It has been a busy start to our fall season here in Miami Beach. This week, members of our Miami Beach Fire Department are in the Florida Panhandle assisting our fellow Floridians recovering from Hurricane Michael. I will be monitoring this very closely and will keep you informed.
We are also dealing with king tides, red tide, the beaches. Most of these issues are somewhat out of our hands but we are as prepared as a City can be to handle these types of natural emergencies. Luckily, king tides have almost ended for the month of October and we have not had any significant flooding in Miami Beach. Of course, we always have to be ahead of the game when it comes to resiliency; however, I believe that Miami Beach is on the right track and taking a proactive approach. I know that many of you are concerned with red tide, but our beaches in Miami Beach remain open. I urge you to visit our website that gives a daily report on our beaches: https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/beach-information/.
On a brighter note, for the sixth consecutive year, the City of Miami Beach has earned a perfect score of 100 points on the 2018 Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI)- placing Miami Beach in the top tier of communities across the nation. I am proud that we as a City are sending a clear message to all: “the LGBTQ community is not only welcomed in our City, but they are an integral part of who we are. A win for one minority is a win for all minorities.” In addition, on September 22, the Miami Beach Convention Center re-opened the full building for events for the first time since December 2015. Design Miami will be loading into the P-Lot on October 22 and Art Basel 2018 will be loading in on November 19!
On September 24 the Senior Affairs Committee met for the first time and it was a very productive meeting. The Committee nominated Evelyne Cohen as Chair and Enilda Thomas as Co-Chair. Topics that were discussed include transportation issues and lack of parking for health care providers at the senior centers. The next meeting is set for October 29 at 9:30 am and I encourage you to attend and provide your input or watch on MBTV as the meetings are also televised. This is a big achievement for our seniors and I am thrilled to be the Commission sponsor and that my aide Diana Fontani is the liaison to the committee.
This is also Hispanic Heritage Month and I am pleased to invite you all to a free concert on October 27 that will feature Carlos Oliva y Los Sobrinos del Juez. The event will start at 6 pm at the North Beach Bandshell located at 7275 Collins Avenue. Please scroll down for more details. It has been a busy start to our fall season here in Miami Beach.
Last, the Commission will have its monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 17 and I hope to see you in the Commission Chambers and let your voices be heard.
