ANALYSIS:
Administration has concluded its research on selection criteria on other municipalities similar in population, as well as major metropolitan cities within the United States to better understand how they conduct their selection and nomination process for their respective halls of fame.
Most major cities do not have an all-inclusive hall of fame, but focus predominately on athletics or a specific group of individuals who have contributed to the history and heritage of their city. There are also statewide halls of fame that honor individuals; for example, the state of California has a hall of fame program for the state, which was established in 2006 by the California Museum and former First Lady Maria Shriver to honor legendary people who embody California’s innovative spirit and have made their mark on history. There is also the example of the City of Austin, Texas that created a hall of fame for prominent women within the city that have broken through barriers and bettered the lives of women and girls in the community.
Recommendation:
Staff has conducted extensive research on both local and national models for creating a Hall of Fame. As follows are recommendations for establishing a selection committee, adopting Hall of Fame nominee eligibility requirements and implementing a nominating process:
1. Selection Committee
Create a nine member Commission-appointed Selection Committee for the Hall of Fame, plus two at large members of the local community.
Appointees would be knowledgeable in the following fields of expertise:
1. Business
2. Education
3. Arts & Entertainment
4. Philanthropy
5. Sports
6. Public Service
7. Literature/History
2. Hall of Fame Eligibility
A person would be eligible for induction to the City of Miami Beach Hall of Fame if that person meets any or all of the following criteria:
· Had some significant impact on the city as a whole/made a lasting impact on the City.
· Had significant ties to the City including:
Born in Miami Beach
Made Miami Beach his/her place of residence or business
Made a positive and lasting impact on Miami Beach
3. Nomination Process
Nomination packages would include the following:
- A letter of nomination, sent to the City Clerk listing the nominee's name; submission of a biography that lists the reason for the nomination; and a list of the major accomplishment(s) of the nominee and how they relate to the City of Miami Beach.
- As part of the nominating package, nominators must identify themselves and their relationship to the nominee. Additional support letters from other individuals supporting the nomination could be included.
- All required items in the nomination package would be vetted and confirmed by the City Clerk’s office, including a review for any missing or incorrect information. Nominators would be given a grace period by which to correct any missing or incorrect items, and then a drop dead date by which the nominating package must be complete.
- Once complete and vetted by the City Clerk, this nomination package would be sent to the office of Tourism, Culture, and Economic Development, where staff would serve as liaison to the Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
- The Selection Committee would determine how many inductees to recommend each year. Potentially, three inductees each, with at least one induction being a posthumous honor.
- The Selection Committee would then make their recommendations to the Commission, and the Commission would ratify the annual inductees.
- The City would establish a repeating selection process and annual date at which time an event to induct new honorees would take place each year. The annual process is recommended as follows:
o June 1st – 30th Nomination packages submitted to the City Clerk. Deadline for submissions is June 30th of each year.
o July- First Review Meeting of the Selection Committee
o August- Second Review and Recommendation Meeting of the Selection Committee
o September- Selection Committee Recommendations Presented to City Commission for Ratification
o November- Annual event to Induct New Honorees