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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #59 - Discussion ItemW C;tsA01 M. 0010 OTT MAMA*t* C of ffiiami ACID. P. O. SOX 330"4 MIAMI, rWRIDA 33223-07O• 309.570 - 0040 October 15, 1986 Ms. Ann Marie Adker 467 N.W. 5th Street Miami, FL 33128 Dear Ms. Adker: This will confirm your conversation of today with a member of City staff in which you indicated that you would prefer that the public hearing on issues confronting the Overtown community be rescheduled from the October 23rd Meeting at 5:05 p.m. to the November 13th Meeting at 5:05 p.m. Accordingly, the subject public hearing will be scheduled during the regular City Commission Meeting on November 13, 1986 at 5:05 p.m. at the City CGmmisSion Chambers, 3500 Pan American Drive. If you require additional information, please contact Matthew Schwartz at 57973366. Sinc ely, • Cesar H. Odic City Manager , cc: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission City Clerk W Q "OVERTOWN JOBS PROGRAM" The Overtown Jobs Program began as a component of the City Interims Assistance Program in 1978 with allocations provided through Community Development Funds. It is the first project geared for employment to the unskilled, underprivileged and uneducated a high percentage rating in the Overtown area. The program has done well in Overtown, in fact Mr. Castenada has said it is a success and that is why it should be moved so it may enhance to other job programs implemented by the City. We don't agree, having brought in Miami Dade Community College assisting with orientation, employability skills and a G.E.D. for further education. Working together the jobs program and Miami Dade is seen as a solution to the independency of residence in Overtown. Since the jobs program has been in existence teenage problem has risen in percentage, but the drug and family counseling programs can help these young residents. Then where is the incentive if there is no jobs program within Overtown? Parks b Recreation in Overtown With the exception of the Theodore R. Gibson Center/Park expanded and renovated for Cultural as well as athletics activities the Parks in the are supervised by Mr. Norris Fowles who has no creative family type programs geared to generating daily use of the parks. Parks in the area are being monopolized by the drug element and really flourish through unauthorized disco activities. We are recommending as Supervisor of Parks in the region that Overtown is under, Mr. Freddie Johnson a staff member of Parks and Recreation working in Overtown for many years and was instrumental in bringing in the affiliation of the Kiwanis Club. lie works in the Community with a concern and dedication for families We will organize park committees to provide extra help in creating on going comprehensive programs in our parks. To do this we need a competent supervisor who can help us implement these ideas. Parks are for people and Overtown like any other Community in the City of Miami has a right to equal Quality. No longer can we retain a passive feeling toward elected officials who tend to forget our existence. The Overtown Cultural Arts Association The Overtown Cultural Arts Association formerly known as C.A.C.O. was reorganized and Chartered under the State of Florida in 1984 by a group of dedicated women concerned for the young residents of the Community. The Theodore R. Gibson Cultural Center and Park renovated to house the cultural program with an amphitheater on the outside and a stage within has served as a learning as well as entertainment atmosphere for persons taking drama, singing, piano, arts b craft, self awareness and Black history. r We have had nationally known artist at the Cultural Center not only performing but explaining how the had set a goal to achieve. This was a going activity with artist coming down for engagements. The history of the Black race is taught in schools, so for most Blacks depending on negative versions cause an inferior concept. When a person knows who he is he takes on a justifiable self respect thus respecting others. This we call "Pride". Having established the Cultural Arts Program as one to teach not only to promote festival activities in 1979.we are fortunate to having a good percentage of our students not only as high school graduates but coming back as volunteers in the program. The funding for the programs administrative and operational expenses comes form Community Development and from the inception expenditures has been provided by an office of the City of Miami. This program can never survive as a part of Parks and Recreation, merely because there is no one in administration sensitive to Black Culture. The Cultural Arts program funding expenditures can be handled by Parks and Recreation with the work program and festival activities monitored by the Overtown Cultural Arts associations board of directors. A proposal will be sent to Parks and Recreation. The board of directors for the Overtown Cultural Arts Association is requesting an audit on the dispersing of funds during prior allocations under Parks and Recreation. Legal Services of Greater Miami A request for funding for the Legal Services of Greater Miami came before the City Commission in 1983 then again this year. The City's response, no money. Since the City of Miami is totally responsible for the plight of its residents by causing the problems (in fact„ the City has spent $28 Million) of displacement relocation land speculation etc. we feel the City of Miami responsible for providing legal help to the residents pressured into the delimit through the supposedly "Bonds for Progress" program. Legal services of Greater Miami has retained an office in the Culmer/Overtown Service Center opened part time but has helped residents, organizations and corporations in the Community. We are in desperate need of this agency's full time participation and full funding should be allocated. Overtown has never received its fair share of funding and feel it is time to get some protection through the law. • ONE DAY OVERTOWN COMMUNITY CONFERENCE TO Dh'V14f#OP "A PEOPLE'S PLAN FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF OVERTOWN" A PROPOSAL SUBMITTED L'IAT THE OVERTOWN ADVISORY BOARD,'INC. TO THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI NoVieniw 1986 Submitted into the public record in connection 'th ` item on - Matty Hirai City Clerk ONE DAY OVERTOWN COMMUNITY CONFERENCE TO DEVELOP "A PEOPLE'S PLAN FOR THE NEVITALIZATION OF OVERTOWN" The people of Overtown will meet in All day workshops and discussion to examine the social and economic issues affecting the quality of life in Overtown. They will determine what the crucial issues are, why they exist, how they can be treated, resolved or eradicated, what steps should be taken and, indeed, what solutions should be put in p1nou to correct these problems. The community will make use of available eFperts in these discussions to estimate the annual costs for these solutions. The result will be a FIVE YEAR PLAN of recommended actions and a suggested budget. This FIVE YEAR PLAN will become the basic document which outlines the steps to be taken for the revitalization of OVERTOWN. The issues to be a ximined are EDUCATION, HEALTH, UNEMPLOYMENT, CRIME, TRANSPORTATION, THE ELDERLY] THS COMMUNITY AND THE NEWS MEDIA, HOUSING, DEVELOPMENT, REC1119ATION, MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD- CARE. This Conference will be properly structured with a chair- person and a recorder for each workshop so that each topic will be critically discussed and reported back to the full Conference with a series of well -thought out recommendations for action and, indeed, with an accompanying suggested annual budget for imple- menting the recommendations. A professional writer will be contracted to do a re -write job on the entire proceedings and produce a final professional document which will become the FIVE YEAR PLAN. All the churches and organizations in Overtown will encourage their members to participate in the Conference with fraternities, sororities, PTA's, youth groups, social agencies, schools, merchant's associations and small businessman and women. The bottom line of the Conference is the economic development of Overtown and the role the people will play. It is expected that all government agencies will partici- pate. It is desirable that the power structure institutions participate ---the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Miami United, the Bar Associations, the Accountant Associations, the Medical Societies, the Nurses Associations, the Banker's Associations, the Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce, the Universities and Colleges, the School Board, the Contractors, the Developers--- -_- in short, EVERYBODY! IeN "A PEOPLE'S PLAN FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF OVERTOWN" PAGE 2 The Conference will be well advertised to ensure that a maximum number of community peopin attend. Several banners will be fixed in ideal locations throuUliout Overtown to remind people of the Conference. Leaflets will be distributed to all the schools and churches, the barber shops, the gorceries, the pharmacies, the laundromats and the cleaners. Radio announce- ments will be made and if possible, T.V. interviews to advertise it. Overtown is coming alive! The City of Miami and Metro- politan Dade County have already committed millions of dollars for the redevelopment of Southeast Overtown. The Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority has started to build a sports arena. A great deal of private energies and monies have been invested in trying to bring an NBA franchise here in Miami that would impact on Overtown. The people of Overtown are determined to make all of this worthwhile. They support it all! And indeed, they are making their own well thought out plans to upgrade the entire community and eventually change the image and the outside perception. The first step in this direction is the one day community - wide Conference which will examine and discuss all the social, economic and physical dysfunctions of Overtown. At the same time, it will identify the strengths of the community. A planning committee for the Conference has been set up. It is comprised of community people, public officials and private sector professionals. The planning process will be careful, deliberate and painstaking. Every effort will be made to achieve the maximum output from everyone in order to propose the actions for the improvement and revitalization of Overtown, which will become "THE PEOPLE'S PLAN FOR THE unvITALIZATION OF OVERTOWN" and an appropriate budget for a sustained five year funding period. The Conference is expected to attract hundreds of people.. The Mayor of the City of Miami will be asked to open the Conference. A national speaker will address the conference in the morning and another at the luncheon. The workshops will last three hours in the morning and one hour in the afternoon for report preparation and presentation. A reception will follow, hopefully with elected officials and the private sector VIPs. The estimated budget is $36,000. `A PEOPLE'S PLAN FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF OVERTOWN" ESTIMATED BUDGET EXPENSES: Hotel Facilities & Meals Banners Public Relations Recording & Transcription Report Writing & Printing Postage Security SUB -TOTAL INCOME: Registration Fees Donations SUB -TOTAL TOTAL FUNDING REOUIREDt $ 19,000.00 1,500.00 4,000.00 6,500.00 4,000.00 1,500.00 1,500.00 $ 36,000.00 5,000.00 5,000.00 $ 10,000.00 $ 26.000.00