The Coral Gables City Commission voted on Tuesday, March 10th to offer the position of City Manager to Patrick G. Salerno. Salerno, who was former Manager of the City of Sunrise in Broward County for 17 years, obtained the support of a super majority of the City Commission and is to negotiate compensation and terms of employment in the upcoming weeks. Salerno is credited with the success of attracting premier projects to the City of Sunrise, including the BankAtlantic Center which elevated the Broward County municipality as a major entertainment-corporate-retail destination in Florida. The City of Sunrise has a population of more than 90,000 residents. As City Manager, Salerno was responsible for a $380 million budget employing 1,300 municipal employees. He was also former County Manager for Cobb County and Chatham County in Georgia, and was Assistant County Manager for Volusia County in Florida. He is a graduate of the University of Miami where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Politics and Public Affairs and also holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. The City of Coral Gables is first class, full-service municipality with more than 800 employees providing exceptional services to a community of 43,000 residents and a daytime population of 80,000 people.

Vote On April 14:
The Second Proposed Charter Amendment

On Tuesday, April 14, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the City of Coral Gables will hold a Special Municipal Referendum Election for the purpose of asking voters registered in Coral Gables to vote on five amendments to the City Charter. The purpose of the coverage is to explain the amendment without advocating any position by the Administration. The second Charter Amendment proposes to eliminate the Trial Board. Currently, employees of the City of Coral Gables, not represented by a collective bargaining agreement, who are disciplined by City Administration, may request that a Trial Board be convened to investigate and review the decision. If the Charter Amendment is approved and the Trial Board is eliminated, non-union employees other than Department Directors will continue to retain rights to a grievance procedure as provided for in the City’s Personnel Rules and Regulations. The City’s Personnel Rules and Regulations may be amended administratively and does not require the vote of the City Commission or the electorate. Department Directors will function as at-will employees with no internal appeal processes. If the Charter Amendment is not approved, non-union employees including Department Directors who are disciplined by City Administration may request to convene the Trial Board to review this decision. A “YES” vote means voting for the elimination of the Trial Board while a “NO” vote means voting to keep the Trial Board.

On a previous issue of e-News, an incorrect explanation of the first proposed charter amendment was inadvertently included. This first Charter Amendment proposes to increase the threshold for formal public bids and awards from $25,000 to $100,000 on public works projects already allocated in the City budget. The correct explanation is as follows: The City of Coral Gables has a Procurement Code which provides a formal solicitation process that includes a competitive bid procedure. The Procurement Code may be amended by the City Commission. The proposed Charter Amendment would transfer the authority to award public works contracts under $100,000 to the City Manager. The authority of the City Manager to award such contracts would be amended from $25,000 to $100,000. All other public works contracts over $100,000 would continue to be awarded by the City Commission. This Amendment also transfers Section 54 from the City Charter to the City Code so that any future changes to this Section may be modified by a vote of the City Commission instead of by a vote of the qualified electors. Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday, April 14. Look for further explanations of the proposed Charter Amendments on the next issue of e-News.

The Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce will host a Candidate Forum in anticipation of the upcoming General Biennial Election and Special Municipal Referendum Election. The forum is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31, 6 p.m. at the BankUnited Center’s Hurricane 100 Room on the University of Miami’s Coral Gables Campus. The Candidate Forum is sponsored by long-time Chamber Trustee Colliers Abood Wood-Fay, in addition to the University of Miami Student Government. All candidates for City Commission have been invited to participate in the forum which will also include a discussion on the five proposed Charter Amendments. Michael Williams, veteran reporter and anchor for CBS-4 will moderate a question-and-answer session, preceded by opening statements from each candidate. The Candidate Forum, hosted by Chamber’s Business and Government Affairs Committee, will allow Coral Gables residents and businesses to be more informed about current issues in our community. The event is free and open to the public. The forum will be later televised on Coral Gables Television, Channel 77. For more information, contact the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce at 305-446-1657.

The world of technology is very important in the City of Coral Gables. As such, the City’s official website, www.coralgables.com is getting tremendous attention from visitors all over the cyber world. In 2008, www.coralgables.com received 2.7 million page visits, an increase from 2.3 million visits from the previous year. There is a continuous growth trend that reflects the increasing demand from the public for online services and information. In the recent months, the City of Coral Gables unveiled an online permitting process that has been very well received by the public who no longer need to visit City Hall to check the status of permits and also allows online inspection appointments. The Information Technology Department uses the results of daily web statistics and trends to constantly update and improve the City’s Website. It is expected that www.coralgables.com will reach the 3 million annual page requests by the end of 2009.

The first 100 percent disabled Iraqi war veteran is now a Coral Gables Police Officer. Jason Recio, raised in Miami and a graduate of Columbus High School, was sworn in on Friday, March 6 as a Coral Gables Police Officer and will be assigned to the Field Training Program in the Uniform Patrol. On July 5, 2003, while his Army platoon was on traffic control point in Ramadi, Iraq, Recio was wounded by enemy fire, receiving blast injuries from a rocket propelled grenade and fire from an AK47. Over the next three years, the young officer had to learn how to walk, run and perform everyday functions. He later attended Miami-Dade College School of Justice and graduated this month with one of the highest GPA’s in his class. At the swearing ceremony, Recio was also presented with a refurbished M-1 rifle by the Police Officer Assistance Trust (POAT) Wounded Warrior Project. The City of Coral Gables welcomes Officer Recio to the Police Department.

Bibbity, Bobbity, Boo: Discover your inner fairy godmother to help local high school girls and donate gently worn gowns to benefit Women of Tomorrow (WOT) Mentor and Scholarship Program. Visit the Village of Merrick Park from Thursday, March 27 through Sunday, March 30, from 1-7 p.m. to drop off your evening gowns, prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses and formalwear. The event will give girls from the scholarship program an opportunity to complete their prom look with the donated dresses. The girls from WOT will visit the Village of Merrick Park’s “Project Prom Dress Boutique” on Tuesday, March 31 to select a beautiful gown, hear women’s inspirational stories, indulge in a makeup presentation and snacks, and enjoy a dress-for-success fashion presentation. Last year, Project Prom Dress collected more than 400 gowns which made young women feel like Cinderella. Donate the gowns at Level Three, Space 3200 (located between Borders and Clima Outdoor) at the Village of Merrick Park, 358 San Lorenzo Avenue. For more information, contact 305-534-0081.

The City of Coral Gables is partnering with ActionCOACH to bring to the Coral Gables business community the popular workshop, SystemRICH: Systemize Your Business For Success.At today’s workshop, learn what the nine steps to systemizing your business are, how to structure your business to run effectively, how to write systems that work, and realize what systemizing your business means to you, your team, and your customers. Networking begins at 6:30 p.m. and the session will run from 7-9 p.m. These two-hour workshops regularly cost $99, but the City of Coral Gables has specially arranged for businesses located in Coral Gables, or members of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, to be able to attend for only $10 and other businesses for only $49. To secure your spot, register and pay in advance at www.actioncoachteamsage.com or by calling 305-285-9264. Enter code 090112-CG2009if you are from a Coral Gables business or if your company is a member of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, or enter code 090112-NG2009if you are from a business outside Coral Gables and are not a member of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. Attendees can also register at the workshop, if space is available, but seating is limited. The workshops will be held at ActionCOACH’s Office, located at 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Suite 100 in Coral Gables.

Local Girls Soccer Team Wins Division Championship

Last month, the Coral Gables Storm Girls Under-13 soccer team won the prestigious Florida United Girls Soccer Association (FLUGSA) Division 1 Championship by defeating Sunrise 2-0 in the semifinals and Naples in penalty kicks (after a 1-1 draw through regulation and overtime) in the finals. The Storm is the first team from Coral Gables to win the prominent FLUGSA Division 1 Championship. The Florida United Girls Soccer Association (FLUGSA) is a statewide soccer competitive travel league for the advanced female soccer player. FLUGSA, which is the oldest girls-only soccer league in the United States, includes teams from Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin, Collier, and Lee counties. The Storm finished the 2008-09 regular season with a 10-3-3 record and begins playing for the Region and State championships this March. The girls, who train at the War Memorial Youth Center, and their parents were excellent representatives of the City of Coral Gables throughout the season and the playoffs. For more information, please call Tim Plummer at 305- 804-9901.

The winning team

Before you head out to the congested roads, dial 511 to avoid traffic. That’s the free Florida Department of Transportation Travel Information System that provides real-time roadway information on incidents, travel times, lane closures and other conditions. The free 511 system is also accessible by visiting www.511SouthFlorida.com. The 511 resource is free, but keep in mind that cell phone minutes apply. Here are a few helpful hints: Call 511 before you hit the road, at a rest area or have a passenger call to avoid talking while driving; Call 511 before you enter a new roadway to become aware of the current road condition; and customize your trip before you leave home at www.511SouthFlorida.com to minimize time spent on the phone. For more information, call 407-571-6799.

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