Another edition of at my chair for City Council.  Included in the information I received AT the Council meeting that was not included in the Council packet is the Special Events that are Currently Scheduled to be Held in Miami Springs, the biographies for Thomas Cannon, Rob Gordon, and a memo regarding Jim Caudle, the gentlemen that were nominated to serve on the Police Pension Board for the Council (I wanted to nominate Jennifer Glazer Moon, who is MORE than qualified as County Budget Director, but the County did not want her to serve on the local board.)  I nominated Rob Gordon, who is a HIGHLY QUALIFIED financial planner -- as you can see on his resume -- and he was appointed by Council to the Board.
        Also included is a Courtesy Notice response from (my old neighbors) Manuel Rodriguez-Perez and Maylin Lapido-Rodriguez, for the Appeal from the Board of Adjustment we handled.  Finally is the attachments to 7A and 7B, which are changes to the City Comprehensive Plan.  It is really unacceptable that the attachments to 7A and 7B were not included -- I believe it was an oversight -- but we are going to have to have a second review of the items and I am sure it will be included then.
        As always, please email or call with questions.  jennifer@jenniferator.com

    Local ballot questions are harder than state questions.  There is an immediate impact.  However, they are no less confusing.  The League of Women Voters also has an opinion on Miami-Dade ballot questions.  I have included the four page explanation to help you consider the issues.  This is certainly not the end all and be all, but again, the LWV provides some sound advice when thinking about the issues. 
    Even if you decide to skip these questions, just remember, don't forget to vote!  

    Early voting starts tomorrow in Miami-Dade County and the ballot is going to be LONG.  I am not in Tallahassee and cannot imagine what possessed the lawmakers there to put so many constitutional items on the ballot.  Absent extraordinary circumstance, it is not a good idea to change the Constitution or Charter in order to make laws. 
    I have received a lot of information about the Amendments and done my own research.  I found this short summary of the Florida Constitutional Amendments published by the League of Women Voters.  It has good reasoning and is a quick reference guide.  A downloadable version is attached for your convenience.  
    While some may say that the League of Women Voters is too liberal and should be looked at with skepticism, The Florida Today, a business publication, also recommends voting no on all Constitutional Amendments.
    The League of Cities is particularly interested in Amendment 4.  I have received a lot of information about the devastating effect Amendment 4 would have on cities.  From a very local perspective, there is no where that is more true than Miami Springs. 
    I don't trust campaign ads -- they are often filled with half truths.  But this video was sent by the League of Cities and expresses their concerns.   Good luck when voting and see you at the polls.

Voting is a privilege and a responsibility.  But there is no question that waiting until election day is going to mean long lines.  The weather is going to be pleasant the next few days, so why don't you just vote now!  Early voting starts tomorrow, Saturday, October 28, 2012.

Here are Miami-Dade’s early voting locations:

• Aventura Government Center, 19200 W. Country Club Dr., second-floor commission area

• Coral Gables Library, 3443 Segovia St.

• Coral Reef Library, 9211 SW 152nd St.

• Florida City City Hall, 404 West Palm Dr., commission chambers

• John F. Kennedy Library, 190 W. 49th St.

• Kendall Branch Library, 9101 SW 97th Ave.

• Lemon City Library, 430 NE 61st St., reading room

• Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Dr.

• Miami Beach City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Dr.

• Miami Lakes Public Library, 6699 Windmill Gate Rd.

• Model City Library at Caleb Center, 2211 NW 54th St.

• North Dade Regional Library, 2455 NW 183rd St.

• North Miami Public Library, 835 NE 132nd St.

• North Shore Branch Library, 7501 Collins Ave., program room

• South Dade Regional Library, 10750 SW 211th St.

• Stephen P. Clark Government Center, Supervisor of Elections branch office), 111 NW First St.(lobby)

• Supervisor of Elections main office, 2700 NW 87th Ave.

• West Dade Regional Library, 9445 SW 24th St.

• West Flagler Branch Library, 5050 W. Flagler St.

• West Kendall Regional Library, 10201 Hammocks Blvd.

Eight days of early voting for the Nov. 6 presidential election will begin Saturday, Oct. 27, and continue through Saturday, Nov. 3.

The early voting poll locations will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

    Miami Springs Little League is committed to developing our players for the future.  Specifically, they are investing in our young women.  Things have changed so much since the passing of Title IX, but only if we continue to invest our time, money, and energy in these programs will our girls see the long-term benefits.  I wrote about this last year when I threw the first pitch.
     For the last couple of years, Little League has had a Fall Ball program.  This year, there at least four girls softball teams --  two U8 teams and two U12 teams. 
    I was invited to throw the first pitch at Opening Day on Saturday, October 12.  Those seven year old players could run circles around me, but I was happy to be invited.
    Thank you Miami Springs Little League for continuing to provide athletics for our young women.  Little League's commitment is going to pay dividends for the health and welfare of our girls.

    This month at All Angels Academy, we elected Student Council Representatives.  Avery was the Elementary Representative last year after he won what I thought was a very tough election.  This year was shaping up very much the same.
    Our little school has a lot of children that want to be involved. Seven students ran for elementary representative.  I was impressed, but recognized that it was very much a toss-up with it came to who would get the most votes.  
    Avery took it very seriously and even wore his suit on the day of the speeches.  Every student had to register to vote in order to vote.  The day after the speeches was voting and the following morning Avery found out that he had won again. 
    I am so very proud of all our students.  It is very hard to put yourself out there, but so many had the courage to do so.  I am especially proud of Avery.  He is shaping up to be a fine representative -- he is honest, hard-working, and serious about the job.  Great job Avery! 
  

Today at the Daughters of the American Revolution meeting we celebrated Mary Ann's birthday. She is not as old as the City, but she has been here a long time.

We are celebrating her 30th year on the Historic Preservation Board this January. She mentioned that she thinks it might be time to retire. After 30 years I completely understand. Well, I certainly appreciate her service and those are going to be big shoes to fill.

I might not have gone to UM but married into the UM family. Mason, on the other hand, is a U baby!! He is a fan and boy does he look good!

I am glad I don't have to worry about the girls for a few more years!

    Friday, October 12, 2012 was Ethical Governence Day.  We [lawyers, public officials, city employees -- I got hit up twice] were asked to speak at local schools by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics.  While I asked to speak in Miami Springs, I was told that MSSH was not participating.  Kind of a shame.
    I had a great experience at Hialeah Gardens High School.  Because of block scheduling, I spoke to two  Honors Government classes taught by Mr. Chait.  Only one or two students were falling asleep (I am sure it is because they were up late doing homework).  The students and the teacher were interested and engaged.
    I was also impressed with the facility.  I am not sure how long it has been open, but it was clean and well organized.  Kind of reminded me of my days in the classroom.
    Some of the things we discussed were the significance of the First Amendment; what the Sunshine Law means and how to access public records; why it is important to vote; and the difference between community service and public service and how each benefits our government.  The Ethics Commission also included a short case study to discuss, which was short on facts and created more questions than answers -- but that is a good thing, it means the students were paying attention.
    Thank you to the Commission of Ethics for putting this event together.  I am not sure how everyone else did, but I enjoyed it and would be willing to speak again in the future.