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City of Miami
Hon. Mayor and Members of the City Commission,
In compliance with City Code Sec, 2-850, and in furtherance of my recent appointment as Chairman of the
City's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board ("PAB"), I provide you with this 2018 Annual Report.
It has been an honor to serve on the PAB since 2013 as the appointee for District 2 under Commissioners
Marc Sarnoff and Ken Russell. Since my appointment, the PAB has continued to make annual
improvements, and I can report that the PAB currently consists of a group of dedicated community leaders
who share the vision of improving our City's parks and 'helping our Parks Department to reach its full
potential.
In 2018 the PAB continued to benefit from the guidance and support of our Parks Director, Kevin Kirwin,
and the Parks Department staff, who not only diligently attended evening meetings of the FAB, but have
proven to be responsive, helpful, and receptive to each and every request of the PAB. The Parks
Department should be commended for its embrace of this community board, as it would not function as
well as it does without their engagement.
We were saddened to hear of the departure of Director Kirwin but excited for the opportunity to continue
the good work of the PAB under a new Director in 2019. Without question, Director Kirwin has left the
Parks Department in a better position than when he found it, and leaves the Department in a position to
succeed in his absence.
The PAB asks for your continual support in enforcing all City Ordinances to assist with this aim including
Policy PR -5.2.1, whereas the "Board will also review and advise on capital plans and designs based on the
Master Plan and advise the Commission on any proposals to expend more than $50,000 to acquire new
park land, to diminish or convert existing park land, to accept donated land for parks, or to sell City land
that may be suitable for parks.”
PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD
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DATE:
January 15, 2019„'
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TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
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FROM:
L Elijah Stiers, Esq., Chairman-'
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Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
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RE:
City of Miami 2018 Annual Report — Parks + Recreation and Open Spaces
Hon. Mayor and Members of the City Commission,
In compliance with City Code Sec, 2-850, and in furtherance of my recent appointment as Chairman of the
City's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board ("PAB"), I provide you with this 2018 Annual Report.
It has been an honor to serve on the PAB since 2013 as the appointee for District 2 under Commissioners
Marc Sarnoff and Ken Russell. Since my appointment, the PAB has continued to make annual
improvements, and I can report that the PAB currently consists of a group of dedicated community leaders
who share the vision of improving our City's parks and 'helping our Parks Department to reach its full
potential.
In 2018 the PAB continued to benefit from the guidance and support of our Parks Director, Kevin Kirwin,
and the Parks Department staff, who not only diligently attended evening meetings of the FAB, but have
proven to be responsive, helpful, and receptive to each and every request of the PAB. The Parks
Department should be commended for its embrace of this community board, as it would not function as
well as it does without their engagement.
We were saddened to hear of the departure of Director Kirwin but excited for the opportunity to continue
the good work of the PAB under a new Director in 2019. Without question, Director Kirwin has left the
Parks Department in a better position than when he found it, and leaves the Department in a position to
succeed in his absence.
The PAB asks for your continual support in enforcing all City Ordinances to assist with this aim including
Policy PR -5.2.1, whereas the "Board will also review and advise on capital plans and designs based on the
Master Plan and advise the Commission on any proposals to expend more than $50,000 to acquire new
park land, to diminish or convert existing park land, to accept donated land for parks, or to sell City land
that may be suitable for parks.”
In 2019, the PAS seeks to better the lines of communication with relevant departments, including Parks,
Planning and Zoning, and Capital Improvements, and requests that the City Commission continue to
provide their support to assist us in realizing these goals.
Please do not hesitate contacting me at eii@stierslaw.com, or at (305) 509-5511 should -,yowl bavc
questions or comments. Oh behalf of the PAS, I look forward to working with you to ensure a sustat'�ppblc
future for the Cit `
ys park system. c:
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CC: Emilio T. Gonialex, City Manager C� _'�
Lacleveia Morley, Assistant to the Director -;
Mike Rosenberg, Vice -Chair
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• Whether the board is serving the purpose for which it was created. rV
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The Parks Advisory Board is serving the purpose for which it was intended. In 2018, we continued to enjoy
a full Board which allowed us to reach quorum, in most circumstances. In the past, the lack of a fully
appointed board often prevented us from reaching quorum, but we were able to successfully reach
quorum for most meetings in 2018. As a result, the PAB had six (5) meetings in 2018, as well as several
workshops, during which we reviewed important projects and activities conducted by our Parks
Department and had lively discussions regarding recommendations for how we can do better.
• Whether the board is serving current community needs.
The Parks Advisory Board is committed to enhancing the quality of life and delivery of services to the
community. Input from residents and community leaders regarding the improvement of park services
and operations is critical to our success. In that regard, we encourage the City Commission to direct all
residents with any concerns relative to our Parks Department to attend a public meeting of the PAB in
order to voice their concerns and have them addressed by the Board.
Additionally, the Board requests to be provided with CIP reports on a consistent basis so we may be aware
of all upcoming projects or those taking place to continue to provide the best services possible to our
community. As done so before, the Parks Department will work with the Director of CIP with said concerns
so we may have an efficient 2018 calendar year
A list of the board's major accomplishments.
Linder my tenure as Chair of the PAB, we have overseen several prominent park projects and initiatives
and provided valuable recommendations to the Parks Department. Some, but not all, of the PAB's
accomplishments have included the following:
1. Styrofoam Ban for City of Miami Public Parks
In November of 2016, the PAB passed a resolution recommending that the City of Miami instruct the Parks
Department to ban the use of all Styrofoam and polystyrene products from Miami's public parks. The
PAB's resolution was influenced by the fact that the City of Miami has a number of waterfront parks, in
addition to parks located invulnerable ecological locations, and motivated bythe known science regarding
Styrofoam and polystyrene products. Thereafter, in May of 2017, an ordinance to bar polystyrene
products from City -owned parks and recreation facilities passed unanimously on first reading by the City
Commission. This was a win for all of Miami, applauded by residents and environmental groups, with
many expressing a desire to see a city-wide ban of polystyrene products.
2. Continuation of Recycling Pitot Program
In 2015, the PAB passed a resolution recommending that the Parks Department implement a pilot
program to research the feasibility of installing and collecting recyclables from our Miami Parks. Based
upon our recommendation, the Solid Waste and Parks Departments partnered together to put this plan
into motion. Thanks to Mario Nunez, Director of Solid Waste, and then Parks Director, Kevin Kirwin,
modified recycling containers, similar to the blue containers used in Miami residences and already familiar
to and used by Solid Waste, were placed in several Miami parks, including: Gibson Park, Moore Park, Jose
Marti Park, Grapeland Park, Williams Park, Kennedy Park, Shenandoah Park, Regatta Park, and
Morningside Park,
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In 2017 the City's Park's Department applied for a grant to expand and improve -upon this program Mich
originated from the Parks Advisory Board. With the information gathered by Solid Waste apd�Parlcs�. we
hope that this program can be improved upon and expanded in 2019, so that visitors to Miarr parWcan
help reduce the City's environmental footprint. C =_
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3. Park Improvements
The PAB reviewed and offered its input into the improvement of multiple City of Miami Parks,jhclu�ing
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renovations at Douglas Park, Regatta Park, Morningside Park, and many others. Many of tq'Y,se dark
improvements and/or renovations came about as a result of the remediation efforts to remove soil
contamination discovered at many of the parks in 2014 and 2015. The PAB was pleased to see the City
Park Department not only address and remove the soil contaminants founds at over a dozen Miami parks,
but use the opportunity to reinvest and provide much needed improvements to many of the parks'
facilities. A prime example is the new community center and overhaul of Douglas Park currently under
construction.
4. Program Partnerships
The PAB often reviews and offers its input regarding "Program Partnerships" in City of Miami Parks with
various approved 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations. The PAB encourages the Parks Department to
make efforts to forge public-private partnerships, whenever possible, for the good of the community and
to fill gaps in services, such as in programming. The Parks Department incorporated many of the PAB's
recommendations into drafts of the proposed language for revisions to the City Code to allow such
partnerships to flourish.
5. New Positions for Sports Turf Manager and Integrated Pest Control Manager
The PAB was involved in the creation of the positions for Sports Turf Manager and Integrated Pest Control
Manager, and was supportive of the Parks Department's efforts to create these positions and fill them
with uniquely -qualified individuals who can help our Parks be greener, cleaner, and more efficient. We
were pleased that in 2018 the City filled the Sports Turf Manager position, a hiring that has already paid
significant dividends with the improvement in the appearance and quality of the sports fields in Miami's
parks, in addition to the phasing out of Round -Up and glyphosphate herbicides, in additional to the
reduced reliance on pesticides and chemicals that are harmful to local wildlife and bee colonies.
• Whether there is any other board, either public or private, which would better serve the
function of the board.
There is no other board that relates to park -specific issues and it would be detrimental to the purpose of
why this board was formed if these duties were given to another city board. The PAB is currently made
up of dedicated community leaders and public servants that believe in the current parks system and see
the potential that can be achieved with the assistance and participation of community leaders in
coordination with the City's elected officials and Parks Department.
Whether the ordinance creating the board should be amended to better enable the board to
serve the purpose for which it was created.
We encourage tine City Commission to support the efforts of our Parks Department, particular with regard
to the formation of any public-private partnerships. We will, of course, continue our efforts to work with
the City's Parks Department and to make recommendations to the City Manager and department heads
with respect to their duties in the parks system.
• Whether the board's membership requirements should be modified.
At this time the PAB does not recommend that membership requirements be modified, but we do ask
that any vacancies on the PAB be promptly filled by the _City_ Commission to allow the PAB better
opportunities to reach quorum. Currently there are several vacancies on the PAB and/or members who
arP tarmpri ntit.
The cost, Both direct and indirect, of maintaining the board.
The board has minimal costs. The board liaison estimates four hours a month on board -related activities
which would total $1,500 a year. Supplies such as paper, office materials, and copying could be captured
at $200. All totaled, the physical cost to have the board function is under $2,040 a year, though this does
not consider cost of using the City Chambers and the cost of airing the board meeting on the City Cha nnet
77.
Thank you for your consideration of the foregoing, and we look forward to better assisting you and making
Miami's parks even better in 2019.
Very truly yours,
L. Elijah 5tiers, Esq.
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