CITY OF HALLANDALE BEACH

MEMORANDUM

DATE:              September 23, 2009   

TO:                    D. Mike Good, City Manager               

FROM:              Richard D. Cannone, Director of Development Services     

SUBJECT:      Communities for a Lifetime Initiative Action Plan                CAD # (022/07)

PURPOSE:

The City Commission review and approve the Communities for a Lifetime Action Plan, as a working document.

BACKGROUND:

The Communities for a Lifetime initiative began in 1999 by the Department of Elder Affairs with the goal of assisting cities and towns throughout Florida in planning and implementing changes that will benefit residents of every age – from children to elders. The Department of Elder Affairs identified in their initial blueprint for the Communities for a Lifetime initiative several areas of focus to include: Housing, Transportation, Education, Employment, Health and Wellness, Volunteerism and Intergenerational Connections, of which participating communities could use to form an action plan tailored to their specific community needs. 

DISCUSSION/THE PROCESS:

Creating a Community for a Lifetime requires the involvement of many team members, including community leaders and interested residents. The community process and the steps are as follows:

§ Pass a resolution in support of the program; 

§ Form committees to inventory and assess programs and services important to residences independence and care;

§ Completing a self-assessment by identifying activities and opportunities currently available in the community;

§ Develop a community action plan with a timeline for completion;

§ Send action plan to the Department of Elder Affairs for review and recommendations;

§ Develop strategies to begin partnerships to address identified needs and;

§ Develop a maintenance plan, which allows the communities to reassess these initiatives every 5, 10 or 15 years, as funding, community demographics and program and/or service change. Therefore, the Action Plan is a continual process.

On November 21, 2007 the City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2007-41, supporting the creation of the Communities for a Lifetime Initiative for the City of Hallandale Beach. Upon adoption, staff coordinated a community kickoff meeting held on March 4, 2008, at the Hallandale Beach Community Cultural Center by sending letters to all community stakeholders, inviting them to participate in the development of this initiative. The following committees, guided by City staff liaisons, were established at the initial meeting:

Staff Liaison	Title	Committee
1. Victor De Souza	Senior Program Coordinator	Housing
2. Art Bousquet	Deputy Fire Chief	Health and Wellness
3. Bobby Robinson	CRA Manager	Education and Employment
4. Radu Dodea	Asst. Personnel Director	Education and Employment
5. Rebecca Munden-Correa	Director Parks and Recreation	Comm. Safety & Friendliness
6. Ken Cowley	Major-Police Comm. Partners.	Comm. Safety & Friendliness
7. Mary Francis Jeannot	Administrative Analyst II	Transportation

During the subsequent meetings residents had the opportunity to join any committee, in which they would have the most impact, thereby increasing the level of community input. Then each committee was charged with assessing and evaluating their community, as it pertained to their committee’s topic, and develop a list of programs and services to determine if they are meeting the changing needs of the community. Once the assessment was completed, the Committees would provide recommendations to develop, expand, consolidate or delete certain programs.

In an effort to increase public awareness of this initiative, staff has developed a link on the City of Hallandale Beach webpage, http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov, which provides answers to general questions that residents may have regarding this program. To learn more about the Communities for a Lifetime Initiative, please visit www.communitiesforalifetime.org.

Each committee has reviewed the Communities for a Lifetime Action Plan and has endorsed the suggestions and recommendations identified throughout the plan.

CONCLUSION:

Pursuant to the committees’ area of discovery, there was a comprehensive list of identifiable recommendations related to existing or suggested programs and/or services, such as:

Transportation:

• Explore the extension of Mini Bus Route hours to 5am – 10pm.
• Coordinate with the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and/or other agencies, for the development of a local passenger commuter rail service.

Housing:

• Develop a “Block Captain” program, to provide neighborhood leadership in the areas of crime prevention and beautification.
• Develop a Green Building Ordinance, which shall promote and encourage leading environmental and industry green practices.

Education and Employment:

• Explore the establishment a University Center, which will house higher education institutions (i.e. Colleges and Universities).
• Create 6 month internship opportunities, within the City for Hallandale High School students interested in pursuing careers in Public Administration and related careers. 

Health and Wellness:

• Continue to create valuable partnerships with private and public agencies, to provide services and programs to the community.
• Develop culinary courses for the children and youth, to encourage healthy eating habits.

Community Safety and Friendliness:

• Install emergency call boxes and cameras throughout the City.
• Increase the available amount of parking to attract visitors and other pedestrians.

The intent of the Action Plan is to serve as a guide for future planning and programs within the City.  It is important to note, that again, while well intended, it may not be financially feasible or may require additional outside funding sources to implement some of the committee’s recommendations. 

The City currently has undertaken many of these programs already, such as:

• Developing a “Green Building Ordinance” which promotes and encourages industry leading environmental practices.
• Participating with the South Florida East Coast Railroad to discuss future locations of commuter rail stations located in Hallandale Beach.   
• Upgrading the website with user-friendly icons and easy of location of City programs and services.
• Administering a street maintenance and sidewalk installation program.
• Providing customer services training for the Mini Bus Drivers, in conjunction with Broward County.
• Providing affordable housing opportunities, through public/private partnerships such as Highland Park Village and the Palms Gateway project.
• Providing additional Mini Bus routes, to connect with the High School and employers.
• Engaging with public and private entities to develop and implement a job assistance program.
• Completing improvements (i.e. lighting, median landscaping, resurfacing) along West Hallandale Beach Blvd.

RECOMMENDATION:

The City Commission approve the attached Communities for a Lifetime Action Plan as a five (5) year plan and direct staff to research available funding sources to implement the Plan.

Prepared by: _________________________

                      Bobby Robinson, CRA Manager

Reviewed:

_______________________________                                                               __________

D. Mike Good, City Manager                                                                                    Date

_____Approved                _____Disapproved                _____Hold for Discussion