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Mayor’s Message continued

The plant will replace the aging Fiveash Regional Water
Treatment Plant to service most of the city’s water needs.
The Fiveash plant was at the end of its lifespan and was not
designed to withstand a major hurricane. The technology
in use at the old plant also could not guarantee the high
standards for water that residents expect. Water often had a
yellow tinge, and we are not able to remove several
emerging contaminants.

We chose the new location so Fiveash could continue to meet
our water needs during construction. After Prospect Lake
opens, Fiveash will transition into a distribution center for the We have stepped up our efforts.
water processed at the new plant.
We have increased funding for our housing navigation
This project was years in the making and is the result of program. We have dedicated more police officers to enhance
detailed input from neighbors and experts to ensure the best services at nights and on weekends. We have added the
possible design and construction. Through the public-private Fire Department to the homeless initiative through its mobile
partnership, the plant will be built significantly faster than healthcare initiative.
if we had pursued traditional construction and financing
methods — shaving two years off the timeline. After a long court delay, we have begun enforcement of our
new ordinance that prohibits individuals from standing in the
It’s great that this major project is underway and that we streets and obstructing traffic, a move that should respond to
continue to make such rapid progress on addressing all our public concerns about unsafe and aggressive panhandling.
infrastructure needs. The court system declared our old ordinance unconstitutional,
Toward the end of 2023, we welcomed aboard our new bringing enforcement to a lengthy but albeit temporary halt.
police chief following the retirement of Patrick Lynn. The new We also are asking the state for $100,000 to continue our
chief is a familiar face – William Schultz. Over the past 20 community court program. This highly regarded program
years, he has worked his way up the ranks. He comes to the diverts homeless individuals charged with minor offenses into
job with ideas of how to improve law enforcement and better temporary housing and services.
engage with the community.
There are two other funding requests pending. We’ve asked
One initiative that the City Commission placed on the top of the Legislature for $500,000 for a mental health housing
his agenda is to address some of the law enforcement issues program and the federal government for $2 million for a
that surround homelessness. program to increase our deployment of personnel to hotspot
Fort Lauderdale, like most American cities, is facing a problem areas where we witness high levels of homelessness.
of increased homelessness. Homelessness is not a crime, and In addition, we are trying to engage other levels of
federal courts have consistently said that individuals who live government to help with several critical issues that impact
on the streets do not have to accept help if they do not want homelessness in Fort Lauderdale.
help. Yet, at the same time, the city must respond to issues
such as aggressive panhandling and the maintenance of safe We are in discussions with the Sheriff’s Office and other cities
public spaces. about jail discharge procedures. That’s important because
currently when a homeless person is arrested on a charge
The best approaches to homelessness and the problems anywhere in the county, they are most likely released in Fort
associated with it confound every metro area. There are no Lauderdale from the main jail downtown.
easy solutions.
We are talking to the state attorney and the judiciary about
Fort Lauderdale has long taken a lead in the region on the handling of repeat offenders. We are hopeful that we will
response. soon see results from these discussions.
Each day, the city’s dedicated Homeless Outreach Team We will keep the community posted.
make it their mission to engage with the homeless population
and encourage them to accept help. This help can include Yours,
directing them to needed social services and finding them Dean Trantalis
housing opportunities. Mayor, City of Fort Lauderdale

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