From Lauderdale Tomorrow As we welcome 2018, the question is What Will the New Year Bring? We will have an indication of what the New Year will mean on January 16th – the date of Fort Lauderdale’s primary election. The issues facing our City – infrastructure, traffic, the use of public lands, public transportation and development – are serious and growing more critical every day. The Sun Sentinel has exposed the severity and growing crisis in numerous stories: “Downtown development could overwhelm Fort Lauderdale's leaky sewer system” “Fort Lauderdale diverts millions from sewer fund as pipes crumble, problems mount” “Fort Lauderdale's failing sewage system can't handle building boom | Editorial” ”Fort Lauderdale spends $12 million trucking sewage” “Sun Trolley losing riders, but costing taxpayers” “Senior living tower and other major developments approved in downtown Fort Lauderdale” “State locks Fort Lauderdale into crosshairs on sewage issue” “No answer yet for Fort Lauderdale streetcar's runaway costs” Fort Lauderdale sewage system overflowed into streets” “Support for The Wave streetcar crumbling” “Hidden underground: Fort Lauderdale's $1.4 billion sewer and water problem” “Burst pipes spew 20.6 million gallons of sewage into Fort Lauderdale’s showcase waterways” “42-story apartment building for seniors draws objections from Riverwalk neighbors” “South Florida's plan for traffic: 'We're going to make them suffer'” “Downtown Fort Lauderdale stretching ever skyward”Downtown development could overwhelm Fort Lauderdale's leaky sewer system” It is imperative that voters know the issues and select candidates who will make the right decisions for Fort Lauderdale. Key Issues Infrastructure: The City’s aging infrastructure needs immediate attention. Water and sewer problems have been exposed in a recent consultant’s report which estimates $315 million dollars of unfunded needs in the next five years. But City residents don’t need a consultant’s report to tell them the problems – increasingly residents have first hand experience with sewage in their yards and waterways as well as broken pipes and boil water orders. Meanwhile water and sewer rates have risen dramatically in recent years. What happened to the money? $106 million has been diverted from water and sewer funds to pay for other City expenses in the last six years. Another major topic dealing with infrastructure deals with sea level rise, king tides, and stormwater. An updated stormwater plan had been promised in December 2017 – at present there is no word on when it might actually be done. Traffic: Our streets are more congested. Many of our major roads are rated F by the State. How does the City respond? One strategy is to narrow the roads (or right-size them as the City’s consultants like to say.) Another popular solution – sharrows – has cars and bicycles sharing a lane of traffic. Bulb-outs are another popular option the City has enacted. But none of this has reduced traffic congestion. Public Transportation: The City roads are failing – so is the alternative: public transportation. Five of six routes for the Sun Trolley have documented declines of as much as 50% over the past few years. Yet, the City continues to fund it without looking to other solutions. Likewise, they continue to support the WAVE, a light-rail system that is outdated before even being implemented. Initial construction bids for the 2.8 mile section are at least $74 million over budget . Other cities are coming up with innovative solutions for public transportation. Why can’t Fort Lauderdale? Public Lands: Over 1000 registered voters, as certified by the Supervisor of Elections, asked the City Commission to discuss a proposal that public lands be used for a public purpose. The City rejected the petitions – and the discussion. Meanwhile two historic public parcels came before the City Commission generating hours of heated debate and public outrage. Almost a year and a half after citizens made a simple request to discuss the future of our public lands, the City Commission continues to ignore the issue. Development or Overdevelopment: This is an extension of the conversation on traffic and infrastructure. Should a City with failing infrastructure and roads continue to authorize development at a record pace? Emergency response times are at least 25% longer than recommended – another indication that more research needs to go into appropriate development. Fort Lauderdale is one of the few cities still holding elections in March. The turnout in these elections is minimal – fewer than 10% of voters decide who will make the decisions in City Hall. This can – and must – change. Make a commitment to vote in the 2018 elections. Make a commitment to know the issues and how each candidate stands on the issues. And don’t just listen to their words – judge by their actions. At least three of the five members of the current City Commission (Robert McKinzie, Bruce Roberts, and Dean Trantalis) are running for office. They have a record on each of the issues above. And what about candidates who are not currently in office? Take a look at what positions they have taken publicly and their past involvement in “What happens in our City in 2018 will be largely impacted by what each of us does in the coming election. If we take time to vote for candidates who will move the City in the right direction, we will see positive results.