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LTC 240-2006 re: Florida City of Excellence Award lD MIAMI BEACH OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER NO. LTC # 240-2006 LETTER TO COMMISSION TO: Mayor David Dermer and Members of the City Commission DATE: October 11, 2006 dro- FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager SUBJECT: Florida City of Excellence Award The purpose of this LTC is to inform the Mayor and Commission that the City of Miami Beach has been selected as a finalist in the Florida League of Cities' annual Florida City of Excellence Award. The Florida City of Excellence Award was created in 2004 to focus public attention on the countless good things cities do to improve the quality of life in Florida and overall excellence in city governance/administration, leadership, citizen outreach and involvement, technology, innovative programs and services, and fiscal management. The City submitted an application for this award in August 2006 and the City Commission approved the nomination of the City's application at the September 6, 2006 City Commission meeting. Attached is a copy of the application that was submitted. The other finalists for this award are Coral Gables, Deland, Oldsmar, and Pembroke Pines. The awards will be made at the Florida League of Cities' Awards banquet on Friday, November 17, 2006 from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. in Orlando, Florida. I plan to attend the event to represent the City and would like to invite each of you to attend as well. Attached is a form with the details regarding the November 17 Awards banquet. Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information. Attachments JMG/ri F:/cmgr/all/L TC06/Florida League of Cities Awards (") ~ c::> -i c:::t -< -- ::0 <:::) (") n m r- -t 0 f'T'l :A) N m :x: - U'> > < 0 :x m " 9 ..." CJ (") s:- m en 2006 Florida Cities of Excellence Awards Program ~ Nomination Form Category (Please check one) See Award Criteria for more Information. Please print or type. One nomination per page. ~ FLORIDA CITY OF EXCELLENCE AWARD Name of Municipality Nominated CI1Y (Ii' MIAMI li'ACH Nominated by CIIY (Ii' MIAMI li'ACH (Name of City/Town/Village) o CITY SPIRIT AWARD Name of Municipality Nominated Nominated Project Nominated by (Name of Clty/Town/Vlllage) o MAYOR OF THE YEAR Name of Individual Nominated Nominated by (Name of City/Town/Village) o COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE YEAR Name of Individual Nominated Nominated by (Name of City /Town/Village) o CITY EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR Name of Individual Nominated Title Nominated by Department (Name of City/Town/Village) o CITY MANAGER OF THE YEAR Name of Individual Nominated Nominated by (Name of Clty/Town/Village) o CITY CLERK OF THE YEAR Name of Individual Nominated Nominated by (Name of City/Town/Village) o CITY ATTORNEY OF THE YEAR Name of Individual Nominated Nominated by (Name of City/Town/Village) o CITY FINANCE OFFICIAL (DIRECTOR OR OFFICER) OF THE YEAR Name of Individual Nominated Nominated by (Name of City/Town/Village) o CITY CITIZEN OF THE YEAR Name of Individual Nominated Nominated by (Name of C1ty/Town/Vlllage) [ OVER] Person Completing Nomination form Please print or type. Name RAMIRO.J. TInTAN70 Title anEF (Ii' srAFF Government CTIY (F MIAMI: JE\CH Address 1700 cnNENfI~ <::ENJm IIUVE. MIAMI BEACH. FL 33139 Telephone Number E-mail Address :D5-673-7010 Fax .rDl Nomination Certification ?J:fr673-77f!l This nomination has been voted on and approved by a majority of the city council/commissio~. **TIEM ~ 'IO BE VOIED ~ SEPI'. 6, 2Cn) (CTIY <XM-1I.5SIOO HAS mN rn BREAK SlllE . Ir ~}~ ~ ARE AWARE (Ii' KMINATI~, ~. SIgned ~ City Clerk The judges will use the narrative and supportive information to select the award winners. Nominators/nominees are asked not to contact the judges directly. Narrative In the narrative, please be clear and concise, using the Award Criteria to support the selection of your nominee. Please type (or print in black ink), up to 1,200 words, double-spaced on white 8-1/2" x 11" paper. . Supportive Information Up to 10 pages of supportive information (newspaper clippings, photo- graphs, letters from constituents, etc.), on 8-1/2" x 11" paper (single-sided) may be provided. Please do not include videotapes, DVDs, CDs or Power- Point presentations. Submit nominations by August 18, 2006: Florida League of Cities, Inc. Attn: Florida Cities of Excellence 301 S. Bronough Street, Suite 300 (32301) P.O. Box 1757 Tallahassee, FL 32302-1757 {1 tr ~..... .~ Florida City of Excellence Award City of Miami Beach Governance I Administration: The City continues to make great strides in accomplishing our mission of providing excellent public service and safety to all who live, work, and play in our vibrant, tropical, historic community. Through various efforts, the City now has more police officers on the streets and less crime; more and better trained firefighters with state-of-the-art equipment; newer playgrounds; parks and recreational facilities; a vibrant and thriving cultural arts scene; more businesses and jobs; real property value appreciation; a lower overall tax millage rate; more opportunities to access government; and, better communication with our residents, members of our business community and our employees. The results of these efforts were demonstrated in the findings of a community survey conducted in 2005. Overall, the City rated very well with a majority stating that they are satisfied living here and many feel it is getting better as a place to live, work, play or do business. Quality of life in the City was rated very high and the City is seen as an excellent or good place to live by 84 percent of those .responding. While the City has accomplished much in the last six years in addressing community priorities, the community surveys provided insight into areas that the City can focus on and improve even further. These results, along with an environmental scan of demographics, socio-economic data and department workload and performance measures; financial trends; and comparatives with 1 other cities, were used to develop the City's Strategic Plan, which lays out a set of Key Intended Outcomes (KIOs) that provide the public with a. tool for measuring accomplishments and holding their government accountable. Further, the City has developed the Miami Beach Excellence Model, a strategic, measurement-based tool for continuous improvement. It is driven by the City's vision, with priorities established at the strategic level based on customer input and environmental scan data. As part of the balanced scorecard approach, the City has deployed ActiveStrategy, a performance management software, where the strategic plan and the departmental workplans are housed and monitored. Through the annual budget process, resources are allocated in support of these strategic priorities, and performance monitoring is used to track progress and make adjustments for further improvement. City Leadership: Our City Manager will soon complete his 6th anniversary as our Manager. The Florida League of Cities selected him in 2004 as its first-ever "City Manager of the Year". Under his leadership, the organization has made great strides jn developing a team that is professional, ethical, and committed to the City's mission. Through various efforts, including a number of leadership retreats with our Mayor and Commission, the Manager has worked to contin'ue to align the Administration's resources with the City Commission's priorities. As a collective team, staff works together to provide the greatest level of efficiency in the delivery of our services. Our Police, Fire, Parks and Recreation and 2 Procurement Departments have all recently received full accreditatjon from their respective accreditation agencies. Leadership development opportunities are continuously offered to all staff in an ongoing effort to improve our individual and collective performances. Once a year, the City Manager hosts a Management Team Retreat as well as an Executive Staff Retreat to reinvigorate teambuilding and focus on the City's priorities. Additionally, the City Manager and the City Commission attend a retreat in order to foster teamwork and discuss trends and issues. At the beginning of this fiscal year, a citywide effort was launched to ensure that all employees are focused on the same three key areas: (1) Our commitment to our mission; (2) delivering excellent customer servjce; and (3) operatjng under a "One Team, One City" approach. In addition, all employees have particjpated in a series of trainings entitled "Results Oriented Government" to help them understand the City's strategic plan and the role each employee plays in helping the City achieve results that matter to our customers. Intergovernmental Cooperation: We partner with many organizations to provide a number of public services, includjng affordable housing opportunities, rehabilitation of both residential and commercial properties and economic development, enhancements to the City's public schools, as well as other programs beyond the scope of City services. For example, the City of Miami Beach works with the Miami Dade County School Board to supplement programming through the 3 Truancy Prevention Program, which has been made available to all the schools in the Miami Beach Feeder Pattern. In addition, we are in constant communjcation with neighboring communities, due to the various shared challenges and opportunities that we share. This year, staff members serve as the Presidents of the Miami Dade City and County Management Association and of the Miami Dade Municipal Clerk's Association, local organizations that bring together City Administrators from throughout the County, to discuss and deal with issues of mutual concern. Citizen Outreach and Involvement: The best way to accomplish our mission js by partnering with our community to ensure that our services meet their needs. Our Neighborhood Services Department is charged with developing and implementing programs that will enhance our residents' knowledge of City services. Community Outreach workers conduct regular meetings throughout the community to identify concerns affecting their quality of life. The City's Answer Center provides the community a more efficient way to communicate with us. The Neighborhood Leadership Academy offers residents an opportunity to learn more about the services and resources available to them by participating in a series of classes. Additionally, the City offers residents other opportunities to learn and become more involved in the community such as the Citizen Police Academy and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). In an effort to increase voter participation, the City launched the "Vote Mjami Beach" campaign jn 2004 to 4 create and stimulate awareness among residents about voting, that includes a discount for registered voters at local businesses. Through this effort, voter registration on Miami Beach has increased significantly. In addition to conducting community satisfaction sUNeys, we also conduct focus groups and inteNiews with our residents and businesses to delve deeper into specific topics. For example, jn 2006 we conducted focus groups throughout the Cjty for the following topics: Safety; Cultural activities and special events; Construction in nejghborhoods; Affordable housing; Value of seNjces for tax dollars paid by residents; and Availability of labor pool for businesses. The City mails each resident a bi-monthly magazine, MB Magazine, programs a 1V station (MBTV) as well as buys weekly ads in local publications, CityPage, which highlight events, meetings and issues. Technology: Implementjng e-Govemment solutions that provide access to City seNices and information 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week and that facilitates citizen access and interaction with their government continues to be a top priority. Our website is continuously updated, in both English and Spanish. Several online capabilities already exist including the ability to pay utility bills, business license bills, and parking citations; register and pay for Parks programs; register a neighborhood association; submit a passport application; apply for a film or special event permit; register a burglar alarm; receive 'an updated traffic advisory; view and download a web cast of all Commjssion meetings; and enter a seNice request. In addition, through our online permitting system, customers 5 can check the status of a permit, schedule and check on the status of inspections and view any code violations. In FY 2005/06 the City Commission approved the establishment of an Information & Communications Technology Fund to provide ongoing funding for the procurement of new or enhanced information and technology needs. This allowed funding for various projects, such as the City's WiFi project, a new Storage Area Network, Voice-Over Internet Protocol enhancements, Data Center Uninteruupted Power Supply, new staffing software for the Fjre Department, Performance Management Software, and Code Compliance software, and will allow the City to stay at the forefront of Technology into the future. The City also has an electronic UListServ" which further enhances our electronic communication efforts. Our Reverse 911 system was used cautiously during the past active hurricane season, and throughout the year, to share important informatjon with our community. An online kiosk has been installed in City Hall to assist anyone who may need a place to retrieve electronic information. Innovative Programs and Services: 'Wireless Miami Beach," a new initiative that will result in a citywide wireless broadband network to support mobile broadband connectivity for police officers, firefighters, building inspectors, parking officers, public works employees, and other government officials, was recently launched. This initiative 6 will make our city safer, our government more efficient, and provide our residents and visitors the opportunity to access information anytime, anywhere. Driven by a need to address a Citywide strategic priority for improving cleanliness, the City of Miami Beach has developed the Public Area Cleanliness Index - a set of standards used to measure and report the cleanliness of the City's parks, parking lots, streets/sidewalks, and waterways on a quarterly basis. Working collectively, the Parking, Parks and Recreatjon, and the Public Works departments, developed this innovative assessment program using best practices from various national and international municipalities and organizations. The results of the assessments are used to monitor initiatives, target future improvements, and make more efficient use of available resources. At the same time, the City launched an aggressive customer service program throughout the organization. In FY 2004/05 all 2,000 City employees were trained in updated customer service standards. To evaluate the success of this initjative and to continually identify potential areas for further improvement, the City has launched a service shopper program that evaluates quarterly how well the City is doing in meeting these standards. Each department is "shopped" through a variety of measures, including telephone calls, in-person site visits, and exit interviews with customers, to assess how well the City's customer service standards were met. 7 Fiscal Management: The City has a strong hjstory of maintaining emergency reserves, with an 11% Emergency Reserve that has been in place since 1996. Further, since 2001, annually the City appropriates funding for General Fund Operating Contjngency and an additional appropriation for unfunded projects at the City Managers discretion. Further, the City of Mjami Beach's Strategic Plan includes KIOs to ensure the long-term sustainability of City government: Ensure expenditure trends are sustainable over the long term; and Improve overall financial health and maintain overall bond ratjng. A number' of policies and structural changes have been implemented towards achjeving these outcomes, including: Capital Reserve Fund - provides funding related to previously approved capital projects for expenditures due to bids that are over-budget, change orders, or other unforeseen items; Pay-As-You-Go Capital Fund - desjgnates a certajn portion df the operating budget to be re-invested jn capital; Capital Investment Upkeep Account - provides for establishjng and maintajning funding for General Fund non-facility related upkeep. As a result of these and other initiatjves, the City's credit rating is stronger than ever and our economic performance and financial management efforts have led to several bond rating upgrades. The proposed FY 2006/07 budget totals $237.7 million and reduces the overall combined millage rate from 8.073 to 7 ;673. an unprecedented reduction of 0.400 mills. For the average homeowner, this results in a reduction in taxes paid to the City of Miami Beach by $30.75. 8 Further, the combined millage rate overall is an entire 1.0 mills lower than it was in FY 1999/2000 and lower than most municipalities in Miami Dade County. Our current proposed budget enhances the value of services for taxes paid by the community in several ways, including: providing a $300 dividend return for all homesteaded property owners (this is the second year in a row this is provided to our residents, last year being the first with a $200 dividend return); providing expanded free access to many programs for residents; providing enhanced service levels addressing the prioritjes of the communjty; absorbing the household garbage and trash collection fee increase incurred due to contractual increases and County disposal fee increases; and reducing the overall combined millage rate for all property owners. In 2006, the City received the Performance Institute's Transparent Budget Award, which honors City and County governments that have implemented innovative management pradices and brought dynamic results for their citizens. 9 . Florida League of Cities' Florida Cities of Excellence Awards Banquet Friday, November 17, 2006 · 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport Hotel Make plans to join us for the Third Annual Florida Cities of Excellence Awards Banquet, as we honor and celebrate the exceptional achievements of Florida cities and their leaders. During the banquet, winners FLO.R I D' A will be announced for the 10 Florida Cities of Excellence Award categories, and longtime elected city n officials (with 20 and more years) will be honored for their years of service. . Tickets for the banquet are $75 per person, which will include entertainment and a reception beginning at 6:00. Dinner will follow, . Florida Cities of Excellence Awards finalists will receive up to two complimentary tickets [for themselves and a guest). . Years of Service honorees will receive one complimentary banquet ticket, . Attendees may reserve a full table 11 0 seats) for $750. To order your tickets, please use the form below, Hotel Information The Awards Banquet will be held at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport Hotel, located at 9300 Airport Boulevard in Orlando (see other side for map). The room rate is $132 single/double plus 11.5 percent occupancy tax and 6,5 percent sales tax per room. The hotel must receive the first night's deposit to guarantee the reservation. Payment may be made by check or credit card. The deadline for hotel reservation requests is November 1, 2006. You must fill out the banquet ticket order form below and submit it with payment. Upon receipt of your ticket order form and payment, we will either e-mail or fax you the hotel reservation form, which you should fill out and submit directly to the hotel. The hotel will not accept phone calls for reservations. Note: Be sure to let us know either your e-mail address or fax number. ~ - For more information, contact the Florida League of Cities at (850) 222-9684. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- Florida Cities of Excellence Awards Banquet Ticket Order Form Please complete the information below. The deadline for ticket orders is November 1, 2006. Name: Title: City: Are you an Award Finalist or Years of Service Recipient? 0 No 0 Yes -+ Name of award: Address: City: Name of Guest(s): Contact Name: Contact Fax: State: Zip: Contact Phone: E-mail: Amount Enclosed: $ Card Number: Card Holder's Name: Card Holder's Signature: Special Needs: If you require special services or have special dietary needs, please attach a written description to this order form, Note: If you are an Awards Finalist or Years of Service recipient, and do not need to purchase additional tickets, please fill in the total number of tickets you need below and indicate "no charge" in the total amount column. Banquet Fees Quantity Fee Paid Banquet Ticket* @ $75.00 = $ .Please provide a list of the names, Banquet Table 11 0 seats) * @ $750.00 = $ titles and cities of each person for Total Amount Due: $ whom you are puchasing a ticket. Method of Payment: 0 Check (payable to Florida League of Cities) 0 Visa 0 MasterCard Expiration Date: Card Holder's Phone: Ticket orders may be mailed to: Attn: Gail Dennard, Florida league of Cities, P.O, Box 1757, Tallahassee, Fl 32302 or faxed with Visa or MasterCard to her attention at (850) 222-3806. The ticket order deadline is November 1.