Is it too late to save the NET offices?
We are hearing a lot about the NET offices and that they may be closed as of October 1, the beginning of the city's fiscal year.
Because of deep cuts in city services, the NET offices are on the chopping block. Many are concerned. I have been asked to list the emails of the City Commission and hopefully, they will save the NET offices.
If you would like to remind the City Commissioners of how important the NET offices are, here are their emails, they are deciding the fate of the NET offices tomorrow.
Angel Gonzalez, District 1: agonzalez@miamigov.com
Marc Sarnoff, District 2: msarnoff@miamigov.com
Joe Sanchez, District 3: jsanchez@miamigov.com
Tomás Regalado, District 4: tregalado@miamigov.com
Michelle Spence-Jones, District 5: MSpence@miamigov.com
posted by Tom Falco at 11:00 AM
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13 Comments:
How about the Glass House NET office, and the Request for Proposals (RFP) H mentioned at the Business/Resident Liason Committee last night? If what he said is right, Commissioner Sarnoff has issued an RFP for one or two restaurants to take over the building and it is going out today.
If that is true, was the public asked? Is leasing the property, which is in a sense "waterfront," subject to a public referendum? What about what the residents want? I'm not against being able to grab a bite to eat in the park, but will this be a handout to a well connected restauranteur like a lot of these leases in the Grove have been in the past? During the waterfront planning process there was a lot of support for a community center there. Also, what about the great things being done by One Cool World, after school and summer programs for kids related to the skate park? Where will they go?
more importantly than the location, is the services the NET provides. They can be relocated, there is a ton of empty office space. but would be an utter shame to lose them altogether.
Brian, you are absolutely right. The NET office gives people who have no idea how to navigate the City's various departments a convenient place to go to get their issues resolved. We may not need two NET offices in the Grove, but to eliminate the program would be ludicrous.
How much government do we really need? Let's cut some fat, and NET offices are a beer belly on the city.
The 3 people working at the NET do more work than 100 other City staffers. Save the NET.
SSR
IF (big IF) the city can get more REVENUE from the glass house and benefit the park/neighborhood by using the building for other purposes, I can't really oppose that. As long as the services provided by the staff in that building aren't cut, and just relocated.
Save the Glass House in Peacock Park for what was intended for, a Community building.
Is nothing safe anymore from the commercial developers?
Peacock Park is well located and it is a waterfront park. The City of Miami is facing a $118 mil budget deficit. Certain City union members make $150,000 to $250,000 per year. Some make more. To pay for their pay and benefits hundreds of other City employees must be fired. (The firemen effectively have a no layoff contract.)
Maybe Peacock Park will see an increase in visitors if something new and interesting is put in the Glass House. The City must be open to new ideas. It is a new era.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, THE MIAMI FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE HAS BEEN IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CITY OF MIAMI IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE LAYOFFS OF 177 ACTIVE POLICE OFFICERS.
I HAVE REFUSED TO AGREE TO ANY PAY CUTS BY THE CITY OF MIAMI. WE HAVE OFFERED THE CITY OTHER CONCESSIONS THAT AMOUNT TO $6.1 MILLION, WITH AN ADDITIONAL DEPARTMENT SAVINGS OF $1,357,246 FOR A TOTAL OF $7,457,246. THE CITY OF MIAMI HAS DEMANDED THAT WE CONCEDE TO A TOTAL OF $9,735,348 IN ORDER FOR THEM TO KEEP ALL OFFICERS.
EVERY TIME WE MEET WITH THE CITY, THEY DEVALUATE THE AMOUNTS WE PROPOSE, IN ORDER FOR THEM TO FORCE SALARY CUTS. THE CITY HAS FAILED TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH, THUS, LEAVING ME NO OTHER OPTION, THAN TO REFUSE THEIR OFFER.
ARMANDO AGUILAR
PRESIDENT
MIAMI-FOP-20
d
All unions, Police included, should step up to the table and grant concessions.
Any idiot can see a business, or a city, cannot survive paying 20% of its revenues to various Defined Benefit Pension Plans. Wake up and smell the coffee. Taxpayers cannot pay for salaries and benefits for "public servants" while those pay and benefits greatly exceed the low pay and no benefits of the taxpayers. Taxpayers either make 1/3 of the so-called "public servants" or they live hand to mouth.
Navigating the many bureaucratic departments in our City has been and remains a nightmare. The NET is a easily approachable and acts as the perfect liaison between us, the people and them, our local Government. Removing the NET will be a major disservice to the residents and business owners alike, especially in the Grove.
Now about leasing the Glass House so that it becomes a source of revenue to the city since we have such a large deficit : that is pretty much like using a band-aid on a fractured limb. Lets get real folks, the motives behind removal of the NET have nothing to do with the Budget, it is simply a Political move.
Mr.Anonymous, before you say that the public servants need to concede to the Cities demands you need to read the N.Y Times article, "In Lean Times Miami Pays Most of The Cost for New Ballpark, the date of the article is Sept 20,2009, get educated on the issues before you talk about something you know nothing about. We will concede to pay cuts but not while the City lines the pockets of others.
Anon 12:37, the stadium funding is coming mostly from tourist taxes that can't be used to pay outrageously high salaries and pensions, even if the City wanted to use them for that. It is a good thing someone is finally drawing the line. It's just too bad it took a $118M deficit for the administration to finally take on the unions.
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