Beaches will open. But when & how?
Eventually, all of our beaches will need to open. As stewards of the coastline, surfers should be leading the process of shifting from closed to open beaches. We just need to let the government know how we feel about reopenings.
Make your voice heard
This letter was developed so that you may email your local elected officials easily:
Sample Email
Dear_____________,
It doesn’t need to be today or tomorrow, but eventually, the beaches will need to re-open after the COVID19 related closures. I am asking you to represent us with a measured plan to get back to normal before the public chooses to disregard the rules as a whole.
Neighbors are already asking for access to parks, as seen in the Miami Herald article on April 10, ‘Parks don’t kill people’: Stuck at home, residents plead for green spaces to reopen”. And, then subsequently in the Miami Herald, future openings of parks was explicitly expressed, “Miami-Dade mayor forming plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions. Parks first on agenda”. I fear that completely open, business-as-usual is unlikely for quite a while. So, where do we start? I believe it’s with access to the ocean.
While I don’t want a pandemic spreading in my backyard, I do believe it’s possible to utilize our public assets in a safe manner. Luckily, on the beach, exercise activities like swimming, surfing, and paddling are very different from sunbathing or gathering and easily distinguishable from each other. If we can safely practice social distancing across other areas of the city, I believe we could also do the same for our beach.
I understand that there will be a hesitancy to re-open the beaches for fear of an onslaught of visitors. We’ll need to practice social responsibility and have enforcement in place to ensure the rules are safely followed.
When it comes to our beaches, it’s not a question of if our beaches will open. Right now, we need to decide when and how they will be opened. Will it be completely open? Will it be open to residents only? Will it be open only for exercise activities?
As a resident and active member of the community, I am willing to provide input to our process for a plan to reopen the beach. I’m asking for your help and to be my voice as my elected representative.
Sincerely,
_____Name________
Local Government Elected Officials
City of Miami Beach
| Mayor | DAN GELBER | DanGelber@miamibeachfl.gov |
| Commissioner | MICKY STEINBERG | MickySteinberg@miamibeachfl.gov |
| Commissioner | MARK SAMUELIAN | MarkSamuelian@miamibeachfl.gov |
| Commissioner | MICHAEL GÓNGORA | Michael@miamibeachfl.gov |
| Commissioner | STEVEN MEINER | stevenmeiner@miamibeachfl.gov |
| Commissioner | RICKY ARRIOLA | RickyArriola@miamibeachfl.gov |
| Commissioner | DAVID RICHARDSON | DavidRichardson@miamibeachfl.gov |
Miami-Dade County
| Mayor | CARLOS A. GIMENEZ | mayor@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 01 | Barbara J. Jordan | bjordan@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 02 | Jean Monestime | district2@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 03 | Audrey M. Edmonson | district3@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 04 | Sally A. Heyman | district4@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 05 | Eileen Higgins | district5@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 06 | Rebeca Sosa | district6@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 07 | Xavier L. Suarez | District7@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 08 | Daniela Levine Cava | District8@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 09 | Dennis C. Moss | DennisMoss@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 10 | Javier D. Souto | district10@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 11 | Joe A. Martinez | district11@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 12 | Jose “Pepe” Diaz | district12@miamidade.gov |
| COMMISSION DISTRICT 13 | Esteban L. Bovo, Jr. | district13@miamidade.gov |
Related Reading
‘Parks don’t kill people’: Stuck at home, residents plead for green spaces to reopen
Miami-Dade mayor forming plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions. Parks first on agenda
Coronavirus Is Crowding Limited Outdoor Spaces, Says FIU Architecture Professor
Coronavirus hasn’t swamped Miami-Dade hospitals, helping fuel push to reopen parks
Thanks for being involved!
Things don’t just magically happen. They take effort and thought by individuals in our communities. You don’t need to be anyone special. You just need to contact your local government. It’s their job to represent us. Let them know how you feel.
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