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

Arboreal Massacre! The WAVE

Wow!

From: Cal Deal [mailto:caldeal@gate.net]
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2017 9:49 AM
To: Jack Seiler; Romney Rogers; Bruce Roberts; Dean Trantalis; Robert McKinzie; Lee Feldman; Dale Holness; Nan Rich; Steve A. Geller; Tim Ryan; Mark Bogen; Barbara Sharief; Chip LaMarca; Beam Furr; Michael Udine
Cc: Arian Campo-Flores; Tim Smith; Rolando Otero; George Mihaiu; Larry Barszewski; Dan Christensen; Brittany Wallman; Bob Norman; Jess Swanson; Andrew Abramson
Subject: Wave Marks S Andrews Trees for Death

 

 

ARBOREAL MASSACRE!

 

Wave Streetcar targets ALL South Andrews median trees for death!

 

 

Funny thing … the Wave people never bothered to post their Tree Mitigation [aka “Destruction”] Plan on their web site … until I asked for it. The Plan went online yesterday. Here is a block-by-block look at details from the plan. Xs show which trees, large and small, will be killed and dragged away. The plans are followed by GoogleEarth images of the living trees as they beg for mercy. Basically, everything in the medians would be a goner.

 

The trees will be “replaced by sets of black poles on either side of the street, connected by wire and holding up streetcar wires. These sets of black poles will be about 90 feet apart.

 

Cal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With two lanes of roadway, they designed it to take out the trees. This is SW 18 St, where the streetcars

would leave South Andrews and head toward the maintenance facility.

 

 

 

--------------------------------

 

Cal Deal

 

1317 SE 2nd Ave.

Fort Lauderdale FL 33316

(954) 295-3726

 

CANCEL The Wave Streetcar!

 

NOTE: I live in the area they say will most benefit from The Wave. At first I liked the idea, but after reading and reflection, I am AGAINST it. Instead of deploying 1880s technology, we need to join the transportation pioneers of the 21st Century and become a showcase for how to do a modern transit system and do it well. We need to DREAM!  Please join me in opposing this $200 million-plus  boondoggle — and don’t forget to tell your commissioners what you think. (See below)

 

Click here for info:

WaveGoodbye.net

 

EXCELLENT, 10-POINT CRITIQUE OF THE WAVE

by Randal O’Toole. Click here.

 

Email your commissioners … 

Click here for a pre-addressed form:

http://www.wavegoodbye.net/email.html

 

Give them a piece of your mind!

 

In WaveGoodbye.net

 

• Page One — BOONDOGGLE BACKERS: Six Broward County commissioners vote to keep project going (6/13/17)

• Angry Crowd — NOT ONE PERSON SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THE STREETCARS (6/5/17)

• Library — Videos, key documents, studies, maps

• CRA Broke Law? — Possible misuse of $7.5 million!!!

• Take Email Action — It’s easy! Go here to get a pre-addressed blank email to ALL city & county commissioners

• Kansas City — Ridership trendline down after one year

 

More to come!

 

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO YOUR EMAIL LISTS, ETC.!

 

May 2017 Croissant Park Neighborhood Meeting

May 30, 2017 CPCA Neighborhood Meeting

Board members in attendance were:  Patricia Rathburn, Nicohle Kallio, Jodi Perraud, Heather Cuniff, Virginia Russell, Joe Russell, Beth Falkenhagen and Rhonda Kramer.  Absent - Michelle DiMaria 

Hello Croissant Park Neighbors,

We opened our meeting at the Community Center with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Usually we have our FLPD Neighborhood Watch officers to give us our crime report but they were not able to make it to tonight’s meeting.  They were out keeping the neighborhood safe…

Our President Pat took the time for some reflection about our homeless situation.  She brought our attention to a homeless man who has been living and sleeping on the ground at a bus stop near the Broward General ER entrance.  We have compassion for these unfortunates and it is crucial that we recognize their plight and work towards solutio

Our first speakers were Amal Khoury and Liz Tobin, Family Service Counselors for Dignity Memorial, a family funeral home network.  They are committed to providing practical guidance to families and individuals who are dealing with the loss of loved ones.  They stressed the importance of pre-planning and familiarizing with all the many arrangements that must be attended to.

We had many new faces at the meeting last night so Beth recommended that we go around the room to introduce ourselves and tell where we live in Croissant Park.  At least two couples have moved into the neighborhood very recently. And we were joined by our old friend of Croissant Park, Jack Timmins, a local realtor who lives in Edgewood.  Also attending tonight is a well-known Fort Lauderdale resident, Charlotte Rodstrom, who is running for Mayor in 2018.  Welcome to all.

Our second speaker was Fort Lauderdale developer Gus Carbonell who came to show us the plans for the 1-story office building he hopes to build. The proposed sight is on the corner of SW 9th Avenue and S.R. 84, the now-empty lot that was a Shell gas station.  This property is in Edgewood but would be something that would potentially be seen by us on a regular basis.  On another matter, Gus informed us that the City has finally adopted the architectural guidelines for new residential properties mandating that front doors must face the street and eliminate the preponderance of garage doors that face the street, causing front doors to be located around to the side of the residence. Our Association has been a strong advocate for these code requirements, that have been pushed aside for several years.  We are glad to see them become a reality.

Our third speaker was Sherri Sloan who is representing the “Meet Your Neighbors” project. They are planning a City-wide Block Party and Sherri asked for and received two volunteers, Beth Falkenhagen and Natalie Dlugosz, for the Croissant Park planning committee.

Ms. Tobin and Ms. Khoury from Dignity Memorial held a drawing for a gift basket that was won by our new neighbors Natalie and Matthew Dlugosz.  Congratulations and welcome to the neighborhood. 

The Pet Picture Contest began with many people bringing their favorite pics of their pets.  We will be extending the contest to Nextdoor so people can submit their entries for the June voting.  The contest is open to 2017 members so don't forget to send in your membership application.  The winner will be featured in the next Newsletter and the CPCA 2017 calendar along with the runner-ups.

The 50/50 raffle was won by Julia Breschia.

Minutes by Virginia
Pics by Rhonda

February 2017 CPCA Neighborhood Meeting

Hello Croissant Park Neighbors,

Our February meeting began at 7:10 with the Pledge of Allegiance. 

The crime report was brought to us by the FLPD Neighborhood Watch Team Officers Fernandez, Pekrol and Rodrigues.  Our neighborhood crime rates have fallen substantially in this period.  The only burglaries reported were of cars that were unlocked.  The speed limit on 4th Avenue has been lowered from 40 MPH to 35 MPH, hopefully resulting in fewer traffic accidents and fatalities. 

Virginia with Owl House

Our CPCA President, Pat, provided us with detailed information about Eastern Screech Owls that dwell in our neighborhood. Screech owl breeding season is from mid-March to June, usually producing 3 eggs, Male screech owls are smaller than the females and they mate for life.  They live in hollow trees and are active at night, but can be heard day or night. Because the owls prey on rats and mice, it is ill-advised to use rat poison as it could lead to the death of the owls that eat those rats. Fun fact: a group of owls is called a parliament. Board member Joe Russell built an owl house to be raffled tonight. The owl house should be mounted on a pole with a predator guard 10-30 feet from the ground, or hanging under a tree limb.  The bottom of the house should have 2-3 inches of wood shavings, and house should not be painted or stained. Fun fact #2: Owls will introduce blind snakes to the nest that eat insect larvae which help to keep the owlets healthy as they grow.

Michele, Jodi, Nicohle, Pat

Joe Russell with Crystal Aiken

Heather Cunnif with Virginia Russell

John Bertino, Community Liaison for Broward County Commission attended the meeting.  

The lucky winner of the Owl House raffle is Crystal Aiken.  

submitted by Virginia Russell, Secretary
pics by Rhonda

January 2017 CPCA Neighborhood Meeting

Happy New Year, Croissant Park Neighbors!

Our annual January Pot Luck Supper ushered in 2017 with 30 neighbors sharing a meal and conversation, greeting old friends and meeting new ones.  Thank you to all who showed up and shared favorite dishes.

Our meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and was followed up by our very own FLPD Neighborhood Action Team: Officers Fernandez, Rodrigues and Pekrol.  These gentlemen know our ‘hood, patrol it and report to us in detail at every meeting.  For the two months of December and January we had 5 residential burglaries, one business burglary and six auto break-ins.  No robberies were reported; a robbery is defined as a break-in when someone is at home.  

Drug sales are still prevalent on SR 84 and in the Davie Blvd/I-95 area, mostly around rehab facilities. The FLPD drug unit was dramatically downsized, creating an opening for dealers from Dania and elsewhere.  Heroin is the drug of choice these days; flakka is virtually gone from the streets.The “buddy effect” is in play, where the users get high on heroin then call 911, who arrive with Narcan, a drug that counteracts the heroin overdose.  Heroin overdoses are on the increase and the hope is that judges will toughen their rulings in order to prevent the revolving door that is happening with the users. 

Commissioner Romney Rogers joined us for a Pot luck dinner and a few questions and answers. 

—He addressed our infrastructure that is a big concern to many of us after seeing the sewer break in Tarpon River neighborhood last month.  We have aging pipes, seawater rising in some neighborhoods, flooding, etc.  There has been a “blue ribbon” committee appointed who will prioritize these issues.  There will be an opportunity  to sign up for this Task Force committee in the future. 

—Comm. Rogers reminded us that we now have new FLPD Chief of Police Rick Maglione, who replaced Frank Adderly., who is now working for Broward Sheriff Office.  

—Someone asked about the decorative pavers that line some of the intersections around the City.  Rogers agreed that they are in bad shape and would eventually be replaced. 

—Regarding sewer infrastructure, some but not all sewer mains will be replaced.  The infrastructure is sound but could blow at any time. 

—The City’s philosophy regarding  traffic is to put the density Downtown and to stay away from the residential neighborhoods.  There is a demand for rental housing and high rise development will be the answer to those needs.

 After chowing down on all the Pot Luck goodies, we got back to a little business. 

— Rhonda Kramer told us about the Neighborhood Support Night on February 8th, from 5:30-8pm in the City Hall Garage at 100 N.Andrews Ave.  It’s a block party featuring interactive displays, jazzy music, lots of give-aways and food trucks.  

—Beth Falkenhagen made a call for volunteers to man a booth at the Neighborhood Support Night to give away trees for GreenYourRoutine, and Jodi and Russell Perraud volunteered to work the booth. Beth works tirelessly for GYR, a volunteer organization that teaches us about sustainability and environmental responsibility. Joe Russell and Beth built bat houses and are now working on where to locate them.  Next project will be to build owl houses. Stay tuned for that—you may be a lucky raffle winner of an owl house.

--Joe Russell reminded us about the importance of supporting Croissant Park Civic Association by attending meetings and becoming dues-paying members.  “More members, more clout” sez Joe.  The issue of sober homes in our neighborhood fell on deaf ears for several years, but Croissant Park and other neighborhoods kept it as a main topic, and now finally they are listening at City Hall and  in Tallahassee.

Thanks to all the neighbors who decorated their homes for the holidays. Congratulations to the Arcieri family who won the popular vote on Nextdoor.com.  They were awarded a $50 check and certificate from the Croissant Park Civic Association.

We hope everyone received the 2017 CPCA newsletter.  Rhonda was at the helm and managed to pull it all together and get us to the printer on time.  

John McNamera won the 50/50 raffle and donated his winnings back to the Association.  Thanks, John.

Minutes by Virginia