Jul 10, 2024 Presentations and Awards Meeting

ONE,

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[CALL TO ORDER]

THANK YOU FOR MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE HERE, AND WE'LL GET, WE'LL GET STARTED.

WE'RE ACTUALLY, BEFORE WE DO THE FIRST AWARD, I WANNA CALL UP OUR, WHERE'S MELISSA? THERE YOU ARE.

WE HAD SUCH A SUCCESSFUL SPRING BREAK IN LARGE PART FOR MANY REASONS, BUT IN LARGE PART OUR MARKETING EFFORTS, WHICH WENT COMPLETELY VIRAL.

FEEL FREE TO SHARE THE, THE NUMBERS, BUT YOU ACTUALLY, I UNDERSTAND HOW THEY, I SAW A SNEAK PREVIEW.

PLEASE DO A NEW MARKETING PIECE OUT.

SO PLEASE DO.

AND ACTUALLY, THIS IS GONNA BE THE FIRST TIME FRESH OFF THE PRESS.

IT WILL BE LAUNCHING TOMORROW.

UM, SO PJ HOPEFULLY YOU RECEIVED IT.

'CAUSE IT CAME IN TWO MINUTES AGO.

WE'RE STILL FINALIZING THE MUSIC, UM, PJ VOICE OF GOD.

SO WE RECENTLY WENT THROUGH A PRETTY BIG BREAKUP, BUT NOW WE'RE READY TO GET BACK OUT THERE.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS THE RIGHT KIND OF BAGGAGE, WHO SEEMED AFRAID.

JUST START THEIR STUFF.

SOMEONE WHO'S INTO PLAYING THESE KIND OF GAMES.

HOW ABOUT SOMEONE WHO ISN'T AFRAID OF A BIT OF DRAMA? THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT A RED FLAG.

WHAT ABOUT A GUY PICKS HOLDING A FISH AS LONG AS YOUR LOVE LANGUAGE IS WHATEVER.

WE'RE PRETTY FLEXIBLE.

SO DO YOU THINK WE COULD BE A GOOD MATCH? COME AND FIND OUT.

THANK YOU.

THE MUSIC WILL BE LOUDER.

WE'LL LOOK OUT FOR IT TOMORROW.

LET'S

[PA 3 CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO BLACK AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEMBERS BIBI ANDRADE AND SIPIWE ANDERSON FOR THEIR INPUT AND DEDICATION FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH.]

THANK YOU.

UM, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

SO THIS ITEM, UH, IS A RECOGNITION TO TWO LADIES THAT SERVE ON THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL, DYNAMIC, HARDWORKING.

THEY GIVE THEIR TIME.

I SEE THEM ALL AROUND TOWN.

THEY LOVE THIS CITY.

WE LOVE THEM BACK.

AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO ESPECIALLY RECOGNIZE BIBI ANDRADE.

AND OF COURSE, UH, SIPPY, WE ANDERSON CORE, THEIR EFFORTS AND EVERYTHING THEY'VE DONE IN THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE EXTRA WORK THAT YOU ALL PUT IN IN THE MONTH OF MARCH.

I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH.

I WENT TO YOUR MEETING THIS WEEK.

I SAW THE TWO OF YOU IN ACTION.

YOU LADIES ARE STARS, SO THANK YOU.

THANK, THANK YOU LADIES.

SO, NORTH BEACH OF THE HOUSE.

OKAY,

[PA 2 PROCLAMATION FOR OFFICER MANUEL VALDES AND HIS PARTNER DAVID SANDERSON FOR THEIR HEROIC ACTIONS SAVING THE LIFE OF A FOUR YEAR OLD CHILD.]

COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.

YEP.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

UH, THIS IS AN ITEM I BROUGHT FORWARD.

UH, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY, BY THE MEMBERS OF OUR FOP.

AND WHEN WE SEE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, THEY, THEY INSPIRE IN US THE CONFIDENCE OF THEIR BRAVERY, THE HEROIC ACTS THAT THEY DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT, EVERY TIME THEY PUT ON THAT UNIFORM AND WEAR THE BADGE AT THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE HEROES.

WE'RE WALKING IN OUR MIST, BUT WHEN THEY GO BEYOND THE DO THE, THE CALL OF DUTY IN THEIR PERSONAL TIME WHEN THEY'RE NOT WEARING THAT UNIFORM AND THEY'RE GOING ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES, AND THEY SPRING INTO ACTION TO SAVE THE LIFE OF SOMEONE ELSE, IT'S TRULY WORTH, UH, HIGHLIGHTING AND CELEBRATING.

AND THAT'S SPECIFICALLY WHAT MOTOR OFFICER MANNY VALDEZ DID TOGETHER WITH HIS, UH, PARTNER DAVID SANDERSON.

UH, WHEN THEY WERE AT A FAMILY EVENT ON, UH, JUNE 2ND, THEY, THEY DEMONSTRATED THAT EXCEPTIONAL, UH, BRAVERY AND THEY QUICKLY JUMPED INTO ACTION

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AND THAT REMINDS US THAT BEING, BEING A HERO IS SOMETHING THAT'S A CALLING, IT'S A VOCATION.

BEING ABLE TO DO IT WHEN IT'S YOUR JOB TO IT WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR SHIFT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S EXPECTED.

BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THAT BADGE OFF AND WE TAKE THAT UNIFORM OFF, THAT BRAVERY CONTINUES WITH YOU.

THAT IS A VOCATION THAT YOU HAVE.

AND TODAY, IT'S MY HONOR TO CELEBRATE IT BECAUSE YOUR ACTIONS SAVED THE LIFE OF A CHILD.

AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT A FAMILY WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR.

AND ON BEHALF OF OUR MAYOR, AND ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY COMMISSION, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, IT'S MY HONOR TO DECLARE TODAY MOTOR OFFICER MANNY VALDEZ AND DAVID SANDERSON DAY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

IF YOU'D LIKE, PLEASE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING.

AND CHIEF, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP, WELL LET MANNY, UH, TALK MANNY NO MEAN, IT'S AN HONOR THAT, UH, YOU GUYS RECOGNIZE BOTH MYSELF AND, UH, DAVID.

UM, WE BOTH, UH, FEEL LIKE THAT DAY OUR TRAINING, HIM BEING A, A JETBLUE FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND ME, UH, FIRST RESPONDER WERE BOTH TRAINED IN CPR.

AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT THIS CHILD THAT WAS IN THE POOL, THAT SHE WAS IN THE POOL LAYING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL, NOBODY KNEW HOW LONG SHE HAD BEEN INSIDE THE, UH, UNDERWATER AT THAT POINT.

AND WHEN, UM, WHEN DAVID, HE SAW HER IN THE POOL, JUMPED IN, UH, TOOK HER OUT AND I WAS WAITING AT THE SIDE OF THE POOL AND HE PUT HER ON THE EDGE AND WE BOTH STARTED, UH, DOING CPR.

AND ABOUT THE FIFTH ROUND, SHE FINALLY STARTED TO CRY.

AND I SAW SOME LIFE INSIDE OF HER.

THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEST, UH, FEELING THAT WE BOTH HAVE GOTTEN.

UM, IN THE 26 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS JOB, THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST, UH, INCIDENTS THAT I'VE EVER HAD TO DEAL WITH.

UM, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS DAVID, BUT I'M, I'M HONORED AND GRATEFUL THAT WE WERE BOTH THERE AT THAT TIME, THAT GOD PUT US THERE ON THAT SPECIFIC TIME TO BE ABLE TO SAVE THAT CHILD'S LIFE.

ALRIGHT.

ALRIGHT.

THIS, HE'S GONNA BE SHY, SO I'LL, I'LL I'LL SAY THIS.

A ABOUT THESE HEROES, UH, AMONG HEROES, UH, I, I'D SAY A YOUNG CHILD IS ALIVE TODAY.

A YOUNG CHILD WILL GROW UP BEING ADULT, MAYBE HAVE CHILDREN, UH, OF THEIR OWN, UH, BECAUSE OF THESE MEN.

AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, IS VERY, VERY PROUD, UH, OF BOTH OF THEM.

AND FOR WHAT THEY DID SAVE A LIFE, WHICH IS REALLY, UH, AN ACCOMPLISHMENT IN AND OF ITSELF.

AND I'VE GOT SOME SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR THEM.

I'LL GIVE IT TO THEM ANOTHER TIME.

UH, A LIFE SAVING AWARD, WHICH I THINK IS VERY, VERY APPROPRIATE FOR, FOR BOTH, UM, BOTH OF THEM.

SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID, YOU DID THAT DAY, AND I'M SURE THAT, THAT Y'ALL BE TRULY GRATEFUL TO BOTH OF YOU.

WONDERFUL.

THANK.

WELL, BOBBY.

BOBBY, YOU CALLED ME ABOUT THIS.

YES.

ONE MORE.

YEP.

IT'S A WHOLE BRANCH OF FAMILY TREE.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.

[PA 4 PROCLAMATION DECLARING JULY 10, 2024, AS JOYCE NEEDELMAN DAY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.]

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

SO THIS, UM, ITEM IS A PROCLAMATION IN MEMORY OF JOYCE NEEDLEMAN.

AND I WILL READ YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JOYCE.

UH, JOYCE NEEDLEMAN WAS A PILLAR OF THE MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY FOR DECADES DEDICATING HER LIFE TO THE CARE OF HER FAMILY AND WELLBEING OF ANIMALS.

SHE WAS BORN IN THE BRONX AND MOVED

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HARRY NEEDLEMAN, A WELL-KNOWN MIAMI BEACH.

DOCTOR JOYCE'S COMPASSIONATE NATURE AND KIND HEART WERE EVIDENT FROM THE START.

AND SHE WORKED IN HER BROTHER-IN-LAW'S MEDICAL PRACTICE, AND EVENTUALLY MARRIED HER BOSS'S BROTHER SIDNEY.

IN 1966, THE COUPLE LIVED ON GARDEN AVENUE OFF OF 41ST STREET FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE BUYING A HOUSE IN THE LAKEVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND JOYCE WENT ON TO RAISE, UH, JAY SCOTT, GARY AND LEE JOYCE'S LOVE FOR ANIMALS WAS EVIDENT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

AND WHEN A NEIGHBOR WHO CARED FOR THE CATS AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS LEAVING, JOYCE TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO TAKE ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY, NOT JUST IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

AND SHE BECAME A REGISTERED CAT FEEDER AND NOTHING MADE HER PROUDER THAN TO HAVE HER CAT FEEDER REGISTRATION WITH HER OWN FUNDS.

JOYCE ESTABLISHED A SMALL SANCTUARY IN HER HOME FOR ANIMALS IN NEED OF CARE, AND SHE PROVIDED A SAFE HAVEN FOR THOSE WHO HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO TURN.

HER DEDICATION TO CREATING A CAT COMMUNITY CULTURE IN MIAMI BEACH HAS BROUGHT JOY AND COMFORT TO MANY PEOPLES AND ANIMALS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.

SO TODAY, THE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PROCLAIM JULY 10TH, 2024, JOYCE NEEDLEMAN DAY AND HER SON, SCOTT NEEDLEMAN, IS HERE TO ACCEPT AND, AND HER FAMILY.

THANK YOU.

WE WILL GIVE VICE MAYOR DOMINGUEZ A MOMENT

[PA 5 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO TOM GLASSIE OF THE AVALON HOTEL FOR THEIR HOSPITALITY WITH FUJISAWA DELEGATES.]

OKAY.

SO PA FIVE.

SO AS YOU KNOW, BACK IN DECEMBER, I HAD MOVED TO BRING THE SISTER CITIES PROGRAM BACK TO MIAMI BEACH.

AND IN DOING SO, WE NEEDED TWO READINGS IN BETWEEN FIRST READING AND SECOND READING.

WHEN WE OFFICIALLY HAD THE PROGRAM BACK, GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? OUR SISTER CITY OF FUJISAWA CAME TO VISIT, AND SO WE WERE LEFT, UH, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING DONE, MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE T'S WERE CROSSED AND THE I'S WERE DOTTED.

AND AT THE 11TH HOUR, WE CONTACTED THE AVALON HOTEL AND THEY PROVIDED A SPECIAL SISTER CITY RATE TO FUJISAWA.

THEY WERE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE AND WERE FABULOUS.

FUJISAWA HAD STAYED THERE BEFORE, AND IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO THE AVALON HOTEL, IT IS A GEM.

AND THEIR RESTAURANT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION TO TOM GLASSY AND MICHELLE FROM THE AVALON HOTEL FOR YOUR KINDNESS AND ALWAYS BEING A GOOD PARTNER TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.

THANK YOU.

YES.

VICE

[PA 6 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO JANET SUAREZ FOR HER HOSPITALITY DURING THE FUJISAWA DELEGATES’ VISIT TO CALL ME CUBAN RESTAURANT.]

OKAY, NOW CONTINUING, CONTINUING ON THE THEME OF OUR SISTER CITIES PROGRAM.

WE ALSO HAD TO FIND RESTAURANTS WHERE THE, UH, FUJISAWA VISITORS

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WE ALSO HAD A BUDGET AND WE HAD TO KEEP IT AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE.

AND I REMEMBER CONTACTING JANET SUAREZ OF CALL ME CUBAN, WHO HAS BEEN A PARTNER IN THE CITY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS WITH HER, UH, UH, VARIOUS RESTAURANTS.

AND I SAID, THE BUDGET IS A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR 20 PEOPLE.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? AND SHE DID IT, AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND IT WAS A DELICIOUS DINNER.

AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE, CALL ME CUBAN AND JENNA SUAREZ FOR STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE AND GIVING US, UH, AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE IN YOUR BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANT.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

KEEP SMILING AND THEN SOME SMILE FOR THE REAL CAMERA, MARK.

THANK YOU.

THANK

[PA 7 CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION PRESENTED TO PUBLIC WORKS CONTROL ROOM OPERATORS.]

SO I THINK THIS IS A, A REALLY GOOD ONE TO RECOGNIZE BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF TIMES EVEN US AS ELECTED, BUT CERTAINLY OUR RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE A FULL APPRECIATION FOR WHAT THIS GROUP OF, UH, MEN AND WOMEN DO.

OUR PUBLIC WORKS CONTROL ROOM AND SUPERVISORS LITERALLY WORK, UH, 24 7, NOT EACH PERSON, BUT IT'S STAFF.

24 7 80% OF OUR E GOV APP CALLS GO INTO THIS CONTROL ROOM.

AND WHETHER IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT DURING THE HEIGHT OF A HURRICANE, UM, OUR CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE, THEY MONITOR OUR WATER SUPPLY SEWAGE SYSTEMS. UM, THEY ADDRESS STREET LIGHTING AND FLOODING ISSUES WHEN THEY'RE CALLED FALLEN STREET SIGNS, DEBRIS.

I MEAN, THERE, IT RUNS THE GAMUT AND THEY ARE THERE.

ACTUALLY, I WENT WITH MY TEAM TO, UH, AND, AND, AND BY THE WAY, WE USE IT A LOT TOO.

UH, WE ACTUALLY UTILIZE IT AND IT AND, AND IT WORKS.

UM, I WENT WITH MY TEAM TO VISIT THE CONTROL ROOM TO SEE THE OPERATIONS, AND IT'S, UH, IT'S IMPRESSIVE.

AND, UH, I WAS ACTUALLY VERY TOUCHED.

ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES, I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY HOW MANY YEARS, I THINK THEY SAID 29 YEARS, BUT IT WAS UP THERE IN THAT RANGE, SAID THEY HAD NEVER MET A MAYOR BEFORE IN THEIR ENTIRE TIME WORKING.

SO I WAS ACTUALLY VERY TOUCHED BY THAT.

UM, AND APPRECIATED NOT ONLY VISITING EVERYONE, BUT SEEING THE, THE HARD WORK THAT THEY PUT IN, UM, ALL THE TIME AND OFTEN DON'T REALLY GET RECOGNIZED FOR IT.

SO IT'S ACTUALLY AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO GIVE THIS CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION FOR ALL THOSE, UH, WHO ARE IN THE FIELD, THE SUPERVISORS FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR OUR RESIDENTS THAT YOU MAY NOT BE PERSONALLY SEEN.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU, OUR RESIDENTS APPRECIATE IT.

IT MAKES US LOOK GOOD AS ELECTIVES WHEN THINGS GET DONE.

AND OUR AND OUR RESIDENTS OFTEN DO TELL US THEY'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE SERVICES AND THE RESPONSIVENESS THAT OUR CITY PUTS IN, UM, LITERALLY DAY IN AND DAY OUT.

AND WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU GUYS.

NO, I'M GOOD.

I'M NOT PART OF, I'M PART OF PUBLIC WORKS.

THEY'RE MORE SPECIAL THAN ME.

YES.

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YEAH, I GET EVERYTHING.

LOOK TO MARKER.

ONE MORE RIGHT HERE.

THANKS SO MUCH.

THANK YOU ALL.

WE BLAST YOUR NUMBER ALL THE TIME IN COMMUNICATION.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES.

THANK YOU, MS. CITY MANAGER RAQUEL WILLIAMS. AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

YAY.