MARCH 9 - 15, 2010
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Council OKs health plan for domestic partners BY GARY ALAN RUSE
he Palmetto Bay Village Council, during its Mar. 1 meeting, unanimously approved an ordinance allowing domestic partners equal access to employee health plans. Sponsored by Mayor Eugene P. Flinn Jr., the ordinance was co-sponsored by Councilmembers Howard J. Tendrich and Shelley Stanczyk, and extends equal access not only to gay couples but to anyone who chooses to live together. Palmetto Bay is only the fifth city in Miami-Dade County to extend benefits to partners who fall outside of the traditional, legally married one-man/one-woman definition. “I do not think that it’s appropriate that we have an insurance plan that leaves some of our people out,” Mayor Flinn said. “This is a commonly provided benefit in many corporations. Smaller pools shouldn’t be limited in their ability to compete.” At the council session, Flinn addressed village manager Ron Williams regarding the issue. “Mr. Manager, you’ve done so much more with less and you’ve built a tremendous culture,” Flinn said. “Morale is very important. I think that we need to have a policy that is inclusive to all of our employees.” Adopted on Mar. 1, the measure reads: An Ordinance Of The Mayor And Village Council Of The Village Of Palmetto Bay, Florida, Relating To Chapter 2, Administration; Creating Division 3 Relating To Domestic Partnerships; Providing For Employee Benefits; Providing For Ordinances In Conflict, Codification, Severability And An Effective Date. It followed a resolution on Feb. 1, also sponsored by Mayor Flinn, reading: A Resolution Of The Mayor And Village
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HEALTH PLAN, page 4
Village presents proclamation to recognize Publix manager
New leadership team takes helm at EDC
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BY GARY ALAN RUSE
aul Neidhart — area businessman, activist and former Palmetto Bay councilmember — has become the new executive director of the Economic Development Council of South Miami-Dade (EDC). With the departure of the previous director, Herb Parlato, in December to take a job in Broward, Neidhart has taken the helm of the organization that promotes and assists local businesses and development in the Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Perrine areas. On behalf of the Palmetto Bay Village Council, Mayor Eugene P. Flinn Jr., (left) recognizes the generous community spirit of Publix Super Markets Inc. with a proclamation presented on Mar. 1 to Palmetto Bay Store manager Troy Fauerbach as his daughter, Kayla; wife, Liz, and father, Bill Fauerbach, look on. The senior Fauerbach is vice president of Retail Operations for Publix Miami Division. Troy Fauerbach was recognized for donating emergency food to Village Hall staff for distribution to victims forced out of their residences in February following a fire at the Villagio of Palmetto Bay Condominiums. (Photo by Bill Kress, Village PIO.)
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Grand opening set Mar. 19 for village’s branch library
BY VINORA HAMILTON
he community is invited to join Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez and members of the County Commission on Friday, Mar. 19, 10:30 a.m., for a ribbon-cutting ceremony inaugurating the new Palmetto Bay Branch Library at 17641 Old Cutler Rd.
The 5,000-square-foot library is located inside the Village of Palmetto Bay’s Community Center at Ludovici Park — a two-story community center. The light yellow building was designed by the architectural firm of Wolfberg-Alvarez and ––––––––––––––––––––––– See
LIBRARY, page 4
Vanessa Derenoncoart and Paul Neidhart are pictured at EDC headquarters.
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EDC, page 4