04-17-2008 Workshop
"
19200 West CountrY Cluh Drive Aventum FT
City Commission
Workshop Meeting
April 17, 2008
Immediately Following 9 AM Commission Meeting
Executive Conference Room
In
AGENDA
1. Support For Tri-Rail (Commissioner Weinberg)*
2. Recommendation for George Berlin Memorial (Commissioner
Joel)
3. Consumer Protection Laws (Commissioner Diamond) *
4. Request to Attend NALEO Annual Conference (Commissioner
Weinberg) *
5. Adjournment
* Back-up Information Exists
This meeting is open to the public. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, all persons who are
disabled and who need special accommodations to participate in this meeting because of that disability should contact the
Office of the City Clerk, 305-466-8901, not later than two days prior to such proceeding.
For Release Monday, April 7, 2008
Contact: Bonnie Arnold, Director of Marketing
954-788-7936
SFRT A LAUNCHES "SAVE MY TRAIN" OUTREACH EFFORT TO ENSURE
TRI-RAIL'S FUTURE
Public Encouraged to Stand Up and Be Counted In Order To Maintain Train Service
The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority is mounting a major outreach effort to
educate the public about the need for dedicated funding to preserve Tri-Rail service. If dedicated
funding is not passed during this legislative session, there is a very real possibility that Tri-Rail's
weekday schedule will be cut back from 50 to 20 trains per day and service will be suspended entirely
on the weekends and holidays.
Dubbed "Save My Train," the campaign is being conducted during the last five weeks of the
Florida Legislative session and is designed to encourage the public to contact their elected
representatives in the House and Senate with the message that Tri-Rail is a key component to the
vitality and quality of life within South Florida, and it must be saved.
This comes at a time when Tri-Rail ridership is the highest it has ever been in its history, with
the trains regularly carrying more than 15,000 passengers per day. Tri-Railled the nation in ridership
growth in 2006, according to the American Public Transportation Association, and still continues to be
one of the fastest growing systems in the country. In March, weekday ridership grew almost 20 percent
over the same month last year.
"I strongly urge everyone in South Florida to participate and voice their opinion as this is the
only chance we have to make our voices heard," said SFRTA Chair Bruno A. Barreiro. "Having a
dedicated source of revenue is the only solution to the continuation of service at the current level as
future state funding allocations will be less likely to occur."
There are two bills currently in the House and Senate which would legislate the reprogramming
of an existing $2 a day rental car surcharge from the Florida Department of Transportation to the
SFR T A. This would generate approximately $41 million annually, which would allow the counties to
be relieved of their responsibility to fund Tri-Rail operations and would return approximately $20
million to FDOT.
The easiest way for the public to assist in the effort is to log onto www.tri-rail.com and click
on the "Save My Train" banner. Follow the prompts and your message will automatically be delivered
to members of the South Florida Legislative Delegation.
F or more information on how you can help, call Customer Service at 1-800- TRI -RAIL (874-
7245).
-###-
A VENTURA COMMISSION - AGENDA REQUEST
1. A recent article in the Miami Herald (Neighbor's 2/17/08) stated that the Miami-Dade
Consumer Services Department, which enforces consumer protection laws, business
regulations and investigates consumer complaints, gave 28 warnings and seven citations in
December and January in one of our local shopping malls. Most of them were price screen
violations when customers were not able to see the price of the product as it was being rung
up at the cash register and six restaurants were given warnings for failing to prominently
disclose their tipping policy. The problem relating to tipping is that too often the bill for the
food includes the tip and leaves open the tip portion as though it was not included.
Restaurants in Miami-Dade County are legally required to prominently display their tipping
policy to protect the consumer.
The biggfst co~plaint that I hear from resid.ents co~cerning restaurants (particula~ly
people who are heSItant or embarrassed to ask) IS the faIlure of restaurant servers to dIsclose
the price of recommendations or "specials." Often, the price for the "specials" is totally out
of line with the regular or normal prices charged in the restaurant. I believe that some
restaurants are using the specials as "big ticket hems for large profit" knqwing that most
patrons arefr~sitant toask die price. I believe thafthe consumer, particularly seniors on
limited in't~~e; shQuld be protected. . . .
2. I recommend that we adopt a resolution requesting the Miami-Dade Consumer Services
Department,~hich I believe has jurisdiction over the subject matter, to adopt by way of
ordinance or:otherwise as our attorney may recommend, a requirement that the server
(waiter --" waitress) at all restaurants disclose the price of food and beverage (wine) at time of
disclosing re90mmendations and "specials"
, ,
3. Recent examples of complaints made to me or I have witnessed:
At a moderately priced restaurant (six people seated), four requested a glass of red wine with
dinner. The server recommended a "nice bottle of red wine," without stating the price or the
name of tp.e }Vine. One person asked for the price of the wine. They were shocked when
advised that the price was $280. Can you imagine their disturbance if they ordered the wine,
believing it was moderately priced in line with their request for a glass of wine?
At a moderately priced well-known local franchise restaurant, where servers have recently
stopped giving the price for "specials," four seniors went there for lunch. The average price
of the luncheon items was $12-15. The server advised that the luncheon "special" was crab
cakes. Embarrassed to ask the price or believing it was in line with the other luncheon items
- only to find out when given the bill that crab cakes were $36.00. When the manager was
called, his response was "You should have asked the price."
At a moderately priced local Italian restaurant, where the average price of almost all dinner
items was $18-25, the server suggested the "special" was pasta and shrimp. All four seniors,
believing the price would be in line with the other items on the menu, ordered the "special"
only to find our afterward that the special was $42.00. No dinner item on the menu exceeded
$25.00. Discussions with the manager went nowhere - again, his response: "You should
have asked the price."
Avent restaurant 021808
Teresa Soroka
Page 1 of 1
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From: Eric M. Soroka
Sent: Monday, April 14, 20088:56 AM
To: Billy Joel (billyjoeI13@gmail.com); Bob Diamond (Judgerd@aol.com); luzweinberg@aol.com;
Michael Stern (aventuramagazine@aol.com); skgmiami@comcastnet; Terri Holzberg; Zev
Auerbach
Cc: Teresa Soroka; David M. Wolpin
Subject: FW: AGENDA REQUEST - "SPECIALS" DISCLOSURE AT RESTUARANTS
Supplemental information for Workshop Meeting.
Eric M. Soroka
City Manager
City of Aventura
19200 West Country Club Drive
Aventura, Florida 33180
sorok(ie@c:ityofaventura.com
305-466-8910
Fax 305-466-8919
From: Judge RD [mailto:judgerd@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, April 14, 20088:40 AM
To: Eric M. Soroka
Subject: AGENDA REQUEST - "SPECIALS" DISCLOSURE AT RESTUARANTS
ERIC,
THE PURPOSE OF THIS EMAIL IS TO SUPPLEMENT MY AGENDA REQUEST. PLEASE COMMUNICATE
THIS TO THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION,
I DESIRE MY REQUEST TO BE COMMUNICATED BY THE RESTAURANT IN SIMILAR MANNER AS THE
LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO DISCLOSE THE RESTAURANT TIPPING POLICY - IT MUST BE PROPERLY
DISPLAYED ON THE MENU AS AN ADDED PAGE OR COMMUNICATED BY THE WAITER OR WAITRESS
WHEN ADVISING AS TO EACH OF THE "SPECIALS."
WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF A COMPUTER TO EVERY RESTAURANT, THE "SPECIALS"INCLUDING
PRICE, CAN BE PRINTED AND ADDED TO THE MENU IN JUST MINUTES,
I SHALL ALSO ADVISE THE COMMISSION AS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO A FRIEND OF MINE WHO
RECENTLY ASKED THE PRICE OF A "SPECIAL" IN A RESTAURANT AND HOW HE WAS WRONGFULLY
TREATED AND WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE EMBARRASSED TO ASK THE PRICE. I THANK YOU, BOD
DIAMOND
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4/14/2008
NALEO 25th Annual Conference - The Latino Political Convention :: June 25-28, 2008 ::". Page 1 of3
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NALE02a~tj-ANNUAL CONFERENCE
IUNl:25-28.2008 * \.VASH1NGJON. DC
Dear NALEO Members and Supporters:
On behalf of the Boards of Directors of the National Association of Latino Elected
and Appointed Officials (NALEO) and the NALEO Educational Fund, we look
forward to welcoming you to the NALEO 25th Annual Conference in Washington,
D.C.
This year's NALEO Annual Conference will also be an opportunity for us to meet
with the next President of the United States. We are inviting the presumptive
nominees for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations to join us for
an open forum to present and discuss the most pressing issues affecting the Latino
community and the country. The Conference will provide a platform for the
presidential candidates to address both the nation's Latino leadership and the
Latino community, and it will identify those key policy issues that will be followed by
millions of Latinos during the campaign trail leading to the November election.
The importance of the Latino community to the continued success of our nation is
firmly set in the conscience of our nation's leaders. This year's accelerated primary
season has seen record Latino turnout in various states across the country. The
growth in Latino voter participation confirms that this segment of the electorate is
poised to playa critical role in electing the next President of the United States. We
hope to count on your participation and support once again as we meet with the
highest ranks of our nation's leadership. Together we can make our voices heard
at this important juncture, in order to meet the challenges and opportunities facing
us all.
We hope you will be a part of this historic event and join us in making a difference
We'll see you in June!
Sincerely,
http://www.naleo .org/ annua1conference.html
4/8/2008