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HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-95-0671J-95-656 9/14/95 RESOLUTION NO. 95- 671 A RESOLUTION AMENDING SECTION 2 OF RESOLUTION NO. 95-456, ADOPTED JUNE 1, 1995, RELATING TO j THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITY COUNCIL OF MIAMI ("TUCOM") THEREBY THE REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP PIN TUCOM, (B) PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONSISTING OF ELEVEN (11) MEMBERS; FURTHER APPOINTING THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TUCOM. WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 95-456, adopted June 1, 1995, the City Commission established the Unity Council of Miami I ("TUCOM"), consisting of representatives of eighteen (18) non- profit civic organizations to be selected by the City Commission based on the criteria established in Section 2 thereof; and WHEREAS, the City Commission wishes to amend Resolution No. 95-456 to (a) delete the requirement that all eighteen (18) members of TUCOM must be representatives of non-profit civic organizations and (b) to clarify that the total membership in TUCOM shall be reduced to a Board of Directors consisting of eleven (11) members, five (5) of whom are to be appointed by the members of the City Commission, the other five (5) by the entities contributing the operating funds of TUCOM and the eleventh (11th) member to be appointed as Chairperson of the Board of Directors by the Mayor; and CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF S E P 1 y looq Resolution No, 95- 671 WHEREAS, the City Commission wishes to establish the requirements and procedure for the appointment of the members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Board and wishes to make the necessary appointments to the Board of Directors of TUCOM; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA: Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are hereby adopted by reference thereto and incorporated herein as if fully set forth in this Section. Section 2. Section 2 of Resolution No. 95-456, adopted June 1, 1995, is hereby amended in the following particulars:l/ "Section 2. The Miami City Commission hereby establishes the Unity Council of Miami (TUCOM) which shall consist of ai:mangle --te—be---s leeteel---by the C4..t j, - ,,........; s members —,-eleven members who shall comprise the Board of Directors five to be appointed by the City Commission with each Commissioner having one appointment; five to be appointed by the entities contributing the operating funds of TUCOM and the eleventh member to be appointed as Chairperson of the Board of Directors by the Mayor. All members of TUCOM shall be appointed for two year terms." 1 Words and/or figures stricken through shall be deleted. Underscored words and/or figures shall be added. The remaining provisions are now in effect and remain unchanged. - 2 - t 95- 6'71 Section 3. The City Commission hereby appoints the following individuals to the Board of Directors of TUCOM, each for a two year term expiring September 13, 1997: APPOINTEE: NOMINATED BY: (Appointment Pending) Stephen P. Clark Chairperson Mayor (Appointment Pending) Stephen P. Clark Mayor James Simmons J.L. Plummer, Jr. Vice -Mayor Willard Hart Miller J. Dawkins ( i Commissioner Earl J. Carroll Victor De Yurre i Commissioner (Appointment Pending) Wifredo Gort Commissioner Section 4. The City Manager is hereby authorized to accept donations from private organizations to fund TUCOM's budget and to provide office space for three persons, three computers, a scanner and a printer to assist in TUCOM's operation. Section 5. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption. - 3 - 95- 671 -1. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 14th d f September 1995. STMPHEN P. CLAV, MAYOR ATTEST: ALTER EMAN CITY CLERK PREPARED AND APPROVED BY: RAFAtL 0. DIAZ DEPUTY CITY AT APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: V.04 / A � �p, a -- —j-y A. Q NN J S, III CITY ATTO EY W232:Csk:BSS:ROD - 4 - 95- 671 CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM TO : Honorable Mayor and Members DATE September 12, 1995 FILE of the City Co ssion SUBJECT : The Unity Council of Miami T,U.C.O.M. FROM Wl4ol) Gort REFERENCESCo ENCLOSURES Booklet/Resolution It is with great pleasure that I am forwarding your respective offices a copy of The Unity Council of Miami's (TUCOM) Booklet. It provides each of you with more specific information on TUCOM's objectives. During the June Commission Meeting Resolution No. 95-456 was adopted by the Board and I am attaching a copy of it for your review. I would like to make the following amendments: A. Amending the requirements for membership in TUCOM, B. Providing for the establishment of a Board of Directors consisting of eleven (11) members; further appointing the members of the Board of Directors of TUCOM. I would like to respectfully request that each of you appoint an individual to serve on the Board of Directors of TUCOM as your representative. I would appreciate if you would appoint this person during the City Commission Meeting on Thursday, September 14, 1995. Thank you for your support and cooperation towards this project. cc: Cesar Odio, City Manager , A. Quinn Jones III, City Attorney Walter Foemap, City Clerk I 'q Elvy Gallastegui, Agenda Office ,J 95- 671 --1 September 12, 1995 PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS ITEM WILL BE ON THE AGENDA THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14,1995. Darryl Reaves DR/mm 95- 671 THE UNITY COUNCIL OF MIAMI The Unity Council Of Miami We are challenged to rise above the narrow confines of our individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. We must learn to live together. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. December 1956 The Unity Council of Miami (TUCOM) shall be a chamber for Miami's civic organizations. TUCOM provides an ongoing forum for these organizations to present their positions concerning current issues. THE CONCEPT Miami is many things to many different people. Internationally, Miami is the gateway to the Americas. It is the capitol of international trade and finance in the southern - hemisphere and host of the Summit of the Americas. In the sports world, Miami is the recognized home of the Dolphins, Hurricanes, Marlins, Panthers, Heat, Inner-city Games, Super Bowls and, soon, world soccer. Miami recently hosted the Conference of Mayors and is known throughout the nation as a place for conventions and vacations. Our sister city, Miami Beach, is dripping hot on South Beach and the Art Deco thing is the current rave. A mosaic of many cultures, Miami celebrates an array of s festivities. Miami begins the year with the acclaimed Orange TUCOM 1 95- C'71 Bowl parade, game and events, and marches right into the Three Kings parade. In mid -January, Miamians celebrate one of the nation's largest Ma---`;n Luther King, Jr. festivities. Throughout the remainder of the year, Miami swings to the latin beat with Calle Ocho, gets the island fever in Coconut Grove's Goombay celebration. Then there is the all-out Bed Race, the International Book Fair, Shorecrest's inter -tribal Indian Festival, and a host of other fun cultural activities. Planet Hollywood, models galore, movie sets and the big names - Stallone, Stone, Madonna, and Schwarzenegger - are transforming the Magic City into the next movie capital of America. A world class seaport, an international airport, and a mass transit system make Miami an accessible city. A soon -to -be built performing arts center and a host of other fine arts centers and museums make Miami a place to be seen. Miami is truly a world -class city drenched in warm sunny weather and cooling beach fronts on all sides. Our piece of Americana is a picture perfect postcard that many cities and chambers of commerce dream daily and never obtain. The final chapter in Miami's book on success is the building of a communications network between our various communities and cultures. The Unity Council of Miami (TUCOM), a chamber of civic organizations, facilitates the process of people talking one to the other. TUCOM taps the various civic organizations that are representative of Miami's many ethnicities and communities of interests. In the process, civic organizations will present their respective views one to another, and to city officials and corporate Miami in an organized manner. This framework of direct communications will open the door of understanding between TUCOM 2 95- 671 L communities and various ethnicities corporate Miami will also benefit from logical extension of these direct talks i that each organization represents understanding of the reason and rhy communities and fellow Miamians. City officials and the presentations. The s that the communities will have a clearer ne of their neighboring Miami will be talking to Miami, every side and every facet. UNIFYING FORCE Unifying people has long been a strongsuit of City Commissioner Wifredo "Willy" Gort. Forty-one years a resident of Miami, Gort attended Shenandoah Middle School and graduated from Miami Senior High School. Gort continued his education at Miami Dade Community College and later earned a bachelor's degree from Florida International University. Gort's education reached beyond the class room as he worked for the United Way and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. His community efforts continued as a charter member of Camacol, Accion Community Agency and the Youth Co-op. Commissioner Gort first made his mark in photography covering local, national, and international events and people. The lure of the flame pulled him into the arena, with a strong interest in people issues. He recognized a need to ease concerns about the growing Hispanic population. With other local leaders, Gort helped initiate what is now Carnaval Miami. The concept was to invite other people into the latin quarter and let them partake of the food, dance and culture. Knowledge erases ignorance. Information erases misunderstanding. Since taking office as a city commissioner, Gort has focused on cultural exchange. In early '94, Gort arranged cultural exchange tours between Little Havana residents and residents of Coconut Grove, Liberty City, and Overtown. Participants TUCOM 3 9.5 - G'yI shared history, foods, folklore and, most importantly, friendships. Next, Commissioner Gort joined forces with the Theodore R. Gibson Fund and began a cultural exchange program for students from various city neighborhoods. The students are exposed to different foods, songs, dances, and neighborhoods. Commissioner Gort firmly believes that we must move beyond our personal spheres and work places and reach out to other people and areas. He is fond of saying, "Understanding one another is the bridge to unity." As quietly as it was kept, when Cuban protests against President Clinton's new Cuban policy raised the ire of Miamians, Gort facilitated private talks between the protest leaders and leaders of other communities. Black leaders, who had been threatening to counter demonstrate, got a better understanding of the pain the Cuban people were feeling. In the same vein, the Cuban leaders got the understanding that they needed to take their protest to Washington and off the shores of Cuba. When Black leaders cried foul in response tc the rightsizing that eliminated certain city Commissioner Gort who arranged meetings manager and Black civic organizations. resulted in the reinstitution of those continuation of the manager's rightsizing. city lay-offs and services, it was between the city These meetings services and a Again, "Understanding one another is the bridge to unity." Now, Commissioner Gort has led the city commission to enact The Unity Council of Miami (TUCOM). The mission is to establish an ongoing forum for the various civic organizations to talk, shed light, and expose one another to the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs from all sides of the Miami equation. TUCOM 4 95- C1 7I IN THE DIRECTION OF UNITY Former state Representative Darryl Reaves has been tapped to lead TUCOM as its executive director. A native Miamian, Reaves' entire life has been an example of cultural exchange. Reaves, first educated in segregated schools, began the fifth grade at the predominately Hispanic Corpus Christi school in Allapattah. Reaves played little league football and soccer at Central Boys Club south of NW 36th Street on 7th Avenue. His coaches were Anglo, Black and Hispanic, and so were his team mates. At culturally mixed Miami Springs Senior High, Reaves performed on stage as a member of the Thespian troupe, lettered in soccer, football, and on the swim team. "People are people. If you know a person, chances are you will like him or her. In my life, I have never had the luxury to determine the color of people with whom I wanted to associate. On the swim team, guess who was in the water. And, on the soccer field, guess who dominated the play. Those were things I wanted to do and those were the people with whom I played. I enjoyed and learned a lot," Reaves explained. As a member of the Florida House of Representatives, Reaves had the distinction of representing more Hispanic constituents than any other non -Hispanic legislator. His father, the late Jefferson Reaves, Sr. served the same district. "More than 1, my father really had a tremendous relationship with the people of Little Havana. He worked closely with the late Orlando Urra in building the Senior Citizen center and child care center in Allapattah." Reaves continued those same relationships, and, in 1991, was named an honorary member of the Hispanic Caucus. Reaves not only reached out to his Hispanic constituents, he made lasting friends with North Florida panhandlers. He was a member of the Legislature's Conservative Caucus - the good old boy group. TUCOM 5 A_ This was not an unusual step for Reaves. He considers himself a Floridian and more importantly a southerner. His family's Florida roots are in Sumter, Alachua and Jackson counties - west, central and north Florida. "My paternal roots are Georgian and my maternal roots are out of South Carolina. The Carolinians came to Florida in 1908 settling in Hawthorne, Florida. Thus I grew up with a 410 gauge shot gun and reel'n rod." Reaves envisions TUCOM as a United Nations of Miami. Via TUCOM, neighborhoods and civic groups can communicate on a regular basis. A NICHE FOR UNITY TUCOM fulfills a need not yet met in Miami. No other inter- relations board in Miami or Dade County facilitates ongoing talks between the various neighborhoods or communities of interests. Current relations boards are crisis pre-emptive ' orientated or post -crisis facilitators. With TUCOM, the emphasis is placed on ongoing scheduled presentations and gatherings of cultural exchange. TUCOM will focus on issues from the larger scope and not a specific incident. TUCOM's purpose is to get Miamians to understand how other Miamians feel about the essence of issues. Therefore, when an incident arises, one side of Miami will have insight into the reasoning for why the incident occurred. And, of how the other side of Miami is likely to respond. A STRUCTURE OF UNITY The Board - TUCOM's board of directors shall consist of a mixture of civic and corporate leaders. The mayor and city commission shall appoint five persons to the board. These city officials shall appoint civic leaders who are not current chief executives of any civic organizations. TUCOM 6 Qr•- 6 ly 1 Corporate sponsors coordinated by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce shall appoint five persons to the board. The mayor shall appoint one city commissioner to chair the Board. The board appointments shall initially be staggered between one year and two years. The staggering shall be balanced between city appointees and corporate appointees by a draw of numbers. Odd numbers shall serve for one year and even numbers shall serve two years. Hereinafter, all board members shall serve a term of two years. Member Organizations - TUCOM consists of eighteen member organizations - six Anglo-oriented organizations, six Black -oriented organizations, and six Hispanic -oriented organizations. The orientation towards a certain culture is noted, because many organizations have integrated memberships, i.e., the NAACP. Within each major group - Anglo, Black and Hispanic - there are various communities of interests. These varying interests are generally the result of different national origins. Therefore, each major group's allotment of six memberships shall carefully include the groups makeup. Thus, the Anglo membership shall include Jewish groups, European groups and other Anglo groups. Black membership shall include Bahamian groups, Haitian groups, Jamaican groups and American -born Black groups. Hispanic membership shall include Cuban groups, Dominican groups, Nicaraguan groups and Puerto Rican groups. This listing is for the purpose of suggesting the need for inclusion. Membership groups may include groups of community interest as the need is determined. The mayor and each city commissioner shall recommend eighteen civic organizations - six Anglo, six Black and six TUCOM 7 91 5 - 6'7 1 Hispanic - for membership. The board of directors shall receive the recommendations according to the popularity of their respective recommendations. The board shall appoint the membership organizations according to their major category - Anglo, Black, and Hispanic. Organizations with the most recommendations shall be appointed with priority. The board shall assure that all recognizable facets of each major group are represented. The Staff - TUCOM's day to day operations are overseen by the executive director. The other staff persons include an executive assistant and a secretary. Offices - TUCOM offices are housed at the Dupont Plaza Center, Suite 914, 300 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami, Florida 33131. This office space is donated to TUCOM by the Dupont Plaza Center. In return, TUCOM hosts all of its conferences and luncheons at the Dupont Plaza Center. It is a well-known landmark that is friendly, secure and readily accessible from all corridors of Miami. FORM AND FUNCTION TUCOM shall stage two main works: quarterly conferences and monthly luncheons. Quarterly Conferences - TUCOM shall host quarterly conferences at the Dupont Plaza Center. Membership organizations shall address the body and present their respective positions on two issues. One issue shall be preset by the board of directors, and the second issue shall be left to the discretion of each organization. The first issue, set by the board, shall reflect current events. The board should give great deference to topics on current tensions in Miami. However, the board should avoid setting a specific act. The focus of the quarterly conference should be TUCOM 8 95- 6'71 A policy and the varying impressions of that policy or phenomenon. Issues should reflect the realities of Miami, i.e., immigration, employment, public recreation, racism, housing trends, health care, tourism, care of the homeless, entertainment, small businesses, community development, public arts, and other key topics. Each organization shall be notified in a timely manner of the selected issue. The second issue shall be determined by the respective organization making the presentation. This will ensure that those issues that are of great importance to each organization are addressed. It will also keep TUCOM abreast of issues that are of importance and of which group the issues concern. Each organization shall notify TUCOM in a timely manner of the issue it has selected. Each organization shall be allotted fourteen minutes per presentation. Each organization shall surrender three typewritten copies of each presentation. Oral presentations may not deviate from the typewritten copy. The typewritten copies serve two purposes. First, TUCOM shall convene cordial conferences. Varying views on issues that are of great importance have a tendency to incite or enrage people. Written presentations will curtail debate and hot responses to prior presentations. Each organization shall present its views irrespective of other presentations. The purpose is to share opinions, not to debate or weigh who's right versus who's wrong. Open and frank presentations are desired. And, more importantly, the ability to accept that other people have different thoughts, and we must learn to be tolerant of the other opinions. TUCOM 9 95 - 671 Second, the typewritten copies provide TUCOM with actual copy to be used in compiling quarterly reports. Each organization, city officials, and corporate partners shall receive a complete compilation of all presentations, remarks, and speeches made at the quarterly conferences. City officials shall be present at the quarterly conferences. These official shall include representatives from the offices of the mayor, manager, city attorney, police and fire chiefs, and general services. Corporate sponsors and representatives from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce shall be present. City officials and corporate sponsors will not participate in the oral presentations, nor will they field questions. They're present to observe and benefit from the presentations. Quarterly Conference Schedule 6:a.m. Registration 7:00 - Continental breakfast buffet shall be served. 7:30 - Opening remarks shall be given by the chair, highlighting TUCOM's progress, recognizing dignitaries, the member organizations, and other pertinent comments. 8:00 - Issue one begins. Member organization will address the conference in an order determined by chance. 12:30 -Lunch banquet begins. The chair shall preside. A noted person in the field of unity or civics shall address the luncheon. Tickets shall be available for the public. 2:00 - Issues two begins. Member organization will TUCOM 10 95,- C.'�1. address the conference in an order determined by chance. The last presentation ends at 6:30. 7:00 - Chamber Finale - Corporate sponsors will be highlighted, and member organizations will have the opportunity to mingle with one another and speak with city officials and corporate Miami. Monthly Bashes - TUCOM shall host monthly luncheons in the nonconference months. There will be no set agenda for the luncheons. The purpose of the luncheons will to provide member organizations the opportunity to break bread together and discus issues one-on-one. Here is where the good debates will take place, but in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere. The monthly bashes will be held at the Dupont Plaza Center, which has adequate parking, security, and banquet facilities. The luncheons will take on various themes from month to month. The theme shall highlight the various cultures of the membership organizations. One month, members will swing to the samba of the latin beat, feast on black beans and rice; and the next month the members will dine in green on Irish cousine. Networking - A tremendous benefit of coalescing the leading civic organizations in Miami is the ability to touch bases with them on any given issue in a short period of time. If the city decides to initiate a new program, it could touch bases with TUCOM member organizations and have immediate feedback. The same is true for corporate Miami. This communication Link provides the Miami decision makers with instant pulse results. If the overall response is positive, then policy makers can move full speed ahead. If there are legitimate concerns TUCOM 11 95-- 671 raised, two things can occur: One, the policy can be re- evaluated based on the concerns conveyed; two, the policy can be better explained with direct information to quail any further concerns. In times of crises or in moments of decision, the network is available to guarantee clear and concise communications. When civil unrest threatens to raise its ugly head, city officials and responsible leaders can mobilize forces, relay throughout the communities of Miami accurate information and lay to rest any disturbance. When the federal government announces the allocation of special funds for an Empowerment Zone (a real example), TUCOM can facilitate the distribution of information and assist city officials and corporate Miami in galvanizing support. The key is that the three segments of Miami's society will be in direct communications. City officials, corporate Miami, and civic organizations listening one to another and learning tolerance for one another. Forging A Community - Transforming the crowds of Miami into a community is the ultimate goal of TUCOM. Bringing the various faces of Miami together at the same table in quarterly conferences forges a community. Dining on the various foods of Miami and sharing thoughts and comments at monthly luncheons forges a community. Informing one another of pending actions forges a community. Explaining to one another the reason behind our various actions forges a community. TUCOM gathers its strength from the well -recognized civic organizations that have served the interests of Miami's various ethnicities. In return, these civic organizations are strengthened by the welding of their forces. Member organizations can boast to their respective constituents that they are operating within the circle of power. Membership in TUCOM gives them a seat at the table with city officials and TUCOM 12 9 5 - 6'71 __j corporate Miami. They have a voice. They are stronger. They are in the game. DOING IT RIGHT Been there, done it, and heard it before is going to be the initial reaction of most civic organization when they are approached to join TUCOM. Thus, TUCOM must demonstrate an unyielding commitment to inclusiveness and equality. TUCOM is not a knee-jerk response to any incident. TUCOM is not created under the pressure of pending unrest. TUCOM is a legitimate effort on the part of the city of Miami and corporate Miami to join forces with and facilitate communication with and between Miami's various civic organizations. While Miami is on an upswing, TUCOM is being formed to foster a cooperative and unifying spirit in Miami. This is the message of TUCOM's sincerity. And, this is the impression that every joining member must come to understand and embody. In the same vein, member organizations must be held to a standard of cooperativeness. They must meet the deadlines for presentations. They must understand that this is a serious effort to forge a new day in the relationships among neighboring communities. THE BUDGET This major endeavor to boldly forge unity in Miami can be accomplished with a small and prudent budget of just under $200,000 per year. The staff budget is $135,000. With these funds TUCOM employs the executive director at $75,000; an executive assistant at $35,000; and a secretary at $25,000. From these TUCOM 13 95- 6171 N1 amounts Federal obligations and health insurance premiums shall be paid. TUCOM shall host four conferences (quarterly conference) per year. The total cost of all four conferences is $38,400. Each conference begins with a continental buffet. One hundred dollars are budgeted for each conference at a total of $400 per year. TUCOM will provide complimentary tickets for all conference participants and quests . This is budgeted at $2,000 per conference with an annual tab of $8,000. TUCOM will invite noted personalities from around the nation to address the luncheons. This is budgeted at $4,000 to cover travel and lodging expenses, as well as an honorarium. This total is $16,000 per year. The last event of the conference is the Chamber Finale. The event for participants and guests to mingle and chat is budgeted at $2, 500 per conference with a total of $10, 000 per year. Upon the completion of every conference, TUCOM shall compile all presentations and remarks and publish a quarterly report. This is budgeted at $1,000 per conference for a total of $4,000. The monthly luncheons will be ticketed affairs and will not be of any expense to TUCOM. TUCOM has budgeted $2,400 for office supplies and $2,000 for cellular phone services. The following is an itemized budget: Personnel 135,000 TUCOM 14 95- 6171 Executive Director } Executive Assistant Secretary Quarterly Conferences Continental Breakfast Lunch Speaker Chamber Finale Quarterly Report Office Supplies Portable Phone 75,000 35,000 25,000 100x4 2,000x4 4,000x4 2,500x4 1,000x4 2,400 2,000 TOTAL -- 177,800 TUCOM 15