By Rachel Galvin
“The state of the city is sound,” said Deerfield Mayor Ganz during his State of the City address on November 20. This was the mayor’s last time speaking in his current role, as there will be a new mayor chosen during the election March 11. Also on the ballot will be Commissioners from District 3 and 4.
This year’s State of the City was at the recently transformed Johnny L. Tigner Community Center. There were light bites and drinks available for guests, as well as a backdrop for photos.
The evening began with a pledge of allegiance by Denise Jordan, executive VP of the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, and the singing of the national anthem by Joy Mobley. It continued with a back and forth about who was really the emcee for the evening (It was Rebecca Medina). The Commissioners got a chance to talk, including District 1 Commissioner Michael Hudak and District 2 Commissioner Ben Preston. District 3 Commissioner Parness was unable to attend.
Then, Vice Mayor/ District 4 Commissioner Todd Drosky had a chance to speak, and in his usual lighthearted style, he ended up bringing the comic relief. This time, it was not in the form of disco dancing (like last year), but rather by presenting videos of ideas for the new city motto, complete with animations for illustration. Each idea was centered around a deer, including “Whoomp Deer it is,” “There’s No Real Deer Here,” “Just Buck It!” and others. There was a lot of applause… and laughter, but no real winner so far…
After Drosky’s bit of fun, Ganz began his talk about the state of the city. He thanked everyone responsible for putting the event together, and everyone who helped him throughout his career in politics so far. He also talked a bit about some who have disagreed with him and disparaged him, to put it lightly.
A funny video was shown with people on the dais and in the community talking about him and giving their thanks, or giving him a hard time.
In addition, Ganz pointed out that this night was also the kickoff of the centennial celebration for the city, which will be taking place throughout the next year.
He talked about how the city got its start, saying, “The late 1800s and the early 1900s, people were drawn to Deerfield because of its rich fertile soil, suitable for growing pineapples, tomatoes and green beans. And here we are 100 years later. The city of Deerfield Beach remains fertile ground for growth.”
The city has made many changes through the year and has many more in the works. He mentioned the installation of school speed cameras across seven school zones in the community, as well as other roadway improvements, with a goal of achieving zero pedestrian fatalities. He also said there is an effort to make the solid waste collection more efficient and to continue to invest in sand management, reef maintenance and more to keep the beach beautiful. The city is also investing $4.7 million in renovation and upgrade of the International Fishing Pier.
He also mentioned the city stepping up their waste reduction program/ compositing program. The city has composted 100,000 lbs. of food waste, which is 50 tons diverted from the landfill. He brought up that the nearby Monarch Hill Landfill wants to expand and that the city, along with Coconut Creek, is standing against it. He encouraged people to vote against it as well.
He said that the city installed cutting edge systems to remove micro plastics from the city’s tap water. They also are implementing critical storm water storage and flood resilience projects throughout the city.
The city also is looking to increase engagement through surveys and more, as well as promote transparency and financial accountability, something he said has really been the defining achievement of his time in office. He added, “I couldn’t be prouder to let you know that the city’s bench credit rating this year skipped two entire rating levels and has landed us at a double A rate level.”
In the past year, the city was awarded over 11.5 million in state and federal grants, he added. “The staff has submitted $30 million in grant proposals and we’ve issued $13.3 million in revenue bonds to fund capital improvement projects.”
One of the biggest projects in the works in the city is the Children’s Marine Science Center in Sullivan Park. The city received a $3.3 million grant from the Florida and Lynn Navigation District to help with making it a reality. The center will be available for schools to do field trips and learn about marine life. The center already has a partnership with the Guy Harvey Foundation and now has a new partner, the award-winning Museum of Discovery and Science.
Of course, he said there already have been some great additions recently to Deerfield, including the Johnny L. Tigner Center where the event took place. He also mentioned the opening of the new 20,000 sf, $11.2 million Braithwaite Center for Active Aging.
He also talked about playgrounds, the renovated Aquatic Center and the creation of a parks master plan, as well as a plan for the downtown area.
He added, “We’re working on a multi-pronged approach to bring a new level of interest and vibrancy in the central city area to attract quality businesses and create jobs for the city. And we cannot wait for all of you to see the $156 million mixed-use development that’s going to come out of the ground on Southwest 10th Street and I-95. That project will include workforce housing, medical office space and a new hotel, in addition to a rooftop park and improvements to Mayo Howard Park.”
He said that they updated $227 million of capital improvements planned for the next five years. $34 million is slated for implementation this next year alone. They are going to be replacing the 15th Street Bridge in The Cove neighborhood and rehabilitating all city roads that don’t meet a performance rate against 80 out of 100.
“We’re developing a new public safety master plan to operate the facilities for our public safety staff and ensure that the buildings and facilities they use allow them to operate in a manner that keeps us all safe and sound for the next 50 years,” he said.
He added that the fact that the city did not have a utility tax like almost every other city in the county, which led to a loss of revenue and ended up in layoffs and a credit ratings drop. That, in turn, led to an effort to improve the credit rating and diversify revenue streams. “We survived and we thrived, and look at us now,” he said.
Following his talk, Mayor Ganz was given a JM Family Changemaker Award, presented by the current and former president of the historical society.
Afterward, everyone had a chance to mingle some more and VIP guests received a swag bag on the way out.
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In a historic first for the school, Deerfield Beach Middle School transformed into a bustling polling center as more than 1,100 students participated in a mock presidential and Florida senatorial election. Through a partnership with the Broward County Supervisor of Elections office, students experienced an authentic voting environment with official voting booths and polling center signage.
