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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO IMMEDIATELY ALLOW COUNTY EMPLOYEES TO CONTRIBUTE THE VALUE OF ACCRUED ANNUAL AND HOLIDAY LEAVE TIME TO THE COUNTY�S EMERGENCY DISASTER RELIEF FUND ESTABLISHED BY RESOLUTION R-1071-05, FOR THE PURPOSE OF DONATING THE VALUE OF THAT LEAVE TIME TO THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION GIVE TO COLOMBIA, INC. FOR RELIEF EFFORTS RELATED TO THE MUDSLIDES IN COLOMBIA; SETTING THE CAP OF SUCH CONTRIBUTIONS AT $250,000.00; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY MAYOR TO MAKE THE CONTRIBUTION ON BEHALF OF THE EMPLOYEES OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

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WHEREAS, on April 1, 2017, it was reported that city of Mocoa, Colombia and the surrounding area were hit with devastating mudslides that resulted in the deaths of over 250 people with hundreds more people injured and missing; and
WHEREAS, in response to the disaster, a state of emergency was declared by the government of Colombia to mobilize assistance for the victims of the disaster; and
WHEREAS, the Honorable Marta Lucia Jaramillo Martinez, Consul General of Colombia in Miami, has communicated with Miami-Dade County to explore ways in which the County may help Colombia recover from the devastation caused by the Mocoa mudslides; and
WHEREAS, a non-profit organization based in Miami-Dade County named Give to Colombia, Inc. is coordinating fund raising efforts to provide relief for the victims of the Mocoa mudslides in Colombia; and
WHEREAS, residents and employees of Miami-Dade County have family members and friends in Colombia that have been affected by the mudslides; and generous County employees have expressed a desire to aid in the ongoing relief efforts, and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County has previously adopted resolutions to assist other communities devastated by natural disasters, including communities in Ecuador (Earthquake) R531-16, the Bahamas (Hurricane Joaquin) R-956-15, Jamaica (Hurricane Dean) R-1031-07, the Caribbean (Tropical Storm Fay and hurricanes Hanna, Gustav and Ike) R-972-08, Texas (Hurricane Ike) R-1103-08, Louisiana, New Jersey and New York (Hurricane Sandy) R-977-12; and
WHEREAS, to provide a mechanism for providing assistance to communities-in-need, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution Number R-1071-05 for the purpose of establishing an Emergency Disaster Relief Fund so that County employees could contribute earned annual and holiday leave time and anyone could contribute money to benefit victims of natural disasters and to help rebuild communities affected by natural disasters; and
WHEREAS, generous County employees have taken advantage of the fund established by Resolution Number R-1071-05 and previously contributed their earned holiday and annual leave to the victims of these natural disasters; and
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners wishes to permit such contributions towards recovery and reconstruction efforts related to the mudslides in Mocoa, Colombia,



NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Hereby authorizes and directs the County Mayor or Mayor�s designee to immediately allow the donation by County employees of earned annual and holiday leave time to the County�s Emergency Disaster Relief Fund, authorized by Resolution Number R-1071-05, for the purpose of donating the value of those annual and holiday leave hours up to a limit of $250,000.00.
Section 2. Directs the County Mayor or Mayor�s designee to publicize and make available forms for employees to complete that will authorize such earned annual and holiday leave contributions. The authorization forms distributed by the County Mayor or Mayor�s designee shall include a statement that the Board of County Commissioners has approved contributions of annual and holiday leave time for the purpose of relief efforts related to the mudslides in Mocoa, Colombia.
Section 3. Authorizes and directs the County Mayor or Mayor�s designee to provide said donation of the value accumulated in the County�s Emergency Disaster Relief Fund to the non-profit organization Give to Colombia, Inc., to be used toward the mudslide relief efforts in Mocoa, Colombia.