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RESOLUTION CODESIGNATING THAT PORTION OF N.W. 22ND AVENUE BETWEEN N.W. 79TH STREET AND N.W. 135TH STREET AS �GEORGIA JONES-AYERS WAY�

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WHEREAS, Georgia Jones-Ayers was born on October 21, 1928 in Miami�s Allapattah neighborhood, an area built for black railway workers that was at the time known as the Railroad Shop Colored Addition; and
WHEREAS, in 1947, many residents of that neighborhood were forced out of their homes and businesses after the local school board purchased land to build a school and park principally for white children from surrounding areas; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Ayers never forgot the evening when the local sheriff came in and removed her family and neighbors from their homes, and for more than a decade thereafter organized a reunion to bring together former Railroad Shop Colored Addition residents to remember when they had lived there and the dramatic way in which they were forced out; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Ayers fought to have the school renamed to honor the displaced, and years later in 2015, the school was renamed in her honor; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Ayers was known for her grass-roots activism, helping those in need during the 1968 Liberty City riot and the 1980 McDuffie riots; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Ayers is perhaps best known for her work with the Alternative Program, which she co-founded with Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Tom Peterson in 1982 to offer an alternative to jail sentences for those charged with non-violent crimes; and
WHEREAS, through the program, Ms. Ayers helped countless individuals further their education and find jobs; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Ayers also co-founded the Daily Bread Food Bank; and
WHEREAS, following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Ms. Ayers worked to secure donations and aid and to house the injured arriving to Miami at the Alternative Program building; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Ayers passed away in February of 2015 at the age of 86; and
WHEREAS, that portion of N.W. 22nd Avenue between N.W. 79th Street and N.W. 135th Street is a County-maintained road located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, Rule 9.02 of the Board�s Rules of Procedure provides that resolutions regarding the proposed naming, renaming, or codesignation of Miami-Dade County roads, facilities, or properties shall be sponsored by the District Commissioner where the road, facility, or property is located; and
WHEREAS, this codesignation is located in County Commission District 2; and
WHEREAS, this Board wishes to honor Ms. Ayers and her legacy by codesignating that portion of N.W. 22nd Avenue between N.W. 79th Street and N.W. 135th Street as �Georgia Jones-Ayers Way,�
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Incorporates and adopts the foregoing whereas clauses as part of this resolution.
Section 2. Having considered this matter at a public hearing, codesignates that portion of N.W. 22nd Avenue between N.W. 79th Street and N.W. 135th Street as �Georgia Jones-Ayers Way�.
Section 3. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the United States Postal Service, the Traffic Signals and Signs Division of the Department of Transportation and Public Works, the Development Services Division of the Regulatory and Economic Resources Department, the Miami-Dade County Police Department, and the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department.