Overdevelopment
Residents throughout District 4 have expressed concerns about overdevelopment. Both before and since being elected, I have worked to promote our quality of life. Fort Lauderdale belongs to the residents of our community. Listening to and honoring their vision is critical to creating the City we want to live in. My record reflects that I have done this.
For example,
- I voted against building condos on public lands at Bahia Mar.
- I consistently demand more review of contracts rather than just voting yes on what is put on the agenda.
- I support and advocate for more stringent requirements on Public Private Partnership (P-3) projects and for the adoption of a City P-3 Ordinance.
- I opposed amending the Planned Development District (IDD) Ordinance to allow heights of 500 feet.
- Despite restrictions imposed by the state on local control of vacation rentals, the City Commission imposed the maximum regulations possible including requiring each registered short term rental unit to have a noise monitor to ensure a quite quality of life for our neighbors
Parks and Public Spaces
For over 20 years I have fought hard to preserve our parks and public spaces. I was a leader in the opposition that successfully fought the federal government when they tried to take away Hardy Park and turn it over for a courthouse; instead, we expanded the park which is now home to the South Side Cultural Arts Center. I have worked to add and enhance park space throughout the district, including Hector Park, Abreu Park and Stranahan Landing.
Since being elected I have
- Successfully pushed for more funding for sidewalks;
- rezoned properties into parks;
- supported using public lands for a public purpose;
- collaborated with residents to add parks in their neighborhoods; and
- worked to enhance the existing neighborhood parks.
We need more green space in our city and less asphalt, and I am committed to continuing to work for this.
Traffic
The connection between traffic and overdevelopment cannot be overstated. Prior to being elected, I worked with other neighborhoods to address issues on 17th Street. In my first year on the Commission, I have had the opportunity to work on issues throughout District 4.
Responding to the concerns of constituents, I worked to make sure that the Las Olas Mobility Plan had an option to preserve the median. I also successfully advocated to include an option addressing the concerns of the Downtown Civic Association for no on-street parking and the inclusion of bike lanes.
As a representative of the City on the County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) I have advocated for Broward Commuter Rail as well as securing improvements for 17th Street, including sections in Croissant Park.
In the FY 2024 Budget, there was a move to cut funding for Circuit. I not only fought to reinstate the program but successfully advocated for the program expansion.
As a 30 plus year resident of District 4, I share neighbors’ frustration with traffic jams and poorly maintained roads and am working diligently with neighborhoods and residents to collaboratively find solutions.
Infrastructure
Addressing aging and deteriorating infrastructure was a top priority when I ran for office. In the short time I have represented District 4, I have continually pushed for improving and replacing infrastructure. New projects in District 4 will address storm water concerns, replace rusty pipes, repair and replace bridges and provide clear and clean water.
Neglect of infrastructure needs went on for too long, which has resulted in frequent boil water notices. No neighborhood should have to endure a 21-day boil water order. But they did. Working with staff and neighbors, I helped to find the money to expedite the infrastructure projects that were so necessary for this neighborhood.
I voted to build a new, state-of-the-art water treatment plant, to provide clean, safe water that is no longer yellow, but will be crystal clear.
I supported upgrades to the wastewater sewer plant.
I will address flooding by supporting the largest storm water infrastructure improvement plan in the city’s history
The Commission is moving ahead to expedite storm water projects in many District 4 neighborhoods. It is unfortunate that this did not happen sooner, however, I am appreciative of my fellow commissioners for recognizing the need to get the job done.
First Responders
Having worked with first responders as a doctor and volunteer, I am committed to ensuring that our community is safe. Ensuring adequate funding for police and fire is just a first step.
To address unacceptable emergency response times, we added 3 new Fire Stations in District 4. I added funding bringing our department up to the highest standard of having a 3rd person on each medical rescue squad. Since police officers are usually the first to arrive on the scene, I was successful in advancing a pilot program to ensure that some police officers are also trained as Emergency Medical Technician’s (EMT)s. This is the only program of this kind in the state.
To address community concerns about homelessness, more officers have been added to the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) and funding has been increased advancing to housing and service opportunities for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our community.
The safety of our uniformed officers is important. To ensure they are working in a healthy environment during the construction of the new police headquarters, I pushed to expedite their move from the old toxic, moldy building to temporary headquarters. The new temporary headquarters provide a healthy work environment for our first responders to operate our critical public safety services.
I was instrumental in ensuring successful negotiations for labor contracts with police and fire to remove the obstacle(s) for hiring new police officers and fire fighters.
In the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, funding was increased to hire more officers to fill much needed positions to better serve our city.
Resiliency
Sea level rise and climate change are impacting District 4 more than any other District in the City. In April 2023, a 1000-year storm brought unprecedented flooding to our neighborhoods with devastating results. Bringing together volunteers to respond to the immediate needs, I vowed to work to be more prepared for what the future brings. Being resilient means we must address long-standing infrastructure issues. I worked to expedite the stormwater masterplan, expanding it to include 18 neighborhoods. The majority of these – Riverland Landings, Tarpon River, Harbor Isles/Inlet, Shady Banks, Croissant Park, Riverland Manors/Woods, Chula Vista, Riverland Village, and Lauderdale Isles – are in District 4.
Seawalls are an important component of making our neighborhoods resilient. With the Cordova Road project completed, we recognize the need to identify and fix seawalls and install tidal valves throughout District 4. It’s also important that when we remove mangroves and natural habitat to replace a sea wall, that we evaluate options to re-plant what we removed or otherwise remediate the project to bring it to an even better state than before we started.
Fort Lauderdale formerly was an estuarial haven laden with mangroves, oysters, and fish. If we can plant trees and bushes along our roads that we built, why can’t we plant beautiful mangroves in our waterways that will provide habitat for marine life, sequester carbon, and filter our water?
Water and Waterways
Our beautiful waterways bring people here from all over the world; not only to visit, but to live here. Including the near 2-billion-dollar Boat Show, our city is home to a nearly ten billion dollar marine industry. It is one of the largest economic drivers and employers in this city. You’ve heard Fort Lauderdale referred to as the “Venice of America”. Fort Lauderdale would not be as prosperous of a destination without its robust waterways and white sandy beaches. Much like the body’s dependence on the human heart, our waterways and marine industry are the heartbeat and lifeblood of our city, and they will continue to be a priority of mine to leave them much better than I found them.
In a recent City Commission Conference Meeting, I proposed a new position: Chief Waterway Officer. My vision for this role is to have a full-time staff member with a marine biology background to be where the buck stops on any waterway issue. The CWO’s role will encompass environmental compliance with contractors, incident response and accountability, derelict vessel project management, habitat restoration, water quality monitoring, and much more. The CWO will serve as a direct contact and liaison to the public. No more are the days of being directed all over the place looking for information or solutions to waterway issues.
Local neighborhood waterway cleanups continue to be critical to addressing waterway pollution. I regularly support cleanups in D4 resulting in hundreds of pounds of trash and debris being removed from our cherished waterways.