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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO ALLOW COUNTY EMPLOYEES TO DONATE LEAVE TIME TO THE POLICE OFFICERS ASSISTANCE TRUST (POAT) FUNDS ESTABLISHED FOR THE FAMILIES OF OFFICER CASTILLO AND OFFICER HAWORTH AND TO PERMIT SUCH DONATIONS IN THE FUTURE

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WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County�s police officers provide an invaluable service to the Miami-Dade County community and to its visitors; and
WHEREAS, on January 20, 2011, all of Miami-Dade County suffered a tragic loss of life when Miami-Dade County Officers Roger Castillo and Amanda Haworth were killed while performing their duty to the community as law enforcement officers; and
WHEREAS, this loss of life is ever more tragic for the families of Officers Castillo and Haworth who are now at a time of critical need; and
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners wishes to find a way for members of the County family of employees to show their appreciation and respect for the ultimate sacrifice made by Officers Castillo and Haworth by providing support to their families in this time of need; and
WHEREAS, an organization named the Police Officer Assistance Trust [POAT] was established in 1989 in response to the deaths in the line of duty of two Miami-Dade Police officers and the death of a City of Miami police officer; and
WHEREAS, POAT has since served the law enforcement community in times of need and is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization operating within Miami-Dade County, Florida that provides assistance to law enforcement officers and their families in times of crisis or critical need; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees is comprised of representatives from the different levels of law enforcement in Miami-Dade County (federal, state, county, and municipal) as well as members from the Miami-Dade County business community and law enforcement related fraternal and labor organizations. The Board of Trustees and staff meet on a monthly basis to discuss and vote on various assistance cases, fundraisers, and other matters pertinent to the operation of the organization; and
WHEREAS, POAT has established trust funds to assist the families of Officer Castillo and Officer Haworth in this time of critical need and loss; and
WHEREAS, County employees that wish to donate annual and holiday leave time to the POAT Trust funds for Officer Castillo and Officer Haworth should be able to do so; and
WHEREAS, in the future critical needs may arise in the law enforcement community that would benefit from additional donations of annual and holiday leave time by County employees and such donations to POAT should be authorized; and
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners wishes to authorize these donations to demonstrate its support for the families of Officer Castillo and Officer Haworth in this time of critical need and loss and to demonstrate its respect and admiration for the dedication of Officer Castillo and Officer Haworth; and
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners wishes to authorize County employees to make such donations to POAT in the future to demonstrate its support for the law enforcement community in Miami-Dade County and their families,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. This Board hereby authorizes and directs the County Mayor or Mayor�s designee to allow the donation by County employees of up to two (2) hours of annual or holiday leave time to the Police Officers Assistance Trust (POAT) funds established for the families of Officers Castillo and Haworth in this fiscal year. The maximum donation per incident, per eligible child under age 18 years shall not exceed $25,000 and the maximum donation per family, exclusive of the amounts donated per child, shall not exceed $25,000. In the event the amount of contributions does not permit the maximum contributions per child and/or families, the monies will be distributed on a pro-rata basis between the children and families.
Section 2. This Board hereby authorizes and directs the County Mayor or Mayor�s designee to allow the donation by County employees of up to two (2) hours of annual or holiday leave time to any funds established in the future for the families of any Miami-Dade County employee who has been killed in the line of duty due to a criminal act with such limitation of two (2) hours of time per event. The maximum donation per incident, per eligible child under age 18 years shall not exceed $25,000 and the maximum donation per family, exclusive of the amounts donated per child, shall not exceed $25,000. In the event the amount of contributions does not permit the maximum contributions per child and/or families, the monies will be distributed on a pro-rata basis between the children and families.
Section 3. The County Mayor or Mayor�s designee shall publicize and make available forms for employees to complete in order to authorize such annual and holiday leave contributions. The authorization forms to be distributed by the County Mayor or Mayor�s designee should include: (a) an explanation of the POAT; and (b) a statement that the Board of County Commissioners has approved contributions of annual and holiday leave time and the two (2) hour donation limitation.
Section 4. This Board directs the County Mayor or Mayor�s designee to arrange for the allocation of funds from the various departments whose employees contributed leave time to the POAT and to designate that such donations are to be used to exclusively for the families of Officers Castillo and Haworth. The County Mayor or Mayor�s designee shall give as much notice as possible but in any event at least twenty-four (24) hours notice to this Board of his intention to present the funds to POAT so that all interested members of this Board may attend any such presentation.