CM Brief to Comm Oct 5 2010 - Hector MirabileCITY OF SOUTH MIAMI
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
To: Honorable Mayor and City Commission
Date: October 5, 2010
From: Hector Mirabile, Ph.D., City Manager
Re: Manager’s Report
The following is the my report for the commission meeting of October 5, 2010. Since this is my
first report to the Commission the period of reporting commenced on September 10, 2010 and
spans through October 1, 2010. The report is divided into two sections: Accomplishments and
status of Commission directives or issues.
I. Accomplishment.
a. Transitioned from an employee based Information Technology Section, under the
span of control of the city manager into an outsourced contract based service
provider. Initially they were brought in to manage the IT function replacing
Gremaf Reyes who separated from the City. Employees Bismark Figueroa and
Christian Moya were separated from employment and International Data
Consulting (IDS) were hired through a letter of agreement. The rationale for this
method of operations is that current IT service levels were not providing the
necessary support required by the City. Additionally, the anticipated savings is
approximately $99,063 based on 2009 budget figures which showed that fully
loaded personnel costs for IT was $264,063. IDC work is estimated at a cost of
$165,000 for the same time period of work with higher expertise. Including
b. New IT IDS successes: Review and provide recommendations for the disposition
of the existing IBM AS 400 system and the current Financial / Building
Department applications. Draw the city’s LAN / WAN structure. Secure city’s
data perimeter. Find all of the data circuits currently in use at the city. Implement
a new MS Exchange 2007 server and migrate mail from the Exchange 5.5 server
& the Exchange 2003 server to the new 2007 server. Recover via OnTrack
damaged Exchange 5.5 hard drives to allow retrieval of over 99% of the available
Exchange 5.5 mail boxes. Implement a Barracuda mail archive solution to allow
for the archival of existing and new mail as well as index mail for searches.
Perform the first SEC requested email search and provide results to city. Begin
consolidation of multiple domains and cleanup of fractured Active Directory
system.
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c. Comprehensive Annual Financial Reporting for FY 2009 completed and is online
for review.
d. Code Enforcement Division conducted its first successful sting operation upon
7300 Investment LLC where an undercover code enforcement officer entered and
identified that it is possible to negotiate a parking lease with the owner’s
representative for a possibly maxed out parking establishment. Also, a notice of
violation was provided to 64 development Inc. construction cite for standing
water. They remedied the problem.
e. Budget approved with no increase in mileage rate.
f. Selected Orlando Martinez de Castro as South Miami’s new Chief of Police
pending lifting of hiring freeze this commission meeting and a negotiated contract
ratified by the City Commission on October 8, 2010.
g. Overhead microphones installed in the Commission Chambers.
h. Crime and Drug Enforcement: South Miami Police Department (SMPD) over the
past four weeks made five narcotic related arrests at several locations such as 64
street and 59th place, 64th street and 59th place, 64th street and 59th avenue, 68th
street and 61 court, and 64 terrace and 60th avenue. The arrests involved small
quantities of crack, powder cocaine, and a crack pipe.
i. Requisition for 165 25 MPH speed limit signs and accessories was signed on
October 4, 2010.
II. Commission directives or issues:
a. Crime and drug enforcement. Complaints continue being received as follows-
[NOTE: Police to conduct operations in conjunction with Code Enforcement to
displace the drug trade].
i. 5822 SW 62nd Street and 5791 SW 62nd Terrace possible sale of crack
cocaine.
ii. 6534 SW 59th Court-narcotics sales in front of duplex.
iii. 6081 SW 64 Terrace-currently empty but reported to be broken into and
used as a drug house. [Referred to Code Enforcement for review as an
abandoned structure and police for narcotics interdiction].
iv. 5901 SW 62 Street-Sale of narcotics in the open.
v. 5891 SW 62 Street-Sale of marijuana.
vi. 6140 SW 64th Street-Narcotics sales.
vii. 6501 and 6500 SW 60th Avenue-Vacant houses, drug sales.
b. Murray Park Pool: The RFP for design/build was closed September 17, 2010.
The RFP packets were provided to the evaluation committee and they are
scheduled to meet on October 5, 2010. The Pool Operation RFP was scheduled to
go out this past Friday, but do to a delay in reviewing the final product it should
be able to go out this coming Friday, October 8, 2010.
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c. Pension: The concept of pension reform is to provide the City of South Miami
with a stabilized, sustainable, and affordable pension system or alternative which
also provides the employees with a proper level of benefit for their future. The
current qualified defined benefit pension plan fails to meet the three basic criteria
and thus places great financial stress upon the City’s ability to continue funding
without increasing taxes. The Pension ad hoc Committee is exploring various
courses of actions that the City could explore in conjunction with collective
bargaining.
Of critical interest is the proposed return on investments (ROI) for calculating the
plan’s actuarial valuation in determining the required minimum Retirement Plan
payment. It is described in a GRS letter dated May 14, 2010, as 7.5% and I am
informed by the Chairman of the Pension Board that it will be reduced to 7%. It
should be noted that the one, three, five, and ten year average annual market value
investment returns are 4.5%, 1.0%, 3.7%, and 2.7% respectively. This provides
for an overstatement in the actuarial analysis considering that the plan has a
current investment strategy which will probably not achieve the assumed 7.5% or
7% rates of return. Though using the 7.5% or 7% ROI versus a more realistic
figure, as determined by the various years average annual market value
investment returns, reduces the employees and City contribution as a percent of
payroll it is not keeping pace with the Unfunded Actuarial Accrued Liability and
thus the pension plan will remain unstable and unaffordable to the employees and
the City. As soon as the Pension ad hoc Committee identifies appropriate courses
of action to management as well as the Commission, staff will engage in
negotiating this aspect of the benefits with the unionized employees.
d. Parking reform: Staff is recommending raising the parking fee from $1 to $1.50
as well as installing Central Collections Pay Stations in an effort to provide
improved parking services as well as increasing revenues. Additionally, the City
is proposing a revised parking fee schedule which is in the October 5, 2010
agenda.
e. Green action plan-Staff is in the process of reviewing the DRAFT Green Task
Force Green Master Plan dated August 20, 2010. Manager signed agreement and
a requisition for $4,980 issued on September 28, 2010 for M2E Consulting
Engineers. This project is an energy audit for City Hall.
f. Master Park Plan: I am informed by staff that a true master plan for all parks
within South Miami was not created but that the topic of “Master Park Plan” is
for the South Miami Park. The South Miami Park Master Park Plan does exist
and the Parks Department will be digitizing it for dissemination should members
of the commission or general public wish to review. Since major development of
any park requires capital funding the capital improvement plan shows South
Miami Park funding through Florida Recreation Development Assistance
Program (FRDAP) for FY 2012, 13, and 14 at $200,000 each FY which requires a
scaled matching by the City. It should be noted that the location of South Miami
Park provides limited benefit to the South Miami community and more to the
unincorporated Miami-Dade County homeowners surrounding the park. Unless
the probability of annexing the properties surrounding the park is a viable
possible alternative then other alternatives to the use of the property should be
discussed and analyzed.
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g. South Miami Park neighbor relations: a. Issue-Soccer balls crashing into the
fences, Action-moved the two (2) larger age groups away from the edge of the
park property and away from area slopes; approximately 50-75 feet away towards
the center of the field. b. Issue-Not enough parking for the number of games.
Action-New vendor running the soccer program at this park scheduled games so
that parking would not be an issue and crowd control would be a minimum. C.
Issue-Not enough parking during soccer games. Cause: The fields are rented to
another vendor with approximately 35 players on Sundays. Staff coordinated
with vendors to ensure parking and crowd control is not an issue. This action is
closed.
h. Traffic Calming completion: Neighborhood Traffic Calming Study was
prepared by Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. on April 2010, for the
neighborhood bounded by SW 57th Avenue (Red Road) to the east, SW 62nd
Avenue to the west, SW 74th Street to the north, and SW 80th Street to the south,
aka Pinecrest Villas as well as Traffic Calming Plans for Mango Terrace and SW
63rd Court (5900 & 6040). Funding for Pinecrest Villas through PTP-[$25K
FY11; $210,000 FY12; $188,500 FY13]. Funding for Mango Terrace through
PTP [$195K FY11]. Funding for SW 64th Street through SMCRA [$25K FY11
and $270K FY12]. Funding for Cocoplum Terrace through PTP [$45K FY11 and
$155K FY12]. Reprioritization of the plan is possible but each project must be
evaluated to ensure greatest potential benefit, safety, and efficient use of dollars.
Request for proposal (RFP/Q) will be submitted and evaluated in order to
determine planned actual costs for each of the projects. Only then can we
determine the reprioritization of the projects.
i. Police neighbor relations: The concept of Community Oriented Policing is an
essential aspect of my administration and as soon as the new Chief of Police
comes on board, it will be established.
j. Dog Park: Staff conducted surveys of the neighbors surrounding Dison, Van
Smith, and Dante Fascell Parks with results reflecting displeasure of the idea. A
survey of Fuchs Park neighbors is needed in order to identify the desire of the
surrounding neighbors. Depending on the results of the last survey as well as the
finances available a determination of the viability of this project will be made.
k. Police-Analysis of size of the work force and associated costs-Assigned to
Police with a due date of 3 November 2010.
l. Road repair schedule: The following are identified roads needing resurfacing
due to damage or deteriorated asphalt surfaces:
1. SW 82nd St from SW 60th Ave to SW 62 Ave
2. SW 57 Court from SW 74 Street to SW 74 Terrace
3. SW 74 Terrace from SW 58 Avenue to SW 59 Avenue
4. SW 59 Avenue from SW 74 Street to SW 80 Street
5. SW 76 Street from SW 58 Avenue to SW 59 Avenue
6. SW 76 Terrace from SW 58 Ave. to end of cul-de-sac
7. SW 77 Terrace from Red Road to SW 59 Avenue
8. (SW 77 Terrace and 58 Ave. is a 4-way stop intersection)
9. Brown Drive from SW 58 Court to SW 59 Avenue
10. SW 58 Court from Brown Drive to SW 80 Street
11. Brown Drive from SW 57 Court to SW 58 Avenue
12. SW 57 Court from Brown Drive to SW 80 Street
13. SW 62 Terrace from SW 60 Ave. to SW 62 Avenue
14. SW 63 Street from SW 60 Avenue to SW 62 Avenue
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15. SW 63 Terrace from SW 60 Ave. to SW 62 Avenue
16. Commerce Lane
17. Progress Road
18. SW 58 Place
19. SW 69 Street
20. SW 62 Avenue from US 1 to SW 78 Street
21. SW 65 Avenue from SW 61 Terrace to SW 64 Street
22. SW 68 Street from SW 64 Place to SW 65 Avenue
23. SW 64 Street at SW 59 Avenue (North side)
24. SW 42 Street from SW 61 Avenue to SW 62 Avenue
25. SW 78 Street from SW 57 Court to SW 58 Avenue
Numbers 3 and 4 are part of Citywide Drainage phase VI
The Department of Public Works will be preparing an RFP for the selection of the
most responsive and responsible bidder with the best price. Once a selection is
made the road repairs will be made as budgeted.
m. Updating City email list-The email listing is being updated on a routine basis by
IDS. As employees having contact with vendors or external resources leave the
city they will remain in our listing for a period of 30 days or until such time as a
new person is hired to replace them. The old email address will be migrated
towards the new employees’ address so we do not loose contact with vendors.
n. Dog “Pooper Scooper” Ordinance: Working this issue. We are looking at the
Miami-Dade County’s and other municipalities ordinances so as to create a model
ordinance on this issue.
o. Welcome to South Miami signs: A rendering was done for a City sign proposed
for the City Hall pond area during the Sunset Improvements Phase I & II. C3TS
is supposedly working on using the same type sign feature for the City’s entry
point. Public Works requested for C3TS to provide us with any information on
this matter.
p. Stop Signs: A list of requested stop sign implementation of the following
addresses was submitted by Mr. Armand to Esther Calas, Miami-Dade County
Public Works Department, on August 24, 2010:
62 Court from 64 Street to 68 Street – SR 10-86479 (FP)
62 Place from 64 Street to 58 Street – SR 10-86482 (FP)
63 Avenue from 64 Street to 58 Street – SR 10-86484 (FP)
63 Court from 64 Street to Miller Drive – SR 10-86486 (FP)
64 Avenue from Miller Dr. to 54 Street – SR 10-86487 (AS)
64 Avenue from 48 Street to 52 Street – SR 10-86488(AS)
65 Avenue from 61 Street to Miller Dr. - SR 10-86489 (FP)
60 Avenue from 61 Street to Miller Dr. - SR 10-86490 (FP)
58 Avenue from 50 Street to Miller Dr. – SR 10-86491(AS)
58 Avenue from 52 Terrace to 53 Terrace - SR 10-86492(AS)
Miami-Dade County (Ellen Keeney) responded on August 25, 2010, that they will
initiate traffic studies along these corridors. They expect the written response to
be available within six to eight weeks or between 8 October and 22 October 2010.
Staff will monitor.
END OF MEMORANDUM