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Commissioner’s Message

Neighbors,

educing crime and strengthening our neighborhood is a top priority of mine.
I have been working with RVCA President Lori Sterling to organize the Rio
RVista Neighborhood Safety and Security Issues Webinar so that everyone
can speak with me, the Chief of Police, Lori and other City leaders about crime
and public safety solutions for our neighborhood. The meeting will take place on
Monday, July 28th, at 4:00 pm on Zoom. Please use the QR code on page four to
register for the webinar.
On another note, the City is working hard to prepare residents for the hurricane
season. Our Public Works team inspects and cleans every storm drain in the city
an average of twice a year, performing nearly 20,000 inspections annually, with
increased attention during the rainy season and in flood-prone areas. Use FIXITFTL
or call (954)-828-8000 to report debris in storm drains. To help prepare for
storms, the City will be providing free sandbags to residents on the first Saturday
and Sunday of each month (10:00 AM–1:00 PM).
This initiative began in May and will last through
November. You can pick up sandbags at George
English Park, Holiday Park, Mills Pond Park,
or the Floyd Hull/Morton Center. For full storm
preparation tips and resources, please visit https://
www.fortlauderdale.gov/stormready. To stay
informed during an emergency event, please sign
up for AlertFTL to receive prompt notifications.
Lastly, I have a great update to share on waterway initiatives. On May 31st, the
City successfully completed a mangrove restoration project at George English
Park that I started working on as soon as I took office. Thanks to the collaboration
between the city and the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida, I joined
dozens of volunteers to plant 50 mangroves. Mangroves are fantastic for our
waterways because they are a natural filter for pollutants, they improve water
quality, protect our shorelines, and support local wildlife. I am working closely with
the City’s Chief Waterways Officer to expand similar projects throughout our city.

Thank you for reading. If you have any questions or want to collaborate, I welcome
the opportunity. You can reach me at bsorensen@fortlauderdale.gov or contact my
office at (954)-828-8000.
Ben Sorensen
City Commissioner
District 4 Fort Lauderdale

16 rio vista civic associartion • www.riovistaonline.com

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