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12-08-09 Item 18South Miami nu- nmedcaeity 1 1 CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI IfiCOR PORATEDP OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER INTER - OFFICE MEMORANDUM soot To: The Honorable Mayor & Members of the City C9,Tmission Via: Roger M. Carlton, Acting City Manager 4W4�__, �_ From: Cesar Garcia, Parks and Recreation Director CA— Date: November 20 2009 Agenda Item No.: Subject: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES ALLIANCE FOR AGING TO BEGIN A SENIOR TAXI DISCOUNT COUPON PROGRAM FOR SENIOR RESIDENTS OF SOUTH MIAMI; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Request: To authorize the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with The City of Coral Gables Alliance for Aging. Reason /Need: As directed by the City Commission at the November 3rd, 2009 meeting, we have met with Mr. Paul Hunt of the City of Coral Gables Alliance for Aging and come to terms on an agreement to implement a Senior Taxi Discount Coupon Program for the Senior Residents of the City of South Miami. This program is intended to address the need . for taxi transportation services of our senior residents at reduced costs. By executing this Agreement we will agree to work with the Alliance for Aging, Inc. to implement this program through any applicable grants or other forms of funding for these services. Only City residents who are over the age of 65 will be able to purchase these coupons which will be sold in bundles of $20 that will be purchased for $10 (50% reduced from the original price) and then be used to pay for taxi services. This group of 1,464 residents represents 13.6% of our City's population according to the last U.S. Census Bureau Report for the City of South Miami. The program will use Coral Gables Taxi Company for these services and the coupons will be sold on a first -come / first -serve basis until we complete the inventory of bundled coupons which will be obtained through grant funds when they become available. Cost: $0.00. We have agreed only to facilitate the program with existing staff and will not provide any matching funds. Backup Documentation: ❑ Proposed Resolution ❑ Proposed Memorandum of Agreement ❑ Program Operation Details and Information ❑ Copy of City of South Miami 2000 U.S. Census Bureau Demographic Profile Report. ❑ Miami Herald Newspaper Article referencing the program dated October 22, 2009. Page 2 of 2 RESOLUTION NO.: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE .CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES ALLIANCE FOR AGING TO BEGIN A SENIOR TAXI DISCOUNT COUPON PROGRAM FOR SENIOR RESIDENTS OF SOUTH MIAMI; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, Alliance for Aging has effectively begun a Senior Taxi Discount Coupon Program where they have offered to their senior residents coupons to be used for Coral Gables Taxi Services at reduced prices; WHEREAS, The City of South Miami is interested in providing similar services for its prevalent population of senior residents at a comparable rate; WHEREAS, The City of South Miami will work with Alliance for Aging to search for funding through grants and any other initiatives to help bring this program to the seniors of South Miami; WHEREAS, both parties are committed to assuring that all seniors have access to the transportation services necessary to provide for themselves; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA THAT: Section 1: The Alliance for Aging and City of South Miami agree to diligently work together on finding grant funding for this endeavor and bringing a Senior Taxi Discount Coupon Program to the City of South Miami senior residents. Section 2: The attached exhibit is incorporated by reference into this resolution. PASSED AND ADOPTED this ATTEST: CITY CLERK READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM CITY ATTORNEY day of 12009. APPROVED: MAYOR COMMISSION VOTE: Mayor Feliu: Vice Mayor Beasley: Commissioner Palmer: Commissioner Newman: Commissioner Sellars: MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT Between The City of Coral Gables Alliance for Aging, Inc. and City of South Miami THIS MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT is entered into this day of , 2009 by and between The City of Coral Gables Alliance for Aging, Inc, located at 9500 South Dadeland Boulevard Suite 400 - Miami, Florida 33156 -2867, herein after referred to as "Alliance for Aging" and City of South Miami, located at 6130 Sunset Drive, South Miami, Miami, Florida 33143, hereinafter referred to as "City of South Miami ". WHEREAS, Alliance for Aging has effectively begun a Senior Taxi Discount Coupon Program where they have offered to their senior residents coupons to be used for Coral Gables Taxi Services at reduced prices; WHEREAS, The City of South Miami is interested in providing similar services for its prevalent population of senior residents at a comparable rate; WHEREAS, The City of South Miami will work with Alliance for Aging to search for funding through grants and any other initiatives to help bring this program to the seniors of South Miami; WHEREAS, both parties are committed to assuring that all seniors have access to the transportation services necessary to provide for themselves; NOW THEREFORE, Alliance for Aging and City of South Miami, have agreed to diligently work together on finding grant funding for this endeavor and bringing this program to the City of South Miami senior residents Both Agencies agree that any and all client, financial, proprietary or other sensitive information about the program will be treated confidentially, and not be shared without express consent. EXECUTED BY: Coral Gables Alliance for Aainca City of South Miami Signature Print Name Title Date Signature Print Name Title Date JumpStart the Conversation Cover Sheet Name and mission of the Organization: The City of Coral Gables, Miami -Dade County, Florida is a city of 43,000 residents in 14 square miles. Its motto is "The City Beautiful' and is dedicated to providing services to residents and visitors that make their time in the City as enjoyable and as productive as possible. The City of Coral Gables Parks and Recreation mission is to provide recreational opportunities and services for residents and others by creating memorable life experiences through exceptional programs, facilities, customer service and leadership that exceeds community expectations. ' Current demographic data indicates that there are 6,690 residents 65 years old and older living in the City of Coral Gables. Executive Director/President: The Interim City Manager is Maria Alberro Jimenez Address: 405 Biltmore Way Coral Gables, FL 33134 Telephone: 305- 460 -5201 E -mail: cmokcoralgables.com Name, title, e-mail and phone number of Primary Contact if different from above: Fred Couceyro, Parks and Recreation Director fouceyro( ,coralgables.com 305- 460 -5604 Proposal Summary In the 2003 Needs Assessment of the Elderly in Coral Gables, conducted for the City by the University of Miami, one of the top needs expressed by older citizens in Coral Gables was for transportation. Coral Gables, as with all of South Florida, is a community with very limited public transportation. Transportation revolves around the automobile. One of the most salient features of aging is the loss of control. It is a process that spirals downward, often out of control, until the older person feels helpless in their own environment. One key to delaying this feeling of helplessness is to provide for legitimate opportunities for older people to retain control. Driving becomes unavailable to most older people at some time during their aging process. The spontaneity and freedom offered by the automobile often is abruptly curtailed and then terminated as disabilities encroach upon the various capacities limited by the aging process. While dedicated elder transportation serves some of the aging population at various times during their passage through these phases of disability, there are times in this process that it would be good to have transportation that offered as much of the spontaneity and freedom of the automobile as possible but without the burden of the older person as driver. That system can be found in the taxicab industry available throughout the Coral Gables community. Two main barriers operate to diminish the use of taxicabs by older people as their individual capacities begin to fade. First, because many older residents have become accustomed to the automobile, many have rarely, if ever, used a taxicab and many are not familiar with even how to call one. Second, the cost of a taxicab may appear unaffordable. Coupled with their lack of experience with taxicabs in general this amounts to a significant barrier to the effective use of taxicabs as alternative forms of transportation that encompass many of the attributes of a private automobile that seniors previously had available to them. Modeled after a very successful program operated by the City of Boston, the City of Coral Gables proposes a pilot program of subsidized taxicab fares through a coupon program. A 50% discount would be offered to any senior 65 years old and older. This would be accomplished through the sale of coupons to senior residents. These coupons would be used just as cash when using participating taxicabs. The participating taxicab companies would process the coupons just as they would any regular bank check. Seniors would purchase the coupons either at the Coral Gables City Hall or at the offices of the Coral Gables Parks and Recreation Department. This would be a pilot program for a year. The book of coupons would include an initial page requesting, but not requiring, some simple demographic information. This information would be used to conduct an evaluation of the program through telephone interviews conducted with a sample of randomly selected participants. It is anticipated that the program will increase the availability of activities for participating seniors. In addition, work with area police and insurance companies may also be able to show a decrease in automobile accidents involving older residents. Proposal Narrative Part of the process of aging usually involves the loss of various physical and mental capacities. These occur in varying degrees in different people. and at a variety of times along the spectrum of the aging process. However, there is little doubt that capacity does diminish as we make progress along the aging process. One predominant aspect of the aging process has been often described as a series of losses. Friends and loved ones are lost. Hearing is lost. Agility and mobility are lost. Control over living conditions is lost. Finances become limited and control is often reduced. In the current environment where the automobile has become the prime mode of transportation for most of the population, the loss of the accessibility and freedom of the automobile can be devastating for may older people, adding yet another major loss to a series of perhaps smaller losses. The entirety can be overwhelming. The aging services network has developed a certain capacity to provide some limited transportation to seniors. Much of this has been point -to -point transportation. While this can be helpful, it does not always replace the on -demand transportation of the automobile. For decades the taxicab has been a very salient part of the transportation network in most any community, particularly urban and suburban communities. The taxicab approaches the accessibility and flexibility of the private automobile. Most taxicab entities operate some level of service, 24 -hours a day, 365 days per year. Taxicabs can be used to go to social activities and to medical services. Taxicabs arrive upon demand and return upon demand. The patron is in control of the taxicab's activities while providing services. The taxicab companies are already established with rules and regulations, established fares, and established safeguards. The City of Coral Gables proposes a one -year pilot program to demonstrate that taxicabs can operate as a significant component of the elderly transportation system within the community. The City proposes to operate a discount coupon program available to all senior residents 65 years old and older. The coupons would be used in any participating taxicab just as any other currency and the taxicab operator would accept the coupons as payment for the taxicab fare. The coupons would be printed in a unique form and bundled into coupon books of four $5 coupons for a total value of $20 for each coupon book. Coupons would be printed as any other checking instrument and would be serialized to control distribution and eliminate forgery. The $20 book of coupons would be sold to senior residents for the cost of $10. The coupons could be used in any participating taxicab, any time, on any day or night. They would have an expiration date. Each coupon book would have an initial page that would request, but not require, some demographic information and brief language about possible future contact for survey purposes. The City of Coral Gables would provide the management of the program as an in- kind contribution. This would included the initial contact and negotiation of the program with appropriate taxicab companies and the finalization of a memorandum of agreement with each taxicab company which would outline the program and the various responsibilities of all parties. The City of Coral Gables would also contribute the resources of its Cable TV programming and the resources of it Golden Gables quarterly newsletter distributed to every senior in Coral Gables. The City of Coral Gables would also make available the resources of the Public Affairs Office and the City website. In addition, the City of Coral Gables would also contribute their internal auditing resources to review the operation of the program and help ensure the integrity of the program. Regular reports would be compiled for the City Manager and would be provided to the Mayor and City Commissioners. The City of Coral Gables is requesting in this application $2,500 from the JumpStart the Conversation program. This project would use $2,000 to provide a 50% subsidy — the same that is currently in place in the City of Boston program — for the coupons. The remaining $500 would be used to design and print the unique coupons and to provide for any bank fees that might be incurred in establishing and operating the project for this initial pilot year. Any of this $500 not needed for these administrative costs would be diverted back into the subsidy activity. Once the viability of this model is established and its impact documented, it is anticipated that public, funding, particularly through the Miami -Dade County special transportation tax, perhaps some corporate funding particularly by automobile insurance companies who could see the business benefit of diverting a certain percentage of older drivers off the roads and into taxicabs, and philanthropic organizations would be willing and able to offer financial assistance to this discount taxicab coupon program. Once the pilot program has established the model as viable it is anticipated that the program would be expanded through appropriate entities such as the county and the 30 individual municipalities within the county. In succession, it is hoped that such a successful model might be adopted as part of a transportation program for seniors in many other parts of the state and perhaps the country. Senior Taxi Discount Coupon Program Demonstration Project Operational Details This program will be operated by the City of Coral Gables in collaboration with the Alliance for Aging, Inc. (the Area Agency on Aging for Dade and Monroe Counties). The funds to operate the limited demonstration project come from a grant from the Partners for Livable Communities, JumpStart the Conversation program. This program is primarily funded by the MetLife Insurance Company. The $1,000 grant will remain at the Alliance for Aging. The program will be operated by using $5 coupons that will be purchased at the War Memorial Youth Center at a 50% discount. Only residents of Coral Gables who are 65 years old and older will be able to purchase these coupons. The coupons will be bundled into groups of 4 coupons. Hence, ,a qualified senior would buy a group of $20 of Senior Taxi Discount Coupons for $10. The $10 from the purchase would be ultimately deposited in the account at the Alliance for Aging. The program then has a total of $2,000 for this program: $1,000 in grant funds and $1,000 in money from the purchases. For the demonstration program, these Senior Taxi Discount Coupons will only be valid with the Coral Gables Taxi company. Prior arrangements have been made with them. Currently the Senior Taxi Discount Coupons will expire on December 31, 2009 although the Senior Citizens Advisory Board may recommend a different expiration date. The former Chair of the City of Coral Gables Senior Citizens Advisory Board and now the Chair of their Transportation Committee has been involved with all aspects of the development of this program and she has tried to keep the members of the Committee also aware of the development of this program. The coupons are currently being printed and are projected to be delivered by August 11, 2009. They will be placed into envelopes, 4 in each envelope. The envelopes will be numbered and will be sold for $10 each envelope (of 4, $5 coupons = $20 of taxi ride). To purchase the coupon envelopes, customers will be asked to complete a short application form which will help evaluate the project. Because of the limited number of coupons and the fact this is a demonstration project, the announcement of the availability of the program and the coupons will be initially made to the participants in the recreation programs operated through the Parks and Recreation Department (and possibly the participants at the Osher LifeLong Learning Center at the University of Miami). If these efforts do not produce a response, then we will do broader announcements of the program. Thoughts are to photograph the first senior who purchases the coupons and then write an `after the fact' article for the Golden Gables. Contact has been made with the Coral Gables Community Foundation about helping to raise additional funds to maintain this program, assuming the demonstration project is deemed a success. In the past, there has been interest from auto insurance companies to underwrite this program, in part out of civic interest and in part out of an attempt to lure seniors from their cars and thus lower their liability exposure. Based upon the information in the application form, there have been preliminary discussions with the FIU School of Nursing and School of Social Work to use a standard survey instrument to possible survey a random sample or even the entire group of participants in this demonstration project concerning how they used the coupons and how they influenced their transportation patterns. 08/09 0J, tG m SOD O m={ 0m O m v' o ITI d TVA X Q 000 td afro ° 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 e C) 1 "•�O i "TJ 1 w a C 1 0 °°<z 1 ? o• C j y 1 .Z7 N O N O A V, m � &O� O 0 O r r D � to N W N 00 -I Senior Taxi Discount Program Demonstration Project The City of Coral Gables, in collaboration with the Alliance for Aging, is pleased to offer a limited number of Senior Taxi Discount Coupons to residents of Coral Gables, 65 years old or older. This is a demonstration/pilot program funded by the Partners for a Livable Community and operated through the Coral Gables Parks and Recreation Department, Senior Services Division. This program is operated in partnership with the Coral Gables Taxi (305- 444 -2828) and, for this demonstration/pilot program, only with the Coral Gables Taxi. No other taxi company will accept the coupons. If this program proves successful, it may be expanded in the future. There are a limited number of Senior Taxi Discount Coupons in this* initial program and once the limited supply is gone there will not be more coupons in this demonstration/pilot program. Senior Taxi Discount Coupons are available for purchase by residents at the Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center during regular business hours. Each coupon is worth $5 in taxi charges with the Coral Gables Taxi and the taxi drivers will accept the coupons just like cash for any regular taxi I ervice. The $5 coupons will be distributed in groups of 4 coupons for a total value of $20. The envelopes containing these 4 coupons can be purchased for $10, representing a 50% discount for taxi services. The coupons can be used any time during the day or week, one at a time or all together. All coupons in this initial program will expire on December 31, 2009. In order to evaluate this Senior Taxi Discount Coupon Program, please answer a few questions on the Application Form that is being distributed with this notice. It will help the City of Coral Gables and the Alliance for Aging assess the impact of the program. Thank you very much for your participation. The City of Coral Gables and the Alliance for Aging are please to be able to offer you this service. If you have any questions, please call Paul Hunt, Senior Services Coordinator, City of Coral Gables at 305- 460 -5608. 1f+ Senior Taxi Discount Program Demonstration Project Application Form Please answer these short questions in order for us to complete your purchase of the Senior Taxi Discount Coupons. Name: First Address: Last Number and Street City: Coral Gables Florida Telephone number: Age: Gender: _ Male _ Female Do you currently drive a car yourself? (Please check one that applies) Yes, no limits Yes, with limits No Comments? For what type of trips do you think you will use these Senior Taxi Discount Coupons? Medical Social Shopping Other Someone with the City of Coral Gables may call you later to ask a few more questions about how you used the coupons. Thanks for your cooperation. It is very important. Coupon Envelope # Kendall Alexander Partners for Livable Communities 1429 215' Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 Dear Ms. Alexander: Please accept the enclosed application for the JumpStart the Conversation program. The City of Coral Gables is very interested in responding to the needs of our citizens, particularly our older residents. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need any additional information. Sincerely yours, Maria Alberro Jimenez Interim City Manager ljC FACTSHEET South Miami city, Florida Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights: General Characteristics - show more >> Total population Male Female Median age (years) Under 5 years 18 years and over t65- years and over One race White Black or African American American Indian and Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Some other race Two or more races Hispanic or Latino (of any race) Household population Group quarters population Average household size Average family size Total housing units Occupied housing units Owner - occupied housing units Renter - occupied housing units Vacant housing units Social Characteristics - show more » Population 25 years and over High school graduate or higher Bachelor's degree or higher Civilian veterans (civilian population 18 years and over) Disability status (population 5 years and over) Foreign born Male, Now married, except separated (population 15 years and over) Female, Now married, except separated (population 15 years and over) Speak a language other than English at home (population 5 years and over) Economic Characteristics - show more >> In labor force (population 16 years and over) Mean travel time to work in minutes (workers 16 years and over) Median household income in 1999 (dollars) Median family income in 1999 (dollars) Per capita income in 1999 (dollars) Families below poverty level Individuals below poverty level Housing Characteristics - show more >> View a Fact Sheet for a race, ethnic, or ancestry group Number Percent U.S. Median value (dollars) 170,100 10,741 Median of selected monthly owner costs (X) map brief 5,169 48.1 49.1% map brief 5,572 51.9 50.9% map brief 37.4 (X) 35.3 map brief 631 5.9 6.8% map 8,301 77.3 74.3% 0 4W (-116) 12.4% map brief 10,512 97.9 97.6 % 7,502 69.8 75.1% map brief 2,653 24.7 12.3% map brief 15 0.1 0.9% map brief 150 1.4 3.6% map brief 4 0.0 0,1% map brief 188 1.8 5.5% map 229 2.1 2.4% map brief 3,692 34.4 12.5% map brief 10,630 99.0 97.2% map brief 111 1.0 2.8% map 2.47 (X) 2.59 map brief 3.15 (X) 3.14 map 4,457 map 4,301 96.5 91.0% brief 2,673 62.1 66.2% map 1,628 37.9 33.8% map brief 156 3.5 9.0% map Number Percent U.S. 7,508 6,133 81.7 80.4% map brief 2,857 38.1 24.4% map 665 7.9 12.7% map brief 2,030 19.7 19.3% map brief 3,316 30.3. 11.1% map brief 2,087 50.3 56.7% brief 1,865 39.5 52.1% brief 4,390 42.5 17.9% map brief Number Percent U.S. 5,531 63.7 63.9% brief 29.0 (X) 25.5 map brief 42,488 (X) 41,994 map 57,791 (X) 50,046 map 24,526 (X) 21,587 map 229 8.9 9.2% map brief 1,864 17.1 12.4% map Number Percent U.S. South Miami city, Florida - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder Single- family owner - occupied homes 2,350 Median value (dollars) 170,100 (X) Median of selected monthly owner costs (X) (X) With a mortgage (dollars) 1,396 (X) Not mortgaged (dollars) 457 (X) (X) Not applicable. 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