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Commissioner’s Message
Romney Rogers
District IV Commissioner
14
City of Fort Lauderdale • District IV
Happy Holidays! I hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving. At this time,
I would like to express my appreciation to everyone for your patience with the
Hurricane Irma debris removal process. And, as you may know, some neighbors were
without power for nearly two weeks after Irma; the City Commission will be meeting
with FPL representatives on Dec. 19 at City Hall at Noon to discuss issues concerning
FPL’s response to the hurricane.
Upcoming City Elections and New Dates for Three 2018 City Commission Meetings –
The City Commission will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 3 (instead of Jan. 2), Jan. 23 –
instead of Jan. 16, our municipal Primary Election Day – and July 10 (instead of July 3).
Three candidates – Walter B. Duke, III, MAI, CCIM; Rev. Dr. Ben Sorensen, JD; and
Warren M. Sturman, MD – have qualified to run in the Primary for the District IV City
Commission seat I will vacate in March 2018, due to term limits. Three candidates
have also qualified to run for Mayor in the Primary: Vice Mayor/District I Commissioner
Bruce G. Roberts, District II Commissioner Dean J. Trantalis, and former City
Commissioner Charlotte E. Rodstrom.
If a candidate wins the Primary Election on Jan. 16 with 50% + 1 vote, then he/she is
automatically elected; if not, then the top two candidates will be placed on the ballot
for the General Election on March 13, 2018.
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show – The 2017 show ran from Nov. 1 – 5 at
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seven locations across the City and attracted roughly 105,000 visitors from more than
50 countries around the globe. The Boat Show is owned and presented by the Marine
Industries Association of South Florida and managed and produced by Informa
Exhibitions. The event supports the sustainability of 136,000 marine industry jobs in
South Florida and contributes approximately $11.5 billion to the regional economy.
Special thanks are extended to Annette Ross, President of the Harbor Beach Property
Homeowners Association, Inc., and her fellow HOA members for helping the City get
“Boat Show Ready.” These neighbors, along with City crews, ensured that our south entry
to Fort Lauderdale Beach, especially the entryways at Haskins Avenue/Mayan Drive,
Harbor Beach Parkway, and Seabreeze Boulevard, were in shipshape for the show.
Bahia Mar – On Oct. 18, the Planning and Zoning Board voted 6 to 3, subject to a
number of conditions, to recommend that the City Commission approve the most recent
Bahia Mar project proposed by Rahn Bahia Mar, LLC, for 801 Seabreeze Boulevard.
The application includes 651 Residential Units; 118,815 sq ft Retail Use; 26,123 sq ft
Restaurant Use; 6,000 sq ft Marina; and a 256-room Hotel (the existing hotel would be
demolished). The conditions imposed by the Board are found at
www.fortlauderdale.gov/home/showdocument?id=25981. When the page opens, see
Agenda Item 3, Case R17040. Note that until I review staff’s forthcoming analysis of
the revenue impact of the proposal so I can assess what is a fair deal for the City, I am
not inclined to discuss the project publicly.
2017 Telephone Town Hall Meetings (TTHMs) – During my Oct. 10 TTHM, 3,391
neighbors joined the call and 550 were on the call at the same time, during peak
participation. Thirteen neighbors had a chance to ask questions on issues such as
hurricane debris removal, canal dredging, stormwater management, infrastructure, and
traffic. To review the TTHMs already held this year, please visit
www.fortlauderdale.gov/tthm.
HARBOR BEACH Magazine | www.harborbeach.org