reality check plans growth
Mariella permalink | categories: agriculture, development, environment, quality of life, transportationby Mariella @ 11:27 am
My team built a monster highway through nature preserves and wetlands, over my dead body. Then they defiled the rural landscape with urban sprawl.
300 growth gods-for-a-day at Reality Check Tampa Bay were divided into 32 tables of 8 to 10 people - each table shaping future development on their own map of the 7-county region around Tampa Bay— and I was stuck arguing with a table full of developers, a county commissioner, and other Friends of Sprawl. Story of my life.
Community activist Anita Jimenez came over and rescued me. Led me by the hand through the Convention Center to her table’s map: a vision of Smart Growth compacted in cities connected by multi-modal transit corridors—a land where agriculture still flourished in central Florida and vast stretches of green space were unmarred by development.
All the growth forecast for the next 50 years was given to each team in the form of Legos. Yellow Legos represented housing, red Legos were commercial development. We placed the Legos on our maps where we would direct growth, and pinned colored ribbons down where we would build roads (purple) or rail (orange).
With 90 minutes to cram a jillion legos in SOMEWHERE—while a facilitator prods you to “HURRY!”—you can’t engage in real planning. You are given certain unquestionable assumptions as rules of the game. The exercise is designed to teach people the Reality Check lesson that we have only 2 choices in the face of massive growth:
- Continue sprawling into the rural areas
- Build very high density in the urban areas
Thankfully the majority rejected #1. Most teams left great swaths of agricultural & natural areas undeveloped. But everyone was forced to “accept the reality” that we are going to have to allow development of much higher densities than most of us really want in our communities. Reality Check leads its participants to spread the gospel that people must stop complaining about high density proposals in their neighborhoods. It is the only way, they say, to accommodate all the “inevitable” growth, yet save some green space AND make mass transit viable.
Check out the results of the Reality Check exercise. Looking at the 32 maps created, you can see that some teams built a beltway or two, some didn’t. Some sprawled more than others. Some built up the cities more than others. (You weren’t allowed to drown your legos in the bay.)
I cynically expected the 300 carefully selected invitees to be overweighted with developers and politicians, compared to the general population, and I was right about that. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this group as a whole was determined to avoid the horrific prediction which 1000 Friends of Florida says we are heading for if we don’t change our ways. I was heartened to hear the keynote speakers talk of preserving community character and protecting all we love about Florida from overdevelopment. I found a ray of hope in this group’s top 6 “guiding principles” for growth (Power Point!), listed here in order of priority:
- Promote quality communities to create a sense of place by uniquely clustering higher density mixed-use development, organized around transportation corridors.
- Maximize mobility using multi-modal transportation.
- Preserve natural systems, emphasizing connectivity and sustainable water supplies.
- Balance jobs and housing for affordable quality of life. (tie with 5)
- Attract higher paying jobs—strengthen economic development.
- Preserve farmland and sustain the role of agriculture.
I agree with the message that we have to start building up instead of out, and we need to mix housing with jobs & services to cut down on commuter traffic. Still, I question the assumptions of this exercise. More on that later. But whatever your thoughts on the subject, I encourage you to participate. A lot of influential people are involved, and their ideas will carry considerable weight. So should yours.
Sign up at myonebay.com to be included in the conversation that will help shape our region’s future development.
Other blog posts about the excercise:
- Mark Holmgren’s blog has another Reality Check participant’s perspective.
- Sarasota Speaks has a hard to read overview.
- Vinny Tafuro planned to go, but doesn’t (yet) say how it came out.
- Wayne Garcia: The biggest positive was “putting leaders from seven counties into the same Tampa Convention Center room…” Also, this vision has support.
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May 23rd, 2007 at 3:06 pm
[...] first-person and roudup of Reality [...]
May 23rd, 2007 at 3:07 pm
If action is not taken during these years, it will be too late…Once agreements are made, it’s difficult to counter…It is good that disparate opinions can come together for the benefit of all…The best way to preserve “Green” is to list it as a priority, and plan around it..That would be a “Win”…..
May 23rd, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Like Mariella, I anticipated a developer driven exercise and was pleasantly surprised when my table actually had more smart growth advocates than those for sprawl (well, except for the Polk County representatives). What seemed completely UNrealistic was the fact that we HAD to accept the population growth and there was no consideration for the cost of projects proposed, developing in coastal high hazard areas or environmental concerns. One person at my table actually proposed (with no support, thank god…) a bridge from St. Pete to Ruskin, where no land for a port to even be considered would be the least of the drawbacks (we later changed the proposed bridge to a ferry into Apollo Beach). The amount of people they project are coming is highly unlikely if for no other reason that we don’t have enough water for that kind of density. Many of us proposed taking a bunch of Legos and placing them in Georgia.
May 24th, 2007 at 1:13 am
Amen to Anita.
May 24th, 2007 at 5:19 am
I also participated in Reality Check. I don’t believe that we have no control over how many people and how much growth will be coming. I enjoyed the process but I’m very skeptical that the governments involved in the region will take the necessary steps now to make sure that we have “smart growth” and don’t lose our quality of life. I don’t want to live in a Dade County-Miami-like area. If I did, I’d move there! I think we are naive if we think that there will be enough water for 3.2 million more people!
May 24th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
If people believe that growth projections are high, consider that some 1,200 people are moving to Florida every day.
Water or not, they are coming.
Roads or not, they are coming.
Schools or not, they are coming.
Government needs to find ways to make it more attractive to revitalize urban areas than to build on undeveloped land. It’s simple economics, undeveloped land is cheaper and more readily available than developed land.
There isn’t a whole heck of a lot anyone can really do about this.
Except, maybe, to move to North Carolina.
May 24th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
Well, with all due respect to Jim Johnson I am not ready to pull the plug on the sunshine state yet and move to North Carolina. Growth is simply a function of decisions made by regulatory agencies and legislative bodies. We can get good or bad decisions based on the citizen pressure and political pressure we put on those entities. A community, through its local government, can have good schools, good roads, good parks, open space, ag lands, and habitat preservation….or it can have sprawl. It’s up to us to fight for the vision and reality of what sort of community we want to live in. Florida is where I’m making my stand, and its all about spreading the word, fighting the good fight, and out-organizing the greed heads who would pave their grandmothers grave for another condo.
Nov. 2008 should be a referendum vote not only on proposals like Florida Hometown Demoncracy, but in a larger sense on Florida’s future. Check out resources like the Florida League of Conservation Voters to find out what sort of environmental record your state reps and senators have. If they score poorly, let’s show them the door. Hillsborough County can do better than Jim Norman, Ken Hagan, and Brian Blair. The power to change our communities is within us, our neighbors, our co-workers, and our friends. Let’s harness it and fire things up! BTW…if you want a role model for how to do this look no further than folks like Mariella Smith.
May 27th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Today Surfside, Florida has elected officials who talk green but who are beholden and controlled by the overdevelopment crowd, the special interests.
Surfside, Florida emerged as a leading community in serving the public interest rather than special interests. Courageous, honest, and productive leadership was the hallmark of the Town of Surfside from 1992 - 2004. During that time, Mayor Paul Novack and the then serving Town Commission unanimously enact budget corrections and fiscally responsible policies and every year for 12 years the town operated under balanced, stable and efficient budgets, with production of increased levels of town services, and numerous capital projects undertaken and completed that upgraded the parks, playgrounds, streets, drainage system, business district, Veterans Park, Town Hall, and much more, all with no debt, no bonds, and with the building of significant town surplus funds to serve the town’s present and future. The town attracted a new Publix and many new restaurants and shops for the business district and made improvements and expansions to town parking facilities. Plans were made for a new town library and hi-tech information center to go on newly acquired property on the west side of Collins Avenue. The town was internationally recognized as a model community, and in 2003 Novack was honored as the state-wide “Community Steward of the Year” in Tallahassee.
Paul Novack received the Community Steward Award for his steadfast advocacy for effective growth management in Surfside. In 1992, Surfside residents overwhelmingly supported a referendum to prevent a twenty-story beachfront condominium. For more than a decade after then, Novack has served as mayor of this small Dade County community for the grand fee of one dollar per year. Throughout his tenure, Novack and the town’s commissioners have consistently denied any requests for height and density variances, maintaining heights at twelve stories east of Collins Avenue, and five stories to the west. Nominators wrote that, thanks to Mayor Novack, “the town’s zoning code has been consistently, fairly and effectively enforced.” Besides that, Novack has maintained a balanced budget without raising property taxes, there is a one-minute emergency police response time, and garbage is picked up six days a week for a nominal fee. During the selection process, 1000 Friends was impressed with Mayor Novack’s steadfast determination to uphold the planning and development standards needed to maintain Surfside’s distinctive character and scale, noted Pattison. “With his dynamic leadership abilities, commitment to sound planning, and concern for the residents of Surfside, Mayor Novack exemplifies the qualities of a true community steward.”
Mayor Novack was elected by the voters six times to serve as mayor, not one variance for height or density or setbacks or uses were ever approved during his tenure, and he retired from office in 2004 with official tributes from the Florida House of Representatives, the Governor of Florida, Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and an official entry into the United States Congressional Record, and honors and thanks from many others from throughout the world.
May 28th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Thanks for the Surfside example, showing unrestrained growth is not necessary for a strong economy. The example also demonstrates that the instant the citizens become complacent, special interests will bend the politicians to their will. Once that happens it’s time to clean house and elect leaders who will represent the public.
Thanks to all the other thoughtful commentors, too! Public discussion is crucial to an informed electorate.
June 3rd, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Surfside Florida indeed was a model of all that can be RIGHT with a local government. For over a decade it was a shining example for the whole state. Today though its a different story. Mayor Charles Burkett has deceived his way into office and makes fools out of voters. He is a developer but he talks about “preservation”. He has put in the most bloated budget in the city’s history! but he talks about “tax reform”. He has given jobs to cronies, forced town publications to serve as his political rhetoric pieces, and has squandered much of the surplus funds carefully gathered by prior administrations. Yes, Florida, look at Surfside, and citizens — stand up for your right to quality of life and honest government. Surfside has lost it, for now anyway, and other communities are in danger of suffering the same fate.
July 15th, 2007 at 1:16 am
Surfside had become an example of how a small city can do things FOR THE PEOPLE and act courageously in the PUBLIC INTEREST and it gave home to coastal communities everywhere that wanted to prevent big money from abusing it. After a long serving group of town officials decided not to run yet again a new phony soap opera gang got elected with lies and big money (not reported) and now Surfside is an example of commercial exploitation, not home town ideals. No more. Not good there locally, or regionally, or statewide. Can citizens organize to set the right course?
December 16th, 2007 at 9:54 am
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett has underbudgeted, mismanaged, overspent, and plundered the town budget. He has sent the town into a financial nosedive. He temporarily reduced tax rates to look good politically but most important he has bloated spending to historic high levels and his fiscal policies have squandered much of the town’s reserve and put the operating budgets into risk of going into default in 2008. Burkett’s “leadership” has been a disaster for the town but he is an actor and faker and finger pointer and a devilish manipulator.
February 23rd, 2008 at 8:27 am
The first thing that Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett and Vice Mayor Howard Weinberg did when elected was to get rid of the town’s ethics laws. Then the fun began.
The Surfside Town Charter, the Town’s most basic law, says that elected officials may not be paid anything other than one dollar per year. The Charter makes elected office purely PUBLIC SERVICE. That concept was rejected by Howard Weinberg. He voted for a Town Budget (the biggest in town history) with the amount of $30,000 per year in it so each elected official could get $6,000 per year (or $500 per month). All five current officials voted FOR this. They specified that they do not have to turn in any receipts. And on top of the $500 per month they ALSO take money for “expenses” that they spend staying at hotels, eating at restaurants, etc. and it ALL gets paid for by taxpayers! Here is the record just from recent months on checks from the Town to Howard Weinberg (by the way – he PERSONALLY signs the Town checks himself!) NO accountability.
JUST SOME OF THE TOWN CHECKS PAID TO HOWARD WEINBERG:
October 2006: $415.15 (hotel bill)
October 2006: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
October 2006: $205.00 (hotel bill)
November 2006: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
December 2006: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
January 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
February 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
March 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
April 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
April 2007: $205.00 (hotel bill)
May 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
May 2007: $229.00 (restaurant meals)
June 2007: $1,148.98 (???)
June 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
July 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
July 2007: $703.57 (hotel bills)
August 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
September 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
October 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
November 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
December 2007: $500.00 (monthly stipend)
February 24th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Howard Weinberg? Doing public service? You’ve got to be kidding, who ever fell for that anyway? How could they? Has he really ever done anything but bloated his own ego, blown his own horn, touted his own greatness, and deceived everyone who was foolish enough to listen to him or read anything he writes? Please, give us a break. Having a government title is just the sound of a cash register to this guy. Are an of his income source really legit? Any?
February 24th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Surfside Florida is now the epicenter of the effort of greed to squash the remnants of good honest government and to take complete control over the public and private sectors of an oceanfront community.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Half truths and leaving out key information tells much about the writer. Readers may want to question those who would post accusations anonymously and judge them accordingly.
In the instant discussion, the anonymous writer conveniently fails to mention that some elected officials take no money, period. But, then again, that would greatly deflate their intended personal attack.
If they’ll not tell the truth about such a small issue, we surely must question much else of what they say………….
February 25th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Mayor Burkett’s anonymous response about how he takes no money is itself such a deception. He voted for a town budget that had special accounts in it to pay the $500 per month per town official. He voted YES specifically to that. Yes. Now because he is a multimillionaire he wants to pretend to be a man of the people by not yet taking any of the $500 per month that his cohorts are gleefully taking. Yes, if he cannot tell the truth about such an issue, we must surely question much else of what he says.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
So if Mr. Vice Mayor Weinberg took over $11,000 instead of one dollar like the town law says and if the mayor approved it what does it all come down to then
February 27th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Its bad enough that it happened. It would be worse for it to keep happening. Surfside has a choice.
The internet has a lot of sources to check out and we need to because now there is more smoke and mirrors and fingers pointing then anything else and nothing gets done nothing gets even started its all just so much talk and talk.
Something’s wrong. Have a look because there are choices to be made. Now or never.
A candidate’s website is:
joegraubart.com
Every page has facts not available anywhere else - until now- and we can plug them in.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Surfside has hit the bottom. A mayor who votes one way and talks another way. An actor and showman but a leader never. A vice vice vice vice vice mayor who take takes takes but acts nice nice nice. Grammies should have a category for them.
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Surfside Voters have a choice.
Surfside matters to places way beyond it
Contact or see, for more information,
Randi MacBride: Randi4Surfside@aol.com
JoeGraubart.com
A choice is what its all about but staying home is not avoiding a choice it IS a choice by letting things get worse and worse. Know & Vote
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:33 pm
In March of 2004, over 91% of Surfside voters supported a Charter Amendment that requires voter approval for height and density changes to Surfside’s zoning code. I am running for town office and my opponent voted in favor of a new zoning code that would if finally adopted significantly increase height and especially density along Harding and Collins Avenues. For example, under that new code, buildings along the east side of Harding Ave. across from residential homes could be 40 ft. high instead of the existing 30 ft. height; hotels could be built on the east side of Harding and west side of Collins Avenues with units as small as 180 sq. ft. instead of the 360 minimum now required; many more units that are currently allowed, and apartment or condo units could be built above the shops in our business district. Will so many more small units become a detriment to the Town in the future?
Will voters stand up against the sell-out of their town and zoning code? Will stage agencies do their job by enforcing state policies about overdevelopment, environment, emergency/hurricane evacuation, transportation capacity, concurrency?
As one of a handful of people who attended the meetings to discuss these issues, it is apparent that the public has not been adequately informed of the significance of this new zoning code and the impact it could have on the quality of life in Surfside. Certainly there is no intention of allowing residents to vote on this critical matter as required by the Charter Amendment.
While serving a few years ago as Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Board, our board approved the Lanai townhouse project for a large site on 92nd St. taking up an entire block of Collins and Harding Avenues. This 32-unit luxury townhouse project met all zoning codes and was an excellent, low-density addition to Surfside. Now the plan is to build three stories of small hotel units on this site instead. There has been too much intimacy involving developers’ lawyers and lobbyists in tweaking the new zoning code to ensure that the maximum number of units can be built with the least amount of parking.
As we move forward, the future of Surfside depends on having the right kind of development that puts the needs of residents first. I believe Surfsiders are very clear that we enjoy the wonderful community we have and don’t want to see it destroyed by over-development. My opponent states that he won’t support high rises in Surfside. I would like to point out that there are other ways to ruin a community, such as more density and less parking. Ever try finding a parking space on South Beach? I do not want to see this here! I am adamant about protecting Surfside’s charm and unique scale and character. Positive redevelopment within the existing code: YES. More density: NO.
I will respect the wishes of the voters. Please vote on Tuesday March 18.
Respectfully,
Joe Graubart
JoeGraubart.com
March 4th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
SLurfside Florida is an example of coastal communities all around Florida. Pressure to maximize development against the quality of life of local residents. Impact. Density. Pack ‘em in and cash out. Florida.
March 9th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Local officials scurry to see who can get to the bottom faster. Who can be the bottom feeder bigger. Who can sink a community and then move away with some benefits.
Lots of money flow with big public debt. Bond, loan, taxes, any way, it spurns off lots and lots of money. Taxpayers pay for it all.
The town of Surfside library is closed because of the crazy politics of Charles Burkett and Howard Weinberg.
The Surfside town public pool is closed because of the crazy politics of Charles Burkett and Howard Weinberg.
The Surfside town auditorium and party and meeting rooms are closed because of the crazy politics of Charles Burkett and Howard Weinberg.
Surfside services and facilities and resources are lower than ever, its budget is fatter than ever, its legal fees are higher than ever, its officials’ hypocrisy and deceptions are more than ever, and who loses — residents and taxpayers!
Debt. Red ink. Unbalannced budget - surplus depleted - departments like legal, tourism, management, town commission, lots more, just spending into a frenzie, and no sate or regional control - no department of community affairs - no department of special prosecutor - no department of attorney general - no ethics commissions - no agency to stop the out of control machine
May 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
[...] might remember reading about One Bay’s Reality Check exercises, in which 300 hand-picked invitees, rushing against a 90-minute time limit, hurriedly heaped Legos on maps to depict their ideas for the 7-county region’s development over the next 50 years. When [...]
May 29th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
[...] Scenario B: A compilation of where the Reality Check invitees put their Legos during that 90-minute exercise. [...]
June 30th, 2008 at 11:52 am
It’s now time to pay the Piper. The IRS Baltimore Office has filed a Federal Tax Lien against Jay Senter who claimed to live in Surfside but indeed lives in a Post Office Box according to records. The Tax Liens go back to 2001 and total more than $140,000…..
July 5th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Surfside had taken a nosedive because of the lies and ignorance and outright incompetence of its elected officials with everything going down hill since they got elected in 2006. Surfside had a 14 million dollar surplus reserve. Stable town with balanced budgets. Savings for emergencies. Savings for future projects. That was 2006. Then Mr. Burkett and Mr. Weinberg and Mr. Imberman and Mr. Levine were elected. Now in 2008 half of the savings reserve has been squandered, down the drain with nothing to show for it. Where did it go? The town had bigger annual budgets in these last two years than ever in any two years ever and in addition to the fattest annual budgets it also mismanaged itself into wasting away half of its long saved reserves! Red ink in Surfside is becoming a tidal wave. Taxpayers deserve an investigation and audit. Who is getting all that money? Where has it gone?
July 8th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Mayor Burkett, Vice Mayor Imberman, Commissioner Howard Weinberg, Commissioner Steve Levine, all PLUNGED their own community into financial DISASTER by taking a healthy sound balanced city budget and savings reserve and SQUANDERING IT for private gain not public good and now the city of Surfside is a financial basketcase in 2008 after just two years of their failed leadership and mismanagement.
July 8th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
They demolised the wonderful Surfside Community Center with no plan? No money? No approval from the citizens? A historic structure doing so much public service was demolisehd “in the dark”? How terrible. Shame, shame.
July 8th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Absolutely disgusting. The lies these politicians say about the Surfside Community Center are disgusting. What a great place that was. Demolished for political ambition is completely a disgrace and the lies and coverups about why it happened are historically horrible. Surfside Community Cneter, it was just great. Now its dust. How disturbing. That will always be the legacy of Mayor Burkett. And Howard Weinberg. And Marc Imberman. And Barbara Mcglaughlin. And Mark Blumstein. And Steven Levine. And the ignorance and incomptence of extreme levels that happens in some unfortunate commununities.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:16 am
The crooks in Surfside’s Town Hall number more than the elected officials and yes, they had a master plan that they are all still adhereing to. Take for instance, the Charrette Charade that was formulated before getting into office. The architecs were paid for the design as soon as the officials were elected and here is the real sore…..part of the charrette involved State Highway A1A . Another part involved the hard pack of the beach front that isn’t owned by the Town….get ready for a RECALL PETITION coming soon.
July 16th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Give up a home for someone who wants a motel? Huh? Wasting more money on legal stuff and dumb mistakes and ripping down a good public building and pouring out money saved up and HEY what is going on here already? It is not enough to have anyone blod it is going to take people to do a lot more than this.
July 17th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
What ever happened to the Forensic Audit that was pushed daily by candidate Howard S. Weinberg? Once he got elected, no one talks about it anymore and we need it now more than ever. Ask him about all the money he has taken from the Town treasury by signing his own name to the checks?
And while we’re at it, Biscaya Island has never been known by any other name and it is well documented. Weinberg’s former father-in-law demanded the name changed to Isle of Biscaya before poor Howard got kicked off the island by his ex-wife. Just because he is well known as PORNO boy doesn’t mean he is the town idiot does it?
July 17th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Oy Vey! It’s only gonna get worse - you’ll see! We were lied into the ‘War’ in Iraq and we were lied into needing a HUGE bond issue. Joe
July 25th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Cart those krooks away already they are huge liars and cheats. Surfside is an example of why hometown democracy amendment is needed. But the ones in office now in Surfside ignore and evade laws anyway so maybe that would just be another. They pay huge lawyers bills just to get them to say what they want to hear, no ethics or integrity on anyone in the Burkett administration that’s for sure. Just a flow of money.
August 2nd, 2008 at 10:52 pm
So many questions about Surfside, so few answers being given.
Why?
Why did Mayor Burkett and Commissioners Weinberg, Levine and Imberman promise so many things that they never intended to deliver?
Why did they lie about other people?
Why did they disgrace their own positions?
Why did they vote for the fattest budget in the town’s history?
Why have they spent the Town into a financial hole?
Why did they waste the Town’s hard earned savings?
Why did they put the taxpayers in a position of debt, even looming bankruptcy?
Why did they sell out to developers?
Why did they pass a zoning code that makes big profits for their buddies while sending the Town into a nosedive of overdevelopment?
Why have they let the Town rot and let its properties and public areas become so awfully run down?
Why have they misused public money?
Why have they paid themselves so many thousands of dollars when it is so illegal to do that?
Why have they paid more than ever in history to lawyers who will try to shield them from personal liability with public dollars?
Why do they think they will get away with all this?
Why indeed.
September 19th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
SURFSIDE
Surfside property taxes, service fees could spike
Property owners might see higher a tax rate and service fees next year.
Posted on Fri, Sep. 12, 2008
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By MICAELA HOOD
mhood@MiamiHerald.com
Surfside residents could see a hike in property taxes and service fees, including the cost of garbage pick-up, recycling and sewer fees.
At its meeting Tuesday, the Surfside town commission voted 3-2 to approve a proposed tax rate of $4.732 for every $1,000 of a property’s value, an increase of 11 percent from the current rate of $4.25.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, fireworks erupted after several residents complained about the town’s plan to finance a $16.5 community center by issuing bonds. Voters would have to approve the bond in a November referendum.
”You do what you can do with the money that you have,” said Philip Namiech. “We don’t have money for $16.5 million. Maybe we only have $5 or $7 million. So let’s build something for $7 million.”
Surfside, which won’t collect as much in property taxes because of the slowing real estate market and statewide property tax reform, will experience an 11 percent decline in its tax base, according to finance director Martin Sherwood.
”Surfside lost $41 million in property assessments this year because of Amendment 1, which allowed most homeowners to increase their homestead exemption and pay less in taxes,” he said.
Sherwood said under the proposed tax rate, a homeowner with an assessed value at the town’s average of $293,423, taking the standard $50,000 homestead exemption, will pay about $1,152 in municipal taxes. Other taxes come from Miami-Dade and the local school district.
”This amount results in an annual average household savings of $210 as compared to last year,” Sherwood said.
To make up for the revenue shortfall, residents will see increased fees for services.
Collection and recycling will go up by 59 percent, to about $23 per month for a single-family home. Water fees will go up by 41 percent, to about $15 per month. Sewer charges will go up 37 percent to $4 per month and storm water fees will more than double to $5 per month for a single-family home.
Mayor Charles Burkett, who voted against the proposed tax rate, said he nonetheless supports raising service fees, noting it will cost the town more to provide water and services to its residents during the next fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.
The proposed preliminary budget of $9.7 million represents an increase of 1.2 percent over last year’s budget of $9.6 million.
Commissioner Elizabeth Calderon, who sided with Burkett, said the town should be looking for other ways to cut spending.
”If we’re not taking in as much money as we did last year, we should not be spending as much,” she said.
But Commissioner Howard Weinberg disagreed.
”We’re No. 1 [in Miami-Dade County] in lost property tax revenues, and in order to have the same level of service we’re used to, we need to raise our taxes,” he said.
Regarding the community center, several residents raised concerns over the $16.5 million price tag.
”You’ve already knocked down the community center, and now we’re voting on a way to fund it?” said Brett Ellis. “Something is backward here, and I think a pool and snack bar is what we really need.”
But other residents, however, disagreed.
”I don’t live in Overtown; I live on a beach community in Florida,” said Richard Iacobacci, who said he’s waited years to enjoy a new center with his children. “I want my damn community center, and it’s up to this commission to give us that.”
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Surfside officials want to remove the “Surfside cannon” - a US Army authentic artillery piece - from a veterans memorial site?
I’m no artillery expert, but the now famous Surfside cannon seems, to my uninitiated mind, to be a veteran 105mm Howitzer, seemingly in very good condition. Perhaps it may never again see duty as a serviceable weapon (which is, in fact, good for a monument,) but it’s certainly more than suitable as part of a monument to our veterans.
Ask any veteran who served in the field, in combat, anytime between WWII and any of the current conflicts, about this wonderful piece of American manufacture and you’ll undoubtedly hear praise for that little artillery piece that has been responsible for saving so many American lives when the chips have been down. Possibly, mainly due to it’s maneuverability and mobility, it has been such a useful tool, that it has been upgraded throughout the years, but never discontinued or disposed of lightly.
With the utmost respect to one and all, anyone who says this vintage, veteran piece is not suitable as a part of any memorial to our fighting men and our veterans doesn’t need to be running my city, I don’t know about yours.
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Word is out about Surfside city officials wanting to bit by bit change a Veterans Park into a Dog Park. They want to throw away or at least move out of the way a historic howitzer than is just yards away from a veterans memorial monument, both surrounded by tall flag poles flying national, state and local flags. The gall, the outrageous disrespect, that Surfside officials have revealed about themselves through this scheme. Now that they are exposed they are hiding under phony retorts and spins but at town meetings on the record on tape an in their emails they showed what they were really up to and they should be accountable for this irresponsibility.
October 1st, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Surfside officials admit they want to park garbage trucks on that site and do away with VETERANS PARK AND THE SURFSIDE CANNON. They say they will make a nice little garden somewhere in the City instead of Surfside Veterans Park and they say that the SURFSIDE CANNON is inappropriate at the entrance to the community because it is a symbol of violence and these guys actually got elected it seems that their true colors came out after they got their voters fooled.
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 am
Taxpayers hurt
Veterans hurt
Taxes up
Budget up
Integrity Down
Accountability Down
Decency Down
Surfside
Florida
http://blogs.tampabay.com/military/2008/09/911-events.html
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:44 am
America’s veterans and all American citizens should see this and stand up.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/military/2008/09/911-events.html
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:02 am
Veterans. Taxpayers. It is not unrelated.
Not a coincidence. Not happenstance.
Its a plot.
Demolish the community center, a structually sound building easily upgradeable, but demolish it anyway.
Consolidate public works vehicles and storage at Veterans Park and get rid of Veterans Park and its memorial displays. Make a garden somewhere and pretend its a big deal.
Put up a crazy bond issue to put the town inteo debt.
Squander the town savings and reserves.
Look for a buyer for the community center lot.
Maybe the developer will let us use the pool sometimes.
Millions and millions transfered from public hands long preseved into private hands long salivating for a group of officials like Surfside has now.
No more community center.
No more veterans park.
No more town financial stability.
Push it all into private hands.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
If everyone doesn’t just say NO to everything those officials want, its game over, listen for the sound of cash registers clinging away - cash in time. Oh not for the taxpayers though. For us its cash out - our cash out to them and we get nothing to show for it. Well we elected them.
October 4th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Too late for the Surfside Community Center. They got that one.
Anyone that that story? They bury the truth but there are shovels working to dig it up and put it in the sunlight. Shameful situation sad performance of Surfside officials.
Save Surfside Veterans Park stop them from taking another.