Town Newsletter | December 31, 2019
Find the latest news, upcoming events and other important information regarding Cutler Bay all through our e-newsletter... happy reading!
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Be sure to follow us on our social media pages!  Click on the links below to go directly to the Town's official pages:

Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter

Click the images below to see more from some of the Town's recent events and meetings.

East Ridge Toy Drive
Grinchmas Door Contest
Menorah Lighting Ceremony
LATEST NEWS
Christmas Tree Recycling 
 
Go green and recycle your evergreen! There are several options to recycle your clean, decoration-free Christmas trees:
  1. Drop off your clean, decoration-free tree at one of the Trash and Recycling Centers (follow the link to find all the centers: http://ow.ly/q4pJ50k1XtC )
  2. Drop off your tree at the West Miami-Dade Home Chemical Collection Center (located at 8801 NW 58 St. and is open seven days a week for from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This service is for tree drop off only)
  3. Place your tree at the curbside on Sunday, January 5. Crews will collect trees located in Zone 1 between January 7-11, 2019 (Zone 1 is from South side of SW 152nd Street to SW 400th Street... find other Zone pick-up times here: http://ow.ly/q4pJ50k1XtC)
  4. Cut up your tree and place it in your green garbage cart (It will be picked up for collection along with your household garbage)
  5. Use one of your two bulky waste pickups for tree collection

Trees discarded in one of the first three options listed above will be converted into mulch. Residents who provide proof of residency within the service area will be able to pick up free mulch at one of the Trash and Recycling Centers starting in the spring. Sign up to receive a notification when the mulch is ready for pick up here: http://cloud.info.miamidade.gov/christmastree 

Active Adults Visit Zoo Miami
 
On Tuesday, December 17, we treated 20 Active Adults to an outing to Zoo Miami! This was a FREE event for participants which included lunch and transportation.
Our Active Adults program is a series of events and activities the our Parks & Recreation staff design and organize for Cutler Bay residents aged 55 and over to provide social enrichment and engagement within the community. Some of the activities we've done in the past include: luncheons, painting classes, educational lectures , Health and Resources Fairs and our Annual Senior Games.
 
To find out when the next Active Adult event is happening, sign up to receive our e-notifications here and to learn more about this program, visit our website.
NEWSLETTER SPOTLIGHT
A Look Back at the Last Decade
 
To know where you're going, you have to know where you've been.
 
That's why we're closing out this decade reflecting on some of the Town's most significant achievements and highlights for the last 10 years. Here we go...
  • In 2019 we earned a Community Rating System Class 4-becoming only the 2nd municipality in Florida to have this rating. This achievement not only means we have taken great steps to reduce the risk of flooding in our community, it also means residents are saving 30% on their flood insurance premiums!
  • In 2019 we were recognized by AARP and the World Health Organization for adopting our Age-Friendly Community Action Plan, becoming the 2nd municipality in Florida to do so. We're a community for all ages to enjoy!
  • We established our Cutler Bay Community Fund in 2013 with the goal improving the quality of life of residents in our community, as well as support local non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations. Since the fund's inception, we've awarded over $25,000 of grant funding to organizations that include: Cutler Bay Middle School, Cutler Bay High School, COAST Academy Parent Association, the EDGE Charitable Foundation, DEEP Foundation, Cutler Bay Community Theater and more
  • In the last 10 years we've obtained over $22 MILLION in funding that Town staff secured through various grants we were awarded. This funding has helped fund multiple Town projects: from summer camp programs, to road improvements projects and everything in between
  • In 2010-11 we built out and inaugurated our largest Town Park, Lakes by The Bay Park, a 45-acre multi-use park which features three lighted baseball/softball fields, four batting cages, two lighted soccer/football/lacrosse fields, a .6 mile exercise path with fitness stations, covered playground, restroom/concession building, and paved parking
  • We've maintained healthy reserves in our general fund balance, holding a yearly average of over $18 million since 2010
  • Property value has steadily increased in Cutler Bay and is currently over 40% higher than the 2010 Town-wide Taxable Property Value
  • Since incorporation we've planted over 3,600 new trees and have earned Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA designation every year since 2009, as well as their Growth Award every year since 2012-what can we say, we LOVE trees!
  • We've completed multiple drainage and roadway improvement projects including the award-winning complete street projects of Old Cutler Road and Caribbean Boulevard
  • We launched our finance transparency portal in 2018, providing the public with easy access to real-time government financial information for the current fiscal year, as well as a historical view of previous years (visit the portal by following this link: http://openbooks.tylertech.com/cutlerbay/TransWebpages/Home.aspx)
  • We've maintained and improved service on our Town Circulator Bus, which increased to running 7 days a week in 2018 and provides a reliable and inexpensive way for residents to commute
  • We've established, developed and/or maintained multiple annual Town events and parades that have become a staple of our community such as our Halloween event, Chili Day Cook-off, Wings Over the Bay Cook-off, Cutler Bay Open Charity Golf Tournament, Back to School Splash ,4th of July Celebration and more!
Thank you to our previous and current Town Council members, Town staff, residents, neighbors and partners for working hard to improve our wonderful community--look at the amazing things we've accomplished together! We can't wait to see what the next 10 years have in store for the Town of Cutler Bay and we look forward to continue working with everybody to make our Town stronger, brighter and better.

From Town Council and Staff, we wish you a happy and prosperous new year!
 
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS
Date
Event/Meeting
Location
Wednesday, January 1
New Year's Day Town Hall Offices Closed
Monday, January 6
Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee Meeting
Town Hall Community Room
Tuesday, January 7
Communities for a Lifetime Committee Meeting
Town Hall Community Room
Friday, January 10
Economic Growth Committee Meeting
Town Hall Community Room
Tuesday, January 14 Active Adults: Understanding Cholesterol Presentation Cutler Ridge Park
Tuesday, January 14
Youth Council Committee Meeting
Town Hall Community Room
Wednesday, January 15
Town Council Meeting
Town Hall Council Chambers
Monday, January 20
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Town Hall Offices Closed
Wednesday, January 22
Town Council Workshop
Town Hall Council Chambers
Saturday, January 25
11th Annual Chili Day Cutler Ridge Park

To view more upcoming Town events, please visit the Town's website calendar.
STAY CONNECTED
Community on Patrol

Community on Patrol (COP) App:
The Town and Miami-Dade Police Department offer the COP App to allow the residents of Miami-Dade to be on patrol in their neighborhoods and report any suspicious activity to the Town's Policing Unit. The free app can be downloaded in the iTunes Store or Google Play by searching "Community on Patrol"

Cutler Bay Mobile App:
This user friendly mobile app gives residents access to the latest news and events happening in the Town. Residents can also use the app to report any issues or concern via their phone. The free app can be downloaded in the iTunes Store or Google Play by searching "Cutler Bay FL"

Crime Mapping:
The Town and Miami-Dade Police Department utilize CrimeMapping to help law enforcement provide the public with valuable information about recent crime activity in their neighborhoods. Crime data is uploaded on a daily basis so that the information being viewed by residents is current. To view crime trends in your neighborhood, visit www.crimemapping.com
Nextdoor App

Nextdoor:
Nextdoor is a website that makes it easy to communicate with your neighbors. The site allows neighbors to share recommendations about local services, organize neighborhood events and connect with parents and other groups in the neighborhood. Nextdoor protects you, your information and your neighborhood. Join at www.nextdoor.com  
Miami Dade Transit Tracker

Miami Dade Transit Tracker:
Miami-Dade County Transit, which updates the Town's Circulator Bus Service, encourages you to utilize the Miami-Dade Transit Tracker App to help track your ride and plan your trip. The program allows riders to attain real-time tracking of the Town's Municipal Circulator, Metrobus and Metrorail. The App also provides fare information, Miami-Dade Transit contacts, bus schedules, and connecting buses. For more information, visit the Miami-Dade County Transit website 
Municode

Municode:
The Town utilizes Municode to promote transparency and efficiency. To search the Town of Cutler Bay Codes Library, visit www.municode.com  and visit the Library page, search by state then municipality (Cutler Bay)