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Wine, Beer & Spirits

2015 Changes: Ups & Downs

GALT MILE GLASS AND TRAY FROM 2014 EVENT

In 2015, the festival will explore an international hospitality hypothesis debated by sommeliers and gourmets throughout history. Since food aficionados and vintners worldwide are eternally matching their local wines to the perfect light fare, �Wine & Cheese� is footnoted in every menu on earth. The festival will probe this elusive balance, as Artisan Cheeses and Specialty Foods are properly paired with our local libations. Mirroring last year, a grouping of thick, comfortable couches and chairs will be centrally accessible. Following gastronomic immersion in food, wine, beer and spirits, satiated attendees can relax and reboot in the �Chill-Out Lounge�.

Less apparent is a change to the lineup of event sponsors. First Service Residential (AKA Continental Management), which served as a sponsor for the past two years, took a powder. Since the 28 condominiums and cooperatives that border the event provide fertile grazing for an association management vendor, the vacancy was filled by Castle Management. J.M. Lexus also bugged out. Given their status as an authorized event vendor, WineEvents.Com will continue as a sponsor.

DONNA BERGER

Until a few weeks before the event date, the list of sponsors and the extent of their involvement remains fluid. According to GMCA President Pio Ieraci, it is unclear whether Becker & Poliakoff (Ken Direktor & Donna Berger) will feature a presence at the event. As of five weeks before March 7, 2015 festival, potential sponsors include The Schindler Group (manufactures, installs, services and modernizes Galt Mile elevators), BB&T (provides local banking, insurance, investment services), the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce (they talk - a lot), and a half dozen other prospects.

FESTIVAL PARKING - THE TIDES AT BRIDGESIDE SQUARE

The Festival takes place in the commercial parking lots (serving the strip malls) on the west side of Galt Ocean Drive. Bordered by NE 36^th Street on the North (across from Ocean Riviera) and the Greek Islands Taverna on the South (across from Southpoint), the Festival's Main Entrance is at the corner of Galt Ocean Drive and NE 35^th Street (across from Playa del Sol). Additional parking is available at The Tides at Bridgeside Square (the newest member of the Galt Mile Community Association) at 3020 NE 32^nd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale (just South of Oakland Park Boulevard near the Intracoastal). Valet parking west of their garage is $5 or self-park on the east side for $1.25 per hour. The Sun Trolley will transport guests to and from the festival for FREE. Of course, a brisk walk to or from the event will offset calories accumulated at the tasting tables!

Galt Mile Wine & Food Festival Site (Click Graphic for More Maps)

For 4 decadent hours, chefs and sommeliers from many of South Florida�s most acclaimed culinary venues will lavish you with those dishes that placed their establishments on the map. To otherwise sample these extraordinary trademark offerings, restaurant patrons would have to visit each establishment and order its iconic fare - an exercise that would take months and cost a fortune. Instead, you can spend a single lazy Saturday afternoon trying them all, one masterpiece after the other, while strolling across the street from your home.

Galt Mile residents have another stake in the annual festival. Prior to the 2013 inaugural event, the Galt Mile Community Association negotiated an understanding with the event�s promoter and sponsors. If well attended, an annual Galt Mile Wine & Food Festival stands to become a neighborhood signature event. Its potential for enriching neighborhood appeal will translate into higher unit values. Additionally, if the event continues to be successful, a modest percent of the income will be cached into a firewalled community reserve fund. The dedicated resources will be used by the Advisory Board for critical neighborhood improvements not funded by the City or County.

However, the Festival must be successfully established to merit the contribution. If enough people buy tickets and attend the event in these early years, momentum will guarantee its evolution into an annual event, triggering the opportunity to subsidize neighborhood improvements that will enhance the value of every home on the Galt Mile.

A few important parting shots - Tickets are limited to prevent overcrowding. Last Year, roughly 1,800 event-goers meandered past the tasting tables, as food fanciers from Palm Beach to the Keys joined with residents from all over Fort Lauderdale and Broward. To date, ticket sales are far outpacing last year�s packed event. If you don't want to stand on a line behind hundreds of others while hoping that a ticket will still be available by the time you reach the entrance gate, buy your ticket now. Compared with similar festivals, this one is dirt cheap. Far less convenient events in Boca, South Beach and Las Olas offering a comparable experience cost three to four times as much - and often cloak �elective� costs. A ticket to the Galt Mile Wine & Food Festival is all inclusive. Also, by special arrangement with the neighborhood association, tickets purchased by Galt Mile residents prior to February 28 will subject to a 60% discount (Galt Mile Residents Click Here for special discount; others Click Here for standard discount).

SO � Buy a ticket. Enjoy the soft seaside winds wafting off the Atlantic and all the other syrupy trappings of paradise punch-listed by the promoter. Let tasty tidbits titillate your palate as you drink your way to a late Saturday buzz. Most of all, revel in the prospect that you may have added a healthy footnote to the value of your home!!!

COMMISSIONER BRUCE ROBERTS

February 8, 2015 - After opening his January/February 2015 newsletter with an outpouring of gratitude for the absence of an opponent in the municipal primary - and a plea to support his fellow incumbent Commission candidates - District 1 City Commissioner Bruce Roberts enumerates the City�s stand on issues soon to be undertaken by the Legislature. In short, the Commission will support bills that empower home rule, oppose measures that neuter or dilute municipal self-governance, and support legislation that bolsters funding for local policies and programs.

RENDERING OF NEW FORT LAUDERDALE FIRE STATION #54

The Commissioner announced the completion of an interim facility that will temporarily house Fire Station #54 until the permanent structure is erected (City Project #P10914) at 3201 Northeast 32^nd Street. Roberts outlines how recently implemented infrastructure improvements diminish the adverse impacts of Global Warming - as addressed in the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit - and exemplified by newly installed subsurface tidal valves that help control flooding. Before closing with an offer to help constituents address their municipal concerns, Roberts welcomes Jenni Morejon as the new Director of the Department of Sustainable Development, which oversees Building Services, Code Compliance, Economic and Community Reinvestment, Community Redevelopment Agency, Housing and Community Development and Urban Design and Planning.

LOBBYIST DAVE ERICKS

LOBBYIST RON BOOK

Having been hired by the City Commission to plant Fort Lauderdale�s footprint on the upcoming 2015 legislative session in Tallahassee, lobbyists Dave Ericks (Ericks Consultants, Inc.) and Ron Book (Ronald L. Book, PA) were equipped with a summary of the City�s legislative priorities. Compiled by City Manager Lee Feldman, the included issues were drawn from the City�s FY 2015 Commission Annual Action Plan and conform to the Press Play Fort Lauderdale Strategic Plan 2018 initiative. The list of legislative priorities and funding requests was submitted to the Commission for discussion on October 21, 2014.

CITY MANAGER LEE FELDMAN

At the November 4 Commission meeting, the list was rolled into City Resolution 14-185 and unanimously approved. In an attached agenda memo to the commission, Feldman announced that City staff would seek funding for the listed priorities. Noting that additional funding for lobbying federal lawmakers was included in the Fiscal Year 2015 budget, Feldman advised �Separate federal priorities will be presented to the Commission for discussion once a federal lobbyist is retained,� foretelling his intention to generate a comparable Federal wish list.

Following the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit, United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D - Rhode Island) asked Mayor Jack Seiler for a tour of low-lying Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods most at risk for flooding by a seasonal phenomenon known as �king tides.� Since Whitehouse serves as co-chair of the congressional Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change, Seiler hoped that his standing as the Senate�s preeminent advocate for climate issues would help convince Washington lawmakers to loosen federal funding for the protection of coastal regions besieged by rising sea levels.

King tides occur twice annually when the earth reaches a point in its rotation that aligns with the gravitational fields of the moon and sun to maximize gravitational pressure on the oceans, yielding monstrous high tides and lower low tides. Over the last several decades, these tidal extremes have grown increasingly severe - exacerbated by rising sea levels, and the rate of rise is accelerating. In effect, these king tides provide us with a snapshot of daily coastal conditions in a few decades. At a recent UN Climate Change summit, President Barack Obama identified the South Florida coast as among the nation�s regions most vulnerable to flooding.

Florida�s vulnerability to tidal flooding is inflamed by its geological architecture. Since a thick layer of porous limestone sits under the Sunshine State, climate scientists and advocates have likened their challenge to �trying to control water with a wall of marbles.� During king tide flooding, saltwater can overrun seawalls or simply seep through the ground adjacent to canals, rivers or the ocean. By backing up through the pipes that ordinarily discharge stormwater to the ocean, king tides regularly flood inland areas.

SENATOR SHELDON WHITEHOUSE AND MAYOR JACK SEILER

During the walking tour, as Whitehouse witnessed water percolating up through a storm drain, Seiler remarked �This is an environmental issue but it�s also an economic issue, and the US government needs to recognize that � just like the local government has recognized that.� Concurring with Seiler�s observation that evolving building codes are going to mandate stronger and more expensive protective infrastructure, Whitehouse admonished �We all are going to need to prepare for that. We need to have the resources available to invest in that infrastructure, build those protections and make sure that we can keep living life the way we want to.�

RIVIERA ISLES FLOODING

The tidal valves mentioned by Roberts were actually the brainchild of a local neighborhood association. Since high tides usually morphed Riviera Isles into a slop sink, in 2010, the Riviera Isles Homeowner's Association cut a deal with the City to test one-way tidal control valves manufactured by Tideflex. Having fronted the city most of the $176,000 cost for installing 17 valves as part of a pilot project, the City returned $144,399 in 2012, when staff confirmed that the valves kept the streets dry. By adding $541,600 to a $700,000 grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the program was expanded to Las Olas Isles, Venice Isles and Rio Vista Isles in 2014; as the City has installed 44 tidal control valves to date.

TIDAL CONTROL VALVES

The valves serve as backflow preventers, allowing stormwater to flow through the drains, but slam shut as the water level rises, preventing seawater from entering the sewer system. Other tools in the anti-flooding arsenal are Recharge Drainage Wells (which collect water from the stormwater system and pipes it directly to the aquifer), exfiltration trenches (sixteen miles of perforated pipes � French Drains � through which water soaks into the subsoil and the aquifer) and pervious pavers (water seeps through pavered sidewalks into the soil and the aquifer instead of ponding and burdening stormdrains).

RECHARGE DRAINAGE WELL

Fort Lauderdale and Broward County have also recently completed a pilot project that could entitle them to funding designated by statute for �Adaptation Action Areas,� sites subject to coastal flooding and/or adverse impacts from rising sea levels. However, since State and local funding opportunities lack the scope and outreach required to roll back the dilemma�s worldwide root cause, absent federal resources, local governments are constrained to playing catch-up against Mother Nature.

CHIP LAMARCA

Accompanying Seiler and Whitehouse were Broward Commissioners Chip LaMarca and Tim Ryan, whose County districts include 80% of the Broward coast. Expanding on Seiler�s exhortation, District 4 Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca commented, �Investing in infrastructure to protect residents and businesses will be far cheaper in the long run than repairing the damage from flood after flood.�

SEN SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, COMM ROMNEY ROGERS, MAYOR JACK SEILER AND BROWARD COMMS CHIP LAMARCA AND TIM RYAN

Also joining the early evening environmental expedition were City Commissioner Romney Rogers, City Manager Lee Feldman and Assistant City Manager Susan Torriente (Feldman�s sustainability liaison), Dr. Jennifer Jurado (Director of the Broward County Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division), the Nature Conservancy�s South Florida Conservation Director Chris Bergh � and a phalanx of other City and County officials and staffers.

Will it work? Senate Republicans beholding to Tea Party constituents cherry pick revelations from their ideological junkyard. While dabbling in their hypothesis that global warming is a Commie scam, they stop short of wailing that South Florida flooding is Biblical retribution for a sinful and decadent lifestyle. Even Marco Rubio, who used to promise his hometown Miami constituents that he would fight against the global warming that left them ankle-deep in sewer sludge, has since traded in science for a Tea Party fan base.

Unless Whitehouse is successful in lining up bipartisan support for a realistic federal climate change policy, consider investing in sludge-resistant boots. For the balance of Commissioner Roberts� early 2015 update, Read on... � [editor]

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

2015 Fort Lauderdale Elections: I want to take this occasion to thank everyone for the vote of confidence by giving me another opportunity to continue to serve our great community. At the closing of the qualification period at noon on January 9^th, no opponent filed to run for election in District 1. Commissioner Romney Rogers also ran unopposed. As a result, the upcoming elections will not feature a District 1 or District 4 race. However, the Mayoral and District 3 races will have a primary on February 10^th among the three candidates in each contest. Anyone who gathers more than 50% of the votes in the primary is elected; otherwise, the top two move on to a final election on March 10^th. With just two candidates, the District 2 race will have to be decided on March 10^th. Please mark your calendars and get out to VOTE ON FEBRUARY 10^th.

At your direction, the current Commission has guided the City through the Great Recession without diminishing vital services such as public safety; we have been fiscally conservative and maintained the same millage rate; we have nurtured a measured economic development which protects the quality of life in our neighborhoods; and we continue to budget for implementing your 2035 Vision through an interactive Five Year Strategic Plan, an Annual Action Plan, Neighborhood Surveys and Advisory Board recommendations. Let�s continue that momentum.

2015 STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND FUNDING REQUESTS: The following list reflects the official position of the City of Fort Lauderdale regarding State of Florida issues and pending legislation that would impact the operation of local government. It also provides priorities for the pursuit of funding for various City initiatives.

The City of Fort Lauderdale will ENDORSE and SUPPORT legislation that will:

1. Permit municipal government to make necessary changes to local law pension plans
2. Support expansion of passenger rail options
3. Promote improved water quality and quantity
4. Provide for local regulation of short term rental properties and remove the state's preemption of local regulations on vacation rentals
5. Preserve and/or enhance municipal home rule
6. Support municipal government initiatives to curb homelessness
7. Enhance municipal participation in state environmental permitting processes
8. Encourage energy development and conservation and the development and implementation of alternative energy sources
9. Remove the state's preemption of local regulations on vacation rentals
10. Clarify existing laws regarding community redevelopment agencies (CRA�s) in order to further redevelopment within established community redevelopment areas
11. Support the transfer of spending authority for the Tourism Development Tax to cities based on tourism activity
12. Change the allocation of Florida Department of Emergency Management and Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) funding to cities to be based on each city�s risk profile assessment
13. Enact Complete Street Design Initiatives and legislation that will provide cities with the ability to regulate traffic flow within their city limits (i.e. setting speed limits and use of stop signs for traffic calming)
14. Strengthen and expand environmental education, physical activity, and healthy lifestyles for Fort Lauderdale youth while ensuring that they are as protected as possible while participating in parks and recreation programs
15. Regulate anchoring of vessels in waterways adjacent to residential properties
16. Address repeat juvenile offenders and other juvenile justice issues
17. Create smoke-free zones on Fort Lauderdale beaches

The City of Fort Lauderdale will OPPOSE any legislation that will:

1. Restrict Home rule
2. Create unfunded mandates
3. Restrict or decrease any revenue allocations to local governments
4. Decrease the City�s tax base through manipulation of tax exemptions on properties
5. Modify, restrict or eliminate the City�s ability to levy, collect or spend franchise fees, communications service taxes or local business taxes
6. Restrict or decrease allocation of red light camera revenues to local governments

The City of Fort Lauderdale will SEEK FINANCIAL SUPPORT for the following initiatives:

1. Crime reduction
2. WAVE development
3. Transportation enhancements specifically focused on greenways, complete street initiatives and pedestrian safety
4. Flood prevention and hazard mitigation
5. Riverwalk enhancement and activation
6. Comprehensive homelessness strategy
7. Climate change and sea level rise mitigation
8. Promotion of Fort Lauderdale�s marine industry
9. Water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure improvements
10. Fort Lauderdale Beach re-nourishment, revitalization, and enhancement
11. Additional parks and recreational programs and facilities, including athletic fields

FORT LAUDERDALE FIRE STATION #54

FIRE STATION #54: The new Fire Station #54 is currently designed to be located at 3201 Northeast 32nd Street (across the street and slightly east of the current location). The station will be a 10,000 square foot, two-story satellite facility and have two back-in apparatus bays, seven bunk rooms, a full kitchen and dining room, small exterior patio, a day room, two offices, a laundry room, gymnasium, and community meeting room. The 90% design of the Fire Station was carried out by in-house engineers and architects, while an outside consultant completed mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) and structural design. A new consultant will be selected through a Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA) Process for which proposals were received on December 15, 2014. Next steps will include the review of proposals, panel ratings, presentations, staff recommendations, negotiations and award. The construction of a temporary Fire Station #54, located on the south side of the Oakland Park Bridge, was finished and the Certificate of Occupancy (CO) was issued on December 12, 2014. The Fire Department is expected to occupy the temporary station very soon. The Information Technology Department is coordinating the transfer of communications from the existing facility to the temporary facility to enable the move.

SENATOR SHELDON WHITEHOUSE AND MAYOR JACK SEILER

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA REGIONAL CLIMATE: Building upon the success of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit, we were honored to recently host United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island. Senator Whitehouse joined Mayor Seiler and City and County staff on a walking tour of the downtown Riverwalk area to obtain a firsthand look at the effects of rising sea levels and seasonal high tides. Earlier that same morning, a cross-department team of City staff took a similar tour, visiting several areas affected by the high tides. They discussed the City�s extensive stormwater master plan, as well as aggressive maintenance procedures and innovative adaptation solutions to improve drainage in areas that are susceptible to flooding. During the tour, staff learned about tidal valves which have been found to effectively reduce the impacts of flooding in low-lying neighborhoods. Tidal valves are just one example of the proactive measures we are exploring to strengthen our resilience and build a stronger community, which neighbors identified as a top priority during the citywide Visioning process. To learn more about our ongoing efforts to build a resilient and safe coastal community, visit the Sustainability Division page on the City website. www.fortlauderdale.gov/departments/sustainability

NEW SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR JENNI MOREJON

NEW DIRECTOR FOR SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT: Jenni Morejon is the new Director of the Department of Sustainable Development. After years of progressively moving up the ranks of our organization, Jenni is now the go-to person for all things in development. As Director, she will oversee the day-to-day operations of the entire Department which includes: Building Services, Code Compliance, Economic and Community Reinvestment/ Community Redevelopment Agency, Housing and Community Development and Urban Design and Planning. Jenni began her career at the City in 2000, serving in urban design and community planning positions with a focus on managing projects and programs that encourage high quality development to meet the economic and livability objectives of a growing South Florida urban coastal community. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design. Jenni serves on the board of directors of Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale and is a member of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce Downtown Council. She is also a member of the Leadership Fort Lauderdale Class, writes a monthly column for the Go Riverwalk magazine, and is an active member in the Urban Land Institute�s Southeast Florida/Caribbean Council. Greg Brewton, past director, retired from the City last year..

ROBBI UPTEGROVE

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

EMAIL LIST: If you would like to be on our email list so that you receive information pertaining to the City � especially District 1 (i.e. news releases, meeting notices, events), please let Robbi know and she will add you.

Bruce G. Roberts                

If you need to reach Commissioner Bruce Roberts, please contact his assistant Robbi Uptegrove at 954-828-5033 or by e-mail at [email protected]. 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.

Mysterious Runt Trees

Strolling Safe Sidewalks

LAMARCA PLANS MAYORS SUMMIT

March 5, 2015 - In his March 2015 Newsletter, Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca reviews a regulatory benchmark for Port Everglades, record passenger traffic at Fort Lauderdale � Hollywood International Airport, Broward�s environmentally friendly commuter mini-buses, tax incentives for expanding businesses, an FP&L solar energy pilot program, a County adoption program for homeless pets, a Centennial celebration of the 13th Annual Broward Water Matters Day and a County event commemorating Women�s History Month. Given his unrelenting support for Port Everglades, it�s no coincidence that LaMarca�s March message to constituents opens by applauding a long-awaited Federal green light for infrastructure improvements that will cement the Port�s future as a regional economic powerhouse.

POST PANAMAX MSC FABIOLA

Beginning in 1997, Broward officials have been begging the Army Corps of Engineers to approve funding for deepening Port Everglades� channel to accommodate the anticipated explosion of Post-Panamax vessels from Asia and the Pacific when the $7 billion Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2016. Post-Panamax ships that are 25% longer, 50% wider and have a deeper draft than the largest vessels currently able to navigate the canal � a configuration called �Panamax� � will rebalance the worldwide economy by significantly lowering hemispheric transportation costs.

Since faster and cheaper shipping of goods between the East Coast and Asia will enable American farmers and manufacturers to better compete with South American and European counterparts, the economic cascade will guarantee Post-Panamax adapted Gulf and East Coast seaports tax revenue windfalls and thousands of new jobs. The Panama Canal Authority has estimated that five or six operational ports on the U.S. East Coast could handle the resulting tornado of cheaper goods, triggering frenzied construction by East Coast seaports competing for a piece of the Post-Panamax Golden Goose.

After 18 years of bumping up against foot-dragging Federal bureaucrats, Congressional gridlock and play for pay politicians while imploring the Army Corps of Engineers to undertake planned improvements, on June 28, 2013, the Corps finally released its Draft Environmental Impact plan for �Navigational Improvements to the Port Everglades Harbor,� a prerequisite for deepening Port Everglades� channel from 42 feet to 48 feet (plus two feet of allowable overdepth for a total of 50 feet) and widening the channel entrance to allow entering and departing ships to safely skirt by cargo and cruise ships docked along the Intracoastal Waterway inside the Port.

Deepening and widening the channel is one of three major Master Plan improvements. The Southport Turning Notch Expansion will lengthen the existing deepwater turn-around area for large cargo ships from 900 feet to 2,400 feet and allow the Port to berth and service five additional monster vessels. Also, instead of hauling containers to and from off-port rail terminals, or bucking road traffic on the Turnpike or I-95, on July 16, 2014, the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) opened an on-site Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) to enable the seamless transfer of international containers between ship and rail, trimming the time required for bringing goods to market - and vesting the port with a significant competitive advantage over other Florida East Coast ports (like Port Miami).

FEC OPENS ICTF IN JULY 2014

In August 2014, when the Corps of Engineers announced that it would recommend dredging the channel to 47 feet, instead of the 48 feet needed to insure clearance of post-Panamax vessels, the Corps made a point of declaring that the cost of that last foot would have to be borne by Broward. On August 12, the Broward Commission voted unanimously to pick up the estimated $18 million tab for digging out the extra foot using Port Everglades business revenues from port user fees.

REMODELED TERMINAL 4 OPENS IN PORT EVERGLADES

In 2015, the Port�s future brightened considerably. In January, Port officials celebrated the completion of a $24 million remodeling of Cruise Terminal 4 � critical to the unimpeded traffic flow of cruise passengers. In mid-February, 2015, Congresswoman Lois Frankel met in Washington D.C. with staff from the South Florida Congressional Delegation, State and Broward elected officials and Richard Biter, Assistant Secretary for Intermodal Systems Development for the Florida Department of Transportation, to prepare for a make-or-break hearing by the Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Review Board.

CIVIL WORKS REVIEW BOARD APPROVES DREDGING

Convening on February 27, 2015, the Civil Works Review Board unanimously approved the final environmental and economic feasibility studies for dredging the channel to 48 feet (50 feet with allowable overdepth) and expanding the turning notch, triggering a 30-day comment period. After the Corps issues a �Chief of Engineers Report� in May, which will recommend the project to Congress for construction authorization, the pre-construction, engineering and design (PED) phase will be followed by approximately two years of contract procurement and another five years for construction. The $374 million funding feedbag is comprised of $190 million of federal dredging money and $183.1 million in Port revenues, supplemented by State contributions. NO TAX DOLLARS in the mix!!!

PORT EVERGLADES READY FOR DREDGING

Admonishing the need to move quickly, Congresswoman Lois Frankel told the Review Board �Any delay to the expansion risks the new larger freight ships contracting with other ports, passing us by and taking thousands of jobs with them�. LaMarca has been bouncing between Broward, Tallahassee and Washington D.C. like a suburban straphanger, carrying the County�s agenda for Beach Renourishment and the Port improvements. If a recently implemented regulatory strategy to unblock the Segment II beach fix also bears fruit, he will be 2 for 2 this March. Not too shabby! Read on for the rest of LaMarca�s March message. � [editor]

Launching 2015 with a Bang

Commissioner Bruce Roberts

Bike Plan || Quiet Zones || Bridge Fix

From The Desk of
Commissioner Bruce G. Roberts

Click To Top of Page

LAMARCA PLANS MAYORS SUMMIT

May 10, 2015 - In his April � May 2015 message to constituents, Commissioner Chip LaMarca opens by reporting his receipt of an elusive federal permit for the long-awaited Galt Mile beach renourishment, envisioning a project start immediately after the Sea Turtle nesting season. He also updates the local version of a worldwide simmering conflict between unregulated transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft and their taxi and limousine industry counterparts. After applauding county measures to conserve water, LaMarca strolls through his adopted political wheelhouse, infrastructure improvements. In short, while citing fiscal hallmarks achieved by two of the County�s lucrative enterprise funds - Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport - LaMarca heralds recently launched Paratransit and Express buses by Broward County Transit and construction of a Biogas Cogeneration Electric facility that will morph organic waste such as Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) into electrical power for the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Pompano Beach.

County Commission vs. Cash Cow Cabbies

TRAVIS KALANICK AND GARRETT CAMP

A transportation network company (TNC) uses an online-enabled platform (typically accessed via a free mobile app on a smart phone) to connect passengers with drivers who use their personal vehicles (i.e. the family car). First conceived in 2009 as �UberCab� by co-founders Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, over its brief 5-year lifespan this San Francisco-based TNC raised $2.8 billion to explode into 57 countries and more than 280 cities worldwide.

While TNCs often refer to their service as �ridesharing�, it isn�t. By reducing the total number of vehicle trips, ridesharing thins traffic congestion, reduces emissions and conserves energy. Since TNC drivers do not share a destination with their passengers, the service doesn�t improve an area�s carbon footprint. The relatively transparent business model that fuels this juicy new cash cow attracted a slew of competitors almost overnight, including Lyft, Haxi, Sidecar, Summon, Wingz, and others. With the exception of London-based Haxi, they are all headquartered in San Francisco.

In most cases, company overhead is limited to the cost of maintaining the online site, verifying that drivers meet standards unilaterally determined by the company (if any), and handling the financial transactions. Unlike regulated taxi and limousine companies that buy and maintain insured & licensed vehicles and hire qualified drivers, TNCs own no vehicles and employ no drivers. With few exceptions, participating drivers and their vehicles are not subject to credible background checks, minimum insurance requirements, driver training, regulated fare schedules, drug testing, vehicular safety standards, etc. Usually, they respond more quickly and charge less than traditional taxis.

To use the service, you download the free app and register with your credit card number. When you need a ride, you enter the relevant pick-up and drop-off data in your smart phone app which spits back a price; then pray that the driver isn�t named in a bench warrant and the car has at least one functioning seat belt. For making the connection and handling the payment, the company splits the fare with the driver. Depending on the city, fares are ordinarily based on time or distance.

However, when demand heats up (during holidays, storms, popular local events, etc.), although some TNCs maintain the regular fare while others allow the driver to make the call, Uber applies an algorithm to hike fares correlative to the increased demand. This tactic, which the company is seeking to patent as �Surge Pricing�, usually precipitates a flood of angry public blowback (In 2011, during New Year�s Eve in New York, Uber passengers were charged 7 times the legal fare). However, if you plan your excursions during off hours, you can save a bundle on dirt cheap rides. Since the company assumes no liability for participating drivers or vehicles, if picked up by a wired meth-head driving an eight-battery lowrider with no bumpers and �touchy� brakes, reasonably predictable orthopedic procedures, hospital stays and monthly convalescent expenses could also wind up on your credit card.

Regulatory Whack-A-Mole

Uber admonishes elected officials in new markets that consumer protections ordinarily mandated for taxis and limousines are toxic to its operations and threaten the savings realized by customers - as well as Uber�s healthy 20% profit margin on an expected $10 billion in revenues. When public officials in jurisdictions across the globe finally wrap their heads around this unsettling aspect of the TNC business model, drivers are ticketed and the company ordered to cease operations. Ignoring local ordinances and livery licensing requirements, Uber officials have responded by paying the fines and tickets while scrambling to negotiate a regulatory compromise with local officials.

BROWARD TAXI LINE

In Broward County, Uber has already racked up roughly $35,000 in fines by March while unsuccessfully trying to convince County Commissioners that they are simply a matchmaking tech company, and shouldn�t be subject to regulatory oversight. Broward�s 31 municipalities - including Fort Lauderdale � have been patiently waiting for the County to adopt an ordinance to legalize TNC services while preserving basic consumer safety standards. County officials have shrugged off threats by Uber to leave the County if forced to comply with local regulations.

Like insurance companies that throw money at blatantly fraudulent slip and fall cases because it�s less costly than going to court, Uber has discovered that it�s less expensive to pay fines and reimburse ticketed drivers than to buy insurance, maintain a license or otherwise open a liability �Pandora�s box.� With negligible overhead and reliable 24/7 revenue streams, unless a jurisdiction exacts outrageous penalties for traffic infractions and licensing violations, Uber can afford to pay the freight while its lobbyists work to change the local law or statute, even if it takes years. On November 4, 2014, Uber Miami sent an email coaching drivers how to �make the pickup and drop off experience more enjoyable� by dodging law enforcement while cruising illegal fares in South Florida airports. They were instructed to hide their Uber cell phone in the cupholder, ask passengers to ride in the front seat and use the lane farthest from the Terminal�s curbside pickup, closing the message with assurances that tickets will be reimbursed and legal support provided by Uber.

In 2011, TNCs in California were buried under an avalanche of tickets and �desist� notices from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which fined each company $20,000 for operating an unlicensed limousine dispatch. In crafting an interim agreement in 2013 that was later made permanent, CPUC mandated driver background checks, driver training, drug and alcohol policies, minimum insurance coverage of $1 million, and company licensing through the Public Utilities Commission. Despite persistent protests by TNCs, which relentlessly claim they are simply providing a marketplace, not transporting passengers, newly penetrated jurisdictions have used the CPUC agreement as a template for legalizing the service without adulterating existing regulatory standards.

UBER POLICY V.P. DAVID PLOUFFE

Legislation regulating TNCs has already been enacted in 8 States, while under consideration in 4 others. To protect the value of their medallions, taxi and limousine industry proponents in every jurisdiction have pressured public officials to either block TNCs or �level the playing field� by imposing a comparable regulatory framework, citing the need to �promote public safety.� Bills filed during the 2015 legislative session in Tallahassee (HB 817 by Fort Walton Beach Statehouse Representative Matt Gaetz) would have precluded local jurisdictions from requiring a TNC to comply with regulations governing taxi and limousine companies. Despite a team of 23 registered lobbyists headed by Uber Policy V.P. David Plouffe � former Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama � the bills tanked, clearing the way for Broward County to drop the hammer. The new Broward law requires a company license, a local business office, driver chauffeur registrations, national and state background checks with fingerprinting, annual or semiannual inspections of vehicles by a licensed mechanic and flexible fares except for pickups at Port Everglades and the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.

BROWARD BOARD APPROVES UBER ORDINANCE

In addition to hiring regiments of lobbyists in hundreds of markets to fight these battles, Uber recruits riders and drivers to lobby public officials with blitz email petitions (more than 450,000 have signed such petitions) in newly breached markets � such as Broward County � upon receiving an �alert� from the company. While disparaging Broward�s new TNC law, Uber official Bill Gibbons acknowledged that thousands of Uber minions responded to Uber alerts by swamping the Commission with �countless calls and emails,� before he loosed an ultimatum, �We cannot operate in Broward County if such onerous regulations are enforced.�

Openly resentful of Uber attempts to �manage� the Commission by manipulating the public and claiming that basic consumer protections will drive them out of business, Commissioners marginalized the Uber threat. Commissioner Stacy Ritter commented that if a $40 billion corporate juggernaut �can�t pony up a few dollars for insurance, background checks and permits, then shame on them.�

Bad Press and Dirty Tricks

SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT PROSECUTOR KIM JIN-TAE

This strategy is rubber-stamped in hundreds of jurisdictions across the planet, as Uber aggressively actualizes the competitive advantages of being the first TNC in new markets. As a consequence, they are besieged by an onslaught of legal actions worldwide while networking or arm wrestling with dozens of national and local foreign governments to circumvent regulatory obstacles. Uber officials and lobbyists crisscross the globe bartering political capital � and investment opportunities � in exchange for access. While some of the countries wherein Uber cherry picked which laws it would obey seemed to interpret this as an invitation to negotiate, others were less accommodating, issuing indictments, impounding vehicles and/or threatening the hoosegow. Uber often pushed the envelope to the breaking point. When the Seoul City Government objected to their flouting regulations, Uber warned the government that it risked being �trapped in the past.� Unimpressed, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor�s Office (comparable to the FBI in the U.S.) issued an indictment against both Uber and Kalanick. Three months later (in March 2015), Uber agreed to comply with the law.

Uber�s corporate reputation is less than Sterling. Lawsuits dogging the company include an action by the National Federation of the Blind for denial of service to 30 blind plaintiffs and another by a plaintiff who was raped by a New Delhi Uber driver. On August 4, 2014, a 56-year old epileptic Uber driver hit three parked cars and a man on the sidewalk in San Francisco. Repeatedly nailed for dirty tricks against competitors Lyft and Gett, Uber had its employees order and cancel thousands of rides using fake accounts, as reported in CNN Money last September. While social media feedback cuts both ways, a litany of horror stories prompted a solid �F� from the Better Business Bureau.

PANDODAILY EDITOR SARAH LACY

UBER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT EMIL MICHAEL

On November 19, 2014, Senator Al Franken, Chairman of the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, sent a letter to Kalanick stating �It appears that on prior occasions your company [Uber] has condoned use of customers� data for questionable purposes.� Franken disparaged the Uber staff for using a tool called �God Mode� to track the movements of its customers, specifically journalists and politicians. Also in November, Uber Senior Vice President Emil Michael proposed equipping a team of researchers with a $million budget and charge them with investigating the personal lives and backgrounds of media figures who reported negatively about Uber. Michaels targeted Sarah Lacy, editor of the technology website PandoDaily, who had accused Uber of sexism and misogyny. In protest, hundreds of journalists purged the Uber App from their cell phones.

Tweaking the Money Magnet

GOOGLE CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER DAVID DRUMMOND

Despite the livery industry�s thin margins, investors are jumping through hoops for a piece of the action. For Google Ventures $258 million investment in 2013, Google Chief Legal Officer David Drummond was seated on Uber�s board of directors. On December 4, 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported that Uber had just raised $1.2 billion via a competitive bidding process that drove the company�s valuation to $41 billion over several weeks � the highest for any private startup backed by venture capitalists � as hedge funds Valiant Capital Partners and Lone Pine Capital joined the Qatar Investment Authority and New Enterprise Associates in buying places at the table. While exploiting the proven success of its business model in its �meat and potatoes� livery arena, the company is initiating a variety of services layered on the same basic formula.

In late August 2014, the company began pilot testing UberFRESH, an experiment with online fast food orders in Santa Monica, California. In April 2014, they announced a courier package delivery service called UberRUSH, offering pickup from anywhere in Manhattan. In August they began testing their UberESSENTIALS or Corner Store service in Washington D.C., enabling online purchasing from a list of roughly 100 items that you can have in a matter of minutes. Tweaking their software, they introduced UberPool to the San Francisco Bay Area in August. This carpooling service matches riders who are traveling in the same direction. A rider�s app displays the first name of the other rider and indicates who will be picked up first. If no match is available, riders are consoled with a discounted regular fare. Launche last month in New York, UberEATS offers lunch choices prepared by �iconic restaurants� (i.e. StatSocial, American Cut Steakhouse, Num Pang, Mighty Quinn�s Barbecue, etc.) and delivered on foot or bike within 10 minutes of placing the order. Using their smart phones, diners can watch their lunch travel from the restaurant to their desk.

If successful, fast food restaurants, neighborhood drug stores and other Mom and Pop retail outlets will suddenly be able to provide delivery service without burdening their payrolls. UberPool, which does qualify as a ridesharing service, will help Uber undercut other TNCs and Uber Essentials emulates a virtual 7-11 within spitting distance of your smart phone. While frontloading its corporate armory with lobbyists to help smooth their entry into new markets, Uber is tailoring its Chinese menu of related services to those that flourish below any regulatory radar. Wherever a pool of drivers with jalopies is looking for a few bucks anywhere on earth, investors are convinced that these guys can print money. For the rest of Commissioner LaMarca�s early spring 2015 message to constituents, read on... � [editor]

COMMISSIONER BRUCE ROBERTS

May 20, 2015 - In his May 2015 Newsletter, District 1 City Commissioner Bruce Roberts explains a City plan for using the Vision Zero Initiative to reverse the City�s astronomical pedestrian fatality rate while enhancing bike safety, offers contact information for reporting a variety of municipal concerns, lists dates when anticipated high tides may spur seasonal flooding in low-lying areas, spells out registration protocols for the CodeRED notification system, applauds Fort Lauderdale�s recent recognition by NerdWallet as the 11^th Greenest City in America, outlines how microsurfacing will cushion the budget by extending the useful life of roads in fair condition and reviews the Advisory Board seats currently available to prospective District 1 volunteers.

Fixing Roads and the Tax Bite

When the current municipal administration crafted a roadmap for climbing out of a recessionary economic downturn, a Commission decision to annually lock down the millage rate triggered a hunt for opportunities to cut the budget without sacrificing services or neglecting infrastructure. After the Commission and the Budget Advisory Board plucked the low-hanging fruit by tightening in-house fiscal efficiencies, they explored less obvious and untested money saving methodologies. Among these was a process that could relieve the annual pressure on one of the spending plan�s costliest line items � infrastructure and capital improvements.

In his Newsletter�s current project assessment, Roberts reviews how microsurfacing is being used to cushion our tax bite. Developed in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and introduced to the United states in 1980 after Dr. Frederick Raschig presented his Ralumac slurry system at the International Slurry Surfacing Association (ISSA) convention, this polymer-modified, cold mix paving system is increasingly being used by Florida cities to remedy a broad range of problems on their streets, bridges, highways and airfields.

In 2013, the City deployed MicroPAVER technology to assess the condition of every city thoroughfare and rank them in a database using the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) - an industry standard. While newly constructed streets are ascribed a PCI of 100, impacts from traffic volume, weather and soil conditions, the road�s age and invasive utility excavations determine how the PCI declines over time. As roads deteriorate from �Good� (PCI 86 to 100) to �Fair� (PCI 56 to 70) or �Poor� (PCI 41 to 55), repairs grow exponentially more expensive.

Most government road maintenance programs formalize a race to replace heavily eroded streets marred by major defects, forcing public works departments into an accelerating game of �catch-up� fueled by an ever-increasing drain on tax revenues. However, if microsurfacing is performed early in a road�s life cycle, by extending the life of a roadway by seven to ten years, every preventive dollar allocated saves $6 to $10 in future rehabilitation costs, reining in the need for runaway budget appropriations.

Microsurfacing can be done at a much lower cost ($5 per square yard) than is required for conventional 3-inch milling and paving ($27 per square yard). For example, it may cost about $60,000 to microsurface a 21-foot-wide mile of low-volume road with a 10-year lifespan, projecting an annual budgetary footprint of $6,000. By comparison, adding 3 inches of material at roughly $330,000 per mile is more than five times the cost, and its 30-year lifespan mandates an annual budgetary allocation of $11,000. Also, while the microsurfaced road is virtually maintenance free, as the untreated road�s condition declines, incremental annual maintenance costs explode, along with budgetary revenue demands.

Since 20% of Fort Lauderdale's streets are in fair condition, while less than 5% are rated �poor� (and warrant immediate replacement), treating that 20% would postpone for a decade their decline into the poor category, when repairs will cost more than 5 times as much. Although the project was originally conceived to treat 333,000 square yards - or 25 miles � of city streets in fair condition, when staff discovered that the bids were much lower than anticipated, they reconfigured the project to exploit the windfall pricing, and expanded its scope to treat 465,000 square yards - approximately 36 miles � of moderately eroded roadway. To avoid the bear trap of feeding Peter by starving Paul, City staff also developed plans to rebuild the 5% of roadways rated �poor� or worse � some of which are nearly fish tank rubble.

Celebrating the therapeutic impact this technology might have on the city budget, last June the City Commission handed bid-winning vendor Asphalt Paving Systems (APS) a $2.245 million contract to microsurface selected city streets in 2014. Another $1.355 million was set aside for additional repairs in 2015 and 2016. By the end of the summer, their optimism hit a wall when residents of Poinsettia Heights uncovered pitfalls in the City plan.

Sloppy Work and Unmet Expectations

FORT LAUDERDALE ROAD IN FAIR CONDITION

Shortly after the work commenced, residents who were initially delighted by the planned repairs went ballistic after watching the project roll out. Laying siege to City Hall, they complained about divots and long drag marks on the street, newly formed stagnant puddles from post-treatment ponding, permanent tire marks along parking lanes, a patchwork quilt of treated and untreated adjacent sections of road, roadway ridges made more prominent by the treatment, stains on driveways abutting the street, and a failure to repair many of the street�s observable defects, including rut ridges and alligator cracks. Couched in the complaints were concerns about how the treated streets might undermine property values.

SAME ROAD AFTER MICROSURFACING

The reaction at City Hall was summarized by Mayor Jack Seiler, who remarked, �I have not had a single person tell me they are pleased with the work being done.� An expedited investigation turned up two distinct problems. The first was a drawback ordinarily endemic to County projects � sloppy work and insufficient oversight. The second was a firestorm fanned by unmet expectations.

FORT LAUDERDALE MAYOR JACK SEILER

Microsurfacing would only yield the desired results if properly applied. Unfortunately, it wasn�t. Some of the cracks that should have been sealed prior to the treatment were neglected by the contractor and the road wasn�t properly cleared of debris, enmeshing leaves and twigs into the new surface. When confronted about these and other complaints, contractor APS addressed the deficiencies. To avoid a repeat performance, the City assigned a battery of staffers to ride herd on APS going forward.

In fact, APS had submitted the second lowest bid in a field of five competing vendors, behind low bidder Ny-Mac Enterprises, Inc., a Michigan corporation that was rejected when city staff discovered that the Palm Beach license the company claimed was issued on April 15, 2014 had actually expired on March 28, 2012.

With a business office in Zephyrhills, Florida and headquartered in Hammonton, New Jersey, Asphalt Paving Systems provided sterling municipal references from Tampa, West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Lakeland, and Largo. APS was also awarded a contract by the New Jersey Department of the Treasury covering municipalities, school districts and non-profit organizations anywhere in the state. Unlike the scammer they bumped from the top spot, their credentials panned out.

CITY MANAGER LEE FELDMAN

The Poinsettia Heights incident brought focus to a more pervasive problem. When local residents were informed about the project, the City failed to adequately clarify its value as a budget measure implemented to deflate their tax nut. Unfamiliar with the process and its purpose, residents who mistakenly expected the City to morph mottled aging roads into shiny new boulevards became skull-blocked upon realizing that the project would instead saddle them with those mottled roads for the next decade. As observed by City Manager Lee Feldman �This is not pick up the pavement, put some new pavement down. Major imperfections are still going to be there.�

In a notice sent to local residents requesting their cooperation, it warns about a systemic idiosyncrasy called �tire picking,� a reference to permanent scuff marks created when the tires are turned by a parked vehicle on a treated street. While providing assurances of no long-term performance damage, the notice concedes that �it affects the finished look of the paving,� marginalizing the fact that it looks like additional defects.

If City officials continue to spin this project�s purpose as Roadway Maintenance (instead of saving tax dollars) in other city neighborhoods scheduled for microsurfacing, local residents are likely to mirror the disappointment encountered in Poinsettia Heights. Unless the City forges a more palpable connection between this project and our TRIM Notices, city officials may field a good deal more angry blowback than gratitude. To that end, the City is using email blasts and social media vehicles Nextdoor, Twitter and Instagram to quell concerns while reaching out to neighborhood and community associations for both output and feedback. Despite an impressive arsenal of outreach tools, whether or not they deliver the right message will come out in the wash. Read on for Commissioner Roberts� May 2015 Newsletter... � [editor]

DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER BRUCE G. ROBERTS

CITY-WIDE INFORMATION:

• STRATEGIC TRANSPORTATION EFFORTS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY (S.T.E.P.S.) TO VISION ZERO: Transportation and Mobility Department (TAM) is leading the development of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, the objective of which is to improve safety for bicycles and pedestrians on City Streets. STEPS to Vision Zero is being modeled after a global initiative adopted in Sweden in 1997 that focuses on the value of human life and is based on the premise that fatalities from pedestrian and bicycle accidents are not acceptable. The initiative is currently being championed in the US by New York City and San Francisco. In a report conducted by the US Department of Transportation Fatality Analysis Report System, Ft. Lauderdale had the second highest pedestrian fatality rate per capita and the fifth highest traffic fatality rate per capita in the nation for 2014. STEPS to Vision Zero is being developed in collaboration with City departments, our neighbors, Broward County, the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization, FDOT and other supporting agencies. Partners are working together to identify the challenges, actionable initiatives and performance measures to improve safety for all users of our streets. The final product will include an identification of problem areas with a high number of accidents, areas with limited sidewalks surrounding schools, the need for education on safe walking and biking practices, and the high rate of speeding. It will then provide action strategies for all partners to implement including things such as altering the way projects are designed, developing education campaigns, working with schools on education and infrastructure improvements, conducting targeted enforcement in high accident areas, and policy and legislative changes. This plan complements the Connecting the Blocks Program, a multimodal infrastructure improvement program, which is an implementation tool for our Complete Streets Policy and gives us a running start in achieving the objectives of the Mayor�s Challenge for Safer People, Safer Streets. This will be presented to the Commission at an upcoming meeting.

• WHEN YOU NEED TO REPORT:

  • Pothole: If you notice a pothole that needs to be filled in call 954-828-8000 to report.

  • Flooding: If you notice flooding on your street or around the City call 954-828-8000 to report.

  • Code issues: If you notice a code issue (i.e. trash, work being done w/out permit, cars blocking driveway, neighbors neglecting their home/property, illegally parked cars, etc.) call 954-828-5207 to report.

    **All of the above can also be done on line where you can log in a concern and track. http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/departments-/city-manager-s-office/public-affairs-office/lauderserv

  • Suspicious Activity: If you notice something that is just not right (cars slowly driving up and down the street checking out property, people going door to door, strangers lurking in backyards or strolling your neighborhood) call the non-emergency number to report possible criminal activity � 954-764-4357

• SEASONAL STREET FLOODING

  2015 HIGH TIDES: Flooding in low-lying areas is more likely when the close proximity of the moon, high tides, rising sea levels and inclement weather conditions combine to exacerbate flooding risks. As a coastal community with numerous low-lying areas and 300 miles of canal coastline, Fort Lauderdale neighbors are advised to be especially vigilant during the months of September, October and November. The City of Fort Lauderdale anticipates above-average high tides on the following dates in 2015, please note that these dates are not limited to the fall months:

  • April 17 - 18

  • August 29 - September 2

  • September 26 - October 2

  • October 24 - 31

  • November 24 � 27

  While the City maintains an extensive stormwater master plan and is instituting both aggressive maintenance and innovative adaptation solutions to address drainage, the location and natural geography of the City makes neighborhoods susceptible to flooding. Please take the time to evaluate your property's readiness, review your insurance policy and create an emergency plan.

• STAY INFORMED! SIGN UP FOR CodeRED: The City of Fort Lauderdale uses CodeRed, a high-speed telephone notification system, to send mass notifications by phone, email and text to keep citizens informed. In the event of an evacuation, utility outage, water main break, fire or flood, chemical spill, or other emergency situations, the City may activate CodeRED to send emergency notifications to registered subscribers. The City may also use CodeRED to communicate non-life safety matters, such as planned road closures, water main repairs, water service interruptions, etc. There is no charge to register for or use CodeRED, and personal information is kept confidential. Registering for CodeRED is quick and easy and can be done by going online on our webpage, or by calling the 24-hour Customer Service Center at 954-828-8000. Code RED delivers notifications by phone, email and/or text. Please note the following:

  • CodeRED is compatible with TDD/TTY devices for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

  • When the City issues a CodeRED notification, the 24-hour Customer Service Center phone number, 954-828-8000, will appear on the caller ID.

  • Notifications cannot be delivered to phone numbers with a privacy lock feature. To ensure notifications are received, subscribers should either turn off the privacy lock feature during emergencies, enter 954-828-8000 on their �safe list� of phone numbers, or enter a cell phone number when registering for the service.

  • Individuals who have already registered for the service but would like to update their phone number or add a cell phone number to the database may do so by re-registering.

  • The CodeRED Mobile Alert app sends geographically-based messages to subscribers nationwide.

  To download the free CodeRED Mobile Alert app for your smart phone, visit the Google Play or iTunes store.

• FORT LAUDERDALE NAMED AMONG �AMERICA�S GREENEST CITIES�: Among the nation�s 150 largest cities, Fort Lauderdale ranks as the 11^th �Greenest City in the U.S.� according to a national study released on 4/21/15. The study lauded the City for earning high rankings based on the analysis of four key environmental factors: housing density, environmental quality, transportation and energy sources. Fort Lauderdale scored the highest marks for the percentage of occupied buildings with 10 or more residences. The City also scored strongly for good air quality, transportation options and the percentage of residential buildings with solar energy.

DISTRICT 1 INFORMATION:

• FAA COMMUNITY MEETING: On Thursday, April 23, 2015, a community meeting was held with neighborhoods concerned about aircraft noise and safety from flights at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE). FAA representatives and City staff were in attendance. It was an educational process, which developed several ideas for follow-up. We will report on that progress in the future.

• PROJECT ASSESSMENTS: In our last newsletter, we mentioned that we would present an information series related to the City�s program to evaluate, prioritize and finance major infrastructure and capital improvements. Our last newsletter described the bridge master plan which will repair or replace 46 city bridges over the next 20 years. This edition will address the City�s plan to resurface our roads.

  • MICROSURFACING CITY STREET

    Roadway Maintenance: The City is using MicroSurfacing to address �Fair� roads. Microsurfacing is a sustainable product, consisting of recycled material that uses a 5/8-inch asphalt polymer-modified cold mix aggregate sealant to extend the life of a roadway by seven to ten years. Microsurfacing can also be done at a much lower cost than conventional asphalt overlays. This process allows the City to maximize available funding to resurface the greatest number of linear miles of roadway.

  • Maintenance Schedule: In May 2015, Asphalt Paving Systems will begin applying crack seal to the roadways scheduled to be resurfaced this year. Approximately 30-45 days after the crack seal is applied, Asphalt Systems will begin micro-surfacing streets in our community. Fort Lauderdale successfully resurfaced numerous roads in 2014. Moving forward, the City will continue to improve road conditions, reduce long-term costs and make our roads better for our neighbors. The plan is to start at the northern most roadways and progress south. A completed map of the streets to be microsurfaced will be available at a later time and will be posted on our web page.

• THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE

  ADVISORY BOARD VACANCIES: If you are interested in serving on a board or committee, please let us know! We have vacancies on: Community Appearance Board (2), Education Advisory Board (2) and the Historic Preservation Board (1). You can always check on-line or let me know and I will send you the information. You are not required to live within District 1 though it would be nice! Therefore, you can see what other openings there are in other Districts. http://fortlauderdale.gov/departments/city-clerk-s-office/board-and-committee-information

ROBBI UPTEGROVE

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

EMAIL LIST: If you would like to be on our email list so that you receive information pertaining to the City � especially District 1 (i.e. news releases, meeting notices, events), please let Robbi know and she will add you.

Bruce G. Roberts                

If you need to reach Commissioner Bruce Roberts, please contact his assistant Robbi Uptegrove at 954-828-5033 or by e-mail at [email protected]. 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.

NOAA Fisheries Shell Game

Running the Roadblock

Debunking Permit Myths � What Really Happened?

Sand Civil War

Final Preparations

June 26, 2015 - Late last year, Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Bruce Roberts advised neighborhood association officials of a possible threat to the Sun Trolley�s Galt Mile route. Along with Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca, Roberts serves on the Board of the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association (DFLTMA), the Sun Trolley�s parent agency. Having learned about an inexplicable decline in ridership on the Galt Mile route segment along Oakland Park Boulevard to Federal Highway, which services the Coral Ridge Mall as well as Holy Cross and Imperial Point Hospitals, Roberts arranged a January 15 meeting with newly appointed Sun Trolley Executive Director Robyn Chiarelli and Galt Mile officials. A drop in ridership could be used to cut back or end the neighborhood�s local bus service, a prospect that triggered a disconcerting flashback for Roberts - and many Galt Mile residents.

FORMER DIRECTOR LES HOLLINGSWORTH

In 2008, while promising neighborhood officials that he would protect the Galt Mile route from recessionary cutbacks, former Sun Trolley Executive Director Les Hollingsworth sought to mask his managerial missteps by furtively filing a route termination notice. When the Galt Mile Community Association (GMCA) uncovered his plan to unilaterally euthanize this unique neighborhood asset, every member condo and co-op was forwarded irrefutable evidence of his duplicity for posting on Mail Room bulletin boards, association newsletters, blogs and websites. After the surreptitious plan was disclosed in the Galt Mile News and website, it was picked up by the Sun-Sentinel. Almost overnight, the neighborhood association and City Hall were flooded with impassioned objections by angry Galt Mile residents.

TERMINATION LETTER - CLICK TO ENLARGE

A City investigation revealed that the problem had less to do with declining ridership than inept leadership - and an obsolete mission protocol. After ejecting the scheming bureaucrat, interim Director Chris Wren (a longtime Trolley honcho who runs the City�s Downtown Development Authority), Commissioner Bruce Roberts and Galt Mile officials explored a long-neglected incremental revenue source. Instead of carrying clueless vacationers from Port Everglades and beachfront hotels to the usual tourist clip joints, by restructuring the service to accommodate the shopping and medical needs of local residents, the anticipated boost in ridership would also pump new life into local businesses crippled by the recession.

FORMER SUN TROLLEY MANAGING DIRECTOR PATRICIA ZEILER

Over the next five years, new Managing Director Patricia Zeiler and Wren tailored the Sun Trolley to better connect shoppers, patients and other consumers with customer-hungry vendors and service providers. By linking the reconfigured routes, they provided Galt Mile residents with free transportation to venues along Fort Lauderdale Beach, Las Olas Boulevard, the Galleria and the Harbor Shoppes - without having to find or finance scarce and overpriced parking. They also gave patients unfettered access to Holy Cross and Imperial Point Hospitals, and the panoply of healthcare support services that orbit each medical center. When Zeiler floated her now-stellar resume in the private sector, she was quickly snatched up by the prestigious Fort Lauderdale Historical Society, where she now serves as Executive Director.

NEWLY APPOINTED DFLTMA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROBYN CHIARELLI

Following a frenetic search for Zeiler�s replacement, on December 2, 2014 DFLTMA Chairman Alan Hooper announced the appointment of Robyn Chiarelli as Sun Trolley Executive Director. An acclaimed management virtuoso whose career in public transportation was built on leadership roles with the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), Tri-Rail, and a term as Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 4 Project Manager, when Chiarelli supervised a laundry list of State-approved transportation projects in Broward and 4 other Southeast Florida counties. After scoring a Prudential-Davis Productivity Award, Chiarelli was recognized in November as the 2014 WTS (Women�s Transportation Seminars) South Florida Chapter Woman of the Year (a hallmark annual honorarium for Women in Transportation).

COMMISSIONER BRUCE ROBERTS

At the meeting with Chiarelli, Roberts and Galt Mile officials stressed the need to maintain the neighborhood bus service - citing its importance to elderly hospital patients, Library and Community Center patrons - and residents for whom the Trolley is an indispensable element of a self-sufficient retirement. On February 2, 2015, Chiarelli joined Roberts at the Fountainhead Condominium to address the Presidents Council. She affirmed that ridership was strong on the Galt Mile route section along A1A south to Sunrise, as hundreds of Galt Mile residents mount regular excursions to Las Olas Boulevard and the Galleria. When recounting the disturbing ridership data for the Oakland Park Boulevard route segment, Chiarelli assured attendees that although the route was not in immediate danger, its future was uncertain.

While Chiarelli was on maternity leave (she had a little girl on June 12), interim Director Tara Crawford attended the June 18^th GMCA Advisory Board meeting. Afterwards, Crawford met with Galt Mile officials Pio Ieraci and Eric Berkowitz to discuss the underutilized Oakland Park Boulevard route segment. Although the route still exceeds the County�s contractual survival standard of 7.1 riders per hour, Crawford said that staffers are exploring a �reallocation of resources,� in case the decline in ridership is evidence of the neighborhood�s changing transportation proclivities.

As per Crawford, Sun Trolley route planners suggested severing Holy Cross Hospital and Imperial Point Medical Center as destination sites, thereby terminating the Oakland Park Boulevard route at the Coral Ridge Mall. Concerned about the burden it would place on fixed-income Galt Mile patients who rely on the service, and blowback from a neighborhood that reacts poorly to municipal policies harmful to its most vulnerable residents, Sun Trolley officials sought to offset the lost access to both medical centers by cutting a deal with the Pelican Hopper, the Community Bus Service for Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (LBTS). Crawford said that discussions were underway to partially fill the void created by a venue change.

Although altruistic, the reaction appears less than spontaneous, as Chiarelli has been cultivating political capital in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea since March, when she partnered with the boutique town�s officials to reconfigure the Sun Trolley�s free tracking software. Developed with technical input from Leadership Broward in 2012, the downloadable Tracker App enables passengers with smartphones, tablets or computers to track the location of Sun Trolleys in real time across all seven routes � including the Riverwalk Water Trolley. By empowering riders to position themselves anywhere along the route to flag down a trolley precisely as it approaches, the Tracker App virtually eliminates the need to wait at a designated stop. Noting how the Galt Mile Sun Trolley and the Pelican Hopper intersect at multiple locations and �share a similar customer base,� when Chiarelli added Pelican Hoppers to the Tracker App, she banked a marker from LBTS officials. Whether the marker holds enough juice to sufficiently alter the Pelican Hopper route to mitigate the lost destination sites is questionable.

On weekdays, the Pelican Hopper duplicates three Sun Trolley stops in the Galt Mile neighborhood, at the Beach Community center, the Galt Mile Library and the corner of Galt Ocean Drive and NE 41^st Street. It also connects to Holy Cross Hospital, albeit via Commercial Boulevard instead of Oakland Park Boulevard. However, since the Pelican Hopper only extends south to Palm Avenue and A1A in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea on weekends, Galt Mile residents would lose their current Saturday service to Holy Cross. Also, the Pelican Hopper doesn�t service Imperial Point Hospital � regular destination sites for scores of Galt Mile medical patients who lack a vehicle - or driver�s license.

The Downtown Business District and the Galt Mile neighborhood are the City�s two most lucrative sources of Ad Valorem revenue � by far. In return, the community asks for - and receives - almost nothing. While an infusion of new families is slowly cultivating a younger demographic, the Galt Mile remains home to a major senior population - many of whom are struggling to make ends meet. The Sun Trolley is one of the few municipal benefits provided to Galt Mile residents.

Unless Sun Trolley officials are able to add Imperial Point Hospital to the existing Pelican Hopper route and extend the route south into the Galt Mile on weekends, Galt Mile residents will lose their free transportation to Imperial Point Medical Center - and their access to Holy Cross will be sharply curtailed. Spinning a service cutback as a �reallocation of resources� is unlikely to convince Galt Mile residents that they aren�t being stripped of an important resource.

FORT LAUDERDALE SUN TROLLEY

When Crawford admitted that she didn�t know what precipitated the slide in ridership, Galt Mile officials offered an explanation, and a methodology for vetting its viability. Given the usual board member turnover due to annual association elections, and the timely hiring of new association managers, many newly constituted association administrations know little or nothing about the service. Also, Sun Trolley Galt Mile outreach hit a brick wall when Zeiler departed last year. As a result, many associations are ill-equipped to inform their members about the Sun Trolley � especially new owners, tenants or visitors. As such, Galt officials asked Crawford to consider spending the next few months intensively reaching out to Galt Mile associations, providing informational flyers for association bulletin boards and handouts that owners might pick up in the Mail Room, building office or security desk.

If each association�s unit owners and management are brought up to speed about the free Community Bus service, yet decide against utilizing the Sun Trolley for patient visits at the Holy Cross or Imperial Point Medical Centers, Sun Trolley officials will have afforded the neighborhood a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate that the existing route should remain intact � subject to the caveat �Use it or lose it!�

So - the next time you have an appointment with a Holy Cross or Imperial Point medical provider; please consider taking the Sun Trolley. You can catch the air-conditioned Trolley in front of your building by simply waving your arm on approach � and once aboard, the driver will pull over and drop you wherever you indicate. You will spend nothing for gas or parking, and the trip home will terminate where it began - at the entrance of your building.

Once you use the Trolley, you�ll find yourself jumping on and off like a seasoned road warrior, and perhaps regret not having tried it sooner. More importantly, using it for visits to the Holy Cross or Imperial Point Medical Centers will help preserve them as destination sites � for all of us. Make no mistake, whether or not Sun Trolley officials embark on a high octane association outreach effort, ridership statistics in the upcoming months will dictate where the route terminates. Once a destination site is eliminated, prospects for reinstatement are comparable to those of a snowball in hell.

By the way � you don�t need a medical appointment to log in some Trolley time useful for this purpose. The Silver Sneakers program at Holy Cross offers the same equipment as a top commercial gym � for free (with Medicare or other insurance) � and unlike some gyms that charge $thousands annually, the fitness personnel actually know what they�re talking about. The Zachariah Wellness Center offers 50 classes each month, including Yoga, Pilates, Latin or Ballroom Dance, Zumba, Strength Training, Boot Camp and more. Imperial Point features comparable programs. With Medicare or any private insurance, the instructed sessions won�t cost a dime, including transportation to and from your front door � unless the Sun Trolley route is crimped while we snooze.

COMMISSIONER BRUCE ROBERTS

July 9, 2015 - In his July 2015 message to constituents, District 1 City Commissioner Bruce Roberts explains how the City complemented its hurricane preparedness strategy with planned applications for Federal funding, distilled its highly technical Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) into a user-friendly fiscal primer, credits Fleet Services Program Manager Carlos Berriz for the City Fleet clinching the 36^th top spot in a field of 38.000 American public fleets, details how the Uptown Link - a shuttle bus launched last summer to service the Cypress Creek corridor - was administratively melded into a Sun Trolley and lists noteworthy municipal events through September. Jumping on two incidents recently splashed in the media as attacks by the �Silent Killer,� Roberts takes a hard look at Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning.

CARBON MONOXIDE DEATHS AT 1010 SEMINOLE DRIVE

On April 13, Carbon Monoxide killed a Wilton Manors man who�s Ford Escape SUV ran for 6 hours in his attached garage. Minutes after opening the garage door but before he could release the ignition, 43 year-old Louis Argo collapsed and died. His final act saved the lives of his wife and 11 year-old daughter, who were revived after being overcome inside the house - as well as two neighbors who were treated for the effects of CO exposure. A week later, a CO-alarm in the Harbor Vista townhomes on the 700 block of Southeast 15^th Street narrowly prevented a second tragedy, as Fire-Rescue paramedics rescued an unconscious man inside the house while his car�s motor was still running in the garage. On July 9^th, a Fort Lauderdale couple, along with their dog, were found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in their 15^th floor high-rise unit at 1010 Seminole Drive in Sunrise Harbor � adjacent to the Galleria Mall.

The toxic progeny of incomplete organic fuel combustion, Carbon Monoxide is invisible, odorless and otherwise undetectable to human senses. When carbon-based fuels are burned in an oxygen-rich environment (i.e. methane (natural gas), ethane, propane, butane, and the longer carbon chains in gasoline (octane), coal, wood, kerosene, charcoal and diesel fuel), the central chemical reaction ordinarily yields water (H₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). However, if an insufficient oxygen supply curtails oxidation, each carbon atom is limited to coupling with a single oxygen atom (CO), instead of the two oxygen atoms that comprise a Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) molecule.

Once inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream, the oxygen-hungry CO molecules combine with hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO), crippling the hemoglobin�s capacity for dispersing oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. Since this precursor to hypoxia symptomatically mimics influenza after a brief exposure (albeit without a fever), the condition and cause are commonly misdiagnosed. Converting sufficient hemoglobin to carboxyhemoglobin results in death, medically known as carboxyhemoglobinemia or carbon monoxide poisoning.

Roberts observes that CO is often sourced �from charcoal grills, portable generators, vehicles in closed spaces, or any other wood or gas fueled appliance,� and strongly recommends installing CO detectors or alarms in our homes. Galt Mile condo and co-op owners who rely on electricity to cook and warm their homes are of the impression that they aren�t at-risk because their apartments lack the fuel-burning appliances that typically generate excess carbon monoxide, and their basement-level garages comply with Florida Building Code ventilation requirements.

UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES (UL) SAFETY DIRECTOR JOHN DRENGENBERG

Drawing on his 50 years as Consumer Safety Director for Underwriters Laboratories (UL) in Northbrook, Illinois (since 1966), John Drengenberg is uniquely conversant with the underlying reasons for the average 400 CO poisoning deaths annually reported in the United States, along with 20,000 annual emergency room visits and 4000 hospital admissions. While a majority are ascribed to vehicles running in enclosed garages (accidentally or intentionally - given its widespread use in attempted suicides), roughly 43% of the deaths (170 averaged annually) are from non-vehicular sources. A staunch advocate of installing CO detectors, a few years ago Drengenberg admonished �I�ve had people ask me why they even needed one, since they live in an apartment with electric heat, and yet right here in our area we had two people die over the weekend because somebody left their car running in the underground garage in the apartment building.�

While Galt Mile residents needn�t worry about clogged chimney pipes or flues, gas-fired appliances, wood-burning fireplaces, or other fuel-based amenities, we aren�t off the hook. The gas-fired heaters that warm some association pools can become clogged or otherwise deteriorate, emitting a plume of carbon monoxide. With the growing popularity of remote and/or keyless vehicle ignitions, association security notifies an annually increasing number of grateful residents that the engines in their garaged cars are still running. As the aging garage level ventilation system functionally sputters, or a clueless association administration risks a code infraction to save money by cycling the garage fan on and off, a vehicle inadvertently left running can soon overwhelm the residents living above. If undetected overnight, emmissions can rise through structural plenums to the penthouse units.

Association homeowners are invariably impacted by our neighbors' questionable decisions. Despite the labeled warning �for use in well ventilated areas�, hundreds of fuel-burning space heaters stashed in Galt Mile closets are pressed into service during rare South Florida cold spells, when the windows are all shut tight. Many buildings have a few residents who skirt the rules against balcony barbecues by setting up a ventless hibachi near a kitchen window or some other fuel-burning stovetop cookware featured in a 3 AM infomercial. The risk of CO exposure increases exponentially during power outages, when association back-up generators that burn natural gas or diesel fuel swing into action.

Galt Mile association homeowners admittedly face far fewer fuel-burning sources of carbon monoxide gas than those living in single-family homes. That said, condo owners suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning are treated in the same emergency rooms, admitted to the same hospitals or wind up in the same morgues as their less at-risk neighbors. At the end of the day, you can either purchase a few inexpensive CO detectors or play the odds. It�s your call. For the balance of Commissioner Roberts July 2015 Newsletter, read on... � [editor]

DISTRICT 1 COMMISSIONER BRUCE G. ROBERTS

2015 HURRICANE SEASON: The Atlantic Hurricane season has started but the City�s preparations began months ago. City departments developed �Continuity of Operations Plans� with comprehensive strategies to provide essential services to our neighbors in the event of an emergency. The City has also trained staff, providing detailed instructions on how to complete required Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) forms for the Public Assistance Grant Program. The City of Fort Lauderdale is ready- hopefully you are too. If you would like more information on preparedness, please go to http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/departments/fire-rescue/emergency-management/hurricane-preparedness

ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT: The City�s Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) is now available! Neighbors can review the report for a basic overview of City finances in straightforward terms and plain language! The information in the PAFR is drawn from the City�s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, which provides a more technical and detailed look at the City�s financial position and operating activities. The financial reports can be viewed at http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/departments/finance/financial-reports

100 BEST FLEETS IN THE AMERICAS: The City of Fort Lauderdale was recently ranked in the 100 Best Fleets in the Americas as the #36^th Best Fleet in 2015. The award was announced at the 2015 National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) Institute & Expo that took place in April at the Orange County Convention Center. With more than 38,000 public fleets in North America, this is a significant accomplishment. The 100 Best Fleets program identifies peak performing fleet operations, reviewing 12 areas of operations, and reviewing 12 areas of competency including accountability, use of technology, collaboration, efficient turnaround and resources stewardship to name a few.

FLEET MANAGER CARLOS BERRIZ

Fleet operations has transformed in the last few years under the leadership of the Fleet Service Program Manager, Carlos Berriz. We have better procedures in place to track fuel use, idling and vehicle performance. Our vehicle replacement program takes a comprehensive view in collaboration with the stakeholder departments to get the right vehicle for the right job. By including the fleet fenceline as a site for ISO 14001 certification for Environment and Sustainability Management System, we have improved safety, waste diversion and chemical management at the site. As our next step in continual improvement for fleet operations, Public Works Sustainability Division Fleet Services plans to apply for NAFA Sustainable Fleet Accreditation Program. This new program is designed to recognize fleet operations working towards improving air quality in reducing emissions, increasing fuel efficiency and reducing fuel use. The program will give us access to benchmarking data that will help us identify areas for improvement, and measure progress in comparison to other similar fleets. The Sustainable Fleet Accreditation Program will support initiatives listed in our Sustainability Action Plan and in the Press Play Strategic Plan to further our commitment to a sustainable community.

CARBON MONOXIDE: Midnight, April 23, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue received a call for a fire alarm with a carbon monoxide detector activation. Fire crews and the Hazardous Materials team responded. Upon arrival, firefighters found a car that was left running in a garage of a three-story townhouse. Crews entered the home wearing their air packs. They found a man unconscious on the third floor, who was transported in serious condition to Broward Health. Firefighters searched the three remaining rooms and evacuated the occupants. Fortunately, one of the rooms was equipped with a Carbon Monoxide detector. Had it not been for their carbon monoxide alarm, which detected the CO gas as it began to spread throughout the entire complex, it is likely that we would have had another tragedy similar to the incident in Wilton Manors where a family and neighbors were overcome by CO gas. Carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless "silent killer" that robs the body of oxygen. It comes from charcoal grills, portable generators, vehicles in closed spaces, or any other wood or gas fueled appliance. Many new vehicles run very quietly and use a keyless ignition. This often causes drivers to falsely think that they have turned off their vehicles, which could prove fatal if there is not a carbon monoxide detector to warn occupants. We urge all of our neighbors to learn how to prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and to purchase carbon monoxide detectors for their homes.

SUN TROLLEY EXPANDS SERVICE: The FREE Uptown Link joined the Sun Trolley�s fleet in April. With this addition, the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association, which administers the Sun Trolley and Riverwalk Water Trolley, now serves passengers in the Uptown Business District, located off Cypress Creek Road in Fort Lauderdale. The Uptown Link Route is a free midday shuttle service, operating between 10am and 3pm, Monday to Friday. Passengers can Wave N�Ride anywhere along the two routes to travel to and from Calvary Chapel, the Cypress Creek Tri-Rail Station, the Citrix Loop, Kaplan University, the Radice Corporate Park, and lunch spots in the area. The vehicles are comfortably air-conditioned, offer bike racks and are wheelchair accessible. For more information on the Uptown Link routes, visit www.suntrolley.com/uptown-link. Additionally, the Sun Trolley operates seven other routes as well as the FREE Riverwalk Water Trolley. To learn more, visit www.suntrolley.com

IMPORTANT DATES TO CALENDAR:

• 7/3/15: City Hall will be closed due to 4th of July Holiday � (6 pm, Huizinga Pavilion)

• 7/4/15: HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

• 7/6/15: Pre-agenda meeting at Beach Community Center � 6 pm

• 7/7/15: Commission Meetings (Conference: 1:30 pm; Regular: 6 pm)

• 7/8/15: COMMISSION RECESS BEGINS FOR THE SUMMER

During recess, City Hall remains open and the Commission office remains open � but there will be no commission meetings or pre-agenda meetings scheduled. Commissioners will be available on an as-needed basis.

• 8/17/15: Pre-agenda meeting at Imperial Point Hospital, South Entrance � 6 pm

• 8/18/15: Commission Meetings (Conference: 1:30 pm; Regular: 6 pm)

• 8/31/15: Pre-agenda meeting at Beach Community Center � 6 pm

• 9/1/15: Commission Meetings (Conference: 1:30 pm; Regular: 6 pm)

• 9/3/15: First Budget Hearing, City Hall � 6 pm

• 9/8/15: Second Budget Hearing, City Hall � 6 pm

MORE CITY NEWS: For additional City news, please visit �City News: June Newsletter� at http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/departments/city-manager-s-office/public-affairs-office/city-newsletter

ROBBI UPTEGROVE

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

EMAIL LIST: If you would like to be on our email list so that you receive information pertaining to the City � especially District 1 (i.e. news releases, meeting notices, events), please let Robbi know and she will add you.

Bruce G. Roberts                

If you need to reach Commissioner Bruce Roberts, please contact his assistant Robbi Uptegrove at 954-828-5033 or by e-mail at [email protected]. To access the City Commission Meeting Agendas and Minutes, Click Here.

LAMARCA GIVES JULY 2015 UPDATE

July 22, 2015 - In his July 2015 Newsletter, District 4 Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca laments the threatened departure of transportation network companies (TNCs) Uber and Lyft from Broward County, reviews an honorarium for 28 Broward County centenarians, announces newly available online access to Business Tax Receipts required by the County for all Broward businesses, celebrates July as Park and Recreation Month by citing benefits available in Broward parks, promotes a Defensive Driving Course to curb preventable collisions in deference to National Safety Month, seeks to protect pets from the adverse impacts of stressful Independence Day festivities and recommends a Training Course offered by the Office of Economic and Small Business Development that could equip building trades entrepreneurs with a competitive advantage.

Transportation Network Companies � Part III

On Monday, July 6, Uber announced plans to blow town by the end of the month. Three days later, competitor Lyft announced that it will also bail out of Broward. Their press releases raised no eyebrows among those keeping tabs on the malevolent melodrama starring the transportation network companies (TNCs) and the County Board. Having continuously violated County law since first arriving in Broward, Uber forked over $35,000 for 250 driver and corporate infractions through February, and another $25,000 by May (totaling more than 600 accrued citations), claiming that it�s simply a matchmaking service powered by an online platform, and should not be subject to regulations governing traditional taxicabs and car services. Conceding that existing county law was ill-adapted to this new business model, County Commissioners customized a unique regulatory framework for TNCs.

On April 28, the County Commission approved an ordinance featuring consumer protections recommended by the Federal Trade Commission and consistent with State Law. The ordinance provides for level 2 State and national background checks (with fingerprinting to deter identity fraud), 24/7 commercial insurance coverage, county-issued permits for vehicles inspected by county-approved mechanics, chauffer registrations for drivers and a local corporate office. In contrast with the County law governing traditional taxicab & livery companies, the new ordinance accommodated an unlimited number of vehicles and discretionary rates set by each TNC - except for county-regulated fares at Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, where price-gouging vultures would otherwise prey on vulnerable tourists.

BROWARD MAYOR TIM RYAN DISCUSSES TNC ORDINANCE

Describing the ordinance as a compromise that balanced TNC and County concerns, Broward Mayor Tim Ryan exclaimed �We want transportation network companies to be able to operate here along with taxicabs and other for hire vehicle services. We also want to protect the public and do what is in the best interest of Broward County.� Minutes after the ordinance was approved, Uber officials repeated an earlier threat to abandon the County, declaring the regulations terminally onerous. In fact, the company�s reaction wasn�t unique to Broward�s ordinance. Uber responds with comparable rhetoric in every jurisdiction that aspires to regulate its business.

Following its inception in 2009, the San Francisco-based Uber and other TNCs skated under the regulatory radar until 2011, when the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) fined each company $20,000 for operating an unlicensed limousine dispatch and mandated driver background checks, driver training, drug and alcohol policies, minimum insurance coverage of $1 million, and company licensing by the Commission.

Tangling with CPUC triggered a corporate epiphany. Since laws governing Uber�s traditional competition were inapplicable to a business that neither owned vehicles nor employed drivers, elected officials in new markets would have to craft new regulations to protect consumers. If Uber could influence that process, it could either circumvent or minimize costly consumer protections, and sidestep a significant operational pitfall.

TNC popularity usually derives from a quicker response and lower cost than traditional taxis, but that functionality is largely dependent on an Olympic-size driver pool. When demand ramps up, they need to cycle in more drivers and fewer when demand recedes. Excluding drivers lost to criminal background checks, inadequate insurance or failed inspections would crimp a TNC�s capacity to respond when demand spikes. While reducing the driver pool and constricting competition would benefit the company�s top-rated drivers (TNC customers rate their drivers), the TNC would lose business. Although aware that drivers with rap sheets are probably not the best candidates for driving schoolchildren to class, TNCs are fearful that tainting their eligibility will mangle profits.

FORMER OBAMA ADVISOR DAVID PLOUFFE RUNS UBER POLICY

To help snatch control of its regulatory environment, Uber hired an army of lobbyists credentialed in each of its new markets. In turn, they recruit drivers and customers to pressure local governments into curtailing consumer protections while lobbying State lawmakers to file TNC-friendly bills that would supersede local regulations. In the interim, the company ignores local laws and pays fines accrued by drivers while intermittently levying threats to leave the market. These tactics also marked Uber�s expansion into other countries.

UBER DRIVERS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST REGULATIONS

Since similar strategies by corporate predecessors yielded mixed results, Uber put a unique spin on its game plan. In every new market, when officials even whisper their intent to regulate TNCs, Uber mimics a petulant teenager threatening to leave home unless provided with keys to the family car. Blending invective with vitriolic recriminations while repeatedly slamming the bedroom door, the willful juvenile will climb out the window and hide in the garage - before returning in time for dinner. Like the cantankerous child, the company has an abiding appreciation for where its bread is buttered.

Although the strategy was initially surprisingly successful, eventually the need to protect consumers from rapists and murderers driving 4-wheeled death traps - the same concerns that had previously prompted the regulation of traditional livery businesses - caught up with the TNCs. As a result, the protective regulations originally applied by CPUC and later approved by the Federal Trade Commission are being increasingly supported by public officials when TNCs enter their markets.

Instead of funding compliance with Broward�s new TNC ordinance, Uber used corporate petty cash to pay for infractions by drivers encouraged to ignore the new law. Mistakenly convinced that Uber would reverse its systematic defiance of the new TNC ordinance by upping the price tag for non-compliance, on June 9, the Broward Commission substantially increased civil penalties for violating the ordinance. Following a month of unsuccessfully negotiating for the repeal of various ordinance provisions, like clockwork, Uber has once again threatened to pack its bags and hit the road.

UBER MIAMI OFFICE - BRICKELL CITY TOWER

Uber�s lightning-like evolution into a corporate goliath was founded on a singular premise - follow the money. Uber doesn�t voluntarily leave lucrative markets - and the company�s projected Broward income exponentially exceeds compliance costs. In world-class markets like South Florida, where the company is spending $millions on promoting its arrival, signed a lease at Brickell City Tower for a new Miami office while negotiating for access in Palm Beach (which plans to duplicate Broward�s ordinance.), emotionally charged announcements to leave the region hint at histrionic bluster. If consistent, the company will claim to suspend operations while feverishly working with the county to jointly choreograph its �triumphant� return.

The toughest obstacle isn�t parsing a regulatory framework acceptable to Uber and the county, but spinning the compromise in a way that politically vindicates entrenched antagonists for rolling the dice. Unless all parties can appear to emerge victorious, this dog won�t hunt.

SUN-SENTINEL DANIEL VASQUEZ

More than two weeks after Uber�s announced departure, on July 22, the Sun-Sentinel published an article by reporter Daniel Vasquez entitled �Uber will not quit Broward, You heard it here first� Vasquez asks Broward drivers and customers with a stake in Uber�s future to look past the street theater and focus on financial objectives shaped by Uber�s corporate DNA, admonishing �Even if Uber takes its ball and leaves on July 31, you better believe behind the scenes the company will scramble to find a way back.� For LaMarca�s take on this issue, and the rest of his July 2015 Newsletter, read on... � [editor]

City Revives Galt Mile Agreement

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Looking Back

Florida Scenic Highway:
FDOT Kisses the Frog

New Blood in Phase II

COMMISSIONER LAMARCA AUGUST MESSAGE

August 31, 2015 - In his August 2015 Newsletter, District 4 Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca benchmarks a year of speeding cargo to railheads across the US via the Port Everglades Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) - progeny of the Port and the Florida East Coast Railway (FECR), showcases pet-tracking facial recognition technology by Finding Rover, announces the Third Annual Go SOLAR & Renewable Energy Fest, applauds recognition of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) as �Airport of the Year� by the Air Line Pilots Association International, celebrates August as Water Quality Month and invites constituents to "Stay Connected" using County social media.

LaMarca opens his update with a painfully predictable tap dance by Uber and the County Commission. Following a year of high-testosterone ring toss for control of a County ordinance, the Broward Board and Uber are crafting an endgame that allows both sides to claim victory � and save face.

On April 28, the County Commission approved an amended Motor Carriers Ordinance that enabled Transportation Network Companies (TNC) to operate legally in Broward County. The new law blended statutory requirements with consumer protections recommended by the Federal Trade Commission. The ordinance provides for Level 2 State and national background checks with fingerprinting, 24/7 commercial insurance coverage, county-issued permits for vehicles inspected by county-approved mechanics, chauffer registrations for drivers and a corporate office with a Broward County address. It dispensed with a corporate cap on the number of vehicles deployed for livery services and cleared the way for discretionary rates set by each TNC - except for fares at Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, where the County has historically collected a �taste of the gate�.

Exclaiming an inability �to operate under such onerous regulations,� on July 9, Uber and Lyft announced their intention to abandon Broward, pulling the plug three weeks later. Since Uber severed access to its cell phone app on July 31, Commissioners who supported the Ordinance affirmed that their email inboxes and voice mails were brimming with invective, presumably an Uber-supported tactic to engineer a revision. Conceding to having been �Ubered Out�, Commissioners decided to roll out a more productive venue for complainants.

BROWARD COMMISSION - UBER PUBLIC HEARING

On August 11, the Commission convened a public hearing to explore ordinance revisions cited by Uber as a precondition to reversing its July 31 suspension of services in Broward. The legislative outcome was prefaced by a 4-hour input marathon by 100 speakers who either supported or opposed diluting the current ordinance. The feedback soon became rote, as company officials and drivers for traditional taxi companies and Uber pumped out corporate party lines on both sides of the issue.

COMM. BARBARA SHARIEF

Traditional taxi patrons expressed concern about loosening the safety standards for drivers or falling through the insurance gap in Uber�s coverage if involved in a collision. Some Uber advocates expressed intrigue with the new technology while late night Fort Lauderdale bar-hoppers predicted a jump in DUIs and alcohol related accidents if deprived of cell phone access to Uber.

COMMISSIONER DALE HOLNESS

Although unable to agree on a final version, commissioners passed a motion by a vote of 6-to-2 (Dale Holness and Barbara Sharief dissenting) that directs the County Attorney to draft an amended Motor Carrier Ordinance for consideration by the Board in September. Transplanting elements from a similar law in Tallahassee, the new Ordinance would comprise content from parts of two consecutive motions on the August 11 agenda.

FLL AVIATION DIRECTOR KENT GEORGE

A motion contained in Agenda item 92 requires the County Administrator to collect all outstanding airport and port pickup fees owed to the County by transportation network companies (TNCs) since their arrival in Broward County. Given the County surcharge of $3 for fares at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Aviation Director Kent George estimated an accrued debt of $450,000 to $500,000. The motion also established a �Broward County Accountable Taxi Program�. Taking a page from how Uber rates drivers, the program would provide all taxi passengers with the taxi driver�s name, license number, and the taxi number for the purpose of evaluating the service.

COMMISSIONER MARK BOGEN

Other changes were drawn from Agenda item 93, a seven-part motion by Commissioner Mark Bogen that embodied most of the relief sought by TNCs. Instead of requiring drivers to demonstrate chauffer registrations and approved vehicle permits, TNCs that contract with drivers will certify these regulatory requirements before allowing them to use their online platforms. To ensure compliance, the County will inspect and/or audit TNC records, while protecting rider privacy and any proprietary trade confidences.