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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #13 - Discussion ItemI NS Z STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF Health & Rehabilitative Services District Eleven 401 N. W. Second Avenue Miami, Florida 33128 George Knox City Attorney City of Miami 174 East Flagler Street Miami, Florida Dear Mr. Knox: January 21, 1981 Huh Graham. Gmernur IN RE: Food Stamp Office at 518 N. E. 79th Street Miami, Florida I am furnishing this position paper on behalf of the Department at the request of Bob Clark in order to attempt to amicably resolve our differences with the City or at least to have a factual and rational framework concerning the history and operation of the 79th street office. We believe that the following factors can serve to alleviate the concerns of the City Commission without a total closure of the office: 1. That the office does primarily serve the surrounding neighbor- hoods; 2. The refugees are being relocated to another office; 3. Staggered issuance coupled with the reduction in issuance case- load will negate the possibility of lines outside the office; 4. Lines witnessed recently were probably due to people waiting to get in the U. S. Immigration Office next door in 7880 Biscayne Boulevard. I. THAT THE OFFICE DOES PRIMARILY SERVE THE SURROUNDING AREA - The Southern boundary of the geographical area served is N. E. 36th Street. Even including the refugees approximately 75% of the clients come from the zip code in which the office is located, the zip code area South of the office and the zip code North of the office. While the Northern boundary stretches to the County line only 32% of the total clients reside North of 107th Street and only a small fraction of these North of 151st Street. Also, we suspect that many of the clients from the North Miami- North Miami Beach area are elderly persons who receive their stamps through the mail. In other words the 32% and other percentages include mail issuance as well as clients coming to the office in person and if we could give you a breakdown of those coming in person an even higher percentage would be from the immediate neighborhood exludinq North Miami and North Miami Beach. Also we feel with the moving of the refugees many of whom live down toward 36th Street that the percentage from the immediate neighborhood would be increased. 'f- /-Z/ 7.i L ,f Letter to George Knox Re: Food Stamp Office - 79th St. Office August 21, 1981 Page 2 II. THE RELOCATION OF THE REFUGEES IS UNDERWAY - The Haitian refugees accounted for approximately 25/C' of the household recipients in September through November of 1980. The last previous attempt to relocate the Haitian refugees to N. E. 2nd Avenue and 82nd Street was withdrawn after virulent opposition from the Little River community. A new invitation to bid for a food stamp office and service office to accomodate the refugees was published in the Miami Herald with a final date to receive sealed bids set for February 3, 1981. The District will expedite execution and implementation of a lease as soon as possible after February 3rd. III. STAGGERED ISSUANCE IS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING LINES OF PERSONS WAITING FOR ISSUANCE THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF THE MONTH - Prior to staggered issuance a majority of recipients came to the Food Stamp Offices the first few days of the month creating long lines and accompanying problems at almost all of our offices. In October, 1980, staggered issuance was implemented and in the months of November and December enforcement of staggered issuance was begun. In addition specifically with respect to the 79th Street office all households in zip codes 33127 and 33150 were transferred to another office. From July to August we effectuated a dramatic decrease in recipient households from 13,225 to 9,780 (some 26%) and the caseload has continued to decrease. IV. LINES ALLEGED TO BE WAITING FOR STAMP ISSUANCE ARE PROBABLY DUE TO THE U. S. IMMIGRATION OFFICE - On January 10, 1981, the day pictures were taken showing lines of people near the 79th Street Office, only 253 households were issued stamps compared to the following figures respectively for the first nine days of January; 558, 462, 434, 485, 472, 506, 366, 416, and 379. 253 recipients during a work day can comfortably be accomodated inside the office with no outside lines. I have also discovered that on January 10, 1981, there was a tremendous rush of refugees who came to the U. S. Immigration Office at 7880 Biscayne Boulevard to get their cards stamped. Our Food Stamp Supervisor at the 79th Street Office states emphatically that since the full implementation of staggered issuance, coupled with reduction in caseload, the only few occasions on which there has been any line at all is prior to the office opening in the morning. Letter to George Knox Re: Food Stamp Office -79th Street August 21, 1981 Page 3 In summary, I am hopeful that the above addresses the concerns of the City and that the fine relationship between the City and the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services which has so benefited citizens of Miami who are clients of the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services will endure in the future. Thank you for the opportunity to present these matters. Sincerely, Leonard Helfand District Legal Counsel LH:mb cc: Max B. Rothman, District Administrator