7/22/15 V2i14

Gazette

Volume 2 • Issue 14 July 22, 2015

Wilton Manors

Twice-Monthly Neighborhood Outlook

Page 1 Drunk Tow Program

Page 2 Mise En Place

Page 3 Real Estate Geek

Page 4 Decriminalizing Marijuana

Page 4 Public Safety Budget

Community Business

Westway Initiates Tow Program For Drunk Drivers

By Michael d’Oliveira

To cut down on drunk driving in the city, the Wilton Manors Police Department and Mothers Against Drunk Driving [MADD] have teamed up with Westway Towing to provide tows to impaired drivers.

“This brings real meaning to the words ‘don’t drink and drive’ because you don’t have to,” said Darren Wells, manager of Westway Towing.

Westway will provide the free tows from anywhere in Wilton Manors up to a distance of five miles with no hook-up fee. After that, they will charge $2.50 per additional mile.

“There’s no reason to be drinking and driving in Wilton Manors,” said Mayor Gary Resnick.

Commander Gary Blocker said the police department is working with MADD and local bars and restaurants to get the word out.

When officials decided to give the city’s tow contract to Westway in December of last year, after years with Sal’s Towing, Commissioner Julie Carson said Sal’s “Save A Life” program was important to the city. Since 1983, Sal’s has offered free tows to inebriated drivers anywhere in Broward County. When he started the program, owner Sal Bellassai said he tried to get other tow truck companies to join him but was unsuccessful.

“You asked for it and we gave it to you,” said Craig Goldstein, owner of Westway.

Unlike its new partnership with Westway though, the city “never took advantage” of the Sal’s Towing program, said resident Michael Rajner. WMG

For Westway, call 954-731-1115.

For Sal’s, call 954-566-5155.

Business

Search For Assistant City Manager Underway

By Michael d’Oliveira

Now that Wilton Manors officials have hired a new city manager, the search is on for a new assistant city manager.

City Manager Joe Gallegos announced his retirement earlier this year and his replacement, current Assistant City Manager Leigh Anne Henderson, was chosen recently to replace him. Henderson, the first female

city manager in the history of Wilton Manors, will take over in October of this year. Other women have served as city manager in the past but only on an interim basis. Henderson was the first hired as a permanent replacement.

Her replacement will start in September. WMG

Retiring City Manager Joe Gallegos.

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Opinion

Mise En Place…

By Sal Torre

Gazette Wilton Manors

JULY 22, 2015 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 14 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943

Photo: Team Kampai.

PUBLISHER • NORM KENT NORM.KENT@SFGN.COM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER • PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / EXECUTIVE EDITOR • JASON PARSLEY JASON.PARSLEY@SFGN.COM

Editorial

While reflecting on the success of last week’s Road Safety Symposium that took place here in Wilton Manors, my thoughts keep circling around what is the next step? How do we move forward toward solving these critically important issues?

As my thoughts raced forward, a culinary phrase popped into my head, ‘Mise en place.’ A phase not thought about for many years, probably not since French chefs drilled the phrase into my brain while attending culinary school. The phrase translates to, ‘putting in place,’ an essential first step toward having everything that is required prepped and in place before beginning to execute an important task. It was then I realized that this community must put our mise en place together as the first step before we can engage the regional planning authorities and move our agenda forward to reality.

The Road Safety Symposium was a community driven event, hosted by our neighborhood associations working together with our soon to be new City Manager, Leigh Ann Henderson.

The packed house with standing room only was a clear indication to the panelists and to our elected officials of the importance these issues are within our community. We came together seeking information and guidance from an amazing panel representing various regional agencies. We listened and learned how best to move these important issues ahead.

The panel laid out roadmaps, procedures and some reality checks on what we need to do, what we can expect, and how to get the results we are seeking. A list of items needed to have our

Business

By Michael d’Oliveira

mise en place in order, ready to move ahead to the next step.

Sometimes moving ahead means leaving certain things behind. This can be a large hurdle for some to move beyond.

Now is not the time to keep pushing outdated plans and expectations when all the players involved are ready for something new. We see a new approach by state officials at FDOT. We have a new player in town, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, who will have the source of funding needed for such projects. We see new stewardship in our city government with our new City Manager coming onboard. We see the reality of the ‘Complete Streets’ planning model already having an enormous effect in surrounding communities. So now is the time to embrace these changes, to take the information learned at the symposium, revise our expectations, define what we need as a community and begin to make it happen. Once this mise en place is in place, we will have the ability to work with our regional partners and create a better, safer community for residents, visitors, pedestrians, bicyclist and motorists.

In the coming weeks, the neighborhood association officers will be meeting with our city officials to voice our willingness to join together with various community leaders and organizations to embark on a journey that will bring about these important changes. The time is ripe to have our wish list turned into a grand reality for our city. We have been given the tools and information to make it happen.

Now it’s time to get to work!!!

Why? “because life is just better here…” WMG

Residents Want Pedestrian Safety Improved With CDBG Funds

ART DIRECTOR • BRENDON LIES ARTWORK@SFGN.COM ONLINE PRODUCER • DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ DENNIS.JOZEFOWICZ@SFGN.COM EDITORIAL ASSISTANT • JILLIAN MELERO JILLIANMELERO@GMAIL.COM NEWS EDITOR • MICHAEL D’OLIVEIRA

Correspondents

CHRISTIANA LILLY • DENISE ROYAL • NATALYA JONES • JOHN MCDONALD • JAMES OAKSUN

Staff Photographers

J.R. DAVIS • POMPANO BILL • STEVEN SHIRES

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Associated Press

Copyright © 2014 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

Community Development Block Grant [CDBG] funding totaling $65,000 is waiting to be spent on the Highland Estates neighborhood.

Located north of Northeast 26 Street and east of Northeast 6 Street, Highland Estates is the only area of the city that qualifies for the funding. The funding, provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is given to cities to address unique community development needs.

In the past, Wilton Manors has used CDBG funding to buy and develop the 14-space

overflow parking lot near Island City Park Preserve. Other uses include fitness stations, fencing, sidewalks, a drainage system, solar lighting, landscaping and street resurfacing.

Resident Michael Rajner said the city hasn’t looked “outside the [park’s] fences” enough when using the funding to improve Highland Estates. He suggested improving sidewalks on Northeast 8 Avenue and said the city needs to make Highland Estates, and the city overall, more pedestrian friendly for people in wheelchairs.

Carlos Fernandez agreed with Rajner.

Recently out of a wheelchair, Fernandez said sidewalks are often ill-equipped to handle wheelchairs and sometimes he had to get into oncoming traffic to get around.

Resident Norman Schwartz also wants to see sidewalks improve. In a letter to commissioners, he said he regularly walks around Highland Estates with his dog and requested that more shade trees be added along the streets. Like Rajner, he also wants the city’s parks to be more dog-friendly.

“I enjoy being able to sit in our parks to read a book on my walks, but with the city not

having dog welcoming parks within walking distance, I rarely visit the parks to enjoy their beauty,” wrote Schwartz.

Commissioner Julie Carson agreed that parks should be more dog-friendly.

The commission will decide how the CDBG funds are spent at a future commission meeting. Residents can still submit their ideas to the city manager’s office. Call 954-390-2100.

WMG

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SouthFloridaGayNews July 22, 2015

Recap of 2014-15 High Season

Real Estate Geek

By James Oaksun Back in March I wrote a column about how prices and sales volume looked at the halfway point of the season.

But now the final whistle has blown, Julian Edelman had a nice visit with me (kidding) and we can see the season in full.

At the halfway point it appeared that the center of the Island City was where all the real estate action was occurring. Prices and volume were strong, much stronger than east of Dixie or west of Andrews.

Did that continue?

I've included two charts, one showing median sales prices for this past season and the three prior high seasons, and one for sales volume.

Let's start by looking at prices.

For the season, the median sales price of a single family home in Wilton Manors (arms length transactions only) was $360,000, down four percent from the 201314 season. Prices were down in both the east (-4%) and center (-6%) but were up in the west (+7%). In fact, for the first time since the 2011-12 high season, prices west of Andrews have gone ahead of prices in the center of town (but just slightly).

In the first half of this season prices were very strong in the center of town, but decidedly less so in the other

two neighborhoods. In the second half, prices increased significantly (+16%) in the west and somewhat in the east also (+8%) but were down significantly in the center of town (-12%).

Now looking at numbers of homes sold, total sales this past season increased 18 percent compared with the 2013-14 season. Sales volume in the 2013-14 season was down from the year prior. It is possible that lower inventories of properties available drove prices higher during that season, and then this past season, as more properties became available for purchase, a softening in valuations occurred.

No one has a crystal ball, but as we head toward next season I would expect pricing (on a relative basis) to firm in the center of town and ease a bit in the west.

Meaning, if prices generally increase I would expect a higher rate of increase in the center of town, and should they drop I'd expect a lower rate of decrease. WMG James Oaksun, Broward's Real Estate GeekSM, is a Realtor with the Wilton Manors office of RE/ MAX Preferred. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a graduate of the Realtors Institute (GRI).

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Business

Community

Photos: Facebook.

Photos: Facebook.

Wilton Manors May Public Safety A Top Concern Decriminalize Marijuana As Wilton Manors Begins Budget Process

By Michael d’Oliveira

A Broward League of Cities survey question has Wilton Manors city commissioners questioning their police department’s treatment of those arrested for marijuana possession.

At the July 14 commission meeting, Mayor Gary Resnick brought up a Broward League of Cities survey that asks cities if they are considering a move to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Representatives from NORML, an organization based in West Park that works to reform marijuana laws, urged the commission to treat marijuana possession the same as a traffic ticket.

Karen Goldstein, deputy director of NORML, said America’s war on drugs has failed to curb drug abuse and has created more problems – increased incarceration rates and convictions that hurt people’s chances for meaningful employment and other opportunities. “It makes no sense.

It’s a failed policy.”

Officials asked Commander Gary Blocker to look into how much money the city spends, via personnel hours, on processing individuals arrested for possession.

He estimates between one and two hours is spent per arrest. That includes taking the suspect to the county jail in Fort Lauderdale for processing and filling out paper work. Last year, he said police

By Michael d’Oliveira

arrested between 200 and 250 people in Wilton Manors for marijuana-related charges. He will provide a more detailed analysis at a future commission meeting.

“You put a dollar amount to that and you’ve got a persuasive argument [for decriminalization],” said City Manager Joe Gallegos.

In June, Miami-Dade County decriminalized possession of 20 grams or less. That offense now only carries a $100 fine. In an interview with Local 10, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine spoke in favor of the change. “We don't want marijuana smoking on the streets. That's still illegal. It's illegal to distribute or sell any marijuana or anything like that. But if someone's caught with under 20 grams, we don't want to ruin their lives.”

It might not be as easy for Wilton Manors to decriminalize though.

City Attorney Kerry Ezrol said the city may not be able to decriminalize something the county still wishes to enforce.

Resnick, with an eye towards the possible legalization of medical marijuana in the future, also wants to look into passing zoning restrictions on where medical marijuana can be sold. Some cities, including Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, have already passed zoning restrictions.

WMG

The city’s proposed budget includes funding one additional patrol officer, but by the time the budget is approved in September there may be more.

“We need more boots on the ground,” said Vice Mayor Scott Newton. Currently, there are 18 patrol officers and four patrol sergeants.

Mayor Gary Resnick agreed with Newton, saying that if public safety isn’t addressed “nothing else will matter.”

Policing parks, specifically Colohatchee, which for years has been used by individuals to have sex, is also a concern.

The Budget Review Advisory Committee recommended hiring two part time police aides to police the parks. To fund the positions, the committee suggested using the $20,000 budgeted for improving the vacant lots next to Hagen. Those lots were purchased by the city to eventually expand Hagen Park.

Newton said he wants a full time park ranger to oversee Colohatchee in addition to the two current part time rangers.

“We’ve had a problem with Colohatchee for a long time,” said Newton. “I’m the vice mayor of the city and I don’t want to go there.

We have to do something. This commission needs to get off our rear ends.”

Resnick said Colohatchee, a unique gathering of mangroves in the middle of builtout east Broward, used to be one of the parks he was most proud of when he first moved to the city.

Now, say residents, the park is a magnet for unwanted sexual behavior that keeps many away.

“I have pretty much given up on my neighborhood park,” said resident Carlos Fernandez who lives adjacent to Colohatchee.

“There’s pimps, drugs . . . I took pictures of two guys masturbating.”

In addition to more personnel overseeing the park, Newton suggested redesigning the bathrooms with one stall to make it harder for them to be used for sex. He also said the park

would have to be closed temporarily at some point, for an undetermined amount of time, to replace the decking, expand the dog park fencing and possibly remove the basketball court.

Commissioner Julie Carson said more oversight also needs to be taken when it comes to keeping parks clean.

With the cost of the Mickel Park redevelopment at about $1.6 million, Commissioner Tom Green cautioned that the city can’t spend a lot right away on Colohatchee. “We can’t build two new parks in two years,” said Green.

“I’m not saying do the whole park at one time,” responded Newton.

This year’s proposed budget is $31.1 million, an increase of $1.13 million over last year. The proposed operating millage rate will stay at 6.0683 but the overall millage has been reduced by 0.0454 because of reductions in the debt service. Although revenue will increase, including $443,439 from a jump in property values, the fourth highest in the county, there are also increases in expenses.

Health insurance, pensions, salary increases and other costs added $650,000 to the budget.

The cost of the water and sewer utilities, mostly due to capital improvements and debt service, is also expected to rise, $10.09 million this year over $9.3 million last year. In 2013, the cost was $6.5 million. That number, said resident Paul Kuta, warrants more discussion.

“The time is overdue to have a serious conversation with Fort Lauderdale (which provides Wilton Manors with water) about the components of their cost which lead to their imposing annual increase of five percent for water and sewage charges,” said Kuta.

The next budget meeting will be on Wednesday, July 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the commission chambers. At the meeting, commissioners will vote on a tentative millage rate, preliminary special assessment rates and hold a budget workshop. WMG

Visit www.wiltonmanors.com/documentcenter/view/1232 for a full schedule of budget meetings.

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