Quality Cities | First Quarter 2021

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

▸ COVID-19 Changes How Cities Work p.24 ▸ Florida City Government Week Recap p.34

QUALITY CITIES

▸ Forecasting Municipal Revenue p.56

A PUBLICATION OF THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES FIRST QUARTER 2021

Prep for an Unusual Session The pandemic underscores why we need Home Rule See page 30

CITY SPOTLIGHTS: ▸ CINCO BAYOU ▸ MIAMI GARDENS ▸ STUART

2021 LEGISLATIVE ACTION AGENDA INSERT

Providing local governments with

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Investing Together for Local Benefit Are your investments properly diversified in today’s current environment?

RETIREMENT:

Protecting the Retirement of Those Serving The Public Could hidden fees be derailing your retirement plans?

LOANS:

Making Your Dollars Do More For Local Communities Debating a new construction project or refinancing an existing loan?

Contact Jeremy Langley Account Executive jlangley@flcities.com 859.552.5224

FLCITIES.COM

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Quality Cities Magazine Volume 95 | Number 1 PUBLISHER Jeannie Garner EDITOR AND CREATIVE PROJECT MANAGER Joy Dickinson GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Sydney Fraser Bonnie Gaupp CIRCULATION Eryn Russell Stay informed: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Visit our website at flcities.com.

Quality Cities (formerly Quality Cities ’90) (ISSN 0892-4171) (USPS Number: 201-780) serves as a medium of exchange of ideas and information on municipal affairs for the public officials of Florida. The views expressed and the data presented by contributors and advertisers are not to be construed as having the endorsement of the Florida League of Cities unless so specifically stated. No material from this publication may be reprinted without the express permission of the editor.

The mailing address for the publishers of Quality Cities is Post Office Box 1757, 301 South Bronough St., Suite 300, Tallahassee, FL 32302-1757. The telephone number is 850.222.9684, and the email address is jdickinson@ flcities.com. Offices are located at 301 South Bronough St., Suite 300, Tallahassee, FL. Quality Cities is published quarterly by the Florida League of Cities. Periodicals Postage Paid at Tallahassee, Fla., No. 201780.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Quality Cities, Post Office Box 1757, Tallahassee, FL 32302-1757.

The yearly MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION rate for members is $10.00, other governmental agencies – $15.00 and non-members – $20.00 for four issues.

PRESIDENT Antonio “Tony” Ortiz, Commissioner, Orlando FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Phillip Walker, Commissioner, Lakeland SECOND VICE PRESIDENT Jolien Caraballo, Councilwoman, Port St. Lucie DISTRICT DIRECTORS (1) Shannon D. Hayes, Mayor Pro Tem, Crestview (1) William Schaetzle, Mayor Pro Tem, Niceville (2) Jake Hill, Councilmember, Lake City (3) Robert F. Apgar, Mayor, DeLand (3) William Partington, Mayor, Ormond Beach (4) Carol McCormack, Mayor, Palm Shores (4) Dominick Montanaro, Commissioner,

Satellite Beach (5) Louie Davis, Mayor, Waldo (5) Cal Rolfson, Councilmember, Mount Dora (6) Rosemary Wilsen, Commissioner, Ocoee (6) Vacant (7) Sam Fite, Commissioner, Bowling Green (7) Marlene Wagner, Vice Mayor, Lake Hamilton (8) Jamie Robinson, Commissioner, Largo (8) Dan Saracki, Councilmember, Oldsmar (9) Susan Gibbs Thomas, Councilwoman, Indiantown (10) Brian Williams, Commissioner, Palmetto (11) William Ribble, Mayor, Estero (12) Andy Amoroso, Vice Mayor, Lake

Worth Beach (12) Anne Gerwig, Mayor, Wellington (12) Kimberly Glas-Castro, Vice Mayor,

Lake Park (13) Traci. L. Callari, Commissioner, Hollywood

QC

(13) Gary Resnick, Commissioner,

Wilton Manors (13) Greg Ross, Mayor, Cooper City (13) Iris Siple, Commissioner, Pembroke Pines (13) Susan Starkey, Vice Mayor, Davie (13) Vacant (13) Vacant (14) Juan Carlos “JC” Bermudez, Mayor, Doral (14) Joseph Corradino, Mayor, Pinecrest (14) Rodney Harris, Mayor, Miami Gardens (14) Vacant 10 MOST POPULOUS CITIES Samuel Newby, Council Member, Jacksonville Vacant (Miami) Joseph Citro, Councilmember, Tampa Rick Kriseman, Mayor, St. Petersburg Robert Stuart, Commissioner, Orlando Carlos Hernandez, Mayor, Hialeah John Dailey, Mayor, Tallahassee Dean J. Trantalis, Mayor, Fort Lauderdale Gregory Oravec, Mayor, Port St. Lucie Rick Williams, Council Member, Cape Coral PAST PRESIDENTS Scott Black, Commissioner, Dade City Frank C. Ortis, Mayor, Pembroke Pines Joy Cooper, Mayor, Hallandale Beach Pat Bates, Mayor, Altamonte Springs Matthew Surrency, Mayor, Hawthorne Leo E. Longworth, Commissioner, Bartow Isaac Salver, Council Member, Bay Harbor Islands AT-LARGE Roy S. Shiver, Commissioner, Florida City FCCMA EX-OFFICIO MEMBER Shannon Lewis, City Manager, Melbourne Jeannie Garner, Executive Director Kraig Conn, General Counsel

The Florida League of Cities will hold its Annual Conference August 12-14, 2021, at the World Center Marriott – Orlando. To receive information about exhibiting at the conference or sponsorships, contact Heidi Hogarth at hhogarth@flcities.com or 850.701.3605.

The exhibitor/sponsorship kit will be available in mid-February. Don’t delay, as each year the exhibit hall sells out!

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 3

QC contents QUALITY CITIES

VOL. 95, ISSUE 1, FIRST QUARTER 2021

COVER FEATURE 30 Prep for an Unusual Session

30

The pandemic underscores why we need Home Rule

DEPARTMENTS Business Watch

CITY SPOTLIGHTS 12 Visualizing Natural Beauty

Cinco Bayou’s outdoor art enhances this ‘Town of Many Parks’

14

Investing in Progress

27

The Best Of Both Worlds

Stop utility disconnections without sacrificing revenue

Municomm

49

Emails for Residents

7 tips for connecting with members of your community

Miami Gardens celebrates its unique diversity and innovates for the future

16

Research Stuart Collects Accolades

Residents’ commitment leads to vibrant downtown

56

Forecasting Municipal Revenue

A new FLC report gives valuable information for budget planning

Lifestyle

56 4 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

58

A Healthy Smile Why you need to keep up with dental exams, even during the pandemic

59

Resilience 101 Why resilience is the life skill we all need right now

IN THIS ISSUE 7

FEATURES 22 24 28

28

Ins and Outs of Municipal Reserves Be prepared to handle economic needs in a crisis

COVID-19 Changes How Cities Work Creativity enabled cities to continue service to the public

Spanish Language Resources Available Use materials to empower residents to support Home Rule

From the President Local voices need to be heard

8

QC Today

9

Meeting Calendar

18

Commentary

21

Employee Profile

46

Directory Updates

48

Anniversaries

League and member news

Wrestling with implicit bias

Medley Johnson

34 Recap of Florida City Government Week 43

Municipal Achievement Awards

44

Youth Council Photo Contest Winners

50

Telling Your City’s Whole Story

52

Community Connections During COVID-19

Past judges offers tips and tricks for winning

Five recognized for showcasing what they love about their cities

Looking to the past helps cities move forward

Cities find creative ways to mingle with residents

INSERT

ON THE COVER: PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

2021 Legislative Action Agenda

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 5

The Florida Municipal Insurance Trust (FMIT) provides local governments with a complete Employee Benefits Package.

The Employee Benefits Package includes: ∙ Medical ∙ Dental ∙ Vision ∙ Life ∙ Disability ∙ Voluntary Employee Benefits ∙ Section 125 Administration ∙ Flexible Spending Account/ Health Savings Account/Health Reimbursement Arrangement Administration

∙ A Customized Wellness Solution ∙ COBRA Administration ∙ Full Online Eligibility and Enrollment System Contact Lindsey Larson Account Executive llarson@flcities.com 920.606.9716

FROM THE PRESIDENT

President Tony Ortiz Commissioner City of Orlando

QC

Local Voices Need to Be Heard

With our residents’ help, we will push our message

T 2021 Session March 2 Read an overview of the upcoming legislative session by Casey Cook, director of legislative affairs at the Florida League of Cities, on p. 30. You can find tips about getting involved on p. 32. The Legislative Action Agenda highlighting our session priorities is inserted in this issue and available at flcities. com. See information about the FAST Fly-In on p. 31.

oday may be the most challenging time ever to be a local government leader. Your leadership, diplomacy and perseverance have never been more important.

The pressures are relentless, but so are you. You keep showing up, making decisions that keep essential services flowing for your residents. You continue to be a reliable and accountable source of information for your constituents. Every day, you work to preserve and enhance the quality of life that your residents prize.

With Legislative Session beginning March 2, it’s more important than ever that our state lawmakers hear our voices and the voices of our residents. Our state lawmakers need to hear how legislation will impact our cities and our constituents.

That’s the heart of my initiative for Building Stronger Cities: bringing the power of government back to the people.

You should have received a copy of my Building Stronger Cities booklet mailed to your key city official: clerk, manager or administrator. It’s full of information to share with constituents about why their voices need to be heard by state legislators and how they can do that. (See more about my initiative on p. 28.)

Municipal leaders can get involved during the Legislative Session by listening to the Monday morning call-ins, signing up to receive the weekly On Tap @ the Cap e-newsletter and signing up to receive text alerts.

Reach out to the League whenever you need help. Our ambassadors are available to assist. Contact Eryn Russell or Shwanda Barnett at 850.222.9684.

As local leaders, we will never give up the fight for Home Rule. This is our time; let’s get to work!

Tony Ortiz

#BuildingStrongerCities

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 7

QC TODAY WHO | WHERE | WHAT

Have news to share? Send it to jdickinson@flcities.com.

KUDOS

The National League of Cities is announcing that more than 40 cities have made specific, bold commitments to driving innovation and inclusive economic development through entrepreneurship. These cities lead the nation in reimagining economic growth and partnering across sectors to put racial and gender equity at the forefront of their economic strategies.

Florida cities being recognized for making this commitment are: ▸ City of Miramar. ▸ City of Ormond Beach. ▸ City of Port St. Lucie. ▸ City of Tampa.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW GREENE, FRWA

Development Efforts Honored

AWARD

Penney Farms Named Water System of the Year The Town of Penney Farms has been named 2020 Small Public Water System of the Year by the Florida Rural Water Association for its use of technology to better manage assets.

Water and sewer lines managed by the utility are displayed on a web-based program that tracks work orders, repairs and staff education and training.

KUDOS

Venice, Winter Park Win National Awards The 2020 America in Bloom National Awards were given to the City of Venice and the City of Winter Park. Venice was the winner of the Coolest Downtown Award and the Outstanding Achievement Award for Landscaped Areas. Winter Park received the Outstanding Achievement Award for Environmental Efforts.

Awards recognize excellence in community vitality, floral displays, landscaped areas, urban forestry, environmental efforts, celebration of heritage, overall impression and community involvement.

TECHNOLOGY

Doral Awarded for Innovation The City of Doral recently received a LocalSmart Award: the 2020 Local IT Innovation of the Year Award. As a Smart City, Doral makes it possible to engage with city departments by text, app or email and uses advanced monitoring systems to improve security and traffic.

Readers of StateScoop, a news site related to government information technology, selected Doral for the award. The city has adopted more than 40% of the smart city technology measures identified by the National League of Cities.

8 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

COMPLETE STREETS

Boca Raton Council Member Selected for CDC Institute Andy Thomson , council member for the City of Boca Raton, will be part of the inaugural class of the Active People, Healthy Nation Champions Institute.

The program, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , was created to help motivated local elected officials equitably define, design, build and evaluate Complete Streets in their communities. Thomson was one of over 20 local elected officials selected from across the country.

TODAY DID YOU KNOW …

Florida is Home To Buried Treasure?

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

The Treasure Coast of Florida lived up to its name when, in 2020, a treasure hunter found 22 silver coins estimated to be worth $6,000 just north of Indian River Shores.

The coins are from one of 11 treasure-filled Spanish galleons sailing from the New World and bound for Spain in July 1715. The galleon sank during a hurricane. Previously, in 2015, a large discovery of gold treasure valued at $4.5 million was found in Indian River Shores.

Treasure hunters using metal detectors on the beaches following strong weather can find remnants of treasure such as coins, belt buckles, cutlery, porcelain, daggers and cufflinks.

The beaches along the Treasure Coast are not the only locations where treasure can be found. Several chests of Spanish silver and gold were found in the 1930s at Pinellas Point in St. Petersburg . It is said to be the location of even more pirate treasure. According to other legends: ▸ St. George Island is home to Spanish gold bars worth $6 million hidden in clay crocks buried on the eastern tip of the island near Apalachicola. ▸ Bokeelia Key, north of Pine Island, is home to a treasure buried by Bocilla, a pirate. ▸ Canal Point at the southern tip of Lake Okeechobee is home to over $100,000 in gold coins stolen from a bank by the Ashley Gang, an outlaw group in the early 1900s. ▸ Gasparilla Island is the location where the pirate Gasparilla buried gold and jewels worth $30 million. ▸ Pirate Billy Bowlegs Rogers is said to have hidden treasure chests at Bald Point in Escambia County. ▸ Big Island, on the western end of Tampa Bay, may be the location of several wooden barrels of gold and silver coins paid to the Seminole Indians by the British for their help fighting the American colonists. ▸ St. Vincent Island in Apalachicola Bay was a frequent campsite for pirates in the 1700s, so many people believe there is buried treasure on the island. ▸ Pine Island boasts pirate markings on trees as well as treasure buried by the pirate Joseph Baker.

Although many “treasure hunting” websites list Treasure Island as a possible gathering place for pirates during the 1700s,

the name came from an early hotel owner who buried chests filled with what he described as “treasure.” News of the discovery spread, and the name “Treasure Island” stuck.

If you want to hunt for bounty, Florida law requires recovery permits for individuals who want to explore or recover artifacts on state-owned lands underwater but not on a public beach.

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MEETING CALENDAR FEBRUARY 18 Florida League of Mayors Candid Conversations With Mayors Via Zoom Contact Rachel Embleton MARCH 7-10 National League of Cities Congressional City Conference Virtual Contact Allison Payne MARCH 18-19 Florida Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials Spring Conference Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South Contact Nykie Cooper APRIL 23-24 Advanced Institute for Elected Municipal Officials Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Contact Angela Delune MAY 7-9 Basic Institute for Elected Municipal Officials DoubleTree Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront Contact Angela Delune MAY 11-12 Florida League of Cities Federal Action Strike Team (FAST) Fly-In Phoenix Park Hotel Contact Allison Payne MAY 22-26 Florida Government Finance Officers Association Annual Conference The Diplomat Beach Resort, Hollywood Contact Jill Walker JUNE 2-5 Florida City and County Management Association Annual Conference Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Contact Carol Russell JUNE 3-5 Basic Institute for Elected Municipal Officials PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens Contact Angela Delune JUNE 11 Florida League of Cities Policy Committee Meetings Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport Contact Mary Edenfield JUNE 17 Florida League of Mayors Candid Conversations with Mayors Via Zoom Contact Rachel Embleton

GO TO:

flcities.com/education-and-events/calendarof-events or call 850.222.9684 for more information.

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 9

QC

TODAY

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES

COVID-19

NLC Offers Resources on COVID-19 Impact In its commitment to help municipalities “Respond, Recover and Rebuild,” the

National League of Cities has issued 10 principles and briefs that provide clear,

actionable steps to address the impact of COVID-19. The briefs offer guidance on: ▸ Maintaining your city’s fiscal health and essential services. ▸ Ensuring housing stability for all residents. ▸ Maintaining your city’s public safety and emergency response services. ▸ Protecting and promoting residents’ health. ▸ Supporting small businesses, essential workers and jobseekers. ▸ Supporting full access to public infrastructure and broadband. ▸ Supporting nutrition programs and emergency food assistance to prevent hunger. ▸ Ensuring that all children and youth have high-quality opportunities to learn and grow. ▸ Supporting early childhood providers and other caregivers. ▸ Making voting and elections safe, fair and accessible.

The briefs are available at covid19.nlc.org. Select “Response Principles.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF CLEARWATER

ASSISTANCE

CREATIVITY

Art Replaces Vacancies In Downtown Clearwater Vacant storefronts in the City of Clearwater were transformed into showcases of “wearable art” – innovative exhibits of masks, headpieces, shoes and garments that are made of paper, metal, toys, foam, flowers and even pasta.

“We are finding creative ways to address blight and vacancy in downtown, as well as support local artists through a challenging period during COVID-19,” said Amanda Thompson, director of Clearwater’s Community Redevelopment Agency, which funds the exhibits. Storefronts and other downtown art sites were featured on a virtual arts map on the Downtown Clearwater website.

FMIT Safety Grants Meet COVID-19 Needs When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust stepped in to assist. The FMIT looked beyond

its current budget to award almost $305,000 in safety grants in Fiscal Year 2019-2020, which was a 30% increase over the prior year.

Safety grants were given to 257 members in 2019-2020. In addition to COVID-related supplies, the grants covered the costs of security systems and automated external defibrillators.

They also covered other common safety-related expenses such as sidewalk repair, tree removal and training. For more information about safety grants, contact Nadine Llewellyn, administrative assistant, at nllewellyn@flcities.com or Anita Wick, risk and safety specialist, at awick@flcities.com.

LEADERSHIP

‘Citizen Architects’ Honored Roxanne Horvath , commissioner of the City of St. Augustine , and Brett Moss , councilmember of the Village of Key Biscayne, were selected as members of the American Institute of Architects Florida’s 2020 Class of Citizen Architects.

Brett Moss

Roxanne Horvath

10 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

The Citizen Architect program recognizes AIA Florida members who are “shaping the world through leadership in their communities.”

TODAY

QC

KUDOS

The Florida Green Building Coalition has recognized the City of Oldsmar for its gold-level designation

as a “Florida Green” government.

The city achieved 54% of its 324 applicable points and earned the third-highest score for a Florida city.

“To be recognized as a Gold Level City Council Member Andrew Knapp (from left), Vice Mayor Katie Gannon, Mayor Eric Seidel, Green Local Government Standard Sustainability Coordinator Ashlee Painter, FGBC Executive Director C.J. Davila, Council by the Florida Green Building CoaliMember Linda Norris and Council Member Dan Saracki. tion is an impressive and significant accomplishment for our city,” said Mayor Eric Seidel. “This achievement acknowledges the city’s commitment to improving environmental performance and stewardship in Oldsmar.”

Obituaries Bowling Green Vice-Mayor Mary Alice “Shirley” Tucker Bowling Green Vice-Mayor Mary Alice “Shirley” Tucker has died at the age of 74. Tucker served on the Bowling Green City Commission for over

20 years as a commissioner, vice-mayor and mayor. She was proud of her role as the first Black woman to serve as mayor for the city. Tucker was instrumental in infrastructure improvements that included a new wastewater system, a nanotechnology water filtration system and a new playground park for the city. “I’ve known Shirley for over 40 years, and the City of Bowling Green will miss her kindness and commitment to the city and its people,” said Steve Spinks, immediate past mayor. “She was not afraid of change and was always looking for a way to improve our city.”

Former Cocoa Mayor Jake Williams Jr. Jake Williams Jr. , former mayor and councilmember of the City of Cocoa, has died at age 60. He was elected mayor in 2018 and served until October 2020. As mayor, Williams sought to improve the quality of life in the community with a commitment to reduce crime, eliminate blight and address homelessness and inequality. He also served as deputy mayor and a member of Cocoa City Council. Williams was a U.S. Air Force veteran who retired from NASA. He was a member of the

Central Brevard NAACP, Masonic Lodge MI No. 685, Florida Black Caucus, Brevard Homeless Coalition, Space Coast Transportation and Planning Organization, CivMil and the Florida League of Mayors. Cocoa Mayor Michael Blake said, “He served the residents of Cocoa for many years as both a councilman and mayor, and his impact on our community will not be forgotten.”

Former Lakeland Commissioner Edith (Edie) L. Henderson Former Lakeland Commissioner Edith (Edie) L. Henderson died No-

vember 10 at age 67. Henderson served as city commissioner for three terms from 2006 to 2018 and was known for applying her financial knowledge to her work on the Commission. She was the first woman to capture several previously male-dominated positions, beginning with student body president at Lakeland Senior High School. She was the first female president of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Henderson founded Baylis & Company, an accounting firm. She served on many boards, including the National Board of Trustees for Camp Fire. Commissioner Phillip Walker, first vice president of the Florida League of Cities, said, “As a community leader and as a city commissioner, she cared about her hometown, and she supported what was best for the community as a whole.” She was known for looking out for the small-business community, Walker said. “She was passionate about beautification projects and our urban tree canopy,” he said. Henderson and her family were known for quietly providing financial assistance for many Lakeland organizations. “Edie will be sorely missed as a community leader, as a thriving business owner, as a loving family member and as a friend to many in the Lakeland community,” Walker said.

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 11

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF OLDSMAR

Oldsmar Certified Gold As ‘Florida Green’ Government

CITY SPOTLIGHT

Race Issue Study Circle meeting at the St. Johns River Center in Palatka.

Banners featuring images of birds created by local artists hang on light poles along the main thoroughfare in the Town of Cinco Bayou.

PUBLIC AMENITIES

Visualizing Natural Beauty Cinco Bayou’s outdoor art enhances this ‘Town of Many Parks’ byJean Hood Town of Cinco Bayou

CINCO BAYOU Okaloosa County Pop. 417

12 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

T

he picturesque Town of Cinco Bayou began as a subdivision, built along the shores of Five Mile Bayou in southern Okaloosa County in 1937. Tradition has it that the two developers wanted a fancier name for their planned neighborhood so they called it Cinco Bayou, using the Spanish word for five. The town was officially incorporated on July 3, 1950. Today, with a population of about 420, it remains a small municipality surrounded

by Fort Walton Beach. Residents are proud of their unique community and responsive local government.

Cinco Bayou is a tranquil place. Its nickname, “Town of Many Parks,” refers to the four parks within town limits that are just a half-mile square: Winn Davis, Francis, Laguna and Glenwood. Winn Davis Park is the site of Town Hall and Veterans Memorial Pier, a favorite fishing spot on Kidd Bayou. Picnic tables under majestic oak trees provide a place to enjoy a quiet lunch during a busy day. Cinco Bayou has been designated a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Francis Park features a lovely view of Kidd Bayou and Cinco Bayou. Herons are often seen strolling along the seawall, and dolphins are known to make an appearance. Picnic tables and lots of shade make this another great spot for lunch or to watch the sunset. Laguna Park has a small sandy beach and shallow water, and young children enjoy splashing and playing there.

In Glenwood Park, a boardwalk and nature trail traverse protected wetlands. Birdwatchers can test their skills, and other wildlife such as foxes may be glimpsed by particularly

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOWN OF CINCO BAYOU

QC

CITY SPOTLIGHT

Jean Hood is the mayor of the Town of Cinco Bayou. QC

The view behind Town Hall on Kidd Bayou.

Francis Park overlooks Kidd Bayou and Cinco Bayou.

Mayor Jean Hood displays one of the banners.

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 13

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOWN OF CINCO BAYOU

observant folks. This wetlands area handles stormwater runoff for the town as well as the City of Fort Walton Beach.

Seaway Boat Launch, adjacent to the Cinco Bayou Bridge, is a popular spot for boaters to venture out on Choctawhatchee Bay and the beautiful waters of the Emerald Coast.

The number of boats launched exceeds the available parking slots.

Nature doesn’t provide the only beauty.

A visual feast of art enhances the main street of the town. It was created through a partnership between the town government and individuals and civic groups that strive to enrich the cultural life of this unique community.

The project began in the summer of 2019 when Linda Carr , a local artist, contacted Mayor Jean Hood. Carr is a founding member of Okaloosa Public Arts (OPA), an organization of Okaloosa County artists and citizens who are committed to providing exceptional and meaningful art in public spaces through private donations. Bernadette Sims, another founding member, said, “OPA strives to bring professional quality art to Okaloosa County in many public venues.”

OPA proposed hanging banners on light poles along the main thoroughfare in the town featuring images of birds created by local artists. Hood said, “We were very excited to be asked to do this.”

The project was approved by the Town Council in July, and OPA had the vinyl banners printed in preparation for their display along Eglin Parkway. Town staff hung the 14 banners on September 24, 2019, and they have remained along the parkway for more than a year. The reaction of citizens has been overwhelmingly positive, and the project was featured in the local newspaper. For at least one artist, this was the first time her work had been publicly displayed. Libby Gibbs said the project provided a “warm and welcoming environment and a great learning experience for my first time participating in a public exhibition.”

Cinco Bayou is proud to support local artists and to bring these incredible works of art to public view. By making these banners accessible to anyone driving or walking along Eglin Parkway, the town shares the belief of local artist Linda Kernick that “art is for everyone.”

QC

CITY SPOTLIGHT

A community yoga class is held at the city’s recreation center through the Live Healthy Miami Gardens program.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Investing in Progress

Miami Gardens celebrates its unique diversity and innovates for the future

by Tamara Wadley City of Miami Gardens

S

eventeen years ago, when the City of Miami Gardens incorporated, it

began investing in community and health initiatives, infrastructure and economic development. Today, the payoff is evident. Vibrant and diverse, Miami Gardens has seen steady growth and engages residents and visitors with thriving sports, music, and cultural and culinary offerings.

The city’s strength stems from its forward-thinking residents and businesses, who have worked with the city government to pursue new and innovative programs and to create a sustainable community for generations to come. As the third-largest city in Miami-Dade County , Miami Gardens is home to teachers, seniors, students, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs and others. It is the largest predominantly 14 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

MIAMI GARDENS Miami-Dade County Pop. 114,284

African-American municipality in Florida and boasts thousands of Caribbean and Hispanic residents.

Anyone who enjoys major South Florida events has probably spent time in Miami Gardens. It is the home of the Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Dolphins football team, the University of Miami Hurricanes football team, the Orange Bowl football game and the future home of the Miami Dolphins training facility. Annually, the

city attracts visitors from all over the world for events such as Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival, which showcases world-renowned artists and performers, the Miami Tennis Open and, most recently, the coveted Super Bowl LIV. In 2014, residents of Miami Gardens voted to approve a $60 million general obligation bond to redevelop the city’s parks to provide activities beyond athletics. It included facilities that focus on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, hospitality, art and entertainment as well as nontraditional sports. The plans also include the development of a dedicated senior center to provide programs to engage the city’s older adults.

The city’s ability to innovate came to the forefront during the pandemic. Parks and

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS

QC

CITY SPOTLIGHT

QC

Recreation staff members brought pro- focus on quality of life. The Keep Miami beautification. In 2020, the Keep Miami grams online as they adapted creatively Gardens Beautiful initiative is one of more Gardens Beautiful program was named a to provide enriching virtual camps and than 600 community-based affiliates in the Keep America Beautiful President’s Circle classes. One program, for example, taught national Keep America Beautiful network, Awardee. This prestigious award honors children and teens how to write graphic aimed at transforming public spaces into the city’s outstanding promotion of the and comic novels. beautiful places. The beautification pro- organization’s mission and recognizes A healthy city focuses on the over- grams include urban forestry, landscape the program’s exemplary performance as a certified Keep America Beautiful all wellbeing of its residents. Live Children learn from an early age the importance of affiliate in creating clean, green and Healthy Miami Gardens is a city healthy cooking through Live Healthy Miami Gardens. beautiful communities. initiative that relies on community Maintaining public safety is a priinvolvement to promote a healthy ority, as well. To augment the police lifestyle for all who live, work and force, the city invested in the stateplay in Miami Gardens. It began of-the-art Real-Time Crime Center, in February 2014 as a partnership allowing law enforcement personbetween the city and the Health nel to have an expanded presence Foundation of South Florida and is throughout the community using now funded by the Centers for Distechnology. The Real-Time Crime ease Control and Prevention.

Center uses technological solutions Live Healthy Miami Gardens is a that bring together video inputs, collective impact initiative, backed incident and criminal complaints, by 46 coalition member organizaphotos, national crime databases and tions and more than 100 individuals, more to deliver a single, real-time to drive citywide changes that meaoperational view in the city’s police surably improve the health and life department. expectancy of residents. The iniThese investments in public ametiative develops, implements and nities, economic development and sustains effective community-levquality of life have made Miami el health strategies for five health Gardens an epicenter of culture, impact areas: alcohol, tobacco and commerce, sports and music. It is other drugs; healthy eating and a trailblazing city with only more improved nutrition; mental health; physical activity and primary healthcare. projects and grant management, with the progress on the horizon – rising and flourGreat health allows people to enjoy their goal of promoting balance toward an envi- ishing with opportunities for its residents to live, work and play. lives to the fullest. The city is committed ronmentally sustainable community. to making sure residents and visitors inKeep Miami Gardens Beautiful works corporate health and wellness into their with residents and businesses to bring Tamara Wadley is the assistant to the daily routines. awareness to the social impacts and ben- city manager, communications for the Providing a safe and sustainable envi- efits of a healthy tree canopy, reduce the City of Miami Gardens. The city is a 2020 ronment is an important part of the city’s presence of litter, recycle and offer overall All-America City. QC Keep Miami Gardens Beautiful landscape project in the City of Miami Gardens.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS

Residents and Live Healthy Miami Gardens staff participate in the city’s Pink Month Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk.

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 15

CITY SPOTLIGHT

During the Rock’n Riverwalk concert series, acts perform at the Riverwalk Stage downtown.

REDEVELOPMENT

Stuart Collects Accolades Residents’ commitment leads to vibrant downtown

STUART Martin County Pop. 16,504

by David Dyess City of Stuart

F

ounded 106 years ago on the banks of the St. Lucie River and at the mouth of the Okeechobee Waterway, the City of Stuart is moments away by boat from the famed Indian River Lagoon as well as the Atlantic Ocean. People increasingly mark it on their maps as their destination of choice, and the charm of downtown deserves the lion’s share of the credit.

When Stuart’s historic downtown was crowned winner of the 2020 Great Places in Florida contest, the designation marked yet another accolade for “America’s Happiest Seaside Town.” (See awards, p. 17.) The Great Places award – an annual recognition given by the Florida chapter of the American Planning Association – lauded efforts to “transform the city’s nondescript downtown area by restoring it to its former 1920s glory.”

Today the downtown area is home to more than 50 independently owned restaurants, bars and boutiques. The vibrant, charming area dates back to a locally led effort that began when the downtown was anything but picturesque.

The current assemblage of chic boutiques, coffee bars, popular pubs, restaurants and places to enjoy live music didn’t exist in the mid- to late-1980s. The two anchor businesses – Florida Power & Light Company and the post office – had moved out.

16 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

Vagrants moved into the area, vacancy rates spiked, and property values plunged. The newly opened Treasure Coast Square Mall in nearby Jensen Beach accelerated downtown’s death spiral.

Fortunately, some local visionaries got involved, first focusing on The Lyric Theatre. Originally opened in 1926 as a movie house, The Lyric was serving as a church and set to be sold for office space. A local resident, who was an admirer of historic architecture, negotiated with the church, gathered supporters, raised funds, and purchased and preserved the theater. When it reopened, Grammy winner Rita Coolidge was the first performer.

Such success was contagious. Two local couples purchased the Arcade building, which was slated to be demolished for parking. They received a variance to live onsite while doing the improvements.

A local architect led an effort by the Economic Council of Martin County and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council to identify, cultivate and realize a community vision. With the support of Joan Jefferson, who was elected mayor of Stuart, the architect hired renowned planner and new urbanism expert Andres Duany.

Duany advised the community to oppose plans by the Florida

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF STUART

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CITY SPOTLIGHT

QC

In 2003 the 19-foot tall Stuart Sailfish by artist Geoffrey C. Smith was installed in historic downtown.

The Riverwalk and surrounding areas remain popular with residents and visitors alike.

Awards ▸ 60 Charming American Towns You Haven’t Heard of But Should Visit ASAP. O, The Oprah Magazine (2020). ▸ Happiest designation. Coastal Living magazine (2015). ▸ Best Small Towns to Visit. Smithsonian magazine (2015).

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF CITY OF STUART

Department of Transportation to build the incoming Roosevelt around the city and populated its art walk. Stuart Main Street, Bridge atop the city’s waterfront Flagler Park, which he said meanwhile, created multiple events, including the award-winning would have condemned downtown to dead-end status.

Rock’n Riverwalk Music Series, to attract audiences and economic D u a ny a l s o u rg e d c i t y activity downtown. staff to rewrite its building The Community RedevelBEFORE code. In addition, the city opment Agency’s budget of obtained grants to maximize tax-incremental financing its redevelopment funds. dollars generated more funds Improvements in setbacks, for reinvestment including upwalkability and functiongraded sewer and water service ality followed. Meanwhile, to downtown neighborhoods, a bookstore in the Arcade 150 more parking spaces and building attracted customers streetside dining spaces for and more small businesses to downtown restaurants. The latdowntown. ter proved especially beneficial While the bookstore is long as the city expanded outdoor AFTER gone, Stuart’s legacy of contindining during the COVID-19 ual improvement remains. In pandemic. the waning days of the Great Eager to better support the Recession, the city sought to area with a larger local resiattract more businesses to its dency, the city acquired and urban core. later marketed a parcel known The Stuart Community as the Triangle Property. This Redevelopment Board made acquisition enabled construcrecommendations on the tion of a newly opened 49-unit The Lyric Theatre before and after “the revitalization” effort of reconfiguration of Colorado apartment building, which was the 1980s and ‘90s.

Avenue, the main road into immediately popular. downtown. The resulting Amid all the new life and traffic circle slowed cars, better showcased businesses and activity, downtown Stuart retains the warmth of its familiar emspawned investment that expanded the shopping and dining brace for longtime residents. This atmosphere was intentional, district. The circle is adorned with a fountain and sculpture by as the guiding goal of the revitalization was improvement and world-renowned wildlife artist Geoffrey C. Smith, who is also a preservation of the city’s beloved character and unique qualities.

Stuart resident.

For leaders of the revitalization, nothing could be more The city further obtained private investments – to the tune rewarding. of a half-million dollars – to fund five more of Smith’s statues.

The statues, ranging from 18 inches to 6 feet tall, were placed David Dyess is the city manager of the City of Stuart. QC

COMMENTARY

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

QC

SELF-AWARENESS

Wrestling with Implicit Bias Sometimes you need to look in the ‘ugly mirror’ to see it

by Scott Paine Florida League of Cities

18 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

I

recently was reminded of an unpleasant truth about the way I think. You’ll need some background to appreciate it fully.

When I was 9, I went to my first summer camp. All my camp memories are positive, filled with the smiling, laughing faces of my new friends, my camp buddies.

All but one of them are Black.

A few years later, at a Boy Scouts camp, I spent a lot of time at a campsite that was populated by kids, mostly Black, from the inner city. Initially, I hung out with them because their scoutmaster had been my scoutmaster at a previous camp. Over time, I became fully woven into their troop’s life.

COMMENTARY

QC

What research “show[s] is that people are “ ignorant of the things that affect their actions, yet they rarely feel ignorant. We need to accept our ignorance and say ‘I don’t know’ more often.

– Malcolm Gladwell. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

I remember being puzzled and amused by the attitudes I encountered. The boys from the inner city thought I was very brave because I would walk around camp at night without a flashlight.

They thought I was at risk of being eaten by wild animals or of getting lost in the woods.

The boys at my campsite, mostly White, saw me as brave because I wasn’t afraid to hang out with the Black kids from the inner city. I don’t know what risk they thought I was running.

I share this bit of autobiography to make this point: To the best of my recollection, I did not have a negative perception of Blacks as I went off to college.

My first summer on campus, I became infatuated with a rising senior. I was pretty sure I was out of my league, but that didn’t stop me from hanging around.

One summer evening, we gathered at a friend’s suite to drink, talk and sing. (Historical note: The drinking age was 18, and there was no prohibition of alcohol in the dorms.) For whatever reason – the wine, the music or her near-yet-distant presence – I found myself becoming increasingly sad as well as increasingly inebriated.

Not wishing to become a drunken fool in her presence, I bade them all goodnight and went for a walk on the quad to clear my head.

After a while, I encountered a young Black man. He asked me if I knew a certain student or where a certain dormitory was.

Small as our campus was, I recognized neither the dorm nor the person he was seeking.

I paused to try to clear things up and see if I could be helpful.

I had no thought of being at risk, even though it was fairly late, the quad was pretty dark, and we were alone. No concern at all.

He called to his buddy who was walking nearby (and whom I had not noticed until then). As we continued to talk, his buddy came over ... and stuck what felt like a gun barrel in my stomach.

They quietly instructed me to give them my wallet and keys. (I remember protesting about the keys. Although it was summer, the Michigan evening was turning chill, and I was concerned about staying warm. The weird things one does under stress). Then they told me to turn around and walk slowly away, not making a sound.

After this incident, I found that I reacted differently than I had in the past when I encountered a group of two or three young

”

Black males. Whereas before they had simply been guys who were Black, I now perceived them as a threat. After some time had passed, I recognized what I was doing and worked, consciously, to ensure that whatever I felt, my behavior was appropriate.

That was 44 years ago.

Recently, driving through my neighborhood, I saw a young Black man getting into a car where it appeared his buddies had been waiting. He had a small package in his hand.

These are the things I observed. Then, uninvited and unwanted, my inner voice said: “Drugs. These guys are dangerous.”

I had no rational basis for this thought. None.

My neighborhood is diverse, made up of Black families, White families and mixed-race families (as well as people of Indian and Palestinian ancestry, among others). I often see young men, including young Black men, walking, riding, driving, hanging out.

That’s our community.

Yet my subconscious made the gross leap to a racial profile.

I can try to rationalize it away. Truth is, my eldest son and his family used to live right in that part of the neighborhood, maybe a house or two away. Truth is, their next-door neighbor was a drug dealer who delivered small packages curbside to his customers.

Truth is, my son would be visited at odd hours by strangers, often under the influence of something, trying to buy a hit.

Truth is, my son took his family and moved out.

But the truth is, that drug dealer was ... White. And yet I can’t remember a time when I saw a young White man get into a car where his buddies were waiting, a small package in his hand, and thought: “Drugs. These guys are dangerous,” without substantially more evidence.

This sludge in my brain is what is meant by implicit bias.

I doubt that anyone with whom I work professionally, in ministry, or with whom I socialize would say that I have negative opinions of Blacks or other minorities. Some might say that I have been an ally to various minority groups, both in my years of public service and in other aspects of my life.

And I am guilty of implicit bias.

Not because I want to be. Not because I think it’s right. But because life experiences, cultural themes, media images and a host of other factors have worked on me in such a way that, under certain conditions, I will judge another not by the content of their

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COMMENTARY

“

The conundrum of the twentyfirst [century] is that with the best intentions of color blindness, and laws passed in

this spirit, we still carry instincts and reactions inherited from our environments and embedded in our being below the level of conscious decision. There is a color line in our heads, and while we could see its effects, we couldn’t name it until now.

”

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

– Krista Tippett. Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living

character, but by the color of their skin.

The bias doesn’t always express itself so boldly, so clearly. It can operate in the background when I review applicants for a position. It subtly influences my decision about whether to read a book based on the author’s name and perceived race. It can condition my response in a conversation, prompting me to be open to someone’s ideas or to dismiss them even before I hear them.

The worst part of implicit bias is, I don’t always know when it has played a role in the choices I have made and the way I have treated others.

The only way I can remedy this problem is to hold what one of my dearest friends and colleagues calls the “ugly mirror” before me. I must be willing to accept what I know but don’t want to be true: that I can operate out of prejudice. I must be willing to examine my impressions, my snap judgments, with, among others, a racial lens. I must have the courage to ask myself to prove my case, to produce the evidence, to justify (not rationalize) my judgment.

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It isn’t fun.

But there is, for me at least, a bit of good news. Because when I drove by that young man, when my inner demons screamed “danger,” I noticed ... and I resisted.

Scott C. Paine, Ph.D., is director of leadership development and education for FLC University. He previously worked at the University of Tampa as associate professor of communication and government and served for eight years on Tampa’s City Council. He can be contacted at spaine@flcities.com. QC

GO TO:

drscottpaine.com to read Scott Paine's regular blog.

QC

SPOTLIGHT EMPLOYEE PROFILE

Medley Johnson: Genuine and Caring

“G

enerous – she is always willing to lend a helping hand or give to anyone in need.” That is how Bryan Combs, an accountant at the Florida League of Cities, describes Medley Johnson, east territory underwriter.

Bryan has worked with Medley for a total of 15 years: six at another company and nine at the League.

He praises her loyalty, honesty and willingness to work hard, saying, “During renewal season and audit season, Medley puts in those long hours to get everything done when it’s supposed to be done, no matter what.”

Medley is also known for her coordination skills. “She is creative and a great party/function coordinator,” said Valerie Burns, underwriting manager and Medley’s supervisor. Medley also is fun to be around, Valerie said. “She coordinated our last department function and always goes a step farther,” she said.

Dorothy Rollins, trust services administrator, worked with Medley for eight years before she joined the League and has worked directly with her as an underwriter for five years. “She genuinely cares about the members, her coworkers, family and friends,” Dorothy said. “I know when I go to Medley for advice that I am going to get a genuine, sincere response.”

Medley, who has worked at the League for 10 years, said that underwriters are sometimes the only contact a member may have with the League. She tries to make the interaction as pleasant as possible. “Because insurance coverage is like an apple that you can purchase anywhere, I try to ensure our apples are the brightest, shiniest, most colorful and delicious on the market,” she said. “The League is the only place you can find this type of apple that provides a great experience with every encounter.”

Medley describes herself as a rarity in Florida since she was born, raised and has always lived in the state. She is proud of her two children, one of whom also works at the League and one of whom is a college student, as well as her granddaughter, whom she describes as “adorable.”

Medley attended Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in business economics, then later her Master of Business Administration. Not only is she proud to have attended Florida A&M, but she is committed to ongoing education. Medley recently completed the Associate in Commercial Underwriting program with The Institutes, a provider of risk management and insurance education.

Whether she is cheering for her children in their sports or spending time with her granddaughter, family is important to Medley. She also thinks of the League as her family after previously experiencing the hustle and bustle of a chaotic work life when working for a corporation.

“I enjoy sports talks, family updates, baby showers, team-building activities, company retreats – well, I guess I just enjoy the League,” Medley said. “Every day is a new memory.” QC

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QC

FEATURE

FINANCE

Ins and Outs of Municipal Reserves

Be prepared to handle economic needs in a crisis

T

he questions I receive most from elected officials revolve around their general government reserves.

Do we have enough? Do we have too much? How do we fund a reserve when revenues are tight? How and when do we use them?

Developing and adopting a comprehensive reserve policy is prudent fiscal management. A government that operates without reserves is just like a family without any savings. As soon as there is a disruption in income or an unexpected major expenditure, they have a real problem.

Cities that have set aside a reserve balance over several years will find crises much more manageable. It takes political leadership not to cut taxes or not to spend every penny collected. Although using your reserves to cut taxes might appeal to residents, a weak Reserve Fund puts your citizens at risk when there is a crisis.

The past year has taught us that the future is unpredictable. Who would have imagined that we would have our economy and local governments’ budgets devastated by an invisible adversary?

No matter how much planning you had done or how much insurance you had purchased, nothing could have prepared you for the fiscal uncertainties we have 22 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

by Robert Inzer

and will continue to experience from the pandemic.

During crises and fiscal uncertainties, cash is king. Reserves allow you to take thoughtful, deliberate actions rather than be forced by fiscal pressures to act immediately. They also allow you to make incremental adjustments in spending and/or revenues as you measure the duration and impact of the crisis.

During crises such as hurricanes, floods, pandemics, terrorist attacks, riots or fires, your citizens turn first to their government for services, leadership and actions to protect them. You are the first line of defense. The Police, Fire, Public Works, Sanitation, Utilities and many of your other departments are critical to maintaining safety and essential services for a city to function.

During crises, your expenses increase as your revenues fall. Your reserves act as your safety net so you can maintain services when they are most needed.

Florida is different from most states.

The Florida Constitution precludes governments from overspending their budgets and using borrowed funds such as bonds, bank loans and lines of credit to balance budgets or pay operating expenses. While other states can turn to the debt markets for temporary relief, cities in our

state don’t enjoy that option. Therefore, local government reserves in Florida tend to be higher than the national average.

Your first question may be how much you need to have in reserves. However, you need to ask a more fundamental question: Why have reserves?

The foremost reason is to cushion the fiscal shock of unexpected revenue disruptions or unexpected increases in expenses. However, they also provide you additional liquidity and the ability to cash advance capital projects prior to issuing debt. The last two reasons often go unrecognized but can be very important.

After a hurricane, most out-of-pocket costs associated with debris cleanup and other related costs will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. However, you may be out of pocket millions of dollars paying your employees, landfill costs and contractors for services when rendered before FEMA repays you. Often this reimbursement can take years before you recover your monies. You need cash/liquidity until you are repaid. Reserves can be used to fill that gap in addition to paying the unreimbursed expenses associated with a hurricane or other natural disaster.

You may also need the liquidity provided by a reserve if there is a seasonality

FEATURE

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A government that operates without reserves is just like a family without any savings. As soon as there is a disruption in income or an unexpected major expenditure, they have a real problem. to any of your major revenue streams, which means costs are incurred and paid before the revenues are collected. Also, reserves can be used to pay some of the front-end costs such as land acquisition, engineering, environmental studies and architectural services of major capital expenditures that ultimately will be debt-financed.

When establishing reserve levels, primarily consider your risk exposures.

Some traditional risks are weather events, settlements of lawsuits, pandemics, major economic disruptions, environmental disasters and fires. Cities that have a higher risk for revenue disruption or for unforeseen increases in expenditures should have higher reserves.

Governments that receive most of their funding from ad valorem taxes, which is a very stable revenue in the short run, are less at risk for revenue disruption than cities that depend more on charges for service or transactional revenues such as sales tax or bed tax. On the expenditure side, coastal communities are generally at greater risk than inland cities from hurricanes; however, Hurricane Michael’s 160 mph winds demonstrated that nothing in the Panhandle is shielded. Removing downed trees and clearing debris from city streets and drainage systems are critical for reaching those stranded and in need of medical attention and for minimizing the economic impact to citizens.

Most professional guidance on setting municipal reserves encourages reserve levels between two and four months of operating expenses or 16% to 33% of general government operating expenditures. Your government may fall outside of these suggested target levels due to higher risk exposures or a deliberate choice to mitigate risks by establishing higher reserve levels. Make this decision

with your executive staff and codify it in a formal policy.

What should be included in a reserve policy? Reserve policies should be in writing and contain each of the following.

THE PURPOSE AND USE OF RESERVES

Reserves are created to maintain a prudent level of financial resources to protect citizens against service disruption during unexpected temporary revenue shortfalls or unpredicted one-time expenditures.

This policy is intended to help ensure the financial integrity of the city, protect the city’s creditworthiness and provide liquidity based upon the traditional operating cycle.

Reserves are also set forth to provide flexibility to respond to unexpected adversity and/or opportunities and to minimize the costs associated with shortterm cash borrowing. As a general rule, reserves are for one-time events or expenditures and not for ongoing or recurring events.

RESERVE FUND TARGETS OR RANGES

Reserves balances should be set based on the needs stated in the policy and consideration of the city’s risk profile.

Generally, reserves are established with a minimum and maximum range. The range should consider the dependency of other funds on the General Fund and reserves held in other funds. The greater the reserves in utility or other enterprise funds, the lower your risks, so your General Fund reserves can be lower. Professional guidance suggests a minimum target of two months of operating expenses for your General Fund; however, significant reserves in other funds may reduce General Fund Reserve levels to a lower target.

HOW AND WHEN TO USE RESERVE FUNDS

Reserves should be established for the unexpected and unbudgeted. Appropriating Reserve Funds to fund normal, expected budget shortfalls in the budget cycle is generally not appropriate. Using these funds to fund normal pay-as-yougo capital projects is also not a good use.

Spending Reserve Funds is easy; funding or replenishing reserves is hard. Your policy should provide for use of reserves for one-time unanticipated and unbudgeted needs, not to balance next year’s budget.

A policy that establishes and funds reserves for opportunistic unexpected capital acquisitions, such as land banking, is an appropriate use. Providing for liquidity needs for when money flows out and is replenished during a normal fiscal year is also a good use of Reserve Funds. Using reserves to temporarily fund portions of a capital program that will ultimately be funded and repaid when bonds are sold is also a good interim use of reserve balances.

Care should be taken during severe economic downturns or a long-term disruption, such as the Great Recession or our recent pandemic, not to “burn through” all of your reserves too quickly.

Making adjustments in spending or enhancing revenues as you use portions of your reserves to make the transition is a good fiscal policy. Avoid depleting all of your reserves as you could face another unexpected fiscal problem before you have time to replenish them.

REPLENISHMENT AFTER USE

Reserve policies should provide for the replenishment or restoration of the reserves after they have been drawn upon. Most policies provide for a one- to Continued on page 26.

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FEATURE

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

QC

INNOVATION

COVID-19 Changes How Cities Work

Creativity enabled cities to continue service to the public

M

by Sheryl Jackson

arch 2020 saw organizations throughout the United States suddenly sending employees home to work and changing the way business was conducted, even if it meant delays or reductions in services.

While private businesses could change the levels of service they provided, cities throughout Florida did not have that option.

“We were fortunate that we had moved to the Microsoft Teams environment citywide in preparation for our plans to implement a telecommuting program for our employees,” said Michael C. Cernech, city manager of the City of Tamarac. Following an 18-month study of telecommuting programs, pilot programs were planned for a few departments, with implementation for all departments scheduled to follow. “We had the infrastructure in place, and employees were trained, but our 18-month implementation plan became a three-day implementation,” he said.

Even as some employees were moving home to work, it was still necessary to ensure services that supported the business community continued operating seamlessly, said Shannon Lewis, city manager for the City of Melbourne. Finding solutions to the challenges faced during the shutdowns required out-of-box thinking that is not normally part of any city government’s culture, Lewis said. “We had to work quickly, so we told employees to think of solutions that would work regardless of personnel, resource or budgetary restraints,” she said. “Then, we would analyze quickly versus the over-analysis that is typical in government.”

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FEATURE

QC

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF ORMOND BEACH

11, 13 and 14.” The boxes were Some of these actions in continuous daily use from included: April through July, then they ▸ D e s i g n a t i o n o f o n were used on an as-needed street parking spaces basis once the supply chain for restaurants to stage for PPE was back up and carryout operations running, she said. on the first day of the shutdown. ▸ Suspension of a 30-day ORIENTATION WAS restriction on specialREVAMPED event or marketing Offering services throughbanners for downtown out a pandemic means businesses. continuing to hire and on▸ Creation of sidewalk board employees. The City seating as long as of Port St. Lucie was recompliance was vamping its orientation and maintained with onboarding program before The Ormond Beach Fire Department built an ultraviolet lightbox to sanitize personal protective equipment. the Americans with the pandemic then had to Disabilities Act. switch to a virtual system The City of Ormond Beach adjusted shift scheduling for fire almost overnight.

“We partnered with NEOGOV, the vendor that provides our and police personnel to prevent cross-contamination and ensure that each shift would be fully staffed, said Joyce Shanahan, recruitment software, to use a free tool that gave us the ability city manager. “We implemented a cancellation of scheduled to offer online orientation and onboarding,” explains Alyssa R. leave and shift swaps to eliminate movement of personnel and Figur, HR generalist. The flexibility of an online tool has made a suspended all multi-company and interagency training drills, difference in the number of days it takes to fill a position, receive public activities including fire inspections, preplans and public pre-hire paperwork and complete the orientation modules. education events,” Shanahan said. “We also limited access to the The virtual orientation included engaging and interactive video fire stations, including from the public, other city employees and presentations, graphic displays and new processes to send and even Ormond Beach Fire Department [OBFD] personnel from receive information. The modules can be viewed a few at a time other stations.” over the first week. Kristina Ciuperger, special assistant to the To ensure an adequate supply of personal protective equip- city manager and chief communications officer for the city, said, ment, especially N-95 masks, the Fire Department built an “This program has been a great benefit because employees are not ultraviolet lightbox to sanitize and extend the life of the PPE. away from their departments for a full day at a time.”

“Daily use of these boxes allowed us to go from one use per mask The virtual orientation was running in early April for the to a total of 10 uses per mask before discarding,” said Shanahan. onboarding of the first 10 new hires since the pandemic began.

“At the height of the pandemic, we were sanitizing approximately Since the launch, more than 200 new employees have been hired 25 masks per day for our own OBFD shift personnel and sanitizing and onboarded virtually, including 40 employees for the city’s masks for the nearby Volusia County Fire Department Stations summer camp program.

Continued on page 26.

Pandemic Opens Opportunities for Tamarac Residents Benefits of a remote workforce became apparent during work-from-home months during the pandemic, including increased employee satisfaction, improved productivity and increased efficiency of services. The City of Tamarac’s experience with working from home has led to a new goal: All 200 office-based employees who can work from home will do so at least two or three days a week.

Not only will this ensure the provision of face-to-face services when necessary, while offering online and telephone services consistently, but the space needs will be dramatically reduced, said Michael C. Cernech, city manager.

“We planned to replace our City Hall building, which was built in 1988, with a $45 million larger facility in the next few years, but the transition to a workforce that is not in the office five days a week means that we can re-imagine the use of our existing building,” said Cernech. Spending less money to renovate the building with shared office space and re-configured public spaces may also open up space in City Hall. That space could be rented to small businesses such as a realty office, a small retailer or a cellphone fix-it shop, he said. “We can better use our space to create a city center that creates a sense of community,” he said. “We can even develop incubator space for start-up businesses. The possibilities are exciting.”

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 25

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FEATURE

Continued from page 25.

PERMIT PROGRAM EXPANDED

Before the pandemic hit Port St. Lucie, a Building Department drive-through window to drop off site plans and applications for permits had limited use. Its use increased significantly during the pandemic as the city and the public limited in-person contact. “We expanded the type of documents accepted so it became a one-stop drive-through for issuance of permits as well as review and approval of site plans,” said Russ Blackburn, city manager.

The result was significant. “We have seen a 30% increase in online permit applications due to a combination of more than doubling the number of permits that can be applied for online to a total of 51 and the convenience of applying online,” Blackburn said.

Between January and November, Port St. Lucie issued permits for the construction of 3,600 single-family homes, in addition to renovation activities such as new air conditioning systems or water heaters, which meant that building inspectors had to get creative. “Our state statute allows virtual inspections, so the inspectors used FaceTime for almost 1,500 virtual inspections between midMarch and November,” said Blackburn. “Inspectors had concerns at first about their ability to really see if the installations complied with building codes, but they quickly realized that they could see what they needed.”

Some of the lessons learned during the pandemic will become permanent changes to the way the city operates, said Blackburn. “In addition to the drivethrough window, online permitting and virtual inspections, at the end of June we began rewriting job descriptions to transition our 15-to-20-person utility call center to a permanently remote staff,” he said. “We measured productivity throughout the first months of remote working and saw that call wait times decreased, employees were more productive, and customer satisfaction improved.”

Sheryl Jackson is a freelance writer. QC

Tips For Successful Remote Work Strategy As many Florida cities plan to adopt remote workforce policies for some staff members, there are several factors to consider to ensure long-term success, recommends Joyce Chastain, senior consultant with The Krizner Group, an employment law firm. “Working remotely may have been seen as a temporary situation at the beginning of the pandemic, but employees love it, and employers are finding that people are productive and services are being delivered efficiently.”

Before a city transitions to a permanent workforce with staff working a few days per week or full time at home, Chastain reminds people that managing a remote workforce does require leaders to “think differently.” She recommends: ▸ Develop key performance indicators or metrics to evaluate productivity.

When a supervisor can see people working, they tend to reward effort, but a remote workforce requires measurable results to evaluate employees. ▸ Teach supervisors how to manage for results.

Supervisors must clearly define expectations – not just what the employee is expected to deliver but also by when. ▸ Be flexible with hours when possible.

Some people are morning people, and some work better in the afternoon, so when they work is less important than their results and their availability for meetings.

26 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

Continued from page 23.

three-year plan for restoration. However, replenishing a Reserve Fund during or after a prolonged economic recession may prove particularly challenging. Governments that are on the higher end of the suggested target range may take longer to replenish their reserve targets than cities maintaining a minimum reserve level.

Sources of funds for restoration can also be a challenge. Budgeting any year-end surpluses to replenish reserves is one recommended method to replenish reserves as is using other one-time revenues such as the sale of governmental property. The Reserve Policy should provide some guidance as to the sources and timing for replenishment.

REPORTING AND MONITORING

A comprehensive policy will provide citizens and critics with this understanding: Your actions are being taken in the best interest of citizens to maintain essential services and ensure the financial integrity of the city during fiscal stress. The adoption, reporting and monitoring should be transparent. Compliance with the policy should be part of the normal budget process and is an excellent time to ensure the policy is current.

The city should avoid accumulating reserves in excess of anticipated needs and have a process for using excess reserves to fund capital projects or appropriating them in the operating budget. Using excess reserves to fund liabilities such as other post-employment benefits and pension liabilities will relieve fiscal pressures in the future. Likewise, staff should be reporting to the elected body on progress in replenishing funds and compliance with the policy.

Always remember, the elected body is responsible for the financial health of the governmental entity. The rating agencies pay close attention to your reserve level and policy to see if the government has the financial discipline to adopt and follow a policy. A comprehensive well thought-out Reserve Policy is a critical part of ensuring the long-term financial health of your city and is something the rating agencies will consider in their deliberation of assigning a rating to your debt.

Robert Inzer is an advisor to the Florida League of Cities. He has 46 years of municipal finance experience that includes 30 years with the City of Tallahassee, 20 years of which was spent as city treasurer-clerk. QC

FEATURE

QC

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Visit businesswatchinc.com to learn more.

Stop utility disconnections without sacrificing revenue

by Avril Dalin VertexOne

N

o one looks forward to cutting off their customers’ utility connections. After all, customers are not just ratepayers.

They’re also neighbors and, more importantly, members of our community. However, as shut-off moratoriums during COVID-19 end, debt from unpaid bills reaches an all-time high.

Customers who may already be struggling with unemployment and debts are then faced with costly service disconnections. This situation presents elected officials and utility professionals with a difficult balancing task. How can utilities continue to provide essential services to those who may not be able to pay, without risking financial stability?

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

Many utilities offer Customer Assistance Programs, or CAPs, to vulnerable customers. Unfortunately, program adoption has historically remained low. Likely reasons include: ▸ Lack of awareness. Utilities don’t aggressively market the program and struggle to target at-risk customers. ▸ Social stigmas associated with being financially disadvantaged discourage participation. ▸ Intimidating application processes often require detailed financial disclosure.

So, what can utilities do?

EMERGING BEST PRACTICES

There are many opportunities to address payment challenges.

Let’s review some best practices: ▸ More payment channels.

People like options. Some prefer to pay in person. Others like to pay remotely, set-up recurring payments from their card(s) or pay through an Interactive Voice Response phone system. Providing customers with many methods to pay meets the needs of each customer and improves the likelihood of on-time payments. ▸ Unifying payment experience.

Utilities must improve their customers’ experience. Paying GRAPHIC © GETTY IMAGES

a bill can be confusing, especially when multiple payment options (credit, debit, automated clearing house service, etc.) are implemented through different vendors with unique interfaces. Unifying payment options under an easy-to-use interface simplifies the steps to complete a payment. Providing a single sign-on or embedded payments experience can facilitate autopay, increase paperless billing enrollment and improve payment reliability.

▸ Flexible payment schedules.

Allowing users to pay WHEN they prefer, not just HOW, can also improve payment performance. For example, customers paid biweekly may struggle to set aside money for monthly bills. Offering the ability to schedule payments that align with paycheck periods or making pre-payment options available reduces the amount of each payment, making it easier for at-risk customers to budget and pay. ▸ Predictive analytics and proactive outreach.

Modern data-analytics can comb through years of payment and consumption history. It also can generate highly accurate predictions of users who are more or less likely to pay their bills on time. As an organization, we helped Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) reduce service shutoffs with predictive analytics. Armed with data-driven, targeted communications, collections on delinquent accounts increased by 30%. MSD also saw an average of 19,827 fewer accounts entering debt monthly. (For more information, go to bit.ly/2JOwPRE.)

These approaches may not be easy to implement. But given the level of revenue lost each year due to nonpayment, delinquencies and shut-offs, it’s in utilities’ and end-use customers’ best interest to invest. The business case is clear, and the payback periods are short. Not all of these approaches need to be implemented concurrently. A staged approach can spread the costs over time.

Avril Dalin is a marketing specialist at VertexOne. She can be reached at vomarketing@vertexone.net. QC FIRST FIRSTQUARTER QUARTER2021 2021| | QUALITY QUALITYCITIES CITIES 27

FEATURE

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

QC

EDUCATION

Spanish Language Resources Available

Use materials to empower residents to support Home Rule

C

ity leaders across the state have embraced the Building Stronger Cities initiative of Florida League of Cities President Tony Ortiz , commissioner for the City of Orlando . Through the initiative’s tools, city residents are joining municipal officials to protect and advocate for local self-government.

Because Florida has such wonderful diversity, the League is providing Building Stronger Cities resources in Spanish.

These resources, which also are available in English, include a video to share with constituents on social media, a “Why Home Rule Matters” guide and a comprehensive handbook on local self-government.

“The power of knowledge is the foundation for my Building Stronger Cities initiative,” Ortiz said.

The Home Rule guide explains that voters put Home Rule powers in the Florida Constitution more than 50 years ago. It also explains that Home Rule means local decision-making.

The handbook on local self-government provides real-world examples to help residents better understand which issues are state ones and which are local.

The 10-minute animated video includes narration and graphics 28 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

and is targeted for youth and older audiences. It covers topics including city charters, forms of government, municipal services, property taxes and Home Rule.

Also, Spanish language resources for social media are available for residents and local officials to share.

A Spanish version of President Ortiz’s speech, “Join Our Mission,” also will be added to the website.

League members can use these tools to become ambassadors who educate constituents and empower them to use their voices to support and protect Home Rule. To access all of these resources, go to BuildingStrongerCities.com.

As part of the president’s initiative, residents can sign up to receive tips on how to get involved, obtain information on local issues and access calls to action during the 2021 Legislative Session. They can sign up by going to BuildingStrongerCities.com and selecting “Resources for Residents” and “Email Sign-Up Form.”

The Building Stronger Cities resources are particularly important as municipalities gear up for the legislative session. With cities and residents working together, state lawmakers will be held accountable to respect and abide by Home Rule. The result will be local voices making local choices. QC

FEATURE

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Building Stronger Cities Resources on Website ▸ “Join Our Mission” Speech from President Ortiz (English and available soon in Spanish) ▸ Home Rule Video (English and Spanish) plus videos on short-term rental preemptions and local ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸ ▸

self-government Social Media Center (English and Spanish) 2020 Legislative Summary of Key Votes Calendar of Key Dates Home Rule in the Headlines Ted-Style Talk from Scott C. Paine, Ph.D. (To come) And more!

PRESIDENT ORTIZ: JOIN OUR MISSION: FLC President Tony Ortiz discusses the Building Stronger Cities initiative and invites you to join our mission!

WORKING WITH RESIDENTS: You can help residents understand what Home Rule means and how they can join our mission. Educate your community members on ways they can help ensure local decisions that are best for their unique city are being made at the local level.

WORKING WITH LEGISLATORS: Remind our state lawmakers about the importance of making local choices – and keeping them local.

Let’s encourage them to focus on state issues and leave the local issues to those who know their communities best.

2020 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY OF KEY VOTES: Summary of House and Senate votes on key bills considered during the 2020 Legislative Session that were a significant infringement on municipal Home Rule authority or an unfunded mandate.

2021 KEY LEGISLATIVE DATES: Mark your calendar for these important legislative dates and FLC events, including the first day of session, Legislative Action Days and more.

HOME RULE IN THE HEADLINES: A summary of newspaper coverage in support of Local SelfGovernment. This annual publication features a round-up of media coverage and local voices in favor of Home Rule from the most recent legislative session.

Source: BuildingStrongerCities.com

FLC Advocacy Committee Revamped The Florida League of Cities Advocacy Committee has been revamped with a renewed and strategic focus on strengthening advocacy at the grassroots level. For more information, go to flcities.com. Under “Advocacy,” select “Advocacy Tools,” then “Advocacy Committee.”

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 29

COVER FEATURE

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

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ADVOCACY

Prep for an Unusual Session The pandemic underscores why we need Home Rule

T

by Casey Cook Florida League of Cities

his year, along with the usual buzz of anticipation, the Florida legislative session will carry an air of uncertainty. The timeline is clear: Gavel in on March 2, gavel out on April 30. However, the COVID-19 pandemic will influence what happens before and during the session in unpredictable ways.

Vaccines promise a return to normalcy, but until the country reaches a high level of immunity to COVID-19, some face-to-face meetings may still happen on Zoom instead of in person. Access to the Capitol and committee rooms will be limited to prevent crowding. Hosting a gathering between city officials and local legislators might not even be possible. At press time, final COVID-19 lobbying protocols for session were still to be announced.

That means that in 2021, the basics matter more than ever: relationships and principles. Getting to know your legislators – and more importantly, making sure they know your city well – is a yearround effort that bears fruit during the session. If you have been talking about the issues that matter to your city, by now you likely have the cell phone number of legislators and can track them down without roaming the halls. Zoom makes it more efficient to have a short meeting when you need one.

Continued on page 31.

30 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

COVER FEATURE

House Speaker Chris Sprowls

Senate President Wilton Simpson

Continued from page 30.

Legislators respond to their constituents, so there’s power in your voice. City officials and their constituents need to stay informed about what is happening at the Capitol and speak out on issues that affect how cities can function and respond to local needs.

The primary message has never been clearer. Cities need flexibility to solve their problems in the ways that work best for their circumstances and to emphasize the need for local voices to make local choices. Educating legislators about the importance of Home Rule is an overarching mission of the Florida League of Cities. Cities are the level of government most aware of local needs, and when the legislature preempts their authority, city officials may find themselves powerless to respond to complaints and concerns.

Here again, the pandemic brought this issue into focus. At times, some cities were faced with a troubling spread of coronavirus while others had few cases. Each needed to respond with public outreach and protocols as appropriate while remaining ready to adapt as necessary.

City officials play a vital role in explaining the importance of Home Rule. That education is more important than ever this year. Thirty-eight new members will enter the House of Representatives – almost one-third of the 120-member body. Ten new senators were elected on November 3.

This is an opportunity to help them build a foundational understanding of how cities work and to turn them into champions of local government in the state Legislature. You can provide facts from your community that resonate with legislators. As issues emerge in the session, you have a higher likelihood of winning them over if they see the real-world impact of legislation on their communities.

Regular interaction with legislators is critical. If they don’t know about the problems your community is having, they can’t help you solve them.

The League has five legislative priority issues related to sales tax fairness, short-term rentals, discharges to surface waters, affordable housing and annexation. (For details, see the Legislative Action Agenda enclosed in this issue and at flcities.com.)

With the unprecedented pressure on small businesses and residents due to the pandemic, two issues rise to the forefront. The League is urging the Legislature to update sales and use tax laws to ensure enforcement of the existing requirement for out-ofstate online and e-commerce retailers to pay Florida taxes. Local businesses are at a disadvantage when they levy the sales taxes but online retailers skirt them.

QC

Some anti-tax groups have labeled such legislation as a “new tax” – and many legislators have taken a “no new taxes” pledge.

However, this is a tax that already exists, but the collection of it hasn’t been enforced. City officials need to educate them about this issue and the need for equity. In these difficult times, we need to support local businesses in any way that we can. That includes making sure that existing taxes are levied fairly.

During the pandemic, Florida residents have rented their homes or even rooms to help cover ongoing expenses. People have come from outside the state to vacation in home rentals, such as Airbnb or VRBO, rather than hotels. And unfortunately, some people are hosting parties at rental houses and defying public health advice to avoid large gatherings while creating a new set of safety concerns for neighbors.

In 2014, the Legislature allowed local governments to adopt ordinances to address some of the noise, parking, trash and lifesafety issues created by the proliferation of short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods. That action was a welcome relief.

Cities that had pre-existing ordinances when the Legislature preempted their authority in 2011 can keep those in force, but state law says cities cannot “prohibit” short-term rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of the rental.

The League wants to be sure that cities can amend those “grandfathered” ordinances as necessary. We also want to make sure that the Legislature doesn’t further restrict the ability of cities to respond to local problems that arise from short-term rentals.

The Florida Legislature meets for just 60 days with only one constitutional requirement: to pass a state budget. Many other issues will arise. The League relies on city officials to help make sure that legislators safeguard the tenet of Home Rule while giving flexibility and authority to the government that is closest to the people it serves.

Casey Cook is the director of legislative affairs for the Florida League of Cities. QC

Join the FAST Fly-in in May When the state legislative session ends, there’s still another important opportunity for advocacy. Set your calendar for the FAST fly-in on May 11-12, 2021, and join the Florida League of Cities Federal Action Strike Team in Washington, D.C. We’ll meet with members of Florida’s congressional delegation to talk about key federal issues that affect municipalities. The event will begin with a briefing at the National League of Cities headquarters.

A room block is available at the Phoenix Park Hotel.

For more information, contact Allison Payne at apayne@flcities.com or 850.701.3602.

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 31

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COVER FEATURE

STAY ENGAGED

Be An Advocate For Cities For 60 days this year, Florida legislators will make decisions that will affect cities for years to come. The Florida League of Cities sets priorities with its 2021 Legislative Action Agenda, but the League needs the help of cities to promote those important issues. By getting involved and staying engaged with legislators, city leaders can be effective advocates.

Here are some steps to take:

▸ Promote the FLC 2021 Legislative Action Agenda.

▸ Write an op-ed in your local newspaper.

A copy of the Legislative Action Agenda is enclosed in this issue of Quality Cities. To promote it, attend meetings of your local legislative delegation and reach out to individual legislators. You can arrange a virtual or in-person meeting to explain why Home Rule is important, how short-term rentals affect your neighborhoods or why local businesses are hurt when online retailers don’t pay taxes. If your local or regional league holds a roundtable with legislators, join the discussion. ▸ Tap into Monday morning calls.

Each Monday at 9 a.m. (ET), beginning March 1, the League’s Legislative Affairs Team provides updates on bills that affect municipal governments. The call-in number is 888.585.9008.

The conference room number is 301-563-714#.

Email medenfield@flcities.com to sign up to receive a summary of the calls. ▸ Respond to Legislative Alerts.

The League will send out emails and texts when urgent action is needed. We may ask you to call your legislator about his or her vote on a bill.

Contact Allison Payne at apayne@flcities.com to sign up for text alerts or call her at 850.701.3602. ▸ Read On Tap @ The Cap. Every Friday, an email newsletter provides a recap of the past week and a preview of what’s ahead.

Email medenfield@flcities.com to sign up to receive the newsletter.

By sharing information about an important issue or pending bill, elected officials can educate their communities as well as their legislators about the potential impact of legislative action. City leaders may want to ask an influential community member or local business owner to write an op-ed about how a bill would affect them. ▸ Sign up to be a legislative key contact.

Municipal leaders who have a good relationship with a legislator can let the League know. The city leader agrees to keep in touch with the legislator, inform him or her about important issues and respond to League Legislative Alerts. Leaders can sign up on the advocacy page of the League’s website at bit.ly/3rFWRaF. ▸ Become a Home Rule Hero.

By responding to alerts, staying engaged with legislators, telling a community’s story and promoting priority issues, a city leader can become a Home Rule Hero – one of the most valuable advocates for strong municipal government. Home Rule Heroes are recognized in Quality Cities magazine and at the annual conference. ▸ Keep in touch.

Assistance from the League is only a few clicks away. Find bill summaries, legislator contact information and other advocacy tools on the website at bit.ly/3rF5uCm.

!

32 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

The Florida League of Cities is pleased to announce the 13th Annual

2021

THIS PROGRAM RECOGNIZES INNOVATIONS AND EXCELLENCE IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.

The Florida Municipal Achievement Awards Program provides municipalities with the opportunity to receive deserved recognition for superior and innovative efforts in three categories:

CITY SPIRIT

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

FLORIDA CITIZENSHIP

DEADLINE: APRIL 15, 2021 Visit flcities.com/about-pages/award-programs for more information.

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FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK

#FLCITIESWEEK

Recap of Florida City Government Week

by Shwanda Barnette Florida League of Cities

F

lorida City Government Week 2020 was as unique in many ways as the year itself. While several of the activities and events municipalities typically engage in were not feasible due to the pandemic, it was just as important this year to highlight the great work of local officials and staff in serving their residents. Many cities got creative using virtual tools to engage residents. Local government officials and staff make our communities better every day.

The summaries that follow recap how municipalities celebrated Florida City Government Week 2020 despite these challenging times.

B O C A R ATO N

COCONUT CREEK

Boca Raton hosted three virtual activities to engage their youth around literacy. At “The City That Talks” virtual storytime, city staff and council members read the Florida League of Cities’ children’s book to learn from the people who make up local government.

Residents were encouraged to take photos of what they think is the best part of the city and share the photos with the hashtags #LoveBocaRaton and #FLCityWeek. For “Boca Raton 101,” residents were asked to join Boca Raton Library’s Youth Services team as they shared history and fun facts about the city and local government. Boca Raton also presented a list of recommended books for all ages. Photos and links were shared on social media.

Coconut Creek promoted activities and city information during Government Week. A message from Congressman Ted Deutch was promoted on social media. Eleven videos of city staffers highlighted their jobs on social media and in an e-newsletter. The city educated the community on city charter amendments on social media and the e-newsletter. City trivia, contests and promotions of the city’s public art were featured on social media. The city promoted Government Week activities on the website. Six virtual school presentations were given by Commissioner Sandy Welch and city staff.

34 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

CORAL SPRINGS Coral Springs hosted a Facebook Live trivia game testing residents’ knowledge of local government. The city also hosted “The City That Talks” virtual readings in which commissioners helped the youngest residents understand city services through the fun and friendly story.

FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK

QC

CRESTVIEW

D E E R F I E L D B E AC H

From learning about more than 30 community organizations to dedicating the new radio-controlled car racetrack, residents had opportunities to learn what makes the county seat tick. City services, recreational and involvement opportunities were highlighted. Public officials turned up at events and public gatherings, sparking conversations with residents. In-person and online events found city leaders speaking with civics classes at a middle school, receiving residents’ questions during a Facebook Live forum and participating in public outreach including service club meetings.

Deerfield Beach used Facebook to highlight employees from a number of departments. They had storytime with

a Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy and Micah the dog reading “The City that Talks.” They highlighted City Hall photos and shared what the commissioners do.

They provided a virtual scavenger hunt using the Florida League of Cities’ “City Trivia for Middle School Students” as well as more questions from the city’s historical society and city website. Prizes were awarded. Friday was an opportunity for community service with the Clean Swell App.

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS D E B A RY In DeBary, the Communications and Government Affairs Department photographed all employees and featured a department on Facebook and Instagram each day with a short description. They used hashtags to boost exposure.

At a council meeting, Mayor Bob Campbell read a proclamation recognizing Florida City Government Week.

A letter was sent to the school superintendent asking that principals and teachers of each city school work with city staff to make the week fun and educational. Students of every grade participated.

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 35

QC

FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK

DESTIN

FORT MEADE

In a video message, Mayor Gary Jarvis highlighted the city’s strategic plan, achievements and information on meeting the community’s needs. To engage youth on how city government works, the library staff aired an online storytime with “The City That Talks” children’s book. The city hosted a photo contest and encouraged people to submit high-resolution digital images of what they love about Destin. A total of 135 submissions were received, and staff members picked their favorites. Images included city amenities such as beaches, parks, historic landmarks, public art, natural conservation areas, recreational activities, special events and wildlife. The winners were highlighted on social media and will be considered for the new website.

Fort Meade participated in a community event sponsored by the Fort Meade Chamber of Commerce called “Scarecrow Row.” Three displays represented the city. For City Hall, there was the “City of Fort Meade – Stronger Together” with scarecrows representing the mayor, vice mayor, three commissioners and city manager. Each department was displayed in groups with the library clerk holding “The City That Talks.” For the Fire Department, the display was “I Got Your Back,” and for the Library, the display was “Head over Heels for the Library.”

FORT MYERS

F E R N A N D I N A B E AC H Fernandina Beach presented a virtual reading of “The City that Talks.” Sixteen staff members read the pages corresponding to their job descriptions. The combination of voices was well-received.

36 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

Fort Myers partnered with Florida Gulf Coast University to give students the opportunity to earn service-learning hours along with being educated about the city’s waterways and environmental efforts. It was a threeday event with a creek cleanup on October 15-16 and a neighborhood cleanup on October 23.

FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK

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F O R T WA LTO N B E AC H

H O L LY WO O D

Throughout 2020, Fort Walton Beach used social media to share employee spotlights as a way of celebrating the staff who serve the community and to highlight the jobs and responsibilities of the workforce. During Florida City Government Week, the city compiled and shared these spotlights and thanked the residents and businesses for the opportunity to serve.

The Hollywood Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts presented the Virtual Halloween Photo Contest. Participants submitted photos in three categories: Pumpkin Carving, Pumpkin Decorating and Group/Family Costume. Three winners were selected in each category. This challenge was fun, exciting and family-friendly.

LAKELAND

G O L D E N B E AC H Golden Beach celebrated by hosting a socially distanced ceremony with the town residents, local dignitaries and the media to commemorate the groundbreaking of the Civic Center project. The $5.5 million comprehensive facility will house Town Hall offices and the Police Department and include event and leisure spaces for residents. To meet the challenges of climate change, this first-of-its-kind Civic Center will be built on columns that will elevate it 25 feet in the air.

Lakeland presented a proclamation declaring Florida City Government Week at the commission meeting. Lakeland partnered with the Florida League of Cities for resources to teach citizens about municipal government through projects and information. The city conveyed to residents that they can influence government through their civic involvement and positively impact lives by volunteering.

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FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK

L A N TA N A

MOUNT DORA

In addition to presenting a proclamation, Lantana coordinated a student essay contest. The topic was “If I Were Mayor for a day, I would … .” The schools provided the town with their top three picks, and the mayor selected a first-, second- and third-place winner from each school.

The winners were announced at a town council meeting and posted on Facebook. The essays were displayed at council chambers. Gift cards were given to the winners.

Mount Dora featured a video every day, all of which were shot, edited and produced by the public information officer. In one video, Mayor Cathy Hoechst read “The City that Talks.” Another video offered a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to keep parks clean and running.

Wednesday’s video was Hoechst reading the Florida Government Week Proclamation at the council meeting.

Thursday’s video featured the Fire Department’s training, firefighting and community programs. Friday’s video featured a 59-year-old resident who came to the library and spent four years in the Adult Learning Program learning to read with a volunteer tutor.

N E W B E R RY LARGO The Largo Advisory Board members were interviewed, and their stories were highlighted in LargoToday, a weekly e-newsletter from the city manager. Interviewees shared their experience volunteering on city boards and encouraged others to get involved. Largo also hosted a Virtual Trivia Night with questions about the city’s award-winning services. Participants joined virtually and played to win tickets to a show at the Central Park Performing Arts Center. To reach a younger audience, the city partnered with a local elementary school to educate students on city services and asked students what they would do if they were mayor for a day.

MELBOURNE Melbourne conducted a Florida City Government Week social media campaign highlighting little-known aspects of city service and public servants who support the community.

38 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

Newberry held a “City Fleet Parade” for children attending an after-school program. Trucks and heavy equipment from the Utility/Public Works Department and a city fire rescue station circled twice with horns, lights and sirens.

The children watched the City Government Week 101 video and participated in a question-and-answer session.

FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK NORTH MIAMI Councilwoman Mary Estimé-Irvin hosted the Florida City Government Week Celebration filled with family activities. The activities included a virtual tour of some of the most interactive departments in the city, techniques from the North Miami Police Department on how to survive an active shooter, a Museum of Contemporary Art Makers course and a community bike ride with Police Chief Larry Juriga. There was also a virtual premiere of the inaugural State of the District Address from the councilwoman. North Miami discussed the importance of civic engagement while reminding participants of resources. The highlight of the week was establishing the North Miami Youth Council.

OLDSMAR During a City Council meeting, Vice Mayor Katie Gannon (center right) presented a proclamation to encourage citizens, government officials and employees to celebrate Florida City Government Week. Joining her were City Manager Al Braithwaite (left to right), City Clerk Ann Nixon, Assistant City Manager Felicia Donnelly, City Attorney Tom Trask and Mayor Eric Seidel.

QC

ORANGE CITY Orange City’s residents participated in a Halloween driveby at two schools.

The city also held two ribbon-cutting events.

The city also started a park ranger program of volunteers acting as park diplomats. Seven people were recruited for training.

PA L M S P R I N G S The public library accepted a proclamation from Mayor Beverly Smith that proclaimed “City Government Month in Palm Springs.” Smith and Village Manager Rich Reade had a meet-and-greet presentation at an elementary school, where children learned about the importance of local government. The village also hosted an online mock meeting at a middle school. Thirty-five students and their teacher participated in a presentation of how a council meeting works. Village departments were represented by eight of the department heads/ directors. Each department head explained their work and the qualifications needed. Children were educated about local government, leadership, decision-making and consideration of what is best for a community.

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FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK

PA N A M A C I T Y B E AC H

PORT ORANGE

The mayor and three city council members had separate speaking/reading engagements at schools. Mayor Mark Sheldon spoke to an AP Civics class, while Vice Mayor Geoff McConnell spoke to a U.S. History class. Councilman Phil Chester addressed middle schoolers. Councilman Paul Casto read “The City That Talks” to second-grade classes.

Councilman Michael Jarman held a “Coffee with the Councilman” at a local restaurant.

Port Orange Citizens Academy was held with Fire and Rescue.

Fire Department staff provided an overview of fire operations, safety, training and emergency management. The class toured and examined the Quint 72 truck. The city’s latest episode of “The POG Show” podcast focused on Port Orange University and the impact it has made on municipal government. Florida City Government Week was mentioned. The celebration continued with the reading of a proclamation by Mayor Donald O. Burnette at a council meeting.

P O R T S T. L U C I E PA R K L A N D Parkland pre-recorded its traditional Government Day event. Each student was able to interact with classmates while watching segments from the Waste Management, Police and Fire Departments as well as the library and the mayor. Students were able to vote for their favorite book using an online survey.

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Port St. Lucie teamed up with the St. Lucie County School District to put together a virtual Youth Town Hall. Students from four schools submitted 56 videos, asking seven city employees how their local government works. Each school’s session was 30 minutes. Each school watched virtually as their questions were answered live from council chambers.

Panelists included Councilwomen Jolien Caraballo and Stephanie Morgan, Mayor Gregory J. Oravec, Assistant Police Chief Richard Del Toro, Communications Director Sarah Prohaska, Utility Billing/Connection Support Manager Gina Linsley and Community Outreach Coordinator, Parks and Recreation Robert Chenier. City leaders were impressed with the students’ open-ended, relevant questions that led to a meaningful dialogue. Each class session was uploaded to the city’s YouTube channel so students throughout the city could learn about how their local government serves citizens. Photos and video links were shared on the city’s social media platforms.

FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK

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SANFORD

S T UA R T

Sanford believes in citizen engagement at all ages. “The City That Talks” picture book is a civics education lesson written with a friendly story to teach the youngest residents (ages 4-8, pre-K through second grade) about city services. Mayor Art Woodruff read the book to students enrolled in the city After School Program. Sanford also hosted a Mayor’s Virtual Town Hall. There was good online participation. Citizens brought up many topics including lighting up neighborhoods and increasing golf cart zones.

Other topics included traffic circles, the city budget, effects of COVID-19 on the city, the future of the Civic Center, open container laws, the Mayfair Hotel, youth civic education, Heritage Park and Sunrail station land development.

Stuart’s senior staff shared “The City that Talks” storybook. The Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association announced that Stuart won the seventh annual Great Places in Florida award program.

S U N N Y I S L E S B E AC H Sunny Isles Beach gave an election presentation to a third-grade class . Students completed a “People in my Community” class project.

S T. AU G U S T I N E This year was celebrated virtually, with a proclamation passed during a virtual city commission meeting and videos premiering on the city’s Facebook page, @CityStAug and YouTube channel. This video series kicked off with a special presentation of the book “The City that Talks,” read

by Meredith Breidenstein, assistant city manager, Bob Growick, fire marshal, Caroline Drouin, police officer, and Sam Adukiewicz, municipal marina harbormaster. A video demonstrated full turn-out gear for a firefighter featuring Firefighter James Cosgrove in his gear and Fire Safety Inspector Abby Pedigo explaining the purpose of each piece of gear. This video sends a message to children that even though firefighters may look scary, they are there to help.

As one of the few coastal cities that owns, operates and maintains a municipal marina, the city featured the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. The city demonstrated the function of a marina, its capacity and the wildlife there including manatees and dolphins. St. Augustine premiered a grand finale video that celebrated their staff that keep the city running every day.

TA M A R AC In addition to proclaiming October 19-25 as Florida City Government Week, elected officials participated in a virtual meeting of Tamarac’s Teen Council. The Teen Council is an empowerment program for Tamarac residents in grades 8-12 that facilitates leadership and community involvement. The mayor and commissioners led breakout sessions with small groups of teens. They discussed their roles with the city and answered questions. The teens recorded short video clips recapping what they learned. These clips were compiled into a video shared at a Commission meeting and on the city’s social media platforms.

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FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK

T E M P L E T E R R AC E

V E R O B E AC H

Temple Terrace invited its Facebook fans to demonstrate their knowledge of city attractions by playing a game named Where’s Temple? City mascot Temple the Orange set out from City Hall to visit his favorite places. One photo was posted on the city’s Facebook page at 9:00 a.m. each day. Page followers were invited to submit their guesses as to his location, which mostly featured local parks. One winner from the correct guesses was chosen each day, and that person received a $50 restaurant gift card that the city purchased with funds from the Business Relations Department to support local enterprises. On the final day of the contest, a grand prize winner was drawn from all of the week’s correct guesses. The final winner received three $50 restaurant gift cards. Temple the Orange gained quite a fanbase, garnering positive comments that included, “Seeing Temple in my feed made me smile. Hope to see more of that cutie soon;” “Please consider more city promotional material with Temple the Orange, we love him!” and “This mascot is giving me life, it’s so adorable.”

Vero Beach passed a proclamation for Florida City Government Week. Council members recorded participation in live readings of “The City that Talks” book under the Florida League of Cities Readers 2 Leaders initiative and facilitated a scavenger hunt.

Proclamations and Resolutions Adopted Governor Ron DeSantis Boca Raton Brooksville Deerfield Beach DeFuniak Springs Fort Meade Fort Walton Beach Golden Beach Juno Beach Jupiter Lakeland Lantana

Largo Marco Island Mount Dora Newberry North Miami Oldsmar Orange City Palm Springs Port Orange St. Augustine Tamarac Vero Beach

PLAN NOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK! This year is the 30th Anniversary of Florida City Government Week, and we hope to see you celebrate in a big way October 18-24. If your city would like to participate, you can find additional ideas by going to flcities.com. Under “Education and Events,” select “City Government Week.” Stay tuned for new ideas on how to celebrate this year! We hope to have the most participation ever in #FCGW history!

42 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

QC

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

FEATURE

RECOGNITION

Municipal Achievement Awards Past judges offer tips and tricks for winning

by Shwanda Barnette Florida League of Cities

H

as your municipality considered submitting a nomination for the

Florida Municipal Achievement Awards this year? Begun in 2009, the

goal of the Florida League of Cities’ MuniAwards is to provide municipalities with the opportunity to receive deserved recognition for superior and innovative efforts in three categories: City Spirit , Florida Citizenship and Environmental Stewardship.

The City Spirit award will be given to a city for a specific, single citywide effort to successfully address a local need.

The Florida Citizenship award focuses on city projects or programs that build stronger, more participative residents.

The programs increase civic awareness, education and knowledge and promote active participation among residents.

The Environmental Stewardship award focuses on city programs that promote conservation, improve and protect environmental conditions and/or provide environmental education and outreach programs within a city.

Past judges offer the following tips and tricks on how to best present your municipality’s project.

THE AWARD CRITERIA

Read each criteria question carefully and ensure that each question has been answered in the narrative. There are five criteria, and each criterion has a weight of 20% of the 1,200-word narrative.

Having measurable objectives is very important to understand the program’s success. Simply reporting that people had a good time is not a good measurement.

Projects that are simply planned and not yet executed are not good entries. Wait until the project is completed and results can be measured before submitting a project for an award.

spelled out the first time they appear for judges who may not be familiar with the terms.

Supplemental material should not repeat information in the narrative but should add to and support the narrative.

THE CHECKLIST

Before mailing your submission, review the checklist on the brochure.

Your submission must include five copies of the following: the nomination form, a letter of recommendation, a 150-word narrative, a 1,200-word narrative, up to 10 pages of supporting materials and the project start date.

Your project will not be judged if your submission does not meet the instruction and rule requirements.

THE NARRATIVE AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS

Supplemental material should not be included in the narrative. The narrative should include text only.

Acronyms and abbreviations should be

Shwanda Barnette is the membership relations ambassador for the Florida League of Cities. QC

2021 Florida Municipal Achievement Awards Deadline April 15, 2021, is the deadline for the 2021 Florida Municipal Achievement Awards. Visit flcities.com/about-pages/awardprograms for more information. If you have any questions regarding the Florida Municipal Achievement Awards, please contact Shwanda Barnette at sbarnette@flcities.com.

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 43

FEATURE

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

QC

YOUTH COUNCILS

Photography Contest Winners Five recognized for showcasing what they love about their cities

T

he Florida League of Cities is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Youth Council Photography Competition.

The competition asked Florida’s municipal youth councils to showcase what they love about their city, town or village with a photo of their favorite feature, event or place. Five youth councils were selected as winners.

CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH YOUTH COUNCIL

CITY OF HOMESTEAD YOUTH COUNCIL

“In the City of Homestead, love is togetherness. It is staying united throughout the obstacles that are put into our path. This tradition of unity is most especially displayed through our annual Homestead Rodeo every January. As one of the oldest traditions in our city, we honor the true spirit and culture of our agricultural roots in Homestead.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF AVA RATHET

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIRANDA CRUZ

“While we were biking, I looked around and really appreciated the beauty of our town. The trees were glistening and green, and the roads sparkled as the sunlight hit. I took a deep breath and really took in the beauty of my surroundings. It made me stop for a second to really get a look at how beautiful the nature of Atlantic Beach is.”

44 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

FEATURE CITY OF SATELLITE BEACH YOUTH COUNCIL

“Living in Satellite Beach is the biggest privilege I could’ve been granted in my life. This photo I submitted was taken at sunrise at one of our 15 beach accesses. Along with a pretty sunrise, we may be lucky enough to catch sight of a dolphin or sea turtles’ hatchlings. Sunrises are only one of the many things that make Satellite Beach such a beautiful city to live in.”

QC

VILLAGE OF WELLINGTON YOUTH COUNCIL

“Wellington exudes traits of strength, love and community dayin and day-out. Depicted within the photo, the eternal flame can be seen shining from the shadow of the steel beam from the south tower of the World Trade Center. The flame not only represents the Village of Wellington but also everyone who was impacted that day. The Village of Wellington’s flame of community never dies.” QC

PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDAN FALLEN

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH ROZYCKI

CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG MAYOR’S YOUTH CONGRESS

“We love the City of St. Petersburg for a number of reasons.

The beautiful beaches are just minutes away from wherever we are in St. Petersburg. At our beaches you can find a great game of beach volleyball at any moment of the day. Also, we enjoy fishing, swimming, parasailing, windsurfing, watching the sunset or just hanging out with our friends and families at the beach.”

IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUTH COUNCILS

PHOTO COURTESY OF LILLIAN SINPHAY

▸ JANUARY-MARCH 31: Community Service Contest ▸ AUGUST 14: Youth Council Annual Conference Program in Orlando

For more information, see below and go to flcities.com/municipal-youth-councils.

2021 Youth Council Community Service Contest Future leaders are taking action in their hometowns to address local needs, and the Florida League of Cities wants to help showcase these efforts through its annual community service contest. Youth councils are invited to submit current or new youth council projects that address a local need. The application must include: ▸ A written description, in 500 words or less, that includes what the project entailed, what the objectives are and if they were met (describe how), why the project was needed in the community, how

the project helped the residents the council served and how the project impacted the youth council. ▸ Letter of recommendation from the mayor, manager or a member of the council/commission. ▸ Up to five photos depicting the event.

The deadline to submit projects is March 31, 2021. To view the contest brochure, visit flcities.com/municipal-youthcouncils. For more information, contact Eryn Russell at erussell@flcities.com.

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 45

QC

DIRECTORY UPDATES

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

Citrus Tower in Clermont, Fla.

The Florida League of Cities welcomes our newest city leaders! For the latest information on Florida’s municipal governments, including addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, see the digital “Municipal Directory” at flcities.com/research-resources/municipal-directory. Please email directory updates to erussell@flcities.com.

A LT H A

Town Clerk Rachel Phillips.

ANNA MARIA

Commissioner Doris Sebring.

A PA L AC H I C O L A

City Manager Travis Wade.

APOPKA

Commissioner Diane Velazquez.

A U B U R N DA L E

Attorney Frederick J. Murphy Jr. AV E N T U R A

Commissioner Rachel Saltzman Friedland and Commissioner Jonathan Evans.

AVO N PA R K

City Manager Mark Schrader.

B AY H A R B O R I S L A N D S

Town Manager Maria D. Lasday.

B I S C AY N E PA R K

Vice Mayor Art Gonzalez and Commissioner Judi Hamelburg. Village Manager Mario Diaz. Attorney Edward Dion.

B O N I TA S P R I N G S

Mayor Rick Steinmeyer.

BRADENTON

M a yo r G e n e B ro w n , C o u n c i l w o m a n Jayne Kocher and Councilwoman Pamela Coachman.

BROOKSVILLE

Councilmember Blake Bell and Councilmember David Bailey.

BUSHNELL

Councilwoman Marge Thies.

CAPE CORAL

Councilmember Dan Sheppard and Councilmember Tom Hayden.

46 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

CASSELBERRY

Mayor David Henson.

CENTER HILL

Councilwoman Ginger Howard.

CENTURY

Councilmember Dynette Lewis and Councilmember Leonard White.

CHIEFLAND

Commissioner Lance Hayes.

CLERMONT

Mayor Tim Murry and Councilmember Michele Pines. Interim City Manager Susan Dauderis.

CLEWISTON

Commissioner James Pittman and Commissioner Greg Thompson.

C O C OA

Mayor Michael C. Blake, Councilman Herbert “Rip” Dyal and Councilman Lavander Hearn. City Manager Stockton Whitten.

COOPER CITY

Commissioner Ryan Shrouder. Director of Finance Sandra Bridgeman.

CORAL SPRINGS

Commissioner Nancy Metayer.

CRESCENT CITY

Mayor Michele Myers and Commissioner Cynthia Burton.

DA N I A B E AC H

Vice Mayor Marco A. Salvino Sr. and Commissioner Joyce L. Davis.

DAY T O N A B E AC H

Commissioner Stacy Cantus.

DAY T O N A B E AC H S H O R E S

Attorney Becky Vose.

DUNEDIN

Commissioner John Tornga.

D U N N E L LO N

Councilwoman Jan Cubbage and Councilwoman Louise Kenny.

E D G E WAT E R

Councilman Jonah Powers and Councilwoman Gigi Bennington. City Clerk Bonnie Brown.

FA N N I N G S P R I N G S

Councilmember Wanda Michaud, Councilmember Wendy Fore and Councilmember Kayla Davis.

F E R N A N D I N A B E AC H

Commissioner Bradley Bean and Commissioner David Sturges.

FORT MYERS

Councilwoman Darla Bonk and Councilman Liston Bochette III. G R OV E L A N D

Councilmember Barbara Gaines.

GULF BREEZE

Director of Finance Bragg Farmer.

H A L L A N DA L E B E AC H

Interim City Manager Jeremy Earle.

HIGH SPRINGS

Commissioner Ross Ambrose. City Manager Ashley Stathatos.

H O L LY W O O D

Commissioner Linda Hill Anderson and Commissioner Adam Gruber.

H O L M E S B E AC H

Commissioner Jayne Christenson.

H O W E Y- I N -T H E - H I L L S

Councilor Rick Klein, Councilor George

DIRECTORY UPDATES Lehning and Councilor Marie V. Gallelli. Town Clerk Leanda Chinama.

INDIAN RIVER SHORES

Councilmember Christian Hendricks, Councilmember John C. McCord and Councilmember Mary Alice Smith.

I S L A M O R A DA , V I L L AG E O F I S L A N D S

Mayor Joseph B. Pinder II, Vice Mayor Pete Bacheler, Councilman Mark Gregg, Councilman Henry Rosenthal and Councilman David Webb.

J AC K S O N V I L L E B E AC H

Councilman Chet Stokes, Councilman Fernando Meza and Councilman Dan Janson.

K E Y B I S C AY N E

Councilmember Franklin H. Caplan.

K E Y C O LO N Y B E AC H

Commissioner Thomas Harding and Commissioner Kathryn McCullough.

KISSIMMEE

Commissioner Olga Lucia Castano and Commissioner Carlos Alvarez III. L A DY L A K E

Interim Town Manager Thad Carroll. Interim Town Clerk Nancy Slaton.

L A K E B U E N A V I S TA

Councilmember Andrea Fay. L A K E WA L E S

City Manager James Slaton.

LAKELAND

City Manager Shawn Sherrouse.

LARGO

Commissioner Eric S. Gerard.

L A U D E R DA L E L A K E S

Commissioner Karlene Maxwell-Williams.

L AUDERHILL

Commissioner Lawrence “Jabbow” Martin, Commissioner Melissa P. Dunn and Commissioner Sarai “Ray” Martin.

LEE

Town Manager Sona Hayslett.

LO N G W O O D

Commissioner Matt McMillan.

MALABAR

Councilmember Marisa Acquaviva. Interim Town Manager Lisa Morrell.

M A R AT H O N

City Manager George Garrett. Attorney Steven T. Williams.

MARCO ISLAND

Council Vice Chair Greg Folley, Councilor Richard Blonna, Councilor Becky Irwin, Councilor Claire Babrowski and Councilor Joe Rola. City Manager Michael A. McNees.

MASCOTTE

Councilmember Pam Terry.

MEDLEY

Councilperson Lizelh Ayala and Councilperson Yesenia Martinez.

MELBOURNE

Councilmember Mimi Hanley.

M E L B O U R N E B E AC H

Vice Mayor Joyce D. Barton.

M E L B O U R N E V I L L AG E

Mayor Willow W. Martin, Commissioner Fred Anderson, Commissioner David Jones and Commissioner Tabitha Niemann. Town Clerk Desiree Hayes.

M I A M I GA R D E N S

Councilman Robert Stephens III. MIAMI LAKES

Councilmember Tony Fernandez.

MICANOPY

Commissioner Virginia Mance.

MINNEOLA

Councilmember Debbie Flinn. City Clerk Christina Stidham.

MONTVERDE

Town Manager Paul Larino. Finance Administrator BJ Cowan.

MOUNT DORA

Councilmember Doug Bryant and Councilmember Austin Guenther.

NEW PORT RICHEY

Councilmember Mike Peters.

NEWBERRY

Commissioner Mark Clark.

N O R T H B AY V I L L AG E

Commissioner Richard Chervony and Commissioner Rachel Streitfeld. Chief Financial Officer Angela Atkinson.

N O R T H L A U D E R DA L E

City Clerk Elizabeth Garcia-Beckford.

NORTH PORT

Commissioner Barbara Langdon. Interim City Manager Jason Yarborough.

OA K H I L L

Commissioner Steve McGee. OA K L A N D PA R K

Commissioner Aisha Gordon and Commissioner Mitch Rosenwald.

OCALA

Councilman Ire Bethea Sr. O PA- LO C K A

Vice Mayor Veronica J. Williams and Commissioner John H. Taylor Jr. ORCHID

Councilmember Mary Jane Benedetto.

OVIEDO

Councilmember Jeff Boddiford. Attorney David Hall.

QC

PA L AT K A

Commissioner Willie Jones.

PA L M B AY

Mayor Rob Medina, Councilman Donny Jean Felix and Councilman Randy Foster.

PA L M C OA S T

Councilmember Ed Danko and Councilmember Victor Barbosa.

PA L M E T T O

Commissioner Sheldon Jones.

PA L M E T T O B AY

Village Manager Nick Marano.

PA N A M A C I T Y

Interim City Clerk Brandy Waldron.

PA R K L A N D

Commissioner Simeon Brier and Commissioner Jordan Isrow. Attorney Anthony Soroka.

P E M B R O K E PA R K

Attorney Melissa P. Anderson.

P E N S AC O L A

C o u n c i l m e m b e r J e n n i f e r B r a h i e r, Councilmemb er Teniade B roughton , Councilmember Delarian Wiggins and Councilmember Casey Jones.

P L A N TAT I O N

Councilmember Timothy Fadgen and Councilmember Jennifer Andreu.

P O M O N A PA R K

Councilmember Forest “Bud” Eckels.

P O M PA N O B E AC H

Commissioner Cyndy Floyd.

PONCE DE LEON

Mayor Shane Busby and Councilmember Zack Williams.

PONCE INLET

Councilmember David Israel.

PORT ORANGE

Interim City Manager Alan Rosen. Director of Finance Scott R. Neils.

PORT RICHEY

City Manager Leonard Sossaman.

P O R T S T. L U C I E

Councilman David Pickett.

SANIBEL

Councilmember Jerry Muench. Interim City Clerk Scotty Lynn Kelly.

S A R A S O TA

Vice Mayor Erik Arroyo and Commissioner Kyle Battie.

S AT E L L I T E B E AC H

Mayor Steve Osmer and Councilmember David Vigliotti.

SEBASTIAN

Councilmember Christopher Nunn,

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 47

QC

DIRECTORY UPDATES

Councilmember Fred Jones and Councilmember Bob McPartlan.

SEMINOLE

Councilor Tom Christy.

S E WA L L’S P O I N T

Commissioner John Tompeck.

SOPCHOPPY

Councilmember Richard Harden.

S O U T H DAY T O N A

Councilman Eric Sander.

SOUTHWEST RANCHES

Mayor Steve Breitkreuz, Councilmember David Kuczenski and Councilmember Jim Allbritton.

S T. A U G U S T I N E B E AC H

Commissioner Ernesto Torres.

S T. M A R K S

Commissioner Richard Chichetti.

SUNRISE

Assistant Deputy Mayor Jacqueline A. Guzman. City Manager Mark Lubelski.

TA M A R AC

Commissioner Elvin Villalobos.

TITUSVILLE

Councilmember Joe C. Robinson.

U M AT I L L A

Councilmember John Nichols.

VENICE

Councilmember Brian Kelly.

V E R O B E AC H

Councilmember Honey Minuse and Councilmember Bob McCabe.

WELLINGTON

Village Manager Jim Barnes.

WEST MELBOURNE

Councilmember Daniel McDow and Councilmember Stephen Phrampus.

W E S T PA R K

Commissioner Marvin Price and Commissioner Joy B. Smith.

WESTON

Commissioner Chris Eddy and Commissioner Henry Mead.

WESTVILLE

Councilmember Jason Stafford. Councilmember Samantha Webster.

Florida Cities Celebrate

ANNIVERSARIES The Florida League of Cities sends congratulations to the following cities, towns and villages that are celebrating important milestone anniversaries in 2021:

25 years PINECREST WESTON

50 years RAIFORD

75 years ALTHA

BAL HARBOUR

MARY ESTHER

100 years LANTANA CHATTAHOOCHEE LAKE PARK EAGLE LAKE VALPARAISO

WILLISTON

City Manager Jackie Gorman.

W I LTO N M A N O R S

Mayor Scott Newton, Commissioner Mike Bracchi and Commissioner Chris Caputo.

WINTER SPRINGS

Commissioner Matt Benton and Commissioner Rob Elliott. City Clerk Christian Gowan. Director of Finance Maria Sonksen.

48 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

125 years MIAMI

MUNICOMM

QC

MARKETING

Emails for Residents

7 tips for connecting with members of your community

I

f 2020 taught us anything, it’s the importance of staying connected – to each other, to our communities and to the latest news and developments. One of the best ways to connect with your residents and local partners is through email. But for it to be an effective means of communication, your recipients must first open and read the message.

While most people receive dozens of emails each day, there are ways to make your message stand out and break through the clutter. ▸ First impressions matter. The first thing someone sees in your email is the subject line. Try to keep it short, descriptive and catchy. Industry data suggest using no more than nine words or 60 characters, as mobile devices have limitations on length due to screen size. ▸ Get on a schedule. Does your city have a newsletter or other communication that goes out regularly? Creating a branded email with content from websites, social media platforms and news articles that is sent on a recurring basis will help your residents know when to look for your messages. ▸ Leave them wanting more. While there may be many projects, initiatives and events you’d like to inform residents about, when it

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

by Erika Branchcomb Florida League of Cities

comes to email communications, less can be more. Instead of packing your email with lengthy articles, summarize information into easily digestible key points and then provide a link to additional information or documentation. ▸ Make the ask. In addition to sharing information, you can also use email to engage your residents. Include a call to action in your message. It can be as simple as adding “Learn more” with an active link, or it can be a specific action you’d like them to complete, such as attending an event or filling out a form.

It’s also important to make sure your message gets to the correct audience. By managing preferences and using surveys and list segmentation, you can create email communications tailored to your residents’ interests. ▸ Let them choose. When asking residents to sign up to receive emails from your city, offer them a choice of what they will be receiving. You can categorize selection options by pub lic ation, topic or even geographically. ▸ Ask for feedback. A great way to facilitate a two-way dialogue with residents is by asking for their opinions. Use email to send surveys

or polls requesting feedback on upc oming projec ts, eve n ts o r community initiatives. Shorter surveys tend to get better response rates. Try to limit the number of questions to 10 or less, which should take about five minutes to complete.

Be sure to share the results of any survey or poll in a transparent and timely fashion to close the loop and create two-way communication. ▸ Segment your lists. Segmentation is the division of email subscribers into smaller segments based on certain criteria. Mass email services such as Constant Contact and MailChimp have segmentation tools built into the platform. But even if you aren’t using a mail service, you can still target your messages toward certain segments of your email list. You can sort contacts by interest, age, geographic location, occupation or any other factor that will help your message reach the correct person.

There are no set criteria for how to segment your email list.

Erika Branchcomb is the senior communications specialist at the Florida League of Cities. QC

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 49

FEATURE

Workers on a rail yard in Abbott, which was later renamed Zephyrhills.

The photo appears in the documentary “Stories Seldom Told.”

COMMUNICATIONS

Telling Your City’s Whole Story Looking to the past helps cities move forward

by Michele Cohen Marill

A

mid the bluesy strumming of a guitar and syncopated patter of a drum, images of the City of Zephyrhills flash on the screen. It’s a historical documentary of its Black community. A narrator with a baritone voice sets the scene: “Twenty men, women and children on a boxcar, looking for a home, disembarked in a town with a peculiar name of Zephyrhills.” The camera scans iconic locales: the restored 1927 train depot, Main Street and Clock Plaza.

“And when they did, caught hell. Gave hope.” The images shift to a modern protest march where one sign reads, “Silent No More.” A street sign for Sixth Avenue denotes in smaller letters, “Honorary Drive Dr. M.L. King Jr.,” hinting at the source of conflict.

“And even now, they still hang on. Their dreams and visions become part of a wonderful American story.” This documentary, titled “Stories Seldom Told,” focuses on the experiences of the Black community in Zephyrhills from the early years after the town’s founding in 1910 to modern times.

This story is not the typical origin one that is heralded on the annual Founders Day, which celebrates Zephyrhills’ history. The common tale involves a retired Union Army captain who built Zephyrhills Colony as a retirement community for Union veterans and pioneering families who turned pine stands into lumber and turpentine.

In 2018, Police Capt. Reggie Roberts, the city’s highest-ranked Black official, was invited to add his perspective to the annual Founders Day event. Standing on the porch of the historic Jeffries House for “Tales from the Hills,” Roberts told about his great-grandparents, who came to Zephyrhills in the 1930s. Despite the racial discrimination that many families such as his faced over the years in the South, he also exuded love for his hometown.

Soon after, then City Manager Steve Spina had the idea of 50 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

recording these “Stories Seldom Told” through interviews with other longtime residents and gained support from the City Council. The film’s 2020 debut was delayed because of the pandemic, but it will open at the downtown movie theater when the pandemic subsides. It also is available online (vimeo.com/428560215).

Addressing a city’s history openly and honestly leads to stronger community relationships, said Spina, who retired in 2019 but remained involved with the film project. “The idea was that there are more founding families than the ones we have been known to celebrate,” he said.

HISTORY BRINGS INSIGHT

While the Zephyrhills project is unique in some ways, it reflects a desire among cities across Florida to acknowledge their struggles as well as celebrate their achievements amid a full and inclusive conversation about their history. In Miami, for example, individual neighborhoods such as Little Havana and Allapattah, home to a Dominican community, have rich stories that are recounted in tours, commemorated in festivals and described in educational sessions.

Telling the local history more completely helps cities confront today’s challenges, said Paul George, resident historian at History Miami Museum and a retired history professor at Miami Dade College. “That gives people an understanding of what didn’t work and what might have worked to a degree in earlier times,” said George. “That might make them want to try a different approach to solving current problems.”

Pre-pandemic, George gave more than 100 tours a year, mostly in Miami and Dade County. Sometimes newly elected officials requested private tours. Just living in an area doesn’t mean a leader necessarily knows the complexities of community relations or insights about how neighborhoods or local industries evolved.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RONALD A. GOERSS, MD

QC

FEATURE “Once he or she takes office, [an elected city official] ought to do a tour and know the history of the area they’re representing,” said George.

Many Florida cities have local historians who have written books or compiled archives and can share historical perspective.

(George has written 15 books and edited three others.) Another resource is the Florida Historical Society, which maintains archives and “Florida Frontiers” television episodes, radio programs and newsletter articles.

LEARNING FROM THE PAST

Zephyrhills engaged a film production company and began the documentary project with interviews of Black residents who remember living in segregated housing – owned by the Hercules Powder Company or in Krusen Quarters, named for the Krusen Land and Timber Company.

The residents recalled the evolution of an established Black community, much of it just outside the city limits. They faced restrictions that were widespread at the time – where they could eat and live, which water fountains and bathrooms they could use – but they also embraced the joys of small-town Florida life.

Zephyrhills High School became integrated in 1967, and several people recounted a milestone when Black students successfully protested the playing of “Dixie,” the Confederate anthem, at pep rallies. Yet an unspoken color line persisted.

Billy Poe, the city manager, grew up in Zephyrhills and played on integrated baseball and football teams. He had many Black classmates when he was in high school in the early 1990s. But when Poe watched the documentary, he learned for the first time the depth of racial discrimination. “It opened my eyes to what I had not realized was still occurring when I was a teenager and older,” he said. “To see the racism they experienced, it just took me aback.”

The film also recounts a 2004 controversy surrounding the renaming of Sixth Avenue to honor Martin Luther King Jr., which ultimately led to the protest march referenced in the film’s opening scenes. As a compromise, the city council installed Sixth Avenue signs that also honor King. Meanwhile, Spina and Poe worked to improve services in Black neighborhoods. Streetlights were added, and plans are underway to move houses from septic to city sewer.

QC

The response to the film has been positive. The lesson, said Poe, is that cities should tell their whole story. “We are one big community, and we have to be there for each other,” he said.

“Were the best decisions made in the past? No, but we have to know them and learn from our mistakes.”

CIVIC LIFE AND BASIC VALUES

In some cities, the municipal story reaches back just a few decades, but a deeper heritage provides guidance. For the Village of Key Biscayne, the drive to incorporate in 1991 grew out of a sense of identity and community, and the creation of the city inspired a desire to preserve and honor the past.

“Knowledge of the history creates more civic involvement, a broader interest in the public life,” said Frank Caplan, a commercial real estate attorney and Village Council member who worked for the passage of the 1991 incorporation referendum.

In 2007, three veterans from the local American Legion post began to collect stories and artifacts. They created the Key Biscayne Historical & Heritage Society, whose motto is, “where the past is always present.”

Residents sorted through their attics and storage closets for old documents, photographs and newspapers. The former owner of the island’s first drugstore donated an old pay phone. A retired firefighter restored an old firetruck. The artifacts were curated with the help of a local historian and funding from the village.

A “pop-up” museum with a temporary exhibit was ready to open in Village Hall on March 12, 2020, just as the pandemic triggered a widespread lockdown. Instead, the historical society filmed a tour by George. He began by describing evidence of the earliest settlement on the island: Tequesta Indians who lived on the northern end of the island thousands of years ago. He recounted the development of the island from a coconut palm plantation to residential neighborhoods and a business sector, surrounded by parks and water.

The history serves as a reminder of Key Biscayne’s basic values, said Caplan, society president and former two-time mayor. “It’s not just to tell the story. It’s to galvanize people to get involved, to do projects together,” he said. “There’s value in the process, not just the product.”

Michele Cohen Marill is a freelance writer. QC

Taking Lessons From History “History has become more recognized as an important tool for understanding the community. It gives us guideposts.”

– Paul George, resident historian, HistoryMiami Museum “Make sure you are true to the story. Our history isn’t always what we would like it to be. We felt we had to show everything, warts and all.” – Steve Spina, retired city manager of Zephyrhills “This isn’t just looking backward. This is an effort to identify and draw strength from what exists here.”

– Frank Caplan, Village Council member and president, Key Biscayne Historical & Heritage Society “People need to talk a little more and understand each other. It was timely for our city. It’s almost like when you pinch someone and wake them up.” – Reggie Roberts, captain, Zephyrhills Police Department

FIRST QUARTER 2021 | QUALITY CITIES 51

FEATURE

Coconut Creek’s “Birthday Responders” on their way to lead another birthday parade.

ENGAGEMENT

Community Connections During COVID-19 Cities find creative ways to mingle with residents

by Brittni Johnsen Florida League of Cities

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he coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we do practically everything. Everyday tasks, holiday celebrations, professional responsibilities – it all looks different now than it did a year ago.

Cities look different too. Daily operations, municipal services, council and commission meetings – practically every aspect of local government has had to adapt to the new normal brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. These changes include community engagement as well.

While this situation has certainly presented challenges, it has also offered opportunities. And cities have risen to the occasion. Whether the goal was to entertain, educate or celebrate, Florida’s local

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governments have found creative, effective ways to engage residents during the pandemic.

VIRTUAL AND AT-HOME EVENTS

The pandemic forced cities to clear their calendars because of safety protocols and protective measures that limit the types of activities and events people can safely participate in. Calendars didn’t stay blank for long as cities found safe and fun ways to offer recreational opportunities to residents. From live virtual events and online activities to outdoor projects and at-home entertainment, Florida’s cities, towns and villages prove that where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Rather than cancelling the Tallahassee

Senior Services’ annual “Deck the Halls” event, the City of Tallahassee simply redesigned it. Instead of hosting a one-night in-person event, the city hosted multiple events and activities over several weeks, and everything was held virtually to protect participants’ health. The city hosted pre-event activities via Zoom throughout November including cooking classes, cocktail-making courses, decorating lessons and more. All of these activities led up to the main event on December 4, a “Deck the Halls” live radio show that aired on a local radio station. The radio show featured holiday music, stories from local seniors and prize drawings.

The Village of Wellington’s “Virtual Recreation Center” provided free virtual

PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOTTY LEAMON, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, COCONUT CREEK POLICE DEPARTMENT

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Promotional graphic for the city’s “Deck the Halls” event.

The Village of Tequesta launched the “Stay Home, Camp at Home” campaign as a way to safely engage with residents and provide activities for entertainment during the pandemic.

Palm Beach Gardens joined Tequesta in encouraging residents to “camp at home.”

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF CITY OF TALLAHASSEE

content for residents of all ages. A schedule of live instructor-led classes was offered weekly via Zoom including adult coloring, bingo, journaling, fitness classes, sports classes such as basketball and cheerleading, educational webinars and more. The city’s online center also offered at-home activities, virtual experiences, e-books, virtual storytime videos including “The City That Talks,” which is the Florida League of Cities’ children’s book, and more.

The Village of Tequesta launched its “Stay Home, Camp at Home” campaign that invited residents to set up an at-home campsite and enjoy some quality family time. Residents were encouraged to read books, hold scavenger hunts and play games. The village also asked residents to send in pictures of their at-home camping adventures to be shared on the village’s Facebook page. Other communities joined in on Tequesta’s campaign, including the City of Palm Beach Gardens and the City of Lake Park.

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GRAPHICS COURTESY OF VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA AND CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS

FEATURE

Port St. Lucie’s holiday-themed photo op at the Community Center.

Promotional graphic for the launch of Wellington’s virtual live classes.

Social media graphic promoting Coral Gables’ FCGW photo contest.

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GRAPHICS COURTESY OF VILLAGE OF WELLINGTON AND CITY OF CORAL GABLES

In addition to keeping residents active and entertained at home or online, cities also found new ways to create a sense of community for their residents without ever actually physically bringing them together.

The City of Clermont engaged residents while also supporting local businesses with its “Autumn Storefront Scarecrow Stroll.” Local businesses participated by decorating their storefronts and entryways with one-of-a-kind scarecrows. Free hay was provided by the city to participating businesses, which they used to create their scarecrows. Schools, churches, community organizations, nonprofits and residents participated as well.

The city shared photos of the scarecrows on its Facebook page, which helped to promote the businesses and other organizations. In addition to decorating the community and supporting businesses, the initiative also served as a friendly competition for the community, with the city awarding the top three scarecrows.

The City of Port St. Lucie also fostered some friendly competition with its fifth annual “PSLinLights” celebration that included challenges for residents. This year’s event looked different than those in the past. For example, the annual decorating

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF PORT ST. LUCIE

COMPETITIONS AND CHALLENGES

FEATURE

contest is normally open only to residents, but this year the city invited local businesses to participate. The contest encouraged the community to decorate the outside of their homes and businesses and submit their decorations for residents to vote on.

The city also replaced the annual bus tour, which drove residents throughout the city on a tour of holiday decorations, with its “’Tis the Season Holiday Extravaganza,” a Facebook Live event that featured a virtual tour. Also new to this year’s event were the nine photo-op displays throughout the city. Residents could submit photos to the city’s “Holiday Photo-Op Destination Contest” by posting the photos to social media using the hashtag #PSLinLights for the opportunity to win cash prizes. This year’s “PSLinLights” celebration saw participation from residents more than double.

FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK

Cities, towns and villages took advantage of engagement opportunities offered during Florida City Government Week, an annual weeklong campaign sponsored by the Florida League of Cities.

The City of Coral Gables hosted a photo contest for residents encouraging them to submit a photo, graphic or video that showcases why they’re proud to be a Coral Gables resident. To enter the contest, residents shared their submissions on social media with the hashtags #PartofGables and #FLCityWeek. (For information on how other cities celebrated Florida City Government Week, see the article, p. 34.)

HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS

continued to rethink the traditional events and activities hosted during this time of year. Popular options for cities, regardless of the holiday or occasion, were drivethru, drive-in or drive-by events.

To safely celebrate Halloween, several cities hosted “trunk-or-treat” events. The City of Fort Walton Beach replaced its traditional fall festival with a trunk-ortreat event that invited residents to walk through the line of decorated open-trunk cars and safely get treats from city staff and local businesses. The City of Pinellas Park also turned its annual “Halloween in the Park” celebration into a drive-thru “Halloween Treat Trail” event this year.

The city filled 2,000 pumpkin buckets with treats for children and handed

them out as cars drove through. Another drive-thru event was the “Trick or Treat Drive-Thru Boo” from the City of Destin.

The admission price to participate was the donation of one non-perishable food item for a local food bank.

Other spooky yet safe Halloween celebrations came from the City of Crestview and the City of Palm Beach Gardens, both of which hosted drive-in movie nights. Crestview showed the film Hocus Pocus, and Palm Beach Gardens played The Addams Family. The City of Largo invited residents to come aboard its “Howl-o-Train.” A small train took passengers on a fall-themed trip through Largo Central Park featuring decorated tunnels, costumed characters, music and more. The event required residents to purchase tickets, and it was a sellout.

Cities’ celebrations weren’t all spooky though, as plenty hosted similar drivethru and drive-in events and activities for other holidays. The City of Coconut Creek even celebrated children’s birthdays with celebratory parades in front of their homes. Dubbed the “Birthday Responders” the parades included the city’s police department, first responders and local officials.

In a time when people are unable to physically be together, it seems that our local communities are more connected than ever thanks to the work of Florida’s cities, towns and villages.

Brittni Johnsen is the media relations coordinator for the Florida League of Cities. QC

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF CITY OF DESTIN

As the pandemic continued into fall and then eventually the holiday season, cities

Largo’s “Howl-o-Train” took residents on a festive trip through Largo Central Park.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BETH KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY

QC

The City of Fort Walton Beach replaced its traditional fall festival with a trunk-or-treat event.

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Destin’s “Drive-Thru Boo” event allowed residents to trick-or-treat from the safety and comfort of their vehicles.

MAJOR FEATURE

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Advocacy Doesn’t End With Sine Die

Access to Employment Law Attorneys at

NO COST

The Florida Municipal Insurance Trust’s exclusive Employment Law Advisor program offers access to a Florida-based attorney with significant public-sector employment law experience. And, the best part is there is no cost to members of the FMIT. We can help with a wide range of employment-related matters, including: Hiring Discipline Promotion/Demotion Transfer Reassignment Layoff Termination Complaints of Discrimination, Harassment and Unfair Treatment and Retaliation

Help is only a phone call away. FMIT members can speak with an attorney Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., by calling (888) 368-FMIT (3648).

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QC

RESEARCH

-1.09% -2.20%

COVID-19-INDUCED REVENUE IMPACTS BY REGION (FISCAL YEAR 2021)

-1.24% -3.62% -2.64%

REGIONS East Central North Central Northeast Northwest

-0.21%

-4.76%

South Central Southeast Southwest

-5.62%

Tampa Bay

COVID-19

Forecasting Municipal Revenue A new FLC report gives valuable information for budget planning

by Chris L. Holley II Florida League of Cities

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o magic crystal ball reveals what the future holds when it comes to municipal revenues. Most forecasts rely on a host of local economic factors and historical trends that provide a basis for making the best decisions possible. The challenge in 2021: There aren’t trends that match what local economies had to endure in 2020.

The Florida League of Cities’ Center for Municipal Research has worked with the brightest minds in our state – experts in public administration and economics – to publish a report forecasting the impact of COVID-19 on municipal revenues over the next three fiscal years. A Recovery Landscape – Forecasting Florida Municipal Revenue Impacts from COVID-19 provides a point of reference when discussing your upcoming budget picture.

Every budget is as unique as the city it is built for, relying more heavily on one revenue or fee over another. Even with these different financial structures, a vast majority of cities will face some decrease in revenues in Fiscal Year 2021, and by FY 2023 Florida’s municipal governments in total could see a decrease of close to $4 billion.

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METHODOLOGY THAT WAS USED

In May 2020, the National League of Cities conducted a study forecasting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on municipal revenue, based on national unemployment data. The foundation behind the research was sound. The Florida League of Cities developed a report using a similar research model with a more local focus, one that provides Florida cities with another tool to use when forecasting revenues.

FLC-sponsored researchers looked at collections in 21 revenue categories over 11 years (2008-2018) for the state’s 411 municipalities. By examining data at the county level and analyzing the impact of the unemployment rate on revenues, researchers identified correlations that can be applied to the latest unemployment forecasts. This process adds new insights into future revenue streams, using projected unemployment rates that more closely match each city’s experience rather than relying on a national-level or even state-level forecast.

More simply put, the report built a local trend analysis, using local unemployment data as a basis for forecasting revenues.

SPECIAL INVESTIGATION UNIT

In certain revenue categories, local forecasts were built from state-level forecasts provided by the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research. These included discretionary sales surtaxes, local option fuel taxes and communication services taxes.

FINDINGS OF THE REPORT

Florida cities will sustain reduced revenues totaling approximately $3.90 billion over the next three fiscal years (FY 2021, FY 2022 and FY 2023), according to the projections. In FY 2021 alone, excluding property taxes due to the lag in the effects, municipal revenues are projected to decline by more than $1.72 billion.

Each region of the state will feel the impact of the pandemic differently. Areas with an economy tied to tourism may take longer to recover. So, too, will areas that are more densely populated. Cities with populations greater than 100,000 are likely to see approximately twice the percent reduction in revenue collections than the average Florida city.

Some regions of the state will see a somewhat modest 1% decline in total revenues, while others could see a decline that exceeds 5.5%. The variance of revenue impacts across the state is significantly larger when looking at individual communities with forecasted declines of up to almost 20% in some instances versus others forecasted to see even an incremental increase in revenue collections. (Data is reliable at a regional and county level. Forecasts at the individual municipal level do not reflect the intricacies of state revenue share formulas and should be used as supplemental information.)

USE THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE WISELY

There is no question that challenging budgetary decisions are on the horizon. The key to tackling them is to obtain as much information as possible. Consider every element that affects your local economy and let that information guide the decision-making process about your city’s financial future. The hope is that city leaders find this report a useful tool as they work to steer their municipalities into the future.

The report, A Recovery Landscape – Forecasting Florida Municipal Revenue Impacts from COVID-19, can be found online at flcities.com under “Research + Resources” and was written through the Center for Municipal Research

by Richard Feiock, president, Local Governance Research, along with David Gao, professor, Florida International University, and Can Chen, assistant professor, Florida International University, both of whom are participants in the League’s university research partner program.

INSURANCE FRAUD THE CRIME EVERYONE PAYS FOR Insurance fraud costs the average family $400-700 annually.

Help reduce these costs by reporting fraud.

UP TO $5,000 REWARD For information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person found guilty of a crime involving insurance fraud against the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust.

REPORT INSURANCE FRAUD CALL 888.447.5877

Chris L. Holley II is manager, research and innovation at the Florida League of Cities. QC

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QC lifestyle QUALITY CITIES

BALANCING LIFE

AND PUBLIC SERVICE

DENTAL CARE

A Healthy Smile

Why you need to keep up with dental exams, even during the pandemic

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isits to the dentist haven’t returned to normal levels since the pandemic surge began and dental offices initially shut down. Months later, many people still view a stint in the dental chair as a COVID-19 risk that isn’t absolutely necessary.

However, avoiding dental checkups can have consequences that are more serious than people may realize. Professional teeth cleaning isn’t just a way to get pearly whites. Oral health is a vital part of your overall health.

About 2 million people go to the emergency department every year in the United States for dental emergencies such as tooth pain. Gum disease and tooth decay (cavities) worsen if left untreated.

Unchecked oral infections can spread to the bloodstream, where they can cause serious illness or even death.

Some chronic medical conditions have been linked to a higher risk of dental problems. People with diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, liver disease or emphysema or who have suffered a stroke are more likely to have severe tooth loss, according to the Centers

58 QUALITY CITIES | FIRST QUARTER 2021

by Michele Cohen Marill for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We’re finding more and more medical issues are related to oral health and oral bacteria,” said Johnny Johnson Jr. , a dentist and spokesperson for the Florida Dental Association.

Fortunately, you can take steps to protect your teeth and gums. The basics, of course, are brushing and flossing — twice a day, for two minutes each time, using fluoridated toothpaste and a soft brush.

Fluoridated drinking water also provides effortless protection for teeth by helping to prevent decay, said Johnson, who is president of the American Fluoridation Society. Of communities in Florida that are on community water systems, 77% have optimally fluoridated water.

Dental experts often recommend biannual cleanings and exams, although some people need more frequent visits.

Low-risk individuals may be fine with once a year, according to the American Dental Association.

What you eat and how you eat it also

affects the development and spread of tooth decay. While it’s common to blame cavities on candy, the typical diet includes hidden sugars that can cause problems, too. Johnson shared this advice: ▸ Chewy foods such as raisins, dried fruit or caramels stick to your teeth, which gives bacteria more opportunity to cause decay. Eat them with a meal or a glass of water – or better yet, swap them with a snack of nuts or cheese, which reduce plaque buildup on teeth. ▸ If you love sugary drinks or lemon water, use a straw to protect your teeth. The sugar and acid can remain on your teeth long after you’re finished drinking. ▸ Remember that simple carbohydrates such as potato chips, pasta and white bread quickly turn into sugar, which is food for oral bacteria. Brushing your teeth after eating will help, but for your overall health, whole grains are a better choice.

Michele Cohen Marill is a freelance writer.

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PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

LIFESTYLE

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PERSONAL GROWTH

Resilience 101

Why resilience is the life skill we all need right now

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veryone reacts differently when presented with challenges or setbacks. While some rise to the occasion and push through, others get overwhelmed and are unable to cope.

Why is that? One of the primary reasons is resilience.

WHAT IS RESILIENCE?

Resilience is the ability to adapt to difficult situations. It’s what gives us the psychological strength to cope with and rebound from hardships. Although research has shown that genetics and personality traits are contributing factors for inherent resilience, anyone can cultivate and hone their resilience skills.

The theory of psychological hardiness, first introduced by Suzanne C. Kobasa in an article for the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 1979, suggests that three elements play an important role in resilience: challenge, commitment and control.

Highly resilient people see setbacks as challenges and treat them as lessons to be learned from. They are also committed to their personal goals as well as their relationships with friends, family and community members. Additionally, resilient people dedicate their time and energy to the situations they have control over.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Resilience is important because it gives you the ability to keep functioning physically and mentally when faced with stress, adversity or disappointment. When you build your resiliency skills, you build your inner strength. This strength allows you to process and overcome life’s hardships.

People who lack resiliency are more likely to turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as substance abuse or experience depression and anxiety.

HOW DO YOU BUILD RESILIENCE?

There are many ways to build resiliency skills. On his website, Fostering Resilience, pediatrician and human development expert Ken Ginsberg details the 7 Cs that make up the essential building blocks of resilience. While they were developed initially for children and young adults, these principles can help people

PHOTO © GETTY IMAGES

by Erika Branchcomb Florida League of Cities

of all ages build and refine their resilience skills. ▸ Competence. The feeling of competence is developed over time as we become more comfortable with the skills needed to accomplish tasks and reach goals. Competence can be undermined if people are not given the opportunity to learn from and correct their mistakes independently. ▸ Confidence. Working together with competence, confidence in one’s coping and adaptability skills is important when dealing with and overcoming setbacks and challenges. ▸ Connection. As 2020 has shown us, people need people. In addition to reassuring us that we are not alone, connecting with other people can help provide perspective, empathy and a sense of security. ▸ Character. Attributes such as integrity, honesty, loyalty, fortitude and courage are all traits that foster resiliency. ▸ Contribution. When we do a good deed, volunteer time or donate monetarily, we feel good knowing that our contribution made a difference. It also provides a sense of being part of something larger than ourselves. ▸ Coping. Developing a variety of coping mechanisms ensures we have a toolbox of healthy strategies to implement when presented with stressful situations. ▸ Control. People who cultivate a high internal locus of control (meaning they believe their actions influence their life experiences and circumstances) understand that we always have control over how we respond, even if a difficult situation is out of our control.

For more information, go to fosteringresilience.com/7cs.php.

Erika Branchcomb is the senior communications specialist at the Florida League of Cities. QC

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