Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Item Summary FormAGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORM File ID: #10728 Date: Commission Meeting Date: 09/13/2021 Requesting Department: Office of the City Clerk Sponsored By: District Impacted: All Type: Resolution Subject: Direction to City Manager - Police to Place Emphasis Homelessness and Finding Shelters for Homeless Purpose of Item: <Insert Purpose of Item Here> Background of Item: <Insert Background Here> Budget Impact Analysis Item has NOT an Expenditure Total Fiscal Impact: City Commission Legislative Division Office of the City Attorney Office of Management and Budget Office of the City Attorney Office of the City Attorney Office of the City Clerk Maricarmen Lopez Valentin J Alvarez Juan Carlos Perez Leon P Michel Barnaby L. Min Victoria Mendez City Clerk's Office Reviewed B Meeting Legislative Division Review ACA Review Budget Review Deputy Attorney Review Approved Form and Correctness Rendered Completed Completed Completed Completed Completed Completed Completed 09/13/2021 9:00 AM 09/20/2021 2:58 PM 10/25/2021 9:55 AM 10/29/2021 10:00 AM 10/29/2021 10:40 AM 11/02/2021 4:14 PM 11/02/2021 5:37 PM City of Miami Legislation Resolution Enactment Number: R-21-0379 City Hall 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 www.miamigov.com File Number: 10728 Final Action Date:9/13/2021 A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO REQUEST THAT MIAMI POLICE DEPARTMENT ("MPD") DISTRICT COMMANDERS PLACE EMPHASIS ON HOMELESS ISSUES PARTICULAR TO EACH DISTRICT AND ENDEAVOR TO SECURE AVAILABLE SHELTER OR ALTERNATE HOUSING ARRANGEMENTS FOR HOMELESS PERSONS; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE ANY AND ALL LAWFUL ACTIONS TO PREVENT HEALTH HAZARDS CAUSED BY ENCAMPMENTS OF HOMELESS COMMUNITIES ON SIDEWALKS AND RIGHT-OF-WAYS; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO HAVE MPD ASSIST DURING CLEANING OF CERTAIN LOCATIONS CONSIDERED TO BE "HOT SPOTS" OF RECURRING HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS AND TO ASSIST WITH THE TRANSPORTATION OF HOMELESS PERSONS TO AVAILABLE SHELTERS OR ALTERNATE HOUSING FACILITIES TO PREVENT A PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD AND COMBAT THE FURTHER SPREAD OF THE CURRENT NOVEL CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. WHEREAS, areas of recurring homeless encampments can become a site of human waste, trash, vermin, discarded needles, and the like posing a genuine public health threat; and WHEREAS, a "hot spot" is a location within the City of Miami ("City") whereby recurring homeless issues have occurred such as encampments, Florida Litter Law violations, and other public nuisances that have a high likelihood of resulting in public health hazards; and WHEREAS, an encampment is considered to be ten (10) or more unsheltered homeless individuals living in relatively close proximity to one another in an obviously visible location; and WHEREAS, the City Commission has considered strategies regarding Citywide clean- ups at locations known to have recurring homeless encampments during various City Commission meetings; and WHEREAS, the City Commission discussions have focused on the value of coordination, integration, and frequency of collaborations amongst key City departments to improve the cleanliness of the City's streets and efforts to reduce the population of unsheltered homeless persons in the City; and WHEREAS, City Policy No. APM 1-19, titled "Treatment of Homeless Persons' Property," governs the standard practice for the handling, temporary storage, and disposition of property belonging to homeless persons to ensure the City does not violate personal property rights of the homeless; and WHEREAS, the City currently conducts regular scheduled cleanups and provides advance notice of upcoming operations at recurring sites where human waste, trash, needles, and the like are known to discarded; and WHEREAS, to improve the cleanliness of City streets and sidewalks and to prevent threats of genuine public health from developing, it is appropriate to increase the collaborations between the City's Homeless Outreach Teams, Miami Police Department ("MPD"), Department of Solid Waste, Neighborhood Service Center Administrators, Continuum of Care providers, and Neighborhood Resource Officers; and WHEREAS, to strengthen the City's collaboration efforts, MPD commanders assigned to each Commission district should place emphasis on homeless issues particular to each district and endeavor to secure available shelter or alternate housing arrangements for homeless persons utilizing any available City resource necessary; and WHEREAS, in addition to hot spot cleanings, the City Manager is directed to take any and all lawful actions prevent public health hazards from being created and combat the further spread of the current novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic caused by communities of homeless encampments living on the City's sidewalks and right-of-ways; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2-33(f) of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended, the City Commission, by a majority vote, deems this Resolution to be of an emergency nature in order to immediately protect the public health, welfare, and safety of the City's residents, visitors, and businesses; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA: Section 1. The Recitals in the Preamble to this Resolution are true and correct and are adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section. Section 2. The City Manager is hereby directed to request that MPD Commanders place emphasis on homeless issues particular to each district and endeavor to secure available shelter or alternate housing arrangements for homeless persons. Section 3. The City Manager is further directed to take any and all lawful actions to prevent health hazards caused by encampments of homeless communities on sidewalks and right-of-ways. Section 4. The City Manager is further directed to have MPD assist during cleaning of hot spot locations with recurring homeless encampments and to assist with the transportation of homeless persons to available shelters or alternate housing facilities to prevent a public health hazard and combat the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Section 5. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption. APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: ndez, City Httor ey 11/2/2021