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Mayor’s Message continued

vowed to end homelessness in Fort Lauderdale. We have DeSantis directed state agencies to address the algae
a long way to go. We need to move forward with the blooms with the goal of reducing the pollutants and
creation of day respite centers and food-sharing programs. nutrients that algae feeds on. The city of Fort Lauderdale
We also need additional money to pay for permanent and will work with the governor, state and Broward County to
temporary housing. tackle this problem.
To that end, I hope more of the business community follows Rounding out our top priorities is improving the city’s
the example set by the likes of AutoNation and the Castle network of sidewalks. We need to ensure that Fort
Group. This is our community, and we all share a Lauderdale is a walkable community.
responsibility to help resolve the tragic circumstances of the Five additional projects were ranked as very important:
hundreds of homeless living here.
improving the streetscape on Birch and Breakers, building a
Another priority for the city is our waterways. We have joint government campus, creating the LauderTrail network,
been greatly impacted in recent years by algae blooms. implementing improvements to the Las Olas Boulevard
When I first raised questions about the blooms two years corridor proposed by an ongoing working group, and
ago, I was told it was fake news and that I was enhancing streetscapes and tree canopy citywide. RV
misinterpreting scientific data despite the pools of unsightly
green gunk that had seldom been seen before in our canals.
Sincerely,
The new administration in Tallahassee has made this a Dean Trantalis
priority as well. In one of his first executive orders, Gov. Mayor

20 rio vista civic association • www.riovistaonline.com