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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.25.2012 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 25, 2012 CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 25, 2012 (A) CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL The City Council for the City of Miami Gardens, Florida, met in a regular session, Wednesday, January 25, 2012, beginning at 7:10 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, 1515 NW 167th Street, Building 5, suite 200, Miami Gardens,Florida. The following members of the City Council were present: Mayor Shirley Gibson, Vice Mayor Aaron Campbell Jr., and Council members Lisa C. Davis, Felicia Robinson, Oliver G. Gilbert, David Williams Jr. and Andrd Williams. Also in attendance were: City Manager Dr. Danny O. Crew, City Attorney Sonja K. Dickens and City Clerk Ronetta Taylor. (B) INVOCATION Vice Mayor Campbell delivered the Invocation. (C) PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Pledge of Allegiance recited in unison. (D) APPROVAL OF MINUTES Regular City Council Minutes—January 11, 2012 Motion offered by Councilman David Williams Jr., seconded by Councilwoman Davis to approve the minutes, with necessary corrections, if any. This motion passed and carried by a unanimous voice vote. (E) ORDER OF BUSINESS (Items to be pulled from Consent Agenda at this time) The following Items were added to the consent agenda by Councilman Gilbert. K-2) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA, NAMING THE NEW POLICE BUILDING TO BE LOCATED ON NORTHWEST 27TH AVENUE, AS "THE MAJOR AARON CAMPBELL, JR PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING"; PROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION OF REPRESENTATIONS; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.SPONSORED BY COUNCILMAN OLIVER G. GILBERT III) Motion to approve the Agenda with this addition was made by Councilwoman Robinson and properly second by Vice Mayor Campbell. This motion passed and carried by a unanimous voice vote. Regular City Council Minutes January 25, 2012 Page 1 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 25, 2012 (F) SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS (5 minutes each) F-1) Councilman David Williams Jr., -Teachers' Recognition Councilman David Williams recognized those teachers from Miami Gardens' area schools for their outstanding achievement as finalists in the annual Teacher of the Year Award. F-2) Councilwoman Felicia Robinson—Cheryl Goodman,HUMANA Councilwoman Robinson presented a plaque to HUMANA for its outstanding support and contribution of Tee-Shirts for the seniors. F-3) Councilman Oliver G. Gilbert III—Super Bowl Champion Recognition Councilman Gilbert recognized the team members and coaches for their outstanding achievement in winning the Super Bowl. F-4) Councilman Oliver G. Gilbert III—Rick Beasley -Miami Gardens Honors Program- South Florida Workforce Adjustment Board Mr. Beasley appeared before the Council to present the City of Miami Gardens with a $100,000 grant award for the Miami Gardens' Honors Program. He said this is the first time South Florida Workforce has funded this type of activity. F-5) Dr. Danny O. Crew, City Manager—Employee of the Month Recognition Manager Crew said the Employee of the Month recipient Sylvia Simmons could not be here tonight due to a scheduling conflict. Manager Crew presented the five year service pin to Jimmy Allen, staff architect in the Capital Projects Division. Chief Matthew Boyd appeared before the City Council to bestow the distinguished recognition as Officer of the month upon Detective Leroy Montgomery, for the month of December 2011. Councilman Gilbert shared the city is building a new police station next to the new city hall. Last week a resolution was adopted to name the city hall building after Mayor Gibson, which is appropriate. This week the Council is naming the new police building "The Major Aaron Campbell Jr., Public Safety Building." He said before Vice Mayor Campbell was an elected official he was the police major who actually served these streets. He said he could think of no finer person to name the city's public safety building after. (G) PUBLIC COMMENTS Harold Lawton, 1860 NW 170th Street, Miami Gardens, Florida, appeared before the City Council to express concern with he considers a safety and quality of life issue. He stated that FP&L owns property at the comer of 19`h Avenue and the Palmetto Expressway. This property is always dark. There have been criminal activities occurring at this site, including deaths. He Regular City Council Minutes January 25, 2012 Page 2 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 25, 2012 asked the Council to ask that FP&L to erect a concrete wall, fencing and lighting at that site. He further expressed concern with the condition of Bunche Park Pool. Sharon Frazier-Stephens, 145 NE 193rd Street, Miami, Florida, appeared before the City Council to thank Councilman David Williams Jr., for recognizing the nominees for Teacher of the Year. She further congratulated Mayor Gibson and Vice Mayor Campbell on the designation of the City Hall the Shirley Gibson City Hall and the Police Building, the Major Aaron Campbell Jr., Public Safety Building. (I) ORDINANCE(S) FOR FIRST READING: None (I) ORDINANCE(S) FOR SECOND READING/PUBLIC HEARING(S) I-1) AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA, AMENDING ARTICLE IV OF CHAPTER 18 OF THE CITY'S CODE OF ORDINANCES ENTITLED "THE SHANNON MELENDI ACT"; PROVIDING FOR ADOPTION OF REPRESENTATIONS; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN CODE; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. (SPONSORED BY MAYOR SHIRLEY GIBSON)(lit Reading—January 11,2012 Before speaking, Mayor Gibson relinquished the gavel to Vice Mayor Campbell. Vice Mayor Campbell opened the floor for this public hearing. Princess Bass, 2255 Bunch Park West Drive, Miami Gardens, Florida, appeared before the Council on behalf of Mark Ivy, President of the South Florida Youth Football League. She read a letter submitted by Mr. Ivy, which supported the volunteer coaches. She opined the coaches currently volunteering on the city's parks should be grandfathered in and others should be considered on a case by case basis. Keith Davis, 4471 NW 185th Street, Miami Gardens, Florida, appeared before the City Council in support of the volunteer coaches. Many of these coaches are the only father figure these young men have in their lives. He opined the coaches should not have the brunt of the blame for what goes on in the parks. He asked that the Council not judge these volunteers by their past. Lillie Q. Odom, 20520 NW 29d' Avenue, Miami Gardens, Florida, appeared before the City Council and stated tonight we saw great things happening in the parks and the people who volunteer in the parks. However, if one would look at the ordinance as it is presented the Mayor and Council is charged with tightening the range on these ordinances for not only today, but for the future. The ordinances that are placed on the books today will be there for our children, Regular City Council Minutes January 25, 2012 Page 3 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 25, 2012 grandchildren and future generations. She said we understanding there are great people working on the parks. She said the people should see the entire ordinance so that they can better understand what is being voted on. She said to the Council, "Continue to do what you think is best for the overall safety of our children and the residents in this city." Kevin Brown, 3115 NW 157th Street, Miami Gardens, Florida, appeared before the City Council in support of the volunteer coaches. He conveyed understanding of Mayor Gibson's efforts to have high standards. He said he was concern because at the last council meeting when this item was introduced there was an indication that the shooting in Bunche Park was somehow related to the volunteer coaches. He said that was an unfair assessment. He said the volunteers should be assessed on an individual basis. Greg Harris, 17800 NW 14th Avenue, Miami Gardens, Florida, appeared before the City Council to share a personal story. His father went to prison when he was 4 years old. He is now 46, and his father is still in prison. He said if it was not for a volunteer coach who took the time to coach him, he would not be where he is today. He recommended dealing with the crime in the city first and then deal with the parks. Martin Maultsby, 2230 NW 190th Terrace, Miami Gardens, Florida, appeared before the City Council and shared that the United States has made significant progress in its objective of far treatment under the law. The number of African Americans in positions of authority in public and private life continues to grow. African Americans now enjoy more economical and educational opportunities. Racial inequality in the criminal justice system is growing, not declining. He opined is hard to be black in America and even harder to be a black man in America. He stated that today it is widely known that African American males are treated unfairly in the criminal justice system. He said the City of Miami Gardens should give consideration to African American males being subjected to the unfairness of the criminal justice system by rehabilitating its own and creating situation where they can be brought back into society. Chavis Wright, 1930 NW 163`d Street Road, Miami Gardens, Florida, appeared before the City Council and shared that he is one of the 80lbs coach at Bunche Park. He shared that he grown in playing football on Scott Park. His father was in prison therefore, the coaches taught he as well as his teammates how to be a men. In essence, these coaches were their fathers. He shared that the child that was injured in the shooting incident at Bunche Park was his nephew. He during this shooting incident the coaches were shielding the children. He opined it would be a terrible mistake to take these coaches away from the kids. There being no other interested parties to speak on this item, the public hearing closed. Motion offered by Mayor Gibson, seconded by Councilwoman Robinson to adopt this item. Mayor Gibson addressed her comments to remarks made during the first reading of this item. She said it was stated that we should be more understanding of willful indiscretions Regular City Council Minutes January 25, 2012 Page 4 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 25, 2012 committed by our residents; and we, as policy makers should not continue to prosecute our residents if they committed a crime, cleaned up their life, and have not done anything wrong within the last 10-20 years. She stated that she highly agree. She said this ordinance allows anyone who has committed a crime and has been clean for the last ten years or more can volunteer in the parks. The only people who will be disqualified indefinitely are repeat felony offenders, sexual offenders or sexual predators. The information provide by staff indicated there are approximately 357 volunteers serving in the park; 96 of those volunteers fall into the category of having been convicted of a felony. She said there were so many volunteers that have repeated felony convictions. These convictions did not occur when these individuals were children. These individuals were adults when they were convicted. They were still adults when they had repeat arrests for felonies. She said there are volunteer coaches currently serving on city parks that are still committing crimes and getting arrested for domestic violence, aggregated battery. She stated that this is not personal. Mayor Gibson stated there are twenty-two (22) of the city's current volunteers that have had felony convictions within the last five(5)years. She said it was stated that we could not get committed volunteers. She shared that over the last couple of days she has had several meetings and has gotten commitments from organizations to assist with a recruitment campaign for volunteers for the parks program. Those organizations are in support of this ordinance. One of the supporters is St. Thomas University which has one of the best sports programs in the Country. She shared that she has also received some very positive response from Miami Dolphins Youth Sports Program. This is a testament to the fact that there are other resources out there that are willing and able to dedicate time and money to our children. All we have to do is ask. Mayor Gibson stated it is relevant to share with this Body, that while researching another issue she had asked staff to provide information on juvenile crimes in this city. She said it was astonishing to her to know that within the last few years the percentage of children committing crimes in this city has increased. In the last two years forty (40%) percent of the crimes in this city committed by a child was between the age of 12 and 18. She said she was providing this information to let everyone know how crucial it is to be protective of our children. The children are already at risk and the numbers are not improving. We are all on this dais, as well as in the audience that the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Center was burglarized last week and several laptops were stolen. Our police officers were able to quickly catch the thieves. The three alleged burglary suspects were under the age of 16, and one of the suspects is a 14 year old boy that is a participant in the Miami Gardens Youth Sports Program (football). This morning she received information that the police department arrested a 13 year old boy who also participates in the city's football sports program. This 13 year old was burglarizing homes in the Norland area. This was not the 14 year old first time burglarizing and selling stolen property. The police was able to recover four 94)of the laptop computers. The fifth one has not been recovered. Mayor Gibson said after hearing this she went back and look at the data provided by staff and a question formed in her mind, "Did the coaches have anything to do will what their behavior could be because they were not getting the right kind of directions or mentoring. She said she did not know whether this had an impact on the children. She said the real question is Regular City Council Minutes January 25, 2012 Page 5 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 25, 2012 whether they want to take a chance on any of these children's lives. Mayor Gibson said to her colleagues that she is knows this issue has been divisive, and has raised much concern amongst the constituents, who the council serves. With a potential impact that a decision has on current and future constituents, supporting this ordinance may be somewhat uncomfortable and unpopular now. However, this change is for the greater good and for the future of this city and our children. Mayor Gibson recounted when the city first incorporated, at one of council's meeting, which was the most unruly, most difficult and least support that this city received from any department that the city took over was from parks and rec. The police had to be called in to keep order. The people wanted to run the Council out of that place because of the changes the city wanted to make with the Parks and Recreation Department. People swore if the Council made those changes the parks were going to disintegrate. She said there are individuals and staff members present tonight that were there when this matter was discussed, and witnessed the outcry of those who did not want any changes made to the city's Parks and Recreation Department. She said the same thing happened when her colleague brought the resolution forward establishing a grade point average for children participating in the athletic programs. She said there was a similar outcry from residents. She acknowledged the good job being done by the coaches. She said those kids would later transition to play high school football and later college football, and from that group some will transition to play in the NFL or NBA. Mayor Gibson shared that she has members in her family, including a nephew who is incarcerated right now for doing all kinds of robberies. She has another family member who was incarcerated because he took somebody's life. That individual is out and doing well. She said she was not influenced by those family members because they were adults when they committed these crimes. She said her family members did not approach her about changing this ordinance because they know she will not be influenced by them because they are her nephews. She reiterated she is not looking out for her family members she is looking out for the children. She pointed out that 96 of the volunteers have had problems, but what about all the other volunteers who have done the right thing and do not have felony past. Mayor Gibson said the individuals in the audience have a right to be upset with the Mayor and they have a right to come before this Council to express their concerns. At this my colleagues will discuss this item and if they decide not to approve this amendment, it will be as it is. She stated, "But I guarantee you, you will visit this again, in many ways that will not be good for this city." She asked for her colleagues support of this item, in spite, of and to protect our children,not an individual. She said she was not trying to protect an adult in this situation. Councilman Gilbert stated that the Mayor stands corrected and explained when he brought the academic standard resolution forward, not one person spoke against it. He shared that he was not sure so he listened to the taped recording of that particular meeting to be sure. He further shared that no member of the council voted against the item. He said there were some concerns raised at the parks, which came from the parents and not the coaches. After the item as explained the parents had no other concerns. Regular City Council Minutes January 25, 2012 Page 6 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 25, 2012 Councilman Gilbert made reference to Mayor Gibson's comment about "these are people who have made more than one mistake they have more than one felony." He said that is absolutely correct. This ordinance provides if you have two felonies in your entire life it prevents you from volunteering. This ordinance does not address a situation where somebody might have gotten three felonies at the same time,twenty or thirty years ago. That individual has served his time, got out and is now an upstanding member in their community. The ordinance in place right now that allows the city to look at your record without regard to conditions, and say we don't want you to play. That discretion is already in place. The city could have exercised that option this year, but it did not. When you talk about the kids, let's talk about the impact these coaches are making on their lives and the fact that some of the kids go to school because their coaches make sure they go. When you talk about volunteers and getting people to volunteer, you cannot just get a volunteer. As a city Councilman, he would caution this dais and the parks' administration that you cannot put just anybody out there to coach football because if you hit or tackle somebody the wrong way, you are paralyzed for the rest of your life. You cannot recruit any retired person who wants to help kids. He emphasized there is some technical expertise required. This isn't somebody who is going to be around kids to be just a positive influence. This is somebody who has to actually teach them something. He said when we talk about all the people who are going to help us, he is sure the Parks and Recreation Department would welcome their help and resources. He said those organizations can do that right now. Councilman Gilbert said when we talk about kids, let's talk about kids. He said there was a kid in Miramar who was punched in the face five (5) times by another kid and did not fight back because his coach said"we are not going to fight." He when you talk about kids and those that exceed the academic standards put in place. Those kids exceed because of their coaches; some of those very same coaches that we are going to be putting off the parks. When you talk about crime in the parks that is not a parks problem it is a city problem. He said no shooting at any park has been tied to the city's youth program. Councilman Gilbert said we need to narrow this conservation from a conversation about the larger issue of crime that we have, which are social, economic and community to a very specific conversation about the added benefit or detraction that the volunteers have on the kids. He agreed with Mayor Gibson's comments about this issue being about the kids, and not about any coach. He said he is a firm believer that this will kill the city's parks program. He emphasized that the people in the parks are a community and they will support each other. He said while the maker of this ordinance says that everyone else's standards are stricter than Miami Gardens' that is simply not true. Our coaches can go to any number of the cities surrounding Miami Gardens, coach there and take our kids with them. He emphasized that we need to be really certain about what we are doing. He said this is about actually being out there and understanding how it works, understanding the dedication and understanding that it is not for the faint of heart. He said this is not to say that everyone is a good coach however under the current ordinance that individual could be expelled from coaching. Councilman Gilbert concluded, we are one community, and we are all that we have. We have to use each and every one of our experiences to make the road ahead possible for our kids. Regular City Council Minutes January 25, 2012 Page 7 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 25, 2012 You cannot begin to successfully build a community by excluding people who have gotten into trouble. Once someone has paid their debt to society we are not served by continuing to punish them. In fact we are hurt because the more community ties someone has, the less likely they are to violate the law. He said he heard all the arguments about raising standards in our youth sports program but he rejects the idea that he is better than someone that has previously got in trouble because he has never gotten into trouble. Councilman Gilbert said we have raised standards in our youth sports program. First by understanding the importance of parks and recreation in our community we assumed the responsibility of providing a service that other cities had vested themselves of. Next we not only added academic standards, but conduct standards, which means if you did not conduct yourself appropriately in school you could not participate in our program. The city has also implemented and enforced numerous behavior guidelines for volunteers and participants. While we should always inspire to raise the standards of the every city program, we should never disenfranchise those that are willing to help. If there behavior is unacceptable, change it. That is how you raise standards. If their skills are below acceptability, train them. That is how you raise standards. You raise standards of the program by building the capacity and including quality. This ordinance does neither of those things. He opined this is a bad policy. It will be a bad practice. It will hurt the city's program, destabilize the community and it sends a message, we hire ex-felons but we will not let them work for free. The current ordinance allows the city to take each volunteer by a case by case basis. Councilman David Williams Jr., said there are some things in this ordinance that really bothers him. He expressed belief that people who have paid their debt to society needs to be given other opportunities. He asked if this item could be taken to a committee for discussion to make it workable for everybody. He said he has a problem with someone who committed two felonies forty(40) years ago. Even the Corrections Department considers a person who has been clean for ten (10) years as someone that will not be involved in that behavior again. He said by no means does he want to have felons around children. He said with the appropriate amends this ordinance can be workable. He opined the council did not need to make a decision on this matter tonight. There is a lot of input the council still needs to have as it relates to this issue. Motion offered by Councilman David Williams Jr., seconded by Councilman Gilbert to table this item. There being no further discussion, the motion to table passed and carried by a 5- 2 vote. Councilwoman Lisa C. Davis: Yes Councilman Oliver G. Gilbert III: Yes Councilwoman Felicia Robinson Yes Councilman Andre Williams: No Councilman David Williams Jr.: Yes Mayor Shirley Gibson: No Vice Mayor Aaron Campbell Jr.: Yes Motion offered by Councilman David Williams Jr., seconded by Councilman Gilbert to Regular City Council Minutes January 25, 2012 Page 8 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 25, 2012 workshop this item. This motion passed and carried by a unanimous voice vote. Please note, no workshop date was scheduled. (J) RESOLUTION(S)/PUBLIC HEARING(S) None (K) CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTION NO. 2012-13-1608 K-1) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AND ATTEST RESPECTIVELY, THAT CERTAIN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY STORMWATER UTILITY FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF SHARED STORMWATER SYSTEMS, FOR A FIVE (5) YEAR TERM, AT A COST TO THE CITY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THREE HUNDRED FORTY-ONE THOUSAND, SIXTEEN DOLLARS ($341,016.00), ANNUALLY; A COPY OF WHICH IS ATTACHED HERETO AS EXHIBIT "A"; PROVIDING FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CITY CLERK; PROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION OF REPRESENTATIONS; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. (SPONSORED BY THE CITY MANAGER) RESOLUTION NO. 2012-14-1609 K-2) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA, NAMING THE NEW POLICE BUILDING TO BE LOCATED ON NORTHWEST 27TH AVENUE, AS "THE MAJOR AARON CAMPBELL, JR. PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING"; PROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION OF REPRESENTATIONS; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. (SPONSORED BY COUNCILMAN OLIVER G. GILBERT III) Motion offered by Councilman Gilbert, seconded by Councilman David Williams Jr., to adopt the Consent Agenda. This motion passed and carried by a 6-0 voice vote. Vice Mayor Campbell was recused from voting on the Consent Agenda. (M) RESOLUTION(S) None (N) REPORTS OF CITY MANAGER/CITY ATTORNEY/CITY CLERK Attorney Dickens reported on a property (NW 14th Avenue and 183`d Street), which at the time the city took ownership it was being leased. That lease will expire at the end of this week however it is a possibility that the church will not have vacated by then. She asked for the Regular City Council Minutes January 25, 2012 Page 9 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 25, 2012 council's authorization to move forward with an eviction action if the vacation does not take place by the due date. Manager Crew expounded on the Stormwater Interlocal Agreement just approved by the Council. He said the city was forced to use Miami-Dade County therefore the City has been back and forth with them for the past year. As a result of those meetings the fees Miami-Dade County was charging have been decreased from $800,000 down to $300,000. Manager Crew said the council needed to appoint members to the Board of Directors of the City's 501(c)3 entity, Friends of Miami Gardens. He said unfortunately some of the sponsors for Jazz in the Gardens can only give to a 501(c) 3. Attorney Dickens said she will get the information to the council as to how this Board is to be comprised. Mayor Gibson asked whether the Miami Gardens Education in Excellence, which is also a 501(c) 3, is eligible to accept contributions on behalf of Jazz in the Gardens. Manager Crew in response to Mayor Gibson's inquiry said that is a separate entity, which the city does not control. Councilman Gilbert said he would appoint Kevin Brown. Clerk Taylor acknowledged and welcomed a colleague Pamela Latimore, City Clerk of North Miami Beach. Ms. Latimore, a resident of Miami Gardens was present at tonight's meeting because her grandson is a participant in the city's youth sports program, and had received an award earlier during the meeting. (0) REPORTS OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS Councilman Gilbert reminded the residents that this Saturday, there will be a Tax Preparation event at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex. For those individuals who do not make a lot of money can come out and get their taxes prepared for free. Daniel Rosemond and the IRS worked really hard organizing this event. He further shared that the money received from South Florida Workforce will be used for students in this community. He further encouraged the council to students to volunteer. Last year the city did not fill all of its spots. We have ten(10) slots to be filled. Councilwoman Robinson announced that she will be hosting a"Meet Me" Empowerment Summit, with a focus on Identity Protection, Thief Prevention and Home Base Business opportunities. This event will take place, Saturday, February 11, 2012, at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Councilman David Williams Jr., announced that on Saturday, January 28, 2012, at 2:00 p.m., he will be co-hosting along with FAMU a day of Prayer at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex/Amphitheater. Regular City Council Minutes January 25, 2012 Page 10 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 25, 2012 Councilman Gilbert shared that Yolanda Cash Jackson along with State Representative Barbara Watson wanted the council to know that this coming Friday, the state will be voting on the redistricting maps, which will determine where our state representatives will be. Currently, every map they have been considering has Miami Gardens divided into three (3) state representatives seats. Meaning the City of Miami Gardens by itself will not be able to elect a state representative. They asked that we send a resolution supporting a particular map. He opined actually no map is particularly good. He shared that he told them that he would bring this matter up to council. He opined that we should not share a state representative with North Miami Beach because there might be a legislative issue, such as the water issue that would be in direct conflict with them. Mayor Gibson reminded everyone that there is an election on January 31, 2012, and encouraged everyone to vote. (P) WRITTEN REQUESTS, PETITIONS & OTHER WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC None. (Q) ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before this Body, and upon a motion be duly seconded the meeting adjourned at 9:17 p.m. Attest: Shirl son, Mayor onetta Taylor, MMC ity Clerk Regular City Council Minutes January 25, 2012 Page 11