CPCA October 2017 Neighborhood meeting

October 2017 Neighborhood CPCA meeting

The meeting began at 7:10 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Board members in attendance were Pat, Michelle, Rhonda, Heather, Beth Jodi, Nicohle, Virginia and Joe.  As advertised we had our traditional October Fall dessert buffet.

FLPD Officer Pekrol, our Crime Watch team member reported that we had 3 vehicle burglaries and 1 residential burglary through a back window during the day, sometime between 9am and 5pm.  Watches were stolen.

GYR (GreenYourRoutine) spokesperson Beth reports that we have “adopted” SW 9th Avenue between 20th Street and Davie Blvd. for the Adopt-a-Street program. Beth will post on nextdoor.com for volunteers to help pick up trash on 9th Ave on Saturday, November 18th.  If your know of any school age kids who want to fulfill their volunteer requirements, or if you are a civic-minded person who wants to help clean up our ‘hood, sign up and we’ll all go to work together.

Allen Dodd with the Waste Water Operations of the Public Works Department reported that Phase One of the project in Sailboat Bend will be finished by December 1, 2017, thereby ending any waste water shipping to other areas.

Our big event this evening was our Meet the Candidates night.  We invited all the Mayoral candidates and Commissioner candidates for the 2018 election that will hold its primary on January 16, 2018.

For Mayor: Charlotte Rodstrom, Bruce Roberts and Dean Trantalis 

For Commissioner for District 4: Warren Sturman, Walter Duke and Ben Sorenson.  All candidates were given three minutes to introduce themselves and state their main issues to the audience.  For the Q and A portion, our President Pat put together a well thought-out list of questions based on feedback she received from her inquiries on nextdoor.com.  Each candidate was given 45 seconds to one minute to respond to the question, depending on the nature of the question. Here is a sample of some of the questions asked: how to handle the homeless issues in our city, waste water and storm water issues, sober homes and treatment centers, development projects including, can water, sewer and road handle all the new development?, preservation of historic properties, and last but not least-the WAVE project.

[I cannot begin to record here all the answers to these questions from the six candidates but I can say every single candidate is not in of support the WAVE considering the state of our water, sewers, etc.]

The slate for the CPCA Board was elected.  All Board officers and Directors: Pat Rathburn-President, Michelle DiMaria-Vice President, Joe Russell- Treasurer, Virginia Dill Russell- Secretary, Directors Rhoda Kramer, Heather Cunniff, Beth Falkenhagen, Nicohle Kallio andJodi Perraud will serve on the Board through 2018.

We had a record turnout of 70 people attending tonight. Whether it was to meet the candidates or to sample all our luscious fall desserts or maybe both we are glad to see the participation in the neighborhood.

The 50/50 raffle was won by Maxine Streeter who donated it back to the Association.  Paul Ruble won one of our GYR canvas shopping bags and I don’t have info on who won the other bag.  Thank you to Jack Timmins for his very generous contribution of Toblerone chocolates. 

Minutes by Virginia-Sec’y 

District IV Commissioner Romney Rogers Newsletter

District IV Commissioner Romney Rogers

Fall is in the air! And, while we were fortunate to have escaped the major wrath of Hurricane Irma, now is not the time to let our guards down. Hurricane Season runs through Nov. 30 each year. I would like to thank everyone who put “neighbor helping neighbor” into practice, time and again, both before Irma’s arrival and in its aftermath. Going forward, we must remind residents to trim trees and take other precautionary measures when Hurricane Season approaches. Some of our neighbors were without power for nearly two weeks.

Debris Removal – We ask for your continued patience with the ongoing debris removal process. Crews are working seven days a week from sun up to sun down in every zone in the City to remove 1,000,000 cubic yards of storm debris, along with thousands of hazardous trees and limbs. The Hurricane Irma Debris Removal Map may help you follow the schedule, which has been divided into zones. See www.fortlauderdale.gov/debris.

How to File for Disaster Assistance – If you believe you may qualify for federal disaster assistance due to Hurricane Irma, you can log on to http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov. After you enter your address, the system will verify whether your property is eligible. Then, simply follow the instructions to file a claim. The filing deadline is Nov. 30, 2017.
Also, you should make sure to file any insurance claims in a timely manner and to record the cost of any casualty loss. The casualty damage that is not covered by insurance reimbursement may be deductible on your 2017 tax return, so make sure to check with your accountant or tax advisor on that issue.

King Tide Predictions – The City reviews NOAA’s tide predictions for the Andrews Avenue Bridge. The average high tide for the year is then calculated, and the following dates on which high tide will exceed the average high tide by six inches or more are predicted as Oct. 4-11, Oct. 15-22, Nov. 2-9, and Dec. 2-6. The City website will provide updates, as needed. To prepare and for safety tips, please review the information at http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/kingtide.

City Budget – On Sept. 13, the City Commission adopted the FY 2018 City Budget, calling for no increase in the current millage rate of 4.1193 per $1,000 of taxable value and no increase in the fire assessment fee for FY 2018, which begins on Oct. 1. This marks the eleventh consecutive year that we have kept the same millage rate. You can access budget information via the Financial Transparency Portal of the Quick Links menu on the City’s homepage at http://www.fortlauderdale.gov.

2017 Telephone Town Hall Meetings (TTHMs) – To review the TTHMs already held this year, please visit http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/tthm. My TTHM is set for Tuesday, Oct. 10 (originally scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 12) at 7 PM. To join the call, the dial-in number is 1-855-840-6970.
SE 17th Street Mobility Working Group – After the formal adoption of the SE 17th Street Mobility Plan this past summer, a working group was formed to shepherd the implementation of the plan. At the Aug. 29 kick-off meeting, I explained the intent of the working group: “To Evaluate, Educate, and Implement” the Mobility Plan.

Following up on the small-group stakeholder meetings I convened in April and September of last year, this working group is made up of representatives from seven nearby neighborhood associations, commercial property owners along the corridor, the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization, Broward County (including Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport), the Florida Department of Transportation, the FEC Railway, Brightline, and the City. The group has been tasked with prioritizing plan recommendations to take the necessary next steps toward implementation. Two meetings have been held to date, and the group reached consensus that an “origin and destination study” should be completed to better understand where people are going to and where they are coming from. The group ranked the Top 10 Recommendations out of the plan and will prioritize the Top 5 Recommendations at our October meeting.

“Go Big, Go Fast” Update – To follow the City’s progress on infrastructure projects, you can check the webpage at http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1626/16?backlist=%2f. Additional details are at http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/gobiggofast. For example, a sewer main replacement in Tarpon River is having an impact on several neighborhoods, as tanker trucks are being used to vacuum and transport sewage. Neighbors may notice tanker trucks with hoses in manholes until the project is complete. To report overflowing manholes or sewage spills, contact our 24-hour Neighbor Call Center at 954-828-8000. Your understanding is appreciated.
Advisory Boards – I have one upcoming opening on the Community Appearance Board and two openings on the Community Services Board. You may apply online via http://fortlauderdale.granicus.com/boards/w/535c460f8191bab3. Thank you for your interest.
________________________________________________________________________________________________  My City Hall Office Hours are Mondays from 4 - 5:30 PM and Tuesdays from 9 AM - Noon (in non-Commission weeks). To schedule a meeting or sign up to receive this newsletter and other information about what’s going on in the City, contact MJ Matthews at 954-828-5028 or mmatthews@fortlauderdale.gov.

September 2017 CPCA Neighborhood meeting

September 2017 Neighborhood CPCA meeting

The meeting began at 7:10 pm and was attended by Board members Pat, Michelle, Rhonda, Heather, Beth, Jodi, Joe and Virginia, and 18 Croissant Park neighbors.

Dr. Ben Sorenson in white shirt

After the Pledge of Allegiance, our Neighborhood Crime Watch team Officers Fernandez and Cuevas gave us the crime report for July and August: 6 auto burglaries, 3 of which were stolen auto parts, and 3 of which were from unlocked cars.  One stolen bike from a bike rider.  No residential or business burglaries.  We are reminded to lock our cars and leave items inside the car hidden or remove them to the trunk.  FLPD is promoting a campaign called “Not fun to lose your gun”.  Don’t leave it in your car, bring it with you if you have a carry permit.  A grant has provided the police department with gun

George and Fritz center

lock boxes with combination locks for cars that are tethered underneath seats.  Our Crime Watch team will bring some to our October meeting, first come, first serve.  A neighbor asked if a lot of people carry guns, the answer was a resounding YES.  Some post-hurricane looting  occurred and they are considered “heightened crimes” and bring tougher charges.  Another neighbor asked for the definition of trespassing: it occurs when a person enters private property unwanted, however they must be forewarned.  A “no trespassing” sign is considered fore warni

Walter Duke on right

ng but the perpetrator must be given the opportunity to leave.  If they are stealing fruit in a yard, it takes 2000 pieces of fruit to make an arrest.  Another neighbor asked about parking enforcement where people are parking in a manner that obstructs the view of traffic.  Ofc. Fernandez will look at the code and get back to us.

Two well known and beloved Croissant Park neighbors have passed: Marian Ready, a long-time resident passed away at the age of 94. Joe Shover, also a long-time resident who served as a CPCA President.  Joe moved back to Michigan where he celebrated his 100th birthday last year.  He passed away this year.

Nominations for the CPCA Board of Directors for 2018 was announced.  Virginia nominated the current Board and officers.  There is still time to nominate anyone who might be interested to serve.  We will vote at our next meeting which will be held at the Community Center on Tuesday, October 24th at 7pm.  We are holding the meeting on the 3rd week of October instead of the 4th because Halloween falls on the 4th Tuesday and we all might be well-advised to be home for Trick-or-Treaters on the 31st.  

Speaking of Halloween, the annual Ft. Lauderdale Halloween event at the Community Center will be on the afternoon of Saturday, October 28th.   If you would like to contribute candy please drop it off at the Community Center before the event.  There is also a local event in the ‘hood “Phineus Taylor’s Circus & Freak Emporium” at 510 SW  16th Street on Tuesday, Oct. 31st. staring at 7pm  Great fun for all ages.  Games for little ones, candy and prizes.

Our Board member Beth Falkenhagen reminded us that volunteers are needed for the Ocean Conservancy  Beach Cleanup.  She will post the details on nextdoor.com.  

Michele DiMaria & Beth Falkenhagen

Beth would like to propose an Adopt-a-Street for GreenYour Routine(GYR).  It would hopefully be SW 4th or 9th Ave and would require  a quarterly trash pick up. High school students who must fulfill volunteer requirements could be a perfect fit for this project. 

Beth is hoping to coordinate with the City for a Tree Giveaway in the near future.  Good timing after the hurricane. 

Beth wants to thank the volunteers who turned out for the butterfly garden at Snyder Park.  

As you might have guessed, Beth is doing a great job of keeping us “green” and lighting a little fire under us to volunteer for these activities.  CPCA receives points from GYR for our volunteering efforts, the points then turn into money for the Association’s activities and contributions to various needs.

We had three candidates attend our meeting tonight: Mayoral candidate Charlotte Rodstrom, and two District 4

Commissioner candidates, Ben Sorensen and Walter Duke.  Each candidate introduced him/herself and spoke briefly.  We hope to have a candidates’ night to hear all before the election in March 2018.

Charlotte Rodstrom

Joe Russell

We had an in-depth discussion about waste water moving from one neighborhood to another.  Many neighbors have spoken up about this issue, so its best we get an idea of why this is happening. Our Board member Joe Russell described how a sewer lift station works, and doesn’t work sometimes.  Charlotte Rodstrom tells us these sewer problems will continue because of an aging infrastructure.  The sanitation trucks are taking from areas that may overflow with storm water and sewage and depositing it in various neighborhoods that can handle it.  Croissant Park is not being singled out.  It is acknowledged that dumping in a manhole next to your home can be frustrating and seemingly illegal, but it’s happening all over the City and the infrastructure is groaning under the pressure.  Yes, major things need to be fixed and it may take bond issues and accountability.  We are all disappointed in the way this has been handled.

Vegetative debris on swales is beginning to be picked up by crews from all over the country.  16th Street has a crew from Iowa.  These are hard working great guys who appreciate an offer of cold water. At this time FEMA will not allow them to pick up anything but vegetative debris, no black bags, no fences, or anything else!!  We are told Friday, September 29th will resume normal pick up of trash in black bins.  

Neighbors have suggested some apps that have proved to be very helpful during and after the storm: GasBuddy is helpful in finding gas stations that are pumping gas/diesel, have generators, etc.  WhatsApp is an app that a group or neighborhood can stay in touch with each other during and after a storm.  Zello is another app that works like a walkie-talkie and does not require the Internet.

Janet & John

Our 50/50 raffle featured our brand-new roomy cotton canvas CPCA shopping bags (we’re keeping it green!) and 50/50 money, of course.  The winners of the canvas bags were our new neighbors Janet and John, who just met and will share the bag, and George, who provided the sandwiches tonight and could have used the bag beforehand to haul the grub!  The 50/50 money was won by  Chris Falkenhagen who promptly donated it back to the Association.  Thanks Chris!

Meeting adjourned at 8:20pm.

Minutes by Virginia

Photos by Rhonda

Marty Kiar Newsletter July 2017

Dear Neighbor,

In this newsletter, I share how excited we are about a new state law to help first responders, and I tell you of other ongoing work of the Broward County Property Appraiser's office. First Responder’s Disability Exemption The property tax exemption for certain totally and permanently disabled first responders and surviving spouse’s bill was recently implemented. This bill allows for a Florida first responder who is totally and permanently disabled as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty to be exempt from taxation on their Homesteaded property. There are specific requirements for this exemption so please contact my office if you have any questions. As a result of this newly enacted Florida law, I had the privilege of signing up totally and permanently disabled Florida first responders for a full exemption from all ad valorem taxes. One of the first to receive this exemption was Howard, a former Broward Sheriff's deputy who became totally and permanently disabled while assisting other first responders at Ground Zero after the 9-11 attacks. Our first responders are true heroes and deserve whatever assistance we can provide, but more importantly our respect and appreciation.

Estimate of Taxable Value On June 30, I certified the 2017 Estimate of Taxable Value for the various taxing authorities. For months, the employees of our office have been working diligently determining the value of all property in Broward County. These property assessments are important because the property tax a property owner pays is determined by the assessed value of the property, less any tax-saving exemptions, times the millage rate, plus any non-ad valorem fees set by local taxing authorities. The tax roll certification I signed certifies that these values are accurate and correct. In Broward County, there was an overall increase in taxable value of 9.32%, including new construction, with the taxable value for existing properties increasing 7.82% in the county. This increase is based on the sales from January 1, 2017 back through January 2, 2016. Florida law requires our assessments to be a year in arrears meaning the current real estate market will impact the 2018 property assessments. These values are significant because they are used by the county, school board, cities and other taxing authorities to set their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. If you would like to see the increase in taxable value by city, click here 2017 TRIM Notices The Property Appraiser’s Office will be mailing the 2017 TRIM (proposed tax) Notices in mid-August. This notice will show your property assessment, exemptions, and the proposed taxes. Included in this notice are the hearing dates and times for the various taxing authorities’ budget hearings. This notice is your opportunity to review your property assessment and ensure you are receiving all the exemptions you are entitled to. If you believe you are entitled to an additional tax-saving exemption or if you have questions about your assessment, please do not hesitate to contact my office directly. Exemption questions - please contact our Customer Service Department at (954)357-6830. Residential property assessment questions - please contact our Residential Department at (954)357-6831. Condominium and time share questions - please contact our Condo Department at (954)357-6832. Commercial property assessment questions - contact our Commercial Department at (954)357-6862. The deadline for applying for any 2017 tax-saving exemption or appealing your property assessment is September 18, 2017. If my office can ever be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at (954)357-6904 or by email at martykiar@bcpa.net Take care, Marty Kiar Broward County Property Appraiser

CPCA June 2017 Neighborhood meeting

Minutes - June 2017 CPCA Neighborhood Meeting

Greetings Croissant Park Neighbors,

Our meeting opened a few minutes after 7pm with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Board members in attendance were Pat Rathburn, Joe Russell, Rhonda Kramer, Heather Cunniff, Beth Falkenhagen, Nicohle Kallio, Jodi Perraud, Virginia Russell.

Rhonda and Pat were busily setting up the pet photos and voting “machines” for our much advertised Pet Photo Contest.  Voting to take place after all the speakers.

Our Neighborhood Crime Watch team from FLPD reported six home burglaries, two robberies, thirteen auto burglaries, and two auto thefts.  Keep in mind that these statistics are over a three month period, but a troubling trend is the amount of auto burglaries (13!).  These are when an auto is broken into either by breaking a window or merely opening an unlocked car and stealing contents from  inside.  Remember that the odds are in your favor if you lock your car at all times and don’t leave any valuables in plain sight.  Burglaries of homes usually occur through bathroom jalousie windows and sliding doors that are not properly locked. Crime Watch team reminds us that when school is out for summer break, the break-ins increase, so be extra vigilant.  ALWAYS call 911 first when you are a victim or witness any crime.  If you plan on leaving town on vacation you can request a security watch of your home by FLPD.  Go to p2c.fortlauderdale.gov for more information.

Dr. Ben Sorenson, who will be running for our District IV City Commissioner in February 2018, introduced himself and answered a few questions.

Our Board member Beth informed us of a Croissant Park Get Together on September 16th at Gore-Betz Park that will feature local musicians and artists. If you would like to take part, Beth will post more info on nextdoor.com.  She also reminded us that volunteers will be welcome to help plant a butterfly garden at Snyder Park on August 5th. 

Our next speaker was Rob Bostian,  a Sr. Project Manager for the WAVE light-rail streetcar that will be running a route from  Andrews Ave. and 17th Street to Sistrunk Blvd., through Downtown and back. There will be 14 stations on which to board the streetcar. Many changes will occur on the route, including tree removal, new stoplights and crosswalks, a rebuild of 3rd Avenue Bridge, and much more.  For more information visit the website wavestreetcar.com.  

Restoration is nearing completion at the  South Side School at 701 S. Andrews. Patrick, the coordinator of after-school sports at the CP Community Center has informed us that South Side is searching for instructors for a variety of interesting programs: math & science tutoring, culinary lessons, performing arts, yoga & pilates classes, music and dance classes, and much more, including your own unique program.  For more information call: 954-828-7108 or email: lalexander@fortlauderdale.gov

The votes are in: the winner of the much-touted Pet Photo Contest (drumbeat please)…Moggetts  who lives with Nina and Stan Kramer.

Runners up:  1) Tank  (Beth Falkenhagen)  

                      2) Chicken Little (Natalie Dluggosz)

Congrats to all the pets and owners! Moggetts will be featured on the cover of our soon-to-be famous CPCA Newsletter for January 2018. We hope to publish a Pet Photo Pin-up Calendar for 2018.  Stay tuned.

See you at our next meeting on September 26th….

Minutes by Virginia-Secy

Photos by Rhonda