HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #14A - Discussion ItemNo As No •
Neighbors And Neighbors Association
7511 NW 22 Ave. • Miami, FL 33147 •305.835.477&
Wednesday, August 5, 1998
Elvi Alonso
Agenda Coordinator,
City of Miami
Miami River Side Building
444 SW 2nd Ave.
Miami, FL 305.416.2070
Via Fax 305.416.7025
Dear Ms. Alonso,
Please include our organization, Neighbors And Neighbors Association (N.A.N.A.), on the agenda
for the next City of Miami Board of Commissioners meeting.
NANA is a 501(c)3 not -for -profit corporation working with and on behalf of, small Black businesses
throughout Miami -Dade County, including over 30 businesses in the City of Miami and 10 in
Overtown. We want to discuss the funds diverted from Overtown into the Gusman Theatre.
NANA will be represented by our Executive Director, Mr. Leroy Jones.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience to confirm the date and time of the next Commission
meeting. l can be contacted at the number above or faxed at 305.758.5719.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Leroy J e
Executive Director
CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA
INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and
Members of the City Commission
FROM: Donal H. Warshaw
City Manager
SEP 1 $ 1999
DATE:
FILE:
SUBJECT: personal Appearance by N.A.N.A.
REFERENCES: September 28, 1998
ENCLOSURES: City Commission Meeting
Mr. Leroy Jones, Executive Director of Neighbors and Neighbors Association (N.A.N.A.),
requested a personal appearance in front of the City Commission to voice his concerns about
monies being diverted from Overtown to the Gusman Theater.
Staff has met with Mr. Jones to further clarify his request.
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THE MIAMI HERALD
City- Cleat
TEELE: OVERTOWN MONEY BAILED OUT GUSNIAN
Sunday, July 19, 1998
Section' Neighbors NC
Page: 3 .
SOURCE/CREDIT LINE: LESLIE CASIMIR And YOLANDA BALIDO Herald Staff Writers
About a million dollars collected from Miami Arena parking events since the early 1990s and earmarked
for redevelopment in the Southeast Overtown-Park West area instead went to help the Gusman theater,
Miami Commissioner Arthur Teele Jr. charged last week.
Now Teele wants to know why the money was funneled out of the district he now represents into
cash -strapped Gusman, which has been in a financial hole three times over the last seven years.
"How can you justify taking money away from Overtown?" 'feele asked. "Get us the million dollars
back."
Those were Teele's demands at Tuesday's City Commission meeting, where he raised a long -held
suspicion: Money earmarked for projects to build up nine blocks in the area surrounding the Miami Arena
never reached its destination.
Teele's complaint echoes the sentiment of many Overtown residents, activists and business owners.
"That's been the same story for years and years -- money promised for Overtown never reaches
Overtown," said William Johnson, a board member of Miami -Dade County's Culmer Community
Advisory Committee. This has only caused more poverty, more suffering of the people."
Teele, chairman of the Community Redevelopment Authority, has been reviewing city financial recurds
compiled last year by the state oversight board. He noticed that money collected from the Miami Parking
System in the CRA target area went to the Gusman Theater, 174 E. Hagler St.
Assigned by Commissioner J.L. Plummer, a supporter of the Gusman Theater, Assistant City Manager
Christina Cuervo is researching Teele's charge that the commission -- under former City Manager Cesar
Odio -- allowed profits made from four CRA-owned parking lots to be funneled to the Gusman.
Clark Cook, executive director of Miami Parking System's Department of O[l=Street Parking, which
manages the historic Gusman, said his hands were tied. Since 1991, the theater has been running a deficit
and the city of Miami -- which owns the Gusman -- wasn't paying the bills. Cook said Odio authorized
him to use the money made from the four parking tots to pay the debt, which stretched over four years.
Cook said the parking system stopped this practice last year, when a new c%&tradt was drafty06 —
SEP-22-98 12:26 AM
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"We couldn't continue to operate that way," Cook said. A understand Commissioner Teele's concern,
but the money has been spent. I can't give it back."
All consent 0 1998 '1'I LE MItiMI I IIiRALD and may not be rcpublislicd without pertnission.
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Plummer: OK?
Suarez: That's a good idea in any event.
. Cook: I'll give it to you.
Mayor Suarez: OTC, so moved and seconded. Any discussion? If not, please
call the roll.
The following resolution was introduced by Commissioner Plusmer, who
moved its adoption:
RESCUUTICN NO. 93-559
A RE aUWION, WITH ATDCHMTP(S), APPRWING THE ANNUAL
BIDGLV OF THE DEPART OF OE7-PAmam OF THE
CITY OF MUM RE THE FISCAL YEAR 0"ENCIING OCIOBER
1, 1993 AMID ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1994, AS MORE
PARTICUU%RLY SET FORTH AMID A'I'LICHED HERETO, IN THE
AMXW OF $7,494,661, TO PROVIDE FOR THE OPERATION OF
THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT OF OFF-STFUE T PARKIM OF THE
CITY OF IrIIAMII, EXCWDING DEPRECIATION AND arHER NON -
OPERATING EXPENSES OF $2,288,195.
(Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on
file in the Office of the City Clerk.)
Upon being seconded by Vice Mayor De Yurre, the resolution was passed
and adopted by the following vote:
AYES: Commissioner Miriam Alonso
Commissioner J. L. Plummer, Jr.
Vice Mayor Victor De Yurre
Mayor Xavier L. Suarez
NOES: None.
ABSENT: Commissioner Miller J. Dawkins
CCK0NIS MADE DURING ROLL CALL:
Commissioner PlmqFner: Hesitantly, yes.
Mayor Suarez: And, do the same thing for the fountain, Ira. Every thirty
days a report on whether we couldn't sell it to somebody.
Commissioner Plummer: That's fine.
354 1 Sept 7, 1993