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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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Goals and Objectives - 2008
George Gretsas Takes  his Show on the Road
 | CITY COMMISSIONER CHRISTINE TEEL AND
CITY MANAGER GEORGE GRETSAS |
One day prior to every meeting of the Fort Lauderdale City Commission, Commissioner Christine Teel convenes a Pre-Agenda Meeting for her District 1 constituents at the Beach Community Center. By arming herself with their direct input, she can better prioritize issues as they are confronted in the next day’s meeting. She occasionally dedicates the meeting venue to special presentations. The Commissioner notifies interested District 1 residents about each upcoming meeting by email, usually reminding them that “Two or more City Commissioners and/or Advisory Board members may be present at this meeting. All are invited to attend.” In early July, her email targeting the July 14th meeting varied, conveying instead, “City Manager George Gretsas will be attending to present the City’s goals and objectives for the upcoming fiscal year. Mr. Gretsas will discuss his plans for reducing costs, while improving the quality of life for the residents and businesses in the City of Fort Lauderdale. He will be available to address your concerns and answer your questions about issues of interest specifically to District I residents and the future of our City.”
On July 14th, residents that attended the meeting got more than they bargained for. The meeting was moved from the room ordinarily occupied by Commissioner Teel’s pre-agenda regulars to the auditorium. As the audience filed in, they were greeted by City Manager George Gretsas, Commissioner Christine Teel and a host of municipal department heads representing every major city agency. To assist the City Manager field questions after the presentation, Gretsas invited Fire Chief James Eddy, Director of Business Enterprises Cate McCaffrey, Building Services Manager Valerie Bohlander, Code Enforcement Manager Mike Maloney, Public Works Director Albert Carbon and the Executive Officer for Police District 1, Captain Raul Diaz. Gretsas also brought his three Assistant Managers, David Hébert, Kathleen Gunn and Steve Scott.
 | ASST CITY MANAGER
KATHLEEN GUNN |
After being lured to Fort Lauderdale from White Plains, New York, where he was the Mayor’s right arm, George Gretsas strapped up, thickened his skin and extricated the city from the deepest, darkest fiscal hole in Fort Lauderdale history. Aside from bringing intensity and a focused work ethic to the job, Gretsas cleverly kidnapped fellow New Yorkers Kathleen Gunn and David Hébert from their respective administrative positions in White Plains and, with native Floridian Stephen Scott, formed the managerial commando squad that disassembled – and then rebuilt – Fort Lauderdale’s organizational infrastructure.
 | ASST CITY MANAGER
DAVID HÉBERT |
Each was assigned responsibilities commensurate with their experience and intuitive capabilities. Formerly an Executive Director of the White Plains Downtown Business Improvement District, Kathleen Gunn was charged with overseeing Business and Economic Development as well as Parks and Recreation. By luring a host of mid-size businesses such as the Kaplan University to the City, Gunn substantially expanded the tax base, lowering tax pressure on homeowners. Attorney Stephen Scott is in charge of Administrative Services, providing guidance for the City’s Human Resources and Information Technology Departments. Although he also oversees the Finance Department, Scott says, “When it comes to the City's finances, George is 'hands on'. While we work together, his ideas have been integral to the city's expeditious recovery.” Upon first arriving in Fort Lauderdale, David Hébert was tasked with transforming the City’s Public Information Office into an effective and reliable communications tool. A former advisor to the Westchester County District Attorney in New York, Hébert was later conscripted by Gretsas to serve as a liaison between his office and Fort Lauderdale’s Police and Fire-Rescue Departments. By assisting FLPD to implement recommendations based on findings of the Safir-Rosetti study, Hébert was instrumental in dropping the city’s crime rate.
 Early on, Gretsas realized that a majority of the city’s problems were embedded in a municipal culture that fostered departmental fiefdoms organized according to the capabilities and priorities of their all-powerful departmental potentates. Advancement was a function of longevity. With the help of his triumvirate of Assistant City Managers, Gretsas changed the ground rules, insisting that promotions should reward merit, not the length of time an employee was able to survive undetected in some innocuous capacity.
 | THE GRETSAS
SHOW! |
To avoid any confusion about his objectives and expectations, he needed to carefully clarify his plans for the elected officials to whom he was answerable and the municipal employees that would benefit or suffer from his intention to infuse every level of city government with accountability. By encapsulating his message in dramatic audio-visual presentations on tape or disk, he could communicate his ideas and immunize himself from politically motivated attempts to mischaracterize his motives.
He first addressed the Galt Mile Community Association Advisory Board on November 18, 2004, three months after the City Commissioners selected Mr. Gretsas over candidates that were academically and experientially more qualified because, as per Commissioner Teel, “he had a fire in his belly”. Over the next few years, as he implemented the changes he described at that first encounter, the city underwent a remarkable recovery. Since then, Gretsas has annually utilized his trademark audio-visual format to update the community and its neighborhood association.
Fiscal Night turns to Day
 | GEORGE NARRATES
PRESENTATION |
Following a formal introduction by the City Manager, his July 14th PowerPoint extravaganza flashed across the screen. Emulating a prologue worthy of Vincent Price or Rod Serling, it opened with, “Our Story Begins - Circa 2003. It was a period of doom in the small southern waterfront community. Hopelessness and desperation were all around. A chill wind blew through the fair city.” Listing the problems that either led to or resulted from the City’s fiscal implosion, each framed entry was superimposed on a caricature of the semi-skeletal “cover ghoul” from “Tales of the Crypt”. The series of destabilizing conditions responsible for the prevalent pessimism included a $21 million insurance deficit; reserve funds depleted; bond ratings lowered; furloughs, layoffs, lawsuits; controversy and service reductions. As a segue to the metaphoric “light at the end of the tunnel” leading to the city’s recovery, the frame slideshow continued, “And through all the chaos and confusion... despite all the dread and terror... love was in the air!”
 Having captured the audience’s attention – if not their curiosity – Gretsas looks at progressive annual improvements to the city’s financial health. Had Fort Lauderdale adhered to the national standard for a healthy reserve, roughly 5% to 15% of the annual expense budget, they would have socked away $10 million to $30 million instead of the pitiful 2003 reserves balance of $875,000. That year’s negligible reserves grew to $9.3 million in 2004 (just under 5%), $30 million in 2005, $43 million in 2006 and $67 million in 2007 – far exceeding the national benchmarks and realizing the largest fund balance in city history.
 The $20.6 million insurance deficit of 2003 shrank to $13.4 million in 2004, zero in 2005; a $4 million surplus in 2006 doubled to $8 million in 2007 and rounded out to a healthy $10 million fully reserved surplus in 2008. In response to Fort Lauderdale’s bathing in the light of fiscal integrity, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s ratings for the city’s general obligation bonds turned from negative to positive in 2005 before rising to the current favorable Standard & Poor’s AA rating and Moody’s Aa2 rating.
 Turning attention to the City’s tax environment, Gretsas baited the audience, asking if Fort Lauderdale had the highest tax rate in Broward County. When they said YES, he said NO! How about 2nd?, 5th?, 10th?, 15th, NO! A chart demonstrated that Pembroke Park’s 8.5 Millage and Sea Ranch Lakes’ 6.95 Millage claimed the top spots. Fort Lauderdale came in at number 20, after Hollywood, Dania, Sunrise, Hallandale, Deerfield, Oakland Park, Davie and 12 other Broward cities; sporting a Millage of only 4.1193. The City Manager pointed out that taxes were cut in each of the past 3 years, achieving record 10-year lows in 2005 and 2007.
 Of the 31 municipal water and sewer rates in Broward County, Fort Lauderdale is the 27th lowest. Of the 27 different municipal Fire Assessment Fees, the “Venice of America” enjoys the 22nd lowest. The proposed budget cuts taxes again (14%) while “preserving city services.” In view of the $11 million lost to the city due to mandated tax cuts, maintaining service levels was a significant achievement. Gretsas explained that the city wasn’t the only player on the TRIM notice, alluding to other entities that absorb resources such as the water district and the school board, among others. He demonstrated the average tax savings for homesteaded and non-homesteaded condo owners as compared to last year. The average homesteaded owner of a $288,305 condo saved $83.83 while the average non-homesteaded owner of a $320,820 condo saved $36.08 more than last year.
Pensions 101
Acknowledging that he was risking putting his audience into a somnolent state, the City Manager announced, “To grasp an accurate picture of the city’s financial challenge, residents need to understand the part played by the city’s pensions. As such, consider this as Pensions 101.” Municipal employees belong to either the General Employees’ Retirement System (GERS) or the Fort Lauderdale Police & Fire Pension. Gretsas exhorted that these Defined Benefit Plans will ultimately bankrupt Fort Lauderdale. Employees participating in the General Employees’ Retirement System get 3% of their salary toward their pension for every year they work for the City. After 20 years, they are entitled to 60% of salary for the rest of their lives. To fund this pension system, the city must pay 23% of an employee’s salary. After 20 years on the job, employees belonging to the Fort Lauderdale Police & Fire Pension realize approximately 67% of their salaries for life. Given a multiplier of 3.38%, the cost to the city had escalated to 49% of base pay. These formulas will guarantee onerous tax increases in the near future to finance the exponential growth of fund obligations.
To remediate this threat, the City Manager negotiated recent contracts utilizing formulas based on Defined Contributions (similar to a 401k plan) instead of Defined Benefits. New hires that will belong to GERS will see 5% 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. New Police and Fire-Rescue hires will see 5% for each year of a two-year contract as per their restructured pension agreements. The new arrangement will cost the city 36% of base salary instead of the ruinous 49% that it currently funds. The first year savings alone is anticipated to be about $2.6 million.
Quality of Life in the “Venice of America”
 | CHIEF OF POLICE
FRANK ADDERLEY |
Crime index totals reflect significant gains in controlling the crime rate. In 2005, there were 12,719 incidents. Instead of the usual knee-jerk response, hiring more police, the City commissioned a study that reviewed departmental strengths and weaknesses. The Safir/Rosetti Report made recommendations that formed the basis of a police action plan implemented in August of 2005. As a result of reallocating resources in 2006, the number dropped to 11,622. The 11,235 incidents recorded in 2007 were the second lowest in city history. The projected 2008 total, based on first quarter extrapolation, is 11,607. The strategy of improving how the staff was managed instead of hiring more staff swiftly put an end to double digit increases in the crime rate. Gretsas explained, “When we noticed a first quarter increase in the annualized crime rate, we asked Police Chief Frank Adderley to look into insuring that the trend is quickly reversed. We’ve also purchased video cameras for patrol vehicles.”
 | FT LAUDERDALE FIRE
CHIEF JAMES EDDY |
Fire-Rescue response times are improving. The statistic that best measures the mission efficiency of any major municipal Fire Department is response time. Units are arriving on scene 23 seconds faster than last year, a 12% improvement. Additional steps to improve response times are also being implemented. Given the departure of longtime predecessor Otis Latin, Gretsas introduced the new Fire Chief, James Eddy.
 | BUILDING SERVICES DIRECTOR
VALERIE BOHLANDER |
In 2006, the Building Department finally started to show improvement, thanks primarily to Building Services Manager Valerie Bohlander. Proactive Code Enforcement also started yielding results. To better measure productivity, responsiveness and efficiency, individual performance measures for code inspectors were implemented. 59% of all code cases were discovered by these code inspectors. Reflecting the department’s emphasis on efficiency, 90% of code complaints are now investigated within 24 hours of receipt of a citizen complaint. Neighborhood blight due to insufficiently maintained buildings and lots, buildings in foreclosure or owners tied up with insurance delays will be more effectively addressed thanks to a new ordinance clearing the way for code citations.
 Gretsas announced, “We turned the corner in the war on Graffiti through a joint effort by Code Enforcement, Public Works and the Police. Over one year period, 1330 reports of graffiti and subsequent removal took place. While our overall goal is, of course, to reduce graffiti City-wide, our immediate goal is to remove Graffiti within 24 hours.”
In another partnership between Code Enforcement, Public Works and Police, Gretsas claims a lower incidence of illegal dumping. “Our goal is to investigate and clean up illegal dump sites within 48 hours.” Last year, the environmental crimes police made 39 arrests attendant to the 662 illegal dump sites that were expeditiously cleaned up.
 Although a noise abatement and traffic safety program has been underway in the Galt Mile neighborhood for the past three years, both officers and neighborhood residents have asked for more effective ordinances. The City met with a noise consultant to develop effective methodologies to combat noise pollution. Gretsas said, “We intend to amend the current ordinance to better balance residential and commercial needs. The new ordinance will address Special Entertainment Districts, amplified sound, time limits for construction and maximum levels for emergency generators.”
A new ordinance governing newspaper boxes is scheduled to go into effect on September 4, 2008 – just after Labor Day. The disconcerting collection of multicolor newspaper boxes of various shapes and sizes will be replaced with less offensive uniform black dispensers.
 The City Manager said, “Everyone we’ve asked about the appearance of the Beach area has had nothing but praise for the City.” Gretsas exclaimed “The beach has never looked better.” The new medians that adorn the streets are a distinct improvement and the beach itself boasts new playground and picnic equipment. He said “The Business Improvement District has done a great job of cleaning up the beach area and making it look brighter.”
Planning the City’s Future
 | | FORT LAUDERDALE PLAN REVIEW |
City Manager Gretsas then focused on Fort Lauderdale’s future, announcing that “The Vision is clear!” He expressed gratitude to “the 2,000 residents helping to plan the where the City will be in 5, 10 and 15 years down the line. Their work on developing cohesive master plans for neighborhoods will become more evident with time.” Downtown Master Plan Amendments portend a mixed use development of housing, shopping and entertainment which will also create jobs and an interesting blend of activities. He foresees beautiful buildings lining pedestrian-friendly streets permeated by a variety of parks and public spaces that will be serviced by an assortment of public transportation options.
 Gretsas is also optimistic about the New River Master Plan finally tapping a precious municipal resource to create another major downtown people magnet. The plan would create a waterfront promenade connecting the North and South sides of the River that would help promote a mix of activities along the riverfront. Gretsas explained, “The plan will energize the river by carefully positioning development in a manner that protects view corridors while enhancing its critical mass as a destination.” It addresses housing, shopping, dining and night life as well as recreation and boating. He expects the plan to be completed this summer.
 | | FORT LAUDERDALE RIVERWALK |
Plans are also underway to reinvent Riverwalk. Gretsas stated that “The Riverwalk District Public Realm Plan will examine the mistakes made in the original plan so that they may be either corrected or simply redeveloped from scratch. The aim is to create excitement at the Riverwalk.” In anticipation of creating a lively destination area, public access must be maximized by linking adjoining streets, parks and public spaces. To insure that the area fulfills its potential as an entertainment, leisure and recreation magnet, effective management must be established and activities programmed. A Study to maximize the Riverwalk’s natural assets will begin this fall.
 A public transportation option for travel within the downtown area, the DDA Circulator, is expected to satisfy a series of municipal needs. It will link proximal destinations. It will also attract activity and encourage longer visits to the area. By reducing traffic it will ease the crushing demand for parking. If installed and promoted properly, it may provide a long-term solution for sustainable City living. Since it could provide a template, Gretsas explained that “the Lightrail could be extended to the beach if successful.”
 | | NORTH US-1 URBAN DESIGN PLAN |
The North US-1 Urban Design Plan examined methods of improving convenience, utilization and aesthetics along one of the city’s main transportation corridors. In addition to ensuring that new development is compatible with nearby residential areas, the plan needs to preserve a careful balance in blending commercial and residential uses. As a regional shopping destination, street beautification and new landscaping along Federal Highway should provide a convenient and pleasurable shopping experience. The plan should enable pedestrians to walk from store to store after parking once. Since the plan has already been completed, the next steps are ordinance revisions along with a landscape and signage plan.
 The Central Beach Master Plan has been under development for some time. It seeks to make improvements to public properties, allow greater retail opportunities, expand beach activities and connect parks, shops and restaurants. To effect these improvements, the beach will require the appropriate zoning flexibility. Referring to the mixed feedback over the large boxlike hotels, Gretsas said, “Better zoning may have prevented some of the density issues currently facing Central Beach residents.” An Intracoastal boardwalk overlooking the waterfront would go a long way to accomplishing the plan’s connectivity objectives. Gretsas projected that the plan would be completed this winter.
As discussed by Commissioner Christine Teel in her December 2007 Newsletter, the City Manager examined the reasons for instituting Neighborhood Development Criteria Revisions. To allow citizens the right to choose a vision for their neighborhood and protect the neighborhood’s particular character, the revisions establish new guidelines for redevelopment. Planning will begin in the near future.
 The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will improve trails and connectivity to recreation amenities while protecting natural resources and providing nature programs that will take advantage of the valuable public green space. Organized activities can range from educational and leisure recreation to expanded health, fitness and wellness programs. The plan also encourages the enhancement of partnership opportunities with other public and private recreation and open space providers. Gretsas complimented Phil Thornburg and Parks personnel for doing such a wonderful job with the City parks, stating, “All of our feedback about City Parks is positive. Virtually everyone agrees that our Parks are excellent.”
 | | FIRE-RESCUE STATIONS |
A bond program passed several years ago to finance rehabilitating deteriorating Fire-Rescue stations across the City is well underway. The Fire Rescue Bond Program evaluated the current and future staffing levels at stations and tailored the size requirements of future stations accordingly. The City has already completed construction of Stations 47, 53/88 and EOC (Emergency Operations Center). The design of Fire Station 29 is already finished and the designs for Fire Stations 49 and 3 are 90% complete. The audit review concluded that the rehabilitation program has demonstrated appropriate controls, oversight, and program management.
 A plan to provide adequate water resources and drainage capacity to the Fort Lauderdale area has made significant strides during the past few years. To date, 78 projects totaling an investment of $244 million have been completed as part of the WaterWorks 2011 project. The Peele Dixie Water Treatment Plant has successfully come online and 4,250 sewer connections have been completed. $150 million in revenue bonds were obtained as part of the financial plan. So far, WaterWorks 2011 facility projects are 75% complete and pipeline projects are currently 66% complete. A management review concluded that the project demonstrates sufficient management controls by Al Carbon, reliable results and compliance with applicable regulations and contracts.
 | | FT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT |
The modernization and enhancement of Executive Airport is also in the cards. Incorporating a 20 year development strategy, the Airport Master Plan responds to environmental, community and business interests. The plan, which analyzed enhanced revenue generation strategies, will be completed in the fall.
 | CITY MANAGER
GEORGE GRETSAS |
Before inviting residents to ask the attending City officials relevant questions, Gretsas warned against “the development pendulum swinging too far in either direction,” claiming “uncontrolled development is as dangerous as no development. We must keep in mind that neighborhoods are the most important parts of the city and must reflect the vision of their inhabitants.”
 The presentation elicited a spontaneous round of applause from attending residents. From his thematic use of 2001 theme “Thus Spake Zarathustra” to open presentation to his closing admonition, Gretsas managed to hold audience attention throughout the presentation. Following the “show” audience members circulated through the room, putting inquiries to the various available city department heads.
 If you regret having missed the Gretsas Show and find written reviews that simply divulge informational content aesthetically inadequate, you may still have two opportunities to satisfy your need for dramatic context. The City Manager’s “Goals and Objectives – 2008” presentation was originally made before the City Commission during the June 17, 2008 Conference Meeting. You can either watch an archived webcast of the City Manager making this presentation to the City Commission or download the presentation files and watch the actual presentation.
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Bait  Switch
The LNG Meeting  at Dania Beach
 | CITY COMMISSION VOTES TO ISSUE
RESOLUTION OPPOSING CALYPSO |
June 8, 2008 - Two days after the City Commission meeting, GMCA President Pio Ieraci contacted lobbyist Tom Allen from SUEZ North America to confirm a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 28th, at Plaza South prior to notifying Galt Mile Associations that concerned residents would have the opportunity to hear a Coast Guard Security plan for Calypso. Despite assuring the City Commission that they intended to allay the fears of Galt Mile residents at this Plaza South meeting, SUEZ decided to “bait and switch” the venue to the IGFA (International Game Fishing Association) building in Dania, halfway across the county. When Commissioner Teel checked her emails on Friday morning, May 23rd, she found an announcement from the RBB Public Relations firm entitled “Public Notice to the Broward County Community” welcoming the public to an “Informational Open House.”
 Since Monday was Memorial Day, Calypso set a new standard for intentionally dissuading public access, cancelling the Galt Mile meeting and announcing the replacement public event with one business day’s notice. Ieraci asked why SUEZ was moving the location of the meeting after pledging to address the concerns of those frightened Galt Mile residents living closest to the LNG facility. Tom Allen said “We decided that we would need a much larger space.” Given their history of poorly attended Calypso meetings due to nearly invisible notice, it became clear that their nine lobbyists (5 for the Calypso Deepwater Port, 2 for the Calypso Pipeline, 1 for SUEZ Energy North America and Judy Stern in Broward) planned to pack the hall with supporters - not unlike the paid scientists who testified at the City Commission meeting.
 | | INTERNATIONAL GAME FISH ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERS |
The meeting was rescheduled for 7:30 PM at the International Game Fish Association Headquarters auditorium at 300 Gulf Stream Way in Dania Beach. The notice stated, “An outside moderator will introduce speakers from the U.S. Coast Guard and SUEZ Energy North America, and then facilitate a question and answer session for attendees so any and all issues and concerns can be addressed. We look forward to your attendance.”
GMCA Engages State Representatives
 | REPRESENTATIVE ELLYN BOGDANOFF
AND SENATOR JEFFREY ATWATER |
GMCA President Pio Ieraci contacted our Tallahassee representatives, Senator Jeffrey Atwater and Representative Ellyn Bogdanoff, to apprise them of the machinations SUEZ resorted to after asking the Galt Mile Community Association to arrange a meeting in Plaza South with concerned Galt Mile residents. Senator Atwater immediately agreed to alter his plans and meet with the group of residents that initially fueled the opposition to Calypso. The next day, Saturday morning, the Senator met with GMCA officials Pio Ieraci and Eric Berkowitz, GMCA Advisory Board member Fred Nesbitt, Plaza South residents Bill and Terry Claire, Dr. Dave and Barbara Marshall, Ivan Itkin from L’Hermitage, City Commissioner Christine Teel, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Mayor Roseann Minnet and journalist Mark Brown.
 | | SUEZ V.P. DAN MCGINNIS |
Upon learning about the “bait and switch” tactic deployed by Calypso lobbyist Tom Allen and SUEZ V.P. Dan McGinnis, Senator Atwater surmised, “It sounds like these people (SUEZ N.A.) hope to create the appearance of holding a public meeting – only without the public. By moving the venue across the county to Dania on such short notice, it is fair to assume that they mean to discourage participation by the folks most affected by their project.” The residents explained to the Senator that although SUEZ has been actively pursuing a license for this deepwater port for several years, three out of Fort Lauderdale’s five City Commissioners knew nothing about Calypso. When Commissioner Teel learned about the project’s potential for disaster, she informed constituents that she intended to recommend that Governor Crist VETO the project. While Mayor Naugle was admittedly aware of the project, he said that he knew little about its dangers and drawbacks. Two weeks later, the City Commission voted to issue a resolution opposing Calypso. Senator Atwater recommended that we attend the Dania meeting. “I don’t think we should give SUEZ the opportunity to mislead the public – and the Governor – by packing the hall with supporters and then announcing that attendees were satisfied that the project was safe and sound,” said Senator Atwater. “It’s important that our voices are heard at this orchestrated event. It’s also important to engage the neighboring communities and their public officials such as Mayor Minnet, as they are all affected by this threat. The Governor needs to understand that this is an apolitical neighborhood issue.”
 | DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER
CHRISTINE TEEL |
Stymied by the short notice and the Memorial Day holiday weekend, GMCA officials asked Commissioner Teel if she would help arrange a bus to transport concerned Galt Mile residents to the IGFA (International Game Fishing Association) building in Dania for the Wednesday night meeting. On Wednesday evening, about 50 Galt Mile residents joined Senator Atwater and Commissioner Teel at the bus, despite having been given only one business day’s notice. Another 100 residents from the Galt Mile and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea arranged private car pools to the meeting. District 91 Statehouse Representative Ellyn Bogdanoff and District 4 Broward Commissioner Ken Keechl were already at the IGFA building when the bus arrived.
Act I in Dania Theater of the Absurd
As the meeting convened, the SUEZ panel was comprised of Project Manager Dan McGinnis, SUEZ Energy North America Representatives Fred Staible, Brad Cooley, and Tony Galt, three Coast Guard officials and Bill Cooper, introduced as an independent expert on liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Coast Guard was represented by Captain Karl Schultz (Commander, Coast Guard Sector Miami), Mark Prescott (chief of deep-water ports standard division for the U.S. Coast Guard) and Commander Brian Gove (USCG Chief, Prevention Operations).  | (L to R) LOBBYIST BILL COOPER, SUEZ ENERGY N.A. REPS FRED STAIBLE
BRAD COOLEY, TONY GALT, PROJECT MANAGER DAN MCGINNIS |
The meeting was also attended by groups with which SUEZ had financial dealings, such as several contracted scientists from Nova Oceanographic Institute. Citing deference to the attending local politicians, the SUEZ-appointed moderator called on Broward Commissioner Ken Keechl. After asserting that SUEZ’ decision to locate this facility across from a heavily populated area was insupportable, Commissioner Keechl exclaimed, “I have a personal problem with you. I resent your implication that my constituents who are alarmed by the project are ‘acting irrationally’. Other than the expansion at the South Runway at the Airport, I’ve never seen an issue create such dissention so quickly,” referring to the controversy surrounding the Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport expansion. “From what I’ve learned recently, their concerns are very real,” said Keechl. Commissioner Keechl subsequently sent a May 30th letter to Governor Charlie Crist expressing his vehement opposition to the Calypso Deepwater Port.
 | BROWARD COMMISSIONER
KEN KEECHL |
Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Christine Teel echoed Commissioner Keechl’s objections, contending that the City agrees that “the public concern is justified.” She proceeded to read an official resolution opposing the project passed at the May 20th City Commission meeting. Speaking next, Senator Jeffrey Atwater said “It would have served everyone’s best interests if SUEZ had addressed the threats posed by their project directly with those most affected by those threats in a calm environment. While I appreciate your efforts in securing attendance by the Coast Guard, many of those residents who harbor the greatest concerns are elderly and were unable to travel to Dania on such short notice. While it is important that SUEZ be accorded the opportunity to explain their project, it is equally important that they address the legitimate concerns of Galt Mile residents and other communities along the shore.” Addressing SUEZ N.A. Vice President Dan McGinnis, Atwater said, “I urge you to arrange another meeting at the Galt Mile right away,” since SUEZ’ questionable decision to switch the meeting at the last minute spoke to their credibility as an organization.
 | | SENATOR JEFFREY ATWATER |
The day before, on May 27th, Senator Atwater sent a letter to Dan McGinnis expressing his disappointment with SUEZ’ actions, explaining that McGinnis’ decision to move the venue functionally prohibited participation by many concerned residents. Atwater wrote, “It is imperative that the residents of Galt Ocean Mile have the opportunity to have their voices heard! Their concerns and questions are valid, as this project has the potential of seriously impacting their community.” Insisting that the meeting scheduled to take place on the Galt Mile should have been important to SUEZ, Atwater closed with, “I do look forward to hearing from you shortly as to the time and location of a meeting that is convenient to the residents of the Galt Ocean Mile and surrounding communities.”
 | | REP. ELLYN BOGDANOFF |
District 91 Statehouse Representative Ellyn Bogdanoff also served notice on the SUEZ panel that she had already started familiarizing herself with the project and its impact on her constituents, having recently been made aware of the strong neighborhood aversion to Calypso. Doubtless aware of her position as Majority Whip in the Florida Statehouse, Bogdanoff sent a discernible chill through the SUEZ panel when she announced that she had already contacted the Governor about this issue. Digressing momentarily, she intimated the wisdom of SUEZ reconsidering their project and/or its location given the explosive opposition stridently expressed by a sizable and rapidly growing community plurality. Her tone hardened when she described the Governor’s reliable sensitivity to community concerns when weighing an issue’s adverse impacts. After the meeting, she exclaimed “The Governor is looking into what’s happening here. He should discover that this is not a political issue, but a grassroots demand for peace of mind.” Other government officials from Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Coral Springs and Dania Beach registered opposition to the project as well.
After extending the floor to every identifiable politician, the “Independent Moderator” assigned by SUEZ to control the meeting spent the next next 1½ hours “moderating” a discussion between panel members. As they asked one another a seemingly scripted set of irrelevant questions, a Galt Mile resident interrupted, stating, “We’ve been here for almost 2 hours and you still haven’t taken any questions from the Galt Mile residents for whom you supposedly arranged this meeting.” Receiving a nod from Dan McGinnis, the flustered moderator called on GMCA Advisory Board member Fred Nesbitt.
Galt Mile Residents Target Panel
 | GMCA ADVISORY BOARD'S FRED
NESBITT OF PLAYA DEL MAR |
Quoting from a December 2007 Government Accountability Office (GAO) Maritime Security report, Playa del Mar resident Fred Nesbitt said that liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers face “suicide attacks from explosive-laden boats, ‘standoff’ attacks with weapons launched from a distance and armed assaults” resulting in a “severe threat to public safety, environmental consequences, and disruption of the energy supply chain.” Nesbitt pointed out that the GAO report admonishes that “the Coast Guard - the lead federal agency for Maritime Security - has insufficient resources to meet its own self-imposed security standards.” Responding to a newspaper article in which Dan McGinnis claimed that local opponents to Calypso were overreacting to “myths more than anything,” Nesbitt asked the Coast Guard representatives if they consider GAO reports to be myths. When they failed to answer, Fred asked the officers if they considered terrorism a threat. A SUEZ representative intervened, stating “If the Coast Guard thought that this project was dangerous, they would say so.”
 | | GMCA VP ERIC BERKOWITZ |
GMCA official Eric Berkowitz answered, “Dozens of counter-terrorism authorities have warned against the establishment of LNG facilities in densely populated areas. In a January 9, 2007 Congressional Research Service Report for Congress entitled “Maritime Security: Potential Terrorist Attacks and Protection Priorities”, Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, stated that “there is a significant threat by vessel-borne improvised explosive devices” and that “vulnerability to small-boat attacks stood out during a 2006 threat assessment.”
 | | AL-QAEDA INFILTRATED LNG TANKERS |
Berkowitz continued, “Former White House counter-terrorism chief Richard Clarke wrote a report entitled ‘LNG Facilities in Urban Areas” in May of 2005 warning that ‘As LNG imports become a more important sector of our economy, terrorist organizations like al Qaeda will become more interested in attacking them. In addition, LNG tankers, which often travel in close proximity to metropolitan seaports, are undoubtedly attractive high casualty targets for al Qaeda planners. In a recently released document known simply as the National Planning Scenarios, DHS (Department of Homeland Security) indicated that a potential terrorist attack on a chemical or gas tanker is the number six ranked doomsday scenario for the United States government. As a result, DHS is expected to spend at least an additional one billion dollars to secure against this form of terrorist attack. However even those within DHS believe that the United States is a long way away from true preparedness.’” Berkowitz informed the panel that Richard Clarke served 11 years as White House National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism for Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George H. Bush.
 As his three-minute opportunity to address the panel expired, Berkowitz said “You have made mention several times at this meeting that irresponsible residents have spread an inflammatory rumor that an ignitable vapor cloud resulting from a catastrophic full discharge of a LNG tanker has the energy equivalent of 55 Hiroshima bombs. After investigating the source of this admittedly frightening analogy, I discovered that it wasn't, as you infer, some anti-LNG 'spin' manufactured to elicit unwarranted opposition to LNG facilities, but a direct quote from a 1982 Lovins & Lovins Pentagon study entitled ‘Brittle Power: Energy Strategy for National Security’. On page 88 of this report, Lovins contends that “An LNG fireball can blow through a city, creating a very large number of ignitions and explosions across a wide area. No present or foreseeable equipment can put out a very large [LNG]... fire. The energy content of a single standard LNG tanker (one hundred twenty-five thousand cubic meters) is equivalent to seven-tenths of a megaton of TNT, or about fifty-five Hiroshima bombs.” If I'm wrong in assuming that you are already familiar with this study, links on the Galt Mile web site to the original documentation will provide you with confirmation. Now that you are aware that this is not some dramatic metaphor meant to scare up opposition, but reliable information solicited by Armed Forces energy directors in the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, perhaps you will better understand the depth of our concerns.”
 | | CAPTAIN KARL SCHULTZ |
Plaza South resident Bill Claire referred to a statement by Lord Peter Levene, Chairman of Lloyds, the world’s second largest commercial insurer, who told Houston business leaders that a terrorist attack on an LNG tanker “would have the force of a small nuclear explosion.” Claire also reviewed Congressional Research Service concerns about the prospect of a tanker being commandeered by terrorists. Claire asked what the Coast Guard could do if a hijacked LNG vessel were guided into Port Everglades or beached on the Galt Mile shore and ignited. The SUEZ representative again interjected that the scenario was too remote to address. When Claire pressed for a response by the Coast Guard officers, Captain Schultz admitted that “any such terrorist threat should be taken seriously.”
 | OAKLAND PARK RESIDENT
CHRIS CHIARI |
Responding to Dan McGinnis’ claims that SUEZ has been publicizing the Calypso project for ten years, Oakland Park resident Chris Chiari clarified that the Calypso Pipeline was originally designed to transport natural gas from a Regasification facility in the Bahamas to Port Everglades. Explaining that his familiarity with the Calypso Pipeline and the subsequent Deepwater Port license applications derives from his participation on the Broward County Marine Advisory Board, Chiari asked “What happened to the Bahamas gas plant?” SUEZ’ Brad Cooley answered, “For some reason, they still haven’t approved the license.” Chiari retorted, “When the Bahamians rejected this dangerous facility, you moved it to our beach. The project you claim was in the works for ten years was a different project. The current Deepwater Port license application is two years old and nearly no one is aware that it exists, much less the danger it poses to adjacent neighborhoods.”
Deus Ex Machina - Orchestrating the Desired Result
 | SENATOR JEFFREY ATWATER AND L-B-T-S MAYOR ROSEANN MINNET
JOIN GALT MILE RESIDENTS AT SUEZ PRESENTATION |
A Coral Ridge resident asked if an ignitable vapor cloud could travel from the Calypso facility to the heavily populated Galt Mile beach. A SUEZ representative contended that their Independent Risk Assessment (IRA) determined that the cloud could only travel 4 miles, 3 miles short of the beach. He said that Sandia National Laboratories participated in the Calypso IRA. Residents pointed out that another Sandia report commissioned by the Coast Guard in January of 2006 stated that the ignitable vapor cloud could travel 7.3 miles, extending a potential holocaust passed the Intracoastal Waterway into Coral Ridge. The same Sandia study refers to the minimum distance from the fire required to survive the attendant 2000 BTU heat flux, a conflagration beyond the suppression capabilities of most municipal fire-rescue units. An additional cushion of 2640 meters, or 1.64 miles, will expose residents to 5 kilowatts per square meter, the maximum survivable heat flux, extending the mortality perimeter well passed Federal Highway. Additional authoritative reports have been issued claiming the deadly cloud can travel up to 30 miles. Ivan Itkin, a Galt Mile resident whose field is nuclear physics, accounts for these statistical variances among risk models by considering the assumptions that the risk assessors were given by the company.
 | L'HERMITAGE RESIDENT
IVAN ITKIN |
For example, the Calypso independent risk assessment considers 5 cases of accidental breach. In each case, a LNG tanker is aligned on a North-South axis and a colliding vessel is positioned perpendicular to the tanker. The size of a breach is determined and the amount of LNG that will pour through the breach is calculated. In each of the 5 cases, only one tenth of the amount of spilled LNG is considered when the ignitable effect is measured. Why? Because the experiment assumes that the colliding vessel will plug the hole it creates in the tanker, reducing spillage by 90%. In alternative studies by the same risk assessor, cases were considered wherein the breaches were 90% plugged, 50% plugged or not plugged at all. Of course, the resulting ignitable vapor cloud traveled a lot farther given the additional gas counted toward the pool size. Itkin said, “By controlling the assumptions, the operator can elicit almost any desired result.”
L king Under the Covers
 | LOBBYIST BILL COOPER
PRESIDENT OF CLNG |
During the course of the meeting, SUEZ representatives repeatedly referred questions to a gentleman named Bill Cooper, introduced as an independent expert on liquefied natural gas. When suspicious residents asked Mr. Cooper if he was a lobbyist, he responded by saying he was the President of the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG). When pressed, he admitted that he was a registered lobbyist. A quick trip to the CLNG web site revealed that “The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG) is a trade association of LNG producers, shippers, terminal operators and developers and energy trade associations.” SUEZ attempt to misrepresent Cooper’s objectivity backfired. He was on the payroll – albeit indirectly.
 | | GMCA CHIEF PIO IERACI |
Following the meeting, the Galt Mile activists again boarded the bus and returned home. When GMCA President Pio Ieraci opened his email later that night, he found a message from SUEZ lobbyist Tom Allen asking to arrange another meeting with the Galt Mile residents who expressed concern about his project. Mr. McGinnis had apparently received a correspondence from Senate President-elect Atwater that reinforced his constituents’ concerns and disparaged SUEZ attempt to engineer public perception of its project by manipulating the meeting venue. Ieraci informed Mr. Allen that he would contact the GMCA Board and the activists to convey the SUEZ proposal. Leery of Allen’s motives in view of SUEZ recent actions, Ieraci inquired “How can we know whether you will even show up?”
 | MARK PRESCOTT DWP
STANDARDS CHIEF |
FYI: The doubt expressed by Playa del Mar’s Fred Nesbitt upon quoting from a GAO report that “the Coast Guard - the lead federal agency for Maritime Security - has insufficient resources to meet its own self-imposed security standards,” was vindicated the next day. After stonewalling Nesbitt’s concern about the GAO report, chief of the deep-water ports standard division Mark Prescott stated in a Miami Herald interview that if the deep-water ports are approved, it is unknown to what degree the site would be guarded. “It may be full time, random, or on an escort basis. Frankly, we may not have the resources to protect it.” Prescott added dogmatically, “But we may be given the resources to protect it,” referring to Calypso’s regulatory right to include local resources in their security plan – funded by local taxpayers - YOU!!!
Information Links RE: Dania Meeting
- Click Here to read City Commissioner Christine Teel’s letter to constituents condemning Calypso (Adobe PDF File)
- Click Here to read Broward Commissioner Ken Keechl’s letter to Governor Charlie Crist condemning Calypso (Adobe PDF File)
- Click Here to read the City Commission’s Resolution opposing Calypso (Adobe PDF File)
- Click Here to read Senator Atwater's letter to SUEZ Dan McGinnis disparaging his last minute venue change to Dania (Word Document)
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- Click Here to read the December 2007 Government Accountability Office (GAO) Maritime Security Report entitled “Federal Efforts Needed to Address Challenges in Preventing and Responding to Terrorist Attacks on Energy Commodity Tankers” (Adobe PDF File)
- Click Here to read the January 9, 2007 Congressional Research Service Report for Congress entitled “Maritime Security: Potential Terrorist Attacks and Protection Priorities” (Adobe PDF File)
- Click Here to read 11-year White House Counterterrorism Chief Richard Clarke's “LNG Facilities in Urban Areas” (Adobe PDF File)
- Click Here to read 1982 Lovins & Lovins Pentagon study entitled “Brittle Power: Energy Strategy for National Security” (Adobe PDF File)
- Click Here to read an address by Lord Peter Levene, Chairman of Lloyds, the world’s second largest commercial insurer, who told Houston business leaders that a terrorist attack on an LNG tanker “would have the force of a small nuclear explosion.”
- Click Here to read the January 2006 Sandia National Laboratories Report entitled “Review of the Independent Risk Assessment of the Cabrillo LNG Deepwater Port Project” (Adobe PDF File)
- Click Here to access all the Background Information and Official Government Documents relevant to the Calypso Deepwater Port Project and Pipeline
ALSO
 Click Here
to Extensive list of Additional Pertinent LNG Links
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City Commission Opposes Calypso Deepwater Port
Votes for  Anti-Calypso Resolution
 | | FORT LAUDERDALE CITY COMMISSION |
May 27, 2008 - On May 20th, the City Commission of Fort Lauderdale held 2 meetings, a conference meeting at 1:30 PM to review agenda items and a regular meeting at 6 PM at which the Commission addresses issues affecting the city. Several of our Galt Mile neighbors made it their business to attend the May 20th meetings. Playa del Mar resident Fred Nesbitt and Bill Claire of Plaza South were among them. The motivation for their appearance was not some vague political objective. Along with several other Galt Mile residents, they were there because they were afraid.
 | | LNG TANKER |
They recently learned about plans to install a deepwater port called Calypso across from the Galt Mile Beach wherein liquefied natural gas will be transferred from tankers called Transport and Regasification Vessels (TRV), vaporized and pipelined to Port Everglades. Despite that the facility operator’s (Calypso and SUEZ North America) licensing efforts have been underway for more than two years, they never informed the local residents that an error in judgment, a hurricane mishap, an equipment failure or the substantially increased prospect of a terrorist attack could precipitate a holocaust spanning several neighborhoods.
 | LLOYD'S CHAIRMAN
LORD PETER LEVENE |
SUEZ Energy North America, Inc. is a subsidiary of a French energy utility management and service conglomerate called SUEZ. One of their businesses is bringing natural gas harvested overseas to the United States for distribution. Specialized tankers transport the gas in a liquefied state at -260 degrees Centigrade to facilities that store and vaporize the liquefied natural gas (LNG) in preparation for pipeline distribution. Gas companies have been applying for LNG facility licenses in coastal communities all over the United States. When these communities learn about the risks associated with these installations, their residents invariably band together in staunch opposition. If a serious breach occurs at any link of this fossil fuel’s chain of transport or storage, igniting the ensuing vapor cloud “would have the force of a small nuclear explosion,” as expressed by Lord Peter Levene (Chairman of Lloyds, the world’s second-largest commercial insurer).
City Commission Conference Meeting
 At the 1:30 PM City Commission Conference meeting, the Commissioners familiarize themselves with the issues surrounding the agenda items scheduled for the 6 PM Regular Meeting. After discussing replacing the Air-Sea Show with an annual music festival operated by an outfit called Live Nation, Commissioner Christine Teel requested that the Commission consider supporting the Galt Mile’s opposition to the Calypso LNG deepwater port just off the Galt Mile Beach. When Commissioner Teel pointed out that several Galt Mile residents were in attendance, Mayor Naugle asked them to summarize their concern.
 Plaza South resident Bill Claire explained that the dangers attendant to liquefied natural gas facilities were catastrophic. He related that several square blocks of East Cleveland were incinerated when a LNG vapor cloud was inadvertently ignited and that a LNG deepwater port would be a prime target for terrorists. He said that since the Act that regulates licensing was designed to bypass local approval, the armies of SUEZ lobbyists – locally and in Tallahassee – have completed two years of the licensing process under the radar. He said that he first learned about this project and its inherent dangers from articles posted on the Galt Mile Community Association web site in December and the Galt Mile News in January. Christian Chiari from the adjacent Coral Ridge neighborhood added that energy companies have applied for dozens of licenses across the country, anticipating approval of a small minority. He said, “Although the Galt Mile has 15,000 residents, only 3200 are registered voters,” intimating that SUEZ selected a location unlikely to mount unified opposition. Galt Mile Advisory Board member Fred Nesbitt of Playa del Mar warned Commissioners that “no benefit accrues to the City for assuming a risk threatening such catastrophic consequences.”
| DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER
CHRISTINE TEEL |
Mayor Naugle remarked, “It’s the dumbest place in the world to put this thing – next to a heavily populated area.” After discussing whether they should wait until the June 10th Commission meeting to consider the Project, Commissioner Teel stated, “We would be best served to act on this tonight.” SUEZ lobbyist Judy Stern said that since this company wants the Galt Mile to feel safe, “SUEZ has scheduled the Coast Guard to meet with the Galt Mile residents who’ve expressed concerns on May 28th at Plaza South.”
City Commission Regular Meeting
 Prior to the 6 PM Regular Commission meeting, four local residents and four representatives from SUEZ registered to address the City Commission. Calypso Project Manager Dan McGinnis told the Commissioners that there will be an acute need for natural gas in the next 5 years. He claimed full compliance with the Deepwater Port process and having met with the Galt Mile residents and many other citizens to explain the project. He called contentions that the project was dangerous “unqualified, unfounded and flat wrong.” He continued, “This project has been deemed safe by the Coast Guard. We will meet next week with the Galt Mile residents to address their concerns.”
 | | NOVA DEAN RICHARD DODGE |
Following McGinnis, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center Executive Director, Dean Richard Dodge said “I’ve worked with Tractebel for many years on environmental issues and concerns and find them to be conscientious. They located the deepwater port in the selected area to minimize environmental damage. There would be minimal impairment of the view.” Incredibly, he then remarked, “As to explosions, I would trust their assessment. You should treat them with respect.” Actually, Tractebel is the company that sponsored the Calypso Pipeline Project when the company planned to build the deepwater port in Grand Bahama Island. When Bahamians learned about the project dangers, they overwhelmed the government bureaucrats that agreed to the LNG facility, forcing its rejection. When SUEZ was refused permission to build the Bahamian facility, the project was moved here.
 | | NOVA SCIENTIST DR. AMY HIRONS |
Nova faculty member Dr. Amy C. Hirons spoke next. She said she was asked by Nova to investigate the project’s possible effect on zooplankton and ichthyoplankton. From her dealings with SUEZ, she believes that “they are open, accepting of scientific recommendations, forthcoming and willing to meet the needs of the fishing community.” She said “As the chief scientist, I can say that there is a negligible impact to the hardbottom community, as indicated in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) which we acquired from the Coast Guard.”
 | CITY COMMISSIONER
CARLETON MOORE |
Commissioner Carleton Moore told her that the EPA sent a team of scientists to evaluate the Wingate Coal plant because it heavily polluted the surrounding area. He asked if Nova filled that role, were they “asked by the government to investigate on behalf of citizens.” She answered, “I’m a completely independent research scientist.” Moore then asked the source of Nova’s involvement. When Hirons responded, “We were contracted by SUEZ,” Moore smiled and shook his head, stating “so you are paid by the operator, thank you very much, that’s all I wanted to know.”
| GMCA ADVISORY BOARD'S FRED
NESBITT OF PLAYA DEL MAR |
GMCA Advisory Board member Fred Nesbitt from Playa del Mar conveyed that “the General Accountability Office (GAO) stated in a December 2007 report that Calypso was a perfect target for a terrorist attack and it further states the Coast Guard had insufficient resources to protect a LNG deepwater port.” He warned the commission that although they have no input into the licensing process, the City Police and Fire Departments will have to respond to any catastrophe resulting from a breach. To graphically demonstrate the scope of this issue, Fred pointed out that the 33 million gallons of liquefied natural gas carried by one LNG tanker will vaporize into 20 billion or a vapor cloud of 800 million cubic feet, threatening a major holocaust if ignited. He complained “When I asked SUEZ representatives how they would protect the facility from terrorist attack, they responded that a boat would patrol the area and report suspicious activity to the Coast Guard, ignoring the GAO finding that the Coast Guard can’t adequately secure the installation.”
 The controversial Energy Policy Act of 2005 saddled the Coast Guard with an inherent conflict. They are charged with approving the LNG license and providing security for the facility, forcing a federal bureaucracy to make an unbiased evaluation of its own capabilities and objectively pass judgment on itself. The Act contains many instances where checks and balances were replaced with Patriot Act-style agency self-regulation.
| OAKLAND PARK RESIDENT
CHRIS CHIARI |
Oakland Park resident Chris Chiari informed the Commission that this project “dates back 10 years, with a planned Bahamian LNG facility connected by pipeline to Port Everglades until it was rejected by the Bahamians as unsafe.” The current Deepwater Port plan is a two year old replacement for the ill-fated Bahamas facility. Chris said “These companies are applying for licenses in scores of locations, hoping to achieve success in a few. Now that the Galt Mile is actively engaging SUEZ, we may avert a terrible mistake.” As a participant on the Broward County Marine Advisory Board, Chiari said, “I’ve heard SUEZ’ contention that this gas was desperately needed when they were planning the pipeline years ago. Simply replacing our need for foreign oil with foreign gas is foolish. A recent New York Times article spoke to huge new gas deposits in Ohio and Pennsylvania. In any event, this type of dangerous facility doesn’t belong here.”
 | N.Y. GOV PATERSON
NO TO LNG |
Dr. David Marshall from Plaza South cut to the chase, exclaiming, “We are scared! You should also be scared. We are being asked to live with the possibility of a huge fireball blowing across the beach.” He referred to Governor Patterson of New York, who recently opposed a similar facility in the Long Island Sound. Another Plaza South resident, Bill Claire, waxed poetic. “When I look out my window, I see a magnificent ocean environment ideal for recreation and the tourist economy that feeds the state. Florida’s wealth begins at the water line.” He insisted that LNG facilities should never be located near densely populated areas, “where lives are at risk.” Claire asserted, “We know what their paid lobbyists and paid scientists are going to say. They think that the old retirees along the Galt Mile who are half asleep anyway will take a nap, and when they wake up, the port will be there.” He admonished that when more people find out what’s going on, the opposition will expand exponentially. He said, “When I ask my neighbors about Calypso, they think it’s a dance program.”
 | | BARRY HEIMLICH |
Last to speak was Barry Heimlich, who identified himself as a retired Chemical Engineer and Petroleum Industry executive who is now the President of the Florida Energy Imperative, a Hollywood corporation he shares with his wife, Ellyn. Although he prefers solar and wind power, “natural gas is better than polluting coal or nuclear energy which produces deadly waste.” He maintained that “We do not have adequately reliable sources of power and we should trust SUEZ since the Coast Guard will protect us.” When asked if he works for SUEZ, he claimed that the Florida Energy Imperative is a non-profit independent environmental advocate that has been closely following the SUEZ Company’s activities for years. Enigmatically, it appears that the corporation was only formed on May 24, 2007, a year ago.
| CITY COMMISSION VOTES TO ISSUE
RESOLUTION OPPOSING CALYPSO |
While Mayor Naugle expressed a preference for postponing a resolution opposing the Calypso Deepwater Port as presently located, Commissioner Moore disagreed, exclaiming “I’m a policy maker representing thousands of City residents and I know nothing about this project right in my back yard.” Although the Mayor admitted some familiarity with the project, he said that SUEZ never inquired as to the City’s needs or input. Moore concluded “Since they’ve shown us no accountability, I will allow them none. They ignored city government. If this is such a good thing, why hide it?”
 | VICE MAYOR/COMMISSIONER
CHARLOTTE E. RODSTROM |
Commissioner Teel proposed issuing the resolution immediately, claiming that nothing will change the fact that its location is unacceptable. She said “the Galt Mile has responded first, but South Beach and Central Beach residents are also affected, depending only on the prevailing winds.” Echoing Moore’s sentiment, Teel intimated that while not obliged by the process to request the city’s input, SUEZ actions can only be interpreted as “trying to sneak one by.” Commissioner Rodstrom said “Since I favor no additional growth, their statement that this facility will fuel growth turned me off. I think the resolution is good for the community.” On calling the motion, the resolution passed 4 vs. 1, Naugle dissenting absent Coast Guard input.
 Check below to personally verify what transpired at the Fort Lauderdale City Commission Meetings on May 20th, to read Commissioner Christine Teel’s Letter to constituents condemning Calypso and/or see the Resolution issued by the City Commission.
- Click Here to watch a video of the May 20th 1:30 PM Conference Meeting (2 hours, 26 minutes)
- Click Here to watch a video of the May 20th 6:00 PM Regular Meeting (2 hours, 45 minutes)
- Click Here to read Commissioner Christine Teel’s letter condemning Calypso (Adobe PDF File)
- Click Here to read the City Commission’s Resolution opposing Calypso (Adobe PDF File)
Calypso Meeting “Bait and Switch”!
Two days after the City Commission meeting, GMCA President Pio Ieraci contacted lobbyist Tom Allen from SUEZ North America to confirm a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 28th, at |
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