MINUTES OF GMCA ADVISORY BOARD MEETING

March 16, 2016

The meeting was called to order at 11:10 a.m. by President Pio Ieraci at Nick�s Italian Restaurant.

Board Members present: : Ieraci, Berkowitz, Hamaker, McBride, Nesbitt, Abruzzino, Adams, Cella, Friedman, Hashek, Kessler, Larson, Neill, Sanders, Sclafani, Solewin, Wienburg and Vega.

Guests present: Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Bruce Roberts; Fort Lauderdale Police Department Officers George Brandner and Tom Gestal.

Approval of Minutes - Minutes of the February 18, 2016 Advisory Board Meeting were approved.

Old and New Business/Guests

• Pio introduced Fort Lauderdale Police Department Officers George Brandner and Tom Gestal:

  • Dealing with Spring Break for another two weeks.

  • A Police Department forum will be held on Thursdays from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Beach Community Center beginning on March 3, 2016.

  • Pio: explored arranging a meeting with police officials to review local problems, such as improved communication with security / front desk personnel in each association, homeless and vandals loitering at the library, motorcycles racing southbound on 34th Street.

• Pio introduced Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Bruce Roberts:

  • New positions have been created for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department; in motors and neighborhood policing.

  • Working on closing old permits.

  • Fire Station: addressing issues related to the land swap and design.

  • Galt Mile A1A Greenway project is on schedule.

  • Suggestions were offered to enhance efficiency of the perpetually impaired right turn lane at A1A and Oakland Park Blvd.

  • The Bahia Mar development has been delayed.

  • Discussed transportation surtax and infrastructure sales tax. If penny sales tax increase is on the November ballot, the state sales tax would be 7 cents; tourism bears 31% of this tax.

  • Fred Nesbitt: Galt Mile officials met with City Manager Lee Feldman to discuss why water and sewage rates disproportionately burden multi-family units. The issue is under consideration.

  • Pio: The Sly Fox has been repeatedly warned against illegally displaying an advertising sign at the curb on A1A, but they continue to violate the relevant City ordinance. Bruce will follow up on this issue.

Buses

• The BCT Route #72 is still laying over on Galt Ocean Drive - and blocking a handicap ramp.

• Pio shared a letter from Broward County Transportation Director Chris Walton; a meeting has been scheduled to address the problem.

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

• Chepo reported that the landscape had been neglected; and provided pictorial evidence. He will contact Mark Almy regarding this issue and if there is no response, Bruce Roberts will intervene..

Galt Mile Web Site � Newsletter � Eric Berkowitz

• January 2016 Website Statistics: 720,745 hits, 20,277 Unique Site Visits (First Timers)

Articles posted during the past month include:

• February 18, 2016 - Beach Project: Plowing Thru Segment II - After seventeen years of rain-dancing in Tallahassee, Congressional foot-dragging and gridlock in Washington DC and nearly two decades of broken promises by Broward officials, back-hoe excavators, bulldozers, front end loaders and off-road trucks descended on several beachfront staging areas along the North Broward coast. On January 4, the Broward Segment II project was launched in three municipalities. In Pompano Beach, a crew cloistered at SE 12th Street headed north. After initially heading north, another crew assembled at Palm Avenue in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea turned south toward Galt Ocean Mile. In Fort Lauderdale, a third staging area was located at Vista Park in Lauderdale Beach heade north, where the beaches at L'Hermitage and Southpoint were expanded. Approaching from different directions, the two crews will have completed replenishing the Galt Mile Beach by the end of March. Maybe you should cross your fingers.

• February 28, 2016 - February 2016 LaMarca Letter - In his February 2016 Newsletter, District 4 Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca reports meeting in Tallahassee with officials from other Florida coastal communities to solicit lawmaker support for a reliable beach maintenance funding resource, describes how the Port Everglades Advocacy Team lobbied Tallahassee lawmakers to annually allocate at least $25 million to insure that Florida seaports remain economically competitive, details how a free Mobile Passport Control smart phone / tablet app can expedite processing by U.S. Customs for travelers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, invites budding Broward entrepreneurs to hone their business skills at the 2016 Capacity Building Conference on March 4th and 5th, and applauds Broward County Library for showering patrons with a staggering 1.2 million eBooks in 2015. For the Commissioner's February update, read on...

• March 8, 2016 - George Moraitis: Mid-Session Update - District 93 Statehouse Representative George Moraitis opens his 2016 Mid-session Legislative Update by thanking the Port Everglades Advocacy Team (PEAT) - Broward officials and businessmen who visit Tallahassee each year to promote enhancing the Port's competitive improvements. Annually packing an impressive schedule of meetings (36 last year) into one or two days, the team lobbies relevant Committee Chairs, legislative leaders and executive branch officials. Moraitis also cites Statehouse efforts to bolster education, applauds budgeted appropriations to Everglades Restoration and reviews the House version of a complex $1 billion targeted tax cut nested in House Bill 7099 filed by Representative Matt Gaetz (R � Fort Walton Beach).

Other Business

• Frank Casier is in the hospital; a get well card will be sent to him.

• Pio proclaimed that the Galt Mile Community Association does not endorse political candidates or issues.

Treasurer�s Report - Fred Nesbitt

• The Treasurer reported a balance of $15,708.73.

Adjournment - The next regular Advisory Board Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 21, 2016 at Nick�s Italian Restaurant.

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

Fern McBride
Fern McBride, Secretary

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