The Landings & Bay Colony

10

Commissioner’s Message

Bruce G. Roberts

District 1 Commissioner

State Road A1A from Oakland Park Boulevard to Flamingo Avenue Construction:
The FDOT began construction of the $13.4 million SR A1A Greenway project between
Oakland Park Blvd. and Flamingo Ave on July 26, 2015. The project consists of the
reconstruction of the roadway to include new wider sidewalks, landscaping for shade
along the sidewalks, a new pedestrian crosswalk located in proximity of the CVS
pharmacy, buffered bike lanes, and a business access drive to increase safety for the
patrons who currently must back out onto SR A1A. The City partnered with the Broward
Metropolitan Planning Organization (Broward MPO) and FDOT to create a project that
meets the needs of business owners, residents and guests utilizing this corridor, and they
will continue to showcase SR A1A as an attraction within the City. The hardscape
portion of this project is expected to be completed in May 2017, with the landscaping
portion immediately following to complete the overall project. 

Fire Rescue Receives Prestigious ISO “Class 1” Status:Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue has
just been notified that they are now recognized as a “Class 1” Fire Rescue agency by
the Insurance Services Organization. The department was previously ranked as a
“Class 3” agency. However, under the direction and leadership of Fire Chief Robert
Hoecherl, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue was able to advance to the highest rating. 
This rating of “Class 1” represents “superior property fire protection.” The ISO
program recognizes the efforts of communities to provide fire protection services for
citizens and property owners. A community’s investment in fire mitigation is a proven
and reliable predicator of future fire losses. Insurance companies use ISO information
to help establish fair premiums for fire insurance — generally offering lower premiums
in communities with better protection. In Fort Lauderdale, homeowners could see a
savings up to 2%, and commercial businesses could see substantial savings from 
3 – 12% .ISO collects information on municipal fire-protection efforts in communities
throughout the United States. They then assign a Public Protection Classification from
1 to 10. Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10
indicates that the area's fire-suppression program doesn't meet ISO’s minimum
criteria. ISO has extensive information on more than 47,000 fire-response
jurisdictions. Currently, there are only 61 fire departments in the United States with 
an ISO rating of “Class 1.” 

Effective August 26th, 2015, our Fire Rescue Department also completed
accreditation through the Commission of Fire Accreditation International. There are
only 120 accredited agencies. Only 32 agencies out of 47,000 are both Accredited
and ISO 1 rated. Congratulations to our Fire Rescue Department! These achievements
are a true testament to their professionalism. 

Improved Financial Ratings:Wall Street's leading credit rating institutions are signaling
continued confidence in the financial health of our City! Standard & Poor's recently
raised its rating on our General Obligation Bonds to AA+ citing "strong budgetary
performance" and "very strong management, with strong financial policies and
practices." Meanwhile, Moody's Investors Service affirmed its Aa1 rating on our
General Obligation Bonds and raised its outlook noting that revenues have been
"growing at a far more rapid pace than the City's expenditures during the past 6 fiscal
years." We also received high marks for our large and improving local economy and
tax base, balanced financial operations, and low debt burden. Our favorable bond
ratings enable us to borrow money at reduced rates, which saves our neighbors and
businesses millions of dollars in interest costs, while allowing us to continue to address
community priorities and enhance quality of life.