Dear Neighbor,

I am proud to announce that at our last City Commission meeting, the Commission unanimously selected Rickelle Williams as our new City Manager. She currently is the Assistant City Manager in the City of Miami Beach and was previously the Executive Director of the Dania Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). We are thrilled for her to take the helm of leading our city to progress! To learn more about Rickelle click here. I would also like to thank Susan Grant for her service and excellent leadership as our Acting City Manager.

As the City of Fort Lauderdale is the Venice of America, it is imperative that we all do our part to conserve and protect our water. Because of this, the city is currently replacing the Fiveash Water Treatment Plant with Prospect Lake Clean Water Center. This new facility will be fully operational in September 2026. This modernized infrastructure elevates Fort Lauderdale because it enhances our water quality and ensures cleaner and safer water. To fund this essential improvement, water and wastewater rates were set to gradually increase each year from October 2023 ending in October 2028. These rate adjustments are also contributing to the implementation of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) which will use advanced technology to improve billing accuracy, detect leaks faster, and allow residents to track their water usage in real-time. Your bill could be higher than normal due to a leak. Therefore, please reach out to me if are noticing any significant increases in your water bill so that the city can help identify if there is a possible leak. If a repaired leak caused the high bill, you are eligible to apply for an adjustment with our Finance Department. If no cause was identified for the high usage, you may apply for a one-time bill adjustment or you may apply for a one-time credit per service location which will recalculate your bill at the lowest tier rate. Use this link to complete the form here. If you have any questions regarding your water bill, please email me your phone number, address, and concern at bsorensen@fortlauderdale.gov.

Lastly, the joint City of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County – New River Crossing workshop will be rescheduled. As soon as a new date is confirmed, I will share with you.

Please join us at one of the many exciting events and informative meetings happening in the next few weeks! As always, my team and I are here to help. Please reach out to me at bsorensen@fortlauderdale.gov or contact my office at (954)-828-5028.

Ben

Upcoming Meetings

Friday, February 14th - Neighborhood Agenda Review at 4:00pm on Zoom

Click here to Add to Calendar

Tuesday, February 18th - City Commission Joint Workshop with Affordable Housing Advisory Committee at 11:30am

Tuesday, February 18th - City Commission Conference at 1:30pm

Tuesday, February 18th - Regular Commission Meeting at 6:00pm

All February 18th meetings are located at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts - Mary N. Porter Riverview Ballroom - 201 SW 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312

Watch live on YouTube. Meeting agendas can be found here.

The Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) recently launched the Elevate Florida Residential Mitigation Grant Program. The purpose of this program is to provide property owners with federal and state-funded grants to elevate their property structures to reduce the risk of damage from natural disasters.

To learn more, visit their FAQ page here: ftlcity.info/ElevateFLfaqs or you can call (877)-353-8835 or email info@elevatefl.org.

Use this link to create an account and complete the application: https://fdemresmit.my.site.com/Elevate/

❗TOMORROW ❗

Come out and enjoy Neighbor Support Night this Thursday from 5:30-8:00pm. Connect with your neighbors and explore our city services and programs.

The City of Fort Lauderdale has updated its noise ordinance to better support businesses and address community concerns. Learn more about the city's updated noise ordinance next Wednesday, February 19th at 5:00pm or visit our webpage to learn more here.

City Commission Celebrates Outstanding Teachers in FTL

Last week our City Commission celebrated the 'Teachers of the Year' in Fort Lauderdale Schools. THANK YOU for taking the time to learn innovative ways to teach our students. Your kindness, patience, and craft will have everlasting impact on our students, and it is vital that their work is never taken for granted.

Let's Stay Connected!