From David Volz
The City Commission was provided with an update about the progress of the new Fort Lauderdale Police Department headquarters, which will replace the existing headquarters on W. Broward Boulevard. Ground was broken on the project in June 2023, and one year later construction is about 50% completed. However, there was a deflection issue discovered in March of 2024 and initial efforts to address the issue were not successful. The deflection is a bending of the roof slab, causing hairline fractures in the concrete. The City engaged the services of an independent engineer to provide supplemental recommendations, and the teams recently agreed on measures to successfully resolve the deflection. In addition, the City has selected a firm to perform a peer review of both the deflection area as well as the entire building area, a process expected to take about 10 weeks. The anticipated completion date of the entire project is scheduled for Fall of 2025.
The City Commission was provided with an update about the progress made and next steps for the Lockhart Community Park project. When completed, the park located at 1350 NW 55th Street will feature a large community center, play and fitness areas, pickleball courts, and a turf playfield, among other amenities. Plans for drainage, water and sewer service, lighting, and design, among others, are nearing 100% completion and expected to be finished by the end of 2024. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025, with completion expected in 2026.
Fort Lauderdale commission adopts tentative millage rate
From David Volz
The Fort Lauderdale Commission held its first public hearing and approved a resolution adopting the tentative millage rate of 4.1193 and the tentative debt service millage of 0.2545 for the City for fiscal year 2025. The proposed operating millage rate is $4.1193 per $1,000 of taxable value. The total taxable assessed valuation of City property is $58,986,083,589, which will generate an estimated net tax collection of $233,262,119. The proposed millage rate, along with other revenue resources, supports the General Fund operating budget of $487,889,378. The public hearing to adopt the final millage rate and budget will be held at 5:01 p.m. on September 12 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts – Mary N. Porter Riverview Ballroom – 201 SW 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312.
The Commission adopted a resolution tentatively approving and adopting a Five-Year Community Investment Plan (CIP) for the period beginning October 1, 2024, and ending September 30, 2029. The CIP is a planning document that sets forth the City’s capital improvements to ensure that municipal facilities and infrastructure improvements are appropriate and adequate to serve the community’s needs.
