Dear Neighbors,

Thank you to all who took time earlier this week to reach out to state legislators about HB 943 - Live Local. On Tuesday afternoon, unfortunately HB 943 passed through the Housing, Agriculture, and Tourism Subcommittee by 14-1. The anatomy of the bill is still evolving, and it still has three more committee stops in the House. The bill’s sponsor, Representative Vicki Lopez pledged to work through a variety of constituent and municipal concerns while maintaining the legislative intent of expanding affordable housing. Right now, amendments are being tailored to live up to this commitment. The City Manager’s Office is currently working on submitting our own amendments to represent our Fort Lauderdale specific concerns. Preserving local oversight and protecting constituents' public input is a priority and I am committed to seeing this through. I will keep you updated on what comes next.

These past two weeks, I have been working hard to improve our waterways. During the Lauderdale Isles Water Management District Meeting, Miami Waterkeeper gave a presentation on the current state of Fort Lauderdale waterways. This organization is contracted by the city to monitor waterway quality at ten recreation sites. They test for fecal indicator bacteria enterococci. This bacterium does not necessarily cause disease, but certain levels indicate that water has been contaminated with human or animal waste. I am working with the Miami Waterkeeper and the City Manager’s office to add source tracing to their contract to identify where bacteria is coming from to improve our waterways which will in turn help us mitigate source pollution.

Lastly, I am happy to announce that last week the City Commission approved to contract Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to implement priority mobility enhancements in Shady Banks and Tarpon River in the amount of $372,164.37. These neighborhood improvements come from our city’s Neighborhood Mobility Master Plan and will be federally funded by the Florida Department of Transportation’s Local Agency Program. Shady Banks’ design scope includes raised intersections and a bulb-out installation. Tarpon River’s include a mini roundabout and a raised table intersection. Both neighborhoods will receive sidewalk enhancements and an expansion of pedestrian lighting. Learn more about the proposed improvements on the images below.

Many more initiatives are coming to the Commission, and I am excited to support your neighborhood projects and continue working to enhance the quality of life in our city!

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)-828-5028.

Ben

Upcoming Meetings

Monday, March 31st - Neighborhood Agenda Review at 4:00pm on Zoom

Click here to Add to Calendar.

Tuesday, April 1st - City Commission Conference at 1:30pm

Tuesday, April 1st - Community Redevelopment Agency at 2:30pm

Tuesday, April 1st - Regular Commission Meeting at 6:00pm

City Commission meetings are held at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts - Mary N. Porter Riverview Ballroom - 201 SW 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312

Watch live on Y ou Tube. Meeting agendas can be found here.

Water Quality Sampling Coontie Hatchee Park

The Miami Waterkeeper and I went to Coontie Hatchee Park to take a water quality sample together. This activity solidified the need for source tracing in our waterways so we can identify where bacteria is coming from and develop targeted solutions to improve our waterways. Learn about water quality in FTL on MWK's Swim Guide here.

Port Everglades Site Visit

Did you know that this economic engine provides direct employment to 11,000 people? During my visit at the Port, I went up on a crane and I learned about the safety measures in place that keep workers safe. We also drove by the Port Bypass Road, and I am happy to report that it is on schedule to finish in October 2025. This infrastructure will decrease traffic by creating an alternative route to the Port, Convention Center, and the beach.

Urban Forest Meetings ❗NEXT WEEK ❗

Come out to one of these community meetings to provide your input about tree expansion throughout our city. The Urban Forestry Master Plan Survey is available now here.

Visit SizeUp FTL

Small business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, and local shopper lovers: this is for you. SizeUp FTL is a program that provides advise to small businesses, and market data that allows Fort Lauderdale based businesses to see how they are performing in their industry. Explore small FTL businesses and learn more about this program here.

D4 President's Meeting Re-Cap

Last week, I gathered with District 4 presidents and neighborhood leaders to discuss traffic improvements, expansion of tree canopies, and a range of other neighborhood specific items. I am grateful to have the opportunity to form strong relationships with the neighborhoods in my district and work together on priority initiatives. Reach out to me to learn more about civic involvement in FTL!

Stay Alert - Traffic Advisories

📍Click here to sign-up for traffic/road closure notifications.

📍View LauderStreet here to view current traffic alerts.

I-595 Westbound Full Closure from US 1 to I-95 beginning Monday, March 31st through Thursday, April 3rd from 1AM - 5PM. This is related to FDOT's 95 Express Phase 3C project.

Barrier Island Neighbors: The outside lanes on the eastbound and westbound 17th Street Bridge will be intermittently closed on Sunday, March 30th at 10PM to allow for water-blasting of the bicycle lane edge lines.

Downtowners: Lexus Corporate Run will take place in downtown on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Road closures and detours will begin on Tuesday, April 1 to accommodate event setup and continue through Thursday, April 3. View the full road closure schedule here.

Shady Bank Neighbors: Intermittent road closures will take place beginning Tuesday, April 1st through Wednesday, April 9th from 9AM-5PM daily. This is for FPL underground utility work as part of a rolling operation. All residents will have access to their properties, but traffic will be restricted to local access only.

Let's Stay Connected!