New requirements: Beach parking stickers

Dear Editor:

Recently, the city commission changed the requirements for a resident being allowed to purchase a beach parking sticker.

They say the changes are necessary, due to limited parking spots. They also say that this is how surrounding towns handle this issue. I remember the phrase, “If all your friends jumped off the bridge, would you?”

The city has taken out of the ordinance that you need to be a property owner to purchase a beach sticker. Instead, a Florida Voter Registration Card is the key. While I haven’t researched for myself how surrounding towns handle this problem, I do know how they handle it where I come from [New York]. ALL property owners and year-round renters are entitled to a FREE parking sticker. “Outsiders” can purchase a beach sticker according to availability.

If we were a year-round community with no second homeowners, what would the city do then? Our second homeowner residents pay more in property tax than we do, because we are homesteaded. They pay three times as much for all the services that we, as homesteaded people, pay, at least where I live.

For instance, while I pay $65.53 to Broward Public Schools by state law; they pay $212. I pay $28.50 to Broward Public Schools by local board; they pay $92 and they have never had a child go to our schools.

I pay $65.75 to Municipal Deerfield Beach, while the second homeowner pays $213 to this line item on our property tax bill, and so on.

When I spoke at the Sept. 4 [commission] meeting on this subject, two organizations came to the podium to thank Deerfield Beach and its residents for supporting their organizations. Our second homeowners footed this support by three times as much as homesteaded property owners!

Now, the commission rewards these residents by taking away their perk of buying a beach sticker? I believe you are treating these property owners as cash cows. These people, while they can’t vote for you, are your constituents, nevertheless.

I believe ostracizing these residents by not allowing them a beach sticker is unfortunate. They never complained about paying full price for a sticker they could only use half the year.

Go to any restaurant owner and ask how they’re doing business-wise. They’ll all tell you they are waiting for the snowbirds to get back. You have offended this segment of residents greatly and I believe you need to rethink this issue.

Caryl Berner

Deerfield Beach

Save Quiet Waters Park cats from death

Dear Editor:

I am writing to you because I am trying to change Broward County’s ordinance on Feral cats in County Parks. The ordinance is to trap and send to Animal Care, where these cats will be euthanized.

I have a meeting with [County Commission] Vice Mayor Kristin Jacobs on Oct. 4 to change that ordinance, instead of trap and kill, to Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR).

The parks can never get rid of Ferals, because it’s called a Vacuum Effect. Once cats are removed from an area, a new colony of cats move in.

If TNR is in place, those Ferals keep the outside cats from coming in.

I would like the public to beware of this, for I am only one voice. I have done plenty of research and studies show that the county will save money and be saving lives in the long run.

Mary Mollo

Deerfield Beach

Changes at Pompano Municipal Golf Course

Dear Editor:

We’re a nation of obesity, and Pompano Beach Municipal Golf Course’s Advisory Board has decided by majority to restrict those who like to walk on their golf course.

No longer will the Pines Course of Pompano Beach Municipal allow walking. Walkers have received exercise while walking with golf shoes that have aerated the grass, thus promoting grass growth. Instead only 1,000 lb. golf carts will be allowed to pound down the earth.

Not only that, but the course has increased their membership dues from $800 for a single membership to $2,500. This also will contribute to restricting walkers who desire to stay in shape with a game they love.

Pompano’s sister course, the Palms, has also increased their walking fees 110 percent – from $8 for members to $17. Well, that tells you how those involved in the decision-making process feel about exercise, obesity and those who want desperately to continue playing golf at a price they can afford.

There are “Haves and Have Nots” in life and Pompano Beach’s Golf Advisory Board has decided to contribute to this process with their decision to increase cost drastically and severely curtail those wishing to get out and walk.

Scott Watkins

Pompano Beach

Not just a Number: An open letter of appreciation to a local, family-owned company

Dear Editor:

27 years ago I was fortunate to find not just employment in our community, but as it has turned out, an extended family in the very best sense of the word.

Being a single father of two boys, going through a 10-year bout with cancer, having the peace of mind that my job was not going to disappear was and is a great comfort. Recently, as my fight with cancer has escalated, the advantage once again of working in a family environment has hit home. I have been and continue to be truly blessed. I can only hope that my company and others like it will continue to survive and thrive – not only for our local economy, but for our nation’s ways that so many gave their last best measure to preserve. (I am a Vietnam Veteran.)

The life I have enjoyed and those of my fellow employees could not have been possible without the values and compassion missing from the heartless corporate world.

Thank you J. P. Miller & Sons for always being there.

Sincerely,

John W. Cox

Deerfield Beach

1982 Deerfield High reunion coming in October

Dear Editor:

I am currently on the class of the 1982 Deerfield Beach High School 30-year reunion committee. Many of the students and teachers of the class of 1982 are still living here in Florida. Our reunion is planned for Oct. 5 and 6 and we want to get the word out to individuals we have not been able to contact. For more information, call 561-223-3935 or email dbhsclassof82@gmail.com.

Lori Steinmetz

Coconut Creek

Boat lifts, zoning issues

Dear Editor:

About a year ago now, I installed two new boat lifts at my house — one for me and one for my 14-year-old son’s new boat. [I’ve ] come to find out that there is a city ordinance that only allows one lift when there is 80 ft. of sea wall, two lifts if you have 100 ft. I had to remove one lift at a great expense. Never mind, [it] broke my son’s heart. Maybe I should have said we were handicapped and used the ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] as an excuse for the lifts. I don’t think the city would have given us a variance.

[RE: recent zoning issues], the city needs to stand up to these people and fight when they know they are right. Stop being intimidated by the threat of a lawsuit. I don’t think the ADA was meant to house drug addicts in multi-million-dollar homes on the Intracoastal.

P.S. Maybe I’ll move my six-bay auto repair shop to my house in The Cove. Think the city would let me?

Steven J. Fabrizio

Deerfield Beach

Time extension for Providers on Probation to submit improvement plans

Dear Editor:

I applaud the Florida Office of Early Learning (FLOEL) for re-opening the window for Providers on Probation (POP’s) to submit their Program Improvement Plans. The loss of these VPK services would be detrimental to the parents and the community.

I have been in contact with the Dept. of Education and the Early Learning Coalition, requesting that the closing date be extended for a number of Providers of VPK who had not previously responded.

I encourage the providers of VPK who fall into this category to submit their Program Improvement Plan before the closing date – August 20, 2012.

This is the FINAL opportunity to submit Improvement Plans before the start of the 2012-2013 program year.

State Representative Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed

Deerfield Beach

Beach parking stickers

Dear Editor:

Since cities and towns are having a hard time at budget time continue to offer programs to constituents, it’s hard to understand why Deerfield commissioners came up with the new beach sticker fees.

Thousands of snowbirds pay taxes and deserve the right to a beach sticker. How many beach stickers were sold to non year- round residents last year? When they return this year and are told they are not eligible for a beach sticker, they should make their voices heard in dissent.

If it’s necessary to give an edge to year-round residents, then why not have a non-resident sticker with a higher fee? That is how many northern beaches show their appreciation to these residents and acknowledge their contribution to town coffers.

Joe Rubino

Deerfield Beach

Editor’s note: See ordinance below, passed by Deerfield Beach city commission after June 19 first reading and July 11 second reading.

ORDINANCE NO. 2012

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DEERFIELD BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING SECTION 66-78(a) REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKING STICKERS, SETTING FORTH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DOCUMENTS A PERSON MUST PRODUCE IN ORDER TO BE ISSUED A PARKING STICKER; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CITY CODE; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

SECTION 1. Section 66-78 of the City of Deerfield Beach Code of Ordinances is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 66-78. – Requirements for parking stickers.

(a) No person shall be issued a city parking sticker unless he produces the following original documents or facsimile thereof:

(1) A valid current State of Florida vehicle registration in the name of the applicant or evidence that the applicant has a lease on the vehicle for which the sticker is to be purchased for a period in excess of 180 continuous days both of which must reflect a City of Deerfield Beach address; and

(2) One of the following:

a. A Southern Bell telephone bill showing that the applicant has paid a telephone bill for a residence within the city in the month preceding the month in which that person seeks to purchase a Deerfield Beach parking sticker. Where the telephone bill indicates payment for a Deerfield Beach address by a person with the same last name as the applicant, such bill shall be sufficient if the applicant can produce a valid Florida driver’s license held by himself and listing the same address. The address for which the telephone bill is listed must be a city residence;

b. A city water bill indicating that the person seeking the parking sticker has paid for water service within the city during the month preceding the month in which that person seeks to purchase a city parking sticker. The location for which the water bill was paid must be a residence. Where the water bill indicates payment for a Deerfield Beach address by a person with the same last name as the applicant, such bill shall be sufficient if the applicant can produce a valid Florida driver’s license held by himself and listing the same address;

c. A current voter’s registration card indicating that the person seeking a city parking sticker is a permanent resident of the city;

d. A Florida Power and Light electric bill indicating that the person seeking a city parking sticker received a Florida Power and Light bill for a residence located within the city during the month preceding the month in which the person seeks to purchase a city parking sticker. The address represented on the Florida Power and Light bill must be a residence; or

e. Such other evidence of residency as may be determined from time to time by the city commission by resolution.

(2) A current State of Florida driver’s license; and

(3) A current utility bill reflecting a City of Deerfield Beach address for the applicant or, in the alternative, a valid Florida voter registration card for the applicant with a City of Deerfield Beach address;

(4) The last name and address on all required documents must match.

(b) No person may purchase a city parking sticker who has outstanding and unpaid any city parking citation.

(c) Residents shall be permitted to purchase only one sticker per vehicle. When a sticker is purchased for a particular vehicle as indicated in the vehicle registration, it may not be used for any other vehicle.

(d) The chamber of commerce shall be permitted to purchase 25 stickers per year at the prevailing cost; provided only that each sticker purchased by the chamber of commerce is used to promote tourism and business activities in the city. The chamber may not sell these stickers for more than their actual cost.

(e)(d)The city administration is authorized to formulate an application form for city parking stickers. An applicant for a sticker must sign a statement indicating that he is a permanent resident of the city at the time the sticker is purchased and that the sticker shall not be placed upon a vehicle owned by a nonresident or on a vehicle which is not described in the valid vehicle registration presented with the application.

SECTION 2. It is the intention of the City Commission and it is hereby ordained that the provisions of this ordinance shall become and be made a part of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Deerfield Beach Florida, and the sections of this ordinance may be renumbered to accomplish such intent.

SECTION 3. If any word, phrase, clause, sentence, or section of this ordinance is for any reason held unconstitutional or invalid, the invalidity thereof shall not affect the validity of any remaining portions of this ordinance.

SECTION 4. That this ordinance shall be in full force and effect immediately upon its passage and adoption.

Playing it safe at the ATM

Dear Editor:

Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are a great convenience, but they can compromise your safety. A motivated criminal only has to keep watch on an ATM for a short time to scope out the availability of a potential victim.

I remind you, as consumers, to always be cautious of your surroundings and conduct your business only in areas where you feel comfortable.

Due to the availability of surveillance cameras, ATMs at banks are typically the safest option, but that does not mean you have to steer clear of the ones at shopping malls, airports and sports venues.

When you need to get cash, be sure to plan ahead before making an ATM withdrawal. If possible, always have someone with you.

There are several safety tips you should follow to avoid becoming a victim at an ATM.

• Always be aware of your surroundings when using an ATM. If you notice someone or something suspicious, do not stop to use it! Go to another ATM or return at a later time.

• Avoid using an ATM after dark. If you must, do so only in a well-lit area. Be mindful of tall or overgrown shrubbery and vegetation in the area.

• Have your ATM card and any other documents you need ready when you approach an ATM. Fumbling with your wallet or purse makes you an easy target for thieves.

• When you use a drive-up ATM, be sure your passenger windows are closed and all doors are locked.

• If you are using an enclosed ATM, be sure the door completely closes and locks behind you. Do not allow anyone to enter while you are making your transaction. Authorized bank customers will have their own access (not holding the door for someone entering a secure area is not rude; it is safe).

• When entering your Personal Identification Number (PIN), use your hand or body to shield the screen or keypad. Never give your PIN to another; this is the leading cause of theft.

• When your transaction is finished, be sure you put your card, cash and receipt away before leaving the area.

• Do not display or count large amounts of cash in front of the ATM. Count your cash in the safety of your home or locked vehicle .

• If you are threatened for your money or your card by a thief, do not fight. Cash and cards are replaceable; your life is not.

• If at any time you need emergency assistance, do not hesitate to call 911.

While we all enjoy the convenience of today’s technology, these conveniences can come at a price.

When you’re out getting cash this summer, Broward Sheriff’s Office reminds you to always be alert, be cautious, and follow these tips to stay safe.

Sheriff Al Lamberti

Happy Birthday to Our Constitutional Republic

Dear Editor:

[On July 4 ] we come together as Americans to celebrate the day on which we declared our independence from Great Britain. Fifty-six rebels came together 236 years ago in the heat of a Philadelphia summer to write a declaration the likes of which had never occurred in recorded history.

As lawyers, merchants, farmers and land owners, they had plenty to lose. But as revolutionaries, fighting against an imperial, despotic ruler, they had everything to gain. Their goal was to establish a new form of government, which derived its power from the individual and not from the monarch. Our Founders shared a unified vision for our nation. They understood this unity of the many was necessary to uphold the sovereignty of the individual, and the fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Then, they took to the battlefield to secure this liberty. And since the founding of our nation, we have taken to the battlefield on numerous occasions to defend our freedoms and our way of life. We remember the men who laid down their lives at Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and Yorktown to secure our freedom, and all service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice in all battles throughout our nation’s history to preserve our cherished freedoms.

Founding Father John Adams wrote his wife, Abigail, regarding the signing of the Declaration of Independence “I believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival … It ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other…”

From sea to shining sea, we light up the skies with fireworks in a celebration of the longest enduring Constitutional Republic, and in remembrance of the men who mutually pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to create the United States of America.

U.S. Rep. Allen West, District 22

RE: Collection bins

Dear Editor:

A charity should not advocate their cause to the detriment of another charity. Who is ultimately damaged by the dispute? Children.

Our Shoe Bin initiative is one of many fundraising projects which allow us to make our donations and contributions. Not only does it help children financially, it enhances awareness about recycling and encourages citizens to “think green.”

For the record, permission was requested and given for every shoe bin placed public and private. Accusations of favoritism because one of our members sits on the city commission is without basis and denigrates the hard work, dedication and service of all Kiwanians.

With all due respect for what the Salvation Army represents and accomplishes, Kiwanis funds stay within this community, the city of Deerfield Beach.

Before passing judgment and denigrating our local Kiwanis and its members, I invite you [the writer of the first Letter to the Editor, 7-5-Observer] and any other interested person to attend one of our weekly meetings and find out what service to one’s community truly means.

Last year alone, we donated over $42,000 in scholarships, dictionaries to all third-grade students, Horses and the Handicapped, SOS Children’s Village, NE Focal Point, the BSO PAL program, Deerfield Beach Historical Society and many more.

Not one penny of our funds raised, whether through the Shoe Bin program, Golf Tournament, Bus Bench Advertisings, Christmas Tree Sales goes to administration.

We meet every Thursday at noon at the Deerfield Beach Country Club.

Henry Gould

Kiwanis Club of Deerfield Beach

Past President 2010-2011

Collection bins

Dear Editor:

I am a fan of the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army is one of the few charities that uses most of their money for their clients, not administration. They do good work and a lot of it.

So, six months ago, when one of their hard-working volunteers showed up at the Deerfield Beach commission meeting and asked permission to place bins for clothing donations, I was all for it. I was shocked to hear the commission turn them down, citing a regulation against outdoor storage.

Look around the city and you will see many clothing donation bins. How do those people get away with it? That is what I asked the commission. Shortly after my question, there was a flurry of activity by code enforcement, which had some property owners receiving warnings about the bins, and some bins being removed, and I am told, just as quickly replaced. Someone is making money off of used clothing most people think is going to charity.

The local Kiwanis Club (which has at least one Deerfield Beach commissioner as a member) has placed quite a number of shoe collection bins around the city. They have not been removed. Would this be selective enforcement, the city seems to be winking at this violation?

So what? Well, it is not right that for-profit companies and a favored charity should get away with having bins, and another charity, that takes the legal route of asking permission, should not.

Deerfield Beach commission did agree to work on an ordinance that would allow charity bins to be placed on the property of not-for-profit organizations, and they agreed to enforce the ordinance against the placement of the bogus bins. Let’s see how that has worked out.

The city is still winking at the Kiwanis shoe collection bins, the bogus bin collection people are still plunking down bins around town, we have no new ordinance to allow charity bins, and the mayor e-mailed me that: “The city does not have staff to go out and pick them up or the money. Trust me, they are showing up everywhere.”

The city should do what the law says and get rid of the violating bins — or, they could just allow all bins everywhere with the property owner’s permission, why not? That is what is happening now and there is no great unsightly mess as feared by those who have banned the bins. The commission needs to decide, but the Kiwanis Club should not get preferred treatment that the Salvation Army is not getting. Property owners should be notified and cited if they allow the bins. I am getting tired of hearing how hard it is to police and how hard it is to remove the bins. If it is a law, ENFORCE IT, quit the hypocrisy. And, it is time for the city commission to insist that the clothing bin ordinance be eliminated – or revised, and passed.

Bett Willett

Deerfield Beach

RE: Collection bins

16 donation bins were removed after the city notified the property owner that removal was their right and responsibility. Two bins (at 3701 W. Hillsboro Blvd. and at 3313 W. Hillsboro Blvd.) remain out of compliance. In the case of the latter, a different bin at this location had been removed in March. The property owner will be responsible for removal of this new one, as well.

An ordinance has been drafted, which would prohibit donation bins except at properties owned and operated by a permission granting non-profit entity. However, staff is concerned about the bureaucratic details of implementing and enforcing a permitting process for donation bins. Before deciding whether to present the ordinance for consideration, staff was monitoring the results of the outreach and enforcement effort, which was initiated earlier this year.

The city had one commercial property owner inquire whether they could lease space to the bin provider for a percentage of the proceeds the bin provider received. The city replied that it was open to discussing a site plan amendment to allow it. However, the property owner decided on their own not to pursue it after weighing the pros (revenues, good cause) and cons (maintenance, access, security, liability and aesthetics).

Code Enforcement’s efforts in this regard have been very successful. However, the initial effort was focused on larger containers, not the shoe donation containers. Our efforts to ensure that these smaller shoe containers comply with City Code have recently been initiated. These shoe donation containers are located at several places in the city, but you will soon see them being removed, as well.

Keven Klopp

Assistant City Manager & CRA Director

Deerfield Beach

Rash of truck thefts

Dear Editor:

I would like to reach out to all the residents in the area and let them be aware of the rash of auto thefts that have been occurring in the immediate vicinity. Two of my neighbors on opposite corners had their pick-up trucks stolen within weeks of one another and, last night, I became the latest victim of auto theft right from my own driveway.

I not only lost my work vehicle, but also the tools with which I make my living. The officer answering the call was polite and professional, letting me know that basically, there isn’t much they can do and the possibility of me recovering my truck and tools is slim to none.

I read the publication each issue [of the Observer] and enjoy all the information and recommendations your newspaper provides.

I believe you ran an article about how we can better protect ourselves in our own homes. Maybe you could re-issue a short reminder, as we head into the summer months, when many residents head out-of-town on vacation.

Let us all continue to look out for each other as a community. Even when we are home, we need to stay vigilant. Please remember to lock your doors and keep valuables out of sight. Always lock your vehicle and report any suspicious activity to the local police.

Dan O’Brien

Lighthouse Point

Enclave at Hillsboro Beach – request for support

Dear Editor:

Since 1923, Hillsboro Beach has hosted one of the nation’s premier private clubs with a location, facilities and membership of the highest caliber.

Currently, there is an opportunity for Hillsboro Beach to add another jewel in its crown, burnishing the town’s reputation as the prestigious and selective oasis of tranquility in South Florida.

An ultra-luxury destination boutique hotel and spa of the likes of a Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Waldorf-Astoria or Shangri-La strives for and maintains a low-impact serene and sophisticated presence. Focused on the majestic Atlantic Ocean, guests can enjoy seclusion, serenity and rejuvenation throughout the property, including its lush landscaping, pools and spa.

The property consists of 11.212 acres, stretching from the Intracoastal Waterway on the west, to the Atlantic Ocean on the east, with S.R. A-1-A approximately bisecting the property. Current zoning is RM-16. Applicant/property owner is requesting approval for up to 358 hotel rooms/suites.

In order to build and operate such an attractive complex, it would be necessary for the destination resort operation to have access to unrestricted water resources for the extremely lush and beautiful landscaping and green area required for such a project.

Therefore, it is proposed that the project would build, at no cost to the town, a desalination water plant designed for double the capacity of the existing town water plant. It is expected that because the source of this water is the Atlantic Ocean, an unlimited resource, that normal water restrictions which affect the rest of South Florida would not be applicable to the Town of Hillsboro Beach or its residents, resulting in a “Green Hillsboro” instead of a “Brown Hillsboro.” The project would contract to supply water to the town for 15 years without water rate increases, which the residents have been experiencing over the past few years.

It is proposed that this could be built behind the existing police dept. building, paying de-minimus rent, freeing up the existing town-owned water plant facility and saving the town the expense of further upgrades and replacements of that facility and the major water pipes running along Sample Road and under the Intracoastal. At the end of the 15-year contracted period, the desalination plant would be transferred to the town for free.

In addition, the project would guarantee to replace any utility supply lines required to be repaired or upgraded within the town during the life of the operation of the desalination plant at a savings to the town of at least 30 percent less than any other bidder, and would also install conduit for FPL electric lines to be buried at the time of any such repair or replacement (reducing problems of overhead electrical wire damage during storms).

John Kennelly

Hillsboro Beach