Dear Neighbors,

At the commission’s last conference meeting in April, the City Commission received an update on Fortify Lauderdale’s progress and discussed the proposed methodology for determining the order Phase 2 neighborhoods will begin stormwater improvements. For context, after the historic rain event in April 2023, the City Commission prioritized forming Fortify Lauderdale. This is a program aimed at enhancing Fort Lauderdale’s stormwater resiliency by modernizing our stormwater infrastructure in neighborhoods most vulnerable to flooding and to raise awareness on best practices individuals should take to protect themselves and prepare for rain events.

There are 17 neighborhoods (12 projects) included in Phase 2. City staff is currently developing conceptual designs for each neighborhood and working on a single permit that will cover all Phase 2 neighborhoods. The methodology the commission agreed to combines model-driven flood analysis, community feedback, FEMA repetitive loss data, impacted structures and roads, and spatial distribution to prioritize the order of when each project starts within the three-phase rollout. The team will return in a few weeks to recommend a ranking based on the methodology, and during that meeting, the City Commission will focus on finalizing the grouping and ordering of projects. We are heading in the right direction. What is most important is that we ensure each commission district is treated equally and given the improvements they need. Click here to keep up with Fortify Lauderdale's progress.

I am also honored to report that next Tuesday, I will be presenting a proclamation to Honor Flight South Florida to mark May 17th, 2025, as Honor Flight South Florida Day in Fort Lauderdale. This organization funds one-day missions for veterans from Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties to fly to their memorials in Washington D.C. I am so grateful to have an organization in our community that provides veterans approaching their final stages of life the opportunity to commemorate their service by visiting the memorials built to honor their service to our great nation. It is easy to take what we have for granted, so I invite you to join me in recognizing and honoring the invaluable work of this organization's contribution to our community.

Lastly, I was filled with joy to be a part of welcoming the Robert Bethel American Legion Post 22 to the Sistrunk Corridor with Commissioner Pamela Beasley-Pittman earlier today. This space not only supports aspiring, current, and retired veterans, but it also represents a new beginning for our city, offering neighbors more opportunities to connect and strengthen our community. I am proud to be part of this meaningful change.