Resolution No. 2022-27 Supporting Ukraine - March 15, 2022 CITY OF AVENTURA RESOLUTION NO. 2022-27
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
AVENTURA, FLORIDA, TO APPEAL TO FLORIDA STATE
REPRESENTATIVES IN THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO UKRAINE; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, on February 24, 2022 the Russian Federation massively expanded
its war against the sovereign, independent and democratic country of Ukraine, a war that
Russia commenced eight years earlier, the largest land war in Europe since WWII and
that shattered the rules-based international order; and
WHEREAS, eight years ago Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and
occupied Ukraine's eastern territory, causing 15,000 deaths; and
WHEREAS, Russia's now second invasion of Ukraine escalated into a full-scale
war inflicting even untold civilian casualties among the Ukrainian citizens, including
dozens of children, with the death toll growing by the day; and
WHEREAS, the invading Russian armed forces have engaged in deliberate and
relentless bombings of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, resulting in large scale
destruction of residential areas, schools, hospitals, churches, historic architecture, and
critical utilities infrastructure responsible for the supply of heat, gas and water to the
population, effectively preventing Ukrainians from having access to basic utilities; and
WHEREAS, the deliberate bombing of civilians by the invading Russian armed
forces prompted what is being described as the largest refugee crisis of recent history,
with more than two million refugees, primarily mothers with children and seniors, escaping
Ukraine to the safety of nearby European countries and around the globe; and
WHEREAS, the invading Russian forces have seized full control of two key nuclear
power stations in Ukraine, namely the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (the origin of a
historic nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986) and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
(largest nuclear power plant in Europe), and the subsequent mismanagement and neglect
of these sites by the Russian army, and the threat of capture of Ukraine's other nuclear
power plants namely the South Ukraine NPP, Rivne NPP and Khmelnitskiy NPP, presents
imminent danger of a nuclear catastrophe for the European continent; and
WHEREAS, the actions of Russian forces in the early hours of March 4, 2022
resulted in the Zaporizhzhia NPP to be the first operating civil nuclear power plant to come
under armed attack in violation of the 1979 Additional Protocol to the Geneva
Convention's Article 56 which contains a provision stating that nuclear power plants "shall
not be made the object of attack, even where these objects are military objectives, if such
an attack may cause the release of dangerous forces from the works or installations and
consequent severe losses among the civilian population"; and
City of Aventura Resolution No. 2022-27
WHEREAS, on May 2, 1994, Ukraine, the United States, the Russian Federation
and the United Kingdom co-signed a "Memorandum on security assurances in connection
with Ukraine's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons",
otherwise known as the Budapest Memorandum, marking Ukraine's voluntary nuclear
disarmament in exchange for security assurances by the co-signing parties;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this City Commission urges the
Florida representatives in federal government to engage in advocacy for the U.S. to
provide immediate additional support to Ukraine, to encourage and assist in diplomatic
solutions to end the war in order to prevent further mass casualties among the civilian
population, prevent nuclear and ecological catastrophes and alleviate what is becoming
the largest refugee crisis in recent history; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this City Commission urges the Florida State
government to provide the Ukrainian nationals fleeing the conflict a safe refuge in Florida
State by providing Temporary Protected Status for Displaced Ukrainian Nationals
entering the U.S. on or after March 1, 2022, as well as the programs and support
necessary; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF AVENTURA, FLORIDA, THAT:
Section 1. The Aventura City Commission is hereby requesting that a copy of
this Resolution be sent to all of its Florida State and Federal Government officials
including U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, Florida State Governor Ron
DeSantis, the Bi-Partisan Ukrainian Congressional Caucus, the Bi-Partisan U.S. Senate
Ukraine Caucus and U.S. House of Representatives for Florida's 271h Congressional
District Maria Salazar, Florida's 241h Congressional District Frederica Wilson, and
Florida's 23rd Congressional District Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Section 2. The foregoing Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its
adoption.
The foregoing Resolution was offered by Commissioner Dr. Marks, who moved its
adoption. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Narotsky, and upon being put to
a vote, the vote was as follows:
Commissioner Denise Landman Yes
Commissioner Dr. Linda Marks Yes
Commissioner Marc Narotsky Yes
Commissioner Robert Shelley Yes
Vice Mayor Rachel S. Friedland Yes
Mayor Enid Weisman Yes
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 15th day of March, 2022.
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City of Aventura Resolution No. 2022-27
•
ENID WEISMAN, MAYOR
ATTEST-
ELLISA L. HORVATH, MMC
CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO LEGAL SUFFICIENCY:
CITY ATTORNEY
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