November 15, 2024
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Message from Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber

J P Morgan010 mins
Mayor Dan Gelber
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The Big Picture
  •  Getting it right: The fact our city’s population can quadruple overnight reflects the reality that we are not a typical American city. Indeed, our virtues are sometimes our challenges. Nowhere is that more apparent than with sea level rise and high impact weekends, like the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend.
  • That is why our City administration has spent significant time on trying to get it right. Below you’ll find more information about how we’ve recently improved our approach to resiliency and also built on our history to create what we hope will be a better Memorial Day Weekend experience for residents and visitors alike.
  • Please feel free to share your thoughts with me directly on these and all issues – engaged residents are critical to the success of our community, and I appreciate hearing from you.
 The Right Approach To Rising Above
Last year on the campaign trail I advocated for a ‘Red Team’ of independent experts who I hoped would challenge our assumptions and resiliency strategy. Through the Rockefeller Foundation and the 100 Resilient Cities initiative, national and international experts from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) provided that evaluation last month, and at no charge to the city.
Their preliminary report, linked here, will help better inform our judgment and I was heartened that they found our current plan very credible. I am also grateful that they identified new directions we can and will pursue our resiliency strategies.
Ultimately the expert panel made it clear that our resiliency program must be a value-added for residents because it enhances rather than diminishes the value and integrity of their property.
One element we are already extensively working on is the Bloomberg Cities Mayors Challenge, where we have partnered with City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez to share data and collaborate on strategies to inform short and long-term decisions. Our City staff are also already working with the next generation of engineers to envision new projects that meet our resiliency needs.
 G.O. Miami Beach
In the same way that any family must maintain its home as a primary asset, our City must attend to its long-term needs. Just as someone might replace their roof every 20 years or upgrade an electrical system, a city must do the same and may fund the projects by issuing a General Obligation Bond (G.O. Bond).
Whether we issue a GO Bond and what projects the bond will implement will be up to you. The bonds will focus on public safety enhancements, parks and recreation efforts, and infrastructure and resiliency projects. Ultimately once we have collectively decided what are our priorities — and prioritized our needs from our wants — that package will go before all city voters for an up or down vote in November.
City staff is planning community charrettes to ensure your priorities are reflected in the referendum you’ll be voting on. Please continue to engage in the coming months as we finalize the list of projects and move forward together.
 A Mother’s Day Is Everyday
Mother’s Day is a reminder that the incredible love and work of a mother is an everyday job, and they deserve to be recognized daily for what they do. So I am proud we were able to deliver flowers (and a hug) to every mother in every senior center in our city this year. There is nothing better than seeing the elders of our Miami Beach family smile.
Fue un placer traerles rosas para celebrar el Día de las Madres. Queremos mucho a nuestros seniors y continuaremos teniendo actividades y eventos para asegurar que sus vidas sean llenas de sonrisas y cariño.
For information on how to participate in our senior programs, please contact Gloria Campos by visiting our office, by phone at 305-673-7030 or by email at GloriaCampos@MiamiBeachFL.gov.
Memorial Day Weekend
Spring Break this year was a reminder that our city often faces extreme capacity challenges, including during Memorial Day Weekend. That is part of why our Memorial Day Blue Ribbon Committee, chaired by Commissioner Arriola and Ruban Roberts of the NAACP, has worked with city staff and our police to create a plan for programming to make sure all our visitors have fun, are safe, and feel welcome in our city.
PLEASE be aware that we will still have high impact weekend protocols controlling automobile movement around South Beach and to our City via the causeways so look for upcoming notices of these changes. They can be very disruptive and frustrating especially if you are unaware they have been implemented.
Stay In The Loop
Peak mosquito season is just around the corner, and we would like to remind all residents to prepare their home for the upcoming hot and rainy months. It’s important to be proactive and preventive. Report water that has been standing for more than 48 hours using our free eGov app or call our Public Works Hotline at 305-673-7625.
Click here for more information on mosquito mitigation efforts being taken by Miami-Dade County.
June 1 marks the beginning of Hurricane Season and now is the time to begin preparations. Do you have an emergency plan? We urge all Miami Beach residents and businesses to develop a disaster preparedness plan before an emergency strikes. You should know where you will stay when you evacuate; how you will get there; and what supplies you will take.
Our Department of Emergency Management has taken the guess-work out of preparing for disasters. Visit our website and begin preparing today!
Looking Ahead
As our city continues to move forward together, please don’t ever hesitate to reach out to my office. You can email me at dangelber@miamibeachfl.gov, follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates on important initiatives, and stop by the office any time: my door is always open.
Thanks as always for trusting me with this office.
Dan




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