City Manager’s Highlights

It is my privilege to spotlight noteworthy achievements by our city departments and dedicated staff, who work diligently behind the scenes. Their contributions are pivotal to the success of our organization and instrumental in providing services to our residents, businesses and visitors. Here is an overview of our ongoing efforts aimed at accomplishing numerous goals and serving Sunny Isles Beach.  

Department Head Spotlight

Tiffany Neely – Director of Finance

As we kick off Government Finance Professionals week, I’d like to recognize Tiffany Neely, Director of our Finance Department.

Tiffany leads our city’s financial operations with precision. From managing the budget to ensuring fiscal responsibility, her role is vital to ensuring your tax dollars are managed with accuracy and transparency. Under her leadership, the Finance Department was awarded the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 15^th consecutive year, as well as the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 13^th consecutive year.

Thank you, Tiffany for your leadership and dedication.

Fabricio Volpi – Director of Public Works

I am excited to announce a new initiative where we spotlight our city’s department directors to highlight the valuable contributions of our staff. Fabricio Volpi was recently promoted to the position of Public Works Director, in addition to receiving the City’s Employee of the Year award for 2023.

The Public Works Department operates 24/7, handling crucial tasks such as downed trees, street and stormwater maintenance, and construction projects around the city. The responsibilities of this department are vital, and often include life-safety issues. Since day one, Fabricio has shown great dedication to serving our community, responding promptly to issues, no matter the time of day. There is no project too large or small for him to take on.

Join me in congratulating Fabricio on his achievements and thanking him for his dedication to making our city a better place for all.

Learn more about the Public Works Department at sibfl.net/public-works.

April 16, 2024

As April marks Autism Awareness Month, we would like to extend our gratitude to Teresa Becerra and her son Robert, who provided invaluable autism-response training for our Sunny Isles Beach Police Department and Ocean Rescue Division. In recognition of her contribution, Teresa will be honored with the Police Chief’s Special Recognition Award at this week’s Commission Workshop.

Our Police Department’s Autism Outreach program was implemented to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment. This program allows officers to better serve those in our community with loved ones who live with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This voluntary initiative provides a special sticker to display on vehicles or homes, enabling officers to promptly recognize and appropriately respond to situations involving individuals with ASD.

Together, we are fostering a community where everyone feels understood, respected, and safe. Thank you, Teresa and Robert, for your advocacy.

February 16, 2024

I am pleased to share the latest improvement in our community. As part of our ongoing commitment to prioritize pedestrian safety, we have implemented a dedicated scooter lane striping along our North Bay Road sidewalk.

This aims to create a clear, defined separation between scooters and pedestrians. Your safety remains our top priority, and we appreciate your cooperation in adhering to these designated lanes.

January 24, 2024

At our January Commission Meeting we recognized a few outstanding employees with our annual awards:

• Congratulations to Mayra Aleman for earning the 2023 City Manager’s Award
• Officer Maximo Fanjul was recognized as Officer of the Year
• Officer Roxana Martinez was recognized as our first female motor officer

I take pride in being a member of this dedicated team and am grateful for their commitment to serving our Sunny Isles Beach community.

January 17, 2024

We are always working to bring you the best, most innovative service possible. I am proud to share some “firsts” for the City of Sunny Isles Beach:

• FIRST SIBPD ACCREDITATION – Our Police Department attained accreditation from the Florida Commission for Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA), a high honor ensuring our staff stay current with the latest law enforcement trends.
• FIRST SIBPD FEMALE MOTOR OFFICER – We also proudly welcomed the first female motor officer in our PD’s history. Officer Roxana Martinez completed motor-school training with the Miami-Dade Police Department, making her part of a small group of elite women who have successfully passed this course and can now hold the title of Police Motor Officer.
• FIRST CREDENTIALED CITY MANAGER – I am thankful to announce that I recently received the Credentialed Manager designation from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). This program recognizes local government managers who through their education and experience, and adherence to high standards of integrity, are deserving of this credential. We look forward to continued successes in 2024, finding ways to enhance and contribute to the betterment of our Sunny Isles Beach community and residents.

November 9, 2023

Today our residents had a unique opportunity to meet one-on-one with staff from Miami-Dade Transit. This special event was a collaboration between the City and Miami-Dade County to give residents a better understanding of the upcoming Miami-Dade County Metrobus route changes beginning November 13. Residents had the opportunity to speak to county and city staff and have their questions answered.

• Our Public Works team has completed a sidewalk widening on Collins Avenue, between 172nd and 174th Street. This safety improvement will allow more accessibility for pedestrians.
• I would like to share a recent achievement by our IT Department. IT Analyst Nahid Nizami successfully completed the Certified Ethical Hacker Training – a training to uncover vulnerabilities in security systems, networks, and applications. This certification is important in safeguarding our city’s cyber security and networking infrastructure.
• Our newly accredited Police Department completed autism training. Police & Communications officers, along with Ocean Rescue lifeguards attended “Autism: First Responder Training.” Our first responders attended this training on a regular basis to ensure they are well-equipped to serve and protect our community.

October 10, 2023

The accreditation process involved a thorough evaluation of every facet of SIBPD’s operations. This encompassed policies, procedures, training, and overall practices. I am pleased to report that the assessment revealed complete compliance with all relevant standards, with absolutely no non-compliance issues detected.

This accomplishment not only reflects the dedication and professionalism of our remarkable police force but also assures our residents that they are served by a department committed to the highest standards of law enforcement.

Thank you to Chief Eddie Santiago and every member of the SIBPD team. Together, we continue to strive for excellence in service and safety.

October 3, 2023

• Speed readers were implemented along Collins Avenue to help alert drivers to slow down and exercise heightened caution. This will play a crucial role in fostering a secure and pedestrian-friendly environment.

September 29, 2023

• A new Hiperwall was recently added to our Police Department. This will be the brain of PD’s technology, integrating systems such as our License Plate Readers (LPRs) and CCTV cameras into one interface. The investment is already paying dividends – on the first day of installation the Communications team directed officers to intercept a stolen vehicle and a vehicle with a stolen tag, resulting in two separate felony arrests.
• After months of collaboration between the City Commission, Administration and our residents, we adopted the Budget and Five-Year Capital Improvement Program for fiscal year 2023-2024. For an unprecedented 11th year, our city has lowered the millage rate, reducing it from 2.0 to 1.9 mills per $1,000 of assessed value.
• Our Information Technology Department is nearing completion of a fiber optic network project that will interconnect every city facility and park using 26,500 feet of fiber. The fiber has been installed and IT has moved onto the next phase of network architecture and implementation.