District 8 News

Welcome to the June edition of District 8 news.This newsletter will be published monthly for the residents of District 8.You are receiving this newsletter as a subscriber of the miamidade.gov portal requesting news from District 8.

Commissioner Sorenson Takes "Commuter Challenge"
Commissioner Katy Sorenson participated in the second annual "Commuter Challenge" day, Thursday, May 18th.  This event was an opportunity to raise awareness of the great value of our mass transit system and highlights the improvements that have been made already to transit services since the passage of the People's Transportation Plan.

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Commissioner Sorenson Congratulates Mom and Pop Grant Recipients Thirty-one small businesses in District 8 received $105,000 in grants from the County’s Small Business Opportunity Grant Program.  Commissioner Katy Sorenson recognized the awardees on May, 10 at the South Dade Government Center. The presentation took place after the grant winners completed a mandatory educational workshop. The workshop detailed for the grant winners the rules for accessing their grant funding and provided them with additional guidance.

Commissioner Sorenson Receive Awards From The Urban Environment League
Commissioner Katy Sorenson and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez received awards from The Urban Environment League of Greater Miami at its Annual Meeting and Orchid Awards Presentation, on May 22, 2006, at the Miami Beach Golf Club.  Commissioner Sorenson received an award for her valiant effort on behalf of growth management and urban development issues in Miami-Dade County. The Urban Environment League of Greater Miami is composed of people from many walks of life, who have one thing in common, concern for the community. In particular, the League is concerned with the appearance and beauty of our community, the efficiency of its functioning, and the integrity of its governmental process. It recognizes and celebrates that South Florida's urban environment is alive and changing. However, the League supports growth that is consistently and wisely guided by respect for South Florida's cultural, architectural and natural history.

Commissioner Sorenson Announces the Availability of Grants for Small Community Improvement Projects
Commissioner Katy Sorenson has announced the availability of Community Image grants to assist non-profit groups with community improvement projects in District 8. Applicants are eligible for funding up to $3,000.

Commissioner Sorenson proposes a gift ban and tougher rules for lobbyists
Commissioner Katy Sorenson, long an advocate for open and accountable government, has introduced legislation seeking to restrict gifts that Commissioners and county employees can accept. Her proposal would bring the disclosure requirement back down to $25 from the current $100 threshold and ban Commissioners and County employees from accepting gifts over $100. The current set of exceptions for family members, donations to county agencies or non-profit organizations, and other exceptions remain as they are now written. "Right now there is no cap on the price of gifts that can be given to a Commissioner or a County employee as long as the gift is officially disclosed to the Ethics Commission," explained Commissioner Sorenson. "That's just not acceptable." Commissioner Sorenson's Ordinance setting the gift cap at $100 and requiring reporting of anything over $25 passed on first reading and is expected to be debated in Committee soon.