2016-0915 Regular City Commission Meeting

Home Browse Search

Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting September 15,2016 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida in the community. These are the individuals who are more likely to come into contact with Police Officers. Sometimes the behavior may seem suspicious to a Police Officer who doesn't know this person is on the Autism Spectrum and the person may not have a way of communicating this to the Police Officer and in a situation like that matters can escalate into a bad situation. The Wallet Card Program creates a card that the person with the disability can have on their person,and there is training for them on how to ask for permission on how to present the card. The card informs the Police Officer that this is a person of Autism Spectrum and their behavior should not be deemed suspicious. It tells them that this is a person who would like to cooperate and it can be also customized to say for example when I am nervous I flap my hands,etc. It also provides an emergency contact person so that person can come and help deescalate the situation. The Program provides training for the person with the disability and also the Police Department. She is a family law attorney and she stumbled on this when she was working on one of her cases. It happens to already be in place in Coral Gables and in other cities. And so we are in good company and well ahead of the curve. She asked families who have family members with ASD to contact us so that we can help you get this card, it is actually free of charge, and it will help prevent a problem. Commissioner Aelion asked how does that set with privacy issues and what circumstances can the card be used? Ms. Viscarra said the program is entirely voluntary and you don't have to register but these are really questions for the Disability Independence Group (DIG) who are the ones in charge of the Program. Vice Mayor Gatto said DIG's website is justdigit.org. Police Chief Fred Maas said we already reap the benefits of this Program,we were ahead of the curve and he and the City Manager co-authored an article in The Islander that went out to all of the homes advising of this Program,encouraging people to take advantage of it. On the other side was the training for our Police Officers. We were a couple of weeks ahead of an unfortunate incident that occurred in an neighboring city that many people are aware of dealing with a similar situation. Anytime we are ahead of something like that it is a tremendous benefit. Our Officers also know where to go specifically to look for some of these people when they become lost a lot of the times. This is a tremendous benefit for the City and for the Police Department. Commissioner Aelion moved and Vice Mayor Gatto seconded a motion to approve the resolution. Resolution No. 2016-2591 was adopted by a voice vote of 5-0 in favor. ION. A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Approving Blanket Purchase Orders for the Purchase of Necessary Office and Other Supplies and Services from Various Vendors for Fiscal Year 2016/2017 Under S50,000.00, Attached Hereto as Exhibit "A"; Authorizing the City Manager to Do All Things Necessary to Effectuate this Resolution: Providing for an Effective Date. Action: [City Clerk's Note: Related Items ION through IOR were heard together.] City Clerk Hines read the title, and Mayor Scholl noted these are blanket purchase orders. Public Speakers: None Commissioner Aelion moved and Commissioner Levin seconded a motion to approve the resolution. Resolution No. 2016-2592 was adopted by a voice vote of 5-0 in favor. 16