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Surfside in November of 2008 sees its elected officials moving towards cutting the town sanitation department by firing all of its loyal long term employees and giving a huge contract to a ‘favored’ outside company for a big big big amount of town money. In 2008 the Surfside Town Commission is all about greed and incompetence. Surfside used to be a model for great government! Now it is a model for incompetence and corruption.

Here was the town report in 2004, compare with the current state of crisis in all departments, red ink, fiscal fiasco, and now firing all sanitation employees, and so much more not yet in the public eye. From just back to 2004 here is what it WAS: from official publications:

2004 Keeping Surfside Clean and Attractive

The Town of Surfside places a high priority on keeping the community clean and attractive. In fact, Surfside’s sanitation services have been lauded as among the best in America. The Sanitation Department does an excellent job under the management of the Town administration and the policies of the Commission.

The Town takes great pride in its Solid Waste service and the cost at which it is provided. The Town picks up garbage (household wastes) and trash (bulky waste and properly disposed of yard waste) every day of the week except Sunday. The cost for this is only $155 per year for a single-family home. Condominium units pay only $145 per year for the same service and schedule. Most other municipalities provide much less service for much more money. All of the Town’s streets are swept regularly, and continuous attention is paid to all public areas including parks, playgrounds, sidewalks, recreation areas, public facilities, drainage systems, and underground utilities.

The Town is also a leader in promoting clean, save and attractive public beaches. Environmental, recreational and public health priorities are essential to the Town’s management of all public areas. The State, County and Town are now cooperating on the removal of non-native, intrusive plants from the beach, in improving cross-over paths to the shore, in enhancing the views and protection of the beaches’ natural state, and in planning for improvements to the walking path.

The Town continues to prevent any commercial activities or businesses from operating on the beach. The sand is cleaned and maintained by Miami-Dade County, and the beach areas are monitored and patrolled by Surfside. Our beaches are amongst the most beautiful and tranquil beaches in the world. Our public beaches are used by residents and visitors every day of the year.

Recycling is provided to the Town by Community Recycling through a county wide effort, and costs $19 per year for single-family and condominium units and most businesses. Every Wednesday, newspaper in one bin and mixed plastics, glass, aluminum, and ferrous metals in the other bin are picked up. The Town is proud to recycle well over 500 tons of material a year and that number is increasing each year. Surfside also recently initiated a pilot program in composting with volunteers working together on creating this additional means of participation in environmental conservation and preservation efforts.

Surfside leads the way in efficient, outstanding services in the areas of sanitation and environmental protection. Surfside’s level of service – amazingly high – and its cost – low and efficient and understood as one of the Town’s priorities for overall results – the facts speak for themselves.

http://www.restoresurfsideshonor.blogspot.com