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Transmittal Lettersz~~7 a~~y a{y~+~4~~t '}~'.~i R''!1 i~ . } ~ ~.RSY! Wi ~'~~ B a ~ ;. 1. 4((~i,.f.l }~ f ~t;~ ` }. ~. vi' ~~, .~'~6 r I Zrj~i(."d~ ~ i+ DAVID DERMER MAYOR February 5, 2007 CITY OF MIAMI BEACH 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33 139 Honorable Dan Gelber State Representative ~ Minority Leader 316 The Capitol 402 South Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 Dear Representative Gelber: On behalf of the City of Miami Beach, we are writing today to thank you very much for all your hard work, each and every year, on behalf of the City. Whether in support of our children, beaches, transportation, parks, or infrastructure, you have tackled every request with the same tenacity, and the results have been impressive. We sincerely appreciate everything you've done. Now, as the 2007 Florida Legislative Session nears, we wanted to provide you with the City of Miami Beach's State Legislative Agenda, which was adopted by the City Commission on January 17, 2007. We appreciate your support during this year's session, and ask for any available assistance in a strategy to accomplish these important initiatives. The attached agenda document includes those initiatives which are the City's critical priorities, as well as other priorities of the City. As always, thank you for all your support. We look forward to visiting with you later this spring and discussing these initiatives when we are in Tallahassee. The City's lobbyists will be meeting with you in the near future to discuss these issues and anything else they an assist you with. In the meantime, if you need any additional information or assistance in any regard, please do not hesitate to contact us or our Tallahassee representatives. Sincerely, David Dermer Mayor c: Kevin Crowder Gary Rutledge Fausto Gomez Bob Levy J- i >a~S Jorge M. Gonzalez City Manager CITY OF MIAMI BEACH DAVID DERMER MAYOR February 5, 2007 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33 139 Honorable Gwen Margolis State Senator 214 Senate Office Building 404 South Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32399 Dear Senator Margolis: On behalf of the City of Miami Beach, we are writing today to thank you very much for all your hard work, each and every year, on behalf of the City. Whether in support of our children, beaches, condominium residents, transportation, parks, or infrastructure, you have tackled every request with the same tenacity, with impressive results. We sincerely appreciate everything you've done. Now, as the 2007 Florida Legislative Session nears, we wanted to provide you with the City of Miami Beach's State Legislative Agenda, which was adopted by the City Commission on January 17, 2007. We appreciate your support during this year's session, and ask for any available assistance in a strategy to accomplish these important initiatives. The attached agenda document includes those initiatives which are the City's critical priorities, as well as other priorities of the City. We especially want to thank you for your support of the City's proposal for the affordable housing property tax deferral, and we look forward to working with you on this important initiative during the upcoming session. As always, thank you for all your support. We look forward to visiting with you later this spring and discussing these initiatives when we are in Tallahassee. The City's lobbyists will be meeting with you in the near future to discuss these issues and anything else they an assist you with. In the meantime, if you need any additional information or assistance in any regard, please do not hesitate to contact us or our Tallahassee representatives. Sincerely, David Dermer Mayor C: Kevin Crowder Gary Rutledge Fausto Gomez Bob Levy /)_~_~ Jorge M. Gonzalez City Manager ~'1Jc CIc r,;ni~"'~C'C1 ~ i ~,'~VrC ~y C:X~.~.., -~.~ LbirC .~:. vied C ~r) 3G fn^y ~ 71i \'/'lU ~vC, Lrouly. C.'li'~ U'O ii: OU' vibr~nr• ,'ruDi~'i;l; ~lici0l~C Cr7.mih ~lty. CITY OF MIAMI BEACH 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE DAVID DERMER MAYOR February 5, 2007 MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33 1 39 Honorable Luis R. Garcia, Jr. State Representative 402 South Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32399 Dear Representative Garcia: On behalf of the City of Miami Beach, we are writing today to thank you very much for all of the hard work you have already put in, on behalf of the City. Whether in support of our children, the safety of our public, insurance, housing, first responders, or condominium residents, we sincerely appreciate everything you've done. Now, as the 2007 Florida Legislative Session nears, we wanted to provide you with the City of Miami Beach's State Legislative Agenda, which was adopted by the City Commission on January 17, 2007. We appreciate your support during this year's session, and ask for any available assistance in a strategy to accomplish these important initiatives. The attached agenda document includes those initiatives which are the City's critical priorities, as well as other priorities of the City. We especially want to thank you for your support of the City's proposal for the affordable housing property tax deferral, and we look forward to working with you on this important initiative during the upcoming session. As always, thank you for all your support. We look forward to visiting with you later this spring and discussing these initiatives when we are in Tallahassee. The City's lobbyists will be meeting with you in the near future to discuss these issues and anything else they an assist you with. In the meantime, if you need any additional information or assistance in any regard, please do not hesitate to contact us or our Tallahassee representatives. Sincerely, David Dermer Mayor c: Kevin Crowder Gary Rutledge Fausto Gomez Bob Levy Jorge M. Gonzalez City Manager m `nIAMIBEACH Gity of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beoch, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.pov Economic Development Department, 305.673.7193 2007 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE AGENDA CRITICAL PRIORITY AREAS 1. Immediate rate reduction for property insurance; 2. Approve the Tunc Claims Bill; 3. Expand the eligibility requirements of the My Safe Florida Home Program; 4. Create an affordable housing ad valorem tax deferral program; 5. Implement condominium reform; 6. Fund the City's stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water projects; 7. Fund the City's West Avenue Bridge project; 8. Increase funding for education. LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES Claims Bills The City supports Senate Bill 0076 (Tunc). Affordable Workforce Housing /Property Tax Pursuant to Resolution No. 2006-26178, the Legislature should create an ad valorem tax deferral program for the owners of apartment buildings who meet certain rental rate thresholds and property maintenance standards, in an effort to encourage their retention. The preservation of rental apartment buildings has the greatest potential for addressing affordable workforce housing issues. To this end, the underlying fiscal and economic issues that are impacting inventory and cost must be addressed. The Waterfronts Florida legislation adopted in 2005 sets forth a process for application and administration of the tax deferral program, which could be applied to a new program targeting affordable rental properties. Pursuant to Resolution No. 2006-26131, the City supports legislation, including a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment if necessary, to provide property appraisers statewide an alternative assessment approach for multifamily affordable workforce housing properties. Citywide Wireless Network Oppose legislation that will limit or prohibit the City's ability to move forward with this project. Telecommunications and Cable Reform Protect local authority over rights-of-way; require full build-out; retain local funding from franchise agreements. (Resolution No. 2006-26169) 2007 Florida Legislative Priorities Page 2 of 5 Condominium Reform 1. Increase the disclosure requirements and level of detail that must be included in engineering report results for condominium conversions, and require that these items be provided to all unit owners once per year: a. Outstanding violations; b. Date of recertification c. Status of capital .replacement and repair reserve funds, certified by a CPA; d. Current capital contracts; e. Litigation; f. Outstanding municipal or contractor liens; g. All municipal licenses and uses for the premises. 2. Create a conduit financing mechanism for major condominium repairs; 3. Expand content of the municipal letter to include building code violations; 4. Require resolution of all outstanding building code violations prior to State approval of a conversion; 5. Require that items required to be disclosed and submitted to the State be submitted to the municipality; 6. Reduce initial recertification requirement for condominium buildings from forty tc twenty years, with renewal every ten years thereafter; 7. Authorize local government to require that condominium associations provide confirmation that all unit owners have been noticed of all common area code violations, prior to occupational license renewal. Bert J. Harris Act The City opposes legislation that weakens or removes the sovereign immunity provision in the Bert Harris Act, and further will work to support legislation that not only maintains, but strengthens the sovereign immunity provision. Convention Center Sales Tax Refund The City supports the introduction and passage of legislation in the Florida Legislature that will return 50% of the sales taxes remitted by eligible convention centers to the municipality that owns the center for economic development purposes. Property Taxes Oppose legislation that implements expenditure and/or revenue limitations on local governments. The City is supportive of portability of the homestead exemption in concept, and will monitor and evaluate proposed legislation to ensure that there is no negative impact on the City. The City supports the recommendation of the Property Tax Reform Committee that the Committee should be allowed to continue to meet and formulate recommendations. The Committee has recommended further study of a number of issues. 2007 Florida Legislative Priorities Page 3 of 5 Hurricane and Windstorm Mitigation Expand the eligibility criteria for the My Safe Florida Homes Program to include hurricane mitigation measures for multi-family buildings. (Resolution No. 2006- 26302) Create a grant program that assists multi-family buildings in complying with the alternative power source requirement of Section 553.509, Florida Statutes. (Resolution No. 2006-26302) Place priority on the distribution of available mitigation funds to the highest risk locations, as identified in part by the methodology used and the insurance rates established by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. (Resolution No. 2006- 26302) Cellular Telephones Pursuant to Resolution 2006-26241, the City of Miami Beach urges the Florida Legislature to change Florida law to preclude cellular telephone usage by motor vehicle operators while located in a school zone. Equal Rights Amendment Pursuant to Resolution No. 2006-26130, the Legislature should ratify the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution. Water Safety Pursuant to Resolution No. 2006-26413, the City supports strengthening of vessel safety regulations with regard to personal flotation device requirements to conform to federal regulations that are stricter with regard to child age requirements and vessel length. Adoption Pursuant to Resolution, the City urges the Florida Legislature to abolish the restriction against homosexual adoption contained in Florida Statutes. Renewable Energy Research innovative programs and funding opportunities for potential renewable energy initiatives in Miami Beach. Follow the recommendations of the House Energy Committee. Education Policy Statements The City supports implementation of a student-specific, sliding scale for administration of the FCAT, in order to bring the score up through the years, and adjustments to the timing of its administration. Monitor legislation that subverts local control of local school boards and superintendents. Fully fund the operating and capital outlay costs of implementing the class size reduction constitutional amendment. Oppose any attempt to equalize the 2 mill levy. (If equalized, Miami-Dade funding would go to the other school districts) 2007 Florida Legislative Priorities Page 4 of 5 Support state funding for a high quality, full-day Voluntary Pre-K program under the Florida Department of Education. Support amending the Florida Teacher Lead Program to include full-time pre- kindergarten teachers. (Currently, all teachers, except pre-k teachers receive $250 reimbursement for supplies they buy) Modify the Jessica Lunsford Act to require Level II background screening only for those persons who enter school grounds unsupervised and are in direct contact with PreK-12 students. FUNDING PRIORITIES COMMUNITY BUDGET ISSUE REQUESTS (CBIR): Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements The City has submitted a CBIR to seek funding assistance for stormwater infrastructure improvements in the amount of $5,000,000. Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements The City has submitted a CBIR to seek funding assistance for wastewater infrastructure improvements in the amount of $2,000,000. Drinking Water System Infrastructure Improvements The City has submitted a CBIR to seek funding assistance for drinking water infrastructure improvements in the amount of $7,000,000. Transportation Improvements The City has submitted a CBIR to seek funding assistance for the West Avenue Bridge Project in the amount of $6.1 million. This project was authorized to receive $1.4 million from the Transportation Equity Act. Other Miami Beach Funding The City will monitor funding levels for Miami Beach based organizations during the budget process. In the past, organizations and projects that provide services to the Miami Beach community have received earmarks, such as the Miami Beach Senior Center and the meals program. EDUCATION FUNDING: Florida Education Finance Program Increase educational funding through the Florida Education Finance Program (PEEP) towards the national average in per pupil expenditures, taking into account actual student enrollment, cost of living, equalizing features in the FEFP formula, inflation, increasing utility and insurance costs, the actual cost of delivering programs to special populations, and the principals of adequacy and equity. 2007 Florida Legislative Priorities Page 5 of 5 Teacher Housing Create and fund a housing supplement for teachers whose district housing costs are above the state average. Eligibility will be determined by household income. GRANT PROGRAMS: Support full funding of City projects in the FY 07 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and FY 05 Pre-disaster Mitigation Grant Program, and for City projects submitted through Miami-Dade County to the State of Florida's FY 06/07 Domestic Security Program. Create a grant program that assists in compliance with Section 558.509, F.S. (Alternative Power Source for certain multi-family buildings). The City supports full funding of cultural arts and historic preservation programs. STATE BUDGET ISSUES: Affordable Housing The City supports removal of the cap on the Sadowski Act Trust Funds and an increase of the funding available through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) and other programs. Increase the funding available through the Community Workforce Housing Innovation Program (CWHIP and establish this as a permanent program). Modify the CWHIP program criteria to allow more flexibility regarding the public/private partnership requirement. Beach Renourishment Fully fund beach renourishment at $30 million and support Miami-Dade County's $5.5 million request for beach renourishment and Alternative Sand Test Beach project funding. Hurricane Mitigation /Property Insurance Distribute the latest $100 million of federal Community Development Block Grant funding in accordance with Congress's intent that particular emphasis be placed on the repair, rehabilitation and reconstruction of affordable rental housing. Adequately fund free inspections and matching grants for hurricane mitigation improvements to multi-family buildings (apartments and condos), similar to the My Safe Florida Home Program. Create a grant program that assists multi-family buildings in complying with the alternative power source requirement of Section 553.509, Florida Statutes. Entertainment Industry Incentives The City supports full funding of the Entertainment Industry Incentive Fund.