HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubstitution Memo from City AttorneyCITY OF MIAMI
OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: George K. Wysong, 11I, City Attorney Georg.K. Wy3°nwar
DATE: November 12, 2025
RE: November 20, 2025 Commission Meeting Agenda — Substitution of RE 26 -
Employee Contribution - Hurricane Melissa
File No. 18507
Item RE.26 on the November 20, 2025, City Commission Meeting Agenda proposes to
direct the manager to allow City of Miami ("City") employees to contribute to a fund for the
purpose of donating to Global Empowerment Mission and Food For The Poor, Inc., to support
Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica and other affected areas. The Legislation is being
substituted to clarify that only "the monetary value of the accrued vacation leave time" may be
donated.
cc. Arthur Noriega V, City Manager
Miriam Santana, Agenda Coordinator
GKW/SKP
-110/1 ovLii&c) A 4-1-tzru
City of Miami
Legislation
Resolution
File Number: 18507
City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
Final Action Date:
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DIRECTING THE CITY
MANAGER TO IMMEDIATELY ALLOW CITY EMPLOYEES TO CONTRIBUTE THE
MONETARY VALUE OF ACCRUED HOLIDAY AND ANNUAL LEAVE TIME TO THE
CITY'S EMERGENCY DISASTER RELIEF FUND OR A SIMILAR CITY -DESIGNATED
FUND MECHANISM FOR THE PURPOSE OF DONATING TO GLOBAL
EMPOWERMENT MISSION AND FOOD FOR THE POOR, INC., TO SUPPORT
HURRICANE MELISSA RELIEF EFFORTS IN JAMAICA AND OTHER AFFECTED
AREAS; TO PUBLICIZE AND MAKE AVAILABLE FORMS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES TO
COMPLETE IN ORDER TO CONTRIBUTE SAID LEAVE TIME; TO EFFECTUATE THE
DONATION ON BEHALF OF THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF MIAMI; AND TO
PROVIDE A REPORT.
WHEREAS, on October 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm,
struck Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean, causing widespread devastation, including
Toss of life, destruction of homes, and severe damage to infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the storm brought torrential rains, flash flooding, and landslides, displacing
thousands of residents and overwhelming local emergency response systems; and
WHEREAS, as of late October 2025, recovery efforts are ongoing, and the affected
regions face significant humanitarian and rebuilding needs; and
WHEREAS, residents of the City of Miami ("City"), like those of Miami -Dade County
("County"), have family members, friends, and cultural ties to Jamaica and other impacted
Caribbean nations; and
WHEREAS, the County established an Emergency Disaster Relief Fund by Resolution
No. R-1071-05 to allow County employees to contribute earned annual and holiday leave to
benefit victims of natural disasters and support rebuilding, a model that the City of Miami seeks
to mirror through the City's administrative mechanisms to facilitate employee contributions for
disaster relief; and
WHEREAS, the County has repeatedly utilized its Emergency Disaster Relief Fund to
assist communities devastated by natural disasters, and County employees have generously
contributed earned holiday and annual leave to support such efforts; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to permit its employees, on a voluntary basis, to contribute
the monetary value of accrued holiday and annual leave time for donation to Global
Empowerment Mission and Food For The Poor, Inc., to support Hurricane Melissa relief efforts
in Jamaica and other affected areas, consistent with the approach undertaken by the County;
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
adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The City Manager is hereby directed to immediately allow City employees to
voluntarily contribute the monetary value of accrued holiday and annual leave time to the City's
Emergency Disaster Relief Fund or, if necessary, to a City -designated trust or special purpose
account established or identified by the City Manager to accept such contributions, for the
purpose of donating to Global Empowerment Mission and Food For The Poor, Inc., to support
Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica and other affected areas.
Section 3. The City Manager is further directed to publicize and make available forms for
employees to complete to authorize earned annual and holiday leave contributions. The
authorization forms shall include a statement that the City Commission has approved
contributions of earned annual and holiday leave time for the purpose of donating to Hurricane
Melissa relief efforts.
Section 3. The City Manager is further directed to effectuate donations to Global
Empowerment Mission and Food For The Poor, Inc., on behalf of the employees of the City, to
be used exclusively to support Hurricane Melissa relief efforts, and to provide a report to the
City Commission identifying the total amount of funds donated to each organization by City
employees within thirty (30) days after the donation is made.
Section 4. The City Manager is authorized' to take any administrative actions necessary
to implement this Resolution, including establishing any required special purpose account(s),
coordinating payroll adjustments to convert accrued leave to monetary value in accordance with
applicable City policies and collective bargaining agreements, and executing forms and
documents consistent with this Resolution.
Section 5. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS:
g III, C y`r�ttor�ey /11/10/2025
' The herein authorization is further subject to compliance with all legal requirements that may be
imposed, including but not limited to, those prescribed by applicable City Charter and City Code
provisions.
City of Miami
Resolution
Legislation
City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
File Number: 18507
Final Action Date:
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DIRECTING THE CITY
MANAGER TO IMMEDIATELY ALLOW CITY EMPLOYEES TO CONTRIBUTE
THE MONETARY VALUE OF ACCRUEDT�LI °Y ND °Win i°i i €A -TIME
VACATION TIME TO THE CITY'S EMERGENCY DISASTER RELIEF FUND OR
A SIMILAR CITY -DESIGNATED FUND MECHANISM FOR THE PURPOSE OF
DONATING TO GLOBAL EMPOWERMENT MISSION AND FOOD FOR THE
POOR, INC., TO SUPPORT HURRICANE MELISSA RELIEF EFFORTS IN
JAMAICA AND OTHER AFFECTED AREAS; TO PUBLICIZE AND MAKE
AVAILABLE FORMS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES TO COMPLETE IN ORDER TO
CONTRIBUTE SAID LEAVE TIME; TO ESTABLISH TO EFFECTUATE THE
DONATION ON BEHALF OF THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF MIAMI; AND
TO PROVIDE A REPORT.
SPONSOR(S): Mayor Francis X. Suarez --
WHEREAS, on October 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm.
struck Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean, causing widespread devastation, including:
loss of life, destruction of homes, and severe damage to infrastructure; and Lo
0
WHEREAS, the storm brought torrential rains, flash flooding, and landslides, displadi g
thousands of residents and overwhelming local emergency response systems; and
WHEREAS, as of late October 2025, recovery efforts are ongoing, and the affected
regions face significant humanitarian and rebuilding needs; and
WHEREAS, residents of the City of Miami ("City"), like those of Miami -Dade County
("County"), have family members, friends, and cultural ties to Jamaica and other impacted
Caribbean nations; and
WHEREAS, the County established an Emergency Disaster Relief Fund by Resolution
No. R-1071-05 to allow County employees to contribute earned annual and holiday leave to
benefit victims of natural disasters and support rebuilding, a model that the City of Miami seeks
to mirror through the City's administrative mechanisms to facilitate employee contributions for
disaster relief; and
WHEREAS, the County has repeatedly utilized its Emergency Disaster Relief Fund to
assist communities devastated by natural disasters, and County employees have generously
contributed earned holiday and annual leave to support such efforts; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to permit its employees, on a voluntary basis, to contribute
the monetary value of accrued holiday and annual leave time for donation to Global
Empowerment Mission and Food For The Poor, Inc., to support Hurricane Melissa relief efforts
in Jamaica and other affected areas, consistent with the approach undertaken by the County;
City of Miami Page 1 of 2 File ID: 18507 (Revision:) Printed On: 11/12/2025
File ID: 18507 Enactment Number:
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
adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The City Manager is hereby directed to immediately mediately allow City employees to
voluntarily contribute the monetary value of accrued vacation
time to the City's Emergency Disaster Relief Fund or, if necessary, to a City -designated trust or
special purpose account established or identified by the City Manager to accept such
contributions, for the purpose of donating to Global Empowerment Mission and Food For The
Poor, Inc., to support Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica and other affected areas.
Section 3. The City Manager is further directed to publicize and make available forms for
employees to complete to authorize earned annual and holiday leave contributions. The
authorization forms shall include a statement that the City Commission has approved
contributions of earned annual and holiday leave time for the purpose of donating to Hurricane
Melissa relief efforts.
Section 3. The City Manager is further directed to effectuate donations to Global
Empowerment Mission and Food For The Poor, Inc., on behalf of the employees of the City, to
be used exclusively to support Hurricane Melissa relief efforts, and to provide a report to the
City Commission identifying the total amount of funds donated to each organization by City
employees within thirty (30) days after the donation is made.
Section 4. The City Manager is authorized' to take any administrative actions necessary
to implement this Resolution, including establishing any required special purpose account(s),
coordinating payroll adjustments to convert accrued leave to monetary value in accordance with
applicable City policies and collective bargaining agreements, and executing forms and
documents consistent with this Resolution.
Section 5. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS:
.may
III, C y for y 11/10/2025
' The herein authorization is further subject to compliance with all legal requirements that may be
imposed, including but not limited to, those prescribed by applicable City Charter and City Code
provisions.
7.3
� �T7
LED
cn
City of Miami Page 2 of 2 File ID: 18507 (Revision:) Printed on: 11/12/2025