HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #10 - Discussion ItemAlonso, Elvi G.
From: Karen Cartwright [cartwrightk@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 9:05 AM
To: Alonso, Elvi G.
Subject: Appearance City Hall in July25th, 2002
Elvi I would like a personal appearance to discuss services provided to
Overtown.
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Good Morning Gentlemen:
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I would like to thank all of the employees of the City of Miami for their services.
Through no fault of their own some of them are unable to perform their designated jobs.
Supervisors who do not have goals or merely lack the intestinal fortitude to ask for
maximum effort hamper them. Accepting poor performance says that you do not like
what you do therefore you have no investment other than to show up and collect a
paycheck.
Which Department is responsible for notifying employees that they are hired Human
Resources or the department where the vacancy exists? There is a lack of teamwork in
the various departments in the City of Miami. Personally I have had to call the
Department of Parks and Recreation reference the employment status of prospective
employees who according to the Park Managers were scheduled to attend orientation.
I am asking that when a person is hired, that they are informed of that fact not left to
guess. References and backgrounds thoroughly checked, orientation prior to and not after
the employee has started working, that the employee be given a job description the dos
and don'ts. Confidentiality is a word too few employees of the City are acquainted with.
Discussing personal information is a serious liability to the City and the employee.
The contracts between the City and the unions seem to be lopsided. Employees who
when they become unionized or obtain civil service status assume that they have been
given a blank check. It appears that only an act of God can rid the City of an employee
who belongs to either group.
The Parks and Recreation Department Supervisor of Operations have for three years
procrastinated when it came to maintaining the Parks in the Overtown area especially
Williams Park. Many telephone calls, emails, letters, and an appearance before this body
a year later results.... poor results. Williams Park should be cleaned on a daily basis and
not once a week. When one of the managers requested the trees be trimmed on his park.
He was told that he would be given the tree trimming equipment so that he could trim the
trees himself.
There is also need for three Park Managers in the Overtown area. The City of Miami
employs a Superintendent of Recreation whose responsibility it is to train personnel and
ensure the parks are fully utilized. At present we have part-timers acting as Park
Managers but not getting paid for their extra duties. The City has an established bad
habit of asking for or extorting services from employees and then when it is convenient
they toss them aside in favor of some relative or friend. Why pay for the cow when you
can get the milk free. Years ago it was called slavery. I have been told that the people
now in charge of the parks are not qualified. If the person isn't qualified to do the job
why may I ask are the Administration entrusting them with it in the first place. Think
gentlemen how did you feel when some one used you to further their own ends.
Submitted Into the public
record in connection s os
item 3_®
-P s, Goy Clerk
The city has boards to advise, hear complaints and make recommendations. It has been
my observation that the citizens and business people who sit on these boards are basically
ignored. Why may I ask did you ask for a board if you are not going to listen? The
Administration implements its decisions whether they enhance a community or not.
What gives the Administration the authority to tell me what I need? In the future can
you ask? To my knowledge there are approximately 20+ plans to improve the Overtown
Community and to date not one has been implemented.
Are inquires made about the work history of a contractor. e.g. approximately two years
ago a landscaping contractor was hired to install sod at Williams Park Sod was again
installed four months ago at the same park. Had the City researched the contractor's
previous job performance, maintenance should have been the only expense instead
replacement is again needed. The statement you get what you pay for is appropriate. It
pays to do your homework. Williams Park is now scheduled for renovations September
2002.
Residents and contractors alike complain of the poor service and the misinformation they
receive from City employees. I agree that higher education is a goal everyone should
aspire to ....... but a degree doesn't guarantee that the party has common sense. When I
attempted to address this issue with an employee in the Manager's office the `Blame
Game' came into play.
Teamwork is a concept that has not been embraced by the entire City although it alludes
to it by having thirteen N.E.T offices. I recall asking in this very room for uniformity.
To me it meant all the N.E.T offices would look and function as a team where was
I.....sleeping I have seen my N.E.T office transformed cosmetically but the teamwork no.
N.E.T cannot function without the full support services of Solid Waste, Code
Enforcement, Community Policing, Public Works and Parks and Recreation. The
persons involved in these departments along with the residents can make an area.
The only Departments that have embraced the teamwork concept are GSA and Assistant
City Manager Frank Rollason's Office. When either office personnel are asked a
question I can be assured that I will get a response in an efficient and timely manner.
Commissioners, Mr. Manager I am not requesting a response from department heads I
am asking you do direct the persons who are being paid to ensure the city is maintained
and managed to answer to citizens complaints. I have addressed the Supervisor of
Operations regarding his neglect of Overtown parks but he has made it abundantly clear
that he is not going to change his behavior towards the residents of Overtown by not
acknowledging that a problem exists.
I was told that Mr. Juan Pascual is entitled to visit the parks but what no one can explain
to me is why his visits seem to only occur at parks with baseball clubs. Did the city go
into business with `Pascual's Baseball Club?' If in fact the city has a baseball club how
is it that it only functions west of Seventh Avenue or have I been misinformed again?
Submitted Into the public
record in connecti n mith
cn 1 01
My understanding is that the City has a contract with the Heat and the Jr. Nike Basketball
league. To date it has been given little or no cooperation. The City has a Sports
coordinator.... Why because we have an abundance of monies? Programs in Overtown
are minimal at the parks. I was told that the park managers have to design their own
programs for their individual parks. Again I ask why do we have a Superintendent of
Recreation and a Sports Coordinator?
Which department is responsible for maintaining the drains?
The Department of Solid Waste' Assistant Director told me in May of 2000 that his
department had placed two trash cans on 8d' Street and N.W. 2nd Avenue as part of an
experiment. Am I to believe that two years later he is still experimenting? In fairness
to the Director he has been very responsive when asked to have solid waste removed
from the streets.
Mr. Manager there are a number of streets including the main thoroughfare Third Avenue
that is badly in need of repair. The lights on 17'h Street and 19 Street between 3`d
Avenue and 5d' Avenue have not been working for the past four months. It seems that
even FPL refuses to service the community. The crosswalks in front of the schools are
either not visible or non-existent. There have been a number of children hurt. Can you
have a third party intervene before there is a fatality?
Hurricane season is here the trees have not been trimmed away from the electrical
wiring. Not only is there a potential for a fire, a broken livewire can be costly in terms of
life and property.
Thank you. Submitted Into the Public
record ,n°1
item . -7 s
JDED