The Landings & Bay Colony

12

Commissioner’s Message continued

The City of Fort Lauderdale will SEEK FINANCIAL SUPPORT
for the following initiatives:

1. Crime reduction 
2. WAVE development 
3. Transportation enhancements specifically focused on greenways,

complete street initiatives and pedestrian safety 

4. Flood prevention and hazard mitigation 
5. Riverwalk enhancement and activation 
6. Comprehensive homelessness strategy 
7. Climate change and sea level rise mitigation 
8. Promotion of Fort Lauderdale’s marine industry 
9. Water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure improvements 
10. Fort Lauderdale Beach re-nourishment, revitalization, and

enhancement 

11. Additional parks and recreational programs and facilities, including

athletic fields 

FIRE STATION #54:The new Fire Station #54 is currently
designed to be located at 3201 Northeast 32nd Street
(across the street and slightly east of the current location).
The station will be a 10,000 square foot, two-story satellite
facility and have two back-in apparatus bays, seven bunk
rooms, a full kitchen and dining room, small exterior patio,
a day room, two offices, a laundry room, gymnasium, and
community meeting room. The 90% design of the Fire
Station was carried out by in-house engineers and
architects, while an outside consultant completed
mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) and structural
design. A new consultant will be selected through a
Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA) Process
for which proposals were received on December 15, 2014.
Next steps will include the review of proposals, panel
ratings, presentations, staff recommendations, negotiations
and award. The construction of a temporary Fire Station
#54, located on the south side of the Oakland Park Bridge,
was finished and the Certificate of Occupancy (CO) was
issued on December 12, 2014. The Fire Department is
expected to occupy the temporary station very soon. The
Information Technology Department is coordinating the
transfer of communications from the existing facility to the
temporary facility to enable the move.

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA REGIONAL CLIMATE:Building upon
the success of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate
Leadership Summit, we were honored to recently host
United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode
Island. Senator Whitehouse joined Mayor Seiler and City
and County staff on a walking tour of the downtown
Riverwalk area to obtain a firsthand look at the effects of
rising sea levels and seasonal high tides. Earlier that same
morning, a cross-department team of City staff took a
similar tour, visiting several areas affected by the high
tides. They discussed the City’s extensive stormwater master
plan, as well as aggressive maintenance procedures and
innovative adaptation solutions to improve drainage in
areas that are susceptible to flooding. During the tour, staff

learned about tidal valves which have been found to
effectively reduce the impacts of flooding in low-lying
neighborhoods. Tidal valves are just one example of the
proactive measures we are exploring to strengthen our
resilience and build a stronger community, which
neighbors identified as a top priority during the citywide
Visioning process. To learn more about our ongoing efforts
to build a resilient and safe coastal community, visit the
Sustainability Division page on the City website.
www.fortlauderdale.gov/departments/sustainability

NEW DIRECTOR FOR SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT:
Jenni Morejon is the new Director of the Department of
Sustainable Development. After years of progressively
moving up the ranks of our organization, Jenni is now the
go-to person for all things in development. As Director, she
will oversee the day-to-day operations of the entire
Department which includes: Building Services, Code
Compliance, Economic and Community Reinvestment/
Community Redevelopment Agency, Housing and
Community Development and Urban Design and Planning.
Jenni began her career at the City in 2000, serving in urban
design and community planning positions with a focus on
managing projects and programs that encourage high
quality development to meet the economic and livability
objectives of a growing South Florida urban coastal
community. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado,
where she received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental
Design. Jenni serves on the board of directors of Riverwalk
Fort Lauderdale and is a member of the Greater Fort
Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce Downtown Council. She
is also a member of the Leadership Fort Lauderdale Class,
writes a monthly column for the Go Riverwalk magazine,
and is an active member in the Urban Land Institute’s
Southeast Florida/Caribbean Council. Greg Brewton, past
director, retired from the City last year.

OFFICE CONTACT:Robbi Uptegrove – 954-828-5033;
email: ruptegrove@fortlauderdale.gov 

In addition to hosting two pre-agenda meetings twice a
month, I am also available to attend your HOA meetings to
update your neighborhood on what is going on in the City
as well as answer any questions/concerns you may have.
Please contact Robbi to schedule. 

EMAIL LIST:If you would like to be on our email list so that
you receive information pertaining to the City – especially
District 1 (i.e. news releases, meeting notices, events),
please let Robbi know and she will add you.

I

Bruce G. Roberts
Vice-Mayor, City of Fort Lauderdale
District 1 Commissioner