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT (COLA) OF THREE PERCENT;
ADJUSTING HIS BENEFITS; ADJUSTING HIS EMPLOYMENT
CONTRACT ACCORDINGLY; AND SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, Jorge M. Gonzalez assumed the role of City Manager on August 21,
2000; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gonzalez' engagement is reflected in an employment contract
dated July 26, 2000 adopted by the City Commission on July 26, 2000, which
establishes his first year's salary and setting other terms, conditions, and benefits; and
WHEREAS, one of the terms of his employment contract provides for an annual
performance review and further provides for salary and benefits adjustments and
performance bonuses in such amounts and to such extent as the City may determine
that it is desirable to do so; and
WHEREAS, the above mentioned employment contract was amended on
October 17,2001 by Resolution Number 2001-24655 in recognition of his exemplary first
year performance evaluation and ensuing adjustments to salary and other aspects of the
employment contract were made; and
WHEREAS, the above mentioned employment contract was amended on
December 11, 2002 by Resolution Number 2002 - 25093 in recognition of his exemplary
second year performance evaluation and ensuing adjustments to salary and other
aspects of the employment contract were made; and
WHEREAS, the above mentioned employment contract was amended on
January 14, 2004 by Resolution Number 2004 - 25467 in recognition of his exemplary
second year performance evaluation and ensuing adjustments to salary and other
aspects of the employment contract were made; and
WHEREAS, the City Manager has resided within the City of Miami Beach for the
convenience of the City of Miami Beach, and such condition of employment was and is
necessary in order for the City Manager to properly perform his duties to the citizens of
Miami Beach, since as a 24 hour on-call position, the City Manager is required to
participate in and attend civic meetings, other functions and generally be available at all
times to perform his duties; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and members of the City Commission have reviewed the
City Manager's Report for the period between August 2003 and August 2004 and have
personally related with and observed the City Manager during the period of his service
and upon such review and observation find and determine that his performance has
been beneficial for the City and that his employment contract should be adjusted; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of his exemplary performance and achievements in
accomplishing the objectives of the City Commission it is the desire of the Mayor and
Commission to continue Mr. Gonzalez' engagement under the terms and conditions as
set forth in that employment contract, as amended by Resolution Numbers 2001-24655,
2002-25093, 2004 - 25467 and by this Resolution.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. The findings set forth are true and correct and adopted as part of this
Resolution.
Section 2. The City Manager will be granted a Five percent Merit Increase in
base salary pursuant to Section 7; subsection A (Performance Evaluation) of the
employment contract.
Section 3. The City Manager will be granted a 12,500 dollar Performance Bonus
pursuant to Section 7; subsection B (Performance Evaluation) of the employment
contract.
Section 4. The City Manager will be granted a Three percent (3%) Cost of Living
Adjustment (COLA) consistent with what was granted to other classified and unclassified
employees of the City of Miami Beach.
Section 5. One year is added to the term of the employment contract and all
other necessary adjustments to the contract are made to reflect said change, pursuant to
Section 2; subsection A of the employment contract.
Section 6. Mr. Gonzalez' engagement as City Manager shall continue under and
pursuant to the terms of the employment contract as amended by Resolution Numbers
2001-24655, 2002-25093, 2004-25467 and this resolution until the same is modified,
amended, or terminated by action of the Mayor and Commission.
Section 7. This Resolution shall become effecti\l
retroactive to August 21, 2004.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 16th day of March 200 .
ATTEST:
'.-.
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR EXeCUTION
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C:\Documents and Settings\cmgrgonj\Desktop\2004 em evaluation (March 2005).reso.amended.doc
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33 I 39
DAVID DERMER
MAYOR
March 16, 2005
To:
Members of the
ssion
From:
David Dermer,
Subject:
City Manager's Annual Performance Evaluation
On August 21, 2004, the City Manager completed his FOURTH year of service
as City Manager of Miami Beach. Pursuant to his employment agreement, the
City shall review and evaluate the performance of the Manager annually and the
Mayor shall provide the Manager with a summary of the findings of the
Commission. Compensation, performance bonuses and other adjustments to his
contract are also reviewed at this time.
The City Manager has provided me, and I have shared with you, a
comprehensive report setting forth how the City Manager and his Administration
have fulfilled the goals and objectives endorsed by the City Commission and
summarizing their accomplishments over the period between August 21, 2003
and August 21, 2004 (Attached). The Commission has also received guidelines
from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) regarding
criteria for evaluating the City Manager's performance.
I have forwarded your written comments to the City Manager and have directly
relayed my observations of his performance over the past year. I am also aware
that each of you have also had the opportunity to relay your observations directly
with the City Manager.
The attached resolution adjusts the City Manager's employment agreement in
recognition of his exemplary performance and in recognition of his willingness to
voluntarily forego merit increases and performance bonuses in the past when
circumstances called for this type of leadership.
DD:me
Attachments (2)
fI:$aWmemoslannual evaluation.doc
Agenda Item
Date
RIG-
9../6 -O~
r/l~
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the Mayor and Commission
Interoffice Memorandum
lC\
From:
City CommiSSione1.k__
Mayor David De~
CITY MANAGER'S ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Date: January 19. 2005
To:
Subject:
As you know, the City Manager completed his fourth year of service on August 21, 2004. It
is my responsibility to coordinate the performance evaluation process on an annual basis.
I am proposing we conduct this review in the manner we have used in the past.
Attached, you will find the City Manager's report on the activities and accomplishments of
the past year for you review. In addition, the manager has included a form developed by
the International City/County Management Association (leMA) which may serve as a guide
as you consider his performance. I should remind you that this information is subject to the
Sunshine Law regulation and should therefore be dealt with accordingly.
Please review the material and provide to me your completed forms, input or comments by
January 29, 2005 so that I may discuss the matter with the City Manager accordingly.
DD/me
Attachment
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Interoffice Memorandum
m
To:
Mayor David Dermer
Jorge M. Gonzalez~. cJ'
City Manager Y 0
PERFORMANC VALUATION
Date: January 19, 2005
From:
Subject:
As you know, I completed my fourth year as your City Manager late last year. Last year
at this time, you and the City Commission completed my performance evaluation. At
this time, I would like to share with you what my Administration and I have focused on
and the results we have accomplished over the past year. These accomplishments
continue to build on the work we have been focusing on since I became your City
Manager in August of 2000. Generally, the time period covered in this information
spans the period between August 2003 and August 2004 although there may be some
areas that extend due to fiscal year initiatives or other matters that would cause them to
overlap beyond a 12 month period.
Pursuant to our employment agreement, "The City shall review and evaluate the
Performance of the Manager at least once annually. Further, the Mayor shall provide
the Manager with a summary written statement of the findings of the City Commission
and provide an adequate opportunity for the Manager to discuss his evaluation with the
City Commission." As I have done in prior years, I am attaching a form developed by
the International City / County Management Association (ICMA) which may be of use to
you in soliciting input from the other Commissioners should you wish to use it. As you
know, this information is subject to the Sunshine Law regulations and needs to be
solicited and reviewed in that context.
In reviewing the events and accomplishments of the past year, and of the three before
that, I am happy to report that the City of Miami Beach continues to make great strides
in accomplishing our mission of providing excellent public service and safety to all who
live, work, visit and play in our vibrant, tropical historic community and achieving our
vision of becoming a community that is cleaner and safer; more beautiful and vibrant;
mature and stable with a well-improved infrastructure; a unique historic, urban
environment; a cultural, entertainment, and tourism capital; and an international center
for innovation in culture, recreation, and business.
I am proud to say that our efforts to deliver excellent services and efficient government
operations were recognized this past year by the Florida League of Cities, a statewide
organization designed to meet and serve the needs of Florida's municipal officials, who
in 2004 honored me as the City Manager of the Year for the State of Florida. This is the
first time in the League's history that the Florida League of Cities presented this award
which was created to honor a city manger who displays exceptional excellence in the
following areas: judgment, initiative, integrity, innovation, professionalism, commitment
and citizen relations. I am honored that elected officials from throughout the state
selected me for this recognition and am appreciative of the support and confidence that
you and the City Commissioners have placed in me and my team. I view this
recognition not as an individual award, but one that recognizes our collective efforts in
making the City of Miami Beach an even better place to live, work, visit and play.
In order to accomplish our mission and achieve our vision, my Administration has
continued to focus on the following strategic priorities that were identified in 2001
through our strategic visioning effort:
· Implementation of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
· Implementation of our strategic plan and economic development program
· Investment in organizational and leadership development of internal staff
· Improved delivery and quality of services offered to our residents
· Implementation of our electronic government solutions
I believe that by staying focused on our mission, vision and strategic priorities, the City
has achieved a great deal and that our efforts have translated into real and meaningful
results for our entire community. Thanks to these efforts, our community now has less
crime and more police officers patrolling our streets; more and better trained firefighters
using state-of-the-art equipment; new and improved playgrounds, parks, and
recreational facilities; improved streetscapes; an even more vibrant and thriving cultural
arts scene; an improved economic condition with more businesses and jobs, more
retail, hotel and restaurant options; more parking availability; real property value
appreciation; continued growth in the overall wealth of the community; lower costs to
borrow money for investment in our capital projects; a lower overall tax millage rate;
more opportunities to access government; and better and more communication with
members of our community. I am happy to report that the quality of life on Miami Beach
continues to improve everyday.
Through various efforts, including the Commission Leadership retreats held on May 8
and May 22 of the past year, I have worked to continue to align the Administration's
resources with the Commission's priorities. These strategic retreats included the review
of an environmental scan of demographics, socio-economic data and department
workload and performance measures; financial trends; and comparatives with other
cities. Through this process, and by incorporating ongoing input from the community
received through community meetings, Mayor on the Move meetings, the answer
center, etc. priorities for the FY2004/05 budget were developed in-line with the City's
vision and 5-year plan. The priorities were used to guide departments as they analyzed
existing services, and prepared their proposed budgets and new initiatives for fiscal
year 2004/05. In doing so, we have been able to better focus on the business of the
City and are now even better positioned to deal with the challenges and opportunities
2
that face us. In addition we have developed an enhanced Operating Budget Book to be
more comprehensive and informative for the public aligned with these priorities. This
effort also resulted in meaningful discussions with the Mayor and City Commissioners
throughout the budget process to help determine which priorities you wanted to see
identified and funded.
Every day the Administration and I are tasked with efficiently operating the day to day
functions of the City, as well as, being challenged to lead a variety of ongoing important
community processes or issue discussions to develop sound policy recommendations
and ultimately reach community consensus on what is in our collective best interests.
This year, our challenge was exacerbated by the unusual weather events which
resulted in a "historic" four named hurricanes making landfall in Florida, two of which
resulted in evacuation orders being issued for Miami Beach. While spared the brunt of
impact and damage, these natural events required us to implement our Emergency
Preparedness Plans and I am pleased to report that the City Team not only met the
challenge, but was widely praised and recognized for its work pre- and post-event by
our residents and outside emergency agencies alike.
Some other important efforts worked on throughout the year include: Quality of Life
Improvement Initiative; Homeless Outreach Initiative; the ongoing Noise Ordinance
enforcement discussions; the negotiations and subsequent collection of the $15 million
Convention Development Tax (CDT) proceeds from Miami-Dade County pursuant to our
interlocal agreement of 2001; the renegotiation of the 2001 interlocal agreement with
Miami-Dade County to secure ongoing additional financial benefits (approximately $50
million) to our General Fund from the South Pointe RDA upon its termination in
September 2005; the inclusion of more that $110 million of City or City related capital
projects in the County's G.O. Bond Program; the FY 2004-2005 budget deliberations;
the collective bargaining negotiations with all five of the City's labor unions which
resulted in four contracts being adopted in record time and in an amicable manner;
resolution on the land use and financial elements of the Alaska Parcel and Portofino
settlement; the negotiations with the New World Symphony and their Soundspace
proposal; and the conclusion of negotiations with RDP Royal Palm Crown Plaza.
I am proud to report that each of these, along with several other issues, have been
handled in an extremely professional manner with the utmost integrity and with a
primary focus on providing you the best professional recommendations and advice from
which to make your decisions.
From a financial perspective, the City remains strong and our credit rating, which was
upgraded twice in 2003 to its highest level in history, reflects our positive financial
condition and leadership. We have implemented recurring efficiencies of nearly $13
million in the past three years and this year identified an additional $2.2 million of newly
identified efficiencies within the organization resulting from reallocation of services,
reduction of operating expenses, deferral of vacant positions and realignments in
several City departments. This had been accomplished while maintaining current
3
service levels and providing needed functional enhancements without raising the total
combined tax levy for the fifth year in a row. In fact, for the first time we were able to
provide a dedicated component of the tax levy for capital renewal and replacement of
the City's buildings and assets. This year, through the creation of the Office of Budget
and Performance Improvement, we continued to enhance the budget process to ensure
and encourage greater input and direction from all City departments as well as the City
Commission in developing the Operating Budget and increasing focus on measurable
performance results. Also this year, for the second year in a row, our Budget Book was
recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association with their Distinguished
Budget Presentation Award.
During my tenure, one of my top priorities has been to ensure that we provide efficient
and effective services to all members of our community in a professional and ethical
manner with a primary focus on providing the best possible and highest quality
customer service. I have recently implemented a program to further enhance our
customer service initiatives. These include refining our customer service standards,
developing an ongoing customer service training program, and reintroducing our service
shopper ("secret shopper") program on an ongoing basis. Further enhancing our
customer service initiatives will remain a top priority as long as I am your City Manager.
As a way to keep you and the Commission better informed, and in as timely a manner
as possible, all Letters to the Commission (LTC) and memos are now being sent
electronically in addition to the regular hard copy format. In addition, all LTC's are now
also posted on the City's website so that staff and members of the community also have
an opportunity to learn about important initiatives the Administration is working on. I
continue to work with you and the Commissioners to develop specific strategies to
further enhance our individual communication efforts. I believe that significant
improvement has been achieved in this area and that together, we are all sharing
information in a more efficient and effective manner. Continuing to improve our internal
and external communication efforts remains an important goal in my Administration.
I am pleased that my fourth year as your City Manager has continued to be as exciting,
challenging and rewarding as my first three years, both professionally and personally. I
am proud to be a resident of the City and am proud to be its City Manager. I am looking
forward to continuing to work with you and the City Commissioners in making Miami
Beach an even better place for all of us to live, work, visit and play.
The following summarizes some of our key accomplishments of the past year. For ease
of review, these accomplishments are organized by the strategic priorities identified in
our Five-Year Vision which includes: (1) Capital Improvement Projects; (2) Strategic
Planning and Economic Development; (3) Organizational Development; (4)
Neighborhood Services; and (5) Investment in Technology.
4
Capital Improvement Projects
Over the past year, the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Office made major strides
towards the continued implementation of our $400 million capital improvement program.
Towards this end we completed the staffing of the office (excluding newly approved FY
2004-05 budget positions); developed a five-year implementation schedule for funded
programs; began implementation of an electronic filing system and records storage;
created an information management program that keeps client departments informed;
drafted an operating charter for the community information function of the office that is
aimed at managing and mitigating all CIP-related community and business issues;
continued implementation of the general policy for the under-grounding of utilities in
neighborhoods; improved internal administrative processes, such as payment
processing, budgeting, and project scheduling; integrated City Center RDA into overall
sequencing plan; integrated Parking Department Capital projects into overall
sequencing plan.; utilized the Job-Order-Contracting (JOC) System; and developed a
bi-weekly update to the Mayor and Commission to keep them better informed on the
status of ongoing CIP projects. The results of this effort include the following:
. 80% of neighborhood streetscape projects were on schedule from issuance of
notice to proceed for construction;
. 40% of parks and facilities projects were on schedule from issuance of notice to
proceed for construction;
. 60% of consultant payments were processed through the CIP office within 14
days of receipt and paid within 25 days of receipt by the CIP office;
. 70% of contractor payments were processed through the CIP office within 14
days of receipt and paid within 25 days of receipt by the CIP office
CIP completed or substantially completed the following projects this past year totaling
$25 million, resulting in improved or totally renewed parks, more beautiful
streetscapes, and improved parking lots and infrastructure: North Shore Park and
Youth Center; Scott Rakow Youth Center Ice Rink; Victory Garden; Normandy Shores
Clubhouse Roof; South Shore Community Center Phase I; the Jackie Gleason Theater
of Performing Arts lobby interiors and ADA improvements; Marseille Drive Streetscape;
La Gorce and Pinetree Medians; 42nd Street Streetscape; Booster Pump Station and
Water Tanks at 25th Street; Bass Museum Humidifier Installation; Palm 'Island
Guardhouse; 42nd Street Garage; 4601 Collins Avenue Parking Lot; 4th and Alton Road
Parking Lot; Byron Avenue and 715t Street Parking Lot; and the 1663 West Avenue
Parking Lot (Epicure Lot) and the Regional Library which is scheduled to open to the
public in late March 2005.
The following projects were under construction this past year totaling $50 million of
planned improvements: Normandy Isle Park and Pool; Bay Road Streetscape; Colony
Theater; Convention Center Restrooms and ADA Improvements; Miami Beach Golf
Course Clubhouse, Maintenance Facility, and Restrooms; Lummus Park; Fire Station #
5
4; Pump Station at Terminal Island and 20" Watermain; 1800 Convention Center Drive
Parking Lot; 7200 Collins Avenue Parking Lot; aih Terrace Parking Lot ADA
Compliance; Lincoln Lane and Meridian Parking Lot; Chase Avenue and 40th Street
Parking Lot; Alton Road and 41 st Street Parking Lot; 13th and Collins Parking Lot; 1 ih
Street Parking Garage (a.k.a. Visitor's Parking); 1 ih Street Parking Garage Structural
Repairs; 1 ih Street Parking Garage Maintenance; 13th Street Parking Garage; Venetian
Causeway Temporary Parking; St. Patrick's Church on-street parking study; Police
Substation at South Point; Washington Avenue Streetscape; and the WaterlWastewater
Pump Station Upgrades.
CIP had the following projects under design this past year totaling $70 million of
planned improvements: Oceanfront ROW Improvements; Miami Beach Golf Club Cart
Storage Barn (pending funding); Miami Beach Golf Club Fence (pending funding);
LaGorce ROW Improvements; 1 ih St. Parking Garage Renovation; 41 st Street
Streetscape Phase II - Bridge Enhancement; Group "C" Parks - (Fairway, Muss and
Washington Parks); Parks Maintenance Facility; Normandy Isle Neighborhood ROW
Improvements; Venetian Islands Neighborhood - Bid Package B: Belle Isle ROWand
Park Improvements; Normandy Shores ROW Improvements; Nautilus ROW
Improvements; Flamingo ROW Improvements; the Star/Palm/Hibiscus ROW
Improvements ; 137 Washington Avenue Parking Lot; Lenox West and 1 ih Street
Parking Lot; 64th Street & Collins Avenue Parking Lot; Women's Club Parkin~ Lot;
Ocean Drive and 1 st Street Parking Lot; Meridian and 6th Street Parking Lot; 35 hand
Collins Parking Lot; and the 71 st Lot.
In addition to our on-going $400 million capital improvement program, the voters of
Miami-Dade County overwhelmingly approved all eight (8) ballot questions for the
County's General Obligation Bond initiative including approximately $110 million in City
of Miami Beach projects which include: $27 million in funding for nineteen (19) City of
Miami Beach CIP park projects; $17.5 million in funding for Beach renourishment; $10
million in funding for the Wolfsonian Museum; and $55 million in funding for the Miami
Beach Convention Center.
Considerable staff discussions and negotiations with Miami-Dade County along with
strong support from County Commissioners Sally Heyman and Bruno Barreiro and our
own Commission resulted in the inclusion of our priority projects in this historic County
initiative. It is important to note that the total bond proceeds from this initiative exceeds
our own City of Miami Beach General Obligation Bond issue without the considerable
effort of voter education and bond administration which would have been required had
we pursued it on our own, as well as the local debt capacity which remains unused at
this time.
At the same time, as we bring on line new or improved facilities and infrastructure, it is
essential that we provide funding for ongoing renewal and replacement of existing
assets, so that these are not deferred as they compete with the need for services. To
this end, for the first time, we have established a separate Capital Renewal and
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Replacement reserve fund for general fund buildings and assets. The intent of this fund
is to create a funding mechanism to proactively address asset replacements or
renovations of properties that have exceeded their useful life in a more systematic and
structured manner. In the first year, $1.347 million has been dedicated to this fund. It is
envisioned that this will grow to a recurring source of funding in the amount of $5 million
per year.
StrateQic PlanninQ and Economic Development
Our economic development efforts continue to include initiatives that further expand and
diversify the City's economic base in order to ensure that appropriate and sustainable
economic growth occurs in Miami Beach. In the past year, there were over 200 new
businesses licenses issued on Miami Beach resulting in hundreds of new jobs in our
community. An Office Depot opened its doors recently in South Beach. The Ritz
Carlton Miami Beach opened, the Victor Hotel is nearing completion, the Regent South
Beach is under construction, the Canyon Ranch development project is proceeding and
the W hotel chain announced the acquisition of the current Holiday Inn Miami Beach,
with the intention of converting that existing property into a luxury hotel. The Lucky
Strike, a trendy bowling alley currently operating in Los Angeles, announced its plans to
open a location in South Beach and has already received approval from the Design
Review Board. Mr. Chow, the trendy restaurant has plans to open its newest location in
the Collins Park Cultural Center.
Negotiations are nearing completion on the public/private venture to develop the
Potamkin / Berkowitz site to include a 1070 space parking garage, with the City owning
535 spaces, a supermarket and possibly an intermodal transportation facility. The
expansion of the New World Symphony's Soundspace, designed by Frank Gehry, has
been approved and plans are proceeding. The City coordinated a master planning /
public visioning process involving the Alaska, Goodman and Hinson parcels culminating
in a settlement agreement transferring two acres of prime waterfront land to the City.
This enhances the planned development of South Pointe Park creating over 17 acres of
prime recreational space in South Pointe.
From a legislative perspective, we recently received a $2 million grant from the federal
government for transportation and stormwater improvements and a $400,000 grant from
the state of Florida also for stormwater improvements. These grants will be used to
help fund part of the City's comprehensive upgrading of its stormwater system over the
next several years. We were also able to successfully secure an exception from the
federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that enabled the City's
Housing Authority to retain $900,000 in housing subsidies.
In the area of the cultural arts, several significant achievements were accomplished. A
strategic study of the City's cultural affairs area and the Cultural Arts Council was
completed and resulted in the creation of a vision / strategic plan. A dedicated source of
funding using quality of life monies has been created. The master plan and guidelines
7
for Art in Public Places (AI PP) was completed and adopted as well as the adoption of
changes to the Art in Public Places ordinance. The Byron Carlyle opened further
increasing the cultural presence in the North Beach area. The film and print industry in
Miami Beach has improved over the past year too, with a record 1,511 film and print
permits having been issued. We continue to expand and capitalize on the extraordinary
events that continue to take place in Miami Beach, including the third appearance of Art
Basel/ Miami Beach, the third appearance of the MTV Latin Music Video Awards, the
second annual South Beach Food and Wine Festival, the American Black Film Festival
Awards, and the annual boat and auto shows. The renovations to the lobby and
restroom areas of the Jackie Gleason Theater of Performing Arts were. completed in
time to welcome patrons during the busy winter season. The Bass Museum
experienced record crowds with major exhibits including works by Frida Kahlo and
Pablo Picasso.
From a tourism perspective, hotel occupancy rates last year reached an all time high
yielding record earned resort tax revenues of $29,370,493, a 19.1 % increase from the
previous fiscal year. On average, hotel room rates last year were the second highest in
the nation, trailing only New York City. New initiatives include Camp Miami Beach, a
program created for families vacationing in Miami Beach and an agreement with
Norwegian Cruise Line which brings over 1,200 visitors to Miami Beach every
Wednesday. Similar agreements are being negotiated with Royal Caribbean and
Carnival Cruise lines.
In the parking area, the availability of residential parking throughout the City was further
enhanced with the creation of two new residential zones, one in the Lake Pancoast area
and the other in the Upper West Avenue area. There were also two new Municipal On-
Street Parking programs created to service the merchants along the Alton Road
corridor. In addition, the City implemented the use of vending machines for the sale and
recharging of transportation and parking cards and successfully administered the mail-in
permit renewal program affording customers sufficient time to respond and receive their
new permit prior to the expiration date of the old permit. Further the City has begun
transitioning to multi-space meter stations (master meter or pay and display) in the
Lincoln Road lots and area to enhance customer service levels by providing customers
with more payment options. The City is also actively working to complete its future
parking capital plan with planned parking capacity enhancements in North and South
Beach.
The Building Department implemented the online permitting process and the new Q-
MA TIC systems were implemented to enhance customer access to building permit
services. At the same time, the City has concluded the State mandated Evaluation
Appraisal Report (EAR) that will be submitted to the South Florida Regional Planning
Council.
8
Or~anizational Development
We continue to make great strides in developing an organization that is professional,
ethical and committed to the City's mission of providing excellent public service and
safety to all who live, work, visit and play in our vibrant, tropical, historic community. I
continue to work with staff to provide the greatest level of efficiency in the delivery of our
services and direction to all City staff. Our Police, Fire, Procurement, and Parks and
Recreation Departments have all now received full accreditation from their respective
accreditation agencies. I am proud to say that the individuals hired during my
Administration are a diverse representation of our community and add to our already
talented and committed staff. The Office of Budget and Performance Improvement
(OBPI) was created and staffed in an effort to implement ongoing process
improvements throughout the entire organizations. OBPI includes the areas of Budget
and Management, Internal Audit, Grants Management and Organizational
Development. Key leadership staff changes were made in the Information Technology,
Human Resources and Tourism and Cultural Development Departments that resulted in
the appointment of new or acting department directors in an effort to enhance services
provided by those areas.
Leadership development opportunities have been offered to staff and departments in an
ongoing effort to improve our individual and collective performances. In an effort to
provide staff with the tools and resources they need to improve performance, several
initiatives were provided this year, which include: establishing the Organizational
Development and Training IntraneUlnternet website which provides information
regarding training opportunities and registration information and access to all citywide
training; establishing the first ever Supervisory Essentials Series, which included eight
module supervisory training sessions providing relevant information for supervisory
success; established a computer training quarterly listing of available computer program
training available to staff to update and increase job effectiveness; and creating a
citywide training calendar which provides a listing of available citywide training
opportunities. In addition, several other internal key processes were streamlined in
order to more efficiently address the organizational development needs of all City
departments. Our partnerships with several local institutions of higher education
continue and provide our employees, and residents, opportunities to enroll and
participate in an expanded array of college and graduate level courses offered right
here on Miami Beach. As I previously mentioned, I have recently implemented a
program to further enhance the City's customer service initiatives. These include
refining our customer service standards, developing an ongoing customer service
training program, and reintroducing our secret "service" shopper program on an ongoing
basis. Further enhancing our customer service initiatives will remain a top priority for all
City Departments and employees and I will work to ensure that staff receives the proper
support so that we can continuously enhance and implement new customer service
initiatives to improve the delivery of services in order to meet the needs of our residents
and other customers.
9
Neiahborhood Services
Our neighborhood services initiatives enable us to continually reach out to and better
connect our residents with their government in order to empower and deliver better
services to them.
This past year, the City's Answer Center received 56,675 calls and assisted over 1,200
customers who walked through our doors. As part of our outreach efforts,
representatives from Neighborhood Services attended 96 homeowner Association
(HOA) meetings; facilitated the Neighborhood Leadership Academy, which now has 127
graduates; facilitated the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training
program, which now has a total of 145 certified residents; increased and staffed our
citywide volunteer projects, which include volunteer efforts such as the South Pointe
Park litter clean-up and removal of non-native vegetation, the 3rd Street Park clean-up,
the 72nd Street Park clean-up and painting the beach boardwalk from 21st Street to 32nd
Street; increased the Miami Beach Volunteer Network to include the Boy and Girl
Scouts, students from Florida International University, local high school Key Clubs,
ECOMB, the Surfriders, and Baynanza; held over 20 new voter registration drives and
assisted with the Vote Miami Beach campaign; and held the annual hurricane
awareness fair with participation from various community partners.
Through the Housing and Community Development area of Neighborhood Services, the
following services were provided to residents through the City's various funding efforts:
the HOME Investment Partnership provided funding for the rehabilitation of 61 rental
units and for the purchase and rehabilitation of 12 homeownership units for first time
buyers and the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP) provided down
payment assistance to 10 low-income homebuyers. Through the Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) process, health services (dental and medical) were
provided to 15,413 low income participants; 1,924 nutritional grocery packages were
delivered to homebound persons with AIDS/HIV; 2,000 prepared meals were delivered
to homebound persons with AIDS/HIV; 4,400 prepared meals were delivered to
homebound elderly persons; 8,925 nutritionally balanced meals were served to elderly
people; 370 low-income youths were able to participate in after school programs that
provide tutoring, recreational and sports activities; 45 at risk youths were provided with
job training, skills and work experience; 37 children attended preschool daycare which
also provided 15 part time jobs for seniors; funding was provided for the acquisition of a
new senior center for UNlOAD of Miami Beach for seniors in the North Beach area;
funding was provided for facility improvements at the Jewish Community Services
Miami Beach Senior Center; and funding was provided for the installation of playground
equipment and safety surface for St. John's Child Care Center.
Through Homeless Outreach efforts, the homeless count in the City went from 304 to
259. Approximately 4,495 contacts were made, 298 relocations and 595 shelter
placements were made. In addition, staff participated in four Saturday homeless
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outreach missions in conjunction with HOPE in Miami Beach; conducted expanded
homeless outreach (in the evenings and on Saturdays) in anticipation of hurricanes;
established collaboration arrangements with Riverside House (addiction services
provider) and Harbor House (transitional housing provider) to augment available City
beds; and reapplied and received continuation funding from the Miami-Dade County
Homeless Trust.
In the area of children and elder affairs, staff conducted five public workshops to solicit
input from the public on programming ideas; continued the truancy intervention program
and the Youth Empowerment Network; supervised executive internship for Miami Beach
Senior High School; coordinated five community service projects, three of which were
code violation house repairs in Miami Beach; coordinated the "Above Ground" Concert
Series, a concert series for youth in Miami Beach; conducted voter registration at Miami
Beach Senior High School and parent registration at all Miami Beach elementary and
middle schools; and participated in Mitzvah Day with Temple Beth Sholom.
Several achievements were accomplished in our Code Compliance area. The division
was restructured with an enhanced customer service focus with an increased emphasis
on courtesy warning notices and an increased emphasis on voluntary compliance. The
number of cases opened was 6,872; the number of cases closed as a result of courtesy
warning notices was 310; and the number of cases that required Special Master
hearings was 464. Most importantly, we have expanded our code enforcement function
to ensure that all areas of the City have code enforcement coverage at least six days
per week and into the night; and through a partnership with the Parking Department
dispatching services, the City's Answer Center has expanded its hours of operation to
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Investment in Technology
Progress continues in our implementation of our electronic government solutions. The
City's website is continually updated, in both English and Spanish, to improve the look
and feel of the site. The content of the website has been expanded to include the
following new Web Applications: Historic Property Search which enables website
visitors to access Historic Property Information; Web Survey which includes a form used
to gather feedback from website visitors and a report for accessing the survey
responses online; the "Vote Miami Beach" application which enables website visitors to
create a customized list of participating businesses; a bulletin Board for the Parks and
Recreation Department; a Student Internship site which allows students to sign up for
City internship programs; and a crime analysis application which helps track crime
trends throughout the City. Several on-line capabilities now exists including the ability
to pay utility bills, business license bills and parking citations; register and pay for Parks
and Recreation programs; register a neighborhood association; submit a passport
application; apply for a film permit; apply for a special event permit; register a burglar
alarm; receive an updated traffic advisory; view and download a Web cast of all City
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Commission meetings; and enter a service request. In addition, through the new on-line
permitting system, owners, developers or contractors can check on the status of a
permit, as well schedule and check on the status of an inspection.
Other technology enhancements to improve service delivery include deployment of the
latest queuing system mentioned earlier for walk-through permits in the Building
Department, the first to be deployed in a Florida building department. This has
significantly reduced the average processing time for these permits.
The City now also has several electronic subscriber-based "listserves" which further
enhance our electric communication efforts. Our "Iistserve" function, now has 850
subscribers to the City's electronic newsletter (E-briefs), 4,938 subscribers to the
tourism Highlights and Happenings, 186 subscribers to receive an electronic copy of the
City Commission agenda, 153 subscribers to receive an electronic copy of the City
Commission After-action Report, 321 subscribers to receive information about issues in
South Beach, 337 subscribers to receive information about issues in Middle Beach, and
227 subscribers to receive information about issue sin North Beach. Our Reverse 911
system, our telephonic citizen notification system to quickly contact residents in the
event of an emergency was used cautiously during the past active hurricane season,
and throughout the year, to share important information with members of our
community. An on-line kiosk was installed in the first floor of City Hall to provide anyone
who may need it a place to retrieve electronic information from the City.
Internally, several enhancements have been made. Eden, our new integrated financial
reporting system was acquired and phase one is in the process of being implemented.
This system will streamline all internal financial processes into one coordinated system.
To date, we have implemented the payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable,
payroll and general ledger functions. In addition, the wireless handheld inspection
system was implemented and is currently being utilized by the Building Department, the
Public Works Department, the Fire Department and the Code Compliance Division.
Velocity Hall, a Web-based system for acquiring permits on-line through our Permits
Plus System, was also implemented.
Citv-wid~ Accomplishments
By staying focused on these priorities, the City of Miami Beach continues to evolve into
a world-class, vibrant, tropical, historic community that provides outstanding services to
our residents, businesses and the millions of visitors from around the world who visit our
City every year.
In addition to the accomplishments discussed above, the following are just some of the
key City-wide accomplishments achieved this past year:
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· Continued to work toward achieving the City's five-year vision by focusing on the
following priority areas: Capital Improvement Program, Strategic Planning and
Economic Development, Organizational Development; Neighborhood Services; and
the implementation of e-Government solutions.
. Continued to enhance the budget process by creating the Office of Budget and
Performance Improvement (OBPI), updating the five-year Operating Budget
projections, holding Commission workshops and briefings to encourage greater input
in developing the Operating Budget, and developed an enhanced Operating Budget
Book to be more comprehensive and informative for the public.
. Created, hired a director and staffed the Office of Budget and Performance
Improvement (OBPI). The OBPI focuses on strategic planning, performance,
accountability, and results and is specifically tasked with the review, analysis, and
development of internal systems, processes, management techniques, and
approaches to help the entire organization stay continually focused on how internal
and external improvements. In conjunction, we selected a nationally-recognized
professional firm to conduct the City's first ever series of community satisfaction
surveys, including surveys of our residents, businesses, and civic organizations.
This survey will not only provide insight regarding where the City is doing well and
where there is room for improvement, but as importantly, will provide actionable
recommendations regarding how we can improve our services to the community.
. Continued to oversee and coordinate all construction and improvements to the City's
infrastructure, public facilities, parks, beaches, golf courses, and public safety
equipment through the Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
. Continued to focus on our quality of life initiatives and established a Quality of Life
Task Force, a multi-departmental approach to address residential and commercial
quality of life issues.
. Continued to empower residents through the implementation of various initiatives
including the Neighborhood Leadership Academy, the Volunteer Network, and the
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).
. Further enhanced the Answer Center in order to continue providing information to
the public and answer questions. The Answer Center responds to over 5,000 calls
per month. Also implemented a web-based tracking system "Better Place" where
residents have 24 hour access to service requests.
. Continued our Neighborhood Outreach efforts and held meetings in the 13
neighborhoods throughout the City to identify and resolve service delivery issues.
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· Implemented a comprehensive homeless strategy to reduce the incidence of
homelessness and the conflicts between residents, visitors, and the homeless,
including expanding the City's Homeless Outreach Team to two teams working
staggered hours / shifts to better respond to resident and commercial concerns. In
addition, additional funding was secured from the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development for outreach services.
· Continued to enhance and update the City's Emergency Preparedness Plan to
better meet the needs of the community in the event of a disaster. Implemented the
hurricane preparedness portion of our Emergency Preparedness Plan during the
four major hurricanes that threatened South Florida during the past hurricane
season.
. Successfully completed the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI)
assessment and site inspection with a recommended by the inspection team for
official Accreditation. The Fire Department received full accreditation as a Fire
Agency in August 2094.
· Fire Department responded to 3,627 calls for service that include structural and
automobile fires, construction accidents, gas and fuel leaks, rescue incidents, water
rescues and public assistance calls; responded to over 13,000 EMS calls; and
transported 7,021 patients to area hospitals.
. The Police Department arrested 10,129 individuals during the past year for various
crimes, up 24% from the previous year. In addition, Part I crimes were down 2.64%
compared to the previous year.
. The Police Department focused on a major new initiative to reduce the number of
quality of life crimes including prostitution, noise violations, graffiti, and after hour
illegal activities. Improvements have been made in these areas through the shift
overlap initiatives and the RDA overtime details.
. Continued the implementation of the new 800 MHz Public Safety Radio System for
the Police and Fire Departments.
. Continued to enhance our Major Events Plan (MEP) to coordinate, prepare, and
allocate resources for all major events held in Miami Beach, including: Art Basel I
Miami Beach, Art Deco Weekend, Miami Beach Festival of the Arts, the Boat Show,
South Beach Food and Wine Festival, Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July
celebration and various other major events.
. Opened the Byron Carlyle Theater in North Beach, making this venue available to
arts groups throughout the City in an effort to increase the performing arts in this
area of the City.
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. Opened the North Shore Youth Center, providing children of all ages with even
greater recreational opportunities in North Beach.
. Completed the National Recreation and Parks Association accreditation, making the
City of Miami Beach one of only 47 parks and recreation departments in the U.S. to
earn this prestigious certification which acknowledges compliance with more than
150 multi-faceted best practice standards.
. Implemented the various recommendations made by the Blue Ribbon Citizens
Committee to improve our parks and recreational programs throughout the City.
. New initiatives in the Sanitation Division included the creation of a Citywide canal
clean-up program; increased the frequency of cleaning in the South Point area;
enhanced the level of service in the Collins Park area; and improved the level of
pressure cleaning in the Middle and North beach areas from a 15 day cycle to a 10
day cycle. Since 2000 service levels in all areas of the City have improved
dramatically. With the recent adoption of the FY 2004/05 budget, we now have a
"Class A" level of service on our major thoroughfares, resulting in dedicated crews
providing continuous litter control seven days and five nights per week and pressure
cleaning five days a week.
. Continued to update and improve the City's website to make access to information
easier and to conduct business on-line. The City's website was chosen as a Savvy
Award winner for best website in the category of U.S. cities with a population
between 60,000 and 100,000.
. The Historic Property Search application was added to the website, enabling website
visitors to access historic property information.
. In the area of parking, the City implemented the use of vending machines for the
sale and recharging of transportation and parking cards and successfully
administered the mail-in permit renewal program affording customers sufficient time
to respond and receive their new permit prior to the expiration date of the old permit.
In addition, the City has begun transitioning to multi-space meter stations (master
meter or pay and display) in the Lincoln Road lots and area to enhance customer
service levels by providing customers with more payment options.
. Continue to improve the City's employee intranet, the internal website developed to
communicate more effectively with employees.
. Continued to expand our partnerships with local institutions of higher education,
(Barry University, Florida International University, and Miami Dade College) to offer
an expanded array of courses held on Miami Beach for residents and employees.
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. Continued to expand and provide employee recognition programs and support
employee led celebrations, such as the Hispanic Heritage luncheon and celebration,
the Black History Month luncheon and celebration, the holiday/end-of-year
celebration, the Employee Awards and Recognition event, and the "All America City"
community I employee picnic.
. The City's Procurement Division was the only procurement office in Miami-Dade
County to be invited by the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office and the
Ethics Commission to conduct a series of presentations to other governmental
agencies and private businesses on laws and ethical practices relating to public
procurement.
. Applied for $7,137,043 in private, county, state, and federal grants to fund various
programs throughout the City and have received a total of $2,272,825 to date.
In conclusion, I would like to restate how proud I am to serve as your City Manager and
I would like to thank you and the City Commissioners for your continued guidance and
direction in helping to accomplish so much on behalf of our residents and the entire
community. If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel
free to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you and the City Commissioners in
greater detail about these accomplishments and how, together, we can continue
working towards making Miami Beach an even better place to live, work, visit and play.
c: Members of the City Commission
Attachments
F :/cmgr/all/jorgegon/Perform anceEvaluation2004.doc
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