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CITY BEATMIRAMAR

MIRAMAR CELEBRATION60 Years of Beauty & Progress in 2015Pg. 10

PRESIDENT OBAMAEXHIBITIONPg.6

Photo Credit: Chad Christensen, Miramar Resident

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MIRAMARPg. 7

QUARTER ONE | 2016

WWW.ITSRIGHTHEREINMIRAMAR.COM

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MESSAGES FROM MIRAMAR’S CITY OFFICIALSTABLE OF CONTENTS

MESSAGES FROM CITY OFFICIALS 3

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MIRAMAR 6

MLK CELEBRATION 8

IT’S RIGHT HERE IN MIRAMAR YEAR IN REVIEW 10

GROUNDBREAKING NEWS 13

MIRAMAR A FOCAL POINT 14

PEE-WEE BASKETBALL 17

PRECYCLE 18

CRIME PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP 19

C.E.D. IN MIRAMAR 20

MIRAMAR-PINES ROTARY 5K/10K RUN/WALK 22

STAY CONNECTED 23

WORK FOR MIRAMAR 24

MIRAMAR COMMUNITY GARDEN - FREE Veggies 25

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU 26

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My Fellow Residents, Let me begin by wishing you all the best as we celebrate a new year in our Great City. The Commission is proud to represent you in accordance with the best interests of the City of Miramar and we will continue our move towards the right direction and next level. Here are a few updates taking place this year: The Police Headquarters at Town Center is closer to its completion date. It will accommodate various operational functions including a Command Center, Patrol Division, Special Operations and more. Fire station 107 is slated to begin construction this year as well. Seniors and families in our community who need additional care and resources will have access to the new Adult Day Care Center which broke ground at Douglas Road and Miramar Parkway. The Center will house daytime accommodations for approximately 65 seniors. The Miramar Amphitheater at Regional Park is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2016. This will serve as both a local and regional destination. In Historic (East) Miramar, residents will enjoy a new band shell and water splash pad at Shirley Branca Park and renovations to Fairway and Lake Shore Parks. In addition, millions of dollars in infrastructure projects will begin construction this year.Ansin Sports Complex includes lighting improvements, new home side bleacher cover and practice track upgrades. Vizcaya Park is soon to include an additional soccer field, grass parking, pavilions, splash pad, new gate and monument sign at entrance. Monarch Lakes Park will see restrooms, pavilions, walkways connecting adjacent Flamingo Estate Park, lighting and a butterfly garden. River Run Park will see resurfacing of parking lot, additional parking lot with gates, the resurfacing of the walking trail, new lighting, new landscaping, irrigation and the conversion of existing storage building into a community room. As well, the completion of Harbour Lakes Park. It’s going to be a wonderful New Year in our City and I wish the same for your families and businesses as well. Yours in Service,

Wayne MessamMayor

Hello, I am Vice-Mayor Darline Riggs.

In the City of Miramar, we take great pride in being a beautiful and progressive City, but our focus should also be on making sure that our residents and business owners’ benefit from that progress. That means creating more local jobs for our local residents.

Historically, small businesses accounted for more than 60 percent of the net new jobs created so it is imperative that we find ways to support our small businesses and provide them with the necessary resources that will allow them to succeed. Furthermore, we need to put more emphasis on attracting new businesses and retaining existing businesses.

The more we expand our tax base and generate more revenues, the more we can invest in our infrastructure and Public safety. For example:

• Putting more police officers on our streets• Hiring more firefighters• Installation and repair of sidewalks• Additional street lighting to prevent crime

The future of the City of Miramar is very promising and I promise to make your priorities my priorities.

REMEMBER, IT’S RIGHT HERE IN MIRAMAR!

MESSAGES FROM MIRAMAR’S CITY OFFICIALS

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Dear Residents,

The new year is a time many are making a fresh start and looking at ways to improve from the year before. In the same way, Miramar has much to look forward to as the new year commences as well.

As a city, we pride ourselves in the infrastructure we have already put in place. Keeping in mind, now we have to work together to maintain and use our assets to the greatest potential. Many of our CIP projects are underway: the police Headquarters, the Amphi-theater in Regional Park, the Adult Day Care Center. All are to service the needs of residents. I am working to unify areas in our city by highlighting the features and uniqueness of all that the city has to offer. I am very interested in continuing progress for economic growth and cultural arts in the City of Miramar.

I am honored to serve my city because I care about meeting the needs of residents, families, employees and businesses and affirm it to be of the utmost priority. I am seeking out grants and funding for city necessities and projects to address the issues of traffic, unemployment and under-employment, home repair, affordable housing, public safety and maintenance of public spaces. Provid-ing workshops enhance the interest of youth in public service jobs like firefighting and police through support of programs in our schools and beyond.

I am thrilled at how far we’ve come and I am grateful for the dedication of our residents and city supporters. As we worked on this year’s budget, I am proud to say the ad varolem tax was not raised. However, we have made decisions to make ourselves a progres-sive city and we need to be aware of the impacts of initiating these projects as we increase our level of service. I am aware of those needs and am working on a long-term sustainability plan for the city.

Maxwell B. ChambersCommissioner, City of Miramar

Dear Neighbors,

I am truly honored to serve as your Commissioner during 2015 and working alongside the residents and businesses of Miramar who make this City great. As your Commissioner, I am committed to keeping Miramar a great place for all to live, work, and enjoy.

Thank you for your service! Special thanks to community organizations, homeowners associations, churches, businesses, and resi-dents that partnered and worked with the City of Miramar and with whom I have had the pleasure of working with during the year. Your commitment and dedication to the community helps make Miramar a better place to live.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you! Thank you for the opportunity to assist you in resolving issues and concerns that are important to you. I am grateful that you have entrusted me with your concerns and provided me an opportunity to assist you. I am committed to continue working with you on the issues of importance to you. I invite you to contact me at 954-602-3143 and ycolbourne@miramarfl.gov to share with me issues that are important to you. This will allow me to better serve you.

Happy New Year! I am truly excited for what 2016 has in store for Miramar, the opening of the Adult Daycare Center and the new Police Headquarters, the completion of Miramar Boulevard expansion and many other projects which will be inaugurated in 2016.

I wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year and I look forward to continue to work with you to make Miramar the BEST place to live in 2016.

I am your Commissioner,

Yvette Colbourne

MESSAGES FROM MIRAMAR’S CITY OFFICIALS

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN

MIRAMAR

THEATRE | EDUCATION | EVENTS | EXHIBITS

Ansin Family Art GalleryGallery Hours: Weekdays 12PM-5PM

Miramar Cultural Center 2400 Civic Center Place, Miramar, Fl...F 954.602.4500

miramarculturalcenter.org

President Barack Obama: The ExhibitionJanuary 14 – February 29, 2016

Miramar Cultural Center is showcasing, as approved by the Chief Official White House Photographer, Pete Souza, the first and exclusive Photographic Collective of the first African American President of the United States of America. President Barack Obama: The Exhibition in the Ansin Family Art Gallery will be combined with images of Mayor Wayne M. Messam as the first African American Mayor in the City of Miramar’s 60 year history.

Come and experience the President’s historic journey at the White House and Beyond and highlights of Mayor Messam’s advancements since his election to office.

Photographic Collective by Pete Souza, Chief Official White House Photographer.

Celebrate Black History Firsts at the Miramar Cultural Center

Ralph Gibson March 3 - May 31, 2016

Awakening Jamaica June 9 - August 27, 2016

2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6 A R T E X H I B I T I O N S

10.5 x 12.25_black_history.indd 1 12/20/15 6:24 PM

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Miramar Cultural Centerpresents AidaJanuary 23, 2016 | 8PMMiramar Cultural Center2400 Civic Center Place

ZO’S WINTER GROOVE 2016January 16, 2016 | 8AMOPEN TO PUBLICMiramar Regional Park16801 Miramar Parkwaywww.zoswintergroove.com

State Ballet Theatre of Russia presents Romeo and JulietDecember 26, 2015 | 7:30PMMiramar Cultural Center2400 Civic Center Place

Miramar Cultural Centerpresents The Tortoise & The HareJanuary 30, 2016 | 2PMMiramar Cultural Center2400 Civic Center Place

FUNK FESTJanuary 1, 2016 | 2PM - 11PMMiramar Regional Park16801 Miramar Parkwaywww.funkfesttour.com

17th Annual Miramar-PinesRotary 5K/10K/Walk & 1 Mile Family Run January 16, 2016 | 8AMMiramar Regional Parkway16801 Miramar Parkway

PURVIS ON PAPERNovember 5, 2015 - January 11, 2016Miramar Cultural Center2400 Civic Center Place

Household & ElectronicHazardous Waste Drop OffJanuary 10, 2016 | 8AM - 4PMYouth Enrichment Center7000 Miramar Parkway

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.CELEBRATIONJanuary 18, 2016 | 12PM - 4PM

Lakeshore Park | 8501 Sherman Circle S.

Presented by

RALPH GIBSONMarch 3, 2016 - May 31, 2016Miramar Cultural Center2400 Civic Center Place

Miramar Cultural Centerpresents CarmenFebruary 9, 2016 | 7:30PM

Miramar Cultural Center2400 Civic Center Place

Miramar Cultural Centerpresents Alice in WonderlandMarch 5, 2016 | 2PM

Miramar Cultural Center2400 Civic Center Place

Miramar Cultural Centerpresents A Valentine’s Day Concert: Performances by Howard

Hewett & Richard Elliot February 13, 2016 | 8PMMiramar Cultural Center

BLACK HISTORYCELEBRATIONFebruary 6, 2016

Town Center Plaza | 2300 Civic Center Pl.

TOUR DE BROWARDFebruary 28, 20166AM - 12PMMiramar Regional Park16801 Miramar Parkway

EGG-A-PALOOZA March 26, 201610AM - 2PMMiramar Regional Park16801 Miramar Parkway

A SIP OF WINE...A TASTE OF HEAVENMarch 12, 2016 | 7PM - 9PM

Town Center Plaza2300 Civic Center Pl.

Presented by

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AND SO ARE ...

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JANUARY

• The 16th Annual Miramar-Pines Rotary 5k Run held on the beautiful Miramar Town Center plaza where more than 200 walkers/runners gathered on Saturday, January 17th to show their support and get their run on!

• The Annual MLK Parade and Celebration was held at Lakeshore Park on Monday, January 19. Live entertainment featuring the Old Skool Gang, skits performed by local high school students, poetry and more kept the audience entertained as well as hammered home the legacy of Dr. King and his contributions to society.

2015 IS GONE…AND 2016 IS HERE! The City of Miramar has accomplished a lot in 12 months and just in case you forgot,here’s what residents and employees enjoyed in 2015:

FEBRUARY

• The Annual Black History Month event was held at Miramar Town Center on February 7th with national recording artists “The Force MD’s” performing their hits, “Love is a House” and “Tender Love” among other hits. The event, hosted by James T. of HOT 105, was a fun-filled day of food, music, dancing and entertainment and also included Grammy-nominated poet Pamela Bowen; a women’s drum and dance ensemble; an African-attire fashion show; chef’s table demonstrations; storytelling; movies, and more! Special guest speakers included former U.S. Congressman Kendrick B. Meek, Weather Channel meteorologist Paul Goodloe, and retired entertainment attorney Jonathan R. Black, Esq.

• The Annual MLK Parade and Celebration was held at Lakeshore Park on Monday, January 19. Live entertainment featuring the Old Skool Gang, skits performed by local high school students, poetry and more kept the audience entertained as well as hammered home the legacy of Dr. King and his contributions to society.

MARCH

• On March 10, The City of Miramar elected its first new mayor in 16 years, Commissioner Wayne M. Messam, who replaced Mayor Lori C. Moseley.

• The City of Miami Gardens hosted their annual Women’s Empowerment Luncheon on March 20 at Miramar Cultural Center as part of their Jazz in the Gardens event. More than 800 attendees enjoyed guest speakers like reality star Claudia Jordan, singer Howard Hewitt of Shalamar, Bernadette “Thelma” Stanis from “Good Times”, poets from the Jason Taylor Foundation, lunch and much more.

• The 2nd Annual Women’s Empowerment and Wellness Luncheon was held on March 31 with special guest speaker, Rhonda Ross, daughter of Diana Ross and Berry Gordy.

APRIL

• More than 30 City employees competed in the 5k Mercedes-Benz Corporate Run Fort Lauderdale on April 2 with several of the members finishing first in their age divisions and later being recognized by the Commission for their efforts. More than 20,000 people participated in the race and more than 500 companies! That’s an outstanding feat for our employees: Deanna Allamani (Community and Economic Development), Katrina Davenport (Social Services), Kameela Hack (CED) and Amanda Lynch (SS.)

IT’S RIGHT HERE IN MIRAMAR YEAR IN REVIEW

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MAY

• Boy, was THIS a busy month! The City of Miramar celebrated 60 years with a big birthday party to celebrate Miramar Days! The festivities kicked off at Miramar Regional Park, 16801 Miramar Parkway, with Employee & Family Fun Night, Thursday, May 14th. There were mini carnival rides, games, live music & local bakeries in the Design, Bake...Let Us Eat Your Cake Contest.

• Community Night followed on Friday, May 15th at Shirley Branca Park, 6900 Miramar Parkway with Contemporary Gospel recording artist, J Moss, who performed live, along with local artists.

• The grand celebration culminated Saturday, May 16th at Miramar Regional Park with live performances by Gospel Recording Superstar Fred Hammond, R&B crooner Carl Thomas, renowned Latin music star Tito Puentes, Jr., Code RED, Jimmie Bo Horne & the South Florida Allstars, 33 Years and the Spam Allstars. Pyrotechnics lit up the night skyline as thousands sang Happy Birthday Miramar!

JUNE

• The City’s Human Resources Department hosted their annual career fair on June 18 where more than 50 vendors, such as Carnival Cruise Line, macy’s, Walgreens, Mattress Firm, Pirtle Construction, Teleperformer and others were on-site and conducted on-the-spot interviews. Many industries were represented, including construction, customer service, education, health and human services, insurance, government, medicine, nursing and many more. Employment opportunities ranged from entry-level to management positions and many vendors reported that they filled open positions at their respective companies.

• June was Caribbean-American Heritage Month and our event at Shirley Branca Park on June 20 did not disappoint! Artists from Jamaica, Panama, Cuba, and Haiti entertained an enthusiastic crowd who danced the night away! The event’s headliner, Marcia Griffiths, had everyone doing the “Electric Boogie” (Electric Slide) to close out the night!

JULY

• The City of Miramar and Memorial Hospital Miramar presented the annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration on Saturday, July 4 at Miramar Regional Park, 16801 Miramar Parkway, Miramar, Florida 33025. More than 8,000 people enjoyed the waterslide, musical games food trucks, dj and the best fireworks show ever!

AUGUST

• 6:01 Thursday kicked off August 20 with an Employee Appreciation Party that was open to the public for everyone to enjoy at Town Center! 6:01 Thursday featured a dj and a good old-fashioned ice cream social! It was geared towards bringing together the community and culture at Miramar Town Center.

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SEPTEMBER

• The Annual Employee Health Fair was held at the Miramar Cultural Center September 24th and more than 500 City employees participated in the event which included Vision and Hearing Screenings; Memory Screenings; Osteoporosis Screenings; chair massages; blood pressure and cholesterol screenings and much more!

OCTOBER

• October was Latin Heritage Month and the City hosted two events to commemorate the month: Latin Music Festival at Miramar Regional Park on October 10 which attracted more than 2,000 music lovers and 6:01 Thursday on October 19 with Latin/Pop band, Tartara, who gave an energetic performance of many of today’s hit songs as well as songs in Spanish.

NOVEMBER

• The City broke ground on its proposed 3,800-square-foot Adult Day Care Center November 17 at the Center’s future site location at 8915 Miramar Parkway. The City recognized the necessity of a center that could provide a new alternative for families and caregivers seeking specialized care for their loved ones during the day.

• Memorial Hospital Miramar Presented the Annual Holiday Lighting at 6:01 Thursday, November 19th at Town Center. Entertainment for the evening was the Pocket Change Band, who performed Top-40 and R&B hits live.

DECEMBER

• The Miramar Amphitheater at Regional Park groundbreaking was held on December 9 at the Amphitheater’s proposed site at Miramar Regional Park. Special guest speakers were Nikki Grossman, President of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau; Mike Kaufman, Chief Executive Officer from Kaufman Lynn Construction, the company who won the bid to build the amphitheater; and Leo Bennett, CEO of Variety Entertainment and the promoter of Funk Fest Miami presented by Pepsi that was held January 1st at the park. The venue will have a seating capacity of 5,000.

• 6:01 Thursday kicked off on December 17 with a “Denim and Diamonds” theme which featured the Country/Rock band, 33 Years. It also marked the Employee Appreciation Party where more than 600 employees came out during the day and evening to enjoy the festivities along with more than 300 guests to listen to some great music and show off their “Denim and Diamonds!”

IT’S RIGHT HERE IN MIRAMAR YEAR IN REVIEW

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SOUTH FLORIDA’S NEWEST ENTERTAINMENT DESTINATION

The Miramar Amphitheater at Regional Park -- hosted groundbreaking On Wednesday, December 9 at 10am

Miramar residents -- South Florida and beyond -- will now have an excit-ing new facility to host entertainment, sporting and cultural events now that The Miramar Amphitheater at Regional Park has been approved for start of construction!

The Department of Parks & Recreation, in conjunction with the De-partment of Construction & Facilities Management, officially marked the groundbreaking of The Miramar Amphitheater at Regional Park, on Wednesday, December 9, 2015, 10:00 a.m. at the Amphitheater’s pro-posed site at Miramar Regional Park, 16801 Miramar Pkwy, Miramar, FL 33027.

Nikki Grossman, President of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Mike Kaufman, Chief Executive Officer from Kaufman Lynn Construction, the company who won the bid to build the amphitheater, both spoke along with Leo Bennett, CEO of Variety En-tertainment and the promoter of the upcoming Funk Fest Miami pre-sented by Pepsi to be held January 1st at Miramar Regional Park.

This venue marks the first construction project in Miramar green-light-ed to attract tourists, corporations, promoters and organizations to visit Miramar and bring their businesses—and tourist dollars--to the City of Beauty and Progress.

The Amphitheater at the Miramar Regional Park will have a seating ca-pacity of 3,000 under the cover of a 28-thousand-square-foot canopy with additional lawn seating on the promenades.

Once completed, The Miramar Amphitheater at Regional Park will be set to host events such as live music concerts, corporate retreats, art and book fairs, festivals, fundraising/ charity events, outdoor plays—the list goes on and on!

The Miramar Amphitheater at Regional Park will have everyone truly saying, “It’s Right Here in Miramar!”

MIRAMAR’S LATEST VISION FOR SENIORS NOW A REALITY

The City of Miramar broke ground on its new Adult Day Care Center on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at the Center’s future site location at 8915 Miramar Parkway.

The 3,800-square-foot one-story Adult Day Care facility will house a covered drop-off area, secured reception area and staff offices. It will also feature activity areas, classrooms and a dining room with warming kitchen as part of its amenities. The Adult Day Care facility will be a key component of the City’s Southcentral Southeast Focal Point designation -- making the City of Miramar one of only four focal points in Broward County providing a full spectrum of Social Services programs and ser-vices.

The City recognized the necessity of a center that could provide a new alternative for families and caregivers seeking specialized care for their loved ones during the day. The new Miramar Adult Day Care Center represents that community resource.

According to Marva Ricketts, Director of Social Services, “The New! Adult Day care facility enables us to provide the much needed continu-um of care which will allow our residents the ability to age in place with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

Clients must be 18 and over. To schedule an appointment for an intake assessment, please call (954) 505-4425.

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The City of Miramar Social Services Department has been named the “Southcentral /Southeast Focal Point Senior Center” by the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Broward County (ADRC) to provide programs and resources for residents 55 and older.

The Focal Point designation enables the Social Services Department to expand their already award-winning ser-vices to the senior community. Since the designation, double the numbers of seniors are now enjoying pro-gramming that promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, social interaction, wellness and fun. The City-owned buses provide transportation roundtrip from home to the center, as well as for shopping, day trips and special events. Ms. Inez from the Senior Center shared, “I used to be at home alone after the loss of my husband and now, I am no longer lonely.”

The Social Services Department provides care for all ages and stages of life; the City also operates an Adult Day Care center for those who have a loved one in need of day care services. Services are available for adults 18 years of age and over, on a full or part time basis, for persons with disabilities or for those who may need mon-itored care during the daytime hours. This added level of care is provided by licensed professionals in a nurturing and loving environment.

Adult Day Care services provide needed relief to care-givers and help ease the stress of other responsibilities. Mr. Ernie, a family member of an adult day care client and resident of Hollywood, happily stated, “My job no-ticed that I started missing a lot of days to care for Mom. What a delight to take her to the City of Miramar Adult Day Care Center while I’m at work. I just want to let you know how happy we are with the staff. Please be sure to let them know, they are very caring and special people. I congratulate you.”

The City of Miramar Social Services department also provides services to further support seniors and other eligible Miramar residents including:

• M.A.S.H. (Miramar Assisting Seniors in their Home)

• EHEAP ( Emergency Home Energy Assistance For The Elderly Program)

• Farm Share Food Distribution Program (Free Food Program)

• Transportation to members of the Senior Center based on availability.

For more information, please call 954-889-2700.

CITY OF MIRAMAR IS THE FOCAL POINT OF SENIOR SERVICES IN SOUTHCENTRAL/SOUTHEAST BROWARD COUNTY

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* Credit Card transactions using these options will be charged an additional 2%.

AVOID CREDIT CARD PROCESSING CHARGES You can pay for City Services multiple ways.

Payment Option Where Available Payment Method

Drop BoxTown Center: 2300 Civic Center PlaceMulti-Service Complex: 6700 Miramar ParkwaySunset Lakes: 2801 SW 186th Ave

Checks only

Auto-Pay Schedule through City

Forms available via Internet: https://mss.ci.miramar.fl.us/MSS/citizensor Face to Face locations of: Town Center: 2300 Civic Center PlaceMulti-Service: 6700 Miramar Parkway

Checking account information, billing information and signed authorization form activates the City’s automatic scheduling of draft funds

Mail United States Postal ServiceSubmission of checks & payment stub are required to process payment

Automatic Bill Pay

Customers’ Personal Banking Entity

Scheduled by Customer through their banking entity to automatically draft funds from their account

Pay by Check Phone : 954.602.4357Internet: https://mss.ci.miramar.fl.us/MSS/citizens

Personal bank account information required of routing and account numbers to process payment

Online* Internet: https://mss.ci.miramar.fl.us/MSS/citizens

Credit Card Check by Phone (coming March, 2016)

Phone*954.602.HELP or 954.602.4357Live Person: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.Automatic system: 24hours 7 days a week

Credit Card Check by Phone (coming March, 2016)

Face to Face* Town Center: 2300 Civic Center PlaceMulti-Service: 6700 Miramar Parkway

Cash, Check andCredit Card

EffectiveMARCH. 1st

2016, credit card transactions will be charged 2%

www.MiramarFL.gov2200 Civic Center Place | Miramar, Florida 33025

ItsRightHereInMiramar.com

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South Florida is home to several cities with the fastest-growing econo-mies in the nation, including Miami, Boca Raton and Miramar, according to a website’s analysis.

Miami was ranked behind only Austin, Texas, for having the best econo-my of 64 cities with more than 300,000 in population, said WalletHub.com, a personal finance website.

Boca Raton was tied for the 10th-fastest growing economy of 211 small cities with fewer than 100,000 residents. Miramar had the 15th-fastest growing economy of 240 cities with 100,000 to 300,000 people.

The three South Florida communities are improving their economies faster than other U.S. cities because they’re attracting new jobs, resi-dents and businesses, said WalletHub.com analyst Jill Gonzalez.

The tri-county area of Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties is “become a business hub, attracting entrepreneurs,” she said The re-gion has diversified its economy beyond tourism, she said.

WalletHub.com looked at 515 cities for growth in jobs, population, me-dian household income, new businesses, home values and five other factors in at least five years, from 2010 to 2014, with some data starting in 2008.

Texas cities led all sizes of U.S. cities for economic growth — including medium-sized Odessa and the small city of Mission. The Sunbelt con-tinues to dominate the nation’s economic growth, and South Florida is part of that trend, local economist Ken Thomas said.WalletHub.com also rated these South Florida cities highly.

• Small cities: Boynton Beach, 21stt-fastest growing economy; Miami Beach, 39th; Plantation, 70th;; Sunrise, 81st.

• Medium cities: Hollywood, 68th; West Palm Beach, 81st.

Miami grew the fastest of the nation’s large cities from 2010 to 2014 — 7.7 percent, Gonzalez said. The city increased from 399,457 people in 2010 to an estimated 430,332 in 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

WalletHub.com cited Boca Raton for having the nation’s third-highest drop in poverty rates — from 10.1 percent in 2010 to an estimated 7.6 percent in 2014, according to Census Bureau.

A big reason: More than 8,000 new jobs created since 2010 in the city of 88,188, Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie said. The city’s population has grown by just over 6,000 — or 7.4 percent — in five years, according to Census Bureau estimates.

The nonprofit Boca Helping Hands has focused on training the working poor so they can move into higher-paid jobs, the mayor said. “It’s been a very successful training program for the needy,” she said.

The city also has been abuzz with hiring at construction projects such as the 13-story Hyatt Place Boca Raton at 120 E. Palmetto Park Road. The 200-room property is scheduled to open next summer.

Meanwhile, Miramar had the ninth-largest growth in working-age popu-lation of medium-sized cities from 2008 to 2014, the WalletHub survey showed. The city’s working age population — those 16 to 64 — increased from 81,509 to an estimated 104,739 in 2014.

In the past five years, Miramar has grown 10.6 percent in total popula-tion, to an estimated 134,989 in 2014, the Census Bureau said.

From 2000 to 2006, Miramar was one the nation’s boom towns, growing from 72,739 residents to 108,072. Miramar was the sixth-fastest-growing city in the nation from those years, with dozens of gated residential communities, office parks and shops built near Interstate 75 before the recession hit in late 2007.

Even during the recession, Miramar continued to grow in population while other South Florida cities shrank, the census found.

Staff writers Arlene Satchell and Miriam Valverde contributed to this story.

MIAMI, BOCA, MIRAMAR AMONG NATION’S BEST ECONOMIESBy Donna Gehrke-WhiteSun Sentinel

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CITY OF MIRAMAR PRESENTS

Ages: 4-5 & 6-7Miramar Youth Enrichment Center

7000 Miramar Pkwy

Youth Leagues

Miramar Residents: $60Non-Residents: $74

REGISTER NOW!*Registration beginsJanuary 4th Thru March 18th.

Group Practice Sessions March 25th & April 1stAges: 4-5 • 6:15pmAges: 6-7 • 7:45pm

No Phone calls will be made priorto the start of the season.Volunteer opportunities

available for studentsCOACHES ALWAYS NEEDED

For more information call: 954.602.4780 or

Visit: www.miramarsports.com

FEES:

All participants MUST bring a copy of their birth certificate,

& proof of residency. Credit/Debit cards will be

accepted at both locations. Money Orders preferred.

PEE-WEEPEE-WEEBASKETBALLBASKETBALL

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The Miramar Police Department has collaborated in a Crime Prevention Partnership with Waste Pro(waste and recycling collection company.) Waste Pro utilizes 10-15 waste and recycling trucks in The City of Miramar six days a week. Each of these vehicles has a minimum of three cameras automatically recording neighborhoods as trash is collected. Drivers also become familiar with the community and can become an asset in crime prevention by reporting suspicious activity. Waster Pro partnered with the City of Port St. Lucie in a similar program called Fleet Watch and after receiving train-ing from the sheriff’s office, drivers there reported burglaries in progress and assisted detectives in collecting valuable evidence. Waste Pro drivers in Miramar have already received training to prepare and educate them in this new partnership.

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LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS EXPO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTACTION PLAN

On October 22nd, the City held a Small Business Expo fea-turing presentations on available programs offered by the City, Broward County and the Miramar-Pembroke Pines Chamber of Commerce. In addition, vendors representing a variety of organizations were available to assist more than 150 attendees with their small business needs.

Emphasizing the opportunities that exist to do business with government, the City and County reviewed their procure-ment processes for becoming registered vendors, including on-site computers to register with the City. The City will be creating prequalified vendor lists (by category of service and/or commodity) to support its smaller value contracting needs ($2,500 or less). The Chamber announced its partic-ipation in Google’s “Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map” initia-tive that aims to expand the internet marketing presence of local businesses. The Chamber and City will be offering free training workshops for this program.

In December 2015, the City of Miramar began preparation of an Economic Development Action Plan. The purpose of this plan is to analyze and benchmark the City’s economy to develop implementation strategies that support existing businesses and attract high new quality business. The plan is being prepared by Willdan Financial Services. Estab-lished in 1988, Willdan has assisted over 800 public agencies successfully address a broad range of financial issues, such as financing the cost of development, generating revenue to fund public services, and marketing to attract businesses. The final work product will include best practices to revital-ize historic Miramar, recommendations for leveraging enter-tainment venues, such as the Miramar Cultural Center and Miramar Regional Park, and an interactive Economic Dash-board for the City’s website.

COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTIN MIRAMAR 

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MIRAMAR’S ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT ON-LINE ANALYSIS PLACES THE CITY OFMIRAMAR AMONGST THE NATION’S FASTEST

GROWING ECONOMIESAt the City of Miramar, we believe it is important to support sustainability by “Walking the Walk.” Demonstrated leader-ship, vision, foresight and persistence are embedded within all City levels. Benchmarks include, at a minimum, compre-hensive planning goals, objectives, and policies addressing energy conservation; operations; carbon-reduction mea-sures; green building practices; Smart Code policies; and energy-efficient mixed-use land use patterns.

The Miramar Green Champions, a staff-powered team, has recently boosted efforts to highlight current environmental achievements in the City. The team aims to create a green plan which will include best management practices and benchmarks to advance resource-savings and healthy living.

The City is persistent about redesigning itself and reform-ing its policies to reduce its ecological footprint; in actively seeking sustainable opportunities and funding; and, most importantly, promoting environmental resilience.

The City of Miramar was recently named one of South Flor-ida’s cities with the fastest-growing economies, based on a national on-line analysis by Wallethub.com. “The City of Miramar, has received this acknowledgement because of key factors relating to how the City was viewed in its ability to attract new jobs, residents and businesses,” said WalletHub.com analyst Jill Gonzalez. The following chart represents statistics captured by Wallet.hub that en-couraged a focus on the City. This analysis has respectfully determined the important contribution the City of Miramar is not only making amongst the South Florida economy, but the nation.

COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTIN MIRAMAR 

COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTIN MIRAMAR 

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Government Social Media Award Finalist for Citizen EngagementCity Manager Office of Marketing and Public Relations

NEWSM I R A M A R T O D AY

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LIVE IN MIRAMAR | WORK FOR MIRAMARCity of Miramar is Recruiting

The City of Miramar is currently recruiting for part-time & full-time positions.

Learn about how you can join the City and help provide unparalleled services for your community.

VIEW CURRENT JOB OPENINGS AND APPLY ONLINE:

For additional information, please call (954) 602-3800www.miramarfl.gov/hr

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VEGGIES?WANT FREE

www.miramarfl.gov/green/gardenJoin the MCG today!

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NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

MIRAMAR EMPLOYEE FREE RESOURCES TO GET HEALTHY AND REWARDED!

I’m sure most of us can agree we can surely do better with our Health and Wellness.

I, for one, am raising my hand.

The GOOD news is the City of Miramar has some awesome resources for our employees including gym facilities and a program that rewards healthy choices.

One of the City’s best kept secrets is…

Humana Vitality, a little-known program the City has been a part of for some time and advocates healthy living. Hopefully, you will hop on board and get in on some fabulous rewards with Humana Vitality!

The Humana Vitality Program helps you get healthy and earn valuable prizes like mini-iPads, Fitbits, Movie Tickets and Gift Cards from Amazon, Target or iTunes and plenty more.

The program is super simple and easy to use especially if you have a smart phone. Take advantage of the handy Humana Vitality app that allows you to enter step challenges with co-workers and/or random strangers and earn points that convert into “Wellness Bucks” that you can spend or save as you please in the Vitality Mall.

The beauty of this program is the more good choices you make the more you save in the Vitality Mall -- getting anywhere from 10% to 40% off purchases.

By Jenae Duarte OMPR Marketing Associate

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Some examples of activities where you can earn points: dental checkups, wellness visits, eye exams, blood donations, even sleeping (that’s right -- getting paid to sleep!) and step challenges as well.

You may not know that Aetna will be our new benefit provider as of January 1st; however, the City has taken the initiative to keep this great program (Humana Vitality) available to employees.If you are interested in taking advantage of the program, please contact your department’s Vitality Ambassador or Human Resources to get more information. This Citywide initiative is rolling out Janu-ary 1st. You can sign up here https://community.humanavitality.com/welcome today and start earning points to your Health!

GO TO THE GYM FOR FREE!

As a City of Miramar employee, you have access to free gym facilities to help you earn those Vitality points even faster!

The Ansin Sports Complex holds not only a state-of-the-art track, but a fully functional gym with treadmills, elliptical machines, free weights as well as various weight training machines.

All this for Free! Miramar employees need only to bring their City-issued ID and fill out a waiver to take advantage of this great resource.

There are shower and locker facilities on-site if you want to get in a workout before or after your workday.

For our hardcore workout buffs, there is a paid 11-week boot camp that all City employees get an additional 20% discount on the regular $60.00 cost.

The facility, located at 10801 Miramar Boulevard, is open seven days a week: Monday – Friday 7AM - 9:30PM; Saturday 7AM- 8PM and Sunday 9AM-5PM.

And don’t forget our other free gym facilities at the Youth Enrichment Center at 7000 Miramar Pkwy and Sunset Lakes 2801 SW 186th Ave.

CITY OF MIRAMAR2300 CIVIC CENTER PLACE

MIRAMAR, FL 33025(954) 602-4357

WWW.MIRAMARFL.COM