The meeting was called to order at 11:20 a.m. by President Pio Ieraci at the Greek Islands Taverna Restaurant.
Pio introduced Bruce Roberts, City of Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner, who discussed issues regarding:
Turtle nests on the Galt Beach, turtle-safe lighting
Construction
Closing old building permits; City to concentrate on permits from 2007 forward - will send copy of memo to Pio for distribution
Revive One-Call meetings to address Utility Graffiti
Coordinate municipal and national election cycles
City Attorney Harry Stewart has retired; Search process for replacement
Visioning Committee process
Panhandling arrest
Transportation projects, such as the FEC high-speed rail service between Miami and Orlando, projected to start in 2014
Pio spoke about a new organization of top business leaders in the City, representing 42 major corporations, whose goal is to do something about homeless issues in a proactive way.
Pio read letters regarding turtles, one of which was from the Beach Raker explaining the turtle rules/restrictions they are required to abide by. The letters will be emailed to us.
Galt Street Landscape - Chepo Vega
Chepo showed several pictures of our street that showed damage to the pavers from dumpster wheels. Possible solutions to this problem were discussed.
Galt Mile Web Site � Newsletter � Eric Berkowitz
- April Web Site Stats: 766,602 hits; 17,982 unique site visits (first timers)
Articles posted during the past month include:
April 22, 2012 - Myers Breaks New Beach Plan - It�s no revelation that our beach has been rapidly dwindling from the effects of tidal erosion. Given the shrinking beach�s critical importance to the neighborhood�s economy and its residents� quality of life, Galt Milers and their associations have been passionately vested in its rescue for more than a decade. Annually since before the Millennium, Galt Mile residents had been repeatedly assured by Broward officials that their severely eroded beach would be renourished �next year�. Enthusiasm was slowly replaced by a numbing cynicism as frustrated residents increasingly reacted to empty county promises like rats on a shock plate. Having redesigned the Broward Beach Project with input from participating governmental agencies and every jurisdiction with standing, Myers plans to widen beaches in Pompano, the Galt Mile and Fort Lauderdale by placing 750,000 cubic yards of sand mined from an upland sand source along two separate portions of the Segment II shoreline. On April 2, 2012, Myers addressed the Galt Mile Presidents Council, detailing the revised project�s scope, sand source, cost and the Segment II timetable. Want in? Read on...
May 10, 2012 - FDOT to Squelch Galt A1A Speedway - On May 3, 2012, the City of Fort Lauderdale and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) convened a meeting at the Beach Community Center to inform neighborhood residents about a $2.1 million FDOT plan to rehabilitate State Road A1A (SR A1A) from Flamingo Avenue to Oakland Park Boulevard. Among the 35 �interested parties� who attended the 6 PM meeting were curious local residents, apprehensive neighborhood vendors and relieved association officials. After banging around on the back shelf since 2007 and 6 years of tweaking, the long-rumored project was reanimated and fitted with a May 7, 2012 start date. Hopefully the first of two stages anticipated to elevate the dilapidated, dreary, dangerous speedway filled with patched and unpatched potholes, extensive spiderweb cracks and catch-as-catch-can landscaping into a thoroughfare worthy of its recent designation as a �Scenic Highway�, the plan is expected to yield a long sought after incremental benefit - especially for our neighbors in Coral Ridge Towers South and East. It should deter the weekly deployment of A1A as a drag strip!
May 17, 2012 - Roberts: Atlantech, Mix it. Curb it., B-cycle - District 1 Commissioner Bruce Roberts peppered his May 2012 newsletter with a blend of event alerts and interesting informational tidbits. The listed resources are both useful and easily accessed although some of the issues could benefit from context. For instance, the heartwarming morality play about the New Boston Atlantech Tower will leave his constituents (with the exception of those who participated in the agreement) scratching their heads. Other issues Roberts touches on are Homestead Exemption Fraud, Sea Turtle Nesting Season, accessing Fort Lauderdale's Customer Service Center, FPL�s On-line Calculator, the Great American Beach Party scheduled for Memorial Day, Gene�s Green Scene - City Forester Gene Dempsey�s new blog on the City�s website, the new �Mix It. Curb It.� Single-Stream Recycling Cart Program that's is the works and information about B-cycle - a new European style bike-sharing system recently installed in 26 locations throughout Broward County - including 3 in the Galt Mile neighborhood. Check it out...
Other Business
Treasurer�s Report - Leah Glickfield
The Treasurer reported that we have a balance of $12,109.46.
Buildings should receive their statements by the end of May. Leah thanked Franci Bindler for sending out the statements.
Next Advisory Board Meeting - The next regular Advisory Board Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 21, 2012 at Nick�s Italian Restaurant.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:55 p.m.
Fern McBride
Fern McBride, Secretary
MAY 17, 2012
