2020 Audit Committee Established
As required by the bylaws, the General Membership voted to established the 2020 Audit Committee. Members are Marilyn Mammano & Jim Concannon.
As required by the bylaws, the General Membership voted to established the 2020 Audit Committee. Members are Marilyn Mammano & Jim Concannon.
Special Election Notice Treasurer and 2nd VP
Date: 11/25/2019
Contact: Marilyn Mammano, Nominating Committee Chair [email protected]
NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION
Please take notice that a Special Election will be held on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 at the CFLCA General Meeting occurring at 6:30pm in the 8th Floor conference room of the Fort Lauderdale City Hall.
OFFICER POSITION: Treasurer
TERM: Balance of existing term April 2019 ending March 2021
DESCRIPTION:
The Treasurer shall maintain financial records, collect dues and assessments, and pay all monies owed by The Council. The treasurer is responsible for establishing, maintaining, monitoring, and reporting to the Council on the electronic payment processing system. The treasurer shall transmit application/renewal forms which accompany dues to the Membership Committee chair.
Candidate shall attend and provide report at 1 board meeting per month and 1 general membership meeting per month. Candidate must be proficient in online banking and use of PayPal. Candidate must be from a member association in good standing.
OFFICER POSITION: Second Vice President
TERM: Balance of existing term April 2019 ending March 2021
DESCRIPTION:
The Second Vice President shall act as President in all duties if the President and the First Vice President are absent or are unable to act. Responsibilities include coordination of refreshments at general meetings and events.
Candidate must be well organized and physically able to participate in setup and breakdown of general meetings and food service. Candidate must be from a member association in good standing.
The Consensus Report on Density was adopted at the May General Membership Meeting. The Report was prepared by the Comprehensive Planning Committee Chaired by Steve Buckingham, President of Tarpen River Civic Association. It was forwarded to the Mayor and City Commissioners and the City Manager as input to the City Commission Density Workshops. We look forward to discussing the Report with the Commisiners at an upcoming workshop.
CFLCA Consensus Statement on Density
Council of Fort Lauderdale Civic Associations
Consensus Statement to the City Commission on Development/Density
The Council of Fort Lauderdale Civic Associations believes that the City of Fort Lauderdale should encourage human-scaled neighborhoods over urban sprawl, multiple transportation modes over automobile dependence and orderly, predictable development patterns that balance growth with neighborhood preservation.
We feel strongly that Fort Lauderdale should:
With 3 annual Neighbor Surveys pointing to traffic flow/congestion as the single biggest challenge facing the city, increased large-scale development and density should be encouraged only in sections of the city that either presently have the necessary transportation and self-supporting infrastructure (places of employment, shopping, food choices, etc.) in place to mitigate traffic flow issues or in sections of the city where it is planned and financed for the immediate future. For example, the Council would be generally supportive of density development along the phase 1 route of the Wave Modern Streetcar as it would be conducive to place more housing where residents have public transportation options. We also strongly support more transit options to airport, beach and the port to reduce car trips.
Further, we believe that growth and neighborhood strengthening can be accomplished by committing to the following:
GOAL: Enhance the quality of life for neighbors and preserve the diversity of neighborhoods.
PROCESS: Assemble concerns of member neighborhoods. In November an “issues congress” will be held by the Council to finalize the definition of all issues in this quality of life exercise. Once complete and adopted by the Council, the project will be presented to the City Commission, the City Manager, and the Visioning Committee for the purposes of prioritization, planning, budgeting, and staff resource allocation.
There are many issues managed by organizations other than the City of Fort Lauderdale that have a direct impact on the quality of life with our neighborhoods. It is assumed that the City of Fort Lauderdale would exercise every option to enhance things like education and the arts to enhance the life of its citizens. Other issues like traffic, airport and port management, the hospital system and business development incentives require proactive interaction by the City in order to maximize the results for neighbors.
Redevelopment has entered some neighborhoods at a cost to the quality of life. Growth and the absence of action have resulted in neighborhood cut through traffic. The volume, speed and presence have impacted the ability of residents to safely walk and cycle. The system of sidewalks and bike paths is incomplete and inadequate.
Maintenance and repair of infrastructure is insufficient. Lack of routine replacement has caused catatrosphic failure, neighborhood impact on health and safety, and cessation of services. In addition, the decline in maintenance has negatively impacted businesses in the City which serve neighborhoods. The process by which repair and maintenance is scheduled does not factor elements, traffic, opportunity costs and other causal elements in the prioritization process. Public transportation is not currently a viable option for Fort Lauderdale neighbors.
Summary – Public Places
The Council published a Parks position paper February 2009. It was re-issued in 2011. The report is attached. The cornerstone of the report was a “no net loss” policy. Public spaces set the tone for the neighborhood and are an indicator of the health of the City.
Recommended Actions – Public Places
Crimes by youths and the ‘underserved’ increase and impact the quality of life for all residents. Youth services and education are critical components to turn around the trend.
Recommended Actions – Pubic Safety and Social Services
Improvement of response time and effectiveness of response presents a cost saving opportunity.
Partnering for a result is a change neighbors would welcome. Proactive and progressive code/ordinance changes incorporating incentives would benefit both the residential and business community.
Recommended Actions – Internal Support
Report of the CFLCA Parks Goals Committee
Submitted February 10, 2009
Introduction
The committee was tasked with the following:
1) Find a method to continue to increase green space.
2) Find an equitable approach to spread parks throughout the city and increase green space in neighborhoods that are under-served.
3) Provide more Park Rangers and allow for coordination of police and Park Rangers.
The term “green space” can mean different things to different people. We have decided to define “green space” as a community park which could consist of open space, a bike path, a dog park, a community garden, a community square, a golf course or any combination thereof.
Our focus has been on creating smaller scale community parks with minimal “programed space” and preserving existing endangered recreation areas that are not “parks” per se such as golf courses, but could add substantially to the open space of the City if kept from development.
The need for green, open space in an urban environment is unquestioned. Not only does it provide areas for recreation and/or relaxation but can also create a sense of place and provide a gathering place for the neighborhood. In addition parks increase property values in the surrounding area which translates into increased tax revenues for the City. We would hope that the City would view acquiring more park land as an investment in our future that will pay dividends both in the well being of its citizens and the positive impact on the City’s budget.
Before increasing the amount of “green space” we first must preserve what we already have. To that end the committee urges the City to adopt a “no net loss” principle. If park land is taken away for another use it must be replaced elsewhere in the vicinity by the addition of at least an equal parcel.
Creating More “Green”
Opportunities exist throughout the City to reuse vacant land to create more green open space for the communities where these parcels are now often the source of blight, crime and illegal uses. Many of these lots are city-owned or could be purchased from private owners. For some good advice on how to get a park in your neighborhood please refer to Appendix “A”.
Where possible, the concept of a community or “Town Square” should be explored. Using the example of Savannah, GA these town squares could create a powerful sense of place and community pride. The town squares could be used for public celebrations, meetings or gatherings as well as for recreation, relaxation and the dissemination of information through the use of message boards.
Mindful of the need to conserve natural resources and scarce revenues we recommend the use of design concepts that utilize xeroscape principles, i.e. low maintenance, drought resistant plant and shrub species, pathways and a minimum of grassy areas.
Spreading the Wealth
The committee has studied the Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Long Range Strategic Plan. Among the Plan’s recommendations we particularly endorse the standard of a minimum of one (1) acre of green space/parks per neighborhood association. It may be difficult in some neighborhoods to assemble a single parcel totaling one acre so contiguity would not be required. Priority should be given to those areas of the city that are currently under-served.
Funding or “Show Me the Money”
In the past the City has floated bond issues to pay for park land acquisition and construction. We recommend a new bond issue to pay for new parks. (See Appendix “C”)
Additional operating funds could be derived from vendor rentals of equipment such as bicycles, roller blades, lounge chairs etc. Our larger parks such as Holiday Park may be good candidates for the creation of a Foundation or Trust, such as New York’s Central Park, which would provide an endowment to supplement city funding. If revenues can be found from sources such as these and others more general funds would be freed up to provide funding for the smaller neighborhood parks and town squares.
The Lone Rangers
The committee had the benefit of input from Earnest Jones, Park Ranger Supervisor. Currently there are for all City parks, in total, only 2-4 rangers working from 6:30am to 3:00pm and 4-6 rangers from 3:00pm to11:30pm. Their duties include public relations, monitoring and reporting on hazardous conditions, assisting in crowd control and rules enforcement, etc. The idea is to do more with less. Mr. Jones recommended the creation of 1) a Jr. Park Ranger Program and 2) the institution of a Park Watch Program in partnership with local neighborhood associations. The Jr. Ranger program would focus on exposing High School students, grades 11 and 12, to the profession of park safety and security. Students would earn community service points for participating in the program. Community points could be credited to the Associations who become involved in the Parks Watch Program. Both programs could be funded with corporate sponsorships. A breakdown of some of the costs involved can be found in Appendix “B”.
Summary
! Focus should be on preserving existing parks and green space and creating community parks in areas that are currently under-served.
! City should adopt a “no net loss” principle.
! City should consider parks and green open spaces an investment paying dividends in economic terms through increased property values and a better quality of life for its citizens.
! Town Squares should be created where possible.
! To save revenue and natural resources, Xeroscape principles should be adopted for new parks/green spaces and phased in in existing parks where possible.
! The City should adopt the standard of at least one (1) acre of park/green space per neighborhood association.
! A bond issue should be floated to finance land acquisition and capital improvements.
! For larger Parks the City should explore the establishment of a Trust or Foundation.
! A Junior Park Ranger Program should be established with funding to come from corporate or private sponsorships.
! A Parks Watch Program should be established with participation from Neighborhood Associations.
This report was prepared by Committee Chair Doug Sterner with the participation of:
Abel Conejo, Lake Ridge; Dennis Ulmer, Lauderdale Manors; Mark Boyd, Progresso Village; Marilyn Markus, Bermuda Riviera; Betty Hays, River Run;
DebraVan Valkenburgh, Chula Vista Isles
Click on link below for CFLCA’s FInal Proposal