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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 1996-07-24 Minutesg6g Np Imm up Cp fit ava sl ML ff E S OF-A�Ell NG HEO ONjuU,-24, PREPARED BY THE OFFICE OF THe CITY C.U.,Rr CITY HALL, WALTER FOEMAN CITY CLERK ..1 INDEX MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING July 24, 1996 ITEM SUBJECT LEGISLATION PAGE NO. NO. 1. ACCEPT CITY CLERK'S CERTIFICATION AND R 96-541 3-4 DECLARATION OF RESULTS OF THE SPECIAL 7/24/96 MUNICIPAL ELECTION HELD JULY 23, 1996 FOR ELECTION OF MAYOR, GROUP I. 2. INAUGURATION (SWEARING IN) CEREMONY FOR DISCUSSION 4-8 JOE CAROLLO AS MAYOR. 7/24/96 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF MIAMI, FLORIDA On the 24th day of July, 1996, the City Commission of Miami, Florida, met at its meeting place in City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida in special session. The meeting was called to order at 12:19 p.m. by Mayor Carollo, with the following members of the Commission found to be present: ALSO PRESENT: ABSENT: Mayor Joe Carollo Commissioner Miller J. Dawkins Commissioner J.L. Plummer, Jr. Cesar Odio, City Manager A. Quinn Jones, III, City Attorney Walter J. Foeman, City Clerk Maria J. Argudin, Assistant City Clerk Vice Mayor Wifredo Gort NOTE FOR THE RECORD: For the Special City Commission meeting of July 24, 1996, ommissioner Group II seat was vacant. Mayor Carollo: If we could get Commissioner Gordon up here, too, please. Do we have any of our former colleagues, Commissioners, or other former Mayors that are here now? Armando, please come up here. Mayor Carollo: OK. If I could have Father Roman come up here. Bishop. Bishop Roman. Bishop Augustin Roman: Yes? Mayor Carollo: If you could begin by giving the invocation. Bishop Roman: Almighty God, in this month of Miami's centennial anniversary of its foundation, give us your blessings. As we prepare to begin a new century and a new millennia, send Your Spirit today over your sons and daughters of Miami who have elected Joe Carollo to serve as Mayor of this community. Give him wisdom, prudence, and fortitude to guide this City of Miami to a true fraternity which defends the rights of the people and never never forget his responsibilities. Let us work together for the most important cell of this society, which is the July 24, 1996 family. Fountain of Life, let us expand the City of Miami so that we may all work hard and with dignity, and with our love, defeat hatred and violence. Fill our hearts with Your love. Let solidarity come forth, so that we may rush in the help of those who are in need and abandoned: the children, the elderly, the sick, the poor, the native and the foreigners. Let us all hold hands as we walk together. Make of Miami a City of peace, founded on truth, justice, charity and liberty. DIOS TODO PODEROSO, DERRAMA TU BENDICION SOBRE ESTA CIUDAD DE MIAMI, EN ESTE MES EN QUE CUMPLE CIEN ANOS DE SU FUNDACION Y SE PREPARA A COMENSAR UN NUEVO SIGLO Y UN NUEVO MILENIO. ENVIA TU ESPIRITU HOY QUE TUS HIJOS E HIJAS DE MIAMI HAN SELECCIONADO A JOE CAROLLO PARA SERVIR COMO ALCALDE DE ESTA COMUNIDAD. DALE SABIDURIA, PRUDENCIA, Y FORTALEZA PARA QUE HAGA CON NOSOSTROS QUE VIVIMOS EN LA CIUDAD DE MIAMI, UNA VERDADERA FRATERNIDAD, RESPONSABLE, QUE DEFIENDA SUS DERECHOS Y NO OLVIDE SUS RESPONSABILIDADES. HAS QUE CON EL TRABAJEMOS POR LA CELULA MAS IMPORTANTE DE ESTA SOCIEDAD QUE ES LA FAMILIA. FUENTE DE LA VIDA, QUE EN ESTA NUEVA ETAPA DESARROLLEMOS A MIAMI, PARA QUE TODOS PODAMOS GANAR EL PAN CON EL SUDOR DE NUESTRAS FRENTES, DE MANERA DIGNA, Y QUE EL AMOR DE TODOS VENZA AL ODIO Y A LA VIOLENCIA. LLENA DE TU AMOR NUESTROS CORAZONES PARA QUE SURJA LA SOLIDARIDAD Y ATENDAMOS AL DESAMPARADO, TANTO AL NINO COMO AL ANCIANO, AL ENFERMO COMO AL POBRE, AL NATIVO COMO AL EXTRANJERO. QUE TODOS NOS DEMOS LA MANO Y CAMINEMOS JUNTOS. HAGAMOS DE MIAMI LA CIUDAD DE PAZ, FUNDADA SOBRE LA VERDAD, LA JUSTICIA, EL AMOK Y LA LIBERTAD. TE LO PEDIMOS POR CRISTO, NUESTRO SENOR. Mayor Carollo: If I may have Rev. Cook come up here. Rev. Cook: Gracious Father, we come asking You to bless our gathering today. Bless this God man. We pray that You will strengthen him as leads his people back together close knitted that we may be able to enjoy as one family, in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Mayor Carollo: Rabbi, please, will you come up? Rabbi Jeffrey Kahn from Temple Israel. Thank you Rabbi for being here. Rabbi Jeffrey Kahn: Eternal God, we ask Your blessings today for our new Mayor, Joe Carollo, as he leads Miami into its second hundred years. Strengthen his desire to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you. Amid adversity, gird him with strength. Let him not be discouraged from reaching too far for noble goals, nor be dismayed by the task before him. Bless him with success and a great sense of achievement. Eternal God, we ask your blessings upon our City and its inhabitants. As we celebrate our first centennial, help us to embrace our unity through our diversity. Sustain us in our efforts to eradicate hatred and prejudice. Grant that we may preserve and strengthen the bonds of community that link us together. Let our relationships with those about us bring us the blessings of genuine friendship and peace. Help us in our endeavors to build a better tomorrow. Amen. Mayor Carollo: If I may ask all of you here to please join me in saying the Our Father. [ALL PRESENT JOINED MAYOR CAROLLO IN RECITING THE "LORD'S PRAYER" ("OUR FATHER.")] Thank you. If I could have the honorable judges that are here, and the City Clerk to help them, so they could swear me in. Thank you so much. Thank you very much for being here. 2 July 24, 1996 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. ACCEPT CITY CLERK'S CERTIFICATION AND DECLARATION OF RESULTS OF THE SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION HELD JULY 23, 1996 FOR ELECTION OF MAYOR, GROUP I. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mayor Carollo: Commissioner Dawkins. Commissioner Dawkins: Yes, sir? Mayor Carollo: Vice Mayor is out of the country and we need to have a resolution that's passed, that you need to make it and Commissioner Plummer needs to second it. Commissioner Dawkins: You know, I don't know whether that's humorous or that's meant as a hint. But, I'd like to, with the Clerk's permission, and the City Attorney's permission, and the City Manager, "A resolution with attachments officially accepting the attached City Clerk's certification and declaration of the results of the City of Miami's special municipal election held on July 23, 1996, for the election of Mayor of Group 1. Be it resolved by the Commission of the City of Miami, Florida, Section 1, the City Commission hereby officially accepts the attached City Clerk's certification and declaration of the results in the City of Miami's special election held on July 23, 1996 for the election of Group 1, Section II. This resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption," and I so move. Commissioner Plummer: Second. Mayor Carollo: There's a motion is there a second? Commissioner Dawkins: All those in favor. The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Mayor Carollo: Unanimous vote. The following resolution was introduced by Commissioner Dawkins, who moved its adoption: RESOLUTION NO. 96-541 A RESOLUTION, WITH ATTACHMENTS, OFFICIALLY ACCEPTING THE CITY CLERK'S CERTIFICATION AND DECLARATION OF THE RESULTS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI'S SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION HELD ON JULY 23, 1996, FOR THE ELECTION OF MAYOR, GROUP I. (Here follows body of resolution, omitted here and on file in the Office of the City Clerk.) 3 July 24, 1996 Upon being seconded by Commissioner Plummer, the resolution was passed and adopted by the following vote: AYES: Commissioner J. L. Plummer, Jr. Vice Mayor Miller J. Dawkins Mayor Joe Carollo NAYS: None. ABSENT: Commissioner Wifredo Gort Commissioner Dawkins: Therefore, this is passed and adopted this 24th day of... (Applause) Mayor Carollo: Thank you. Walter, we can make it official now. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. INAUGURATION (SWEARING IN) CEREMONY FOR JOE CAROLLO AS MAYOR. The Hon. Jeffrey Rosiner: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the official portion of the swearing in ceremony of our new mayor of the great City of Miami. Pursuant to Florida statutes and the power invested in the four of us, by the people of the State of Florida, and the charter of the City of Miami, please join us as we officially swear in the new mayor of our City, Commissioner Joe Carollo, to begin the 48th term of mayor of the City of Miami. The Hon. Eleanor Schockett: This is an extraordinary period in the City of Miami history. We celebrate this weekend the 100th anniversary of the City of Miami. Today, we officially begin the second hundred years of the City with this official investment of the new mayor. We all join hands and march forward in this new day for the City and a new century for the people of the City of Miami. The Hon. Juan Ramirez: I should have brought my blue robe. We are privileged to live in a community that's ethically diverse and, as you can see reflected in the judiciary, it's also reflected in the Commission of the City of Miami. The mayor's in a unique position as a spokesperson for all the people of the City and in the spirit of this community and all those who have come before the mayor and the next hundred years of the history of this community. We are invited, you are invited to join this official ceremony. The Hon. Michael Chavies: It's my absolute privilege to begin the official oath for Mayor Carollo to begin his term today as the new mayor of the City of Miami. Please join my fellow jurists and all, I repeat, all of the people of the City of Miami as we administer the official Oath of Office for the mayor of the City of Miami. Raise your right hand. "I, Joe Carollo, do solemnly swear that I will support, protect and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, the State of Florida, and the Charter of the City of Miami, and in all respects, faithfully discharge the duties of Mayor of the City of Miami, Dade County, Florida." 4 July 24, 1996 The Honorable Judges (together): Congratulations. (APPLAUSE) The Hon. Ramirez: In the spirit, in the spirit of the ethnicity that we spoke about before, we're going to administer the oath in Spanish, also. If we could do it, Joe. "YO, SOLEMNEMENTE JURO QUE APOYARE, PROTEGERE Y DEFENDERE LA CONSTITUCION Y LEYES DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA, Y LAS DEL ESTADO DE LA FLORIDA, Y LA CARTA DE LA CIUDAD DE MIAMI, Y CON TODO RESPETO, Y LEALTAD DESEMPENARE LAS OBLIGACIONES DE ALCALDE DE LA CIUDAD DE MIAMI, CONDADE DE DADE, ESTADO DE LA FLORIDA." Mayor Carollo: Gracias. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you so very much. Miller, you come up here. This has been my champion in this election and one of my three allies from this Commission. The other one is Willy Gort that wanted to be here, but couldn't be here, and the other is Commissioner Plummer. It's been a lot of talk about two -two votes, but, I tell you, the ones that I've been counting have been 4-0 and once we get a fifth member here soon, it'll be 5-0 votes that we're going to have here. Commissioner Plummer: Yeaaal. Mayor Carollo: If I may ask the distinguished wife of the Vice Mayor, Tamara Gort, to come up here. She'd like to read something. Mrs. Gort: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, Mayor, the new Mayor Joe Carollo and his wife and his family. My husband is in Costa Rica and he could not be here today, but left this letter, and the Mayor would like for me to read it. "The Honorable Joe Carollo, Mayor, City of Miami, Dear Mayor Carollo, I would like to extend my congratulations to you, your family, your staff, on your election as Mayor of our City. Unfortunately, I am out of the country due to a personal business matter and will not be able to participate with you during the swear in ceremonies. However, I would like for you, the Administration, and the residents of the City of Miami to know that I look forward to working with you, and our colleagues in the Commission for the betterment of our beautiful City during your tenure as Mayor. If we work as a team, there is no doubt that Miami will continue to grow and prosper. Once again, my congratulations to you. Sincerely, Willy Gort." (Applause) Mayor Carollo: Thank you. Thank you so very much. Maurice. Maurice, don't go yet. Stay here a couple of more minutes. We had former Mayor Xavier Suarez that was here, and I believe he had to go. I'd like to express my deepest gratitude to many of my former colleagues that are here today. Let me begin by the mayors. It's indeed an honor for me to have the former mayor of Miami, Maurice Ferre, here. As I said, Xavier Suarez was here. We spent many years that we had a lot more times that we worked together than what you read in the paper. Maurice is a visionary and thanks to a lot of the visions that he had, it's the reason that we have a lot of the good that you see in Miami here today. Xavier Suarez was here, as I said and he had to leave earlier. We have former Mayor Kennedy here on my right, and we have someone that has been a very, very close friend, someone that was there some months ago when I got reelected to the 5 July 24, 1996 Commission and through his efforts this became possible today. It's my good friend Art Teele and his wife Stephanie. Some of my other colleagues that we served on the Commission together for many years, I have Commissioner Rose Gordon. Commissioner, thank you for being here. Commissioner Armando Lacasa. I believe Commissioner Kennedy... Commissioner Plummer: Rosario Kennedy. Mayor Carollo: Rosario Kennedy. Rosario, come up here. Come on. Come up. We have the former majority head of the Senate in the brother of our beloved former mayor, Senator Dick Clark is here, and another very good friend, State Representative Luis Morse. There are many, many other colleagues in government that are here. I can't see all of you, but I see State Representative Lacasa is here, State Representative Bruno Barreiro is coming up here. Commissioner Barbara Carey. Barbara, thank you for being here. I believe Senator Al Gutman was here somewhere, and I don't know if I've missed any present or former officials. If someone will let me know, I will acknowledge them before we're through here today. Most of all I'd like to introduce to all of you, to all of Miami, the people that have sacrificed the most, have suffered the most, and that without them you wouldn't have me here today, and that's my wife Mari, my mother, Graciela, I've got my brother Frank back here, my aunt and Godmother, Silvia. I know I've got scores of my other relatives out there and if I keep saying all their names we'll never get done here, but I would like to introduce four very, very important people in my life and that's my son, Joey, my daughter, Cristina, and Caroline, Carolina, and the littlest one in the family, Kelly. You know, really, there are not enough words that I could express today, nor are there enough words in the dictionary that I could express the gratitude, the deep and sincere gratitude that I have for Miami. The support that I have received in this election, the support that I have received during the last eight months, the way that so many of you have opened not only your homes to me, but your hearts have made me part of your families. There are not enough words to say. All that I could say to you today is thank you, thank you very much, Miami. You know, some people have asked me, why do I wear two rings. Well, the one on my left is my wedding band, the one on my right is my father's wedding band. When he died five years ago, my mother wanted me to have it and to wear, and even though he can't be here, he's here in spirit. I'm wearing part of my dad with me and I'm sure that he's looking from above with a big smile, because he was a great part of this. The last eight months, at times, have seemed much longer. I remember that the previous two terms that I served you could truly be a part-time Commissioner in Miami. No longer can you do that. I have served on a daily basis and worked ten, twelve hours, sometimes more. My staff would wish that it would be different. Sometimes we're not out of here until nine o'clock or later at night, but Miami has a great need today. Miami is the City that's at a crossroads. At a crossroad that we could either take the road that some would like Miami to go with the envy that they have of Miami, the crossroads that some are saying that Miami is going to go. You hear those famous talk show hosts constantly beating up on Miami. The road of having been one of those half sprayed cities that's strived to make it but couldn't make it, and was a city in decline. That's not the Miami that we're going to become. The Miami that we're going to become, the road that we're going to take is the road of vision, the road of courage, the road of truly making Miami a great international city that when anybody... that when anybody would mention the name of Miami anywhere near the United States, anywhere in the world, they would say it with pride. And when any one of us would go out into other parts of our country and other parts of the world, and we say we're a Miamian, we will say it with pride. Yes, we have many great problems to overcome and the challenges are major. We have to combat and control and reduce the crime that we have in our City. We have a truly, serious financial situation for Miami that we have to overcome. We have to bring into our cities the jobs that our people need, the jobs that we need to have here so when our children graduate from school, they don't have to leave Miami looking for new jobs. We need to provide those jobs for them here. And we need to provide the resources so that we can provide to you, the residents of Miami, the jobs and the services that our city requires; the police, the fire, the sanitation, code enforcement, and many other services that we need to truly be a major city. But 6 July 24, 1996 even though Miami has many major problems to overcome, we will overcome them. We w overcome them because Miami has the most important thing that you need to overcome a crisis, any problem, and that's our people. I think that the people that Miami has are me unique than the people of any other city in the world. There are a few cities in the country, an( would say the world, that have gone through the last decades through some of the problems tf we as Miamians have had to face, and we faced them well. We have been able to overcor them and we will make of Miami the great international city that I truly believe that we a destined to become, and we will open the twenty-first century in making Miami the internatior trade and commerce capital of the world. One of our President's started his inauguration spee, years ago, and I'm referring to John F. Kennedy, by asking that the people of America to jc him in building America. He asked them to "ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you could do for your country." And, today, I'd like to ask all Miamians to sacrifice, give each and every one of you a little bit of yourselves so that we could make Miami the gre City that we could make of Miami if we all unite and if we all work together and give ourselves. I ask you here today to not only ask of what your City can do for you, but also as what can I do for my City? Only with your help, with your cooperation, can I be a good May( Only with the help of each and every one of you and the sacrifice of each and everyone of yo can we make Miami the great City that it's destined to be. President Reagan, in his first teri accomplished what few skeptics felt that he could do. The same way that Miami is belt attacked on a daily basis almost by some that would like to see us to fail, so was America beii challenged and attacked when President Reagan became president. And I think that in the fit term, he brought something to America that we needed, that we were striving for and asking & and that was to have a pride back in America and to have trust back into government. And th is what we're striving to also do, to bring back that pride of being a Miamian again, and to brit back the trust that we need to have from the people of Miami in our government. We will ma' of Miami a great City. I thank each and every one of you that's here today and so many, mat thousands of you that are watching us here today at home. Thank you, Miami. Thank you very much. I will be a good Mayor for you. (APPLAUSE) If I may, I'd like to try to say SOD words in Spanish for our Spanish-speaking audience. VA A SER IMPOSIBLE QUE REPIT QUE RECUERDE TODO LO QUE DIJE EN INGLES, PORQUE FRANCAMENTE NUNC HE TENIDO NADIE QUE ME ESCRIBA DISCURSOS. LOS DISCURSOS LOS ESCRIn YO MISMO EN MI MENTE Y HAN SIDO ALGUNAS SEMANAS BIEN DIFICILES QUE HEMOS DORMIDO MUY POCO Y EN LOS ULTIMOS TRES DIAS HEM( DORMIDO NO MAS DE OCHO HORAS, ASI QUE LES PIDO EXCUSAS SI NO N( RECORDAMOS DE TODO TAN CLARO. QUIERO BREVEMENTE AGRADECERLES TODOS LOS QUE VOTARON POR MI EN EL DIA DE AYER, HICIERON EL SACRIFIC DE IR A LAS URNAS. POR USTEDES, TUVIMOS UNA GRAN, GRAN VICTORIA, UP COMO NUNCA. PERO LA VICTORIA NO FUE SOLO NUESTRA, LA VICTORIA FUE t USTEDES, DEL PUEBLO DE MIAMI. EN LOS MESES QUE VIENE, VAN A SER MES DIFICILES PORQUE LA TAREA QUE TENEMOS ALANTE DE NOSOTROS ES Ui' TAREA DIFICIL Y BIEN GRANDE. MIAMI ES UNA CIUDAD QUE TIENE MUCH PROBLEMAS QUE RESOLVER, PERO AL MISMO TIEMPO TIENE ALGO AUN M GRANDE, QUE ES EL PUEBLO DE MIAMI. CON ESE PUEBLO, CON USTEDES, C1 LA AYUDA DE CADA UNO DE USTEDES, CON EL SACRIFICIO DE CADA UNO USTEDES, VAMOS A PODER RESOLVER TODOS LOS PROBLEMAS DE MIAMI TRABAJANDO JUNTOS, UNIDOS, COMO LO HEMOS HECHO EN LOS ULTIMOS OC MESES AQUI EN MIAMI, COMO LOS VEMOS AQUI HOY, COMO LO VIMOS EN I URNAS AYER, VAMOS A PODER LOGRAR CUALQUIER COSA QUE QUICIERAM PARA MIAMI. MIAMI ES UNA CIUDAD QUE EN MI OPINION, EL DESTINO LA TIh PARA GRANDEZA, Y ESA GRANDEZA LA VAMOS A COMENZAR EN EL DIA HOY, A EMPEZAR A TRABAJAR, A LLEVARLA ADELANTE PARA QUE MI, PUEDA ENTRAR EN EL SIGLO 21 COMO LA CAPITAL DE COMERCIO MUNDI PARA QUE LOS TRABAJOS QUE NECESITEMOS EN MIAMI PARA NUESTROS HIJ NUESTRA FAMILIA VENGAN, PARA QUE LOS INGRESOS QUE EL GOBIER 7 July 24, 1 NECESITA PARA PODER BRINDARLES MEJORES SERVICIOS A USTEDES PUEDAN VENIR HACIA MIAMI. USTEDES SON LA RAZON POR LA CUAL JOE CAROLLO ESTA AQUI EN EL DIA DE HOY. A USTEDES SON A LOS QUE YO LES TENGO QUE AGRADECER POR HABER GANADO ESTAS ELECCIONES Y CON USTEDES VAMOS A PODER LOGRAR QUE MIAMI DE NUEVO SEA UNA CIUDAD CON GRANDEZA, QUE MIAMI PUEDA LOGRAR CUALQUIER COSA QUE QUIERA MIAMI LOGRAR. NO VOY A TOMARLES MAS TIEMPO. SI LA PRENSA QUIERE QUE LE HAGA... SI ME QUIEREN HACER ALGUNAS PREGUNTAS, CON MUCHO GUSTO, ESTAMOS DISPONIBLE. LO QUE QUICIERAMOS ES OFRECERLES QUE VAYAN PARA QUE VEAN SUS OFICINAS EN EL SEGUNDO PISO, LAS OFICINAS SUYAS, PORQUE USTEDES SON MIS JEFES, LAS OFICINAS DE LA ALCALDIA DE MIAMI. (APPLAUSE) If I may invite all of you to go and see your new offices. Because, after all, you are my bosses. And if all of you could go up, we have some refreshments up in your office, the Mayor's office. Thank you very much. MUCHAS GRACIAS. THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE CITY COMMISSION, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 12:55 p.m. Joe Carollo MAYOR ATTEST: Walter J. Foeman CITY CLERK Maria J. Argudin ASSISTANT CITY CLERK 8 July 24, 1996