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County Vice Mayor’s Message

Dear Community Members,

pring is in full swing in South Florida and while we get to enjoy this beautiful
weather, I’m even more excited that I get to meet and see many community
Smembers in person once again. We recently celebrated Earth Day and there
were many wonderful activities in our community from beach cleanups to dune
plantings. I commend all volunteers who took the time to help our planet. As April
came to an end and we jumped into May, two great events started us off. The Fort
Lauderdale Air Show ran from April 30- May 1 and Fleet Week Port Everglades
ran from May 1-8, two wonderful events for the entire family.
Lamar P. Fisher Plastics Ordinance
Broward County Vice Mayor
Commissioner District 4 Broward County recently passed an ordinance banning single-use plastic straws
and stirrers on County property. We know the harmful effects of these products on
our environment, from the impacts to our waterways to the major impacts on the
ecosystem. It is certainly in the best interest of the health and wellbeing of all in
our community to assist in the reduction of litter. The County’s ordinance essentially
states that polystyrene products, single-use plastic beverage straws and single-use
plastic stirrers may not be i) purchased by the County or used by individuals on
County property, ii) used or provided by temporary vendors on County property,
or iii) used or provided by entities engaged in a contractual relationship with the
County for the provision of goods or services on County property. Additionally,
confetti and sky lanterns are also not allowed on County property as they can be
Broward County mistakenly ingested by wildlife. The intent of this action is to convey to the public
Governmental Center how dangerous these items can be in our environment. While this is the first step
115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 412
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 for our County, I’m hopeful that we are taking the right steps for our environment.
Affordable Housing Update
Recently, I sponsored an item that was unanimously approved by the County
Commission, in which we accepted the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Downtown Center
Affordable Housing Implementation Plan. As we all know, housing affordability in
our community is at its worst. The City’s plan proposes more than 750 affordable
housing units within the Greater Downtown Regional Activity Center Area. While
this is not nearly as much of what is needed, I commend the City and its partners
for working together to find a sensible way of making these units a possibility.
Speaking of housing issues, the Board recently took action to assist renters in
Broward County. The ordinance approved by the Board this week requires that
Commission Assistant landlords provide a 60-day notice of termination to tenants or for rent increases
Mabel Hurtado more than 5% of the current rate. I’m hopeful this measure will assist renters who
mhurtado@broward.org are struggling with the astronomical rent increases in South Florida.
Tel: 954-357-7004
Resilience News
Broward County’s Resilient Environment Department recently announced a two-year
countywide planning effort focused on building community resilience to the impacts
of climate change predicted over the next half-century. This much-needed planning
effort will be designed to address flood mitigation needs across the Broward
landscape. Municipal partners, private sector stakeholders, water managers,
the public and more will be vital to its success, which will provide the basis for a
multi-decade resilient infrastructure and redevelopment plan to serve all of Broward
County. For more information, visit Broward.org/resiliency. continued pg 24

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