The executive search firm Colin Baenziger & Associates was selected last month to conduct a nationwide search of candidates to fill the position of Coral Gables City Manager. The firm will help identify top government executives with a wide range of experience and proven credentials, qualified to take the helm of this full-service municipality with a population of 44,000 residents. The search firm has begun the recruitment process and has met with members of the City Commission individually to open conversations about what they are looking for in a City Manager. Like the City Clerk and City Attorney positions, the City Manager is appointed by all five members of the City Commission. 

It’s the holiday season and parking in Downtown Coral Gables will get a little easier, thanks to the joyful spirit of City officials. In cooperation with the Business Improvement District, the City of Coral Gables is offering downtown shoppers two hours of free parking in municipal garages every Saturday for the month of December. Holiday shoppers can receive up to two hours free parking by obtaining a coupon from merchants within the Business Improvement District. Only one coupon per vehicle, per Saturday, is allowed. This offer is in effect in the following municipal parking garages: Garage 1 (200 block of Andalusia Avenue); Garage 2 (200 block of Aragon Avenue); Garage 4 (300 of Andalusia Avenue) and Garage 6 (0 block of Aragon Avenue). And if you get too busy shopping and forget to feed the street parking meter, don’t fret.  What you see on your windshield is probably a Holiday Courtesy Ticket, compliments of the City Commission and the citizens of Coral Gables wishing you a happy holiday season and giving you a one-hour extension from the expiration time on the meter. These courtesy notices are in effect only from December 13 through December 28, 2008. For additional information, contact the City of Coral Gables Parking Department at 305-460-5541.

Time flies when you’re having fun, and for the Coral Gables Trolleys the last five years have been a breeze. That’s because the Coral Gables Trolley system, which began with initial predictions of transporting 1,000 passengers per day, is doing five times the work, providing a greener transportation solution for more than 5,000 passengers per day. Since its inception, the trolleys have transported 4.4 million commuters to and from Downtown Coral Gables. The program is in existence thanks to the funding support of Miami-Dade County’s Half Penny Transportation Surtax (through the CITT), Florida Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Planning Organization. A well deserved “thank you” goes to these funding organizations for their continued support and for believing in the Trolley system that could.

Seniors with family far away don’t have to be lonely this holiday season. Come join your friends at the City of Coral Gables Senior Services for a Holiday Party this Monday, December 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. A day full of holiday cheer can be expected at the Coral Gables Adult Activity Center, University Baptist Church, 624 Anastasia Avenue. You’ll enjoy sandwiches and cookie platters and performances by local talent and the Lift Senior Center Liftetts. To participate, you must bring an unwrapped toy to benefit children in need. Please also bring a book or two to share and take home. Space is limited to the first 100 guests. Today is the last day to register by calling 305-460-5609.

The Coral Bay Yacht Club is looking for a few good boats to light up the waterways in Coral Gables. Come decorate your vessel and be part of the holiday festivities during the Christmas Boat Parade at Gables By The Sea. The parade takes place on Sunday, December 21, and meets in the turning basing at 5:30 p.m. This year, more than 30 boats are expected to spread some holiday cheer through the Gables waterway. For more information, contact Charlie Carricarte at 305-773-0069.

Be ready to say “Cheese”! with your favorite holiday personality, Kris Kringle. The jolly old man will be waiting in his red suit at Merrick Park, across from City Hall, to listen on how extra nice you’ve been all year while you smile for the cameras. From now through December 23, Santa will be available for photographs on Thursdays and Fridays from 5-10 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 10 p.m. He will also make a special appearance on December 22 and December 23, from 5-10 p.m. for a smile and photographs. Cost is only $6 per photograph. There is also a special North Pole express mailbox in the park where children can drop off letters to Santa. For additional information, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 305-460-5600.

The City’s emergency responders work together in rescue operations, so it’s only fitting they team up to save the holidays for children in need. The Coral Gables Fire and Police Explorers have joined forces this year to organize one large Toy Drive. The Explorers have committed to delivering toys and other necessary items to several locations such as the Barn Yard Daycare, the Community Partnership for the Homeless Shelter, various charities and Miami Children’s Hospital. Over 4,000 unwrapped toys, for newborns through high school-aged teens, are needed. You are urged to help make the holidays happier for many special children in our community by dropping off your donation in any of the collection boxes located at all Publix Supermarkets in Coral Gables, City Fire Stations or Police Station. As an added convenience, a Drive-Thru toy drop off has been established for Saturday, December 13 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fire Station located on 525 South Dixie Highway. The Fire and Police Explorers are teens from local high schools who volunteer community hours or to gain knowledge and training as emergency responders.  For more information, call Laura Rodriguez at the Fire Department at 305-460-5576 or Trish Rodriguez at the Police Department at 305-460-5401.   

It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane, it’s the Lady of Faith which is on top of the Alhambra Towers in Downtown Coral Gables. Her Spanish nickname “Giraldillo” means “spinner” because the changing wind direction spins the statue around. The Coral Gables “Giraldillo” is a replica of a larger statue atop the Giralda Tower of the Cathedral in Seville, Spain, crafted in the 16th Century. This lady, draped in a gown of gauze and clad also in sandals carrying a palm branch, was first erected as the weather vane above the Spanish cathedral in 1568. Almost 440 years later, her Coral Gables replica was raised last week to the Alhambra Towers in celebration of the end of hurricane season.  

If you drive on I-95 on your way to Coral Gables, there’s a new way to avoid traffic congestion on this highway. The Florida Department of Transportation has inaugurated the 95 Express, lanes now available for long distance trips northbound between SR-112 and the Golden Glades Interchange. 95 Express will operate as High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, separate from local traffic lanes, that drivers can choose to use when their time is more valuable than the toll they might pay. Tolls will fluctuate from 25 cents to $2.50 depending on the amount of traffic. The goal is to keep traffic in the lanes moving at a speed of approximately 50 miles per hour. Tolls will be collected electronically, so toll-paying drivers will need to own and display a SunPass transponder. Even drivers not using 95 Express will see improved travel times and conditions in the existing general purpose lanes. To find out more information about 95 Express, click here.

A well-planned landscape can be beautiful, functional, easy to maintain, and it can even help to increase your property’s value. Unfortunately, our yards are actually the greatest source of contamination of the groundwater, which is the main source of drinking water in South Florida. Overusing or incorrectly using pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers can damage your plants and contaminate the groundwater. Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers can be dangerous if not properly used. When using them at home, always read warning labels, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and use the most dilute solution recommended. It is important to store chemicals out of reach of children and pets. For more information on how to prevent pollution into our drinking water, click here.

EVENTS ROUNDUP
For the definitive guide
to upcoming events in the
City of Coral Gables,
click here

TRAFFIC

Coral Way and Segovia Street: Construction of a roundabout on the intersection of Coral Way and Segovia Street is on schedule to be completed this week. With construction almost complete, it will be the job of the inspectors to conduct final inspections before the road reopens. Until the project gets the final approval, the following streets will remain closed: Coral Way at Segovia Street, North Greenway Drive at Segovia Street, Segovia Street at Coral Way and Segovia Street at Biltmore Way. Local traffic will be permitted through the area at all times. Signs are positioned just outside the construction zone that clearly mark detour routes. The roundabout is scheduled to be completed by December 15, 2008. 

CITY OF
CORAL GABLES

MISSION
Dedicated people providing exceptional services to residents, businesses and visitors while preserving our heritage.

VALUES
Accessibility
Accountability
Competency
Dedication
Innovation
Integrity
Loyalty
Responsiveness

Visit the
City of Coral Gables
web site:
www.coralgables.com
 

You are subscribed to City Beautiful e-News.
Forward this information to a friend or ask them to subscribe at e-news@coralgables.com.
To unsubscribe, e-mail us at e-news@coralgables.com.
Please visit the City of Coral Gables website at www.coralgables.com
or call the Office of Public Affairs at 305-460-5205.