STATE OF THE CIT Y 2015
MOVING FORWARD.
On the cover:
City Hall South demolition, Art Walk construction, Art Walk rendering, Municipal Complex concept
When we passed the 50-year mark in 2013, Coral Springs showed that what began as a simple vision to sell houses became a true community. We welcomed diverse neighbors, fought through a shaky economy, and created the kind of place people still long to live in. It would be tempting to let inertia set in, to rest on what we’ve achieved. But in today’s world, nothing ever really stays still. We’re challenged to move forward or risk falling behind. As you look through this annual report, you’ll see projects we’ve been dreaming about for years finally leaping ahead with renewed energy. Our shared visions are being realized. The choices we make today, and the success we’ve known in the past, provide the foundation for our future.
A MESSAGE FROM YOUR CITY COMMISSION AND CITY MANAGER Momentum – the force something has when set in motion. More than 15 years ago, visionaries in the City wanted to ensure that, no matter how much we grew in size, we would not lose the essence of what makes Coral Springs a desirable place to live, work and play. At the outset, the movement was small. Conversations held, studies done, questions answered, policies aligned. Like a rolling rock, the ideas gained weight and speed as residents and City leaders joined to plan our future. As we enter 2015, that momentum is taking hold. In the face of challenging economics, what has held Coral Springs together is our strong sense of community. And the expression of community is most often found when we, quite literally, come together. We do that a lot. At Saturday green markets, art festivals, parades and 5K runs. At sporting events, multicultural dances, car shows and outdoor concerts. As a community, we’ve proven time and again that we are happily drawn to places where we can have fun, share experiences and deepen our connections. With the right spaces, we can encourage and expand engagement. And so the momentum continues to build on Downtown Coral Springs. The first element of our downtown that’s coming to life is the Art Walk. We’ve begun important infrastructure work, including construction of the water main installation and street improvements. The Florida Department of Transportation awarded Coral Springs a $1 million grant for a bicycle and pedestrian project. We’ve also demolished the old City Hall South building, another step in creating the mixed-use Municipal Complex, with outdoor space for community gatherings.
As the recent community visioning workshops suggested, relocating City Hall can act as a catalyst for redevelopment in this key area of town, and create a true city center that reflects our unique needs. One of those needs is for a thriving business community to support choice, convenience and capital investment. Business survey results continue to show a positive trend for customer satisfaction: 94 percent believe we are doing a good job. Significant commercial projects over the last year are adding great value to Coral Springs. Both Dick’s Sporting Goods and BJ’s Wholesale Club opened mid-year, and we added retailers like Hobby Lobby, healthcare facilities like South Florida Dentistry for Children, and even an “extra-tainment” concept at ROC/Resto Lounge and Fashion. Lupin, an international pharmaceutical company, is joining the Corporate Park, bringing in 45 new high-wage jobs and a $14 million investment. As the economy improves, we’re restructuring our Economic Development function and strategic plan so we can take advantage of this momentum.
John J. Hearn
City Attorney
Dan Daley
Commissioner
Larry Vignola
Vice Mayor
Skip Campbell Mayor
Another sign that we are on the right financial track as a highperforming organization: both Standard & Poors and Fitch rating agencies affirmed our AAA bond ratings with stable outlook, and Moody’s reaffirmed our Aa1 rating. Speaking of bonds, we refunded outstanding 2004 Franchise Revenue bonds, enabling the City to put $90,000 in savings back into the General Fund to be used for other priority projects. And savings from refinancing 2006 General Obligation Bond were passed directly to taxpayers in the form of a lower debt service millage rate. Accountability and transparency are critical values and, once again, our budget documents received an “Outstanding” award from the GFOA, with special recognition for performance measurement. The housing market also continues to gain momentum in Coral Springs, with total foreclosure rates decreasing each month, and residential property value increasing by 5.35% as of July 2014, demonstrating a three-year upward trend. We measure our success in ways that go beyond numbers, too. With a volunteer-led initiative, “Keep Coral Springs Beautiful,” more than 160 residents signed up to participate, donating nearly 500 hours and collecting more than 1,400 pounds of trash from our streets. Partnerships with
Lou Cimaglia
Commissioner
Joy Carter
Commissioner
Erdal Dönmez
City Manager
homeowner and condo associations have helped replace white-fly damaged trees and hedges. We’ve reinstated the City’s Beautification Awards for residential and commercial properties, working with the Garden Club of Coral Springs, and improved entrances to the City with signage and landscaping. Many of the renovations to City and parks facilities have also been completed, as well as new landscaping around town. To shed light on these transformations, Public Works facilitated repairs on 843 street lights. And we’ve also improved our digital communications. If you’re at Mullins, Betti Stradling or Cypress Parks, the Aquatic Complex and Tennis Center, or other City buildings, you can now tap into free WiFi service. With voter approval of $12.45 million General Obligation bonds in November 2014, the Police Department’s call center will now get a muchneeded digital upgrade – just one of several public safety improvements underway. We invite you to read more about the initiatives and accomplishments of 2014. With your new mayor and commissioners in place, we look forward to the work we will do together in the coming years.
To read about the City’s Business Plan initiatives, visit CoralSprings.org/budget.
A FAMILY-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY
Tournament play With some of the best facilities around, it’s no surprise we host many athletic tournaments: competitions at the Tennis Center, swim and dive meets at Aquatic Complex, lacrosse and baseball at parks. The Gymnasium kept busy with gymnastics, cheer/dance, a net ball and wrestling tournaments, on top of supporting the community’s obsession with soccer. Add basketball games and the annual Kreul Classic High School Basketball Tournament, and it’s clear to see we have a lot to cheer about.
Students are our future When school boundary changes were about to affect the Heron Bay neighborhoods, the City successfully worked with the School Board, parent groups and school zone liaisons to resolve issues. In addition, the Coral Springs Charter School received an ‘A’ rating for the 11th consecutive year - a direct result of the dedicated staff and hard working students. The City also redesigned the Teacher and Student of the Year awards programs to recognize students at all academic levels who demonstrate a commitment to community service.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES Fiscal Year 2014
Goal
Actual
City Crime Rate (crimes per 100,000 residents, lower is better, calendar year 2013) 2,600 2,278.2 Resident rating of City efforts to prevent crime (Resident Survey 2013) 92% 92% Resident rating of City Government for respecting religious and ethnic diversity (Resident Survey 2013) 93% 98% Rating of Quality of Life (Business Survey 2014) 96% 97% Number of students attending classes at Broward College Coral Springs Academic Center 3,500 4,400 Coral Springs Charter School graduation rate 95% 98% Coral Springs Charter School school grade (per FDOE) A A Injury accidents at or near 15 major intersections in the City 200 87
Building a sense of community If there’s a holiday, you can bet Coral Springs will host an event to help you celebrate. From July 4th to Veteran’s Day, Memorial to Arbor Day, there’s something for everyone. This past year, we also held a Teen Cook-off event and the BizArt Festival to showcase public art. Our annual multicultural events – including one of the county’s best Martin Luther King, Jr. celebrations, WorldFest, CommuniTea, International Dinner Dance, National Day of Prayer and Peace Weekend – continue to help unite our diverse community.
Surf under the trees No need for web withdrawal when you’re out and about: we’ve added free public WiFi service in City parks and buildings. If you’re at Mullins, Betti Stradling, North Community, Cypress North and South parks, the Aquatic Complex and Tennis Center and City offices open to the public, you can surf, work or check in with family and friends.
A THRIVING BUSINESS COMMUNITY
Business matters The Commission extended a Pilot Program that provides greater flexibility for both new and infill development while still maintaining City standards. This Program, utilized by businesses such as Gateway Classic Cars and Gyromania, not only greatly reduces cost for business owners, but also reduces approval times. In addition, a trial program was approved to allow big-box retailers to hold bi-annual, outdoor sales events, while the Chamber of Commerce hosted its first Small Business Saturday Sidewalk Sale.
Welcome new businesses Global company Lupin Pharmaceuticals is bringing a capital investment of $14 million, and 45 high-wage jobs. The City continues to find ways to improve and attract more businesses to the Corporate Park. Other significant commercial projects demonstrate the strength of our appeal as a place to do business. In addition to the opening of Dick’s Sporting Goods and BJ’s Wholesale Club, we added Hobby Lobby, ROC/Resto Lounge & Fashion, Nick’s Pizzeria, Ladybird Academy, Brass Tap, Shoe Carnival, Family Dollar and its official name is South Florida Dentistry for Children. Other businesses are poised to expand.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES Fiscal Year 2014
Business rating of the image of the City (Business Survey) Net New Taxable Value as % of Total Taxable Assessed Value (BCPA) Coral Springs’ June unemployment rate Retail vacancy rate (CoStar January-March report)
Goal
Actual
96% 96% 1.15% 0.14% below FL avg. 4.8% 9% 6.1%
To catch a thief Everyone pays for retail theft. To help identify active rings, crime trends and repeat offenders, Coral Springs established business and police partnerships to share intelligence at a regional level – and make shopping a pleasure. The Make a Call, Make a Difference program continues to make an impact in the community by asking residents to call in any suspicious activity.
Moving forward In addition to progress on Downtown Coral Springs with the construction kick-off of the Art Walk, comprehensive modifications to the Community Redevelopment Plan and completion of programming for the new Municipal Complex, the City took a fresh look at the economic development function by rolling out a new Economic Development Strategic Plan.
Art Walk construction
AN ACTIVE, HEALTHY COMMUNITY
A runaway success For the third year, the City has honored the September 11th victims and families with a 5K run. The Holiday Parade Mile Run also looks to be an ongoing fixture of the popular community event each December. And this year, the Police Department rode bikes with students to an elementary school, to promote healthy activity in our young residents. Sportsplex put a different spin on biking, hosting the Tour-De-Cure Bike Race to raise awareness and funds for the American Diabetes Association. And, the City nabbed a $1 million “transportation alternatives” grant for a Downtown bicycle and pedestrian project from the Florida Department of Transportation, with construction kicking off in 2015.
The living is easy We’re a pretty sporty town, but not everyone is into team sports. Our Parks and Recreation programs continue to offer healthy alternatives to residents young and old. We offer summer camps (including those for residents with special needs), summer swim lessons (complemented by Public Safety initiatives on drowning prevention), tennis lessons and day trips for seniors. To help keep residents safe, the Fire Department established a Community Risk Reduction Program to include public outreach, education and mobile healthcare services, and purchased chest compression devices for every rescue vehicle.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES Fiscal Year 2014
Resident rating of appearance of Parks and Recreation facilities (Resident Survey 2013) Youth volunteer service hours Athletic league participation Sports Commission: Number of room nights Number of riders on intracity bus routes
Goal
96% 18,000 8,100 3,600 90,000
Actual 96% 18,776 8,475 3,943 84,581
Mobile Integrated Health Program Starting in 2015, the Coral Springs Fire Department will launch a pilot program for Mobile Integrated Health Care. Once the program is running, residents will be able to request non-emergency medical help at their home and, in some cases, will have choices other than being transported to a hospital for treatment.
Soccer fever Coral Springs has never needed a World Cup to be officially soccer-crazy. This year, we hosted a Futsal event, introducing an exciting, fast-paced variation widely played across the world and officially recognized by FIFA and other organizations.
AN ATTRACTIVE COMMUNITY
Beauty in nature The City’s parks are among our crown jewels – and they have been receiving the royal treatment lately. Many of the renovations to buildings are now complete, from remodeled kitchens to mosaic murals. Park-goers can now see improved landscaping, path and sidewalk improvements, benches, playground equipment, lighting, restrooms, fencing and parking lots. Mullins Park also received a new press box at Aiello Field. And there are plenty of projects you won’t see – like fountain and aeration systems, irrigation improvements – that all add up to a more attractive, functional parks environment.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES Fiscal Year 2014
Ratings of cleanliness of City streets and public areas (Business Survey 2014) Ratings of City efforts at maintaining quality of neighborhoods (Business Survey 2014) Fuel consumed by City operations (diesel and unleaded) Pounds of recycled materials per capita
Goal
Actual
93% 99% 85% 95% 405,000 401,977 110 118.3
It takes a village More than 160 community volunteers have signed on to the “Keep Coral Springs Beautiful” initiative, spending nearly 500 hours and collecting more than 1,400 pounds of trash from City streets. The Neighborhood Environmental Committee partnered with the Garden Club of Coral Springs to reinstate the City’s Beautification Awards – and handed out five in various categories. We also engaged in partnerships to replace white-fly damaged landscaping, added litter collection crews, ramped-up the recycling program, and offered a new Commercial Façade grant program to encourage businesses to improve their appearance – which has already had several takers. And if you think the streets are looking a bit brighter, thank the City’s pressure cleaning crew. They completed a full cycle of curb and sidewalk cleaning.
Happy homes Family home property values are continuing their three-year upward trend, increasing by 5.35 percent (July 2014). As the number of foreclosures continues to decline to pre-2008 levels, we’re seeing the health of our housing market improve.
Safe passage A new footbridge on 85th Avenue is helping residents and children travel more safely to and from school. We’ve also connected pathways and improved sidewalks at multiple locations, including in and around parks, at Coral Hills and 38th Drive, on 85th Avenue from 38th Drive to Cardinal Road, and at Harbor Chase.
AN INNOVATIVE, HIGH-PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
Calling all cars Public Safety’s aging, analog emergency dispatch equipment will be replaced with a digital system that uses the national interoperability standard, P25, following successful vendor negotiations that yielded an unprecedented total cost of ownership model.
Charting a path Coral Springs Charter School continues to be A-rated – marking the 11th consecutive year it has received that honor. At a time when some national charter school organizations are failing, ours stands as a great example of how to do it right.
Just say no to crime Crime in the City dropped 8.3 percent in 2013, making it the lowest per capita rate among the nine largest cities of Broward County. Burglaries were down 32 percent, motor vehicle thefts down 27 percent and larceny was off 1 percent. The clearance rate was nearly 35 percent, the highest in more than 18 years and third highest among all other Broward cities.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES Fiscal Year 2014
Satisfaction ratings with City communications (Business Survey 2014) Employee satisfaction rating (Employee Survey) Maintain AAA Bond Ratings: Moody’s Aa1, Fitch AAA, S&P AAA Ratings of value for tax dollars and fees (Business Survey 2014) Ratings of customer service (Business Survey 2014)
Goal
Actual
81% 78% 92% 95% AAA AAA 55% 76% 95% 94%
Financially stable Refunding of bonds has led to significant savings for the City. In April, refunding of $14 million 2006 General Obligation bonds provided a net present value savings of $1.5 million over the remaining life of the bonds – enabling the City to pass those savings directly to taxpayers as a lower millage rate. The next month, the City refunded 2004 Franchise revenue bonds, capturing about $90,000 per year that can be applied to new General Fund projects. And both Standard & Poors and Fitch affirmed our AAA bond rating; Moody’s affirmed its Aa1 rating. The Government Finance Officers’ Association (GFOA) has awarded the City with its Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting as well as its Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. Both the GFOA and the International City/County Managers Association noted our performance measurement capabilities.
Nationally recognized In May, national real estate firm Movoto ranked Coral Springs #1 in its “10 Best Places to Live in Florida” ranking, saying, “Our No. 1 City of Coral Springs had low taxes, high employment, and some awesome amenities for locals to enjoy… Coral Springs really does have “everything under the sun,” as its slogan claims.”
Fire Academy The Coral Springs Regional Institute of Public Safety has been recognized by the Florida Fire Training Directors Association as their Fire Service Training and Education provider of the year on three different occasions, most recently for 2013, the only Florida academy to receive the honor three times. In addition, the Academy was recently accredited, allowing our students to obtain college credits towards their degrees.
A DOWNTOWN VISION
Downtown Coral Springs is on its way to becoming a reality. With the Art Walk already underway and plans started for a Municipal Complex, officials envision Downtown Coral Springs as a public space our residents will enjoy. In 2014, the old City Hall South was demolished, bringing us another step closer to developing our Municipal Complex. We also began important infrastructure work, including culverting a canal for the Art Walk and other street improvements. Located along the north side of NW 31st Court, the Art Walk will serve as a venue for outdoor events, such as art shows, green markets and other public events. The four-lane road will become two lanes separated by a landscaped median. The Art Walk will tie into the Downtown Pathways project being built along Ben Geiger Drive, which will provide pedestrian and bicycling connections to the downtown area, Northwest Regional Library, Broward Health Coral Springs, Center for the Arts and the Public Safety Building. The Art Walk construction remains on schedule to be completed by the summer of 2015.
AR
K
ART WALK
Library
TW AL
University Drive
Bank of America
North
NW 31 CT
Hospital
NW 94 AVE
Coral Hills Drive
Post Office
In December 2014, the newly-elected Commission discussed the plans for the Municipal Complex and agreed that it should be constructed in the Downtown area. The Municipal Complex is expected to be completed by March 2017. City officials are dedicated to building a Downtown for everyone. The new Art Walk and Municipal Complex will catalyze redevelopment of the downtown area, and create a sense of place for residents and commercial owners. We look forward to what the future holds, and encourage you to visit CoralSprings.org/downtown for all the latest news and updates.
GETTING INVOLVED
Volunteers make a difference The City of Coral Springs wouldn’t be what it is today without its dedicated volunteers. Their effort saves the City hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. There are a number of opportunities to participate in City government, such as serving on an advisory board or committee, or volunteering your time to a City department or at a City event. We want your feedback In addition to the many volunteer opportunities, the City relies on input from residents to continually improve the services we provide. Residents can attend their annual Slice of the Springs neighborhood meetings and regular City Commission meetings. Residents and business owners may also share their ideas through our new web site at CoralSprings.org/help. Special appreciation goes to all our dedicated volunteers and members of our boards and committees: Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Architectural Review Committee Board of Adjustment Building Focus Group Charter School Advisory Board Code Rangers Community Assisted Patrol Community Emergency Response Team Community Redevelopment Agency Construction Review Committee Customer-Involved Government Committee Economic Development Foundation Financial Advisory Committee Fire Pension Board General Employees Pension Board Historical Advisory Committee Holiday Parade Committee Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee
Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee National Day of Prayer and Peace Committee Neighborhood and Environmental Committee Nuisance Abatement Board Parent Education Advisory Committee Planning and Zoning Board Police Pension Board Police Reserve Officer Corps Principal Advisory Committee Public Art Committee Senior Advisory Committee Sports Coalition Sports Commission Teen Political Forum Committee Unsafe Structures Board WorldFest Committee Youth and Family Advisory Committee
CITY OFFICIALS AND EXECUTIVE STAFF All of these accomplishments could not have been possible without the City’s dedicated staff and department directors. A special thanks to everyone involved in making these initiatives a reality.
City Commission Mayor Skip Campbell Vice Mayor Larry Vignola Commissioner Joy Carter Commissioner Lou Cimaglia Commissioner Dan Daley
Senior Management Team Erdal DĂśnmez, City Manager John J. Hearn, City Attorney Susan L. Grant, Deputy City Manager Jennifer K. Bramley, Deputy City Manager Frank Babinec, Fire Chief Josephine Chavez, City Clerk Rick Engle, Director of Parks and Recreation Robert Goehrig, Director of Budget, Strategy and Communications Melissa Heller, Director of Financial Services Susan Hess Krisman, Director of Development Services Curlie Matthews, Director of Information Services Rich Michaud, Director of Public Works Dale Pazdra, Director of Human Resources Tony Pustizzi, Chief of Police
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For more information about recent accomplishments, visit CoralSprings.org/stateofthecity.
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