MINUTES OF GMCA ADVISORY BOARD MEETING

October 15, 2015

The meeting was called to order at 11:15 a.m. by President Pio Ieraci at Nick�s Italian Restaurant.

Board Members present: : Ieraci, Berkowitz, Hamaker, Nesbitt, McBride, Abruzzino, Bazerghi, Bendis, Cella, Cuneo, Friedman, Katz, Kessler, Korn, Larson, Lewandowski, Matsas, Neill, Pohan, Sclafani, Solewin, Tripoli and Vega.

Guests present: Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Bruce Roberts; Fort Lauderdale Police Department Officer Thomas Gestal; Bob Wolfe, Broward County Property Appraiser�s Office; Lea Krauss, Judicial Candidate for Circuit Court Judge; Robyn Chiarelli, Sun Trolley Executive Director.

Approval of Minutes - Minutes of the September 17, 2015 Advisory Board Meeting were approved.

Old and New Business/Guests

• Pio introduced Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Bruce Roberts, who shared information regarding the following:

  • Various development projects in the City: airport, Bahia Mar, Bahia Cabana, the Federal courthouse, apartments in the downtown area, etc.

  • Many positive projects are going forward.

  • Discussed construction progress of Fire Station 54 and damage to curbs and pavers by BCT busses laying over on Galt Ocean Drive.

• Pio introduced Fort Lauderdale Police Department Officer Tom Gestal, who spoke of the following:

  • Homeless issues on the Mile

  • The possible suicide of a homeless woman who fell 15 stories from the roof of Marine Tower on Las Olas Boulevard.

  • There was only one District 1 robbery in September

  • Distributed brochures

• Pio introduced Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney Lea Krauss, who is running for Circuit Court Judge, 17^th Circuit, Group 9. She shared information about her experience and qualifications.

• Pio introduced Robyn Chiarelli from the Sun Trolley. She asked for feedback regarding service and how it can be improved, shared route maps and distributed a survey. Chiarelli is also soliciting input about plans to eliminate Holy Cross and Imperial Point Hospitals as destination sites and extend the Galt Mile route north into Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

• Pio introduced Media Director Bob Wolfe of the Broward County Property Appraiser�s Office. His update included a handout regarding an outreach program and announced that Lori Parrish is retiring as Broward County Property Appraiser.

Buses

• As of October 11, layover routes have been eliminated, with the exception of Route 55, which is still on the Galt. If you see any other buses using the Galt for layovers, please call Pio. The damage caused by the buses to curbs, pavers, etc. need to be repaired.

• After the A1A project is completed, a question was asked about whether there will be pull-offs on A1A for bus stops.

Galt Ocean Mile Street Landscape - Jos� �Chepo� Vega & Pio

• Trees marked with a red ribbon will be removed within the month, and other trees will be trimmed.

• The sidewalks will be pressure washed (which should be done every 6 months).

• Discussed matching color of aggregate for sidewalk repairs.

• Hedges are being trimmed different heights at different locations.

• Chepo was thanked for his dedication to this project and all the work he does.

Construction Dumpsters

• Managers cannot allow construction dumpsters to be placed in right-of-way

• Contractors should be told that they cannot work in the building if they violate dumpster rules

• Must instruct unit owner to inform contractors about the rules governing dumpsters before work begins

• Work should be halted if dumpster is placed in the wrong location

Beach Renourishment

• Pio spoke about dates, permits, Interlocal Agreements for the municipalities and the Project Participation Agreement negotiated with the Army Corps of Engineers. He will be sending out detailed information.

Galt Mile Web Site � Newsletter � Eric Berkowitz

• September 2015 Website Statistics: 605,980 hits, 17,730 Unique Site Visits (First Timers)

Articles posted during the past month include:

• September 23, 2015 - The Galt Mile Bus Blockade - About two weeks after the Galt Mile A1A Greenway Project kicked off on July 27, 2015, residents in several local associations noticed daily traffic jams in front of their homes � invariably caused by Broward County buses. Dismayed association officials soon learned that the buses - often parked on both sides of Galt Ocean Drive � weren�t an anomaly. Seeking to minimize traffic impacts on work zones adjacent to planned A1A Greenway improvements, FDOT and the City asked Broward County Transit to shift buses that ordinarily �layover� on A1A - to Galt Ocean Drive. As a result, buses that formed up three and four deep on the east side of A1A just south of 41st Street were now boxing in Galt Mile associations - while threatening their drivers and pedestrians. To find out whether the problem will spread - or end - read on...

• October 1, 2015 - September 2015 LaMarca Letter - In his September 2015 Newsletter, Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca probes the 2016 Broward spending plan (later approved by the County Commission), summarizes the most recent chapter of the County�s political tug-of-war with Uber and Lyft, describes how five deep-pocketed developers armed with political capital hope to bag the Convention Center Hotel, welcomes an early taste of the windfall fueled by the competitive improvements to Port Everglades, and underscores September�s designation as �National Preparedness Month� with events conceived to protect property owners from meteorological mayhem. The following may help fill in some blanks.

• October 15, 2015 - Beach Fix: Soft Landing or Dead End - Once again, the Galt Mile community is anxiously awaiting the long-delayed Segment II Broward Beach Renourishment. Every non-comatose Galt Mile resident knows the project is scheduled to begin in November 2015 - just days away. Given the shrinking beach�s critical importance to the neighborhood�s economy and their quality of life, Galt Mile homeowners - and their associations - have passionately pursued its rescue for more than twenty years. 50 years - if you harken back to a 1965 entry in the Federal Register, when the 89th U.S. Congress appropriated a then whopping $1,093,000 to flesh out Broward�s severely eroded coast (Section 301 of Public Law 89-298, October 27, 1965). While the Galt Mile has never been this close to a beach fix, diehard skeptics numbed by decades disappointment will refrain from celebrating until they feel new sand between their toes. Here�s where the project stands...

Treasurer�s Report - Fred Nesbitt

• The Treasurer reported a balance of $18,556.92.

• Twenty-seven out of twenty-nine Association members have paid their annual dues.

Adjournment - The next regular Advisory Board Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 19, 2015 at Nick�s Italian Restaurant.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:05 p.m.

Fern McBride
Fern McBride, Secretary

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