Motivated by You. Delivering for You. Committed to You.
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Dear Friends of District 8,
The Miami-Dade County Budget Season is upon us and I can assure you that I am continuing to fight for South Dade’s fair share. My budget priorities for our community continue to include increasing public safety, expanding economic development, improving transit, and protecting our pets, parks and environment.
How do you want your County tax dollars spent? It’s critical to let your voice be heard during the budget process. Please join me at any or all of these upcoming
Budget Town Halls & Public Hearings:
- Town Hall: Tuesday, August 14, 6PM, William F. Dickinson Community Center, 1601 N. Krome Avenue, Homestead
- Town Hall: Thursday, August 16, 6PM, South Dade Regional Library, 10750 SW 211th Street, Cutler Bay
- Budget Hearing: Thursday, September 6, 5:01PM, Government Center, 111 NW 1st Street, Miami
- Budget Hearing: Thursday, September 20, 5:01PM, Government Center, 111 NW 1st Street, Miami
Yours for a great District 8,
Daniella
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Traffic Solutions & Transit Transparency
Rail for South Dade
Last month’s Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) meeting was, at best, disappointing. The TPO convened on July 19 to review and vote on a locally preferred mode of transit for the South Dade Corridor. However, after more than four hours of testimony and debating rail vs. buses, the TPO deferred the issue to August 30. While the County works to build out the new SMART transit plan,
it is imperative that we uphold the promise of the half-penny for South Dade residents
. We need to plan for the future we want for South Dade, not the one we are told we should settle for. I will continue to fight for bringing Metrorail south.
Read my editorial
.
While advocating to extend the Metrorail, we are working on several other
initiatives to improve transit:
- On July 10 the Board passed my ordinance requiring cities to provide real-time data for trolley services to the County transit tracker app, making transit trip planning seamless for riders. Read more.
- The first Quarterly Transit Fleet Status Report, required by my resolution, was published to help with tracking transit progress and meeting public expectations for service improvements.
- I advocated for the new, smart-signal technology on the Transitway which has proven to significantly reduce commute times from Florida City to Dadeland South.
- We continue to work with the Department of Transportation and Public Works to add bus service in Cutler Bay and Princeton, and to extend the Cutler Bay trolley service to include Sundays.
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Thank you to the many civically engaged residents who participated in the July 10 and July 24
Board of County Commissioners meetings
. With your input, we made several important decisions. Here are some highlights:
- Advanced my ordinance which would create an employee retention policy at Miami-Dade Aviation facilities. This policy would ensure business continuity and security at our airports when General Aviation Service Permits are transferred to new firms. This ordinance will have a public hearing on September 14 at the Economic Development and Tourism committee.
- Expanded the County Living Wage to apply to employees who work for concessionaires at Miami International Airport. Providing a living wage for the hard working men and women of Miami-Dade County is a win-win for our families and our businesses. When we provide a living wage, we give more of our residents the financial resources to support our local economy.
- Set the maximum property tax rates for FY 2018-19. No changes were made, therefore there will be no tax rate increase.
- Adopted my resolution urging Congress to permanently fund the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, which provides vital tax prep services to ensure that our working families get their full tax refunds.
- Approved my resolution to review new regulations needed for motorboats on the C-100 Canal.
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Happy 70th Anniversary
Kiwanis of Homestead
! I was delighted to present a County proclamation on August 1 to such an amazing group of folks who devote their lives to improving our community, one child at a time. #KidsNeedKiwanis
On August 8 I had the pleasure of speaking to the
Rotary Club
of Perrine/Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay, of which I am a proud member, and on July 18 to the Homestead Rotary and Kiwanis clubs.
Our primary motto: Service Above Self.
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Collaborating with Businesses
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It’s been a productive month meeting with our area’s business leaders and entrepreneurs. I was honored to be the guest speaker at the
Cutler Bay Business Association
on July 12, the
Greater Kendall Business Association
(pictured) on July 26, the
South Dade Chamber of Commerce
and the
South Dade
More to Explore
working group on August 9. Together we are working to create good jobs and grow our local economy.
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I enjoyed visiting with our
Active Adult neighbors
for a delicious lunch at the
Sandbar Sports Grill.
Thanks to the Town of Cutler Bay for offering outings for older residents to socialize and support our local restaurants.
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Protecting Our Environment
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Team 8 joined forces with County Parks’ staff and nonprofit The Mission Continues to implement the second phase cleanup of
Seminole Wayside Park
on August 4.
We also help to sponsor the successful
Adopt-A-Tree
event in Homestead on July 14.
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I joined the
South Florida Trail Riders
on August 11 (pictured) for a tour of the new horse-crossing signage we had reinstalled after the Hurricane Irma destruction.
We are also
investing in repaving
about 12 miles of Redland roads on 232 Street, 248 Street and 147 Ave.
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Saturday, August 4, was filled with many
back-to-school
events that Team 8 supported. We gave away backpacks and other goodies at
the Falls with Kiddos Magazine
, at the
Homestead Housing Authority
(pictured) with a health fair, and at
Howard Elementary School
. Events were also held in Cutler Bay.
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This is Lola!
Lola (A1953611) is a 1 year old Calico Domestic Shorthair. She loves adventures and makes a great playdate buddy. Once she gets to know you, she won’t stop purring. If you think she is
your pur-fect match, come by for a meet and greet today!
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Highlighting Our Nonprofits: Bridge to Hope
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District 8 Nonprofit Academy graduate,
Bridge to Hope
, provides services and programs designed to bridge the gap to self-sufficiency for low- income and in-crisis families. They raise the quality of life and standard of living to restore dignity and hope to those in need.
Watch the video to learn more
.
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Every Saturday, 11AM - 3:30PM
PetSmart across from Falls Mall
Aug 28, Primary Election
Redland Spay/Neuter-A-Thon
Aug 31 & Sept 14
Robbie’s Feed & Supply
Seeking Feedback on Planning Considerations: Evacuation & Shelter-In-Place
Yoga, butterflies, cabaret and more!
Great entertainment for all!
Check out the spectacular Summer Season!
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Recycling Tip of the Month
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Newspapers: Yes
Plastic Bags: No
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Redland Spay/Neuter-A-Thon
Aug 31 & Sept 14
Robbie’s Feed & Supply
Call 3-1-1 to schedule an appointment
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