Observations

i hope that you are following me on Facebook to see the events and activities I attend. I have met so many wonderful folks and am very appreciative of the support and great ideas.

I beleive the future of this city is in channeling the energy, creativity and commitment of the citizens with the skills and programs of the government.

There is a disconnenct between what the city provides and what the citizens use. There is also a disconnect between what the citizens need and what the city provides.

For example, the process of getting permits is too long and too inconsistent. As president of a condominium that is 45 years old we are often seeking permits. Just this last week I spent hours in lines,  going from window to window often receiving conflicting information and at the end of the day we still did not have the permit we needed.

I talk about doing more with less or as the fiscal situation worsens, doing the same with less, and one way is to train the staff in departments to make consistent and correct decisions the first time. Another is to cross train between departments so we can rely on the information we receive.

For too long we as citizens have had the luxury of a city that was financially secure and could really do it all. This has changed, not just in Miami Beach but across the country. We need more citizen input and citizens need more information.  The people I talk to want  to be part of the solution but do not see the opportunity to do this. As a commissioner, I am going to make more opportunities for citizens and also work to encourage and welcome residents. I attend events and neighborhood associations that are not well attended and this is not the way to progress. One crititcal way to do more with less is to form partnerships between citizens and govenment.