Information

The 2023 Light Up The Galt event was attended by hundreds of neighbors and guests who enjoyed fantastic weather, holiday activities, and the restaurants and bars on the Galt Mile.  The evening began with the reopening of Fire Station 54, followed by the lighting of the holiday tree and holiday festivities.  Pictures in front of the beautiful tree are (l-r) Commissioner John Herbst, Commissioner Steve Glassman, Mayor Trantalis, Commissioner Pamela Beasley-Pittman, State Representative Chip LaMarca, Fred Nesbitt – President of the Galt Mile Community Association, and County Commissioner Lamar Fisher.

We also welcomed our new Chief of Police, Bill Schultz, and Fire Chief Stephen Gollan.  They were joined by several police officers and the firefighter. We also want to thank the tremendous efforts of the Fort Lauderdale Parks and Rec Department – who staged the entire event and we welcome the new Director, Carl Williams.  Oh by the way, Santa Claus was there too.

Presentation by Salena Coler, Community Library Manager of the Galt Ocean Mile Reading Room

Every day, cyber criminals are developing new ways to commit fraud, access sensitive personal information, and steal people’s identities and money. This presentation will provide information about some of the current Internet and phone scams that have taken place within the last year.  Learn how to avoid commons scams and what you should do if you are scammed.

Click here to see the full presentation.

On The Galt Mile is a newsletter about our community and neighborhood for our residents.  In this issue, the topics discussed include:

Renovation of Galt Ocean Drive – a check presented by Rep Chip LaMarca for $500,000 toward the cost.

Dead Fraud is Real – free program offered by Broward Property Appraiser Marty Kiar to protect against it.

Marty Kiar shared with us information on property tax exemptions and how our property is assessed.

Galt Mile Community Association celebrates 55 years old.

Local Leader Updates:  Rep Chip LaMarca, Senator Jason Pizzo, Mayor Lamar Fisher and Commissioner John Herbst.

SUPPORT our Galt Mile Businesses:  D Fit Training Studio, Spud’s Coffee, and Bio Reference Lab

Click here to read the full issue of On The Galt Mile

Rep Chip LaMarca presented a check to the Fort Lauderdale City Commission from the state in the amount of $500,000 for the design costs of the Galt Ocean Drive Renovation. We thank Rep Chip LaMarca for his efforts to get this funding in the 2023 state budget, and to keep it there. We appreciate all that Chip has done for us on the Galt Mile and this is just one more example of his commitment to our neighborhood.

We also express our appreciation for the support given to this project by Commissioner John C. Herbst and former Commissioner Heather Moraitis. Both played keys roles in getting this project underway and especially the funding of the project.

We look forward to seeing the design plans and turning over the first shovel of dirt to improve the Galt Ocean Drive.

In the picture (l-r) are Mayor Dean Trantalis, Commissioner John C. Herbst Galt Mile President Fred Nesbitt, and Rep. Chip LaMarca

Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner John Herbst and State Representative Chip LaMarca provide some guidance for all residents as we go into the 2023 hurricane season.  These two communications provide tips and resources that are important as we keep an eye out for a future hurricane.

Click here to read the hurricane message from Commissioner Herbst

Click here to read the hurricane message from Representative LaMarca

Rep LaMarca, in his legislative newsletter, provides an update on the key pieces of legislation that were considered during the 2023 60-day session.  The topics covered include the budget, infrastructure, health and agriculture and natural resources.  He also discusses the tax-free holidays in Florida that were enacted and expanded upon during this session.

Click here to read Chip LaMarca’s full newsletter.

Fort Lauderdale’s favorite free ride is growing! The LauderGO! Micro Mover will start serving the Galt Mile area on May 5. We thank our city commissioner John Herbst for his efforts to expand this service to the Galt Mile area and look forward to its expansion.

The free and eco-friendly service is powered by Circuit’s all-electric vehicle.  The on-demand service is a free, convenient service that features a fleet of all-electric vehicles so anyone can catch a ride within the Galt loop.

Service will operate 7 days a week from 9a-9p until the end of September. Through the ongoing budget process, the Administration is seeking funding to continue service past September 30 of this year and connect with the downtown loop.

Riders should download the Ride Circuit app to request to be picked up and dropped off anywhere within the Galt Mile service area.  Use the FREE “Ride Circuit” app to book your ride or alert a fleet driver to come pick you up. The app is available for download from Google Play and the App Store.  Please note: Riders must be at least 18 years old to request a ride or otherwise be accompanied by an adult. The youngest riders must weigh at least 65 pounds or use a child seat provided by the adult passenger.

For more information please visit: LauderGO! Micro Mover | City of Fort Lauderdale, FL

Click here to see the Galt Mile Loop.

I am providing the below information that we received from our Resilient Environment Department (RED) Deputy Director, Dr. Jennifer Jurado regarding the large mass of seaweed. As we all know this will be an issue that the Florida coastal cities will be monitoring and dealing with its arrival.

Background:  Sargassum is a brown macroalgae (seaweed) that is a natural part of the marine ecosystem. Sargassum has long formed large blooms in the Atlantic Ocean. In Broward County, generally between the months of March through October, Sargassum caught in the Gulf stream is pushed in by prevailing winds and makes its way to our beaches.  Sargassum accumulation along our beaches is a part of the beach ecosystem, providing a food source for shorebirds while trapping sand, fortifying our dunes and beaches, and increasing the resilience of our shoreline.

Concern:  This year’s bloom could be the largest ever, spanning more than 5,000 miles from the shores of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico.  Current satellite imagery predicts above average Sargassum accumulation on Florida beaches this season. It is difficult to predict when and where these accumulations will occur due to local changes in currents and winds, but material will likely become entrained by the Gulf loop and Gulf stream, bringing larger volumes to Broward and neighboring counties.

Coordination:  In preparation for this potential, the Resilient Environment Department (RED) is coordinating a regional stakeholder group that includes representatives from Monroe through Martin counties to exchange information and discuss potential management strategies.  This group is being convened to facilitate communications and share updates and guidance to aid management strategies throughout the southeast region and in collaboration with local communities.  This initial coordination is primarily in conjunction with our neighboring counties and agency partners. Frequency and nature of engagement will likely evolve in response to conditions. RED intends to engage concurrently with the county’s coastal municipalities to ensure everyone is kept informed over the next several months.

Note: While Broward County’s Resilient Environment Department (RED) maintains shoreline protection and coastal resource programs, the County does not provide mechanical beach maintenance, an activity managed by the coastal cities.   Best practices recommend that Sargassum be left in place to the benefit of the natural ecosystem and is typically removed by natural processes (i.e., tidal cycles). However, multiple coastal municipalities and private entities within the County maintain special permits issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) that allow for mechanical raking of the beach.   Special permit conditions specify where and when mechanical beach raking is allowed.  Methods of removal range from composting, burial, and/or disposal of the seaweed.

Angela Delaney, Marine Resources Manager, will be serving as the County’s liaison for this effort ([email protected] or 519-1207).

The Galt Mile Community Association received a legislative update from Ellyn Bogdanoff, from Becker Lawyers.  She spoke about the upcoming legislative session, which begins March 7 through May 5.  It is a 60-day session.

She said the agenda for this session will be set by the governor, so she does not expect many other bills to be passed.  She is hopeful that the legislature will address the “glitches” in the new condo/coop law that passed last year, as the new law has many confusing sections that need clarification.  The Engineered Life Safety System (ELSS), which requires an ELSS system and partial fire sprinklers to be completed by December 31, 2023, is still the law.  However, through rulemaking, there may be a change to the Florida Fire Prevention Code that would delay full implementation until 2027.  We will not know the final results until later this year.

Regarding rising insurance rates on both association buildings and individual units, the legislature has passed two insurance reforms, but none of these will immediately lower rates.  The big issue is the number of providers.  As the number declines, insurance rates go up.  The hurricanes in the other parts of Florida and northers states hves also raised our costs.  When we can attract more providers and more competition, then rates will fall.

Ellyn will be providing us legislative updates during the 2023 legislative session on bills introduced, status, and analyses of those bills.

Community association boards and managers often ask their lawyers to create a document which will protect them if owners or other users of the association’s facilities are injured. The communities often intend to require users of the facilities to sign these documents as a condition of allowing them to use the facilities in the hope of minimizing the association’s exposure to liability. Many times, there are issues of whether owners and others have legal rights to use the facilities which preclude the association imposing such conditions, but, for purposes of this article, let us assume we get past those issues so we may consider whether such agreements are enforceable at all.

Click here to read the Community Association Law Newsletter article by Backer Poliakoff & Foelster, LLP.