|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
My message for the upcoming summer months is: if you still haven’t received your vaccine, please make sure you do. Enjoy the season, but also make sure that your children are ready for back-to-school, which is literally next month. And be safe out there.
Business Focus
Last quarter, with unanimous support, I passed a resolution to help small businesses stay afloat during COVID-19 with grants for a variety of business related expenses, e.g. paying bills or making payroll. I proudly started this initiative back in February. A large number of businesses were in need and we were able to award the first $80,000 of grant monies to the first round of applicants. Now we’re completing the second round of $80,000, providing our business owners with resources to help them function. Each business received an allocation based on the number of employees, the size of the business and their payroll.
“No Business Left Behind” is a series of town hall meetings I host every quarter where we engage and stay connected with the business community. I want to hear their needs, what’s working and what’s not working. We spotlighted some of these businesses in a series of video features shared on the City’s platforms.
I truly believe in the saying, “if you give a man a fish he eats for a day, but if you teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime.” So I passed a unanimous resolution to retain a consultant who taught a three-part grant writing course for Miami Gardens business owners and nonprofits. We had an overwhelming number of participants, along with great responses and feedback.
Most recently, my office started the Emerging Small Business Award initiative to highlight local businesses, many of which have been neglected. The initiative requires them to email us to provide an overview of their business, services and how they have been great stewards of the community. After being evaluated, they are recognized at one of our City Council meetings and presented with a check for $1,000 along with a nice plaque.
A Well-Rounded Approach
We’ve been on lockdown for the last year and, like many others, I’m looking forward to reconnecting with people again. Businesses are slowly opening up, our parks have reopened, we have summer camp happening — we’re excited.
I passed a resolution in June honoring Caribbean-American Heritage Month. In the month of May, I also passed a resolution honoring Haitian Heritage Month. I’m very proud to be all about diversity and inclusion.
I am in the ninth month of my term and I feel confident about the programs I have already established for the business community and we’re currently panning for other things and looking ahead. I’m looking forward to the future and to the growth of Miami Gardens.
