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RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR THE COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN EMERGENCY FUND OR GRANT FOR TAXICAB AND JITNEY DRIVERS USING $10,000,000.00 IN FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE 2020 CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT (CARES ACT) TO ALLEVIATE FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19); DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO ADMINISTER THE EMERGENCY FUND OR GRANT; AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO EXECUTE ANY DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE PURPOSES OF THE EMERGENCY FUND OR GRANT; AND REQUIRING A REPORT

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WHEREAS, in December 2019, a novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, which causes an infectious disease named coronavirus disease 2019 (�COVID-19�), emerged; and
WHEREAS, on January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a �public health emergency of international concern;� and on March 11, 2020, given the alarming levels of spread and the severity of the virus, declared COVID-19 a pandemic; and
WHEREAS, as a result of COVID-19:
(a) on March 9, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-52 declaring a state of emergency for the entire State of Florida;
(b) on March 12, 2020, Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez declared a state of local emergency for all of Miami-Dade County; and
(c) on March 13, 2020, President Donald J. Trump declared a national emergency and imposed travel restrictions between the United States and several countries around the world; and
WHEREAS, to help curb the spread of COVID-19, many state and local governments throughout the country ordered non-essential businesses to close and strongly urged residents to be safer at home; and
WHEREAS, the combination of these restrictions and the general public�s adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention�s guidelines on social distancing have resulted in a reduction in passenger travel to and from Miami International Airport and Port Miami, on which taxicab drivers in the County are heavily dependent for work; and
WHEREAS, the restrictions and adherence to guidelines resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic also have adversely impacted the demand for intra-county transportation services offered by taxicab and jitney drivers in the County, and as a corollary, also have resulted in a dramatic reduction in the income taxicab and jitney drivers derive from their delivery of such services; and
WHEREAS, there are close to 3,500 registered taxicab and jitney drivers in Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, despite the reduction in income, certain operating costs such as insurance and vehicle maintenance must still be met; and
WHEREAS, to help blunt the impact of the economic downturn set in motion by the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Congress passed, and on March 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed into law, H.R. 748, the �Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act� (the �CARES Act�); and
WHEREAS, the CARES Act is a $2 trillion stimulus package which provided, among other things:
* one-time checks of $1,200 to Americans earning a certain income;
* $349 billion in loans to small businesses;
* $17 billion of assistance to companies deemed crucial to national security;
* grants of $25 billion for passenger air carriers, $4 billion for air-cargo carriers, and $3 billion for certain contractors; and
* a $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund for local governments; and
WHEREAS, the CARES Act requires that the payments to local governments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund only be used to cover expenses that:
* are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19;
* were not included in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020, for the state or local government; and
* were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020, and ends on December 30, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the State of Florida was allocated $8.328 billion from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, of which the County received $474 million; and
WHEREAS, the Coronavirus Relief Fund monies must be used by December 30, 2020, and any unspent funds must be returned to the federal government; and
WHEREAS, this Board has recently approved legislation providing financial assistance to various individuals, organizations, and small businesses impacted by COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the public health emergency caused by COVID-19 has had and threatens to continue to have a serious economic impact in the County, and particularly on taxicab and jitney drivers; and
WHEREAS, while on May 18, 2020, Miami-Dade County entered Phase 1 of reopening allowing certain non-essential businesses to reopen with limited capacity and strict guidelines in place, a recent increase in the numbers of positive tests as well as the positivity rate for COVID-19 across the Country and in the County threatens to extend the period of economic hardship being faced by taxicab and jitney drivers; and
WHEREAS, to assist the taxicab and jitney drivers to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this Board desires to direct the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to use funding made available through the CARES Act to assist taxicab and jitney drivers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Adopts the foregoing recitals as if fully set forth herein.
Section 2. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to develop and implement an emergency fund or grant for taxicab and jitney drivers using $10,000,000.00 in funds made available through the 2020 coronavirus aid, relief, and economic security act to alleviate financial hardships caused by COVID-19 (the �grant�).
Section 3. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to administer the grant and to execute any documents necessary to carry out the purposes of the grant, following approval of such documents by the County Attorney�s office for legal form and sufficiency.
Section 4. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to provide a written report within 30 days of the effective date of this resolution detailing the status of the development and implementation of the grant or explaining why it has not been developed or implemented. Upon implementation, the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall provide a written report to this Board every 60 days thereafter, detailing the status of the taxicab and jitney drivers that have received financial assistance from the grant, until funding for the grant is exhausted. The completed reports shall be placed on agendas of the Board pursuant to Ordinance No. 14-65.