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Commissioner’s Message continued

Sistrunk Boulevard. When the Northwest community shouldn’t criminalize homelessness, so I’m working to find
wanted to extend the name of Sistrunk Boulevard east to humane solutions including expanding the amount of
Federal Highway, I was proud to vote in favor of it. It was temporary housing where people have a place to sleep
the right thing to do — it brought communities together and get help to improve their lives.
and honored a great civil rights leader.
Lutheran Church. When developers wanted to demolish the
Marriage equality. When the country was in the throes of Lutheran Church downtown for another housing project, I
a debate about whether same-sex couples should be negotiated with them and won a compromise that preserved
allowed to marry, I got Fort Lauderdale to add its voice to the stone sanctuary as a key part of the city’s history.
the chorus favoring equality.
There is so much more and so little space – such as
Police body cameras. When the nation was torn apart by cleaning up Beach Place, fighting the narrowing of Las
debates over use of force by police officers, I stepped Olas Boulevard and stopping the sale of pets bred in
forward with a plan to ensure residents are protected from puppy mills. It’s been quite the five years. It’s been a
abuse and police officers aren’t unfairly accused of pleasure working with all of you on addressing these
excessive force. I got the city to adopt a pilot program to challenges. Together, we can make Fort Lauderdale a
equip all officers with body cameras to document their better place to live.
interactions with the public.
Homeless. When the city arrested a 90-year-old man for Sincerely,
feeding the homeless and bulldozed a homeless Dean Trantalis
encampment without warning, I stood up. The city District II Commissioner

14 LAS OLAS BOULEVARD & ISLES