Second Semi-Annual Neighborhood Yard Sale

On Saturday November 7th the Imperial Point Home Owners Association is planning to have a neighborhood wide YARD SALE from 7AM to 3PM. The neighborhood encompasses the area bordered by East McNab Road to the north, Federal Highway to the east, 56th Street to the south and Cypress Road to the west. The Association will be putting up signs on all the major roadways and advertising the event.



You do not have to register to be a part of this event. All you have to do is set up your front yard, driveway, garage or carport and get prepared to sell all your unwanted items. You will need to mark your property indicating that you are participating in this event. You can post a sign, put up balloons or invent other creative ways to draw attention to your participation.
Encourage your neighbors to join in. The more of us that participate the more successful this event will be.

Here are some tips for having a successful Yard Sale:

• Yard Sales are hard work…don’t get discouraged and don’t give up.
• Start collecting and sorting items by category. The more organized you are the easier it will be to set up and get going the day of the sale.
• Price your items. Use masking tape or labels. Mark each item where the price is visible, on the top or on the front. Remember when pricing items that you don’t want this stuff any more and even if the item is sentimental it may not be worth what you think it is. Most items will bring 1/3 of their original value at best.
• Clothing will sell better if it is hung (if you don’t have a hanging rack you can use a section of pvc pipe with rope through the center attached to two trees or poles), other items will do best
on tables. If you don’t have tables try to borrow some. If all else fails, use boxes...you can turn them over and use the bottoms like tables or put like items inside.
• Put your most attractive items closest to the street where they will draw the drive-bys in to your sale.
• Be willing to bargain but less flexible at the start.
• If you have items you know won’t sell, set up a FREE box…if items are broken mark them broken but good for parts.
• If you are selling anything electrical have an outlet or an extension cord that things can be plugged into so that your customers know they work. If battery operated have batteries
available for testing.
• Don’t leave expensive items unattended. Keep them the closest to the house and to you.
• Post an ALL SALES FINAL sign…that way you won’t be surprised by an unhappy customer or one that has changed their mind.
• Keep your money in a fanny pack not in a cash box. Make sure to have enough change. If you have a lot of small items 80 or 100 should be enough. (Two $10, Four $5, Twenty-five $1, one roll of quarters and $5 in nickels and dimes if you have items under a quarter). If you have a lot of expensive items, you will need more change.
• Keep your pets in the house.
• Keep your blinds closed and your doors locked, don’t encourage strangers to view your possessions.
• MOST IMPORTANTLY HAVE FUN AND SELL ALL YOUR STUFF!!!

Now that your yard sale is complete, you may have some items left over that you still want to sell. Please take advantage of the new low price classified ads ($5.00 per 140 characters in print) that will run in the newsletter and on the website (the online version will have unlimited text and can include photos and will be active for one month) at http://imperialpoint.multiply.com.

Please submit ads to classifieds@imperialpoint.org.

yardsale perimiter

October/November 2009 Newsletter

Download a pdf version of the newsletter.

If you are interested in searching the database of code violations in our neighborhood, visit this site.

To discuss the crime problem and what to do about it, visit this blog post and leave as many comments as you wish (registration required).

Pin Point Lola!

Sign up your neighbor's house for a WOW award.

Attachment: oct-nov-upload.pdf

Cops: We need your eyes and ears

On September 13, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department sent five officers to an Imperial Point Neighborhood association meeting to discuss the ongoing crime problems in the neighborhood. From January to July of this year there have been 29 residential burglaries and 27 vehicular burglaries, which represents a 188% increase in crime over the same period in 2002.




The vast majority of the residential break-ins occur during the day. According to detective Orlando Almanzar all robberies were conducted when the home owner was not there. The criminals operate in small groups of two or more individuals, said Almanzar. Their typical MO is to send one person to the front, who will knock on the door to see if anyone is home. If there is no answer, the other criminals will circle to the rear of the residence to find some way in.

Almanzar believes there are two or three of these groups concurrently operating in Imperial Point. Different groups steal different items from the residences: one group favors small electronics such as laptops, computers, and blue ray disk players; another targets "pocketable" items like jewelry; some even ransack the home looking for hidden safes.

Captain Ralph Nelson noted that the burglaries are “a serious issue” for the police department and that break-ins have increased in frequency over the past few weeks. The best way to curb this type of crime, said Nelson, is for residents to become more pro-active. “What is going to help most is your heightened alertness.”

To a shocked audience, He revealed that the police circulated 35 unmarked cars throughout the neighborhood on September 11 in an effort to catch some of the groups operating in Imperial Point. “While we didn't catch any criminals that day.” said Nelson, “we also didn't receive a single phone call from your neighborhood about suspicious vehicles roaming the streets.”

He said the few residents that do call in suspicious behavior are almost always apologetic about bothering the officers with their complaints. “We need your eyes out in the streets to determine what is suspicious and what isn't.” said Nelson. He encouraged residents to call in anything even remotely suspicious to the non emergency number at 954-828-5700.

Nelson further advised residents to contact their neighbors and to make lists of vehicles and the times those vehicles should be parked near the neighbor's residence. If a resident ever sees a vehicle that doesn't belong, call the emergency number. “We need leads” added officer Chris Croteau. “We don't have any local intel. It's difficult for us to determine what landscaper is supposed to be in front of what house.”

Nelson further indicated that vehicular burglaries could be significantly reduced if residents would not leave laptops, gps devices and cell phones in plain view in parked cars outside their homes. These are irresistible targets for thieves, and Nelson encourages people to bring those items inside or to hide them before parking the vehicle.

The officers offer other practical advice for protecting your home and property:

• Lock all doors and set your alarm before leaving

• Make sure your neighbors know what vehicles should be in front of your house and when

• Report ANY suspicious noise or active coming from the rear of your neighbor' house during the day

• Hurricane windows are not burglar proof

• A bar placed in the track of sliding glass doors is the best method for securing the door

• Write down the serial numbers for all your electronics

• Get Lojack for Laptops (http://www.absolute.com/products/lojack)

Pin Point Lola - October

Can you guess where Lola is in the Point? Submit answers to editor@imperialpoint.org or PM foonasty

Budget Board Reccomendations

The Fort Lauderdale Budget Advisory Board passed their recommendations last week for cutting the city budget.  Since our commissioners have decided the best route is to declare us overtaxed and to tap the rainy day fund, I thought it would be interesting to review what the non-partisan advisory board had to say on the matter.

Unsurprisingly, one of their recommendations was to make modest cuts in city salaries -- reflecting what is going on in private businesses across south Florida.  The advisory board agreed in principle that the rainy day fun should be tapped just this once, but warned the city that it needed to seriously reform its delinquent fiscal ways. Here's a brief overview of their findings:

For the 2009-2010 budget:

• use 10MM from the rainy day fund on a one time only basis
• do NOT tap the fund in the future
• city needs to make better plans to cut the budget for this year
• That 10mm needs to be paid back with reductions during this budget year

For future budgets:

• Eliminate salary and wage increases, potentially reducing them
• City should sell off surplus property
• The city should pursue intergovernmental relationships to reduce costs for overlapping services (ostensibly this means coordinating better with Broward)
• Adopt zero-based budgeting
• Reform the runaway pension costs
• Study the efficiency of manager/employee relationships to see if there can't be some reductions in the total number of managers

The official recommendation motions are attached.

Attachment: babrecommendations.doc

Federal infusion of cash pays for dozen new Lauderdale officers

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2009/08/federal_infusion_of_cash_pays.html
This is good news on the crime front; looks like Fort Lauderdale will be able to put 12 seasoned professionals back on active duty. The July part 1 crime statistics for Fort Lauderdale were released today as well. Many neighborhoods across the city have actually seen their crime rates drop from 2002 and even 2008 levels. We are still on pace to double the crime rate from its low in 2002, so this announcment could not have come at a better time.

Tax notices in the mail: how did you make out?

How do you taxes compare to last year?

Up more than 25%

 

 1

Up, but less than 25%

 

 0

More or less the same

 

 0

Down, but less than 25%

 

 3

Down more than 25%

 

 0

With over half of the 750,000  notices already in the mail, many of you have already received your estimated tax bill for 2008.  Lori Parrish's office is once again erroneously feeling the heat from any tax payers.  It's gotten go bad that her office put a huge, ugly warning at the top of the bcpa's home page:

UPSET ABOUT YOUR PROPOSED PROPERTY TAXES?? IF YOU ARE UPSET ABOUT THE PROPOSED TAX RATES AND FEE INCREASES... PROPERTY APPRAISER LORI PARRISH DOES NOT SET ANY OF YOUR TAX RATES OR FEES. If you are upset about the tax rates or any new fees or fee increases, our office cannot help you because we don't set those rates. You’ll need to contact your City Commission and other taxing boards listed on your TRIM Notice. IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THE MARKET VALUE... Please contact us, as our office sets the market values displayed on the TRIM Notices. Under Florida law, the market value on your TRIM Notice must reflect the approximate market value as of January 1, 2009 -- based upon market sales which occurred in 2008. Any drop in value after January 1, 2009, will be reflected on next year's assessment as all properties are assessed in arrears under the law. Also, ALL Florida properties are reassessed EVERY year regardless of whether there was a change in ownership. If you wish to appeal you value, be sure to file a timely petition with the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) by the September 18 filing deadline. But, before you file a VAB petition, we invite you to please speak with one of our appraisers directly to discuss your concerns: RESIDENTIAL VALUES - 954.357.6831 CONDO VALUES - 954.357.6832 COMMERCIAL VALUES - 954.357.6835 IF YOU ARE MISSING AN EXEMPTION... Our office is responsible for determining eligibility for property tax exemptions. If you believe you are missing homestead, portability or other tax-saving exemptions for which you are entitled, please contact us immediately by the September 18 late filing deadline. Call our Customer Service Division at 954.357.6830.

Blink?  Its gotten that bad??

There seems to be a lot of anger out there over the increases and we certainly can sympathize with that.  As Lori correctly points out, please take up your complaints with the taxing authorities.  Please read your TRIM notice carefully (http://www.bcpa.net/trim.asp)  to see who is and who isn't raising rates.

To help you out we're republishing some information here about the millage trends, orginally collected by Fort Lauderdale's OMB.  We'll update the thread with more information soon ...

Property Tax Millage*

All Overlapping Governments

Fort Lauderdale				Broward County							Special Districts**
					Broward	S. Florida		Fla. Inland		Downtown Dev. Auth.		N. Broward			Sunrise
Tax		Debt	Total	Broward	County	Water Mgt.	Children's	Navigation	Total		Debt	Hospital	Hillsboro		Key
Roll Operating		Service	City	County	Schools	District	Services	District	Citywide	Operating	Service	District		Inlet	Neigh. Dist.
1995	5.3907	0.5162	5.9069	8.1165	10.0366	0.6470	-	0.0400	24.7470	0.6464	1.3823	2.4327		0.1142	1.0000
1996	5.2570	0.4803	5.7373	7.7524	9.9420	0.6720	-	0.0380	24.1417	0.6345	1.3668	2.4200		0.1112	1.0000
1997	5.0633	0.7576	5.8209	7.8380	9.9745	0.6970	-	0.0500	24.3804	0.8007	0.9878	2.4087		0.1071	1.0000
1998	5.0062	0.6671	5.6733	7.5710	9.7256	0.6970	-	0.0470	23.7139	0.8007	0.9878	2.5000		0.1071	1.0000
1999	4.9574	0.6090	5.5664	7.5710	9.1283	0.6970	-	0.0440	23.0067	0.7438	0.9878	2.4895		0.0955	1.5000
2000	5.0415	0.5249	5.5664	7.5250	8.9553	0.6970	-	0.0410	22.7847	0.7072	0.9878	2.4803		0.1036	1.0000
2001	4.8762	0.4968	5.3730	7.4005	8.7541	0.6970	0.3055	0.0385	22.5686	0.6444	0.6000	2.4803		0.0951	1.5000
2002	4.8472	0.4213	5.2685	7.3650	8.8825	0.6970	0.3316	0.0385	22.5831	0.6444	0.6000	2.4803		0.1170	1.5000
2003	4.8288	0.3682	5.1970	7.1880	8.1240	0.6970	0.3920	0.0385	21.6365	0.6279	0.6000	2.5000		0.2490	0.7500
2004	5.4066	0.3632	5.7698	7.0230	8.2695	0.6970	0.4231	0.0385	22.2209	0.6279	0.6000	2.4803		0.1845	1.0000
2005	5.0924	0.3389	5.4313	6.2942	7.8410	0.6970	0.4231	0.0385	20.7251	0.6750	0.4200	2.1746		0.1845	1.0000
2006	4.8066	0.2760	5.0826	6.0661	7.8687	0.6970	0.4073	0.0385	20.1602	0.6150	0.4900	1.8317		0.1170	1.5000
2007	4.1193	0.1289	4.2482	5.2868	7.6484	0.6240	0.3572	0.0345	18.1991	0.4933	0.4800	1.6255		0.0860	1.0000
2008	4.1193	0.1302	4.2495	4.8889	7.4170	0.6240	0.3754	0.0345	17.5893	0.4802	0.4289	1.7059		0.0860	1.0000

Neighbors Twitter, blog to keep criminals at bay

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32372082/ns/technology_and_science-security/
Interesting trend and techniques used in neighborhoods where a police presence is hampered by budget cutbacks.

Broward County Tapping Stimulus Funds for Courthouse

I heard a news story on wlrn this morning discussing the county's proposed plans to fund a *loan* for for repairing the courthouse using federal stimulus money.  You can read more about it here:

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/1168809.html

I still don't understand why the Broward commissioners are trying to get funding for this project.  The voters spoke loud and clear when they voted down the 500MM plus project in 2006.  The county commissioners are meeting today and this proposal gets top billing on the agenda. I look forward to hearing from Ken Keechl on the details.  Perhaps a visit to the courthouse and a tour are in order ...

August September 2009 Newsletter

Printers format.  Click link below to download.

Broward Politics | Sun Sentinel Blogs | Fort Lauderdale City Commission Archives

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/fort_lauderdale_city_commissio_1/
One of my favorite blogs for following Fort Lauderdale politics.

Update on Fire Station 35

Despite all the problems and the appointment of a special consultant to examine the overspending and delays with the 40M Fire Bond, Bruce Roberts assured me that there will be no impact to Fire Station 35.

And I quote:

"35 will be moving along as originally planned and without delay........."


Good news to be sure.  I'm still waiting for the minutes for the last committee meeting on July 16th to be posted.  I couldn't quite make that meeting.  Anyone know what happened?

http://ci.ftlaud.fl.us/documents/frbond/frbond_agenda.htm

Nazi Germany had “The Fuehrer”, Fort Lauderdale has George Gretsas. | A Better Fort Lauderdale

http://abetterftlauderdale.com/?p=360
Sorry for the hiatus in posting folks; multiple crisis at work an unplanned visit to the New York office kept me out of the Imperial Point orbit for a few weeks.

This gem landed in my inbox on Monday. As always Rynerson has a point, although rhetorical comparisons of our local government to the Nazis don't sit well with me and pretty much destroy all credibility.

Vice Mayor Newsletter July: From the Desk of Bruce Roberts

Now that Hurricane Season has started, this is a good time to remind everyone to make sure you are prepared. Though only a few lost power last year, we cannot forget the damage that even a tropical storm can do.The City is ready to respond, but I urge residents to make their own preparations for this hurricane season. Part of this preparation should include creating a disaster plan and assembling a disaster supply kit. The kit should include at least three days worth of water (one gallon, per person, per day) and non-perishable food for each person in your family. Other essential supplies you should have readily available include: a can opener, flashlights, a battery-operated radio, batteries, cash, pet supplies, medications, extra eyeglasses, contact lenses and supplies for people with special needs.

For a complete list of emergency supplies and other preparedness tips, visit the new City hurricane website at http://ci.ftlaud.fl.us/hurricane/index.htm.

If you are interested in helping your fellow residents after a hurricane, I encourage you to join the Community Emergency Response Team (or “CERT”). CERT is a highly trained, volunteer group that assists the City after local emergencies. Through Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue, you can receive free training that covers disaster terminology, standard triage, basic first aid, fire suppression, light search and rescue and disaster awareness. After graduation you will be prepared to care for your family and your community and you will be part of a team that may be called upon to assist the City during an emergency. Free beginner and continuing education classes are available. For more information please call 954-828-6832. Remember that after a storm is when we need to help each other! If we get prepared now and work together, the City of Fort Lauderdale will be a more disaster-resilient community where everyone can recover as quickly as possible.

Remember to mark your calendars for the Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Department’s Starlight Musicals concert services. Even though they are not in our District it is a very fun community event. These FREE outdoor concerts provide a great way to enjoy the summer with family and friends. They are held in Holiday Park, Friday nights, 7-10p.m., June 19-August 7, 2009. The series will feature an exciting line-up of bands ranging from pop to country, rhythm and blues to tropical rock! Visit http://ci.ftlaud.fl.us/events/index.htm to view the schedule and to see what other special things the Parks and Recreation Department is offering.

Since becoming District 1 Commissioner, I have currently been appointed to serve on several Boards. The Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization is a federally mandated planning body responsible for transportation planning in the Broward County urbanized area. Established in 1977 by the Florida Legislature, the MPO was created to direct urban transportation planning and direct the expenditure of federal and state funds.  It is the lead agency responsible for developing and administering plans and programs to maintain eligibility and receive federal funds for the transportation systems in Broward County. The 19 members of the MPO include representatives from cities within the county, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), the Broward County School Board, and the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.  District 2 Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom also represents our City.

The Transportation Management Association coordinates the efforts of government, private employers, developers and property owners in addressing common transportation concerns; improves accessibility and mobility; provides transportation services; and works cooperatively with local and state government for the continued growth and development of downtown Fort Lauderdale while avoiding traffic congestion. The Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association (DFLTMA) was incorporated in 1992 to marshal business resources and expertise and to combine them with government efforts to solve local transportation problems. District 4 Commissioner Romney Rogers also represents our City.

I want to thank the numerous people who came out on June 25 to listen to the plans for building the new Fire Station 35 on East Commercial Boulevard. Some important upcoming dates to keep on your radar include:

• The City Manager’s budget proposal for next fiscal year will be presented at the July 21 commission meeting.
• Public hearings to discuss the consultants study re: water conservation, usage and fees on the two July commission meetings.
• Public hearings on the budget at the two September commission meetings.

FXE Noise Survey

Have you ever called the FXE noise abatement hotline to complain about noisy aircraft?

Always -- I call whenever I hear a loud aircraft. FXE is on my speed dial!

 

 5

Sometimes -- I call occassionally when my cell phone is close by

 

 2

Almost never -- who has the time; besides it's very infrequent

 

 0

Never -- the noise doesn't bother me

 

 1

I will in the future! There's a noise abatement hotline??

 

 1

Hurricane preparedness poll

Have you prepared for the 2009 hurricane season?

100% -- Everyting is ready; I have water, food, shutters and fuel. Bring it on!

 

 0

75% -- I have made some preperations, but still need a weeked to get fully prepared

 

 3

50% -- I've thought about it; I at least have shutters and impact windows

 

 1

25% -- I think I have some old water jugs from Publix laying around

 

 0

0% -- Hurricanes come here??

 

 1

May Crime Stats: the Neighborhood has no Crown

The Fort Lauderdale Crime Analysis unit released its latest numbers on HOA crime this Monday (see attached).  Like many other neighborhoods throughout Fort Lauderale Imperial Point has seem a substantial rise in part 1 crime.   These types of crimes include robberies, residential burglaries, vehicle burglaries, business burglaries and vehicle theft.  Symbolically, Imperial Points' own entrance signage has been vandalized three times this year.

But what makes Imperial Point's rising crime rate particularly troubling is that the rate of increase, when compared to previous years, is far greater than other neighborhoods.

Presently, we have the dubious distinction of having the 5th highest historical crime rate increase of the 83 neighborhoods for which these statistics are available.

The chart below shows the number of incidents from January through May in each given calendar year.  The last two column show the rate of increase from 2002 and 2008 respectively.

 

HOA	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	%02-09	%08-09
Rock Island		0	1	0	30	46	80	65	200	-19.00%
Palm Aire Village (WEST)	1	4	7	6	6	4	10	14	1300.00%	40.00%
Palm-Aire Village (EAST)	2	7	2	7	1	5	5	19	850.00%	280.00%
Harbour Isles	1	11	2	0	4	0	1	5	400.00%	400.00%
Imperial Point	16	28	29	31	40	23	38	58	263.00%	53.00%
Lake Estates Improvement	1	3	2	0	0	2	2	3	200.00%	50.00%
Knoll Ridge	7	11	14	15	9	14	13	20	186.00%	54.00%
Flamingo Park	13	17	30	19	20	8	27	31	138.00%	15.00%
Tarpon River	24	28	38	32	31	25	23	56	133.00%	143.00%
Shady Banks	10	10	8	9	18	11	11	22	120.00%	100.00%

In terms of overall numbers of incidents Imperial Point ranks only 18th out of the 83 HOAs.  Slightly unnerving is that eight of the higher crime HOAs have decreases in their historical crime rates and the remainder have far lower increases than Imperial Point.

HOA	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	%02-09	%08-09
South Middle River	216	170	162	282	176	170	189	163	-25.00%	-14.00%
Lauderdale Manors	162	129	149	159	160	151	194	131	-19.00%	-32.00%
Melrose Park			44	58	61	54	71	129	n/c	82.00%
Victoria Park	129	102	108	151	122	83	123	116	-10.00%	-6.00%
Dorsey-Riverbend	102	94	98	128	119	103	124	102	0.00%	-18.00%
Riverside Park	77	70	50	95	73	68	52	90	17.00%	73.00%
Progresso Village	111	85	94	127	106	84	94	85	-23.00%	-10.00%
Central Beach Alliance	176	134	130	118	106	92	91	80	-55.00%	-12.00%
Durrs	65	63	60	71	102	70	104	77	18.00%	-26.00%
Melrose Manors	49	51	47	82	36	51	64	75	53.00%	17.00%
River Oaks	48	49	56	68	69	63	39	73	52.00%	87.00%
Sailboat Bend	82	65	74	56	83	62	76	72	-12.00%	-5.00%
Flagler Heights	84	47	68	88	53	49	74	66	-21.00%	-11.00%
Rock Island		0	1	0	30	46	80	65	n/c	-19.00%
Middle River Terrace	83	51	52	61	56	44	68	63	-24.00%	-7.00%
Coral Ridge Country Club Estate	46	45	44	57	44	41	66	61	33.00%	-8.00%
Imperial Point	16	28	29	31	40	23	38	58	263.00%	53.00%
Sunset	48	64	55	45	50	28	47	58	21.00%	23.00%
Tarpon River	24	28	38	32	31	25	23	56	133.00%	143.00%

I have asked Commission Roberts about these numbers and what they mean for our community.  He assured me that Imperial Point is part of a city wide trend, exacerbated by a shortage in patrol officers.  Roberts believes the department has a severe office retention problem and aims to curtail this during his tenure.  He confirmed that the principal drivers in our crime increase were residential and vehicular burglaries.

While its certainly true that Imperial Point is not alone, these numbers should encourage more citizen vigilance.  Ultimately Imperial Point remains a relatively safe neighborhood with only 58 incidents in an area that includes 2500 homes.  But if we are, in fact, being more frequently targeted I would like to know that the police department and city commission are at least aware of our concerns.

Attachment: HOA_YTD-3.pdf

Commissioner Meeting Tonight

Don't forget the City Commission meets tonight; you can watch the proceedings on channel 78 if you have basic cable, or online here:

http://ci.ftlaud.fl.us/commission/live.asx

Please find the original agenda attached as well as an OCR'd version below.  Why, in this day in age, is the agenda a PDF?  Why not a nice searchable format like html or even ms doc?  But I digress ...

What appears to be missing from the agenda is the presentation from the Fire Bond Issue Blue Ribbon Committee.  I'm pretty unfamiliar with the whole process ... does anyone know when they will make their case?  Here is a little background:

http://imperialpoint.multiply.com/links/item/7/7

Attachment: 070709cc_reg.pdf
Attachment: 070709cc_reg.htm

“Checks and Balances” in Fort Lauderdale and the Fire Bond Fiasco.

http://abetterftlauderdale.com/?p=307
Rynerson's latest post -- and a must read if you are unfamiliar with the whole Fire Bond issue. Tomorrow's commissioner meeting should prove to be interesting when it come's to the advisory Committee's resolution. This issue directly impacts our HOA as our station (#35 located near the corner of Commercial and 18th) is next in line to receive funds from the bond issue for a rebuild.

Mark Antonelli wrote an excellent summary of the community meeting discussing the plans for our station here:

http://antonellimark.multiply.com/video/item/1/Fire_Station_35_Meeting

Here are the first ten minutes, although you will want to follow the link above to download the whole video if interested:

Commisioner Bruce Roberts resonds to our crime report

In case you missed it, I compiled some stats that quantitatively suggested Imperial Point was experiencing somewhat of a crime wave.  A partial report is here:
http://imperialpoint.multiply.com/journal/item/14/Fort_Lauderdale_Police_Crime_is_up_HUGE_in_the_Point.

I've been doing a lot of number crunching to compare us to other neighborhoods and the results are surprising.  I'm going to work some more on the report in the coming days and publish something comprehensive.

In the meantime, I asked Commissioner Robers for his reaction to this report; what follows is his response, verbatim:

Brett, 
I am having difficulty sending mail via the city server, so I had to redo
the email from home. Sorry for any confusion this may create.

At any rate, your analysis is correct. Two crime categories accounting for
the major increases are vehicular and residential burglaries. This also
reflects a citywide trend.

The reasons are twofold:
	1. Poor economic conditions
	2. Inadequate police staffing

During my tenure as Police Chief, we had 510 allocated police officer
positions. Currently, only 498 are budgeted. Of those, 42 are in the police
academy or in training with Field Training Officers; 10 positions are
vacant; 4 officers are on active military duty; and 14 officers are on some
form of light duty (sick, injured, pregnant, etc.). That equates to more
than 80 officers off the street.

As you can see, we do not have an issue with hiring (42 officers in
training), but we do have a problem with retention. We hire and train
officers for other agencies. I am determined to reveres that trend. In the
short term, I have directed that additional overtime funding be provided to
staff more officers for crime reduction action plans.

Rest assured that I will remain an advocate for our neighborhood and for
public safety citywide. In these difficult times, it is also incumbent on
all of us to step up our affirmative crime prevention precautions such as
locking car doors, removing valuables from plain view, being more vigilant
on our own streets and reporting suspicious activity.

Completely Outrageous Tax Increases on all things Vehicle related

Today a new fee structure went into place for all manner of state related vehicle licenses and registrations.  All told, these fees are expected to raise over 800MM in the coming budget year.  I feel like a big dummy, but this is the first I have heard of *any* of these fee hikes.  I thought the state and the state legislature were comitteed to preventing any increase in our tax burden?  So much for that plan ...

Fee	2008	2009	% Increase
First-time driver's license	$27	$48	77%
Driver's license renewal	$20	$48	140%
Late payment on renewals	$1	$15	1400%
Replacing a lost license	$10	$25	150%
Driver's license reinstatement after a DUI	$47.50	$60	26%
Commercial driver's license	$67	$75	11%
License plates	$12	$28	133%
Processing fees for specialty license plates	$2	$5	150%
Annual vehicle registration fees			35%
First time car registration	$100	$225	125%
egistration decal	$1	$3	200%
"Reflectorization" fee	$.50	$1.50	200%
Car title	$20	$70	191%
Driver's crash record request	$2	$10	400%

Broward County News Center

http://www.broward.org/news/

In Hollywood, Fla.: Hollywood to offer free outdoor Internet access -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-hollywood-free-internet,0,1288295.story
Cool ... 70% of Hollywood will be covered by wireless starting July 1st. The system cost around $14MM and is primarily intended for use by city services (automated water meters, polic, etc.). A fringe benefit is that public will have access to the system, provided they are outside. The range of the transponders is hindered by concrete, a limitation on any wireless system, including the simple ones many peopl install in their homes. Regardless, people living close to transponders will have access *inside* as well.

This is totally sweet. This is definitely something we, as an HOA, should keep our eyes on. Public wireless is widely touted as a beneficial to commerce and enhances community image. Such systems are not terribly expensive and could be purchased and installed by HOA with community grants.

FLPD - Statistics Gateway

http://ci.ftlaud.fl.us/police/stats.html

Ken Keechl: Summarization of the Broward County Courthouse Task Force

I received the following newsletter from Broward Country Commissioner and Vice Mayor Ken Keechl's office this morning.  Keechl summarizes the Broward County Courthouse Task Force's unsurprising findings that the current country courthouse needs to be replaced.  He emphasizes that while the needs are great, he will not vote for any recommendations that require an increase in property taxes.

I'm not too thrilled that the country appears to be prepared to badger the voters, once again, for money to replace the building.  I think we made our voices heard lound and clear when the bond issues was voted down last year.  I'll schedule some time to meet with Keechl and/or his staff to get a more first-hand feel for the issues involved, but 328 million for a new county building just doesn't sit well with me.  Here is what Keechl has to say:

---

In previous articles, I have discussed the continuing problems plaguing our Broward County courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale. As a result of bursting pipes, increasing mold, broken elevators, security issues, and a chronic shortage of courtrooms and parking, judges, jurors, litigants, and employees are suffering. In fact, the County has recently been sued by several court employees alleging that the courthouse is dangerous and unfit for occupancy.

Recognizing that the current situation is unacceptable, last December the Broward County Commission established a Broward County Courthouse Task Force (“Task Force”) to make recommendations to the County Commission “regarding alternatives for financing, development, construction, improvement and other matters” relating to the downtown courthouse. The Task Force recently submitted its Report to the County Commission. I would like to devote this month’s article to summarizing its findings regarding the need to build a new Courthouse. And I would like to devote next month’s article to discussing financing issues.

Not surprisingly, the Task Force concluded that the current courthouse is in critical condition. All building systems have exceeded their useful lives and in the event of a Hurricane Category 2 or above, the structure will sustain significant damages, if not total destruction. Moreover, the current layout of the building is not conducive to a modern courthouse; there is not enough space for all judicial and court-related activities; and there is no room for expansion.

In contrast to building an entirely new structure, the Task Force considered a renovation of the current courthouse. The Task Force concluded that renovation would not be cost effective. If the County Commission decided to renovate the downtown courthouse instead of building a new structure, the Task Force and its experts believe that the courthouse would need to be totally gutted and the structure would have to be hurricane hardened. Moreover, renovation would inevitably require that the entire building be brought up to the current building code. Lastly, the County would incur additional costs to lease space for employees displaced during the renovations. Obviously, these costs would not be incurred with new construction.

The Task Force also evaluated the possibility of acquiring and remodeling an existing office building, such as the 110 Tower. The Task Force and its experts concluded that it would be difficult to achieve courtroom height requirements in a standard office building and it would also be very difficult to achieve adequate separation of the public, inmates, and judges.

The Task Force also looked at the feasibility of moving functions off-site and how to maximize the use of our satellite courthouses. The possibility of moving the downtown courthouse to another location in Broward County was also considered. In the end, the Task Force recommended keeping the main courthouse downtown due to the proximity to the Main Jail; the County’s investment in the salvageable East and North Wings of the current downtown courthouse; and the need to continue to provide all judicial services in one location. Moreover, due to land and parking limitations, the West and South satellite courthouses could not be expanded.

In the end, the Task Force recommended that a new scaled-down courthouse should be constructed on the site of the current judicial garage. By building on County-owned land, the overall cost of the project would be lessened. In the past, the County Commission had suggested building a new courthouse at a cost of approximately $510 million; the Task Force’s new scaled down courthouse would cost approximately $328 million. Similarly, previous County Commissions envisioned a new courthouse comprising nearly 900,000 square feet; the Task Force’s new scaled down courthouse would comprise approximately 675,000 square feet. The Task Force also recommended additional parking to meet existing and future courthouse needs.

Lastly, and importantly, the Task Force also recognized that the funding for any new courthouse should avoid an increase in the property tax burden on Broward’s residents.

I have previously acknowledged the need for a new or renovated courthouse. However, I have made it clear that I will not vote to increase the property tax burden on you in the process. Next month’s article will look at the feasibility of building a new courthouse without increasing your property taxes. As always, the devil is in the details.

Until then, my best to you and your families.

Broward County Commissioner and Vice Mayor Ken Keechl

954 357 7004

www.broward.org/kenkeechl

Ask Lori ... Parrish on Appraisal, June Edition

Dear Lori,
I’m a first time home buyer and I can’t seem to get a straight answer on how property taxes work.  The house I’m buying has current taxes due of $8,400.  When I use your online calculator, my purchase price with the Homestead Exemption calculates to $3,951.  How long would I pay taxes of $8,400 and when would the new tax rate start?
Amanda, via email

As a new home buyer you will inherit the seller’s current status for the 2009 tax year.  When buying property, you should look on our website (www.bcpa.net) to determine if the current year’s values have posted.  If they have not posted, you can e-mail me for an estimate of your property taxes.  The Property Appraiser does not levy or collect taxes, we cannot give guidance as to whether the property tax rate in your area will go up or down in the next year until the taxing authorities (Broward County Commission, County School Board, South Florida Water District or City Commission) give us the new rates and special assessment fees around August 5th, 2009.   At your closing, the seller will give you a deduct for the seller’s pro-rata share of the current year’s taxes.  You will be responsible for the entire bill in November 2009.

For estimating purposes, take the taxable assessed value, deduct any current year exemptions and multiply it by 2%.  Then, look at last year’s TRIM Notice and add back on any non-ad valorem fees for drainage, fire, garbage, etc.  The estimation is based upon the average Millage Rate of 20 mills (or 2%).

You may also use our online tax calculator found at www.bcpa.net for new home purchases only.  New home buyers can simply click on the “Home Buyers Tax Estimator” and follow the easy instructions.  Please remember the calculator is only an estimate based upon the mileage rates of 2008 until after August 15th when the 2009 rates will apply.   Also, this estimate does not include any non-ad valorem fees which the city or local taxing districts may charge.  In many areas there are some pricey fees so be sure to check the previous TRIM (proposed tax) notice and add those to the tax estimate.  These fees typically range from $150 - $500 or higher.  Your property taxes for the following year will be based upon your new assessment (approximately 85% of your purchase price) less any exemptions you apply for and are granted, and the new 2010 tax rates plus any non-ad valorem fees.

Should you have any question, please contact our office at (954) 357-6830.

Sincerely,
Lori Parrish, CFA

If you have a question for Lori, please email her at lori@bcpa.net or write to her at the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office, 115 South Andrews Avenue, Room 111, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. (June 2009)

Fort Lauderdale Police: Crime is up HUGE in the Point

The Crime Analysis Unit of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department actively maintains crime reports.  The most recent HOA report should always be here.  This is definitely something we should keep our eye on should update here as often as possible.

For the year to date through April,  crime is way, way up in our neighborhood.  Excluding neighborhoods that have gone from zero crimes in 2008 to a handful in 2009, we have the sixth fastest growing rate out of all other HOA areas.  Only Melrose Park (102%), Dillard Park (133%), Riverside Park (135%) andTarpon River (169%) beat us in this less than illustrious category.

Here is the year-to-date breakdown availble from the report:

OFFENSE	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2002-2009 +/-%	2008-2009 +/-%
Robbery	0	1	2	0	2	1	1	3	157%	200%
Burglary Residence	7	8	4	8	10	2	6	18	1900%	33%
Vehicle Burglary	1	8	9	7	7	8	15	20	200%	200%
Business Burglary	1	2	0	0	3	6	1	3	25%	150%
Vehicle Theft	4	4	4	5	2	1	2	5	277%	96%
Imperial Point Total	13	23	19	20	24	18	25	49	277%	96%

Here is what that data looks like plotted year by year:




While it's completely justified to be a  alarmed by these figures, especially considering the astronomical rise in residential burglaries, other communities are much harder hit when comparing absolute numbers.  For example, take Lauderdale Manors; they have three times the number of home break-ins this year which only bumbs their rate of increase 5%.

I've send a missive to the gentleman in charge of collecting this figures in order to get them in a more easily consumable format.  That way we can do community by community comparisons to get a better idea of how serious this is.