2016-1215 Regular City Commission Meeting Minutes

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Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting December 15, 2016 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 5. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 5A. Add -On: Presentation by Police Chief Fred Maas. Action: [City Clerk's Note: See additional action under Item 4A. ] Police Chief Fred Maas said he is here tonight to announce a surprise promotion. One of the greatest resources in this City and one of the greatest commodities that we have is our K-8 Community School. For over seven (7) years one individual has been the liaison between students and the Police Department reaching as many as 2,000+ students. To say she has made an impact would be a huge understatement. He asked Patty Gonzalez to join him to be promoted to the rank of Corporal. Chief Maas asked her son Elijah to come up and stand with his Mom. Chief Maas said if you ask Patty Gonzalez she will be the most direct, most honest, and the first one to tell you that her life was impacted by meeting a police officer. She had a difficult time growing up and it was a police officer who changed the course of direction for her life. Chief Maas said this promotion will be effective after the first of the year, and with this comes numerous responsibilities not only those that she has now but also supervisory responsibilities that will be added on with regards to the school. He presented her with her Corporal's badge, she will get a date certain, and also her Corporal stripes for her uniform. 511. Add -On: Acknowledgement by Vice Mayor Jeanette Gatto of a Sunny Isles Beach Resident, Charlotte Trattner. Action: [City Clerk's Note: See additional action under Item 4A.] Vice Mayor Gatto introduced Charlotte Trattner who overcame a speech disability known as Apraxia as a young child, after eight (8) years of therapy and the love and support of her family, and her parents Steve and Liz Trattner. Charlotte founded an organization called "Just Like Me Too" which mentors children with speech disabilities and impediments. While attending our K-8 School, she did a brave thing by enrolling in speech and debate class in the Oh grade, and participated in an annual Optimist International Oratorical Competition. Despite her speech impediment and through sheer tenacity ended up winning the competition three (3) years later which earned her a college scholarship. She further persevered and competed in pageants and she won the title of Miss Global Charity Queen U.S. which recognizes the importance of volunteerism. She will be competing in Taipei this summer representing the United States. Vice Mayor Gatto said Charlotte was accepted to 18 universities around the country, deciding upon the University of Central Florida on a full scholarship where she is studying Journalism. Charlotte has helped to raise over $18,000 for Relay for Life, worked with Clean the World, an organization which recycles soap and creates hygiene kits for the homeless. She also worked with Prom to Remember which is an organization that provides a prom for children with cancer who missed their proms. Vice Mayor Gatto said she met Charlotte at our K-8 school when she spoke to the students on ways to protect the environment as Miss Florida Teen Earth. It was then that it struck her that Charlotte was a very special person, and she wanted to acknowledge her amongst all of you in the community. One of the things she likes the best is that Charlotte has lived her entire life in Sunny Isles Beach. Mayor Scholl and the City Commission presented Ms. Trattner with a Certificate of Acknowledgement. 2