City Commission - Where to Start?
The tasks must surely seem daunting.
High hopes are riding on the success of the new five!
Rogers.... Dubose.... Roberts...... not Rodstrom..... Seiler
And as they get down to work, suggestions are being made about just where they ought to start. Sure, they'lI have the budget, normal purchases, and ongoing things to attend to, but I'm talking big picture here. I'm including a few of my own suggestions below, and I hope you will comment (be brave!) and add your own thoughts to the list.
Election Reform - While it's still fresh in our memories, we should change the way we elect our Commissioners and Mayor. A dismal 12% of the City's registered voters bothered to come out and vote on March 10th. That's disgraceful.
We should change election day to November to coincide with the Presidential elections. We will need to change the length of the terms for the Mayor and Commissioners to four years (it's now three) to make it work. We should probably adjust the term limits to (2) 4 - year terms instead of the current (3) 3- year terms. Critics say the City might get lost in the shuffle if we move the elections to November, but could we really be any more lost than 12%?
And while we're at it, new restrictions on those shadowy groups that contribute outside the City campaign finance system should be instituted.
City Manager - It's no secret that Commissioner Rodstrom wants to oust City Manager George Gretsas. The question is whether she'll have two more votes to accomplish that with her new colleagues. It will be unsettling for all if the answer isn't evident up front, and soon. It sounds like a majority want Gretsas to stay under certain conditions. If that's the case, spell out the conditions for Gretsas staying and get on with it. If there are three that want to hire their own Manager, then get on with that.
The Vision Thing - It was a staple at all the debates. What should the City look like in the future? What is the plan? Is there consensus? Should the citizenry be included in the answer? The only sensible answer is YES ! ... Figure out a public process to reach City-Wide consensus on what the City wants to be when it grows up! Do it sooner than later and you'll have a game plan to follow that has fresh citizen buy-in!
Land Use Code Changes - This issue has been moving in an excruciatingly slow fashion for the last few years.
It was started by an amazingly broad-based group of Fort Lauderdalians some years ago and sent off to the Commission for review. It proposes changes to the City's rules about building most everything. (Large townhouses need to be set back at the second floor, where's the place for garbage cans to sit when they're not at the street, green building techniques should be encouraged , those sorts of things). The old Commission sent it into committee/consultant hell and little has happened. We should make the changes to the planning rules now while things are slow, and we'll have a more agreeable citizenry when things heat up again..
.......... OK, there's a short list from just one citizen. I hope you will add to the list. The Mayor and Commissioners have been known to read this blog! ..............Tim
High hopes are riding on the success of the new five!
Rogers.... Dubose.... Roberts...... not Rodstrom..... Seiler
And as they get down to work, suggestions are being made about just where they ought to start. Sure, they'lI have the budget, normal purchases, and ongoing things to attend to, but I'm talking big picture here. I'm including a few of my own suggestions below, and I hope you will comment (be brave!) and add your own thoughts to the list.
Election Reform - While it's still fresh in our memories, we should change the way we elect our Commissioners and Mayor. A dismal 12% of the City's registered voters bothered to come out and vote on March 10th. That's disgraceful.
We should change election day to November to coincide with the Presidential elections. We will need to change the length of the terms for the Mayor and Commissioners to four years (it's now three) to make it work. We should probably adjust the term limits to (2) 4 - year terms instead of the current (3) 3- year terms. Critics say the City might get lost in the shuffle if we move the elections to November, but could we really be any more lost than 12%?
And while we're at it, new restrictions on those shadowy groups that contribute outside the City campaign finance system should be instituted.
City Manager - It's no secret that Commissioner Rodstrom wants to oust City Manager George Gretsas. The question is whether she'll have two more votes to accomplish that with her new colleagues. It will be unsettling for all if the answer isn't evident up front, and soon. It sounds like a majority want Gretsas to stay under certain conditions. If that's the case, spell out the conditions for Gretsas staying and get on with it. If there are three that want to hire their own Manager, then get on with that.
The Vision Thing - It was a staple at all the debates. What should the City look like in the future? What is the plan? Is there consensus? Should the citizenry be included in the answer? The only sensible answer is YES ! ... Figure out a public process to reach City-Wide consensus on what the City wants to be when it grows up! Do it sooner than later and you'll have a game plan to follow that has fresh citizen buy-in!
Land Use Code Changes - This issue has been moving in an excruciatingly slow fashion for the last few years.
It was started by an amazingly broad-based group of Fort Lauderdalians some years ago and sent off to the Commission for review. It proposes changes to the City's rules about building most everything. (Large townhouses need to be set back at the second floor, where's the place for garbage cans to sit when they're not at the street, green building techniques should be encouraged , those sorts of things). The old Commission sent it into committee/consultant hell and little has happened. We should make the changes to the planning rules now while things are slow, and we'll have a more agreeable citizenry when things heat up again..
.......... OK, there's a short list from just one citizen. I hope you will add to the list. The Mayor and Commissioners have been known to read this blog! ..............Tim
Some items to think about.....
1. City playgrounds are a BIG investment ( of taxes & private funds - Junior League $250,000. in Holiday Park) & are VERY popular. The Park Rangers do a fabulous job "watching" & protecting. They have personal knowledge of the "park people" & are quick to respond at 954 828.4634. Don't sacrifice them to budget. I support the police, but this is a job that takes special skills and PREVENTS crime.
2. Instead of sending fire & police to MORE training out of the city..... how about bring the trainer here ????
3. New equipment for the fire department is an issue that is getting a lot of discussion. " If it ain't broke.... don't upgrade !!!"
4. Let's have a coalition of groups do a 100 Birthday Party for the City.... NOT 10 groups with 10 overlapping committees. yikes !! ONE COMMITTEE !!
this is my "starter" list..Thank you.
.
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Here are a few thoughts in addition to your items, Tim:
1) A reexamination of the current budget is absolutely a necessity. And Mayor Seiler's inclination to go through a 'zero-based' budget process as soon as possbile has to be one of the top priorities on their agenda.
2) There is a pressing need to address the problem of homeless people throughout Fort Lauderdale, but most visibly on the Beach and Downtown. Every economic development scenario that exists depends upon getting these folks social services assistance (sometimes meaning just food and a safe place to sleep) and off the streets where our tourism and local business communities need a safer and more inviting environment to grow as they must.
There are, of course, more issues needing attention...and I look forward to reading and hearing what others in the city think are important.
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Tim, I love you
How much will it cost us, the taxpayers of Ft Lauderdale to fire Gretsas?
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I will for sure chip in some bucks to get Georgie fired. How about starting up a dontation plate throughout the city? Sure it would fill up fast.
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Tim -
I just read your blog from today on the List of what the new City Commission should be focusing on.
Your list is great - I would add to it the following:
- A more user-friendly City bureaucracy (including processes that are more transparent, that move along faster, that make sense, and departments that communicate with one another).
- An Economic Development Plan, that includes incentives, to encourage small business development, expansions, and physical improvements to businesses in the City; and rdevelopment of blighted areas.
- A culture in the City government that encourages creative thinking and vision, and a mind-set of how can we make things work, instead of why something can't work.
P.S. The only problem with a visioning process, is that so often the vision report goes straight to the shelf and is never put into action. The County did this a few years ago - everyone got really excited, but then the things everyone agreed on didn't seem to be materializing. But then, the County Mayor changes every year so it's hard to keep a focus. If we have a City Mayor who will maintain the vision and lead us in that direction, something positive can actually happen!
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Kathy,
You hit on a fundamental failure of our City government -- the lack "a culture... that encourages creative thinking and vision". That is so important.
Also, maybe we need a vision advisory board to dusk off the visions on the shelf, review, update and recommend specific, concrete policies to ensure implementation of the vision(s). I think Earl Rynerson is the perfect person to head up this effort.
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What about offering all the candidates that lost and Past Elected Official's to be on that Vision Advisory board Just Think the Ideas we will get !!!!!
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Interesting photo, while often Charlotte reminds me of a petulant child. I am sure that little girl has more brains and temperament than Charlotte on her best day.
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How about free wifi internet just think the benefit to the people I understand very little cost I would think this is something the county should do and I believe I read recently the Federal Government has a program (Grants) for local governments to do this.
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ray--your absolutely right--go to google---many other cities have free wi fi hot spots--which should have been installed years ago--unfortuately, this was beyond the comprehension of hutchinson, moore and teel
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Who? If the citizens of our city wanted Earl to have a say in the future of the city he would have been elected. Taking 15 percent of the vote when 12 percent of the city voted says loud and clear the people saw earl as .. Steve Kelly puppet. The people have spoken loudly.
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how about a new police station with a jail. I hear we used to have one and it make a big difference
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