HomeMy WebLinkAboutM-96-0100i
CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA
INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM 26
TO : Honorable Mayor & Members DATE : February 12, 1996 FILE
of the City Commission
/ SUBJECT : Revised 1996 State
j� Legislative Priorities
FROM : Cesar H. Odio REFERENCES
City Manager ENCLOSURES:
Enclosed is a revised copy of our 1996 State Legislative Priorities list. This issue
is scheduled as a discussion. item on the City Commission agenda of February
29, 1996.
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1996 STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
JUVENILE CRIME ISSUES, INCLUDING JUVENILE VIOLENCE - Proposed
revisions to Chapter 874, of the Florida Statutes "Street Terrorism Enforcement
and Prevention." The changes to the statute will make it less restrictive to
classify person(s) as a gang member(s). The following should be added to the
statute: (4) "Criminal Street Gang Associate" means a person who satisfies
either (a) Admits to gang association, or (b) Meets any single defined criteria for
gang membership described .in 874.03(2). (5) "Gang -Related incident" means
an incident that, upon investigation meets (a) The participants are identified as
gang members or associates, acting individually or collectively, to further any
criminal purpose of the gang. (b) A reliable informant identifies an incident as
gang activity. (c) An informant of previously untested reliability identifies an
incident as gang activity and it is corroborated by other existing circumstances or
independent information. (d)There are strong indications that an incident is
gang -related, but it does not fit the above criteria.
BLOCK GRANTS/PROGRAM PRESERVATION - Support equitable allocation
of all federal funds which will be block granted to the State of Florida as the
result of Congressional actions. The State must include local governments in
the planning process and must not mandate local funding of services traditionally
supported by federal and state dollars. Formulas for fund allocation to local
government must take into consideration factors including: population, poverty
rates, crime rates, growth of vulnerable populations, inclusion of non -citizens,
incentives for cost effectiveness, and maximum spending flexibility. Preservation
of state funding for important human services and other programs must be
maintained, including: local service programs, community care for the elderly,
community care for disabled adults, children's mental health, job training, family
builders, and day care. Any restructuring of the Medicaid/Welfare Reform
programs into block grants must be a cooperative effort between the State and
local government, with a short term strategy for addressing the immediate
impacts of federal budget cuts, and a long-term strategy which will not force
counties into fiscal responsibility for Welfare and Medicaid programs. (Florida
Association of Counties)
ROADWAY USER TAX PROGRAM - Add new section to Ch. 212, F.S. , to allow
municipalities to collect a maximum user tax of 10% of gross revenues of rentals
or leases from enterprise parking facilities, both publicly and privately owned, for
the purpose of constructing, reconstructing, maintaining and operating the
roadway infrastructure system. ($2.5 - 3.0 million annual revenues)
(REVISED 2/12/96)
VIRRICK GYM FUNDING - Ensure that the Legislature fully funds the Florida
Arts Council's recommendation of $400,000 grant for the restoration of the
Virrick Gym. The Gym, known formally as the Dinner Key Coast Guard Hangar,
is in its final stages of receiving a place on the National Register of Historic
Places. ($400,000)
REVISE THE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS ALLOCATION FORMULA,
FLORIDA STATUTES, 316.660 (4)(c) - Current legislation distributes funds for
school crossing guards in a manner unfavorable to the City. There are two
rewrites of the distribution formula that would produce a more equitable formula
based on the number of crossing guards employed by a municipality relative to
the total number of guards in a school district and the number of tickets written
by each municipality. The first rewrite calls for a full return of the surcharge to
the City minus an administrative fee. The second applies a distribution formula
to return 1/2 of surcharge funds earned by the City plus the City's share of funds
based on the number of crossing guards.
MERCHANDISE SALE/PURCHASE CONTROL - Amend Florida law to require
a full photo identification from sellers and accept merchandise only if brought in a
motorized vehicle. An enormous number of stolen merchandise is being sold to
boats in the Miami River. Florida law mandates that boat captains maintain a full
account of merchandise aboard a ship. Currently, stolen merchandise is being
sold specifically from stolen shopping carts.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES - To assist in dealing with the frequent incidents of
vandalism and other crimes in our public parks. Propose legislation calling for
tougher penalties for crimes committed in a public park. In much the same
manner as currently exists for public schools, propose legislation making public
parks "Drug Free Zones". Provide funding to initiate a park ranger program for
our public parks.
FLORIDA EMERGENCY TELEPHONE ACT - Amend Section 365.171, Florida
Statutes with the intent of providing a single, primary three -digit emergency
number through which emergency services can be quickly and efficiently
obtained making it easier to notify public safety personnel. The amended law
will provide definitions; create a section regarding the Emergency Telephone
Number System account within the communications working Capital Trust Fund;
establish a policy board and provide an effective date.
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MANDATORY PRISON TIME FOR GRAND THEFT AUTO - Mandatory prison
time should be required after two Grand Theft Auto convictions. Presently, a
person must have at least five prior convictions for Grand Theft Auto before any
prison time is considered. If this proposal is applied and prison sentences
handed out, this would deter other crimes and hopefully bring auto insurance
costs down.
PORT INSPECTION FACILITY - Support Resolution No. 94-510 of the Miami
City Commission urging the Florida Department of Transportation to reestablish
the Port of Miami Inspection Facility for the purpose of checking for the illegal
transportation of containerized stolen vehicles.
PROTECT REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY PROPERTIES FROM LIENS -
Currently under State statutes, a judgment lien cannot be placed on property
owned by a municipality. this protection is not afforded to Redevelopment
Agencies. Because the City's agency is now the owner of substantial property, it
may be appropriate to consider such protection.
STRIKE FLORIDA STATUTES CH. 92-132: ENVIRONMENT - AIR
POLLUTION, ETC. - Section 18. (2) of this statute gives preferential treatment
when awarding any financial aid to municipalities or counties adversely affected
by an environmental cleanup initiative conducted by a state or regional agency.
Although not specified in the statute, only two Florida counties currently qualify:
Okeechobee and Glades. This particular section of Chapter 92-132 should be
stricken from the statute. An adverse effect from an environmental cleanup
bears no relationship at all to an organization's ability to successfully operate a
project dealing with disaster preparedness and recovery.
MUNICIPAL CLERKS' BILL - This bill establishes a surcharge on the
recordation of documents into the official County records as part of the public
records system. It establishes a trust fund; provides for the administration of
surcharge revenues to cities; provides for an annual audit by the municipalities of
monies collected from said fund.
EXPAND THE SCOPE OF F.S. 395.3025 - (Patient and Personnel Records;
Copies; Examination Law - Hospital Charges), to include an increase in
municipal government fees for paper and non -paper documents.
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Items with unspecified funding sources:
PARK IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS - Park improvements are needed but
are not eligible for Community Development Block Grant Funds since the
parks are not located in designated target areas. Many of these park
projects have not been awarded grant funds from other sources because of
ineligibility or insufficient funds due to the large number of competing projects
from other locations. ($2,935,000) (Site improvement of 21 park sites
including day care, recreation & handicap facilities)
"MIAMI LOVE" YOUTH AT RISK PROJECT - The "Miami Love" Youth At
Risk is an innovative project that brings the public and private sector
(Community Wide Coalitions) together promoting partnership and targeting
250 Youth at Risk (ages 7 to 17) in the City of Miami Parks. City parks serve
as magnets which incorporate schools, community organizations, business,
churches, education, youth services providers and juvenile justice
professionals which provide intervention programs for Youth At Risk. The
program provides for supervision, problem solving through conflict resolution,
peer mentoring and empowerment to maximize youth potential. ($313,900)
AFTER SCHOOL ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAM - This is a unique
homework assistance program offered in four of our park facilities in
partnership with the Dade County Public School System. The program
provides free of charge homework assistance and recreational activities to
needy 2nd and 3rd grade students attending elementary school. ($80,000)
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES PROGRAM - This program provides
community based recreation and independent living skills support and
services to over 150 children and adults with multiple disabilities on a year
round basis. Transportation is provided to residents throughout Dade
County. Equal leisure access is the primary goal to achieve an enhanced
quality of life for all of Miami's persons with disabilities. ($136,628)
AFIS FINGERPRINT TECHNOLOGY - Purchase a new AFIS fingerprint
computer which will replace the current, obsolete, system now in use. The
new system will be networked, from the Miami Police Department's Prisoner
Processing and Latent Print Details, to Metro Dade Police Department, Dade
County Department of Corrections, and the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement. The Miami Police Department will no longer maintain a
computerized fingerprint database
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