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 Nestled halfway between Miami and Palm Beach, the 168,000 residents of the City of Fort Lauderdale have acclimated to enjoying the best of both worlds. No longer the bedroom for America’s gateway to the Caribbean and South America or a vacation dreamland whose existence depends solely on a continuous infusion of tourist dollars, Fort Lauderdale has matured into a thriving vibrant municipality with incandescent prospects. The 33 square miles encompassing the city are permeated with 86 miles of internal waterways and bordered on by 7 miles of the Atlantic Ocean. The network of canals connecting the extensive natural river system coupled with the city’s magnetic attraction to tourists is reminiscent of Venice, Italy. It is the largest of Broward's 30 cities and seventh in the State of Florida. The City opted to govern itself through a 5-member City Commission, whose will is actualized by a strong “City Manager”. This political structure, a venue shared by Miami, is an unusual governance format for major cities.
 | | THE VENICE OF AMERICA AT NIGHT |
The “Venice of America” has economically evolved from its earlier dependency on tourism to a varied, well-balanced haven for old line industries and an incubator for new ones. The international access afforded by its location naturally lends itself to manufacturing, finance and insurance industries. Advantaged by location and the City’s longtime proclivity for nurturing leisure activities, it’s Marine industry is world-class. A healthy percentage of the millions of tourists passing through Fort Lauderdale opt to stay. This phenomenon, along with its reputation as a retirement mecca and a magnet for new industries, feeds a high-powered real estate industry. Hurricanes aside, Fort Lauderdale’s reliable semi-tropical climate and limitless availability of picture-postcard locales lends itself to a burgeoning film and television production industry. The city is home to a robust avionics/aerospace industry. From computers to biotechnology, Fort Lauderdale has shared in South Florida’s attraction to new high-technology industries.
Despite being a major city bordered by 9 other municipalities, Fort Lauderdale has managed to retain the benefits of small town life. To better maintain and perpetuate their unique identities, each neighborhood manages its own affairs. The City Commissioners are charged with blending the interests of their neighborhood constituents with those of the City. There is no shortage of opportunities for political input. The city oversees a substantial roster of structured citizen's committees from which it draws guidance and public opinion. Non-governmental Neighborhood Associations exert substantial influence over the issues affecting participating residents. This variety of political input mechanisms has served to keep the city’s leadership in touch with the differing needs of its individual neighborhoods. This political balance has promulgated the relatively unfettered parallel development of Fort Lauderdale’s various communities without having sacrificed the distinguishing characteristics that attracted their inhabitants.
 In 2003, it was revealed that a 3 year period of gross mismanagement had transformed a city with an $18.3 billion tax base into a municipal basket case. As stated by District 1 City Commissioner Christine Teel in December of 2003, “The 2003 City of Fort Lauderdale budget, offered by the former administration, was balanced using assumed savings that simply did not exist in reality. It contained revenue overestimates and expenditure underestimates. If we had put that budget into motion we would have literally run out of money by the end of the year.” The painful ordeal experienced by the city’s residents, employees and public officials is chronicled in the Fort Lauderdale Budget Bust section of this web site. By the end of 2005, the city had mostly recovered from the ill effects suffered during the 2 to 3 years it took to re-establish fiscal viability.
The Galt Mile Community Association continually works with City officials to maintain those qualities that enrich our community while deflecting adverse political fallout, intended or not. The articles in this section cover impacts exerted by the City of Fort Lauderdale on the lives of Galt Mile neighborhood residents. Upon reviewing and analyzing city services and/or policies, the Galt Mile Community Association’s response will be published in this “City of Fort Lauderdale” section. Articles prior to the City’s fiscal recovery (2002 through mid - 2005) can be found in the Archives or in the Fort Lauderdale Budget Bust section.
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Commissioner Roberts  Thanks to Voters
 | | NEW CITY COMMISSION GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS |
April 30, 2009 -  In his first Newsletter to District 1 constituents, City Commissioner Bruce G. Roberts expresses appreciation for his seat on the Fort Lauderdale City Commission. Acknowledging that 4 of the 5 municipal representatives are neophytes, he observes that the Commission's new complexion signifies that the voters were exclaiming their predisposition for change. In a refreshing declaration, Commissioner Roberts admits that while he may not be able to expeditiously answer certain concerns expressed by constituents, he intends to explore these issues with District 1 residents in hopes of arriving at a mutually acceptable resolution.
 | THE CHIEF OR THE
CITY COMMISSIONER? |
Focusing on his thirty-five years of public service, our new commissioner identifies citizen participation as the catalyst for progress. Drawing on his extensive experience with safety and security issues cultivated during his long and distinguished career as a local law enforcement icon, Roberts characterizes Public Safety as the cornerstone of civilization. He correctly points out that human communities initially coalesced to more effectively protect themselves. After promising to exploit his law enforcement experience for the benefit of the entire city, he targets the City's greatest challenge, how to make one dollar pay for two dollars worth of services.
 | CITY MANAGER
GEORGE GRETSAS |
Cutting to the chase, Roberts explains that the Commission's first meeting directed "the City Manager to freeze current fiscal year expenditures, except for public safety, with the goal to carry forward savings into next year’s budget." This directive will allow the new Mayor Jack Seiler adequate time to institute his plan for a zero-based budgeting policy. It also was the first official interaction between Commissioner Roberts and City Manager George Gretsas since Roberts' election.
 During his campaign, Roberts promised to work productively with Gretsas with the understanding that Gretsas would address the new commission’s priorities. Since the election, both City officials have agreed to bury any residual controversy and wrestle through tough budget issues together. Many Galt Mile residents initially expressed concern about candidate Roberts' motives for aspiring to the District 1 Commission seat. Upon hearing of Roberts' post-election public commitment, they were relieved to learn that Roberts was willing to sacrifice his alleged personal agenda in favor of steering the District - and the city - through the ongoing economic crunch. – [editor]
From The Desk of
Commissioner Bruce G. Roberts
 | DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER
BRUCE G. ROBERTS |
I would like to extend my thanks to all of the 4,953 voters from District I who participated in the March 10, 2009 municipal election. It is obvious, citywide, that people do want a change and now is the best time for that to happen. With three new Commissioners and a new Mayor we will move forward with a renewed energy for positive change. I stated in my campaign that I would bring back your voice to City government, and I mean just that. I have an open door policy, and if you contact me I promise to respond quickly. I may not have immediate answers, but you will receive a reply right away. I will engage residents and businesses in District 1 and throughout the City to help find creative solutions to the issues we face.
 | | ROBERTS' NEW SQUAD |
As your new Commissioner, I am employed by you and will listen to you and work for you; revitalizing community involvement in political decisions by keeping everyone informed. Early in my thirty-five years of service to the community, I realized that the most successful government achievements came when citizen participation was incorporated into those efforts. Public safety is and always has been one of the few very basic services citizens demand from their government; indeed, it is the primary historic reason people have banded together to form governments. A stable community fosters economic development, which, in turn, opens the door for a safe community. A safe community nurtures a better quality of life for its citizens who can then take full advantage of all this community has to offer. By bringing back community policing, our citizens will be directly participating in a partnership to solve their neighborhoods’ problems. By bringing back training, our public safety professionals will be better equipped with the skills and tools needed to better address the chronic problems associated with homelessness and crisis intervention scenarios. By bringing back a focused technology with practical applications, resources will be deployed to improve response times, reduce crime, increase visibility and control budgets. At our first commission meeting, we directed the City Manager to freeze current fiscal year expenditures, except for public safety, with the goal to carry forward savings into next year’s budget.
 District 1 residents will now have the opportunity to meet with me at Pre-Agenda Meetings on the Monday before a Commission Meeting which are usually the first and third Tuesdays of the month. The meetings will be at 6:00 p.m. at Cardinal Gibbons High School, Media Room (2900 NE 47th Street) and are for the purpose of reviewing and discussing the upcoming City Commission Agenda. I encourage you to take part in these informal and open meetings.
Please contact me to become involved in your community; we need your input, ideas and your commitment to make Fort Lauderdale the best it can be.
If further information is needed, please feel free to contact my assistant Robbi Uptegrove at 954-828-5033 or by e-mail at RUptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov.
Bruce G. Roberts
 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. - editor
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Chief  Commissioner
Bruce Roberts Clears the Air
 April 8, 2009 - Contract negotiations are, by definition, largely adversarial. When completed, the parties ordinarily acknowledge that each side was simply doing its job as they cordially agree to reconvene upon expiration of their current work product. Strangely enough, after the City’s contract negotiations, a huge billboard suddenly appeared off Sunrise Boulevard just west of Interstate 95 exclaiming, “Your Fort Lauderdale Police Officers want to thank you for your support” followed by “Paid for by the Lowest Paid Police Officers in Broward County.” Needless to say, they aren’t.
 | CITY MANAGER GEORGE
GRETSAS & CHIEF ADDERLEY |
Instead of leaving understandable residual animosity at the negotiating table, police union officials decided to exercise a post-negotiation political agenda. Newspaper reports confirmed that union officials were mounting a campaign to dismiss their contractual adversary, the city manager. Following the engineered removal of Gretsas, his “rookie” replacement will be motivated to uncommon generosity during the next round of contract negotiations in just over a year, ignoring taxpayer concerns about exorbitant pension benefits. The elimination of Gretsas would yield an additional benefit. The alliances made en route to accomplishing their objective would provide them extraordinary input into municipal operations - as if they were elected by the City’s residents.
 | | JOHN & CHARLOTTE RODSTROM |
Although the City Commission is responsible for insuring that maneuvers like these are unsuccessful, commissioners are often beset by contradictory incentives. While fighting on behalf of taxpayers to protect a besieged budget, Commissioners are also expected to elicit incremental allocations for district constituents. However, knocking off the City Manager to green light a raid on the City’s coffers will require enough reconstructive spin to sink a ship.
 | | LOBBYIST JUDY STERN |
The recently conducted municipal elections were deconstructed into a political battlefield for control of the city treasury. Seeking an anti-Gretsas ally, Charlotte Rodstrom supported Commissioner Bruce Roberts’ successful candidacy against Christine Teel, hoping his primary objective would not be to represent the interests of his constituents, but those of the City’s police union. When husband John Rodstrom was asked by former Sun Sentinel political writer Buddy Nevins about claims that he was pressuring lobbyists to donate to Roberts’ campaign, Rodstrom said, “I’m not going to comment on that. Charlotte is not involved in any way. She wants to fire City Manager George Gretsas and so does Roberts.”
 | | GMCA DIRECTOR ROSE GUTTMAN |
While attending another City Manager presentation at the Downtown Business District, Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom and her campaign muse - lobbyist Judy Stern - cast aspersions on Gretsas’ fiscal management - an opinion not shared by Fort Lauderdale’s attending business community. When GMCA director Rose Guttman asked Rodstrom and Stern to explain their non-specific criticisms, Rodstrom said, “I know things that you don’t about Gretsas.” Guttman pointed out that Rodstrom didn’t answer her question and wailed away, “If you have some information to support your accusations, present it. If not, you should be ashamed of yourself for deliberately misrepresenting the truth.”
 | | BRUCE ROBERTS AT GALT MILE SECURITY PATROL KICKOFF |
Since Bruce Roberts eked out his 2511 - 2442 commission seat victory by a 69-vote hair, he faces governing without a mandate. In his favor, Roberts’ tenure as Police Chief - during periods of rising and receding crime rates - was marked by integrity. While attending GMCA Advisory Board meetings, Roberts was responsive to neighborhood concerns. He initiated the A1A Traffic & Noise Control program to stop unrestrained motorcycle and drag racing between Commercial Boulevard and Oakland Park Boulevard. He also supported the Galt Mile Security Patrol, acknowledging that it was the only way to address the “Quality of Life” crimes afflicting the neighborhood. At several Advisory Board meetings, Roberts explained that Law Enforcement resources in every major municipality are of necessity allocated to areas afflicted by the highest crime rates and the most serious Part 1 crimes. While attending the June 2007 Security Patrol kickoff event at Galt Ocean Club, Roberts said “The Security Patrol will finally address the area’s specific security needs. Staffing the patrol with Fort Lauderdale officers will make it professional and effective.”
 | FOP PRESIDENT
JACK LOKEINSKY |
However, many residents have expressed reservations about Roberts’ commitment to serving the community. During the election, dozens of Galt Mile residents complained about having received unsolicited telephone calls from persons identifying themselves as police officers, whose message forewarned that the city was facing an unparalleled crime wave unless Roberts is elected. As Chief, Roberts had a spotty relationship with the union, wavering between goat and golden boy. Suddenly, after abruptly quitting the force and announcing his candidacy for the City Commission, the mercurial union leadership steeped him with unqualified support. Union President Jack Lokeinsky and union attorney George Tucker (and wife Phyllis) punctuated their endorsement with September 7th contributions to Roberts’ campaign. Tendered one day after the police contract was finalized; Roberts’ rancorous letter of resignation clarified his sympathies with elements of the union’s agenda.
 | | LT. AL LEWERS JR. |
This isn’t the first time the police union sought to assume control of an organization with which it was at odds. At Town Meetings convened by the local NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in 2006, more than 80 residents testified about personal experiences with racial profiling and police misconduct. Lt. Alfred Lewers Jr., coordinator of FLPD’s Recruiting, Background Investigations and Training Unit, undertook to polish the police image in communities where it hasn’t always been positive and bring more minority officers on to the force. Lewers sent an e-mail to officers suggesting they join the NAACP as a means of increasing understanding and easing tensions.
 | BROWARD NAACP PRESIDENT
MARSHA ELLISON |
In a response that outraged civil rights proponents, FOP president Jack Lokeinsky sent a memo to membership outlining a strategy to depose the current NAACP President, Marsha Ellison. Expressing disdain for the NAACP’s stance on racial profiling, discrimination and police misconduct, he asked FOP members to join the NAACP for the express purpose of ousting Ellison. Appending Lewers' positive memo, Lokeinsky wrote, “The FOP is tired of the current position of the President of the Broward Branch of the NAACP. In an effort to vote out the President and her views of the police, I support the membership drive. A one-year membership allows you to make the change and get rid of this us against them attitude.”
 | FLORIDA NAACP PRES
ADORA OBI NWEZE |
Not surprisingly, Florida NAACP president Adora Obi Nweze said at a press conference outside the Fort Lauderdale Police Department “The NAACP’s national headquarters will scrutinize all new membership applications in Florida to counter attempts by the Fort Lauderdale Fraternal Order of Police to join the civil rights group and vote local president Marsha Ellison out of office. The national office will not accept the memberships of anyone who doesn't support the organization.”
 | | MAJOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS |
Caught in the middle, the 50-member Fort Lauderdale Black Police Association President Anthony Williams said “This by no means reflects the thoughts of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. I would like to see it resolved and both parties come to the table to discuss solutions.”
| CITY MANAGER
GEORGE GRETSAS |
Whether or not the residents of District 1 support the City Manager or the police union concerning the adequacy and/or affordability of the City’s pension obligations, they are absolutely united in expecting their Commissioner to give their concerns priority. At several candidate forums, when Roberts was asked if he intends to fire the City Manager if elected, his response evolved as the campaign progressed. Whereas he initially equivocated, as he realized that the question actually probed his motivation for running, his answer became more conciliatory - albeit with a caveat. He told the Sun Sentinel that he could work with Gretsas with the condition that he “change his management style.” Roberts found himself expending significant political capital denying that his candidacy was part of the Police union agenda of blowing off Gretsas and his opposition to pension parachutes.
 | | CHIEF ADDERLEY AND COMMISSIONER ROBERTS |
Roberts is aware that his first order of business is to dispel constituent concerns that he is a “one trick pony” whose elective goals end with a questionable midnight contract revision. Local residents are otherwise delighted with Roberts stated intention to reinvigorate a residents’ vision for city neighborhoods, promote balanced redevelopment, renourish the beach, squeeze the budget, achieve consensus and lay the groundwork for a Galt Mile Master Plan. He picked up a truckload of credibility upon calling for changes to the police and fire pension funds and exclaiming his willingness to trade on his rank and file support to address their ballooning threat to the City’s financial stability.
 | | SEILER AND ROBERTS |
His opening salvos at City Commission meetings were also encouraging as Roberts lined up with Mayor Jack Seiler to freeze spending until the Commission had an opportunity to separate the budgetary chaff from the wheat. On March 31st, Roberts met with GMCA officials to discuss the prerequisites for a Galt Mile Master Plan. Following the meeting, Roberts again confirmed that his relationship with the City Manager will depend on the substance of his contributions and his ability to adapt to the revamped Commission’s vision for the city. He was also enthusiastically anticipating upcoming opportunities to actualize District 1 campaign commitments.
 To this end, Roberts will issue regular newsletters to keep constituents abreast of his progress and continue to hold pre-agenda meetings similar to those popularized by predecessor Christine Teel. He also intends to use neighborhood association meetings as a forum for inclusion. Roberts is playing all the right music. Barring some gross blunder, he will soon earn the community support barely evident during the March 10th election. Commissioner Roberts built a sterling public service career on trust. He is smart enough to stick with what works. The Commissioner will attend the upcoming April 16th Advisory Board meeting - as good a place as any to start clearing the air!
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City Manager 2009 Update
George Gretsas Reviews State of the City
| CITY MANAGER
GEORGE GRETSAS |
March 21, 2009 - On January 15, 2009, City Manager George Gretsas attended a meeting of the Galt Mile Community Association Advisory Board. Board members traditionally inquire about the City’s fiscal health when afforded this opportunity. As such, Mr. Gretsas created a comprehensive presentation summarizing Fort Lauderdale’s transition from a 2003 poster child for fiscal ineptitude to a thriving metropolis in 2009. Since the ambitious steps taken by the City Manager to rescue the City from the brink of disaster were surprisingly successful, the PowerPoint presentation blended humor with facts surrounding the City’s financial recovery.
 | | BEACH COMMUNITY CENTER |
Longtime members of the Advisory Board who’ve witnessed the City’s remarkable reincarnation as well as Gretsas’ annual updates are acutely aware of the City Manager’s positive impact on Fort Lauderdale’s budgetary health. Newer participants received an education about overcoming adversity. Some of the Board’s association representatives recognized aspects of the presentation, having previously attended a similar event six months earlier, when Gretsas made a July 14th conferral of his “Goals and Objectives – 2008” exposition at the Beach Community Center.
 | | FLOYD JOHNSON |
Understanding the City’s current fiscal dynamic requires perspective. To facilitate questionable City Commission spending habits, former City Manager Floyd Johnson formulated budget policies in 1998 and 1999 that addressed the past year’s expenses with the following year’s anticipated resources, somewhat akin to a household that survives by kiting checks. This fragile strategy presupposes guaranteed annual growth. From 2000 through 2003, the nationwide economic downturn exposed a fiscal house of cards assembled to obfuscate the fact that City Government was living beyond its means.
 | INTERIM CITY
MANAGER ALAN SILVA |
When the illusion collapsed, city officials frenetically sought protection from the political fallout, predominantly by claiming ignorance. Admitting failure to adequately fulfill their oversight responsibilities was infinitely preferable to sharing guilt for City Manager Johnson’s budgetary mirages. To stop the bleeding and distance themselves from ambient culpability, they empowered interim City Manager Alan Silva to confront the various departmental fiefdoms that historically operated in virtual autonomy. To enact a more permanent solution, the Commission simultaneously launched a full scale City Manager search.
 | CITY COMMISSION
SELECTS GRETSAS |
Digressing from traditional search parameters to address criteria consistent with the “Condition Red” state of the City, newly elected City Commissioner Christine Teel teamed with commission peers Hutchinson, Trantalis and Naugle in supporting the selection of Gretsas over stereotypically more accomplished candidates. Instead of the classic sycophant, the City needed a work-a-holic organizer capable of holding together a departmental confederacy while reconfiguring its dysfunctional underpinnings.
 | FORMER ASSISTANT POLICE
CHIEF STEPHEN ROBITAILLE |
The Commission’s overzealous pursuit of a municipal consolidation policy aimed at achieving a modest financial benefit instead produced gross inefficiencies. Gretsas reversed the policy, expanding the 9 City Departments into 16. After relieving the effects of overconsolidation, he imbued the heads of the reconstituted Departments with some clear and non-negotiable responsibilities. Having elicited a detailed list of goals and objectives from each department head, Gretsas based their advancement (or dismissal) on their success (or failure) in attaining those goals.
| FORMER POLICE
CHIEF BRUCE ROBERTS |
Debilitating contract disputes were also settled by refocusing the criteria for advancement from longevity to merit. Instead of tolerating budget busting expenditures for Police and Fire-rescue overtime, Gretsas commissioned studies that addressed chronic staffing shortfalls with administrative efficiencies. Assistant Police Chief Stephen Robitaille told Advisory Board members that he credited implementation of “Safir Rosetti” recommendations (a study commissioned by Gretsas to enhance police efficiency) with reversing the burgeoning city-wide crime rate. At a subsequent Advisory Board meeting, Commissioner and former Police Chief Bruce Roberts confirmed Robataille’s assessment, crediting weekly COMPSTAT meetings and implementation of a Tactical Impact Unit (to better focus on current crime trends) – both Safir-Rosetti recommendations – for the improved crime stats.
 | | OUTSOURCED - WASTE MANAGEMENT |
Gretsas reviewed the economic viability of every municipal department. By outsourcing 60% of the city’s trash collection responsibilities to Waste Management in 2004, the City Manager saved the taxpayers another $890,393 annually. Inclusion of outside engineers in a fast track effort to expedite building permits helped unclog the longstanding log-jam in the Building Department.
With a close-knit management team blended from imports like David Hébert and Kathleen Gunn and budget crisis survivors like Steve Scott, Valerie Bohlander and Kate McCaffrey minding the municipal machinery, Gretsas enabled Commissioners to concentrate on stretching and allocating the City’s resources while negotiating the daunting five-year rebuilding period. Cooperating top level officials in Fire-Rescue, Police, Parks and other city departments were rewarded with a return of those resources previously lost to budgetary constraints. With Gretsas’ team managing daily operations, the City Commission could concentrate on fleshing out depleted departments, restoring shaken employee morale and recapturing the City’s future.
 | | GRETSAS WORKS WITH CITY COMMISSION |
Gretsas’ high octane management ethic cleared the way for the City’s return to solvency years ahead of schedule. Although Gretsas’ relationship with the previous City Commission was one of mutual respect, he harbors no illusions about his position in the municipal food chain. Exclaiming, “I don’t believe the bureaucracy is in a position to set policy, and that includes me. Its way inappropriate,” Gretsas acknowledges that he operates at the discretion of the City Commission.
In summary, the presentation follows the City’s fiscal fortunes from the 2003 Budget crises through 2009. Reminding onlookers of the City’s desperate financial straits in 2003, Gretsas stated, “the city had negligible reserves, a $21 million insurance deficit, festering labor disputes, a building department drowning in chaos, ineffective service delivery on multiple levels and rock-bottom employee morale.” Each in turn, he addressed how these challenges were met.
 In 2003, Gretsas determined that “a reasonable target for the City’s reserves would be 7%... minimum.” He also established criteria governing the use of reserve resources, such as “their unavailability for use when addressing recurrent expenses.” Gretsas anticipated achieving this goal by 2007. The nearly invisible $875,000 in 2003 grew to $9.3 million in 2004 (just under 5%) and $30 million in 2005. Bingo - and two years ahead of schedule. In 2006, reserves grew to $43 million, $67 million in 2007 and last year reached a record $78 million - the largest fund balance in City history.
 The $20.6 million insurance deficit of 2003 shrank to $13 million in 2004, zero in 2005 and rounded out to a healthy $4 million fully reserved surplus in 2006. The surplus grew to $8 million in 2007 and $10 million in 2008. In response to Fort Lauderdale’s revived fiscal credibility, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s ratings for the city’s general obligation bonds turned from negative to positive in 2005. By 2008, Moody’s conferred a strong “Aa2” rating on the City’s bonds while Standard & Poor’s rated them a solid “AA”.
 Commenting on Fort Lauderdale’s tax environment, he pointed out that 22 of the County’s 31 municipalities had higher millage rates than Broward’s most populated City. The tax rate was cut three years running with record 10-year lows in 2005 and 2007. Of the 31 municipal water and sewer rates in Broward County, Fort Lauderdale is number 27, the fourth lowest in Broward. Of the County’s 27 different municipal Fire Assessment Fees, Fort Lauderdale's is number 15 - safely in the lower half of represented cities and towns.
 While his Goals and Objectives presentation is primarily designed to educate residents about the City’s progress in realizing their vision and apprise them of potential obstacles, it also serves as a stern reminder that straying from fiscal responsibility is a recipe for disaster. Now that the City’s financial playing field is once again level, it faces new dangers. One embodies the adage that “those that forget history are doomed to repeat it.” New residents and some newly elected public officials armed only with an anecdotal perspective of the budget crises have naively marginalized the warning inherent in his presentation, characterizing Gretsas’ militant commitment to fiscal prudence as a paranoid overreaction or intimating some nefariously camouflaged hidden agenda. Residents and officials that lived through the crises know better. When Gretsas is attacked for safeguarding the City’s coffers, an investigation into the detractor’s motives usually reveals a self-serving political and/or financial agenda that often includes a haircut for taxpayers.
One such flashpoint is inherent in Gretsas’ stated concern about the City’s healthcare and pension benefit expenses. Municipal employees belong to either the General Employees’ Retirement System (GERS) or the Fort Lauderdale Police & Fire Pension. Since the taxpayers ultimately guarantee the viability of these Plans, Gretsas has persistently warned the City Commission that an economic downturn would force taxpayers to make up the funds’ market losses. Additionally, he exhorted that since the funds’ rate of growth far outstrips the City’s anticipated resources, taxpayers would again be left holding the bag.
The City Manager is responsible for negotiating contracts with the city employees that work for us. As our spokesperson at the negotiating table, he must balance the needs of the employees with the needs of the taxpayers. Before reporting impacts of the recently concluded labor agreements, he added fiscal perspective to the issues facing the city.
 Prior to the contract negotiations, employees participating in the General Employees’ Retirement System received 3% of their salary toward their pension for every year they worked for the City. After 20 years, they were entitled to 60% of salary for the rest of their lives. To fund this pension system, the city must pay 23.43% of an employee’s salary. The new agreement mandates that new hires belonging to GERS will see 5% increases for each year of a three year contract. This will cap pension expenses at only 9% of base salary instead of the current 23%. Over a 30 year period, the city will realize a minimum savings of $100 million.
 After 20 years on the job, employees belonging to the Fort Lauderdale Police & Fire Pension annually realize approximately 67% of their salaries for life. 24 years on the job translates to an annual lifetime benefit equal to 81% of their pay. Given a multiplier of 3.38%, the cost to the city had escalated to 49% of base pay. According to the new contract, new Police and Fire-Rescue hires will see 5% increases for each year of the two-year deal in return for a minor pension restructuring. The new arrangement will cost the city 36% of base salary instead of the 49% that it formerly funded. The first year savings alone is anticipated to be about $2.6 million.
 The Police and Fire-Rescue pension agreements portend a significant burden for taxpayers in the immediate future. In 2001, the $4.4 million paid by the City in Police and Fire-Rescue pension costs represented 10.5% of their payrolls. By 2008, the $21.3 million city contribution represented almost 50% of their payrolls, an increase of 384%. In addition to the incremental 50% on payroll costs, the taxpayers have to make up for any market losses sustained by the fund. Since the fund value sunk from $491 million on January 1, 2008 to $378 million on November 30, 2008, taxpayers must cough up the lost $113 million.
 An alternative retirement strategy available to Police and Fire-Rescue employees is known as the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP). Up to 5 years before retirement, a police officer or firefighter can collect their full pension while still working for the city and collecting their full salary. The money is placed in a special account where it accumulates with interest and is tax deferred. When the employee finally leaves city employment, the money is distributed in a lump sum payment.
 To demonstrate the plan’s actual impact on retirees, Gretsas presented the packages given to the last 3 retired Assistant Chiefs. In 2007, an Assistant Chief received a lump sum cash payment of $469,683.22 and an annual pension payment of $78,097.20. He did a tad better than a colleague that also retired in 2007 with a lump sum cash payment of $449,929.36 augmented by annual pension payments of $74,812.80. When a third colleague retired in 2008, the $461,189.33 lump sum abetted an $82,279.32 annual distribution.
 | | FIRE-RESCUE STATIONS |
The presentation documented the 2003 to 2009 timeline improvements to the crime rate, Fire-Rescue response times, proactive code enforcement, response times for the removal of graffiti and cleanup of illegal dump sites. New ordinance amendments governing noise and newspaper boxes are being enforced to better balance residential and commercial needs. While the City’s beaches and parks already get high marks from residents and visitors, infrastructure improvements are proceeding apace for the Waterworks, Fire-Rescue and Police stations, roadways and City Hall. Economic development must secure the City’s reputation as an international boating capital and tourism Mecca as well as fuel growing high technology, global trade, financial services and biotech industries.
 | | FORT LAUDERDALE RIVERWALK |
Community redevelopment for each neighborhood is planned around the vision of its residents. Dynamic enhancements are planned for critical residential and commercial corridors such as the Galt Mile, North Federal Highway, the Central Beach area, Davie Boulevard, South Andrews Avenue and Sistrunk Boulevard. Major objectives include creation of a world class downtown urban center, turning the New River into a waterside showplace destination, energizing the Riverwalk and establishing a cutting edge rail system.
| | NEW CITY COMMISSION GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS |
Just how closely the City Commission was listening to the City Manager’s admonitions is no longer relevant. A new lineup of rookie commissioners (save one) with a mixed bag of skills is charged with making city services affordable and effective. Aside from our new mayor’s sterling credentials as a consensus builder with a reliable political rudder, the City of Fort Lauderdale has become a political science classroom. Insurance adjuster Bobby DuBose and attorney Romney Rogers will hopefully benefit from Jack Seiler’s experience and leadership.
 | | COMMISSIONER BRUCE ROBERTS' NEW CHALLENGE |
While he brings a unique perspective to the table, once Bruce Roberts fathoms that accountability to tens of thousands of bewildered constituents is significantly more exasperating than umpiring a bureaucratic conflict between the City Manager and the police union, his street-tested moral compass should give rise to a surprisingly competent City Commissioner.
 | CITY COMMISSIONER
CHARLOTTE RODSTROM |
Given her District 2 election mandate, Charlotte Rodstrom will likely spend another three years on the short end of countless 4 to 1 commission votes while painting George Gretsas as an obstacle to consensus. Since declining property values have washed out the City’s magic hat of windfall tax rabbits, residents have grown increasingly leery of losing a cornerstone of the city’s fiscal stability. Anticipating that Gretsas will adapt his style to befit the new commission, Mayor Seiler applauded the substance of his contributions and admitted needing his help with the budget.
 | FISCAL DISCIPLINARIAN &
BUDGET WHIZ GEORGE GRETSAS |
As exclaimed by the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Commissioner Rodstrom’s criticism “unfairly puts much of the blame on his (Gretsas’) shoulders.” She has repeatedly pointed out that other candidates for the 2003 City Manager position scored higher on tests administered by Management & Personnel Systems Inc. of Walnut Creek, California, a professional search firm retained by the City. Finalist George Kolb, who was the City/County Manager of Augusta, Georgia, a Harvard graduate and scored a stellar 90% on the test went on to Wichita City, Kansas, where he was forced out of his job under pressure from the City Council. Michael K. West, the Johnson City, Tennessee City Manager and a legacy from Fort Lauderdale’s budget office who scored a healthy 77.7% on his test went to a small town in Alabama called Dothan. Applicant Thomas Hoover, the former City Manager of Worcester, Massachusetts who scratched out an average 59.3% on the test went to Royal Oak, Michigan where he unsuccessfully applied for jobs in the Florida communities of Venice, Ocala and Deltona while getting the boot from Royal Oak. Test scores notwithstanding, it appears that Fort Lauderdale copped the biggest "bang" for its "City Manager buck".
 George Gretsas has done everything the City Commission has asked of him, from hard-nosed negotiations with the city's unions to infusing each municipal department with accountability. While he will have to make adjustments to accommodate the requirements of the new commission members, they will discover that he is an invaluable resource. The Commissioners will soon realize that absent Gretsas, they would be forced to take the heat he eats for breakfast. Of course, they could replace him with a commission puppet and turn the budget into a pork buffet. After all, what happened in 2003 could never happen again – right?
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Commissioner Teel New Year Update
| | BEACH COMMUNITY CENTER |
February 8, 2009 - In her February 2009 Newsletter, City Commissioner Christine Teel addresses three issues, the wide range of activities available at the Beach Community Center, the timely rescue of the Galt Mile Sun Trolley and a testament to a Galt Mile resident who grabbed the bureaucratic bull by the horns. From the opening days of the Beach Community Center, every room was claimed and put to good use by locals with a wide range of ideas and agendas. Responsive to these varied interests, the city sponsored a host of activities in three categories, Health & Wellness, Arts & Culture and Fun & Games.
 Galt Mile residents are usually surprised when initially confronted by the literally dozens of classes in Yoga, Pilates, Line and Ballroom Dance, Water Color Painting, Computers, Ping Pong, Bingo, Mahjongg, Bridge and Planned Day Trips to everywhere! Among the dozens of specialized functions, the Property Appraiser holds seasonal Homestead and Senior exemption advisory sessions, AARP conducts Driver Safety Classes and the Commissioner holds bi-weekly Pre-Agenda constituency meetings in preparation for the following day’s City Commission meetings.
 | | GALT MILE SUN TROLLEY |
Last year, Broward County was charged with finding $100 million in budget cuts to accommodate the mandated statutory tax cut. Placed on the block were any local bus venues wherein utilization didn’t justify continued operation. The Galt Mile Sun Trolley fell into that category. While the utilization rates were statistically inadequate, those local residents that did use the trolley proclaimed its necessity for their well being. Activities ranging from doctor visits at Holy Cross Hospital to food and pharmaceutical shopping were wholly dependent on the inexpensive public transportation. Commissioners Keechl and Teel lobbied their respective County and City peers, ultimately staying the planned service termination. As a result, the Sun Trolley continued to operate without interruption.
 | STRAPPED AND
STAKED SAPLING |
During 2008, Galt Mile residents sent emails and letters to the Galt Mile Community Association commenting on adverse aspects of the landscaping along Galt Ocean Drive. Several asked why the trees that replaced those decapitated by Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma were dying within one or two years of having been planted. Others questioned the quality of upkeep, focusing on erratically maintained sidewalk beds wherein wood chips surround browning vegetation. Several actually witnessed strollers inadvertently collide with untrimmed tree branches that were low enough to endanger temporarily distracted pedestrians and unsuspecting bicycle enthusiasts.
 One complainant, a Commodore resident named José “Chepo” Vega, volunteered to do whatever was necessary to fix the problem. Following the December GMCA Advisory Board meeting, wherein Chepo was appointed as liaison between the Parks personnel assigned to the Galt Mile area and the Neighborhood Association, Commissioner Teel offered to assist with this endeavor. The Commissioner introduced him to the relevant Parks Department officials, several of whom he subsequently escorted on a January 14th guided tour of the block’s landscaping deficiencies. Through his efforts, the problems are currently being resolved. Chepo is representative of the rich diversity of passionate and competent volunteers working together to improve our lives, arguably our neighborhood’s most valuable asset. – [editor]
From The Desk of
Commissioner Teel
 | DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER
CHRISTINE TEEL |
We’re only a few weeks into 2009 and already time seems to be flying by. I hope our full and part-time residents are taking advantage of the many activities scheduled at the Beach Community Center. They offer a full calendar with activities for residents of all ages. Several people who take advantage of this resource have mentioned that they appreciate the opportunity to meet new friends in the community outside of their own condominium. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to stop by to talk with the staff and look at the monthly events calendar.
 A few months ago I received a disturbing call from one of the residents on the Galt Ocean Mile who was distraught to learn that the TMA trolley was abruptly stopped. The residents, who rely on the trolley for their doctor visits and trips to the mall at Oakland and Federal, had no prior notice that their only means of transportation would cease. I shared the frustration and disappointment with the Galt residents and worked diligently to get Broward County to resume running the trolley the next regularly scheduled day of operation. Funding was restored by Broward County and I will continue to work with the appropriate officials to keep the trolley running for the Galt Mile residents. If you haven’t taken a ride on the trolley I encourage you to try it. Saving on gas and not having to find a parking space are certainly advantages, but it’s also a fun way to get around town.
 | | JOSÉ "CHEPO" VEGA |
I would like to thank Jose “Chepo” Vega, a resident at The Commodore, for his commitment to the Galt Ocean Mile community. Jose contacted my office, concerned that the landscaping on the Galt Mile was not being properly pruned and maintained. Branches on the trees were too low, causing a hazard for pedestrians. I contacted the director of our Parks and Recreation Department, requesting that he meet with Jose on the Galt Mile to evaluate his concerns. The result was that Jose’s concerns were valid and his input invaluable. Jose is now assisting our staff to ensure that the landscaping on the Galt Ocean Mile is maintained in a manner that enhances its beauty and longevity.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions. I can be reached at city hall at (954) 828-5004 or by e-mail at cteel@fortlauderdale.gov.
Christine Teel
To access additional information about the Sun Trolley, the Galt Mile Route and schedule, Click Here. To access the Sun Trolley web site, Click Here. - editor
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