Mayor Kaplan Participates Appears on Transportation TV Program

On July 3 and July 8, at 7:30 PM, on WLRN Channel 17, Mayor Richard J. Kaplan, along with Sidney Calloway of the Florida Transportation Commission and Julio Rodriguez of FDOT District 6, will appear to discuss transportation issues. A discussion will be on the development of transportation and transit, along with the future prospects.

Lauderhill Community Shuttle Bus #6 Is Running

Through the reprogramming of Broward County transportation funds, Mayor Richard Kaplan was successful to obtain monies to implement the 6th Lauderhill Community Shuttle Bus to service the southeast area of the city. This route, which Broward County calls the Central Connector, will be paid by for in full and administered by the county, and not Lauderhill, until 2008. The service will be free. Additional work is needed to insure funding beyond 2008.

The route will begin at the Lauderhill Mall, go through the Lauderhill Industrial Park, then into West Ken Lark, by the Swap Shop, then into St. George, and Broward Estates, stopping at Plantation General Hospital, and returning to the Mall. Once the Central Regional Park in Lauderhill, with the Library, Cultural Arts Facility and Carrishoca, are finished, an additional stop will also be provided there.

Trips are planned from 6:20 AM to 7:40 PM (with no service from 1:40 to 3:40 PM), Monday through Friday. Though the Shuttle Bus will have regular stops, like other Lauderhill Shuttle Buses, it will stop along the route if flagged down by riders. It will also connect into the Plantation and Lauderdale Lakes Community Shuttle Bus Systems, along with Broward County Transit.

For more information about all Lauderhill's Shuttle Bus Routes and timetables: http://www.lauderhill-fl.gov/comm_csched.html

Transportation Referendum To Be Voted Upon In November

By a 5 to 4 vote, the Broward County Commission agreed to put on November's ballot a question concerning raising funds to pay for transit and transportation. The ballot question will be whether or not to raise the sales tax 1 cent to pay for these improvements. The vote will be up to the people.

Transportation and transit has long been identified as a major problem within Broward County, growing steadily worse of the years. Additionally, without a dedicated source of revenue, the county does not qualify for Federal or State matching funds, as many other areas throughout the country presently do.

The Broward County Metropolitan Planning Organization has planned transportation improvements throughout the county, and presently there is a shortfall of over $10 Billion to implement these plans. Without such a source of revenue, there is virtually no hope of ever trying to solve the transportation issue we face. Delaying any vote at this time would have meant missing the federal funding cycle until 2010, thereby losing out for matching funds for another 4 years.

The average cost to the taxpayer is calculated to average $45/year. Compared with the raising of gasoline by $1/gallon, which will cost approx. $800/year per average driving in a car.

The monies raised will be $260 million/year, and can be bonded to raise sufficient funds now to implement the plan created. The plan, created by People for Progress, using the Broward County MPO plans and Broward County plans, and supported by numerous cities along with the Broward County MPO, is ambitious and needed. However, much more information will be forthcoming to explain to the voters how this tax will address our problems.

The decision to ask for this type of tax, with the consent of the voters, is because under state law, this was the only source of revenue that is available and permitted by the Florida Legislature for such improvements. No other source could be used, and raise anywhere near the monies needed to tackle such a difficult problem.

Funds used will specifically go towards expansion of free Community Shuttle Buses, the construction of several light rail transit lines (State Road 7, FEC & Central East West Corridor), and several Bus Rapid Transit and Express Bus Systems serving the entire the county. Funds will also be available for numerous other transportation matters, as set out in the written plan.

For more information: http://www.keepbrowardmoving.com/

Local Resident Makes US Netball Team and Needs Support

Ms.Taniesha Morrison

The United States of America Netball Association, Inc. (USANA) is delighted to announce that
Ms.Taniesha Morrison has been selected to the squad that will be participating in the Qualifiers for the World Netball Championships that will be held in 2007 in Fiji. These qualifiers will be held in Barbados in August of this year. Ms Taniesha Morrison represent the U.S.A. under 21 a netball squad in 2005 which host her in Florida at the Broward convention center and is the youngest player on squad, Ms Morrison is also a resident of Lauderhill .

Netball is a sport that was invented in the USA over a century ago (having the same roots as Basketball) and then was taken overseas where the game has flourished. Netball is now beginning to attract the same attention and enthusiasm back in its country of origin.

Ms.Morrison is an excellent exponent of her chosen sport of Netball and she has made a magnificent effort to obtain a place on our Championship Team. Our squad is entirely self-financing and all our players make great personal sacrifices in order to play the sport they love. The purpose of this letter is to authorize Ms.Morrison to solicit donations towards the cost of her participating in the Championships.

As you can imagine, the cost of sending a team to any world championships is immense and we have already completed many fund raising activities. In order to allow our athletes to concentrate on training for the championships, we are asking supporters to make a donation in Ms.Morrison’s name. USANA is a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization and any donation is fully tax-deductible. The USANA treasurer, at your request, will issue a receipt.

I am proud to say the continued support of our community and local business has helped to bring netball to forefront of women’s sports in America .We have gain awareness through women’s participation in professional basketball, our sports is also under scrutiny by the international Olympics committee it is our outmost concern to promote our future youth .In order for our athletes to remain competitive, we must continue to promote the sport
Thank you for your kind consideration and for your support to this very enthusiastic athlete.
If you should need any question or wish to further discuss this matter, please contact me at cell (954-554-6041) via e-mail at jamprincess9@aol.com


Very sincerely yours,

Edina Bayne
President,USANA
Valerie Passley
Match & tournament Officer,USANA



United States of America Netball Association, Inc.
Bowling Green Station, P.O. Box 1105, New York, NY 10274-1105, 561 736-5253

July 4th Fireworks

The City of Lauderhill will present its 8th Annual 4th of July Celebration at the Lauderhill Sports Park, located on Oakland Park Blvd., east of University Drive. As in past years, many events will take place, including live musical performances, as well as a spectacular fireworks display. For those who have not seen it before, the fireworks are quite unique and something not to be missed.

The event begins around 7, with the fireworks set to begin between 8:30 and 9 PM. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for this not to be missed event.

Commission Summer Schedule And Budget Meetings

The Lauderhill City Commission has modified its meeting schedule for the summer as follows:

1) The Regular Commission Meeting for July 31 and August 14 are cancelled;
2) The Regular Commission Workshops for July and August are cancelled;
3) The Annual Budget Workshops, to review the proposed budget for 2006-2007 has been set for July 11 at 4 PM, and if not completed on that date, then continued on July 12 at 4 PM

All meetings will be at the new Commission Chambers at City Hall, 3800 Inverrary Blvd., 1st Floor. If special workshops or meetings are required, they will be scheduled as needed.

Notes of Workshop of June 19, 2006

The following matters were discussed at the Lauderhill Regular Workshop Commission Meeting:

1) Nominations for the Florida Cities of Excellence. Consensus was to nominate:

a) Lauderhill for Florida City of Excellence
b) Lauderhill for the City Spirit Award: Unite-a-Fest
c) Kennie Hobbs - Finance Officer of the Year
d) Rev. Herron- Citizen of the Year
e) Fire Chief Ed Curran - Employee of the Year
f) M. Margaret Bates - Commissioner of the Year.

2) M. Margaret Bates was also chosen to be nominated for the E. Harris Drew Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Florida League of Cities.

3) Consensus to hire a facilitator for setting goals at the next City Commission Annual Retreat, to be schedule in the 4th quarter of 2006.

4) Consensus to join a municipal consortium to look at FPL's request for having residents paying for the cost to reinforce FPL's facilities.

5) Consensus to investigate replacing sports fields with artificial turf. First use may be at the multi-purpose field at the Sports Park.

How To Pay Water Bills On-Line

The City of Lauderhill arranged last year for water bills to be paid on line with a credit card. This method has been in addition to mailing the payment in, or dropping by one of the community centers to pay in person. The on-line method has been very popular, but some are not aware of the service.

To pay on-line use the following link: http://www.lauderhill-fl.gov/fin_online.html. There is no city charge, though your financial institution may charge you. You can also get information about your water bill, and after hours emergency numbers.

Schools Receive Their Report Card

The FCAT results are in, and the schools have been graded. Many have shown significant improvement, the greatest by the Smart School Charter Middle School, who went from a D to an A. The following is a list of the schools serving Lauderhill students, and their grade. For each "*" indicates an increase of one letter grade from last year:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Banyan A
Broward Estates B
Castle C
Challenger A
Endeavor No Grade
Larkdale C**
Lauderhill Paul Turner A**
Martin Luther King C
Nova Blanche Forman A*
Nova Eisenhower A
Park Lakes B*
Royal Palm C
Village B*

MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Lauderhill C
Millenium A*
Nova Middle A
Smart School A***
Westpine A*

HIGH SCHOOLS
Dillard C*
Nova A
Piper C

Notes of the Commission Meeting, Workshop and CRA Meeting of 6/12/06

On June 12, 2006, the City Commission met, for what is expected to be the last time at the Sadkin Center, before moving into the new City Hall, for a CRA Meeting, Special Workshop and its Regular Commission Meeting.

At the CRA Meeting, the following matters were covered:

1) Discussion on expanding the CRA District along 441 to include those business districts along 31st Ave., Sunrise Blvd. and Broward Blvd.

2) A report on property acquisitions, especially in light of the new restrictions upon cities to use eminent domain for redevelopment in Florida.

At the Special Workshop, the following was discussed:

1) A review of a resolution to create policy for installing speed humps in the city, sponsored by Mayor Kaplan. The city has such a unwritten policy, but this was proposed to have it reduced into writing so that the policy is consistently followed.

2) Review of 3 Resolutions providing approval to Broward County for the development of the Central Regional Park.

3) Issues related to Water and Sewer in newly annexed area were reviewed, and our position as it relates to Broward County who owns the system there.

At the Regular Commission Meeting, the following matters were acted upon:

1) First Reading:
a) Creation of a Charter Review Board to begin Nov. 2006 and finish by May 2008;
b) Adding additional penalties to those who fail to pay water bills or illegally bypass, modify or connect to the city water system without authorization from the city.

2) Second/Final Reading:
a) Approved a $10,000,000 Line of Credit to finance certain projects as listed in the city's 5 year capital improvement program and/or CRA program.
b) Approved significant penalties created by riders of motor scooters, and similar vehicles from operating in city rights of ways/street, if the vehicle does not possess a Florida License Plate and is operated by a unlicensed driver. Sponsored by Mayor Kaplan.
c) Approved the Collective Bargaining Agreement with AFSCME.

3) Resolutions:

a) Approved the expenditure of funds to repair canal banks.
b) Purchase of new police vehicles.

4) Other Matters:

a) Established the Summer Schedule for Commission Meetings and Budget Workshops (to be in a separate posting)
b) Moved a Resolution onto the Regular Workshop Meeting of June 19, and scheduled a Special Commission Meeting to be following immediately to pass the Resolution

Commission Meetings Moved To New City Hall

Beginning with the Regular Commission Workshop Meeting of June 19, all future regular meetings of the Commission will be held at the new City Hall, 3800 Inverrary Blvd., 1st Floor, Room 111. Since Hurricane Wilma, these meetings had been conducted either at the Sadkin Center or the Police Station. Now that the new facility is ready, the meetings were moved.

Police Department Receives Grant

The Lauderhill Police Department announced that they have finally received their distribution from the 2005 Federal Justice Assistance Grant of $48,553. The money is designated to run the Police Impact Program, the Vice and Narcotics Unit and purchasing new laptops to replace old laptops in police vehicles.

Florida Developer's 23rd Psalm

I recently received this, and thought, though a bit sarcastic and maybe sacrilegious, it still is both funny and something to think about:

Mammon is my shepherd: I shall not want,
It maketh me to lie down with green gators;
It leadeth me to drain the still waters for development's sake,
It destroyeth my soul;
It leadeth me in the pathways of evil.
Yea, tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of the IRS, I will fear no prosecution; for my attorney art with me:
His litigation and obfuscation, they comfort me.
I prepareth a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
I anointeth my head with oil;
My cup runneth over.
Surely avarice and lies shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in my overpriced house forever.

Lauderhill City Hall Relocating

The City of Lauderhill is now open up for business at its new location in the Corporate Park of Inverrary. This is located at 3800 Inverrary Blvd., Lauderhill, FL 33319. For more information call (954) 730-3085 or (954) 730-3000. Commission meeting will be at Sadkin Center for June 12, but is hoped to move to the new location for the June 26 meeting. Phone numbers at the Corporate Park of Inverrary should be the same ones as before Hurricane Wilma, but are provided as follows:

Administration: Suite 306: (954) 730-3000
Business & Neighborhood Enrichment: Suite 307 (954) 730-3036
Business Center Suite 107:

Utility Customer Service: (954) 730-3030
Business Licenses: 954) 717-1514
Planning & Zoning: (954) 730-3050
Building Department: (954) 730-3060
City Clerk and Commission: Suite 301: (954) 730-3010:
Mayor Kaplan: (954)730-3016 (CH), (954)752-1732 (w), (954)742-6967 (h)
Code Enforcement: Suite 307: (954) 730-3070
Community Redevelopment Agency: Suite 107: (954) 714-1534
Finance: Suite 209: (954) 730-3030
Human Resources: Suite 303: (954) 730-3090
Planning and Zoning: Suite 107: (954) 730-3050
Commission Chambers: Suite 112

For more information regarding Commission Workshops and Meetings call (954) 730-3010


Lauderhill Offices in Other Locations:

DEES (2101 NW 49 Ave) (954) 730-2960
Fire Rescue Non-Emergency (Station #57 – 1980 NW 56 Ave) (954) 730-2950
MIS (Station #57 – 1980 NW 56 Ave) (954) 730-2950
Parks and Leisure Services: (4141 NW 16 Street) (954) 730-3080
Police: (6279 W. Oakland Park Blvd.) (954) 497-4700
Transportation: (7500 W. Oakland Park Blvd.) (954) 572-2933

Mailing Address: City of Lauderhill, 3800 Inverrary Blvd. #306, Lauderhill, FL 33319

Staples Is Coming

Staples, the world's largest office supply store, is opening a new store in Lauderhill, 7500 W. Commercial, its first in Broward County. The location is on the southeast corner of University Drive and Commercial, next to Baby R' Us, and across the street from SuperTarget.

This site is centrally located within the region, and was considered by them just a few years ago, though they had decided then not to enter the county. Curiously, the site was the same site that several years ago Office Depot was seriously considering, though it opted to open in a neighboring city. Also, Lauderhill has been the first site in south florida, or Broward, for several other chains, SuperTarget and CVS.

In choosing this location, it will move into an area which has one of the highest concentration of traffic, and its neighbors, Party City, Baby R' Us and SuperTarget, have been some of the most successful stores within their respected chains. Opening is expected this year. Staples Web Site: www.staples.com

Property Values Up In Lauderhill

Annually numbers are released within Broward County showing the difference in property values in each city from year to year. Comparing the years 2005 to 2006, the property values in Lauderhill increased 24.6%. This was the fourth highest increased among the 31 cities, plus unincorporated Broward, which averaged 19%. Comparing the annual increase of property values over the last 5 years, Lauderhill would easily be one of the top areas for highest average increases in the county.

Much of the increase is can be due to the more affordable housing values Lauderhill has had over the years. Now that other communities have become so much more expensive and are cooling off, many are turning towards areas like Lauderhill, increasing demand, and causing our values to increase at a much higher rate. Also, much of the credit can also be attributable to significant improvements Lauderhill has made in rebuilding its infrastructure and improvements in services provided.

One of the goals of a city is to provide value to its residents and businesses. This can be expressed in terms of increase in property values, which is an investment. In terms of these increases, Lauderhill has been extremely successful in providing this value.

Lauderhill Named City Livability Honorable Mention Winner

The U.S. Conference of Mayors announced that Lauderhill has been chosen to be an Honorable Mention for the 2006 City Livability Awards for cities under 100,000. This award focuses on the positive efforts of mayors and cities who are improving the quality of life, and making a difference for their residents.

Following Hurricane Wilma, Fire Chief Ed Curran drafted a paper entitled "Hurricane Wilma Post Incident Analysis Preliminary Report." It outlined steps taken before, during and after the hurricane, in how Lauderhill responded. It contained significant detail of the storm, and provided not only a best practice outline of the city, but also provided a guidance of where improvements can be made. This report has been copied, and distributed to other cities in the county.

From this report, Mayor Richard J. Kaplan distilled the information and supplemented it into a shorter original application that was submitted to the judges. The original application was then chosen as 1 of 15 finalist in its category. The 30 finalist chosen between the two categories, were from 235 applications submitted. Following notification, Lauderhill was required to prepared a more detailed report for the second round of review.

The announcement was made at the US Conference of Mayors Annual National Meeting June 3. Also announced was the Grand Prize Winner, four Outstanding Achievement Awards, and the other four Honorable Mention Award Winners.

Mayor's Emergency E-Mail Notification System

Mayor Richard J. Kaplan has created an Emergency E-Mail Notification System, which can be used for important announcements as well. The System is activated whenever a general need arises to give quick updates to Lauderhill residents and businesses. It has been used in the past for boil water and don't boil water orders, weather related, and once for an anthrax scare at City Hall.

To be added to the contact list, just e-mail your address to the mayor at: rkaplan@lauderhill-fl.gov. The system will not be used for spam or other commercial pursuits.