M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Town Council
From: Edward P. MacDougall, Mayor
Date: January 15, 2014
Re: Urging A More Extensive Public Engagement and Education Effort
REQUESTTitle
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, URGING FLORIDA’S TURNPIKE ENTERPRISE TO ENGAGE IN MORE EXTENSIVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION EFFORTS REGARDING NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND NEW TOLLING PROGRAMS; RECOMMENDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EXPANDED E-MAIL MESSAGING CAMPAIGN USING THE FLORIDA’S TURNPIKE ENTERPRISE’S CONSUMER EMAIL DATABASE FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND NEW TOLLING PROGRAMS; AUTHORIZING TRANSMITTAL OF RESOLUTION; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
In December, as Mayor of the Town of Cutler Bay, I wrote to the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Florida Turnpike Enterprise Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, requesting that they use their own consumer database as a tool to inform the public of project costs, toll increases and express lane additions and as a way to provide public notice to the toll highway users. Although the Turnpike Enterprise uses the database for promotional materials such as a newsletter, they have in the past refused to use the database to provide public notice.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Town Council join me in urging the Florida Turnpike Enterprise to practice more extensive public engagement and education efforts and recommend the implementation of an expanded messaging campaign by using their consumer email database to provide public notice of projects and meetings.