A Look to the Future
Greetings!
It’s hard to believe that I have been in office for more than a year. And what a great year it’s been! As we’re getting into a swing of things for 2024, I’ve been reflecting on some bigger ideas we are working on to make your lives better.
This isn’t as easy as it sounds. We have almost 1,000 employees across our 14 departments. Part of my direction to our leaders and staff is to “put your foot on the gas pedal and do not let up.” I’m proud to say they have taken that to heart. We are overflowing with ideas to improve this city I love. The challenge, as it should be, is how to best allocate your tax dollars and to determine the priorities.
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We listen and learn
As anyone who was in Broward County in April 2023 knows, the idea of property being damaged by flooding looms large. So we want to make sure we have the best possible drainage. We have upped the maintenance and I know many of you saw the results. We also have a stormwater master plan and targeted projects for the hardest hit areas to implement. You can help by taking a minute to make sure your drains outside are clear. We have staff out and about looking for vulnerable areas, but if you’d help with the easy fixes, we’d appreciate it.
Meanwhile, as Plantation Walk and other areas gain visitors, we’re not going to ignore traffic challenges. We are requiring developers to make it more feasible for people to walk from one venue to another, reducing the need for cars, where possible. We also are trying to make it easier for those who like to bicycle. We have created what is called a Master Multimodal Transportation Plan, tweaked after public feedback. Listening and responding is vital to successful government.
We’ll be implementing micro-transit, a model different from traditional local shuttle systems. Personalized short-trip electric vehicle companies, such as Freebee or Circuit, garner sponsorships and then need minimal funding to transport residents door to door within a defined service area. That reduces wait times and eliminates walking times. We expect to have micro-transit in place this year.
Moving forward
Among our future options is using modern technology to better assist our residents (customers). Building director William Gale and I have talked about the features coming our way through the Accela system and we believe they will provide the necessary upgrades to get users where they want to go. Utility Billing has rolled out Eye On Water that allows customers to view their water usage and set up alerts that can help catch leaks early. I also want us to do better with paperless billing and online bill pay. As with all latest technology, the city will approach it with cautious optimism, making sure it benefits our environment and protects the citizens we serve.
Increased resident access to information flowing from City Hall and two-way communication with you has been one of my main priorities for the last year and remains a focus area for 2024. More video content to keep you updated is in the works. I could choose updates on another whole handful of topics, and a discussion of each is warranted. But I wanted to at least share the topics above to give an inkling of how our thinking is going in City Hall.
If you wish to contact me directly, I prefer email. My email address is Mayor@Plantation.org.
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