COMMISSIONER BRUCE ROBERTS

May 17, 2013 - In his May 2013 Newsletter, Vice Mayor Bruce Roberts applauds a National Softball Association of the Deaf (NSAD) decision to hold their 2014 tournament in Mills Pond Park, promotes a program that adds trees to the City canopy by utilizing online services, extolls a new Sun Trolley service that caters to tourists on a layover, discloses the financial fruits of adding a fraud-busting Fort Lauderdale Detective to the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office, portrays the Broward B-cycle Program as an environmental success story and offers a list of important upcoming events.

EMERGENCY 911 DISPATCH OPERATOR

However, Roberts’ leads off with kudos for a County decision to assume responsibility for funding a unified Emergency 911 Service, ending an extended war of nerves between Broward County and its 31 municipalities. A decade after 80% of Broward’s voters mandated a countywide consolidation of emergency dispatch services in 2002, public officials from the county and its municipalities finally acknowledged that doing so would shave precious minutes from the response time to emergencies wherein the difference between life and death is often measured in seconds. It would also eliminate the delays and dropped calls that result from interstation transfers, enhance responder safety, evolve a uniform set of performance metrics, enable all Broward residents to equally benefit from ever-improving technology and guarantee county-wide closest unit response.

The plan seeks to replace 11 flimsy “Public Safety Access points” (i.e. local dispatch centers or PSAPs) with three “category-5 hardened”, demographically centralized “flee to” sites in Pembroke Pines, Sunrise and Coconut Creek; each fitted with sufficient communication capabilities, multiple power sources and data back-ups to either share the load or unilaterally manage the entire county. A 2010 Feasibility Analysis anticipates annual savings of roughly $7.7 million from a 20% reduction in telecommunications personnel, the elimination of administrative and support redundancies and the reduced cost of maintaining 3 integrated dispatch sites instead of 11.

As cities and towns were incorporated throughout Broward County, the Broward Sheriff’s Office sought to bolster its shrinking jurisdiction by marketing a Chinese Menu of Public Safety services, including emergency dispatch for municipal Police and/or Fire-Rescue Departments. Since the cost of delivering these services would be picked up by all Broward taxpayers, the Sheriff also elected to quietly barter services with various jurisdictions, like a 1991 arrangement with Hallandale Beach to provide dispatch services in exchange for certain radio frequencies.

These disparate pricing formulas and sub-rosa cross subsidies ultimately yielded 8 self-funded municipal 911 programs. Of the 23 Cities that contract with the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) for police dispatch services, 17 also use BSO for fire dispatch. Some cities are being invoiced for these services; others receive them “on the cuff. As a result, Homeowners in some jurisdictions are double-taxed to provide others with a free ride. For Instance, while taxpayers in Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines fund their contracted dispatch services in their city taxes, their county taxes are used to absorb the cost of BSO dispatch services for cities like Pompano, Lauderhill and Davie.

When these sleazy funding practices and pricing policies came to light, Fort Lauderdale, Plantation and Pembroke Pines - whose taxpayers pay for their own services while incrementally subsidizing services for neighboring cities - insisted that the County pick up the tab for their dispatch services as well. Led by Fort Lauderdale, municipalities seeking an equitable funding policy threatened to abandon any County plan and commenced legal actions preliminary to full blown litigation with the County.

COMMISSIONER SUE GUNZBURGER

It worked. Since the program costs and projected tax burden had already been defined in the 2010 feasibility study, the conflict solely inured to whether the tax should be levied by the County, the cities or some combination. During February and March County Commission meetings, the County Board entertained a 60% - 40% shared funding formula with county municipalities. At the May 7 County Commission meeting, Commissioner Sue Gunzbuger said “I’m not willing to risk people’s lives in another year,” and dropped her opposition to a dispatch program wholly funded by the county, enabling a subsequent 5 - 4 vote for the County to fully underwrite a $42.6 million consolidated project. Under a County plan to increase the millage rate by .17 mils, the projected $20.3 million incremental contribution by Broward taxpayers will add $21 to the tax bill for a homesteaded property with an average taxable value of $121,000.

County Commissioners LaMarca, Ritter, Ryan and Mayor Jacobs, who opposed the plan, complained that participating municipalities refused to pledge that the savings would be passed through to taxpayers. Instead, officials from various participating municipalities indicated that funding overages would help plug projected deficits in their respective municipal budgets.

PLANTATION MAYOR DIANE VELTRI BENDEKOVIC

COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BERTHA HENRY

Coral Springs and Plantation have notified the county of their intention to decline participation in the new program and rely on their independent dispatch infrastructure. Since Plantation’s Fire Department heavily impacts who will occupy City Council seats, if County Administrator Bertha Henry protects jobs in Plantation’s Fire fiefdom and convincingly deifies Plantation Fire Chief E. Laney Stearns, Plantation Mayor Diane Veltri Bendekovic may relent and participate.

Vesting the County with sole responsibility for funding the project provides participating municipalities with two benefits. In addition to transferring millage pressure – and its attendant political headaches – from municipal budgets to the County budget, the protocol will insulate municipal taxpayers from decades of BSO-engineered patronage abuses, including surreptitious subsidies for noncontributing municipalities. As an added benefit, City and County officials won’t have to explain that our tax dollars were being used by both sides to slug out the issue in court. For the Vice Mayor’s Update, Read on... – [editor]

DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER & V.M. BRUCE G. ROBERTS

UPDATE ON CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS IMPLEMENTATION (COUNTY-WIDE 911): It appears as if we have finally implemented this invaluable public safety communications system. A crucial vote took place at the May 7^th Broward County Commission meeting approving this system by a 5-4 vote. The County Commission decided to fund the first year by reallocating $18.7 million from the Broward Sheriff’s Office budget to pay for part of the countywide system and increase homeowner’s property taxes to raise $20.3 million. The remaining $4 million will paid for through one-time general fund revenues. The direct impact for Fort Lauderdale is an annual savings of approximately $8 million and, in the long term, a more effective and sustainable system. Only two cities — Coral Springs and Plantation — have opted out of the consolidated emergency system.

NATIONAL SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF NATIONAL TOURNAMENT – MILLS POND PARK: The National Softball Association of the Deaf (NSAD) national softball tournament has once again selected Mills Pond Park as their site for 2014. The tournament, which was last held at Mills Pond in 2009, is made up of a minimum of 18 teams in men’s, women’s and coed divisions. The tournament will be held in August, exact dates to be determined. NSAD was incorporated to promote and protect the mutual interests of all members of NSAD, and to provide a social outlet for deaf softball participants and their friends. NSAD was established to develop participation in the sport of softball under regional and national organizations active in athletic competition and in recreational events by deaf persons as well as promote and maintain the mutual interest of deaf people in the United States of America in creditable and sportsmanlike participation in athletic competition and recreational events in the softball sport. The City is excited to once again host this unique tournament.

SAVE A TREE, PLANT A TREE: BUILD A CANOPY. GO PAPER-FREE!: This program is an innovative program that merges environmental protection and resource savings by offering free trees to Ft. Lauderdale customers who switch to a paper-free utility billing process. It promotes and encourages sustainability through paper-free services that save energy and natural resources; it increases the City’s tree canopy to cool shade and beautifies homes, neighborhoods, paths, parks and roads; it is a fiscally responsible alternative that helps “green” Ft. Lauderdale while reducing expenses. All you need to do is sign up for automatic Bill Payment and/or E-billing, and then pick up your free tree – or two trees if you sign up for both services. Types of trees available are Live Oak, Pigeon Plum, and Jamaica Caper. Please go to the attached link for tree pickup schedule (http://fortlauderdale.gov/saveatree/index.htm) or call 954.828.5150.

SUN TROLLEY PROVIDES CONVENIENT MOBILITY FOR FT. LAUDERDALE TOURISTS: March marked the 39^th consecutive month of increased tourism in Fort Lauderdale. Ft. Lauderdale's Wave n' Ride Sun Trolley system serves as the transportation component for the Ft. Lauderdale excursion package, which began mid-January. The Sun Trolley has seen a huge increase in airport passenger ridership over the past months topping 200 passengers daily. Your Commissioner recognized an opportunity to provide a free shuttle service for tourists who have cruise ship layovers at Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport. Patricia Zeiler, the Sun Trolley’s Executive Director, developed a plan that partnered with “Bags To Go” which allows tourists to leave their bags safely at the airport, while they explore Ft. Lauderdale. The Sun Trolley runs to and from the airport regularly Saturday and Sunday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The airport trollies pick passengers up and drop them off at the Ft. Lauderdale Historical Society on SW 2^nd Street leaving them in walking distance to Las Olas Boulevard, Las Olas Riverfront, Himarshee Street and the Riverwalk. Of course, these visitors are also advised on how to take advantage of the trollies’ other seven routes, connecting Downtown, the Convention Center, the Beach, the Galleria Shopping Center and the Galt Mile. Passengers simply flag the driver anywhere along the route to board. Once aboard, the fare is 50¢ for one trip or $2 for all day, hop-on-hop-off service. The Sun Trolley Tracker, a new mobile app for Android and iPhone users, provides real time location of all trollies. To download printable route maps, the mobile app or to learn more visit www.suntrolley.com or call (954) 761-3543. In addition to the excursion route, this community bus service now has a ridership of 400,000 on all routes.

COOPERATIVE EFFORT WITH BROWARD COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISER’S OFFICE UPDATE (Homestead Fraud): In March 2012, Ft. Lauderdale Police Department Detective Anthony Windes was assigned to work with the Budget Advisory Board’s Office for the purpose of investigating tax fraud matters relating to properties located in the City. Since the start of the program, Detective Windes’ work has resulted in the collection of over $1,600,000 in back taxes, of which approximately $336,000 was returned to the City. Additionally, approximately $28,875,000 in value has been restored to the tax roll. Next year that will generate $118,945 in new revenue for the City (based upon a tax rate of 4.1193 mils and 2012 value). This program would not be possible except for the cooperation of BC Property Appraiser Lori Parrish and her office!

BEACHFRONT BROWARD B-CYCLE DOCK

UPDATE ON THE BROWARD B-CYCLE SHARING PROGRAM (2012 ANNUAL REPORT): This healthy and environmentally positive program, which was launched in December 2011, now has stations in Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach, Hallandale, Dania Beach and Lauderdale-by-the Sea. The City is responsible for a total of 11,239 check-outs in the first year of operation, representing 47% of the total usage for Broward County. Of the 11 City stations, the most utilized stations continue to be Sebastian Lot, Willingham Park and Earl Lifshey Park. In the first quarter of 2013, B-cycle launched two new stations in the City. Station 12 is located at Sunrise Boulevard and SR A1A, and Station 13 is located on SE 17^th Street at the Convention Center. Broward B-cycle continues its dynamic marketing approach via print and social media, and has also participated in various community City-sponsored events. Some interesting statistics: 24,190 total trips; 15,573 casual users; 421 annual members; 90,626 miles biked; 3.4 million calories burned; 984 pounds of fat burned and 570 Facebook followers!

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR:

• August 26^th: Joint Commission and Budget Advisory Board Workshops – Last of the Quarterly Meeting Dates – 7:00 p.m., 8^th Floor Conference Room.

• Starlight Musicals (June 14-August 2): 7 - 10 p.m. – Football Field/Holiday Park – please go to http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/events/index.htm for the 2013 Entertainment Schedule.

• May 20, June 3 & 17, July 1: Upcoming Pre-agenda Meetings

• May 21, June 4 & 18: Upcoming Commission Meetings

• May 25: Great American Beach Party

• May 27: City Hall is closed to observe Memorial Day

• June 24 & 25: Budget Advisory Board Budget Workshops (10 am - 4 pm, 8^th Floor Conference Room, City Hall)

• July 2: Last Commission Meeting before summer recess.

• August 19: First Pre-agenda Meetings AFTER Summer Recess

• August 20: First Commission Meeting AFTER Summer Recess.

• ROBBI UPTEGROVE

  September 3 and 17 Commission Meetings: Public Hearings on the budget

Office Contact: Robbi Uptegrove – 954-828-5033; email: ruptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov. In addition to hosting the pre-agenda meetings twice a month, I am also available to attend your HOA meetings to update your neighborhood on what is going on in the City as well as answer any questions/concerns you may have. Please contact Robbi to schedule.

Bruce G. Roberts                

If you need to reach Commissioner Bruce Roberts, please contact his assistant Robbi Uptegrove at 954-828-5033 or by e-mail at RUptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov. To access the City Commission Meeting Agendas and Minutes, Click Here. To actually watch the meetings recorded and archived on the Commission Meetings Video Webcast and Archives web site, Click Here.

COMMISSIONER BRUCE ROBERTS

April 25, 2013 - In his early Spring Newsletter, District 1 City Commissioner Bruce Roberts applauds the City’s Public Works personnel in the Utilities Bureau for winning repeat accolades from the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FSAWWA), describes how to leverage $6 into a year of free beach area parking, delivers access to a statistical snapshot of last year’s first half condo sales and residential rental activity, and links us to feedback distilled from a December 2012 online Neighborhood Survey that may add perspective to the City’s visioning objectives. An opening article comprising nearly half the newsletter looks at past and planned projects approved by the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

Established in 1977 by the Florida Legislature, the Broward MPO manages urban transportation planning and directs the expenditure of federal and state funds. Highway fuel tax dollars we send to Washington DC are dumped into the Federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF) and granted back to local MPOs through the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. Tallahassee bound fuel taxes and license / title / registration fees are deposited into the State Transportation Trust Fund (STTF) and passed to BMPO through the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Since taxes that discourage consumption – like excise taxes on fuel or fuel use – are presumed to diminish with time, MPO agendas annually stress a hunt for stable funding. Project revenues are also sourced from local option fuel taxes, public - private partnerships and innovative financing techniques, including the assessment of tolls, creative value capture financing, and value pricing.

MPO boards and committees embark on an exhaustive vetting process before determining which municipal, County and regional transportation infrastructure projects are worthy of inception, preservation, enhancement or expansion pursuant to a long-range transportation plan minimally framed with a 20 year outlook. Along with fellow City Commissioner Romney Rogers, Roberts represents the City of Fort Lauderdale on the Broward MPO Board of Directors.

On January 3, 2013, Broward MPO Executive Director Greg Stuart emailed a message to stakeholders summarizing transportation challenges tackled by BMPO in 2012, itemizing their funding sources and naming their respective jurisdictional beneficiaries. Stuart also glimpsed his expectations for 2013, when the current 2035 planning horizon is extended by five years – which the BMPO is marketing as “Commitment 2040”.

BROWARD MPO EXEC. DIR. GREGORY STUART

Stuart’s list offers a collective benefit greater than the sum of its parts. Taken together, the promising projects demonstrate a connectivity that enhances the value of each component enterprise. For instance, while serving as the main station for the Wave Streetcar system, the Sun Trolley, Broward County Transit (BCT) and FEC’s regional “All Aboard Florida” service, Fort Lauderdale’s Mobility Hub will also anchor the Central Broward East-West Transit System. As a BMPO board member privy to Stuart’s email, Roberts opted to include the Executive Director’s informal insider perspective in his newsletter (see below – “Broward Metropolitan Transportation Organization”).

A1A DESIGN OPTIONS ALONG GALT MILE

Following a comprehensive assessment of need, anticipated benefits, economic and environmental impact, the BMPO breathes life into a successfully competitive project or program that productively moves people or freight. The Galt Mile spent 39 years as a spectator community before finally deriving a direct benefit from BMPO’s mandate, attributable - in large part - to Roberts’ efforts. After simmering on the back burner for a decade, long-planned improvements to the severely deteriorated Galt Mile section of A1A were recently completed.

Our Commissioner’s participation on the BMPO board will yield another neighborhood benefit in 2015, when MPO approves a second round of FDOT-managed construction along the same thoroughfare. The current lane reduction, traffic safety and hardscape upgrades provide a structural substrate for planned aesthetic and quality of life enhancements to the Galt Mile’s reconfigured slice of Ocean Highway. Given their newfound personal stake in the agency’s approval proclivities, Roberts’ BMPO update is both timely and relevant to Galt Mile residents. Until the project is placed on the agency’s 2015 agenda, the GMCA will monitor our MPO’s activities. Trust... but verify – read on... – [editor]

DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER & V.M. BRUCE G. ROBERTS

Broward Metropolitan Transportation Organization (MPO): As most of you know, I serve on this board along with representatives from every municipality in Broward County, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Broward County School Board, and four Broward County Commissioners. Nineteen are voting members; Fort Lauderdale is the only city with two votes. The MPO is responsible for transportation planning and has developed a strategy through 2035; the MPO also allocates and directs the funding to develop these plans. The Federal Government and the State of Florida (FDOT) are the funding sources. The Broward MPO works with the public, planning organizations, government agencies, elected officials and community groups to develop transportation plans. The Broward MPO’s vision is to transform transportation in Broward County to achieve optimum mobility with emphasis on mass transit, while promoting economic vitality, protecting the environment and enhancing quality of life. The mission is to influence the expenditure of federal and state funds to provide a regional transportation system that ensures the safe and efficient mobility of people and goods, optimize transit opportunities and enhance our community’s environmental and economic well-being. In 2012, the MPO continued to forge new partnerships with non-traditional transportation partners, achieving success with the nationally recognized Complete Streets program. We have funded more bicycle, pedestrian, greenway and transit (The Wave streetcar) projects today than at any time in the MPO’s 39-year history! The following is just a summary of the many achievements over the past year.

• 2012 Achievements:

  • The Board funded a series of pedestrian and bicycle projects that will be constructed by our partners at FDOT. These pedestrian and bicycle projects provide direct access to our transit corridors and Mobility Hubs and are the implementation of our Complete Streets program.

  • Working with our partners at FDOT and BCT, we expanded existing express bus operations and established new express bus operations connecting many of our western Municipalities to Tri-Rail, Downtown Miami, Downtown Fort Lauderdale and the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport at Dania Beach.

  • We began the planning and engineering for our first fully funded Mobility Hub in downtown Fort Lauderdale partnering with the City of Fort Lauderdale, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority and FDOT. This Mobility Hub will serve as the main station area for the funded Wave Streetcar System, the Sun Trolley, BCT and the near-term FEC regional passenger service, “All Aboard Florida”.

  • We have started the planning for the $1.5M Alternatives Analysis (AA) for the full length of University Drive, partnering regionally with Miami-Dade MPO, Miami-Dade Transit, Broward County Transit, the South Florida Regional Transit Authority, FDOT (Districts IV and VI) and the Municipalities along the corridor.

  • The Board authorized funding The Wave Streetcar system after receiving a $18M grant from the Federal Transit Administration and $35M from FDOT in Tallahassee. The Board recognized that the Wave streetcar will be the first phase of the Central Broward East-West Transit System, which can be expanded to operate across the entire Broward Region. Our funding approval is the turning point in creating new transportation choices for the Broward Region.

  • We received an additional $3.5M for planning efforts that will help expand transit planning, operations and maintenance for the Broward Region.

  • Working with the Palm Beach, Martin, St Lucie and Indian River MPOs, we ensured that MPO attributable funds can be used for landscaping projects associated with transportation improvements. And through the same partnership, created the criteria for major landscaping projects funded by FDOT, so that the landscaping can make a bold statement (creating a sense of place) while promoting economic development.

  • We have increased our funding to rail and port projects by $30M from $201M in FY 11/12 to $231M in FY 12/13.

  • We have increased our overall annual transportation funding for FY 12/13 from $651M to just over $1B, with the addition of the I-75 managed lanes project.

• Listed below are just a few of our expectations in 2013 for a better transportation system for the Broward Region:

  • We will begin the 2040 update to the Long Range Transportation Plan, to be known as Commitment 2040. Each Board Member will have the opportunity to actively participate in the plan’s update as well as assist the implementation of our public outreach efforts, via our local cable television stations and on local radio! We will expand our conversation with residents and the business community to gain a better understanding as to which transportation projects they want to advance and what mechanisms they would approve to operate and maintain them.

  • We will begin the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan, which is the combination of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach MPOs’ 2040 Long Range Plans with a completely regional perspective.

  • We will complete the Regional Freight Plan that will complement freight and goods movement in the region by placing projects in the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan.

  • We will identify funding mechanisms available for all planned transit projects, from the local passenger rail on the FEC to the East-West and beyond.

  • The Board will select the locally preferred alternatives for several projects including local passenger service on the FEC, Oakland Park Boulevard Study and University Drive Study.

  • We will apply for transportation planning grants furthering our relationships with Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration that focus on transportation, economic development, land use and environmental adaptation.

  • We will begin to redraft the interlocal agreement for the MPO, which is required every decade, establish new transportation district boundaries and make other changes necessary to make our MPO one of the best MPOs in the Nation.

PUBLIC WORKS PERSONNEL IN THE UTILITIES BUREAU RECOGNIZED BY FSAWWA FOR TOP DIVISION 5 WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

City of Fort Lauderdale Wins 2012 FSAWWA Division 5 Water Distribution System Award: The City of Fort Lauderdale Utilities Bureau was recently named the winner of the 2012 Division 5 Water Distribution System Award by the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FSAWWA). The City was selected from among other statewide public and private utilities for the stellar performance, operation, and maintenance of its water distribution system. This is Fort Lauderdale’s second consecutive win, and the third time in four years the City has been selected as the winner of this award. The City of Fort Lauderdale distribution and collection system delivers approximately 15 billion gallons of potable water to our residential and commercial accounts. City utility professionals manage and maintain 788 miles of water mains, 475 miles of sewer mains, 119 miles of force mains, and 204 lift stations located throughout the City. FSAWWA committee members with years of professional and municipal work experience judged the City’s system based on information provided in seven categories: water quality, operations records, maintenance, professionalism, safety, emergency preparedness, and cross connection/control program. The committee also reviewed extensive supporting documentation included with the application, including public outreach efforts, 24-hour customer service capabilities, and special events offered by the Utilities Bureau.

Resident Beach Parking Permit: Frequent beachgoers will enjoy the value of free parking and easier access to the beach. City residents will be able to park free at North Beach, Fort Lauderdale Beach Park (formerly South Beach), and the North Birch/Intracoastal E-Lot with the annual purchase of a Resident Beach Parking Permit for $6. City residents can apply for a Resident Beach Parking Permit online or in-person at Transportation and Mobility, 290 NE 3^rd Avenue. Weekday hours are 7:45 am to 4:00 pm. Extended hours on Thursday are 7:45 am to 5:30 pm. Permits cost $6 for one year (there is an additional $6 fee if you would like the permit mailed to you). Call 954-828-3700 for more information. NOTE: Proof of City residency is required. Required documents include a valid twelve month residential lease or proof of ownership of a homesteaded property within the incorporated city limits of the City of Fort Lauderdale, a current vehicle registration, a current driver's license, and a current utility bill (within the past 30 days). Acceptable utility bills are water, electric or cable. The name and address on all four documents must be the same. For payment online, we accept Visa or Mastercard only. The expired Resident Beach Parking Permit must be returned to the Parking Services office in order to purchase a replacement permit online or in the office. Web Page: http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/parking/resident_beach_parking_card.htm

Downtown Demographic Report: Interested in learning more about current residential, population and commercial statistics for downtown Fort Lauderdale? Check out the new 1^st and 2^nd Quarter 2012 Residential and Commercial Statistics. Go to http://www.ddaftl.org/view/pdf/Demographics1-2-2012.pdf.

Things to Remember:

• NEVER leave personal items in your car – it is an open invitation for a thief.

• ALWAYS call the police if your car or home has been broken into – even if nothing has been taken. This helps them keep track of what is happening in your area. (954-828-5700)

• CALL Code if you notice blight in your neighborhood, as well as your City. (954-828-5207)

• INFORM your neighbors when you will be away so they can keep an eye on your place. You can also let the police know and they will do drive-bys.

• KEEP your pet on a leash, and PICK-UP any mess they leave behind. Your neighbors don’t like walking in it!

• BE COURTEOUS of your neighbor by keeping noise levels low and barking dogs quiet – just to name a few!

2012 Neighborhood Survey: At a very recent commission meeting, we discussed the results of this survey, which is online at the City’s website. The random survey was conducted by an independent firm and measured neighbor satisfaction with City services and quality of life. The results, broken down by district and neighborhood, will be used for our strategic planning and the implementation of our 2035 Community Vision. The highlights include:

• The City is a great place to visit (89%), is a place for play and leisure (85%), and a place to live (83%).

• Satisfaction with City services received high marks for police and fire (75%), quality of parks and recreation programs and facilities (75%), and public landscaping (69%).

• Least satisfied areas of concern were with the City as a place to raise and educate children (49%), and overall traffic flow (39%).

There is so much more detail and interesting information that I really encourage you to view the survey on line. http://fortlauderdale.gov/documents/neighbor_survey/memo_and_final_report.pdf

ROBBI UPTEGROVE

Don’t Forget:: I will come to your HOA meeting, along with staff, to address any issues/concerns that you may have, as well as give you an update on what is happening in your City..

Office Contact: Robbi Uptegrove – 954-828-5033; email: ruptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov.

Bruce G. Roberts                

If you need to reach Commissioner Bruce Roberts, please contact his assistant Robbi Uptegrove at 954-828-5033 or by e-mail at RUptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov. To access the City Commission Meeting Agendas and Minutes, Click Here. To actually watch the meetings recorded and archived on the Commission Meetings Video Webcast and Archives web site, Click Here.

CRIST, PRUITT AND RUBIO PLEDGE TO DROP TAXES LIKE A ROCK

March 5, 2013 - Having survived an up-close view of the Abyss, the Sun Trolley’s Galt Mile Route has come roaring back from the brink of oblivion. In May of 2007, then Governor Charlie Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt and House Speaker (now Senator) Marco Rubio shared a podium in the Capitol’s fourth floor after the 60-day legislative session failed to provide Floridians with a promised tax cut. As choreographed for their staged sound bite, an ovoid grey rock inscribed with the word “Patience” was passed from one to the other, as each in turn swore to “drop taxes like a rock” in the upcoming June special session.

Notwithstanding this eerie gashouse intro, the resulting $31.6 billion tax reform package forced local governments to muzzle deeply inbred tax and spend habits fueled by annual property tax windfalls that were suddenly eviscerated by the recession. Mandated by law to roll back their impending FY 2008 property tax assessments to FY 2006 levels, local governments were also forced to cut taxes by another 3% to 9%, contingent on their taxing proclivities over the prior 5 years and measured against a statewide average. In short, those cities and counties that most burdened their taxpayers were charged with providing commensurately greater relief.

After decades of burning through tax revenues at light speed, Broward Commissioners were suddenly confronted with a statutory obligation to slice $100 million from the County’s $billion 2008 spending plan. In an unprecedented turf protection marathon, each Commissioner fought to cut appropriations for services and/or improvements in neighboring districts while fiercely defending their own pork projects. When the dust settled, along with libraries housed in structures not owned by the County, any local bus venues wherein utilization didn’t justify continued operation were marked for extinction. Fort Lauderdale’s community bus service – the Sun Trolley – is a project jointly sponsored by the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association (DFLTMA) and Broward County Transit (BCT). Among the bus lines on the block was the Sun Trolley’s Galt Mile route.

FORMER DIRECTOR LES HOLLINGSWORTH

In fact, Fort Lauderdale’s entire community bus service suffered near-terminal neglect when entrusted to former Sun Trolley Executive Director Les Hollingsworth, who spent a good deal more time solidifying his own future that that of the community bus service. When invited to address neighborhood associations and civic groups, Hollingsworth would outline a half-baked marketing strategy followed by assurances that working together would somehow salvage their besieged bus routes. Evidently, glad-handing at rubber chicken dinners tested the limits of his management skills.

TERMINATION LETTER - CLICK TO ENLARGE

Although the Galt Mile Route met the County’s contractual survival standard of 7.1 riders per hour, and despite promising neighborhood association officials that he would rescue the Galt Mile route, on October 10, 2008, Hollingsworth submitted a surreptitiously drafted termination notice condoning its demise! When the GMCA revealed Hollingsworth’s betrayal, a phalanx of angry residents who attended the October 21, 2008 City Commission meeting convinced Commissioners to abort the termination. By the time that the DFLTMA Board realized that their Sun Trolley Executive Director’s management vision was 99% vapor (and that he was sending out resumes), the entire enterprise was facing insolvency.

ABORT TERMINATION - CLICK TO ENLARGE

When Hollingsworth was finally issued walking papers, DFLTMA Executive Director Chris Wren stepped in as the Sun Trolley’s Interim Director. Wren futilely pleaded with local merchants to support underutilized routes throughout the City. Having watched Hollingsworth burn through meager agency resources to promote a series of botched screwball marketing “experiments”, the vendors were understandably unwilling to invest in a program with untested leadership and a horrific track record. Later, these vendors would regret not having accepted Wren’s invitation.

INTERIM SUN TROLLEY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRIS WREN

Within months of Hollingsworth’s long-overdue dismissal, District 1 Commissioner Bruce Roberts and Wren met with GMCA officials Pio Ieraci and Eric Berkowitz to discuss last rites for the Galt Mile route. Ieraci, Berkowitz and Roberts convinced Wren to issue a temporary reprieve, and agreed to broker a series of meetings devoted to cultivating a long-neglected revenue source. The concept was simple. Instead of carrying vacationers from Port Everglades and beachfront hotels to the usual blood-letting tourist traps, by tailoring the service to accommodate the shopping needs of local residents, it would not only boost ridership, but jump-start business for vendors stung by the economic downturn.

SUN TROLLEY MANAGING DIRECTOR PATRICIA ZEILER

On September 15, 2009, the City signed a 3-year County contract with two one-year extensions to operate the Sun Trolley. Guided by constituent input aggressively solicited by new Sun Trolley Managing Director Patricia Zeiler, Wren restructured the Sun Trolley to better connect shoppers, patients and other consumers with customer-hungry vendors and service providers. Since adding Holy Cross Hospital to the Galt Mile route, elderly or disabled neighborhood residents who “walk the pool” every morning hop the Trolley to their regular afternoon Physical Therapy session at the Hospital. Extending the Galt Ocean Mile route south to the Galleria provided local residents with cheap and easy transportation to a world-class shopping venue and brought desperately needed new business to Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Dillards and scores of smaller stores trying to rebuild a faltering customer base.

WREN SEAMLESSLY CONNECTED GALT OCEAN MILE, LAS OLAS & CONVENTION CONNECTION ROUTES

Since the southernmost link in the Galt Mile route – a stretch of Sunrise Boulevard from A1A to the Galleria – is also the northernmost link in the Las Olas Beaches/Convention Connection route, seamlessly connecting these two existing routes enabled Galt Mile shoppers to also access the Harbor Shops, stores on Las Olas Boulevard and a host of other shopping destinations. As an ancillary benefit, this new connectivity boosted recreational utilization as well, as an increasing number of Galt Mile and North Beach (the Palms, etc.) condo dwellers realized that a Trolley ride to the Fort Lauderdale beach area, Bahia Mar, Port Everglades, Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the Convention Center, the Museum of Art or the Las Olas Riverfront was fast, cheap and free of parking headaches. Despite the strained economy, burgeoning ridership incentivized further expansion as the DFLTMA chalked up a home run.

On January 18, 2012, Broward County Transit (BCT) Capital Planning Manager Barney McCoy notified the County’s 18 local partner municipalities about the availability of additional funds for the Community Bus Service program. BCT funds its share of the program by tapping revenues from the County’s 2000 Local Option Gas Tax, for which each participating municipality serves as a “pass-through” agency to its local bus operator. In short, funds allocated to each municipality are in turn budgeted to its Community Bus Service. When several municipalities either reduced service hours or discontinued fully funded routes, the unused resources held by the County were made available to the other municipalities. Four of BCT’s 18 partner municipalities dug into the cookie jar, including Fort Lauderdale.

Nearing the end of its three-year pact, Fort Lauderdale City Commissioners wanted to insure the Sun Trolley’s fiscal viability before their planned consideration of signing the first one-year contract extension (from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013) at the June 5^th City Commission meeting. To help DFLTMA snag resources for planned service expansions, in February 2012, Fort Lauderdale City staff responded to McCoy’s invitation by submitting funding applications for an additional $92,109 on behalf of the Sun Trolley.

Of the additional $92,109 subsequently approved by BCT for the remainder of FY 2011-12, $2,484 would offset a Las Olas Beach route deficit, $27,945 would fund an additional trolley run for the Convention Connection route and a whopping $61,680 was earmarked to provide the increasingly popular Galt Ocean Mile route with new Saturday and Sunday service. Unfortunately, the $61,680 was inadequate to fully fund the Galt route’s planned weekend service.

To remedy the shortfall, City staffers drafted an amendment to the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) that extends the contract between the City of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County. The Amendment housed a request for an incremental allocation of $19,918.08. Since no additional Gas Tax monies were available for the balance of fiscal year 2012, and city bean counters were cloistering reserves as a cushion against 2013 budget blowback, the only source of revenues was a non-transferable Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant dedicated to the Convention Connection bus route. Although Federal regulations intractably bind FTA revenue disbursements to the route for which they were approved, when Wren interconnected the Galt Mile and Convention Connection routes, he serendipitously obliterated the funding obstacle. Since the Federal dollars could legally be used to plug the deficit anticipated by the Galt Mile route’s weekend expansion, it remained on Zeiler’s “to do” list.

SUN TROLLEY CONNECTS GALT TO DOWNTOWN SHOPS

With cadres of commuting regulars congregating on the bus to lunch on Las Olas after shopping in Galleria, utilization rates soon outpaced projections. Flourishing under the aggressive leadership of Wren and Zeiler, monthly ridership reached an unprecedented 32,000 in December, 2012. In addition to attracting waves of frugal shoppers, the service has thinned the number of vehicles clogging city streets (and comparably cut the City’s carbon footprint). In one program sponsored by the Sun Trolley, parking spaces are reserved in centralized venues like Broward Government Center and the County Courthouse for carpooling commuters who then hop the Trolley to work. In January, Sun Trolley Executive Director Patricia Zeiler observed “Currently, Sun Trolley serves as an alternative to driving a car for over 7,000 passengers per month.”

On January 2, Zeiler expanded the Beach Link Route to a 7-day service. Running between the Harbor Shops (on the 17^th Street Causeway) and the Galleria Mall (at Sunrise Boulevard and the Intracoastal Waterway) with an option to cruise Las Olas Boulevard and Himmarshee Street, patrons can catch rides every 30 minutes from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM for 50¢/ride or $2 for unlimited daily jaunts. Two weeks later she launched “Fort Lauderdale Excursion”, a new airport transportation and baggage storage service that enables tourists to sock away their luggage in “Bags To Go” before using the Sun Trolley ($19.95/person) and/or Water Taxi ($29.95/person) for unlimited rides throughout the City until they return to the airport, grab the bags and fly off. It sure beats spending a 14-hour layover drifting in and out of semi-coma in the airport lounge.

Wren and Zeiler have also turned the page on the Sun Trolley’s stunted commercial appeal. Newly awakened to its positive impact on business, instead of having to sweet-talk merchants into supporting the bus service, local vendors are actively competing for destination status on a Sun Trolley route. Many are willing to help finance the required expansion.

IMPERIAL POINT CEO ALICE TAYLOR

Zeiler also never forgot how extending the Galt Mile route to Holy Cross Hospital mutually benefitted the Sun Trolley and the Medical Center. On January 20, a $20,000 contribution enabled Zeiler to further extend the Galt Mile route to Broward Health Imperial Point Medical Center. Commenting on the expansion, Zeiler said “We are so pleased to have Broward Health Imperial Point Hospital join our route destinations. The Galt Link Route continuously ranks as one of Sun Trolley’s most popular routes amongst Broward County residents and we are confident that adding Broward Health Imperial Point will only serve to increase ridership.”

Keenly aware of the stiff competition among healthcare service providers, Broward Health Imperial Point CEO Alice Taylor added “Diagnostic services such as CT, MRI, ultrasound, X-ray and digital mammography are now just a trolley ride away for residents of Galt Ocean Mile. The partnership also means increased access to dozens of physicians in various specialties whose offices are located on the hospital’s campus.” Galt Mile residents who walk the pool every morning are delighted.

COMMISSIONER BRUCE ROBERTS

January 24, 2013 - After opening with evidence of the City’s improving economic outlook, Commissioner Bruce Roberts’ January 2013 newsletter jumps to Beach Renourishment, summarizing progress of the City - County - State (FDOT) short term A1A recovery plan before concluding with a confirmation that resonates with every Galt Mile resident - exclaiming “that we are on schedule for the long overdue Phase II beach renourishment project, which is now set to start in November/December 2013.” He then describes a lien amnesty program that will incentivize the rehabilitation of homes long frozen in disrepair by upside down mortgages and enable the sale of abandoned properties currently buried in code violations. A follow-up on State-wide efforts to criminalize the ever-changing chemistry of designer drugs bespeaks Attorney General Pam Bondi’s December 11, 2012 emergency rule outlawing 22 new synthetic variants. Dwarfed by these well publicized, high profile updates is a less noteworthy item about a service to help drivers find parking spaces in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Actually, the nascent technology that enables this service could change the way cities worldwide operate in the immediate future.

Most people use the internet to interact in a social or business context; the “Internet of Things” explores communicating with every element of our infrastructure, which entails installing devices that provide us with real-time data relative to their purpose as well as feedback about their operational sufficiency. Fueled by enlightened self-interest; we get to exert unprecedented control over our environment while these corporate behemoths get to sell, service or finance the limitless hardware and software required to actualize this objective. For example, in addition to the chipsets in every computer, cell phone, digital watch, microwave oven and other “smart” appliances and machines, the “Internet of Things” anticipates implanting low-power wireless devices in every pipe, brick and beam in our buildings and along our streets. Raw data is continuously pumped into a collecting site called a cloud, from which it can be extracted, analyzed and applied as required. Intoxicated by their prospective entry into a $15 trillion market, these colossal conglomerates are shoveling venture capital into startups with any viable business model for vesting infrastructure with IQ. For those of you who regret having missed out on the Pet Rock or Hula Hoop, redemption may be at hand! Read on... – [editor]

DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER & V.M. BRUCE G. ROBERTS

I hope everyone was able to spend time with family, friends and loved ones during the recent holiday season. We also wish you a happy and healthy New Year for 2013! We are looking forward to another great year for Fort Lauderdale and the opportunity to work with you.

After five years of difficult economic times, we believe we are witnessing Fort Lauderdale coming out of the recession. During those tough years, your Commission developed sound fiscal policies and directed their implementation to reduce spending, hold the line on taxes, and yet maintain vital City services. Now we see the local unemployment rate continue to decline; tourism has increased for the last thirty consecutive months; City infrastructure improvements have been undertaken along our Beach, Sistrunk Boulevard, Executive Airport and Downtown; County infrastructure improvements are progressing at Port Everglades and at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport; infrastructure enhancements are planned to support multimodal transportation initiatives such as the FEC Railway fast track from Orlando to Miami with stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, the FEC commuter line connecting the East Coast downtowns from Jupiter to Miami, and our own Downtown WAVE. All of this activity has spurred private investment for redevelopment. Lastly, the residential market is on the upswing.

GALT MILE RESIDENTS PACK BEACH COMMUNITY CENTER

Beach Renourishment: : I know everyone is aware of the damage Hurricane Sandy and subsequent high tides caused to our beach. As serious as that damage was, and not to diminish the impacts all the way through the Galt Mile, it is important to keep in perspective that the most severe damage was limited to a four-block stretch. Furthermore, I believe we finally have the opportunity to turn a negative into a long-term sustainable outcome. On December 10^th, the City of Fort Lauderdale hosted a community meeting to present what had transpired, the current situation and potential solutions. After hearing from experts from several agencies, the forum was opened to public participation. Almost 300 attended the meeting and anyone who wished to speak was given that opportunity. Future concerns and recommendations were expressed. At the conclusion of the meeting, it was decided that the City Manager’s office would remain open to collecting new ideas, which would be evaluated for implementation. Indeed, it was a very good meeting with a positive outcome:

• The working agency relationships developed during the emergency are continuing as we move through short, medium and long term remedies.

• A public consensus for a three lane greenway seemed to be a common thread.

• Ongoing public participation in problem resolution.

At the December 13^th Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meeting, the funds were approved for the long-term greenway project. All of the voting MPO municipalities and County Commissioners understand the gravity of the situation and its potential regional impacts. There was overwhelming support for funding the $8.3 million project. A contract for the work has been awarded and it is anticipated that the actual installation of the steel sheets will occur in mid February. In the meantime, pre-drilling will take place during the week from 7 a.m. to 7 p. m. Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The long-term sustainability plan is more complex and it offers many potential technical solutions. This is where we have a great opportunity and must work with you and all of our agency partners to succeed. Please keep in mind that we are on schedule for the long overdue Phase II beach renourishment project, which is now set to start in November/December 2013. Working around turtle season, the project will take two years and will include Pompano, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Fort Lauderdale to Sebastian Street.

Lien Amnesty Program: At the October 16, 2012 Commission Meeting, a resolution was passed initiating a Code Enforcement Lien Amnesty Program that allows the City, for a limited period of time, to settle Code Enforcement Liens on real property for less than face value. It will also provide the City with a mechanism to clear many old and cumbersome liens from the books, which will give new and existing property owners the incentive to bring old, existing violations into compliance. In addition, this program could stimulate the sale of many abandoned properties that may have previously been thought to be unmarketable due to these encumbrances. Existing homeowners who are in foreclosure but still occupying these properties will be able to obtain clear title and renegotiate their mortgage with their lender. The resolution states that in order to qualify or participate in this program the following conditions must be met: all properties owned by the applicant must be free of any code violations as evidenced by a completed inspection; all repeat violators will not be able to participate in the program until all properties in violation are in full compliance; all direct City costs, and any liens including lot cleaning charges, board up charges, demolition charges, civil penalties, condemnation and legal fees, shall be paid in full prior to the expiration of the Amnesty Program. Also, reductions will be offered at the following rates: residential and non-residential properties: 15% of the total amount owned on fines/liens, not to exceed 5% of the Just Market Value as determined by the BC Property Appraiser’s Office for 2012. Many existing code violations will require extensive and often costly work, which may require the expertise of architects and contractors, resulting in the need to obtain and close out necessary building permits. This may result in the need for an extended amnesty program period. Public outreach to our neighbors and the real estate and banking communities will be necessary as staff also prepares for a successful roll out of the program. If you would like the full content of this resolution, please contact my office and we can email it to you.

Lauderdale Now Has Downtown Parking App: Need help finding a parking spot in and around downtown Ft. Lauderdale? Now there’s an app for that. The City is now using technology from Streetline to let drivers know where and when parking spots open up. Sensors embedded in the pavement detect when spaces are available. “Parker,” a free smart phone app, provides the location and general availability of spaces through the use of web-enabled devices such as smart phones, PCs and tablets. Once parked, drivers can use the app to pay for parking via PayByPhone, set a timer to track how much time is remaining on the meter, or access walking directions to help find their parking space when they need to return to their vehicle. The system is currently set up near the Florida Atlantic University and Broward College campuses. In addition to detecting spots with “Parker,” drivers will be able to toggle between availability and price, including real-time updates as prices are changed or updated. There is also the option to enter an address within “Parker” and view parking options nearest to that destination. To download the free “Parker” app, please visit www.streetline.com/park/. “Parker” is available as a free download on iTunes and the Android Market.

HERBAL INCENSE - FAKE WEED

OUTLAWING ADDITIONAL SYNTHETIC DRUGS – A follow-up to the drug problem in Florida: Attorney General Pam Bondi (Tallahassee) filed an emergency rule outlawing 22 new synthetic drugs, commonly called “bath salts,” “K2” or “Spice.” Attorney General Bondi was joined by law enforcement officers and a health practitioner as she announced the emergency rule designating new synthetic drugs as Schedule I of controlled substances, making it a third-degree felony for an individual to “sell, manufacture, deliver or possess with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver" these drugs. Synthetic drugs can cause psychotic episodes, hallucinations, seizures, paranoia, tremors, and more. “Synthetic cannabinoids have been linked to thousands of emergency department visits across the country, and a majority of those visits are by patients ages 12-29,” stated Attorney General Pam Bondi. She also stated that she was very grateful to our law enforcement partners and the health care community for their continued dedication to protecting Florida’s youth from these horrible drugs. FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey also commented that these dangerous drugs are widely available in smoke shops, truck stops and convenience stores, and through the Internet. Retailers who stock these products have two options: surrender their inventory or face enforcement action. Attorney General Bondi will work with the Florida Legislature during the 2013 legislative session to ban these 22 additional drugs permanently.

Did You Know?

• The most common code violations are the illegal parking of inoperable vehicles and failure to clean up junk and rubbish.

• Any structural repairs, new fences, most plumbing and electrical work, driveway installations, and even removal of certain trees, can require a permit from the City. Please call (954) 828-5191 for more information.

• The City can eliminate unsafe buildings or structures through demolition under the Florida Building Code.

• The City can board up vacant buildings that are open at the doors and windows after the required legal notification is made to the owner.

• The City can clean and clear vacant lots after the required legal notification is made to the owner.

• The City performs routine fire inspections.

• You can search for code violations and track code cases online by going to http://gis.fortlauderdale.gov/cct/.

ROBBI UPTEGROVE

Office Contact: Robbi Uptegrove – 954-828-5033; email: ruptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov. In addition to hosting the pre-agenda meetings twice a month, I am also available to attend your HOA meetings to update your neighborhood on what is going on in the City as well as answer any questions/concerns you may have. Please contact Robbi to schedule. If you would like to be on our email list to receive information, notifications or general information, please email us and you will be added.

Bruce G. Roberts                

If you need to reach Commissioner Bruce Roberts, please contact his assistant Robbi Uptegrove at 954-828-5033 or by e-mail at RUptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov. To access the City Commission Meeting Agendas and Minutes, Click Here. To actually watch the meetings recorded and archived on the Commission Meetings Video Webcast and Archives web site, Click Here.

GALT MILE RESIDENTS PACK BEACH COMMUNITY CENTER

December 25, 2012 - On December 10, more than 300 local residents, their elected officials from the City, County and State, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) bureaucrats and representatives from environmental, business and civic organizations converged on the Beach Community Center. The public officials were there to reveal long and short term recovery proposals under consideration by the City, County and State (FDOT). Residents who packed the standing-room-only Monday night event hoped for a glimpse at the future of their beach.

FDOT PROJECT MANAGER GERRY O'REILLY

In the $3 million short term solution described by FDOT officials, the temporary concrete jersey barriers will be replaced by steel sheets punched 45 feet into the ground to stabilize and support the beach. FDOT project manager Gerry O'Reilly explained “Once core samples reveal an optimum depth to which the sheet pile should be driven, a 2400-foot long metal wall will be inserted as far east as allowed in the permit (the FDOT right-of-way includes the roadway, not the beach), when the current barriers will simultaneously be removed.” Work will begin in the last week in January or the first week in February. Seemingly pleased that project costs are already funded, O’Reilly admonished that the funds must be disbursed by June. Over $2 million is available for the short term fix and a $3 million work program set-aside for the roadway rebuild.

BROWARD COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BERTHA HENRY

Once structurally isolated from roadway infrastructure, the beach will receive tons of sand hauled by truck to the devastated areas north of Sunrise Boulevard between 14^th and 18^th streets. As the adjacent beach is outside the FDOT right-of-way, the accompanying sand placement will be managed by the County. Since the short term plan must be completed prior to the March onset of sea turtle nesting season, on December 11, the Broward County Commission authorized County Administrator Bertha Henry to bypass ordinarily convoluted procedural requirements in favor of an expedited procurement process for engineering services, cost-sharing negotiations with State and Feds, regulatory Whack-a-Duck and construction. Henry asked for $3 million to dump a maximum 50,000 cubic yards of sand on the connected beach. At the December 20^th GMCA Advisory Board Meeting, Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca confirmed that the County Tourism Fund will fuel the mini-renourishment. By March, the makeshift adaptation of A1A would be cushioned by an additional 20 - 40 feet of beach.

FDOT DISTRICT SECRETARY JIM WOLFE

Longer term, FDOT envisions the temporary 2-lane A1A configuration abutted with a third “left turn” lane. Space liberated by the lane reduction can accommodate a long-planned Greenway project from Sunrise Boulevard to the north end of the beach. In addition to the sidewalk and possible on-street parking, FDOT District Secretary Jim Wolfe said “Whatever the new configuration is, there will be bike lanes on both sides; which we will insist on.” Wolfe also said that the new road would be elevated and O’Reilly proposed tilting A1A so that water drains to the west – away from the ocean – rather than to the east.

ROMNEY ROGERS, BRUCE ROBERTS, LEE FELDMAN AND GMCA PRESIDENT PIO IERACI AT BEACH MEETING

REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE MORAITIS

From the City, Mayor Jack Seiler was joined by Commissioners Bruce Roberts, Romney Rogers and Bobby DuBose, City Manager Lee Feldman, Assistant City Managers Susanne Torriente and Stanley Hawthorne and Public Works Director Albert Carbon, who also floated the mobile microphone to attendees recognized for comments or questions. Seiler thanked District 93 Statehouse Representative George Moraitis, who volunteered his assistance when A1A first buckled. Affirming a campaign commitment to Fort Lauderdale’s fiscal future and summarizing his efforts to enable Port Everglades to exploit $billions in new trade when post-Panamax supertankers begin navigating the upgraded Panama Canal in 2014, Moraitis said that beach infrastructure is critical to the regional and State economies.

To deter its abuse as a weekend speedway, the GMCA successfully added a lane reduction to the FDOT A1A resurfacing project along the Galt Mile; narrowing the roadway from 6 to 4 lanes. It came as no surprise when residents who live near the decomposed section of A1A similarly opted to endorse the smaller 2- or 3-lane configuration. One local resident observed “It’s like the fourth turn of the Daytona 500 when they’re coming down A1A. The only way to control this is to cut it down to three lanes and make it more pedestrian friendly and beach friendly for people who want to use the beach, not as a bypass for Federal Highway.”

MAYOR JACK SEILER HOSTS A1A MEETING

Assuming the role of meeting host, Mayor Seiler announced the City’s intention to investigate natural and artificial erosion control enhancements that will further stabilize the shoreline and resist rising sea levels caused by global warming. In addition to fitting beaches with increased vegetation and dunes, Seiler discussed adding an artificial reef to the offshore marine architecture. Explaining that the city is actively soliciting both professional and public input in an effort to evolve a balanced action plan, the Mayor told attendees about “RestoreA1A.Com” a city website created to harvest feedback.

CORAL REEF ALLIANCE PRESIDENT TOM GOREAU

Four years ago, Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties caucused to form the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact. Last year, the group came up with 110 recommendations, including redesigning low-lying roads and moving drinking-water wells inland. On November 6, 2012, one week after Sandy butterflied A1A, Mayor Seiler signed a pledge to help implement those aspects of the climate action plan appropriate to Fort Lauderdale. Denouncing renourishments as a paranoid overreaction to a non-existent threat from “fluctuating sea levels” and scorning global warming as a myth propagated by a “worldwide Communist conspiracy,” right-wing demagogues rebuffed the group’s conclusions as “junk science” and “heresy” spurred by a “Socialist power grab.” On the other side of the rubber wall, President Thomas J. Goreau of the Global Coral Reef Alliance wrote a June 1^st letter to Eric Myers. Decrying the beach fix, Goreau cited as his primary reason “The beach in Segment II is not eroding,” a revelation he is likely to have since revisited. Welcome to the Venice of America... where the hits just keep on comin'!

BROWARD COMMISSIONER CHIP LAMARCA

While accepting that sustainability is a worthwhile feature of any plan, residents were flustered by an 18-month waiting period projected for the long-term solutions. When FDOT District Secretary Jim Wolfe said “I wouldn’t see work starting on a rebuild of A1A for 18 months…,” Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca – a building contractor by trade – said “18 months is a long time. Maybe we could contract that and make it a shorter timetable.” Then again, LaMarca also said that he doesn’t believe renourishing the beach earlier would have made any difference – an enigmatic supposition since every Broward Beach Administrator in the past two decades warned that renourishment delays threaten to undermine adjacent infrastructure. Notwithstanding his views on coastal cyclonic impacts, when Eric Myers revived the near comatose Segment II renourishment, LaMarca took point on the Broward board, lining up unanimous Commission support while bird dogging vulnerable project funds.

FDOT's JIM WOLFE, GERRY O'REILLY AND CLEO MARSH

ERIC MYERS

Residents rejected repeated inferences that the damage was limited to the 4 blocks where A1A was mangled, passionately insisting that shriveled beaches in the Lauderdale Beach and Galt Mile neighborhoods are equally deserving of attention. Broward Beach Administrator Eric Myers assured attendees that the short or long term plans for A1A shouldn’t impact the Segment II project timetable. However, he added that the need to incrementally replace the recently lost sand may boost project costs. After 47 years of waiting for their beach to be fixed, few Galt Mile residents are concerned about anything other than the start date. In view of meeting feedback – with few exceptions – the rest of the City is on board.

Thanks to ART SEITZ for MEETING PIX

Red Light Camera Cash Crunch

Round Two!

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New Anti-Panhandling Ordinance – A Crap Shoot?

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Commissioner Bruce Roberts

Atlantech|| Mix it. Curb it. || B-cycle

From The Desk of
Commissioner Bruce G. Roberts

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While You Were Out!

ROBERTS AND SEILER CELEBRATE ROBERTS' VICTORY

March 23, 2012 - On March 13, 2012, District 1 City Commissioner Bruce G. Roberts was one of two Fort Lauderdale Commissioners - along with Romney Rogers - up for re-election. He paid the City’s $100 fee for administrative costs and one percent (1%) of his City Commissioner’s salary ($300) as required by the State of Florida. If elections are held every three years, and every seat is up for election at the same time, why did Roberts and Rogers have to wait until March 13^th when Jack Seiler, Charlotte Rodstrom and Bobby Dubose nailed their seats on January 31^st? The City of Fort Lauderdale website explains the rules as follows:

Roberts earned this election win. Even those with mixed feelings about the Commissioner are forced to admit that he gets the job done in the trenches. Every concern brought up by the neighborhood association was addressed expeditiously. Maintaining “on call” status for more than two years, He and Commission staffer Robbie Uptegrove were never too busy or “important” to take calls from Galt Mile residents bothered by street noise, low-hanging tree branches, and sidewalk tripping hazards – even death rays from Hallandale Beach. Having locked up another three years of Commission migraines, Roberts rolled up his sleeves and cranked out his March, 2012 post-election update.

The Hand on the Switch

One of the municipal undertakings Roberts looks at is the State Road A1A Light Replacement Project, a tribute to Murphy’s Law that should resonate with Galt Mile residents. In April of 2007, the City ambushed Galt Mile associations with infraction notices footnoted with “6-51 Artificial Lighting Violation”, a little known city ordinance governing turtle-safe lighting requirements for beachfront communities. After apologizing for the aspersive recrimination, City Code Compliance representatives met with Galt Mile Association officials to negotiate a formula for balancing the lighting requirements for sea turtles with the security needs of local residents. Along with curing 98% of the outstanding violations within 12 months, the plan included a methodology for addressing future compliance violations without placing undue strain on association budgets already burdened by repair costs for uninsured hurricane damage, skyrocketing windstorm insurance premiums, code compliant storm mitigation and forced carrying costs for non-contributing units frozen in foreclosure.

FRED HADDAD

While El Eid’s attorney, mob lawyer Fred Haddad, has stated that the FBI has declared his client a “person of interest,” El Eid’s alleged indiscretions seem to be limited to bilking county taxpayers. If the contracts held by Southeast for scores of past, present and future statewide FDOT projects are also tainted by kickbacks, graft and/or rigged bids, the case would elicit the kind of media attention that regional Bureau chiefs live for. Anyway, it’s comforting to know that our struggling hatchlings are in such trustworthy hands. Read on... – [editor]

DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER & V.M. BRUCE G. ROBERTS

I would like to offer my appreciation to all of the District 1 voters who participated in the March 13, 2012 municipal election. I am eager to continue serving you and this great City. The current Commission has worked well together to make our City the best place to live, work, play and raise a family. I have an open door policy, and when you contact me, I promise to respond quickly. I may not have immediate answers, but you will receive a reply right away. I will continue to engage residents and businesses in District 1 and throughout the City to help find creative solutions to the issues we face. The past three years have been a positive experience for me and I will continue to bring your voice to City government.

TURTLE FRIENDLY LAMP AT A1A FIRE-RESCUE STATION

SR A1A Light Replacement Project - Progress Update: Southeast Underground Utilities Corp. (Prime Contractor) is currently in the process of removing 101 cast-iron poles, pulling new wires through the existing conduit, drilling new holes for anchor bolts in the existing foundations and setting new poles. This project is a joint venture between the Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), the City of Fort Lauderdale Parking Division and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to replace the existing city owned lights along east side of SR A1A with Turtle Friendly Lights. This project extends from Fort Lauderdale Beach Park to Sunrise Boulevard. In addition, due to our efforts, other beach municipalities have now been approved to use this fixture for their beach lighting projects. Over the past several months, City staff has worked with lighting manufacturers, FDOT and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to design a permanent recessed light fixture to replace the acorn style lights. The new lights provide a non-visible source from the beach and zero tolerance of light on the sand, while at the same time producing lighting on the roadway and sidewalk. This task required development of several prototypes and field tests on site with FDOT and FWC. A total of 110 light poles and 220 light fixtures will be placed along a two-mile segment of SR A1A on Fort Lauderdale Beach.

City’s Reorganization Results in a New Department of Sustainable Development: As you may have heard, in October 2011, City Manager Lee Feldman began a significant reorganization of the City's operational structure. One of the main objectives of this reorganization is to break down the walls between City departments to enable them to work more efficiently together and to provide better service to our neighbors---to Build Community. As part of the reorganization, the Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) was created to combine Building Services, Code Enforcement, Planning and Zoning, Housing and Community Development, Economic Development, and both the Northwest-Progresso-Flagler Heights CRA and the Beach CRA. As staff implements this new organization, they plan to reach out to our neighbors throughout the year with e-newsletters to communicate project updates, introduce new names and faces, and share with you the improvements the City is making to our operations. I welcome you to visit, call, or email Greg Brewton (Director of Sustainable Development) if you have any comments, questions or suggestions. There is also an on-line survey you can complete to help staff identify ways to improve services to our neighbors.

DOWNED STOP/YIELD SIGNS: If you happen to find a downed sign in your neighborhood or elsewhere within the City, please call Broward County’s Traffic Engineering Department directly. They want to ensure that these significant public safety issues are handled immediately. The number to their front desk is 954.847.2600. Thank you in advance for keeping an eye open for these hazards!

Full Sails in Fort Lauderdale: is a temporary 2012 - 2013 public art exhibit in the parks, public right of ways and private landscapes in the City of Fort Lauderdale. One hundred large mast sculptured sailboats will festoon the City, cutting a vibrant bright colored swath through A1A, Las Olas Boulevard, Riverwalk, Downtown, 17^th Street Harbor Shops and Sistrunk Boulevard. This program will enhance the visibility of local artists, beautify Fort Lauderdale business districts, and promote tourism. At the end of the exhibition period, the Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Department Foundation will auction the sailboats to raise much needed funding for recreational programs including scholarships, events, and sport & leisure activities for the residents of Fort Lauderdale.

Strategic Plan: The City Manager recently met with our Community Building Leadership Team to review the progress we are making on our Strategic Plan which is based on our mission, We Build Community. The plan is being developed around five Cylinders of Excellence: Infrastructure, Public Places, Neighborhood Enhancement, Business Development and Public Safety. More than 100 employees are participating in the strategic planning. Five interdepartmental teams represent each Cylinder of Excellence – led by our Structural Innovation Division and Department Directors, the teams have already made significant progress in three specific areas: 1) Environmental Scan (each team reviewed key demographic, statistical and performance-related data to gain insight into community trends and identify factors that will influence the direction and goals of our organization); 2) Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis (participants developed a SWOT analysis to identify the main internal and external issues that effect how We Build Community); 3) Draft Goals and Objectives (using information obtained from the Environmental Scan and SWOT Analysis, the teams developed draft goals and objectives for each Cylinder of Excellence). Over the next two months, the strategic planning teams will focus on finalizing the goals and objectives, and establishing performance measures, targets and benchmarks that will be used to evaluate how well we are achieving our goals and objectives. Throughout the process, staff will work closely with the visioning initiative to make certain that our Strategic Plan is reflective of community priorities. If you would like further information on the strategic plan, please let us know and we can send you the entire memo from the City Manager.

Fort Lauderdale’s GIS Website: The City of Fort Lauderdale’s Information Technology Services Department invites you to explore the new Geographic Information System (GIS) website. The site catalogs our publicly available GIS applications and maps in a more dynamic and engaging fashion while making the applications you already use even easier to find. The new site is not just for City of Fort Lauderdale staff and neighbors. It contains useful information and tools for all Broward County residents and visitors. If you are a Broward County resident or if you are shopping for property in Broward County, you can use our FEMA Flood Zone application to determine your flood zone designation for insurance purposes. Explore the site at http://gis.fortlauderdale.gov/ and check back often to discover the new and exciting applications planned in the coming months.

Air Show: After being grounded for a few years, the Fort Lauderdale Air Show is ready to take off in a big way. The mega tourist and local family event will return to the beach on April 28 and 29, 2012. Military planes and civilian aerial acts have not flown over the Fort Lauderdale sand since 2007 after organizers struggled to find sponsors to fund the event. A scaled back version nearly got off the ground last year, but was canceled at the last minute because of financial problems. Those problems no longer exist. Support from local and regional businesses have been instrumental in getting the show off the ground financially. The high-flying aerobatics - the Thunderbirds – will return to the 2012 show and organizers are trying to line-up the world famous Blue Angels for 2013. New civilian aerobat teams will also be featured. For the latest information and updates on the new and improved Fort Lauderdale Air Show, please go to www.lauderdaleairshow.com.

Pre-Agenda Meetings: A reminder that our meetings are always on the Monday before a Commission Meeting (unless that Monday is a holiday). The agenda is discussed, as well as any other topics that may arise. The first Monday of the month is at the Beach Community Center, and the third Monday of the month is at Imperial Point Hospital (south entrance) – always at 6p.m. Please call the office if you have any questions or need more information.

ROBBI UPTEGROVE

Office Contact: Robbi Uptegrove – 954-828-5033; email: ruptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov. In addition to hosting the pre-agenda meetings twice a month, I am also available to attend your HOA meetings to update your neighborhood on what is going on in the City as well as answer any questions/concerns you may have. Please contact Robbi to schedule. If you would like to be on our email list to receive information, notifications or general information, please email us and you will be added.

Bruce G. Roberts                

If you need to reach Commissioner Bruce Roberts, please contact his assistant Robbi Uptegrove at 954-828-5033 or by e-mail at RUptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov. To access the City Commission Meeting Agendas and Minutes, Click Here. To actually watch the meetings recorded and archived on the Commission Meetings Video Webcast and Archives web site, Click Here.

COMMISSIONER BRUCE G. ROBERTS

January 28, 2012 - In his February 2012 newsletter, District 1 City Commissioner Bruce Roberts showed courage by flouting a long observed political taboo when he addressed municipal pension benefits. For politicians with a functional survival instinct, exploring the netherworld of public employee pensions is ordinarily a recipe for disaster. Nearby municipalities like Miami, Pembroke Pines, St. Petersburg and Hollywood, where municipal pensions account for more than half of the total payroll, are struggling to avoid the pension-driven fiscal black hole that sucked the life out of Vallejo, California in 2008, Prichard, Alabama in 2009 and Central Falls, Rhode Island last month.

On the bright side, Seiler and the Commissioners have thus far managed to avoid the personal and political calumny that dismantled earlier attempts to negotiate concessions. Also, union representatives were given a seat on the panel that helped select the city manager they will face at contract time. In turn, they agreed to do what was required to keep the city solvent. When the police and fire fraternal orders renew their city agreements in 2012, taxpayers will be watching to see whether City Manager Lee Feldman and union negotiators can agree on the definition of “solvent”. Read on... – [editor]

DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER & V.M. BRUCE G. ROBERTS

In our December Newsletter, we discussed the very positive current status of Fort Lauderdale’s fiscal affairs. I would like to take this opportunity to expound on certain aspects of the budget, which further demonstrates our commitment to be fiscally sound without sacrificing vital City services.

Pension Reform: Using the same disciplined approach that has produced the results described in our December Newsletter, this City Commission confronted pension reform. Funding pensions have a direct effect on current budgets and a long-term impact on financial flexibility and sustainability. The City of Fort Lauderdale has already taken steps to reduce pension costs. The general employees pension plan is now a defined contribution 401(a) plan. We have reduced the City’s contribution rate from 32.75% to 9% for new employees. As a result, it is projected to save $100 million over the next 30 years.

The City Commission is also examining the implementation of additional innovative strategies to control pension costs, reduce the financial burden on taxpayers, and generate millions of dollars in added savings. One of those strategies involves the issuance of pension obligation bonds to manage costs. This idea would allow us to borrow funds at a low interest rate to pay off pension debt. These funds would then be invested in the pension plan to generate a higher rate of return. The difference between the interest rate on the borrowed money and the rate of return generated by the plan could result in a significant economic benefit to the City. For example, if the City wanted to pay off 75% of its current pension liability, we could issue pension obligation bonds to borrow approximately $200 million at an estimated interest rate of 4.75%. These funds would then be invested in the pension plan, which is projected by the actuary to earn a 7.75% rate of return. The difference between the low interest rate on the loan (4.75%) and the plan’s higher rate of return (7.75%) could generate up to $6 million in pension costs savings in the first year alone; and over a 20-year period, the City could reduce its pension costs by more than $60 million. In addition to eliminating a significant pension liability, the bonds would provide the City with a consistent, fixed amount to budget on an annual basis to cover the debt service on the borrowed money. I will keep you advised on the status of this particular strategy.

The City is also reducing pension costs by changing the timing of our annual required pension fund contribution. In the past, the City always made the payment in October; this has resulted in charging nine months of interest on the money owed at a rate of 7.75%. Several months ago, the Commission approved a plan to borrow the money at a low interest rate and make the payment in December. By doing so, we will pay off the loan in October at an interest rate of 1.62% on the borrowed money as opposed to paying a 7.75% interest rate on the money owed. The difference between the two interest rates means the City will save nearly $1.5 million in Fiscal Year 2012.

In addition, it is important to note that our new police officers and fire/rescue staff will now contribute 8.5% of salary to the Police and Fire Pension Plan. Previously, employee contribution was 7%. You may recall that our Governor and Legislators were pleased just to have employees begin contributing 3% to the State Plan. Furthermore, the City plan is computed on base pay and does not include leave time and does not contain a COLA. In order to maximize the benefits of the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP), employees must now work two more years; furthermore, the return on the DROP has been reduced from a guaranteed 7.75% to a range of 3% to 6%, which is based on the plan’s performance.

These are just a few of the methods the City is employing as part of its overall plan to manage, control and reduce pension costs. We recognize the need for pension reform is great. As such, we have made, and will continue to make, meaningful changes to our retirement systems in order to ensure their long-term sustainability and provide financial relief to our taxpayers.

Economy: The economic future for Fort Lauderdale is also bright. When it comes to tourism, Fort Lauderdale remains a top destination for domestic and international visitors. We have seen 25 consecutive months of increased tourism. We are on a pace to host more than 11 million visitors who will spend in excess of $8 billion at our hotels, restaurants, stores and businesses. Hotel occupancy continues to hover near 75% for the year, which is the highest in the state and 27% higher than the national average. Cruise traffic at Port Everglades seems to constantly be creating and then breaking records for total passengers, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport expects to see a 7% overall increase in passenger traffic. When you consider that approximately 50% of the “bed tax” collected by the County is generated from Fort Lauderdale alone, the picture is even more focused on our great City.

Fort Lauderdale now ranks as the city with the lowest tourist taxes among the top 50 U.S. travel destinations. According to a recent analysis by the Global Business Travel Association, the typical visitor to Fort Lauderdale will pay up to 80% less in taxes than a tourist in Chicago, New York, Boston or Seattle. Hosting the nation’s lowest tourist taxes should continue to provide a significant competitive advantage for attracting visitors, corporate and business travelers, meetings, events and conventions. This Commission will continue its endeavors to support tourism related initiatives.

The housing sector is also showing signs of reviving. According to Realtor.com, Fort Lauderdale ranks 5th among the nation’s top 10 metro areas where housing conditions are on the upswing. Also, a recent article in the “Sun-Sentinel” reported that of Florida’s 19 metro areas, Broward was one of only two areas posting annual price increases for home sales. In 2011, the number of homes sold in Broward increased by 11% compared to sales in 2010. This marks the greatest number of sales since 2004. As an aside, my current campaign for re-election on March 13th has been endorsed by the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale. While still too high, the jobless rate in Broward continues to decline and now stands at 8.6%. Fort Lauderdale/Broward County is leading the South Florida area in this recovery.

Pre-Agenda Meetings: A reminder that our meetings are always on the Monday before a Commission Meeting (unless that Monday is a holiday). The agenda is discussed, as well as any other topics that may arise. The first Monday of the month is at the Beach Community Center, and the third Monday of the month is at Imperial Point Hospital (south entrance) – always at 6p.m. Please call the office if you have any questions or need more information.

ROBBI UPTEGROVE

Office Contact: Robbi Uptegrove – 954-828-5033; email: ruptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov. In addition to hosting the pre-agenda meetings twice a month, I am also available to attend your HOA meetings to update your neighborhood on what is going on in the City as well as answer any questions/concerns you may have. Please contact Robbi to schedule. If you would like to be on our email list to receive information, notifications or general information, please email us and you will be added.

I encourage you to visit our website at http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/roberts to review previous newsletters. As always, I look forward to hearing from you and want to continue to serve you and our great community.

Bruce G. Roberts                

If you need to reach Commissioner Bruce Roberts, please contact his assistant Robbi Uptegrove at 954-828-5033 or by e-mail at RUptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov. To access the City Commission Meeting Agendas and Minutes, Click Here. To actually watch the meetings recorded and archived on the Commission Meetings Video Webcast and Archives web site, Click Here.

January 7, 2012 - By 8 PM on Christmas Eve, board members in Galt Mile associations began fielding complaints from neighbors asking why water was suddenly unavailable in their homes. Along with the normal concern and curiosity were recriminations by the usual suspects - every building’s small but vocal group of goofballs who blamed their downstairs neighbor, the building manager, global warming, NAFTA or the United Nations. An ambitious Southpoint director hit the street, visiting neighboring buildings to confirm that the problem wasn’t unique to his association. Playa del Mar residents called friends at Regency Tower and asked if they also lacked water. Security personnel in virtually every building spent from 8 PM to midnight assuring unit owners that calling a plumber wouldn’t help.

RUPTURED MAIN - 12-FOOT STREET GEYSER

A deteriorating 42-inch water main at N.E. 38^th Street between N.E. 5^th and N.E. 6^th Avenues burst, plummeting a quarter of a million county residents into chaos. Tasked with spinning a 12-foot geyser that transformed 38^th Street into a block-long, 4-inch deep wading pool, City Public Information Specialist Matt Little conjectured that a major water distribution line failed. For several hours, Fort Lauderdale water customers, as well as those in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Oakland Park, Port Everglades Authority, the Village of Sea Ranch Lakes, Wilton Manors and sections of Davie and Tamarac combed local grocery stores for bottled water while making futile attempts to contact City and County Customer Service Centers for information.

MAYOR JACK SEILER AT SITE

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler learned about the water problem from a text message shortly after 8 PM, when he headed to the break site. By 9 PM, City Manager Lee Feldman drafted 10 off-duty City operators to answer frantic calls to a hotline system frozen by overload. A half hour later, automated telephone notifications began reaching local residents. Feldman lamented the City’s “inability to remotely update the city’s website over the holiday weekend.” Since websites can be updated from a payphone in Surinam, Feldman should have little trouble curing this communication gaffe.

MIKE JACHLES FROM BSO

The Broward Sheriff’s Office was forced to issue an emergency request that residents not burden their 911 emergency call service with water problems. Mike Jachles of BSO explained “People shouldn’t call 911 if their water is out... unless their house is on fire.” After 9 PM, in the absence of any official feedback, residents who emailed the neighborhood association were referred to Twitter, where local residents from Oakland Park, the Galt Mile, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Coral Ridge and other affected areas sent a steady stream of updates about the emergency, including information about its source and repair progress. Shortly after midnight, the GMCA sent member associations a brief summary of unfolding events.

42 INCH WATER MAIN - VALVES CLOSED

By 11:30 PM, a Public Works crew supervised by Director Al Carbon successfully circumvented the ruptured water main, thereby rebuilding system pressure at the plant. How did they fix a huge water main in a few hours? Since Carbon knew that the old main was on its last legs, a redundant pipe that was installed last year a few blocks north was recently put into service. Public Works only had to close four valves that fed the collapsed main to cure the problem. Carbon said “We were planning to take it out of service.” When service was restored, the City’s Public Works Department and the Broward County Public Health Department commiserated about the potential for a contaminant-driven health crisis. The two agencies jointly issued a Precautionary Boil Water Notice for affected residents. The brief advisory stated “All tap water used for drinking, brushing teeth, cooking or other consumption should be brought to a rapid boil for at least one minute. Tap water is okay to use as is for washing and bathing. The Precautionary Boil Water Notice will be in effect until further notice.”

During the next two days, municipal and county scientists tested the water for bacterial and inorganic pollutants. Based on the lab results, they issued another joint advisory on December 26^th, officially lifting the boil water notice. An estimated 250,000 Broward residents breathed easy. In view of the Christmas Eve mass confusion, the City is recommending enrolment in the free emergency notification services offered by Fort Lauderdale.

Residents and businesses in the City of Fort Lauderdale are eligible to receive emergency notifications via two free programs called “CodeRED” and “City News Alerts”. CodeRED is a high-speed telephone communication service by which the City sends emergency notifications to registered phone numbers. In event of an emergency, the system will call and deliver a recorded message to a live person, cell phone, answering machine or voicemail. Individuals who already registered for the service can update their phone number or add a cell phone number by re-registering - a 30 second process. A variation of this service was used by the City when the boil water notice was lifted. Affected residents received a telephone call with a recorded message explaining that their water was safe for consumption.

The CodeRED service is provided by an outfit called Emergency Communications Network (ECN). The company built an Emergency Telephone Network (ETN) database of citizen contact information for use in critical situations. When you register to participate in the CodeRED notification service, your contact details are added to a nationwide database accessed exclusively for critical community alerts and emergency situations. When triggered by a client community like Fort Lauderdale, ECN allocates resources to match local telephone infrastructure, facilitating a massive dialing system capable of transmitting millions of messages per hour.

Since the service cannot ordinarily penetrate privacy locks, residents should either turn off the privacy lock feature during emergencies, enter 954-828-8000 on their “safe list” of phone numbers, or enter an alternative cell phone number when registering for the service.

The City also offers “City News Alerts”, a communication service that enables the City to send mass emergency notifications by email to registered subscribers. During an emergency, the system will deliver essential information to registered email addresses. In addition to emergency notifications, email subscribers can additionally register to receive City Commission Meeting Agendas, Notices of Intent to Award, and information about public auctions.

Fort Lauderdale residents and businesses may register for both CodeRED and City News Alerts on the City’s website or by calling the City of Fort Lauderdale 24-hour Customer Service Center at 954-828-8000. To sign up for either or both services online, go to http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/code_red.htm. You can unsubscribe, review or change your subscription at will. A minor detail may be of interest to prospective registrants.

Chapter 119.011(12), Florida Statutes, defines Public Records as “all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software, or other material, regardless of the physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any agency.” Since Florida law requires the City to treat email addresses as public records, paranoid web surfers can shield their email address from a public records request by signing up for the CodeRED service by telephone. Also, if your neighbors learn that you subscribe to these services, the same bozos that called 911 on Christmas Eve may call you!