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Mayor’s Message continued

Tunnel Top Pedestrian Plaza images from preliminary concept.

manager is bringing new leadership to the Police affordable housing developments have opened or nearing
Department. The Citizen Police Review Board is completion.The city has started a food-sharing program with
spearheading a discussion of reform to ensure everyone is groups interested in feeding the homeless. We stepped up
treated fairly and equally and with full transparency. Our to find temporary housing for homeless during the COVID-
body camera program be came fully operational this past 19 pandemic. Our community court program marked a
year. Critical policies are now being updated, such as a successful first year in diverting homeless charged with
duty for an officer to intervene if they see a colleague minor offenses away from jail and to needed assistance.
behaving badly.
The city also has made strides in addressing traffic and
We have other priorities as well. This past year has brought congestion. Planning is underway for a rapid-transit loop
major strides in improving the quality of life in Fort downtown. The county has agreed to build a bypass road
Lauderdale. Our arrangement with David Beckham’s major through the port to relieve traffic on SE 17th Street. We are
league soccer team has reshaped the Lockhart site. A working with Broward County on a project to install an
magnificent sports stadium was constructed in record time. It adaptive traffic signal control system on Broward
will be part of a larger redevelopment of athletics fields Boulevard.And, we’ve been working with the state on
anda regional park that the team is also paying for. finding ways to ease congestion on Sunrise Boulevard.
We’veopened the new Oceanside Park, and construction Despite the setbacks dealt by COVID, Fort Lauderdale is a
has started on the rehabilitation of the aquatics center. The city on the move. We have so much to be proud of — great
renovation of the historic Parker Playhouse will be neighborhoods, the distinction as a world renown tourist
completed soon, and work on the Tunnel Top Park on Las destination, our beautiful beaches and waterways, our
Olas is set to begin. That was a key component of the $200 thriving marine industry and our incredible nightlife. We
million bond initiative that voters passed to improve our accomplished a lot over the past year, and more progress
public parks. The city’s arrangement with the Florida lies ahead.
Panthers hockey team is moving forward to renovate War
Memorial Auditorium. The Panthers are making a Sincerely,
multimillion-dollar investment to add rinks for ice skating and
hockey and to restore the existing interior for concerts and
family-friendly programming.
Dean Trantalis
Fort Lauderdale has also been tackling the issues of
Mayor, City of Fort Lauderdale
affordable housing and homelessness. Major new

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