Minibuses & Sea Wall Elevations Hallandale Beach Is Working To Keep Residents Informed

By Hallandale Beach Mayor, Joy Cooper

“When it rains it pours.” This saying is so apropos for what happened to our minibus system this week. On Monday we were notified that not just one of our minibusses was down but actually three. As of Monday, only Bus Route 1 and Bus Route 3 are in service. Bus Route 1A has been out of service awaiting warranty repair at Ford, Bus Routes 2 and 4 do not have any buses. At the writing of this article, we were not informed as to why they were pulled from service. In addition to equipment failures, there has been a shortage of bus drivers.

Hallandale Beach for well over twenty years has been providing free minibus transportation to our residents and visitors. Over the years it was expanded to include routes to Young Circle, South Broward County Health Center on Pembroke Road and Aventura Medical Center. It was shut down during COVID-19. As soon as we were given the go ahead, it was back up and running. We extend our apologies to those impacted. Much has been beyond our understanding of how many people actually depend on this service.

Staff have been diligently working with our vendor. We used to have an in-house system, but it was moved to a contracted service a few years back. It appears that the vendor was having difficulty finding drivers and I quote “has been unresponsive.” We also have a partnership with Broward County. This partnership has expanded since the Penny Tax was passed. The County now provides funding to cities for all of the minibusses.

In Hallandale Beach, there are approximately 1,050 addresses that are impacted by key policy changes and regulations regarding Sea Wall Elevations but we all need to do our part and for 10 years elected officials from South Florida Counties have united to put in place rules, regulations and programs to property owners are responsible for their own Sea Wall. Broward County has adopted new height requirements to address Sea Level Rising. Some readers may have seen new walls going up that are much higher than their neighbors. Some have higher caps and an additional wall placed on the Cap.

Our Staff presented a Sea Wall Awareness and Compliance Program last month to our Commission. We had a robust conversation about the impact of this new program and what it means to different areas. We want to ensure at least that it is on every waterfront property’s radar.

The main focus will be education and inspections. I have seen three wall failures in Hallandale Beach. One was at a private home in Golden Isles. This was mainly due to age and tidal changes. The walls there were built in the 60’s. Another was along the Intracoastal near Walmart after a major storm. This wall was not that old. The other was at a Condo on A1A. This was due to age and a major sinkhole. The tidal and wave effects had eroded the ground under the parking lot and a portion of the lot engulfed a couple of cars and pulled down the Sea Wall.

Committee. At that time there a huge amount of climate deniers.

One key policy change and regulations have been changing, regarding building Sea Wall Elevations. During COVID-19, our ommended that we develop an awareness campaign for our impacted residents. In Hallandale Beach, there are approximately 1,050 addresses that are impacted since they live on the Intracoastal, on one of western lakes or on the Schaefer Canal,

Sea Walls are a very expensive investment. So, we want to make sure owners are taking the time to inspect, maintain and yes replace needed walls. Our Staff was tasked with doing further research as to what programs are available to help owners. We also are researching what we can do collectively to address the western parts of our community that do not have walls and are facing erosion around the lake and canals. Please be aware that a letter and information will be sent to all impacted owners this year.

As always, I am available for your questions, concerns and ideas to help make our City a better place. Please feel free to reach out to me at my office: (954) 457-1318. On my Cell/Text at: (954) 632-5700. Or email me at: jcooper@cohb.org dents and their children have access to the best possible facility. Already working with the District, I intend to do all things necessary so that our school is the jewel which attracted so many of our young families to begin with.

The City started the process of a New Standard for Assuring Accuracy, Accountability and Transparency across all levels of the Government. This will continue through active engagement by the Public, Civic Groups, Religious Institutions and Volunteer Groups. It is important that all New Projects and Existing Programs are reviewed using a Systemic Process allowing for the best result for the amount of effort, time and money invested. The City launched a Roundtable Series for seniors and teens, as well as the Resident’s Academy, a SemiAnnual Course that introduces residents to the operations of the City. As a continuation of the work we have been undertaking on the Comprehensive Plan over the last few years, the City is in the process of completing a Holistic Review of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The City not only supports but encourages Local Civic Groups to meet and bring ideas to the Commission. That is why we provide free meeting space for these groups, with more information available here: https:// www.sibfl.net/clerk-facilities/

Most importantly, the Commission appointed residents to sit on the Charter Review Commission. This is done every ten years to improve our City Charter and make revisions so that our Government runs more effectively and efficiently. I applaud the women and men of this committee and thank them for their time and taking on this big responsibility. The Public is also invited to attend these Meetings and provide feedback to the Committee. Once the Committee completes their findings, they will present the revisions to the Commission so that the Commission can set a date for residents to decide and then it’s back to the polls! Voters will have an opportunity to Vote for Revisions they support sometime in May 2023.

Public Safety has been top of mind for our City and myself personally. Moving into 2022, we continued to increase Enforcement and Visibility, while promoting our Public Safety Strategies.

Longtime SIBPD Employee Edward Santiago was sworn in as Chief Of Police in April 2022.

Exceptional Officers were also promoted to Sergeant and Lieutenant. These efforts will increase in 2023 so that we provide the highest levels of Service and Safety. Sunny Isles Beach Police are the best bar none. We will double efforts to partner with Volunteer Groups and other organizations, offering Safety Seminars for children and families.

Serving our residents remains a top priority as we are constantly looking at ways to enhance your quality of life.

Through various Outreach Efforts, Activities, Facilities and Public Art, we strive to provide Well-Rounded and Exceptional Services for every citizen in Sunny Isles Beach.

Since opening Gateway Center in 2021, the City has provided expanded Diverse Programming for adults and seniors, including class offerings for seniors 62+ as part of our SIBHealthy Program, a subsidized list of programming, which provides seniors two free classes every month. Starting this year, residents can now rent Gateway Center for personal events, in addition to corporate meetings and gatherings.

We are excited that early this year, The Spot, a brand-new center for teens located at 215 185th Street will be opening. The Spot will provide a dedicated space for our growing teen population to hang out after school, attend new classes and meet new friends. Another new facility coming soon is the Intracoastal Courts Park at 15800 Collins Avenue, Demo of the Ritz Carlton Sales Center was completed last year and the courts are expected to open in 2023. We are shining a light on Senator Gwen Margolis Park with the installation of new field lights. This Project will allow our soccer stars to have greater visibility when practicing on the field and is expected to be completed by the end of spring this year. At Pelican Community Park, the City installed fencing around the playground and a walkway to secure the entrance and exit for visitors. With locking gates on both sides, we can restrict access to the gym, playground and restrooms while keeping the park open to the general public. Keeping our parks secure allows our patrons to feel safe while enjoying the vast amenities they offer.

The CCS Department Supplemented Current Program offerings at Pelican Community Park with a diverse set of new courses including ballroom dancing, guitar, theater and two competitive travel volleyball teams, who competed in local tournaments and the AAU Junior Nationals in Orlando. Our Competitive Sports Programs continue to reign supreme as the Advanced Cheer & Dance team received their first bid to compete in a national level competition, the SIB Select Soccer teams won several tournaments including the United Soccer Cup & Showcase, Enigma Cup and multiple divisions in the City’s SEAS Soccer League. CCS successfully implemented new parent and me classes and pee-wee sports, in addition to offering new afterschool options in lieu of our traditional after school program, including study hall, e-gaming and DIY classes. After a two-year hiatus due to the Pandemic, Summer Camp was reintroduced providing service to more than