The Miramar City Commission met on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the Commission Chambers. The meeting included a proclamation, a COVID-19 update, approval of consent agenda items, resolutions, public participation, first readings of two ordinances, and commission reports. The quasi-judicial hearing for a Sam's Club gas station was continued. A resolution denouncing the ban on AP African American Studies was directed for the next meeting.
The following items were approved by a single motion (5-0) after items 5, 6, and 7 were pulled for discussion:
Okay, here we go. Good evening. The meeting of the Miramar City Commission is now called to order. An opportunity was given to the public to register to participate or email the city clerk twenty-four hours prior to the commission meeting with any questions, comments, concerns prior to the commission meeting with any prior to the commission meeting with any questions regarding this evening's agenda. Any person may be heard by the city commission through the chair, and upon registering, pursuant to the published notice for not more than three minutes on any proposition before the commission, unless modified by the chair.gov.gov slash commission meeting, and televised on Comcast Channel Seventy Eight and ATT Uverse Channel Ninety Nine for City of Miramar subscribers. I pledge allegiance. Under God. Liberty and Justice. We don't have a commemoration list now, but we will take a moment of silence for any condolences that we are experiencing in the community. Thank you. If she can join me to the front of the dais, and we'll call as my colleagues can come up as well if you desire. And colleagues, if you would like to join us in recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and it's being presented to Saron Earl Smith. Is she here? I didn't see yes. And is it two names? Who else am I leaving out? Um, an advocate victims advocate on program coordinator Valerie Menard. You can walk around. Good evening. Proclamation National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, January 2023. Whereas January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and whereas every year since 2010, the President has dedicated the month to raise awareness about human trafficking and to educate the public about how to identify and prevent this crime. And every year since each president has followed this tradition. Whereas human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, includes both forced labor and sex trafficking. It not only represents a threat to international peace and security, but also undermines the rule of law, robs millions of their dignity and freedom, enriches transactional criminals and terrorists, and threatens public safety and nothing national security everywhere. And whereas there are estimated to be more than 27.6 million people, adults and children subjected to human trafficking around the world, including in the United States. Traffickers often take advantage of instability caused by natural disasters, conflict, or a pandemic to exploit others. And whereas anyone can join in the fight against human trafficking and learn to and learn the indicators of human trafficking. If you are in the United States and believe someone may be a victim of human trafficking, call the 24-hour National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1888 373 7888. That's 1888 373 7888 or report an emergency to law enforcement by calling 911. Now, therefore, I wane messam, mayor of the city of Miramore, on behalf of Commissioner Alexander Davis and the City Commission, do hereby proclaim the month of January 2023 as National Human Trafficking and Prevention Month. And I'll uh provide an opportunity for Commissioner Davis to share some words. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. And um I really felt the need to bring this proclamation today. Uh it's very important that we bring awareness to human trafficking. Sometimes we don't believe it exists, so we don't see it up front. It's a very subtle thing that we may not notice the signs of somebody who's being trafficked, traffic trafficked, what's that word? Trafficted. Right. But um, we need to have some awareness, and I would really ask the city manager if he would allow that in some of our public restroom areas, which is where there is a safe place for folks to really reach out to that hotline. I know they do it at the airport. We have the amphitheater here that has a lot of events, people go there. Those public restrooms could have that hotline number, maybe also at the park, Shirley Branca Park, where we have events, and uh possibly anywhere else, maybe at the Anson Sports Complex in those bathrooms. We could have the hotline number for folks if they're being trafficked trafficked, I can't say the word, but they can actually text or call the number to get help and be advised. Um, for those of you who have been keeping tabs, uh, the state of Florida is in the top 10 of states where human trafficking takes place. And I felt it fitting that with our new uh police social worker and our victims advocates that they will get more involved in that because I'm sure it happens here as well. It happens in a lot of diverse communities. Um females tend to be trafficked in terms of sexual violations and men in terms of slave labor laws. So between the Hispanics and the blacks, they'll those are the most affected by these, and we want to make sure that our community, which is black and brown, takes the steps to recognize if there's traffickers here and how to help those who are being trafficked. Thank you so much.