Miami-Dade Legislative Item
File Number: 172686
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File Number: 172686 File Type: Ordinance Status: Amended
Version: 0 Reference: Control: County Commission
File Name: RECOGNITION PROGRAM PARENTS WHO LOST CHILDREN Introduced: 11/21/2017
Requester: NONE Cost: Final Action:
Agenda Date: 2/6/2018 Agenda Item Number: 7I
Notes: SEE 180366 FOR FINAL VERSION AS ADOPTED. Title: ORDINANCE CREATING THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY VILOMAH AWARD TO RECOGNIZE PARENTS WHO HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY THE MEMORY OF A LOST CHILD AND TAKEN ACTION TO POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE COMMUNITY; CREATING SECTION 2-2349 OF THE CODE OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA; PROVIDING FOR CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCESS FOR RECIPIENTS; PROVIDING SEVERABILITY, INCLUSION IN THE CODE, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE
Indexes: LOST CHILDREN
Sponsors: Joe A. Martinez, Prime Sponsor
  Daniella Levine Cava, Co-Sponsor
  Jose "Pepe" Diaz, Co-Sponsor
  Audrey M. Edmonson, Co-Sponsor
  Barbara J. Jordan, Co-Sponsor
  Jean Monestime, Co-Sponsor
  Dennis C. Moss, Co-Sponsor
  Rebeca Sosa, Co-Sponsor
Sunset Provision: No Effective Date: Expiration Date:
Registered Lobbyist: None Listed


Legislative History

Acting Body Date Agenda Item Action Sent To Due Date Returned Pass/Fail

Board of County Commissioners 2/6/2018 7I Amended
REPORT: SEE RELATED AGENDA ITEM 7I AMENDED, LEGISLATIVE FILE NUMBER 180366, FOR AMENDED VERSION

Government Operations Committee 1/17/2018 1G2 Forwarded to BCC with a favorable recommendation following a public hearing P
REPORT: Assistant County Attorney Eddie Martinez read into the record the foregoing proposed ordinance. Commissioner Martinez explained the purpose of his sponsored legislation was to honor parents, who earned the recognition by the loss of their child. He pointed out there was no word in any language to identify a parent whose child had died and discovered, through research, the word Vilomah was a Sanskrit word which meant “against a natural order” and opined that word was suitable for describing a bereaved parent. Chairman Moss and Commissioner Monestime asked to be listed as co-sponsors on this item. Commissioner Martinez requested this proposed ordinance be waived to the Board of County Commissioner’s meeting scheduled on January 23, 2018. There being no further questions or comments, the Committee proceeded to vote on the foregoing proposed ordinance as presented.

Board of County Commissioners 12/5/2017 Tentatively scheduled for a public hearing Government Operations Committee 1/17/2018

Board of County Commissioners 12/5/2017 4C Adopted on first reading 1/17/2018 P
REPORT: The foregoing proposed ordinance was adopted on first reading and set for public hearing before the Government Operations Committee meeting on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, at 1:30 PM.

County Attorney 11/21/2017 Referred Government Operations Committee 1/17/2018

County Attorney 11/21/2017 Assigned Michael B. Valdes 11/28/2017

Legislative Text


TITLE
ORDINANCE CREATING THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY VILOMAH AWARD TO RECOGNIZE PARENTS WHO HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY THE MEMORY OF A LOST CHILD AND TAKEN ACTION TO POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE COMMUNITY; CREATING SECTION 2-2349 OF THE CODE OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA; PROVIDING FOR CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCESS FOR RECIPIENTS; PROVIDING SEVERABILITY, INCLUSION IN THE CODE, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE

BODY
WHEREAS, the loss of a child is a tragedy that defies the natural order of things because no parent should ever have to bury their child; and
WHEREAS, in an essay describing her personal struggle to find words to describe her grief after the death of her son, author Karla Holloway first used the term �vilomah� to describe a parent who has lost a child; and
WHEREAS, in Sanskrit, the word �vilomah� means �against a natural order�; and
WHEREAS, far too often in Miami-Dade County and elsewhere a child�s life is taken too soon by an incurable illness, an act of senseless violence, a heartbreaking accident or some other tragic cause, and a family is left to mourn too early; and
WHEREAS, while no one can ever move on from such a loss, many of these families have been able to move forward and be inspired by the memory of their loved one to take action that has positively influenced our community; and
WHEREAS, this Board believes that those families deserve recognition because their work not only honors the memory of their child, but it also inspires us all,

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA:
Section 1. Section 2-2349 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida, is hereby created to read as follows:1
Sec. 2-2349. Vilomah Award.

There is hereby created the Miami-Dade County �Vilomah� Award, which shall be administered by the Board of County Commissioners� Office of the Chair.

(a) Criteria for Award. The Vilomah Award shall be awarded biannually on behalf of the Board to any surviving parent or family member residing in the County who suffered the tragedy of losing a child and has since been inspired by the memory of their child to take action that has positively influenced the community.

(b) Procedures for Selection of Award Recipients. Beginning in 2018 and for each year thereafter, each commissioner may select one candidate from his or her district to receive the Vilomah Award and, in order to be considered, such selection shall be submitted to the Clerk of the Board by no later than the second meeting of the Board in each calendar year. Any such selection shall then be announced by the Board at that meeting. In addition, after the Vilomah Award has been presented to these recipients, each commissioner may select one additional candidate per year from his or her district to receive the Vilomah Award and, in order to be considered, such selection shall be submitted to the Clerk of the Board by no later than the second meeting of the Board after July 1st of each year. Any such additional selection shall then be announced by the Board at that meeting.

(c) Presentation of the Award. For award recipients selected by the Board at the second meeting of the calendar year, the recipient�s nominating Commissioner shall present them with the Vilomah Award at the Board�s second meeting after March 1st of each year. For award recipients selected by the Board at the second meeting after July 1st, the recipient�s nominating Commissioner shall present them with the Vilomah Award at the Board�s second meeting after September 1st of each year. The Vilomah Award shall be of appropriate design.


Section 2. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or provision of this ordinance is held invalid, the remainder of this ordinance shall not be affected by such invalidity.
Section 3. It is the intention of the Board of County Commissioners, and it is hereby ordained that the provisions of this ordinance, including any sunset provision, shall become and be made a part of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida. The sections of this ordinance may be renumbered or relettered to accomplish such intention, and the word "ordinance" may be changed to "section," "article," or other appropriate word.
Section 4. This ordinance shall become effective ten (10) days after the date of enactment unless vetoed by the Mayor, and if vetoed, shall become effective only upon an override by this Board.


1 Words stricken through and/or [[double bracketed]] shall be deleted. Words underscored and/or >>double arrowed<< constitute the amendment proposed. Remaining provisions are now in effect and remain unchanged.
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