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A Resolution by the Coral Gables Advisory Board on Disability Affairs urging that the City of Coral Gables host and organize “Jonathan’s Day,” which is a CBS4 sponsored event that supports children with autism and other disabilities and their families, or in the alternative to host and organize another similar disability awareness event during “Disability Month,” in October 2018 (after further review and discussion, the Board has no objection to staff’s recommendation that the City host and organize a disability awareness event (in lieu of one for a specific non-profit/organization) and to allow non-profits/organizations such as "Jonathan’s Day" to participate and/or be a component of the event).
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The Coral Gables Advisory Board on Disability Affairs (the “Board”) advises and provides input to City staff regarding matters affecting individuals with disabilities in an effort to support inclusion and full and effective participation of individuals with disabilities within the City. Every October the City issues a Proclamation proclaiming the month of October “Americans with Disabilities Month in Coral Gables.” Jonathan’s Day is a day of inclusion and acceptance named after Jonathan Mizrachi, a boy with autism, which is the son of a CBS4 employee. CBS4 emcees the event and markets and promotes the event. The past two (2) years Jonathan’s Day has been hosted and organized by the Village of Palmetto Bay and has included a resource fair, a kids fun zone, food and drinks, raffles and prizes and a 2K run/walk. Jay and Melinda Mizrachi, who own the event and are Jonathan’s parents, have approached the Board to see whether the City would be interested in hosting and organizing the event. The Board passed a resolution recommending that the City host and organize Jonathan’s Day or in the alternative host and organize a similar disability awareness event during disability awareness month (October).
The City is committed in fostering inclusion in our community - to that end the staff recommends that the City organize and host an event to promote and support inclusion and full and effective participation of individuals with disabilities and that this be a City sponsored event and not be organized and hosted for a specific charity and/or non-profit organization. Charities and non-profit organizations such as Jonathan’s Day would be allowed to participate in the event and/or be a component of the event. The staff is concerned that hosting, organizing and funding such an event for a specific charity will lead to other similar requests from other organizations. These concerns were raised with the Board who stated that they had no objection to staff’s recommendation.
The resolution passed by the Board was presented to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (the “Parks Board”). The Parks Board expressed concern with the precedent that hosting and organizing an event for a specific non-profit organization would set for the City. The Parks Board then motioned to support conceptually the idea of an all-inclusive event in the month of October as a part of Disability Awareness Month provided that the cost of the event would not be held against the current Community Recreation 100% budget and requested additional information regarding the scope of the event. Several discussions were held with the Board during which City staff presented their recommendation on this item and discussed the staff’s concerns as well as the concerns raised by the Parks Board. The Board has no objection to the staff’s recommendation that the City host and organize a disability awareness event and to allow non-profits/organizations such as Jonathan’s Day to participate and/or be component of the event.