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Dear Friends:
We have much to be thankful for over the past six months. We have accomplished much, but there is still the business of the people left to attend to.
Good Government - Accomplishments
My ‘Good Government’ package has begun to demonstrate that in the City of Miami we can achieve a fair balance between development and neighborhoods.
I. Disclosure Law
I have produced law, which requires applicants and developers coming before the City (Commission or City Boards) to disclose any financial or services transactions they have provided or promised to any person or organization, who will provide testimony in getting their applications approved.
II. A Tree Ordinance with Teeth
I have just passed the new tree ordinance, with penalties and larger fines to discourage the destruction of our trees, thereby preserving the canopy for all the City of Miami from tree destroyers and particularly repeat offenders.
III. FDOT and Biscayne Boulevard
I have coordinated a strong working relationship between the State (FDOT) and the City to find a way to plant more than 200 oak trees and Royal Palm trees than previously designed and approved for Biscayne Boulevard.
IV. Pedestrian Friendly Sidewalks
On an emergency basis we have passed a law that prevents developers from closing sidewalks during construction of a project; street closures are equally restricted with commensurate penalties for the failure to comply. This law is long overdue.
V. Commissioner Files Remain In the Ordinary Course of Business
We have passed a law, which will require all exiting Commissioners to leave their files intact, by simply transmitting the office key to the Clerk of the City of Miami, and we have prevented exiting Commissioners from paying out bonuses, which inevitably invade the incoming Commissioner’s budget for the following fiscal year.
VI. Cutting through the Red Tape
When I was reading to the children at Coconut Grove Elementary School, I was overwhelmed by the disrepair of the school, but most importantly, I witnessed arsenic-laden playground equipment – condemned 10 years ago. I was told there was no money to remove this decaying equipment. My office did not move at the usual speed of government – within weeks we arranged for developers and volunteers to donate time and equipment and within 3 hours the contaminated playground equipment was removed and disposed of properly. Cocowalk has stepped up to the plate and is donating improvements to the school.
VII. Criminal Background Checks on Employees of Contractors working in R-1/R-2 Neighborhoods
We passed a resolution that requests contractors to perform criminal background checks for all employees who work in R-1 and R-2 (residential) areas.
VIII. Freedom to Assemble and Freedom of Speech
Umoja, Liberty City. Sometimes it can be more important what we prevent than what we want to promote as Commissioners. The City was promoting an anti-assembly ordinance, which would have restricted citizens rights to peacefully assemble. Although ostensibly created for the removal of Shanty Town, the ordinance would have restricted our freedom of assembly throughout the City of Miami. As you may know, Umoja is no longer there due to a fire caused by a candle; fortunately, no one was injured. Freedom of speech and the freedom of assembly must be vigilantly guarded by elected officials. Citizens must be afforded the right to assemble for very practical and legitimate reasons; …. a few come to mind …. such things as high taxes, overdevelopment, and quality of life issues. I convinced the City this would be strenuously opposed by District 2, and the City, to its credit, stopped the creation of the anti-assembly ordinance.
IX. Good Government - Work in Progress
I will continue our Good Government legislation by working to restrict the distribution of handbills, which inevitably litter the ground, continuously chipping away at our quality of life.
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