This Week's e-Stories

A large crowd came out to enjoy the Pompano Beach Chamber's Business-to-Business Expo. Held upstairs at the Pompano Citi Centre, over 80 vendors from Plant

ation to Deerfield networked with the business community.

Left: Dr. Samuel Laffer, an acupuncture physician at the Business to Business Expo at the Pompano Citi Centre.

Right: People enjoying the Business to Business Expo.Many attending commented on how much they enjoyed the event.

Park hours changing, more closures during week

Please be advised that effective August 26, 2010, Broward County regional parks, nature centers, and natural areas will resume Tuesday and Wednesday closings* through September 30, 2010, due to Fiscal Year 2010 budget reductions. The following four County parks, however, will continue to be open daily:

Campgrounds will remain open daily to registered campers, with the exception of Quiet Waters’ Rent-a-Tent campground, which will be closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Neighborhood parks will continue daily operations. Private facilities – AllGolf (at C.B. Smith), Butterfly World (at Tradewinds), Ski Rixen (at Quiet Waters), and the tennis centers (at Brian Piccolo and C.B. Smith) – will continue their normal operating schedules. Polling sites will be open for voting purposes only on election days.

Regional Parks, Nature Centers, and Natural Areas Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays:

* The following nature centers will remain closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays year round and daily hours of operation will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Anne Kolb, Fern Forest, Long Key, and Secret Woods.

The Broward County Parks and Recreation Division thanks you for your patronage and looks forward to continuing to meet your recreational needs.

Business to Business Expo set for September 1

Greater Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce’s event

Is a great opportunity to meet businesses from all over North Broward

POMPANO BEACH- The Greater Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce is holding their annual Business to Business Expo on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at the Pompano Beach Citi Centre. The networking, fun and chance to meet with local businesses, begins at 5:30 PM and runs until 7:30 PM. The Pompano Beach Citi Centre is located on the corner of Copans Road and US 1 at 1955 North Federal Highway. The Expo will be held on the second floor between Lowe’s and Sears.

Attendance to the event is open to the public and costs just $10 per person. Buy your ticket in advance and get two tickets for $15. Last year 70 exhibitors shared information about their products and services to the over 400 people that attended.

This year’s event promises to be one local civic organization’s best with the price of admissions including finger food and refreshments.

The Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce’s 2010 Business to Business Expo on September 1 is a great opportunity to showcase businesses, products and services. A limited amount of exhibition space is still available to Chamber and non Chamber members.

For more information on the 2010 Business to Business Expo, visit www.PompanoBeachChamber.com or call the Greater Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce at (954) 941-2940 and ask for Diana Farr.

Fishing tournament attracts anglers

He took his son Cameron Sousa, 9, fishing and they participated in the St. Coleman Men’s Club "Walk on Water" Fishing Tournament in Pompano Beach. This was the 10th year for the event.

"I really enjoyed fishing today and being with my son today," said Val Sousa. "He caught an 8-lb. king fish and two sail fish."

Mark Coleman also enjoyed the fishing tournament. "We caught a lot of dolphin. All of us had a good time today," he said.

Jason Miller said his group of friends caught 12 king fish and 30 bonitas. "It was fun," he said.

Jerry Squadrito, chairperson of the fishing tournament, said 39 boats registered for the tournament and 16 boats had their fish weighed at the William Alsdorf Boat Ramp and Park in Pompano Beach.

The event raised $3,500 for Special Olympics of Broward County. The boat Bite Me donated $500 back to the Men’s Club for the Special Olympics, according to Squadrito

Night Out Against Crime tonight

Join Sheriff Al Lamberti and the BSO family in observing the 27th annual “National Night Out Against Crime,” an annual event designed to strengthen our neighborhoods through police and community partnerships. National Night Out aims to heighten awareness of crime and drug prevention, build support and participation in local anti-crime programs and, most importantly, send a message to criminals that our neighborhoods are organized. This is a perfect opportunity to get to know the BSO deputies who patrol your streets and unite with your neighbors in the fight against crime. As a show of support on August 3, citizens are encouraged to leave their porch lights on as a show of support.

Go to Quiet Waters Park, Pavilion 10, 401 S. Powerline Rd., from 6 to 9 p.m. featuring the Smugglin Yo Yo's Band, a rock-climbing wall and an obstacle course. Call 954-480-4300 for info. Free food and drinks.

Ratley family gets $5,000 from Hard Rock, Majic 102.7

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Majic 102.7 FM’s Majic Children’s Fund partnered with the “Happy Together” 25th anniversary tour to benefit a local Deerfield Beach teenager in need, Josie Lou Ratley. A portion of the ticket sales from the Happy Together concert at Hard Rock Live went to Josie Lou Ratley and her family to pay for continuing medical and rehabilitation treatment. On Thursday, July 29 Josie Lou Ratley and her family attended the Happy Together concert and received a check for $5,040 from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and the Majic Children’s Fund.

Pictured: (L-R Back Row) - Carl Giammanese (The Buckinghams), Rob Grill (Grass Roots), Howard “Eddie” Kaylan, Micky Dolenz and Mark “Flo” Volman. (L-R Front Row) – Hilda Ratley, Josie Lou Ratley, Rick Shaw (President of the Majic Children’s Fund) and Bernie Dillon (Photo Credit: Tom Craig/Seminole Hard Rock)

West Wellfield update

The concrete forms for the slab and foundation system for the generator building have been removed, and masonry work for exterior walls has been initiated.

City crews have already initiated tree removal operations for the planned earth berm and landscaping improvements.

The city has procured a written commitment from the contractor’s bonding agent, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, requiring future payments for Downrite Engineering Corp. now be forwarded for distribution to each of their unpaid subcontractors and material suppliers.

For questions or concerns about this project, please call 954-480-4269 or 954-770-4246.

Hillsboro Streetscape update

The City / Community Redevelopment Agency and Ric-Man Construction continue work on the Hillsboro Boulevard Streetscape Improvements project and the re-construction of State Road 810 Hillsboro Boulevard between A1A and US-1.

Work was slowed by the contractor’s FPL as-build submittal requirements. Acceptance of those as-build drawings by FPL was received on July 07, 2010. FPL has completed a pre-construction conference with their field crews. Most recently, Ric-Man Construction completed final preparations of transformer-pad conduits following FPL and the city re-inspected the contractor’s work to determine a start date for FPL crews.

For more information about the project, call the Community Redevelopment Agency at 954-480-4206 or the Public Works and Environmental Services Director at 954-770-4246.

Operation Found and Forgotten: A crossroads of police and the public

On Feb. 26, 1978 in a wooded area in unincorporated Deerfield Beach was a man with short brown hair. His time of death was most likely late 1977 to early January 1978. The young man is still unidentified.

Cases like this were the catalyst for Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) to start Operation Found and Forgotten. The program was launched in December 2008.

“After reviewing old cases it was determined that Broward County had several unknown victims who, over the years, were forgotten and there was no electronic database in place to track them or any progress in the identification process,” said Sgt. Glenn Bukata of BSO’s Homicide Unit.

Operation Found and Forgotten works by reaching out to the masses. On the BSO website (www.sheriff.org) is a list of unidentified or unsolved cases. Each listing includes a case number, date the victim was found, where the victim was found, description of the victim (race, hair color, approximate height and weight, etc.), an approximate age, investigation notation and clues. The clues include something unique about the victim — victim in the opening paragraph had been wearing a shirt with a “unique floral and bird design,” according to his listing. A picture or pictures are also included. The pictures are normally of the location, an item of clothing and a sketch or clay composite of the victim. The composites are developed by BSO Forensic Artist Catyana Sawyer.

According to Bukata, goal of the program is to “identify as many unidentified remains as possible and to bring some type of closure to families.”

“Back in the 1960s and through the early 1990s, DNA was really unheard of,” explained Bukata. This caused many cases to remain unsolved until law enforcement began to use DNA in crime scene analysis. Bukata states that “In the past few years, we here at BSO, along with other jurisdictions throughout the nation started to obtain DNA from parents of missing people and comparing their profiles against unidentified remains found in our county.”

To assist, BSO turned to the University of North Texas’ Human Identification Center and the Presidential DNA Initiative. The Presidential Initiative was launched in 2004 during the presidency of George W. Bush and its goals include eliminating DNA testing backlog and using DNA to identify human remains and help with missing persons cases.

BSO also works closely with the Broward Medical Examiner and Forensic Anthropologist Heather Walsh-Haney.

“She comes to Broward County and closely examines all unidentified remains as to race, sex, ethnicity, height, weight. She then cuts a piece of bone from the remains and sends it in for DNA profiling to be uploaded into the NDIS (CODIS) System,” The Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas said CODIS stands for Combined DNA Index System and is an electronic database of DNA.

It can sometimes take decades to identify a victim if traditional means like fingerprints, dental records and witness accounts, fail. Why does it take so long for some remains to be identified? According to Bukata, some reasons are “technology is still advancing and the lack of public awareness and media attention. Most people don’t know about several websites that are in place for families to research a missing person’s face, and the initial story is only on the news for about a week.

With the exception of the victim’s families and the detective assigned to a specific case, most people forget and move on. This is where technology and law enforcement come into play.”

The website has already seen success with cases. According to Bukata, the website directly resulted in identification of 1983 murder victim Tina Moore from Pompano Beach. In 2009, a Palm Beach Sheriff’s office murder victim (and Deerfield resident) Gregory Vondell Andrews was identified through DNA taken from his relatives by BSO during the Presidential Initiative. He had been unknown for 27 years.

Operation Found and Forgotten can be found on the BSO website www.sheriff.org. If you recognize anything or have any tips please call Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS or 866-493-TIPS. Please be advised that some of the content is not appropriate for children.

Blue Collar union gets no increases

A skeleton city commission – Vice Mayor Joe Miller presiding, Commissioner Marty Popelsky and Commissioner Bill Ganz -- voted 3-0 in favor of Interim City Manager Burgess Hanson’s recommendation at the July 15 IMPASSE hearing before the Deerfield commission. [Mayor Peggy Noland and Commissioner Sylvia Poitier did not attend the just over an hour-long meeting during the summer recess.]

The city’s stance is frozen Longevity pay for current employees (new hires would participate in the city’s Lump Sum plan), frozen merit pay increases, no COLA (cost of living adjustment) and one-year duration of contract. The contract expires Sept. 30, 2010.

“We’d love to give the money but we don’t have the money to give. I believe we need to give the manager the most latitude to run this city as fiscally responsible as possible,” said Miller.

Following the initial IMPASSE hearing March 23, Special Master Martin Soll recommended in favor of the city’s position – except in regard to “me too” language. His recommendation allowed for it, whereas the Interim City Manager’s recommendation (which the commission voted for) does not.

Pompano Beach awaits RFQs

Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency is awaiting proposals from the development community.

Pompano Beach has put out Request for Qualifications (RFQs) to solicit proposals from developers interested in developing the Pompano Beach Fishing Pier area in the East CRA District. This includes an area formerly occupied by a restaurant near the pier and the parking lot immediately across the street to the west.

Deadline for submittal is July 30. Notices have been sent to developers, land use attorneys and architects. It has been posted on the City’s website as well.

We are looking for beach-oriented retail, restaurants and we are really just asking developers to tell us what they think is feasible on that site and we will evaluate what they propose," said Steve Spaulding, community development coordinator for the Pompano Beach CRA. He is focused on the East CRA District.

Parameters have been set from about 22,500 to about 34,000 square feet to include a restaurant and beach-oriented retail. "If a developer wants to propose something outside of that range, we are asking for the developer to provide data to support the feasibility of what they are proposing," said Spaulding.

Money magazine: Deerfield, where homes are most affordable

You may have seen Money magazine’s top 100 best places to live list, July 13, and not realized that Deerfield Beach was a contender in the ranking:

While Deerfield did not make the top 100 list, it was ranked No. 1 on Money magazine’s “Where Homes are Most Affordable” list. As described in the text, “Residents who live in these 25 growing towns see their incomes go the furthest.” Here is the link:

Health care town hall July 19

Sponsored by State Representative Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed, Pompano Beach Commissioner Woodrow J. Poitier, and Congressman Alcee Hastings, the meeting will be led by Congressman Kendrick Meek and Congressman Alcee Hastings, giving an update on the Health Care Reform bill that was passed by Congress earlier this year.

The meeting will be held on Monday, July 19, 2010 at 6 P.M. at the E. Pat Larkins Community Center, 520 Northwest 3^rd Street, Pompano Beach, FL 33060. For more information and to RSVP, please call: 954-786-4848.

Walgreens grand opening

Walgreens, on the corner of Hillsboro and Federal Hwy. in Deerfield Beach, celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, July 10. Visitors to the new store enjoyed hot dogs and giveaways, including Blue Bell ice cream, Walgreens bags, Dove products from dermatologist Dr. Hecker and more. There were also raffle prizes including a TV. This store is open 24 hours, including the pharmacy.

Underground FPL wires start going in on Hillsboro Blvd.

The City/Community Redevelopment Agency and Ric-Man Construction continue work on the Hillsboro Boulevard Streetscape Improvements project and the re-construction of State Road 810 Hillsboro Boulevard between A1A and US-1.

Work has been slowed by the contractor’s as-build submittal requirements for FPL. On July 07, FPL approved the as-build drawings. FPL crews are anticipated to proceed with underground electrical installation throughout the months of July and August, followed by the electrical energizing phase for each FPL customer in the area.

For more information about the project, call the Community Redevelopment Agency at 954-480-4206 or the Public Works and Environmental Services Director at 954-770-4246.

West Wellfield Project update

The building permit for the generator building was issued during the week of July 2, following the resolution of zoning issues by City Commission action at the June 15 Commission meeting. The generator building subcontractor has completed preparation of the building pad and survey layout, and has placed a material-storage container at the site. Footing excavations were started, and concrete formwork initiated, for the generator building’s slab and foundation system. Completion of the generator building’s concrete-masonry shell is anticipated in two months. Two or three months after the building shell is complete, it is anticipated that the generator and equipment controls will be installed, and other finishing touches will be added to the building.

For questions or concerns about this project, please call 954-480-4269 or 954-770-4246.

Moonlight Melodies starts tonight

Tonight, July 9 at 7 PM, the City of Deerfield Beach's Moonlight Melodies concert series will kick off with a concert by the Symphony of the Americas.
Bring your beach chair and take in the oceanfront sounds of the Moonlight Melodies concert series, co-sponsored by the Deerfield Beach Cultural Committee and the City of Deerfield Beach

The free concerts are held at the Main Beach Parking Lot, SE 1st Street and Ocean Way. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Guests are encouraged to bring beach chairs and blankets for seating comfort.

This weekend’s concert is part of Summerfest 2010, presented by the Symphony of the Americas. Every year, under the direction of Maestro James Brooks Bruzzese, Summerfest partners with a different acclaimed foreign orchestra in residence, joined by members of the Symphony of the Americas. This year’s partner is the Mont Blanc Chamber Orchestra from France. The performance will include the classical music of Vivaldi, Brahms and Copland, to name a few. Summerfest is sponsored by American Airlines.

Future concerts in the series include:
July 23 – Westar, sponsored by Muddy Waters Restaurant & Raw Bar
August 6 – The David Ray Band
August 20 – Viva
September 10 – Hot Brass Monkey, sponsored by Hot Tomatoe Italian Restaurant & Wine Bistro

For more information on the Moonlight Melodies concert series, call 954-480-4433.

Pompano Pier Concession Stand Grand Opening

The City of Pompano Beach sought to have celebration to honor the opening of the concession stand, but rain got in the way. But those who waited out the rain were treated to a performance by the World Famous Low Tides. They were performing as part of the Music Under the Stars Concert Series on July 3.

Chris Sisto, special events coordinator for the City of Pompano Beach, said the city planned a kickoff celebration for the pier’s concession stand but the rain prevented a big party from taking place.

The concession stand is licensed to sell beer and wine and those who purchase it will have to consume it in the patio area. The concession stand offers frozen baits, cold drinks, breakfast sandwiches, hotdogs and snacks, according to Sandra King, spokesperson for Pompano Beach

Elks July 4 picnic

The rainy weather did not work in favor of the event, but people had a good time, according to Greg Shackles, chairman of the Fourth of July picnic.

"This is one the few events open to the public," said Shackles. "We are all volunteers. This event is fun. We celebrate the birth of our country. The money we raise goes to charity."

4th of July CLOSINGS

Ocean Way from Hillsboro Boulevard to SE 3 Street closed, 6 a.m. July 3 through early morning July 5.

Hillsboro Boulevard Bridge and A1A, from NE 1 Street to SE 3 Street closed to vehicles, 6-11 p.m., July 4. Bridge will remain in locked down position until 11 p.m.

City of Deerfield Beach government offices and public facilities (except International Fishing Pier) closed Monday, July 5 in observance of 4th of July.

All six lanes of the Atlantic Boulevard bridge will be open to road traffic July 3, 4 and 5 for the holiday weekend. EXCEPT: NE 14 Street Causeway and Atlantic Boulevard bridges in locked down position 9 -11 p.m. July 4.

July 6, the 24-hour-a-day eastbound lane closure will resume until completion of the project in August.

Work on the bridge began in November 2009 and is expected to be completed in August. Besides painting, the $4.1 million project includes electrical, mechanical and structural repairs, replacement of the bridge tender facility, handrails and the addition of a scenic outlook.

Canine Corner dedication

The 2.6-acre Pompano Beach park was opened during a special dedication ceremony with ribbon cutting on June 29. City leaders, members of the public and their dogs had a chance to try out the new facility and enjoy some fellowship.

Commissioner Charlotte Burrie was pleased with the new park. "Now we have a park where dog owners and dogs can socialize in beautiful Pompano Beach," she said.

Mayor Lamar Fisher was glad to see the park open. "This is a great day in Pompano Beach. It was a long time in coming and took a lot of persistence," he said.

Brian Doyle, president of the Dog Pack of Pompano Beach, Inc., said the opening of Canine Corner Dog Park represents the culmination of three years of work. "I am glad that we now have a dog park in Pompano Beach," he said. "We are glad people have a place to bring their dogs to socialize with other dogs."

Melanie Salzgeber, a member of the Dog Pack, said she was thrilled at the opening of the dog park and thankful for all the help received in the endeavor.

Susan DeGregory said, "Any day when a new place for dogs to play opens is a great day."

Pompano Beach held a contest to name the dog park. Three people came up with the winning name; Canine Corner. They include Janet Balestriero, Marcia Kehl and Otto Fernsel.

Canine Corner Dog Park is located at 1101 N.Federal Highway. It has two dog guzzlers (fountains), three pet stations with dispenser bags, benches, sidewalks and trees. The park is divided into two sections; one for large dogs 25 lbs. and over and one for small dogs less than 25 lbs. Park hours are from sunrise to sunset, according to Sandra King, spokesperson for Pompano Beach.

St. Laurence Chapel event

On June 24, St. Laurence in Pompano Beach hosted a group of community leaders to provide information and awareness of the growing homeless problem in the community. Those who participated received a tour of the facility and learned more about the services provided by St. Laurence Chapel.

Joe Ann Fletcher, executive director of St. Laurence Chapel, wants people to be aware of the new faces of the homeless community. "Many are working people who have suffered as a result of today’s economy," said Fletcher.

West Wellfield update from Deerfield officials

In recent weeks, this project's progress and related communications have been hampered by an unresolved payment issue between the project's contractors. We regret that this information was not conveyed to residents sooner.

From this point forward, city administrators will be working more closely with the contractors to ensure that residents receive timely updates. This information will continue to be disseminated through our E-Project Updates, as well as through direct contact with residents in the project area.

As you now know, development of the FA 2 well has been temporarily suspended. Work will resume as soon as payment issues between the contractor and Downrite Engineering are resolved. The amount of sand pumped from the FA 1 well has been reduced and tests are underway to prepare for loading of the elements. The building permit for the generator building is anticipated later this week. Final zoning issues were resolved with City Commission action on June 15. Preparation of the building pad was completed and foundation work will follow permit issuance.

For questions or concerns about this project, please call 954-480-4269 or 954-770-4246. Visit www.Deerfield-Beach.comand click on Project Updates under Quick Links.

Deerfield Beach celebrates the 4th with two days of fun

Storm knocks thousands out of power; city water on generator

A nasty storm that blew through Deerfield Beach early Sunday morning, June 20, knocked out power to several thousand homes in the area. Officials with FPL said one meter, around 2:30 a.m. had 2,000 customers knocked out, with other lightning strikes causing scattered outages throughout the city.

“Compared to other summer storms, this was minor—we get a lot of strikes to the system,” said Mayco Villafana, spokesperson with FPL, who was not aware that city lift stations were running on generators due to outages. City employees told the Observer newspaper that three lifts were being run manually by generators. As of 5:30 p.m., the Observer was not aware it had been resolved.

Villafana said all the outages were resolved early Sunday morning, though the Observer newspaper spotted several FPL trucks around the city still working late Sunday afternoon.

When asked what FPL has done to harden the systems in advance of hurricane season to prevent as many of these outages as possible, Villafana said that the company, in all 35 counties it works in, has strengthened all the “critical” lines.

Villafana said he will provide the Observer newspaper with documents detailing what FPL has done to harden the system. Check the Aug. 5 Observer newspaper Hurricane Edition for this article.

Broward officials seek judgment on constitutionality of ethics code

Broward commissioners are seeking legal input from a judge to determine the constitutionality of a proposed ethics code. In the November 2008 election, voters approved a commission to create an ethics code that would govern elected county officials.

In a last minute presentation Tuesday, county attorney Jeff Newton told Broward commissioners that certain provisions related to lobbying (requiring lobbyists and principals to register and prohibiting lobbying by persons other than commissioners, such as family) was unconstitutional and exceeded authority granted to the Ethics commission. Newton told commissioners that restrictions on lobbying were unconstitutional, and that it is a core First Amendment right to lobby the government.

Newton said his basis for unconstitutionality is that the bans are based on the identity of the lobbyist, that second, the government may only regulate speech based on empirical evidence that the restrictions are necessary to serve a compelling interest and third, that Newton’s office believes there are less restrictive means of combating corruption or undue influence other than outright lobbying bans.

“The most obvious way is to require county commissioners to recuse themselves from voting in matters involving a government entity they have lobbied or in matters where the affected parties are represented by the commissioner’s relative or campaign consultant,” said Newton, who also expressed concerns about the commission’s ability to impose the code on staff and advisory boards, saying the charter amendment only authorized the commission.

Newton presented several solutions, and the commission, after a convoluted debate, voted to ask a judge if the reforms being presented are unconstitutional, with hopes of having an answer in time to advertise the August 10 public hearing at the governmental center downtown. (The hearing can also be watched on Comcast Channel 12.) The commission must approve the ethics code at the August meeting, otherwise the code will be sent to the voters in the November 2010 election.

Newton may seek outside legal counsel and was sent back to work out the legal concerns surrounding the issue. Corruption on local commissions has led citizens to force officials to enact ethics code. Recently, Deerfield Beach commissioners approved a second, revised code of ethics.

Others watching the commission carefully have concerns about the decision to delay approving the code based on constitutionality. Chip LaMarca, a Lighthouse Point commissioner running for county commission, expressed disappointment in the decision.

“It is unfortunate, but not surprising, that the commissioners would derail these important reforms,” LaMarca said. “The fact that likely thousands of taxpayer dollars – during a recession, nonetheless, will be used to challenge these reforms is a slap in the face to each and every taxpayer in Broward County and shows the irresponsibility of this commission. At a time when commissioners are mandating budget cuts to our public safety services, they have no problem spending money in order to keep the ‘status quo’ in power. The commission deserves to be held accountable for this blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars. I stand in full support of the Ethics Commission’s recommendations, and I believe it is time to stop the personal enrichment in favor of sweeping reform.”

Free recycling bins for Deerfield apartments, condos

The Broward County Office of Waste and Recycling Services, in coordination with City of Deerfield Beach multi-family recycling collection, is donating small plastic recycling baskets to allow apartment and condominium residents to easily transport their recycling materials from the kitchen to outdoor recycling bins. The baskets feature a durable, ergonomic handle and a drop-front design, which makes for easy insertion and removal of recyclables. The baskets weigh only two pounds, fit easily under the sink and are made with up to 50% recycled content.

Baskets are free to Deerfield Beach residents. The only condition is that the resident provide their address and contact information, so the department can gather feedback about the bin’s usefulness. Quantities are limited. To order yours, call 954-480-1420.

Pompano Beach to raise water rates

Pompano Beach residents can expect to see an increase in their water rates. But it will probably be a phased approach.

Alexis Warmath, a vice president of Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc., a company working for the City of Pompano Beach presented options on raising water rates during the May 25 city commission meeting.

Warmath offered two options: one a single larger rate increase or two smaller rate increases in August and January.

"The commission has directed us to come back with specific rate recommendations for a two-phased approach," said Warmath.

Warmath said that if the city had raised the water rates all at once, a typical user would see a rate increase of about 18 percent in their monthly bill. With the two-phase approach, Warmath estimated that water users would see a 10 to 11 percent increase in August and an additional 10 to 11 percent increase in January. The cumulative increase would be about 22 percent.

This would be for a regular water user, a customer who uses 10,000 gallons of water a month. Those who use more than 10,000 gallons a month would see an even larger increase. Those who use about 20,000 gallons of water a month would see a 6- percent greater increase in their monthly bill than a typical customer. Under the two-phase approach, this would be an increase of about 28 percent a month rather than 22 percent a month.

Warmath said one reason water rates are increasing involves the lowered water consumption of residents. "Most costs are fixed and if we are generating less revenue from consumption, we have to raise the rates to make up the difference," he said. "Costs are increasing particularly on waste water. Higher costs have been passed on from Broward County for waste water treatment."

Suzette Sibble, finance director, made a presentation to the city commission on allowing residents to pay their bills using credit cards.

Pompano Beach is expected to have an opening for a new dog park known as Canine Corner on June 21.

Property values see double-digit declines for most cities in Broward

Despite small signs that the real estate market, and the recession in general are starting to turn around, Broward County is still looking at an average 12 percent decline in property value, with municipal cities and other taxing entities (close to 61 government agencies in Broward collect taxes) seeing similar drops in revenue.

Last year’s total taxable value for Broward County was just over $147.5 billion, and it dropped this year to almost $130 billion, according to documents released by the Broward County Property Appraiser’s office.

Deerfield Beach is looking at an almost 15 percent drop in property value. Last year, property in Deerfield was worth just over six billion, while this year it is (with adjustments) a little over $5.1 billion. Pompano Beach also saw a 14.7 percent loss in property value while Lighthouse Point saw an 11.2 percent drop and Hillsboro Beach a 7.1 percent drop in value. And these cities aren’t alone — not one city in Broward County saw an increase, and most saw double-digit decreases in value.

“Sales from the last part of 2009 and the first five months of 2010 indicate we may have finally seen the end of this catastrophic real estate crash. Sales price trends seemingly indicate Broward reached overall market bottom a few months ago and subsequently are holding steady,” said Lori Parrish, Broward’s property appraiser. “In general, we are starting to see mildly encouraging economic signs. The number of properties in foreclosure is down significantly vs. last year, as is the MLS real estate inventory of available properties. Certainly, some distressed individual properties or isolated neighborhood pockets may see further value drops.”

Parrish also said that “communities with larger numbers of condo units may continue to see a modest value decline, as condo values traditionally take longer to stabilize and recover than single family homes and commercial properties.

However, a decline in property value does not always mean a decline in your tax bill -- especially for those with Save Our Home/homestead exemptions because they generally increase up to 3 percent a year, regardless of the market. Non-homestead and business properties might see a decrease in their tax bill, dependent on whether cities and other taxing entities increase, decrease or keep the same tax rate as last year. Most property owners have an average of eight different taxing entities on their annual TRIM notice required to be sent out to residents in July. (TRIM stands for Truth in Millage)

The drop in prices reflects home prices from Jan. 2, 2009 to Jan. 1 2010, and do not include any change in prices over the past six months. Currently most cities are setting their budget hearings, as is Broward County, to determine how these lower property values affect their budgets. Most municipalities fund their general budgets through property tax revenue, and these include police, fire, libraries, parks and other services.

Last year, Broward County had to close a $110 million budget gap, with that expected to be higher this year. Last year, services were slashed, libraries and parks closed an extra day and many employees were laid off. (Click here to see information about last year’s budget cuts). Broward commissioners are expected to spend the summer discussing the budget, with the next meeting scheduled June 22, noon to 5 p.m. at the Broward County Governmental Center downtown near Broward Blvd. and Andrews Ave.

Hillsboro water users can expect large increase in irrigation rates

Hillsboro residents can expect, at best, a nominal increase in water rates for residential use. However, residents who use water for irrigation purposes can expect over 50 percent increases in water rates under a new ordinance under consideration.

During Tuesday’s monthly commission meeting, Hillsboro commissioners approved creating an ordinance that would increase irrigation rates from $1.88 to $4.19 for up to 2,000 gallons, with additional $4.19 fee for each 1,000 gallons of water used. The rate is $4.87 per 1,000 gallons for any usage over 17,000 gallons. Residential homeowners would not see an increase for up to 2,000 gallons, but would pay $3.40/per 1,000 gallons from 2,000 to 9,000 gallons, and $4.19 per 1,000 gallons from 9 to 17,000 gallons and $4.87 per 1,000 gallons for over 17,000. Ordinance is expected to be approved during the July meeting.

The tiered rate increase is required by South Florida Water Management District in order for the town to get a new water permit, and is tied into a planned water conservation ordinance also required. Tiered rates are intended to curb consumption and increase conservation, particularly with irrigation water use, which is separated so residents aren’t charged for sewer fees for this portion of the water bill. There is also a landscape ordinance -- expected to be prepared to encourage more native plantings that require less water to irrigate.

CH2MHill, which prepared the rates, also included bond payments on a $4.5 million bond at 5.5 percent interest for 30 years to replace the town’s water plant. During the meeting, the commission also authorized up to $2,000 for an engineer to review the water plant’s filters, to determine whether they should be replaced now, or can wait till the new plant. The town will also have to research getting its water from Deerfield or Broward County in case of a failure of filters, which are currently processing water fine, said commissioners.

-- Form for residents and commissioners to use when requesting information from the town. (approved)

-- Litigation with EcoShore over the PEM system (installed several years ago in hopes of preventing erosion) could stall beach renourishment since the permit does not include the PEM project.

-- Regional beach committee with Boca, Deerfield and others. Included here is possibly cost-sharing in the future on a larger dredge for Boca so more sand would pass south. Deerfield is also willing to reconfigure some of the problem beach groins if there’s a cost-share.

--Hillsboro commissioners are keeping an eye on the Gulf oil spill, but have been asked by county and state officials not to act because they already have their emergency operations in place to handle the situations and are coordinating a response.

SunFest Opens in West Palm Beach

The annual SunFest opened Wednesday, April 28^th in West Palm Beach. Despite the protesting police officers at the entrance thousands turned out for what is arguably the biggest event in West Palm Beach. Live music started at 5:15pm and went on until after 10:00pm with the main act Weezer closing out opening day.

“I like that they (SunFest Organizers) provide a way for people to experience music and art,” said AT&T Pioneer volunteer Rachel Kuzma. Fellow Pioneer Katelyn Zehnder agreed, “I like the art section. I think it is great that the vendors get to set up shop and sell their wares and be found by others.”

Beautiful South Florida weather greeted the bands. All of the bands performing could be considered Alt. Or Indie Rock. As part of the New Music Night, These United States, Locksley, Constellations, Gringo Star, We Are Scientists and The Crash Kings performed. The main act and draw of the night was Weezer.

Despite being nearly eighteen years old, the band attracted fans of all ages. The increasing amount of major acts has been a draw for many concert goers. “The bands get better every year,” said concert goer Brian Puebla, while point to Weezer on the Bank Atlantic stage.

The 2010 SunFest will feature over 40 musical acts, a juried fine art and craft show, activities for the whole family and of course the Captain Morgan's Oasis, featuring three floating barges that serve drinks and play music.

Pompano expo at Citi Centre a great success