Fort Lauderdale City Manager Resigns
From David Volz
During the March 2 Fort Lauderdale Commission meeting, Greg Chavarria announced that he will resign as City Manager for the City of Fort Lauderdale in 60 days to attend to personal matters. He was appointed as City Manager in July 2022 and previously served as Assistant City Manager. The City Commission will work to find a replacement to fill the role.
“This is sad news for our city, Greg is a good man, a good listener, has a big heart and has an immense love for Fort Lauderdale. I appreciate his service and thank him for his devotion to District 2 and the entire city. I will miss him and wish him only the best,” said Commissioner Steve Glassman.
Fort Lauderdale Commission approves contracts
From David Volz
The Fort Lauderdale Commission approved large contracts during a recent meeting.
The Commission approved a resolution authorizing a State Historical Marker at the Las Olas beach promenade entrance to honor marathon swimmer Diana Nyad. Nyad is well-known for her achievements in swimming and was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. At the age of 24, she was the first to swim across Lake Ontario from north to south. Later, she set a new record by swimming around Manhattan Island in 7 hours and 57 minutes, swam 102.5 miles from the Bahamas to Jupiter, Florida, and became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. The Florida Historical Marker Program marks significant historical sites and individuals across the state.
The Commission approved an agreement with Man-Con Incorporated for the Dorsey Riverbend Stormwater Improvements project in the amount of $33.8 million. The project includes installation of new stormwater infrastructure, repairs to existing infrastructure, and construction of a new stormwater pump station which will improve drainage and reduce the impacts of flooding in the neighborhood. In addition to stormwater infrastructure investments, the project involves improvements to roadways, relocation of utilities, and restoration of swales.
The Commission passed a resolution approving a plat known as Bal Harbour Village Plat, located at 2201 NE 19th Street. The resolution had been deferred at the previous meeting to allow time to address the retention of open space on the property. Approval of the plat is a ministerial act, and the resolution does not address a future site plan or potential construction of office space, which would have to be reviewed by the Development Review Committee. The nearly 2-acre plot of land currently houses a church and an associated parking lot. Broward County requires the recording of a plat in the public records before a building permit can be issued for new structures in most circumstances. The applicant is subdividing the parcel into seven lots for single-family residences and one tract limited to 10,000 square feet of office use.
The Commission approved four ordinances that rezone City-owned properties so that they are designated as Parks, Recreation, and Open Space districts. The properties have been used and maintained as public park spaces and rezoning them in such a manner offers significant protection. That includes limiting the use of the property to typical park and open space activities and putting restraints on the ability to sell, transfer, or lease the property for more than one year without a unanimous vote of the Commission. Hector Park, 0.16 acres of land located near SE 9th Avenue and SE 11th Street, previously was zoned as Residential Single Family/Low Medium Density
