WHEELS UP …

Dear Readers …How fast 7 days go when you come to this part of the country…fresh air…ocean breezes …sunny skies … steady warm temps and much to catch up on… It has though and today this writer flies back to Lilly…..This little bundle of joy who is now well associated with Skype as a mode of daily visitation …Shades of Judy Jetson ..

3 weeks in Chicago and back again between Xmas and a few days after New Years…Back in Chicago plans are in place to do the downtown window walk and see what the creative store window teams have come up with to top their past knock-out successes… But I gotta tell you…they will have one early competitor to top for me …I was lucky enough last night to walk by Interior Digs in out town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea on Commercial Blvd….The BCbytheseaHubby has a list of local restaurants inside and outside of town to hit while in-town…Last night it was over the bridge to the Ambry…So on the walk back we walked by Interior Digs …hot off their “Let It Snow Gala”…as well as other special holiday events…has topped themselves from what we saw last year!… It’s well worth the visit for those of you looking for a taste of windows to marvel this time of year… http://www.interiordigs.com/ …. By the way others on the list…in Lauderdale -By-The-Sea this last week …Village Grille /Aruba Beach Cafe … Next time we’ll hit the others as more time will allow…We did partake in the Saturday night event Athena By The Sea puts on each week  and caught a new band Up Shot…just one off a number of new bands Louis Marchelos said would be coming each week …We saw Kilwins was full of families with kids and the benches outside were full as well as most of Athena’s outside dining tables …Up at the other end of Commercial Basilic the Vietnamese restaurant looked like patrons were coming their way at a steady pace still as well as the always busy Benihana and Blue Moon Fish Co….Pa’ Degenaros was just remodeled and their lot looked like they had plenty of patrons as well …Sea Watch needed no look-see as they are always thriving …

So, there is no doubt in this writer’s mind…getting in rid of the exemption for restaurants and some more winners coming our way we will indeed be a Broward destination for dining…retail and taking in all we have to offer… A friend took the time to try the new Subs and More where the old Dairy Queen was and was thrilled with what he had recommending it highly…So when the line for La Spada is way too long or you want a change of pace..Jamaican …give this newer town sandwich shop a chance… Also we are told by a local restaurateur that the new JoJo Tacos coming soon will also be one to make your way to… Now let the exemption process go forward…and let some savvy marketing begin…

Also on tap…with TM Connie Hoffmann back in Town Hall this week and Sandra Booth on the mend and full of marketing experience as well as the Mayor who says she too has some ideas to get our attention and participation…we should see the Town’s organizations both political and neighborhood/condo associations come together to join in on the “series” being brought to town to help in the revisions of the vision of LBTS beginning next month …Be on the look-out for your “invitation” to put in your 2-cents…You won’t want to sit on the sidelines for this!…Get in on the vision…

This week the TM and staff have much to get ready for…next Tues. the 7th is the Reg. Comm. Mtg. at 7 pm in Jarvis Hall…It will be including the exemption issue the last time  the single monthly meeting will come before the monthly Roundtable…They switch weeks in January…we believe…The Dec. Rdtable will be just one week later on Dec. 14th at 7 pm Jarvis Hall as well..Planning & Zoning meets Wed. the 15th at 6:30 pm in Jarvis Hall for more parking regulation discussion as well as workshop on signage…Businesses should be in attendance after receiving another flier from the Development Dept. as directed by the board… The Master Plan Steering Committee will meet  the following Monday at 7 pm in Jarvis Hall for the last exercise concerning the Master Plan Revision to be led by TM Hoffmann…before the series begins on January 7th in Jarvis Hall from 4-6 pm with the 1st Urban Planner David Sucher followed the next morning by a guided tour around town from 9am-noon…

Note to TM/PIO D’Oliveira.. Please get the Granicus fixed for a full screen to be available to us computer watchers…of which there are many..and please have a televised tour as was done for the last Commission outing on the noise issue….

Also don’t forget the other events going on before and after these… The Chamber’s Holiday Cocktail Party at Aruba Beach Cafe Dec. 2nd 5-9 pm/ The Chabad of LBTS Menorah Lighting at Pelican Square at 5 pm on Dec. 5/the  The Chamber of Commerce Christmas By The Sea Dec. 8th in Pelican Square at 5-9 pm/Dec 11th Marie White “Sana’s Coming To Town at the Commercial Beach Pavilion noon-3 pm..

All lead up to the great annual Downtown New Year’s Eve party in our downtown with the always anticipated Village Grille midnight ball drop …. See you all at that one!…

All in all Readers…throughout my all too short first time back after 8 long months…I saw and heard what those who keep in touch said was so…A town full of a collective sigh of relief after so long being a town of constant dissension and fear…I found a common thread of promise for the future and no time for any old hints of going back to old ways once more…Those stragglers trying to do so are summarily brushed aside…The consensus is a big A + for Town Manager Connie Hoffman…Asst. TM Bud Bentley …and Acting Finance Director Doug Haag… They have uncovered and proceeded to rectify all that many of us knew needed uncovering and rectifying in order to move ahead and provide us all with good government…transparent government and finally accountable government…as it should be…always!… Also words of praise for out BSO was heard from many as I walked around… It was really a treat to see and hear it all firsthand ….coming from past naysayers as well as those  who fought the good fight to make it happen…

In conclusion…in answer to TM Hoffmann’s question to the MPSC lat their last meeting to describe the place in LBTS that makes you the most comfortable…for this writer…it starts when the wheels of the car heads into town limits and ends when the car drives out…How very lucky we all are to call this place our home….

more to come…

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Has It All And More To Come, local government, Local Politics, Scoops
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WANT S’MORE HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS …

Dear Readers … This writer is out of commission…no pun intended …for posting right now ….due to a cortisone shot to repair the annual flu shot that I was given in the wrong place in the arm this year 7 weeks ago… (prev. post)…The damage was not as bad as it could have been and hopefully Readers made it their business to make sure they and theirs made it known the correct sight was agreed upon beforehand……. Mine unfortunately was so off the doctor is not sure I was immunized!… In any event ….pun intended …

If you want S’more places to go for the holidays … link to our sister site below….

http://heresthescooponline.com/

more to come….

Tags: Scoops, Smores for the Holidays In Lauderdale By The Sea, Web News
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BEAUTIFUL FLOOR ….

Miami Herald today… link below…

“Dropping to the sea floor off Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, I imagined my surroundings 90 feet down were like the surface of the moon — but with a lot more color and life. A steep, rocky crater surrounded a huge sand pit that extended far beyond our 60-foot range of visibility. Unlike the moon, though, this landscape was dotted with schools of tropical fish and a cornucopia of soft corals undulating in the gentle current.
Led by South Florida Diving Headquarters president Jeff Torode, Steve Margolis of Parkland, underwater photographer Maggie Martorell of Hollywood and I were exploring an old borrow pit carved out by dredges in 1983 to restore sand to depleted Broward County beaches.
According to Steve Higgins, Broward’s beach erosion administrator, 19 of these trenches were dug off the county’s coast in the 1980s — all in sandy bottom and mostly between the second and third reef tracts in depths of 30 to 100 feet. The hydraulic cutter heads used at that time carved deep pits with sheer, vertical walls in the ocean floor. The hopper dredges used nowadays to suck up sand from the bottom don’t make such steep, deep holes, Higgins says.
While not exactly environmentally friendly, the old borrow pits have proved a boon over the past 20-plus years. Anglers and spearfishers take grouper, snapper, kingfish, hogfish and other species. Underwater sightseers enjoy the abundant fish life and colorful marine landscape.
On our dive last month, I was hoping to bag a couple lobsters for dinner. While I didn’t see any, the dive proved quite entertaining.
Kicking along through the center of the sand pit, I looked up to see an eight-foot manta ray gliding just above me. My companions and I hovered close enough to observe it, but not too close to scare it away. We need not have worried. The manta cruised close by with its large mandibles wide open, showing no fear.
Then, to our utter delight, the creature performed a slow, graceful back flip. Its broad smoothness was smudged with a swirl of white, reminding me of Count Dracula’s trademark flare of his black-and-white cape.
Torode swam directly underneath the splayed ray and fanned out his arms and legs, mimicking the creature’s movements. I giggled so hard into my regulator that I almost spat it out. The ray didn’t seem to mind.
What some may not realize is that manta ray encounters in South Florida are rare. Torode, who’s been diving here for more than 30 years, says he has seen exactly two. It’s a lot like bumping into a whale shark; you know they are around from time to time, but your chances of interacting with them are slim.
After about 10 minutes, the manta swam unhurriedly off, and we continued our exploration. While admiring assorted sea whips and sponges, we came across a pair of fairly large lionfish on the ledge surrounding the sand pit. A few minutes later, I spotted a third. This exotic invader from the Pacific is becoming more widespread here and in the Keys, eating most of its weight in native, tropical fish. We should have euthanized them, but nobody had a dive knife or spear gun handy.
Because of the pit’s depth, we were forced to head for the surface before we could explore the whole site.
“I can’t wait to see the rest of it,” Torode said when we got back on the boat, adding that he plans to map the site and bring along advanced open-water scuba students.
For Margolis, who had never dived a dredge hole nor seen a manta ray, the dive was a treat.
“Really cool,” Margolis said. “You see bigger schools [of fish] than on the reef. And the manta was so graceful — playful even.”
A second exploration definitely is in order. ”

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/27/1941812.html

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Great "Floor" Off Our Beach, News, Scoops
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WITH 1600 “FOR DUMMIES” TITLES  AVAILABLE … I’LL BE STARTING WITH BASIC FRENCH …. http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Brand/id-9.html

Dear Readers …It seems this writer is basic French illiterate …sad to say…and sadder to have to admit and post…but alas it is so …as 2 Readers alerted me to my post on the change in ownership of the Sea Lord on El Mar Drive I posted a few days back after seeing the banner that read coming soon the new “Porte Cochere” …which simply means a drive- through covered porch in French I was informed!…Of course as I received the corrections from both with the 2nd one arriving by e-mail…the BCbytheseaHubby and I were on Federal Hwy. by Oakland Park Blvd. and observing a massive afternoon turnout of the Tea Party supporters on the corner with multiple signs of their view of our country spelled out in handmade placards held onto with conviction and 2 hands trying very hard to get the attention of those driving through the intersection… We laughed at the timing and jested..maybe we need to join the protesters who would more than likely state  about my ignorance on thinking the sign at the Sea Lord was for a new venue …Why did they not just make a banner that read coming soon a new drive-through covered porch!…

What is it about signs…written or not that sets people in motion pro and con?… Readers are well aware of the 2 hot topics in LBTS at this moment in time coming after the #1 topic of the sewer rates..which replaced the former #1 topic of drainage which replaced the #1 hot topic of the former Town Manager ….etc…….. Those 2 topics…exempting the parking restrictions for restaurants in the downtown business districts and allowed and non-conforming signage…(pole/pylon/sandwich …etc)… Signs allowed for business are also a priority right next door to us in Fort Lauderdale …(See Sentinel article online/in print w/link below)…Our competition to the south knows that business needs help from their local officials …. and our local officials know it as well …which is why the parking issue as well as the sign issue were given back to the P & Z after their initial limited review a few months back…(prev. posts)….and Town staff to get moving on the full content ASAP…in a decisive and expedient manner without another 2-4+ years of pontificating about the “what ifs”…. if a proposed idea succeeds…which is really a “sign” of its own to instead do nothing!… I have been back in town for 6 days as of today and I have not heard any nays to the exemption proposed for restaurants except from a few 2nd hand comments coming from those who sat on their hands they when on the dais … or those fearing success means an impact to them personally as a business enjoying limited competition… Those struggling businesses around town are joining the very successful ones and are ecstatic ….They are hoping to add onto their own businesses with improvements inside and out perhaps with a sidewalk cafe’ of their own…including west of A1A!….In some ways this reminds me of the Chamber a few months ago and the reaction I heard from a few when ideas came forth of expansion for them in marketing and membership and their immediate concern that such a change might make it impossible for them to stay within their longtime location due to the influx!…My reply then was  the same as it is to those seeing massive parking problems from the exemption being allowed for all restaurants…(It should not be retroactive..but certainly for all all going forth old and new restaurants…in this writer’s opinion)…If it happens..it’s not going to happen so fast that the businesses and  the town cannot be proactive to deal with the welcome problem that would mean LBTS is a destination within Broward …

Take a look around this weekend…This long Thanksgiving weekend in LBTS has been rather quiet…The Ocean Reverie on El Mar Drive is the only hotel that I saw with a no vacancy sign ….(The Rainbow Inn has the no vacancy up  sign as well but it is closed and on the market)…while those up and down A1A and El Mar Drive are pretty bare … The Downtown on Friday night and Saturday night had a decent turnout because of the regular special events put on…Saturday and Sunday mornings seem to be catching on as well for those coming to town for a leisurely breakfast offered around Pelican Square …and along the Intercoastal and that’s what we need to be looking to build on…We have what the other towns do not..The beach..the wide beach..a big plus compared to Ft. Lauderdale’s skinny in width version and Delray Beach/Los Olas’s lack of being near the beach with their successful downtown venues … The parking issue of exemption for restaurants was taken from the P & Z and fast tracked by the Commission at their Nov. Roundtable …(prev. posts)…after certain Commissioners realized they knew where they as a Commission wanted to go with it…. The remainder of the parking code to be addressed at the Dec. P & Z meeting in Dec. as well as a workshop to follow for the board to address the Town’s current codes for signs…which will tie in with the revisions of the Master Plan as well as the  changes in the downtown business dsitricts….

On another note….It was really rather striking for this writer what happened in retail this holiday weekend as well…..Black Friday…the day long dreaded by shoppers not willing to go out for a “door prize”offer to entice shoppers to appear at their brick and mortar stores in the darkness at 4am after a day of filling ourselves with turkey and stuffing turned out to be a  “tutorial ” we can learn from going forward in our endeavor to launch LBTS into 2011 and beyond… These retailers knew they had to face the competition growing yet again from online purchasing and a real problem with customers and customer service … This year they were ready and the execution I witnessed at each store I made I way to…small and large alike was nothing short of astounding…At Marshalls ..TJMaxx …Macys ..Bed Bath and Beyond …where the BCbythesea Hubby and I counted 6 times that we were approached and asked if we needed a shopping cart…(we were told by others inside the the store the were asked as well)….The help in place was immediately apparent..the organization was in place…and the result offered up an experience that was memorable and unexpectedly great…Plenty of employees…as well as store management to aid with purchasing …. The line to do so continued to move without a glitch to a fully manned check-out counter in one store after another…(When was the last time any of us encountered that?)…All who took the chance on venturing out this weekend that I encountered were quite verbal in the positive feedback offered as they made their way to checkout to management and employees as well as with each other…There’s no doubt they passed the experience and the praise on to friends and family after the fact as I have done!… As one Reader stated to this writer over the last few days since I arrived home…We now need to gear up that not only will LBTS offer up the exemption to jumpstart business coming to our downtown…but we will offer up great customer service..A way to make new business get through the process from the time they walk through the “door” all the  way to the “checkout counter” with an open door policy of assistance from our Town Administration…Town staff…elected officials …our Chamber of Commerce and established businesses making LBTS where they want to come as well as passing along their positive experience to their friends and families and other entrepreneurs looking to set up shop!… We need to plan out not  just the vision of the future years in LBTS aesthetically …but economically through “thinking outside the box” ideas …. instead of fearing success and continuing to tread water with an eye on planning and installing a year’s worth of monthly/weekly special events in our downtown to make sure that our “beachside village” continues to be the hospitality destination that the majority of us chose to reside in when we came to live here…

Dear Readers ….nous pouvons réussir….(translation: We can succeed!)… http://www.translation-services-usa.com/french.php

………………..

Sentinel …link below…

“Recession prompts Fort Lauderdale to ease sign restrictions
City to allow sandwich signs and parking lot banners
Signs Will Be Allowed

FORT LAUDERDALE —

Signs advertising lunch menus, drink specials and sales items will soon be appearing outside stores, restaurants and bars across the city.

Fort Lauderdale is loosening its restrictions on public advertising so businesses can place sandwich board signs outside their entrances and hang banners in parking lots. Although such signs are common in other communities, businesses in Fort Lauderdale using them have risked the wrath of code inspectors.

It’s a dramatic change for a city that fought a long legal battle to limit billboards and doled out citations just a couple years ago to businesses along ritzy Las Olas Boulevard for daring to have statues along the sidewalk, including giant bellhops and a cigar store Indian.
Stay on top of the news: Get breaking new alerts sent directly to your phone

Business owners sought the right to use sandwich signs and banners to help lure customers in a tough economy.

“It’s a way for the city to help keep the smallest of its businesses here and maintain the unique character that we bring to the city,” said Donna Mergenhagen, the owner of the Well Read bookstore on Southeast 17th Street and one of the people who launched the campaign.

City commissioners are expected to give final approval to a two-year pilot project next month allowing the extra signage.

Under the rules that commissioners have tentatively accepted, businesses could obtain a permit for one sandwich board sign as long as it is located on private property rather than a public sidewalk and as long as pedestrians still have five feet to pass. Also, shopping centers with at least 10 tenants and a 15-acre parking lot may hang advertising banners from their light poles as long as the signs cannot be seen from nearby homes.

Sandwich boards have been hotly debated across the state recently.

Boca Raton lifted its ban on sandwich boards downtown earlier this year, and signs have spread like wildfire. But the city must decide by January whether to extend their use and some officials don’t have much enthusiasm for keeping them around.

Historic downtown Melbourne concluded sandwich boards were too disruptive and replaced them with city-controlled signage. Jacksonville Beach, on the other hand, decided to allow their use.

The pleas for extra signage in Fort Lauderdale started three years ago from small businesses in the shopping centers along the 17th Street corridor.

They complained they needed better ways to attract people who visit the anchor stores and restaurants in the shopping complexes. They’ve told commissioners that a fifth of the small businesses in the area have closed since they first asked for help.

“It’s a timing issue,” Mayor Jack Seiler said. “The economy is extremely difficult, and local businesses are hurting. They came forward with a reasonable proposition to increase sales and retail activity, and I feel strongly we need to do what we can to help local business promote themselves.”

While the businesses suggested the sandwich signs, developer Jack Loos pitched the idea of parking lot banners. He owns the Harbor Shops complex off 17th Street and said small tenants in shopping centers such as his could work with landlords to gain extra recognition from promotional banners.

City planners have urged caution in pursuing the changes, fearful that the extra signage could cause too much clutter along the streets and parking lots of image-conscience Fort Lauderdale. The city has tried to avoid the garish advertising seen in some communities with tourism-heavy economies.

At Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill, the owner currently advertises daily specials on a blackboard inside the restaurant and doubts if she will switch to an outside sandwich board sign. She’s said she’s fine if others in her shopping complex do as long as it’s within reason.

“Signage is good as long as it doesn’t get out of hand,” Gilbert said. “This is an upscale shopping center, and you don’t want to take away from that.”

The biggest impact will be in the city’s strip malls, but city attorneys say at least some businesses downtown and along the beach could qualify for sandwich board signs because sidewalks in parts of those areas are comprised of both public and private property.

Bruce Rosenwasser, owner of Art Connection of Las Olas, is content with the sign in his window advertising an art sale to passers-by. He’s worried additional signs could detract from the boulevard’s appearance.

“It would make the street look cheap,” Rosenwasser said.

But some businesses already use sandwich board signs and argue they are effective. There are restaurants along the beach that use them to list drink specials and shops along Las Olas that detail prices and sales on them.

Slice Pizzeria in the parking garage by the main downtown library has two sandwich board signs outside touting that it has ice cream and hot dogs for sale. “You have to sell yourself every way you can,” said Eric Koussevitzki, whose family owns the restaurant.”

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-sandwich-signs-lauderdale-20101126,0,2978797.story

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more to come….

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Signs That The Downtown Business District Will Be The Destination Broward Residents And Tourists Will Mark On Their Calendars, local government, Local Politics, News, Scoops
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BEING PLAYED …..

Dear Readers … Day 4 of being back home produced two ways for LBTS to pay the “fiddler”… The sewer increase that was discussed  at the previous Comm./Rdtable Mtgs…(prev. posts).. is going to hit us all in the pocketbook …after a select few kept up a “ruse” of no passed on sewer rate increases for  the south end of town since 2003… Add to that the secret long kept of having the 4 annexed in Sea Ranch Condominiums pay first the Town and then Ft. Lauderdale…who in turn kicked in the difference to Pompano Beach…without ever following the direction given by the Commission at a special meeting of going to Pompano Beach upon the annexation for these 4 buildings to come into the longtime Master Sewer Agreement the south had with them…If that was turned down by Pompano the Town Atty. at the time, Atty. Cherof is on record stating they could go for a declaratory judgment… Then and only then were the Town to consider any alternative to comply with the promise of making the sewer rates for the annexed in area equitable … That pointy was driven home according to the archived minutes (prev. post) by none other  than former Mayor (then a Comm.) Oliver Parker who stated to offer such an alternative might deter the first 2 directed steps to fail… The fallout from the action taken …without the knowledge of those annexed in buildings until  a few months ago along with the rest of the south end  will now be felt by all as they get the increases coming this winter… Is there any recourse to those who made the decision behind the closed doors of Town Hall?…Probably not…except to remember this is why no administration/ Town Atty. going forward can ever again be given a “pass” on their assurances without providing all the backup …the reports and the agreements as was done for far too long by  past Commissions…

The Sentinel is being much more attentive to what’s happening in our town…and after Thursday’s parking exemption story…yesterday online/ today in print was the sewer rate increases…

Sentinel stories…links below…

“Lauderdale-by-the-Sea looks to match higher sewer rates charged by Pompano Beach
Town’s system is running in the red and needs extra revenue to break even

LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA — —
All the town’s residents may soon be paying very similar sewer fees, even though they’re on different systems.
Town commissioners are pushing to make the town’s rates in the south end comparable to the higher rates charged by Pompano Beach in the north end because the town’s sewer operation has been running in the red since 2008.
A typical customer of the town’s system could see rate increases on the sewer portion of their monthly water and sewer bill of between 54 percent and 83 percent. That’s how much the town needs to increase rates beginning in February to cover the town’s costs.
For a single-family homeowner using 7,000 gallons of water a month, the monthly cost for the base sewer charge and for water used would increase 58 percent, from $22.60 to $35.89, under the proposal.
The rates may actually need to be higher through September. The proposed rates would leave a deficit of almost $62,000 this year because the increase would only cover two-thirds of the current fiscal year.
“I’m in favor of setting a rate that would give us zero deficit this year,” Vice Mayor Stuart Dodd said. “We may be able to drop the rate next year.”
Commissioners plan to hold public hearings on the sewer rates at their Dec. 7 meeting and in January.
Commissioners are adamant that they want to change rates that are forcing the town to dip into its reserves to cover costs. The town’s sewer reserves now stand at about $1.5 million. The town would have to eat up almost $400,000 in reserves this year if no rate change is made, officials estimate.
However, the town still has to figure out how it can raise money to build up the reserves to pay for future repairs. The current proposal is only expected to generate about $33,000 a year for capital reserves in future years.
Several commissioners said the best thing to do would be to mirror Pompano’s rates.
“We are trying to get on an equitable level of everyone paying the same,” Commissioner Chris Vincent said.
While Pompano charges $3.46 for each 1,000 gallons used, the town only charges $3 per 1,000 gallons. Commissioners want to know how much income the extra $.46 per 1,000 gallons would generate if the town matched Pompano’s volume rate.”

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/lauderdale-by-the-sea/fl-lauderdale-sewer-rates-20101126,0,2509578.story

“Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is considering increasing sewer rates to the portion of the town south of Pine Avenue, which is served by the town, and in the Sea Ranch Club condominiums. Current charges do not cover costs and are forcing the town to eat into its reserve funds.
Housing type Current Proposed Increase
Single-family $22.60$35.8958%
Duplex$17.30$29.2669%
Condominiums
15-unit complex$19.05$29.2654%
25-unit complex$17.43$29.2668%
50-unit complex$17.43$29.2668%
100-unit complex$16.90$29.2673%
200-unit complex$15.95$29.2683%
*Charges are based on 7,000-gallon usage for single-family homes and 5,000-gallon usage for all other dwellings.
Source: Town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea”

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/lauderdale-by-the-sea/fl-box-lauderdale-sewer-rates-20101126,0,2033361.story

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While we  may have to tighten our belts to offset the increase we will get…there is a “fiddler” we don’t have to pay…and she comes to our town to play on a new stage almost every Friday  Night!… This writer was told by quite a few I had to check out the “fiddler” Dave Gadsby had brought to play at his Friday Night Village Grill weekly event… I did and boy am I glad I did!…Those who promised me I would be “blown away”  …were “spot on” as my friend VM Dodd says…..Dave who was celebrating his birthday told me he pursued them for 3 years… and I as well as countless others are sure glad he was persistent…. For those of you who haven’t yet gone to check it out…Make sure you get to Pelican Square for the Chamber of Commerce Christmas-By-The-Sea Dec. 8th from 5-9pm.. The fiddler will be there …We are told she will be here at least every other Friday…Good thing because we are also told Dave’s phone has been ringing off the hook from fans wanting more…

Don’t forget about Saturday nights in LBTS as well…Louis Marchelos told this writer tonight Athena By The Sea has a new band…who will join Elvis and other bands to entertain us all… Again, free entertainment provided by a business in our town… NICE!…

more to come….

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea Free Entertainment Downtown On Friday & Saturday Nights Thanks To Local Restaurants, Lauderdale By The Sea Paying Higher Sewer Rates, local government, Local Politics, News, Scoops
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OUR  “BEACHSIDE” VILLAGE IN THE PRESS …

Dear Readers …This writer spent a very peaceful day back home on Thanksgiving… A late no commitment to keep wake-up time was a welcome change of pace… Even taking in time to watch the parade on TV from Macy’s as well as the parade outside my window of those walking the shore and then those riding the waves  kite-surfing …That’s a sight that never gets old and never ceases to amaze this writer of how lucky we all are to ride where we do… I spent some time after doing the mundane ..cleaning out some closets and drawers and finally being able to put my hands on my missing house/car keys that I put away so well …in a safe place to be able to retrieve them…So safe I did not run by them until day 2!… I was very touched by the e-mails of Happy Thanksgiving from some longtime Readers I have not heard from in what seems to be ages from outside Town limits as well as inside with big “Welcome Home” messages attached!… As you will see below LBTS was in the Sentinel in print with a story about the ever impressive Lenore Nolan-Ryan who makes us all not only envious but amazed as we observe the life she leads…professionally and personally …Last time it was a Philadelphia Cream Cheese contest…this time it’s what came out of her top place position in that competition and as a longtime chef on a Yacht … Above that and online yesterday/in print on the front page of the Local Sec. today …the first press coverage of the soon- to- be exemption  offered to new restaurants in town …(this writer believes existing establishments will end up with no retroactive $s but no required renewal when their agreements are up)… The comments made are right in line with the responses this writer has heard from most of those that get it…The Mayor is right now the only one who appears to be in-line with those who do not… “Ramifications”… the fear of parking problems …I just cannot wrap my head around that one… We had the business community come to us not long ago before the current valet service approved by this commission…At that time local restaurant owners talked of a private parking garage as well as other options…I believe that will happen again if the parking is ever in question… The doomsday predictions of what ifs…I have seen before…and they never seem to pan out … This writer and the BCbythesea Hubby walked El Mar Drive around 5 pm …heading toward the downtown for a walk and some turkey after politely turning down offers to join others to do so…(A day of no commitments was really what we were thankful for)… As we left the SRC property we ran into a couple who have been longtime residents…The welcomed us home as well and told us they were no longer members of the CIC…and did not know anyone that was…The spoke of the changes they saw and all is quiet in town…They think the new Comm.and staff are doing a good job…They asked about the sewers and how it was kept under wraps so long…I replied a “well planned ruse by a chosen few”…(prev. posts)…They asked me if I had seen the lien signs on the hotel we were standing by (The old Clarion)…We said we had not..They said there were three such signs on the front side of the building on A1A…We finished up and continued on…Souters on the east side of El Mar is now the Southern Seas… A new …what appears to be a single home is being build on the west side of the street near Dave Nixon’s place… The Buena Vista and the Courtyard look empty …Whatever happened to the grand plans for a redo on the hotel and the private home on the beach?… Big shocker as well was the Sea Lord all beautifully re-done when we left …under construction with a new sign of a new resort called Porte something with a C…I didn’t write it down..The old building next to it seems to be slowly on its way to being the 4 apartments approved some time back…(prev. post)… The Windjammer looks great …I had read in the BTSFutureof the paint job…before seeing for myself…. .the old Holiday Inn owned we are told by the same owner of the former Clarion was pitch black with less than a handful of rooms lit with occupants.. The bar looked shut down and empty…Inside stacked up in what was the former offices were furniture stacked to the ceiling…Is it on its last legs?… The Oriana has a sign offering the developers close-out sale…as well as some errant choice cans in the bike lane…Once in the downtown…It was great to see that this year the trees were lit all the way from Commercial to the Pavilion…something asked for but ignored last year this time by the former administration… Also glad to see for myself that the ice cream shop by the pier finally got their sidewalk bench back!… The Pier Beach Cafe’ turned out great to see as well… Aruba was as busy as always with a few patrons fanning out into the Pavilion to admire the view…We chose to sit outside and enjoy the 2 “Blue Plate Specials” offered for Thanksgiving at the Village Grill …Both meals were perfect …just what we wanted… After the meal we walked toward A1A and saw the yogurt shop sign by Kilwins that is to come in…as well as a shop that said everything must go… We observed the remodeled building across from Athena on the corner and the sign in the window for a renter perhaps… that says “Restaurant Bar”!… That would really be something…A nice restaurant on that corner along with the new gourmet burger place going into the former Burger King site …It’s a start to what can happen in our downtown… I have heard some who wonder if Wings might make an about face and come back to their original desire for 2 restaurants on their top floors…Hmmm… no Hooters …was of course added in the conversation as well as questions on their status with renters in the renovated apartments finished not so long ago as well as the struggle with the town over the permits for their lot now in circuit court…(prev. post)… That too would start the movement to the west side of the district… Other talk on this topic …Find a way to extend the sidewalk cafes west and pen the breezeway back up if that too has not been dealt with…We ended the day by stopping by and catching up with friends in the north end of town…and of course talking about all the above and more…When this writer returned home I finished watching the on-demand movie I purchased…Eat,Pray, Love with Julia Roberts who traveled to Italy, India and Bali to find peace and meaning to her life… Those of us lucky enough to live in LBTS can find all that here …just by getting up in the morning…  making no commitments for the day ….partaking in the beauty right outside their window …Tonight we’re heading downtown to see if Dave has booked the band we hear has his phones ringing off the hook …and a must-see according to many who have said it’s a must for this writer as well…and of course to see even more of the “regulars” I have yet to catch up with and have missed so much!…

FIRST PRESS COVERAGE OF FORTHCOMING LBTS EXEMPTION OF PARKING RESTRICTIONS  FOR ALL RESTAURANTS ….

SENTINEL..full link below…

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea may relax rule requiring specific number of restaurant parking spaces

LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA —
In order to help the local economy and spur business activity, town commissioners want to ditch parking requirements placed on new restaurants seeking to open in town.
“We don’t have a parking problem. We have an empty storefront problem,” Vice Mayor Stuart Dodd said. “Economic times have changed and we need to be dynamic about it.”
The town currently requires a restaurant to provide 20 parking spaces for every 1,000 square feet of dining space. Jeff Bowman, the town’s development services director, said meeting those requirements is the No. 1 deterrent for new businesses interested in opening in the town.

Sometimes would-be applicants are short one or two spaces, sometimes 10 or 20, Bowman said.
While the requirements might have made sense in more prosperous times, commissioners said they are now an impediment to economic activity.
“Unless we change the rules for restaurants, there won’t be any opening anytime soon in Lauderdale-by the-Sea,” said Dodd, who counted 13 empty businesses on a recent bike ride along the city’s portion of Commercial Boulevard east of the Intracoastal Waterway.
Commissioners said they want to act quickly to change the situation and directed staff to bring them a proposal for their Dec. 7 meeting.
Mayor Roseann Minnet cautioned against moving too quickly without considering all the ramifications. Some businesses currently have agreements with the town where they pay for spaces provided by the town to meet their requirements. Staff will research those implications as well when presenting a proposal to the commission.
Commissioner Birute Ann Clottey said other businesses, particularly local mom-and-pop hotels seeking to expand, could also benefit from relaxed parking requirements. Other commissioners said they’re willing to look at the bigger picture later, but wanted to deal with the restaurant situation immediately.
Commissioners said the town’s parking lots are seldom filled to capacity and want to encourage an atmosphere where visitors are encouraged to park and stroll, like along Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach or Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.
If the end result is a parking crunch, Dodd said he’d gladly deal with that problem.
“When the parking spaces are full, we’re going to have a thriving town as a result of it,” Dodd said.”

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/lauderdale-by-the-sea/fl-lauderdale-by-the-sea-parking-20101125,0,4946679.story

…………………….

THE MANY LIVES OF LENORE NOLAN -RYAN

SENTINEL…full link below…

“Name: Lenore Nolan-Ryan

Title: Owner, Lenore Nolan-Ryan Cooking School and Catering Company, 228 Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, 954-491-2340. lenorenolanryan.com

Age: 56
Years at this location: 10

Type of food: Variety

Background: Born in Miami Beach, Nolan-Ryan spent her early years in Cuba, where her father owned casinos and where the family witnessed Castro’s takeover.

A self-taught cook who acquired culinary skills from her mother, she abandoned studies of voice and piano to open a Sunday brunch-only cafe in Indianapolis, where she attended Butler University. She owned Ryan’s, a takeout restaurant, wine bar and fine-dining establishment in a Victorian house in San Francisco, for 20 years before returning to Florida in 1997. She spends her winters catering and teaching in South Florida and her summers as chef aboard the MV Jamal, a 72-foot Hatteras that charters out of Alaska and the San Juan Islands.

What do you most enjoy about working aboard a yacht?

Everything is so beautiful in Alaska and the San Juan Islands. When I’m on the vessel, I feel grounded. The phone doesn’t ring. I don’t have to worry about budgets. And I get to see beautiful places through other people’s eyes. Even after 19 years, the first time our guests see a glacier or a whale breaching or a bear at the shoreline, it’s like I’m seeing it for the first time again.

Do you plan your menus before leaving the dock?

I always serve herb and lemon chicken with roasted vegetables the first night because when people get on board they’re a little nervous and it’s a comforting, basic meal that reassures people I can cook. I buy most of my ingredients ahead of time, but I don’t make up the menus until I know people’s tastes — like whether I should prepare halibut in parchment paper or with a pecan crust and maple butter sauce.

Have you had celebrities aboard?

Mario Batali chartered the boat with his children, Benno and Leo, his wife, Susi, and Susi’s best friend to celebrate her birthday. Her favorite food is Alaskan king crab and there was a lot left over the night I made it, so Mario announced he’d cook for all of us the next night. During a stopover in Seattle, I’d picked up several olive oils, including one that cost $125. Of course, he used that one and, as he’s going glug, glug, glug using all of my beautiful olive oil, the crew members who knew what I paid eyed me. But I’ve got to tell you, it was the best pasta I ever had. I duplicate the recipe in my cooking classes but I don’t use $125 olive oil.

You were a finalist in Kraft Food’s Real Women of Philadelphia contest? Was that fun?

Yes. I submitted a video of myself making my Aunt Betty’s salmon wrapped in pastry using Philadelphia Cream Cheese and, though I didn’t win, I had a great time. The finalists were put up in beautiful suites at The Mansion (on Forsyth Park Hotel and Spa) in Savannah, Ga., for a week, where we were taken around in chauffeur-driven limousines and hung out with Paula Deen. When she met me, she said, “Why, Lenore, you look just like me.” I’m still in contact with everyone I met that week and we’re planning a reunion in Savannah next year.

How has that helped your career?

Kraft has hired me to create recipes it can use to promote a new product, a line of shredded cheeses that have a touch of Philadelphia Cream Cheese in them. I’ll also be doing YouTube videos demonstrating these recipes.

What food would you bring to a deserted island?

Artichokes. In my restaurant in San Francisco, I served artichokes a different way every night. Hot, cold, steamed, with vinaigrette. It’s a great food for preparing 365 different ways.

What’s your favorite food show?

I watch all of them and my favorite is Jamie Oliver. I love the way he cooks. Everything’s right out of the garden and there’s no muss and no fuss. His style is brilliant because it’s so easy and affordable. He doesn’t insist on a long list of ingredients or elaborate preparation.

What’s always in your refrigerator?

Veuve Clicquot champagne, artichokes, goat cheese and good greens, usually arugula or spinach.

What would your last meal be?

It’d be a meal I had in a restaurant in the south of France. The first course was steamed artichoke with the most delicious garlic mayonnaise I ever had. Then they served a bouillabaisse with rouille and beautiful baguettes drizzled with olive oil. The last course was little fried pastries dusted with sugar and served with an array of confitures.

Is there anything acquaintances would be surprised to learn about you?

If I weren’t a cook, I’d be an actress and a singer. I do community theater at Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Performing Arts Center. My last role was the lead in Neil Simon’s “Rose’s Dilemma.”

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/food/fl-food-chef-112510-20101125,0,2368324.story

more to come…

Tags: Day 3 In Lauderdale By The Sea, local government, Local Politics, News, Scoops, scvoops
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IT’S BEEN A FRUITFUL YEAR…IN LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA….

Dear Readers …Day 2 of awaking to sunshine…temperatures that don’t require a coat and ocean breezes…I could get use to this ….again!… Nice also to awake to many messages of welcome back as well…NICE!…And the ability for the BCbythesea hubby to go for a long bike ride that’s something he is truly savoring and very thankful for!…

We have much to give thanks for this year in our town…starting with 65% of LBTS voters in March …who led the way for a new Commission…made up of a group that gets along…and who are respectful of each other having the best interest of the town squarely in first place … as it should be…but not so for far too long … We have a new Town Manager who thankfully was ready to go back into government at the opportune time for us…She has shown us all what we were missing in just a matter of months…Customer service came to the forefront inside and outside of Town Hall…by not only opening up the long shut doors…but taking away the glass barrier between staff and customers ie…residents…and visitors alike…Next step…to take down those same barriers for businesses who want to set up shop downtown…and then present and future hoteliers and specialty shops as well…TM Connie Hoffmann brought right on board with her another candidate for Interim TM….Assistant TM Bud Bentley who quickly made all those who dreaded dealing with his predecessor thankful for the big …big change they encountered from the get-go… Acting Finance Director Doug Haag  came to town much the same way…enlisted ASAP by Ms. Hoffmann to comply with the direction given by the new Commission to get to the bottom of the payout of the former Town Manager and what was going on behind those closed doors with the finances of the town… He too proved to be such an asset …pun intended …We were most fortunate once again  when he too was able to jump right in full- time and take over as Acting Finance Director providing a transparency of the accounts that showed us the pluses…lots of money in our coffers…and the minuses…of where and how our money was being kept and used/not used … Mr. Haag’s expertise will be an important component as we address the future vision of this town as well as the present aging infrastructure… We  are told the atmosphere inside the ranks those who worked under the previous two administrations have shown they too are thankful ….in the aftermath…Hmmmm… We have seen our underutilized longtime PIO Steve D’Oliveira finally recognized by this TM … At the Roundtable last Monday night not only did the Commission set its sights on jumpstarting the downtown with the exemption process for restaurants…they also agreed #21 of the the top priorities should jump to #1…Government efficiency…which means Ms. Hoffmann can continue with her smart choices of what she and we need to provide just that!… That is indeed something this writer is thankful for… Commission Ethics are in place as well as a personal code of conduct…signed in good faith by all 5 Commissioners …A new way of doing the Town’s business …one Commission meeting /one Roundtable meeting per month has been enacted and seems to be conducive to our town ….. Annual permits are back…to ensure those weekly events we all enjoy so much do not fall way to politics as usual…Public Comments at the monthly Commission meetings have dwindled down and those who step up come with something to add …rather than to something to detract…albeit one lonely soul who heads up a dried-up old PAC who despite a continued “call to arms”…found no takers to comply…That too is something to be thankful for!…A change in special events taking place after the March Election showed all those with any trepidation …no one is irreplaceable and change can and did prove to be a good thing!… Changes in Town Hall led to changes in other services to our town as well…A big shakeup in the VFD leadership…We are watching closely in the hopes that it will mirror in its success that of the Commission and Administration….The BSO has proven once again something special and unique to our town…As the new TM stated early on in her stint as Interim TM…The LBTS-BSO is more like a Town Police Department…Chief Llerena and Lt. Cedeno are hands on in our town…They are in every neighborhood and on the beach…They have been on top of a clean -up in this town that we all should count our blessings for …especially when you read what goes on on either side of us in our neighboring communities… AMR is also now well established as an integral part of our public service providers ….People who sat on the sidelines are slowly coming back as they are witnessing that with the change has come a need and a desire for their knowledge and their input …We have one local in-town newspaper ByTheSeaFuture that gets out the coverage of all the news and events monthly due to the dedication of the publishers and editors knowing its importance to continue on…The Chamber of Commerce is now a partner once more with the Town…and with perhaps new members to come on their board as well as three Chamber members put their hat into the ring….. ….New members joined a few making a return to the Town’s advisory committees and boards …and while this writer may disagree from time to time…what we all agree on is they too want what is best for the town …. The Senior Center is now the Community Center and thankfully Armilio Bien-Aime can look ahead at continuing on with what he started without looking over his shoulder and his ardent and loyal attendees and volunteer teachers can do the same…Those who were thrown under the bus when changes came for garbage service under the former administration…now will for the most part see some relief…… The Pier Alleyway should be open soon… Valet Parking was done as a trial…and will continue we are told…adding to the growing options offered to those who will be coming to town…The west warehouse long ignored by the past administration and not brought to the prior Commission for direction is to be partially leased out and used as an asset …Business uses have been expanded …and signs are going in to direct parkers to the Bougainvilla-A1A parking lot…after being told it could not be done…Drainage problems are now being addressed …after being budgeted and put in order of importance …Town Topics is being delivered at home and is on shiny paper with no political leanings as well as being more timely and informative…with great photos to boot!…We now contract out with our recreation instructors and offer those who reside here as well as visit here to participate …More extensive changes may come with the January workshop on beachfront usage for recreation as well as commercial use offering concessions at the beach …and condos/hotels/Kite- surfers will be given advance notice on that meeting as well as a promise for a decision to come this time around.from the present Comm…..The Comm. kept the millage rate the same without reducing any services to Town…The VFD agreed to forgo annual increase as well as negotiate a better contract with the Town…We reduced the TAtty. budget as well as having the firm reduce its scheduled hourly rate increases FY 2011/12…something most of us taxpayer as well as Comms. did not know was put into the contract by the former TM…The TM and TAtty. will also work to control the costs and agreed to alert this Comm. in the event we are accelerating our usage or nearing the budgeted amount…The firm has also done away with some other costs that were passed on as well…The issue of a retainer/RFP will come back before the next budget…We now enjoy an Audit firm at a huge decrease in the annual cost…thanks to an audit committee appointed by the Comm….A look into expenditures made without Comm. approval in the prior year as well as any red flags that came from going over the previous books are also being addressed concerning the previous longtime hand-picked firm pushed for and unilaterally re-hired by former TM Colon… Employee Insurance and other insurances have started to be addressed and streamlined both in coverage and provider…The public safety swimming pool long a joke in its perceived community pool designation will be filled in…The Coral Reef Project is still a work in progress contractually…but at least the contract is known and this Comm. /Admin. know who is actually behind the “pet” project… Signs are back as well with the carved LBTS logo at the Comm.Blvd. entry in the median and on Town Hall…Add to that the MIA fish bike rack relegated to the west warehouse…being spruced up and brought back to enjoy…LETF funds are back where they belong…not all…but a good portion after a faulty use of them…in this writer’s opinion…As stated above banking service will undergo more changes than just getting interest on multiple accounts as this administration go out for RFP and healthy competition to provide that service to our town…Recycling is being “accelerated”…and the refuse contract with the county we were told we had no choice but to participate in…is not so…and alternatives to produce the best deal for us in the long run are being investigated…The “ruse” of the sewer rates dealt with for years by a chosen few …is now being progressing to make it fair and equitable to all…and to ensure no such act will happen again to impact us in the manner this one will…in the pocketbook!….The Town Manager not only left the annual TM Performance Review in her very amicable and fair contract…but was proactive in providing the goals to assess her on at a special meeting and monthly Rtable this month…She has also moved forward personally to get the year overdue revisions of the Town’s Master Plan on a path to accomplish what is required including an upcoming “series” of speakers and community meetings open to all…The performing arts came back and the first play went off without a hitch…and enjoyed a positive response from all those who attended and made it happen…Parking issues were addressed and streamlined as well with combining residential/beach parking as well as changing special spaces that will benefit all instead of a few political cronies…The issue of parking is a work in progress and being addressed by the P &Z  Board/Commission and Administration….as well as the business community and Chamber of Commerce ….It too will be something to thanks for when we can enjoy the “fruits” of an expanding downtown hospitality district… sure to come with all the changes…

Yep…much has been accomplished over the last year……So there is much to be grateful for and give thanks for as a Town this Thanksgiving…and it’s a given in this writer’s opinion…with the “thinking outside the box” creativity that aided in the accomplishments thus far……. continuing on at a record pace ….as we face even larger tasks ……. that next year we will be able to give many thanks once more…

Happy Thanksgiving from this writer happily residing in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea…

more to come…

Tags: Boards, Civic Organizations, Day 2 Thanksgiving In Lauderdale By The Sea, LBTS Agendas/Meetings, local government, Local News, Local Politics, Public Safety, Scoops, VFD
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Dear Readers …Day 1 in LBTS for this writer was really a hoot… Waking to old familiar surroundings…but having plenty of “senior” moments over where things were after being absent so long … …Hmmm…Where did I leave this and that?…… What drawer holds the silverware…That kind of stuff …sad to say…

Made a few phone calls…and that too was a learning curve …especially to get it straight I did not need to add the 1 to the 954…as I have become so accustomed to in the last 8 months… I actually drove a car once again…first time since I left last March…In Chicago it’s cabs everywhere…

Once out  and about I drove up A1A to Washingtonia to drive by my house and check it out as well…Still standing..none the worse for wear…Did notice rocks were put around the utility Comcast box.. which was a big improvement over the climbing weeds that were regularly growing up and onto the sidewalk…Heading south on Seagrape Drive I saw Regis Brady getting his holiday lights up and pulled over to say hello… We chatted a couple of minutes and then I was lucky enough to catch up with Alana as well and tell her that I now get what she was talking to me about last year about granddaughters and that bond that comes!…She told me she can see the difference in the town since March …all calm and really pleasant once more…

I needed to stop at Dr. G’s Pharmacy and took the back way around …only to see coming my way in her convertible was Penny Dodd…I cranked down the window and said hello and told her she had no idea how great it was to actually see people I know as I traveled around!… Once inside Dr. G’s I caught up with Jenene not only about her own daughter who is now 18 months old but that baby # 2 …a boy is due to arrive in January …Another new arrival for Dr. G’s..They have redone the inside and will soon be opening a coffee/espresso/ cappuccino bar …The neon sign is already up in the front window above the door and they are just awaiting the final permits…So look for it next month …I told her about the exemptions coming for restaurants in town and she was happy to hear it…hoping it would help in her neck of the woods …We are sure the ByTheSeaFuture will cover this Grand Opening…

I made my way over the bridge…well almost…I got bridged!… Welcome back to living on a barrier island…

With my errands done I headed back home and missed the green arrow after being unable to get in the very long…long line of cars that was already waiting to make the  left turn at 2:30 in the afternoon!…I went forward…and around the decorated tree in Pelican Square taking El Mar Drive back north…..I saw the Ocean Reverie was fully decked out with their lights and a “no vacancy” sign…That could not be said for other hotels on either side of the median…I saw there’s a new sign up at the Blueseas…Hmmm…. a pole sign…replaced…was a permit involved?…Is a new pole sign allowed…under the current code?.

Packages dropped off ..I headed back out in 10 minutes flat and caught up with a good friend over the best meatball sandwich around…Yep, the best meatball sandwich is at..

Mugs Bar & Grill
2671 East Oakland Park Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306
(954) 566-7782
Open Mon-Thu,Sun 11am-2am; Fri-Sat 11am-3am

Of Note: …. to those who have asked this writer…Mugs is not coming to LBTS…as they seem to be thriving quite nicely at their year old location in Fort Lauderdale….. Sounds like some grumbling is going on ……but why?…Innovative …outside the box ideas are required …in this writer’s opinion…

After that I made my way to see the newest member of the Brandt family…Ethan… who at 4 months old is the same size 7 month old Lilly… He has gorgeous blue eyes and the cutest baby smile that popped up a couple times along with some decisive baby sounds that definitely call for a “play date” on Skype in the very near future between him and his gal-pal in Chicago … That will be something!…

Once outside saying goodbye…ready to head back home..I caught a glimpse of Ben Freeny driving one very cool looking new Porsche as he headed toward Commercial Blvd…

Walking up the street heading east I saw a familiar face from afar ….the BCbythesea younger daughter out in front of the house …After a brief back and forth..I caught up on a few calls as I headed back to Sea Ranch Club…and saw that a few homes are now on the market…as well as a few properties that look like improvements took place while I was away…and others that are well underway …

Once inside the building it was like old home week with those in the building and catching up on each others news…

The BCbythesea hubby and I made our way tonight to the Galleria and dinner at Il Mulino …We compared notes throughout the evening of just what brought us here to South Florida 16 years ago…We also talked about when we made the initial move to LBTS in 1999 when we bought our condo and full- time in 2002 when we sold our house in Pompano Beach and bought the house on Washingtonia…..We thought we were on the cusp when we bought there……..and that it would be just a few years at the most for all the properties around our house to be developed into an urban style… We saw that begin…and we saw that stall….big time….We talked about Mack’s Groves..Yes again… and what a loss it was when they pulled up stakes and were not replaced with something that offered a similar “feel”…. We spoke of what might have been if a restaurant had been there instead of a t-shirt store……In fact it was the same conversation I had earlier about the change that might have happened if no parking restrictions were in place and two restaurants (not Hooters) were allowed to be built where Wings is…offering a reason to cross the street once more!…

Now with the exemption we are assuming will be enacted sooner rather than later for restaurants and perhaps then hotels…….maybe things will get back on track.. We are hearing most “get it”…and understand the need…There is a big difference between stopping the restrictions long imposed on the restaurants and the revenue that will come from those who come to town to park and eat..as well as shop and buy….Success for the new restaurants and the stores that follow will come from having the plans in place that ensure this Town is here to assist those entrepreneurs from step one  and throughout the process……Add to that a welcoming business district … along with an innovative marketing campaign which is definitely required to get the word out about what separates us from other municipalities and assures those considering setting up shop here that they will find out firsthand we are a unique community that fully understands that tourism and hospitality are an integral part of what makes Lauderdale-By-The-Sea so special….and that’s why we set up “shop” here as well!…

More to come…

Tags: Day 2 In Lauderdale By The Sea, Scoops
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LILLY AT 7 MONTHS ….

Dear Readers …as promised…Lilly at 7 months…She donned her mommy’s  sunglasses to let Nana know she knows it’s always sunny in LBTS… Nana is already having pangs of missing Miss Lilly and knowing it will be a full week apart…The first such separation since she arrived in this world last April!…

This writer’s first quick impression driving home from the airport after 8 months away… No replacement for Topanga  still on the corner of Federal Hwy + Commercial…The wooden Town logo MIA in the center median after coming over the bridge is back in place…The empty storefronts Vice Mayor Dodd spoke about last night… A new sub shop where Dairy Queen was …. Marjorie Ott is gone but the door was open…something going in?…A new sign for the cigar shop…different owners?.. A Taco shop across the street where Marjorie Ott was prior to their last location according to 3 signs in the windows… Construction for the building on the corner of A1A and Commercial across from Athena By The Sea…Athena has their Christmas decorations up… Minto lot is still empty.but no fencing ….Town Hall/Jarvis Hall have new wood signs up with logo as well …The trailer used for Development is still in place!…What happened to the Coast Guard deal?.. The truck saying Carina’s Grand Opening …long after it has been open …is parked in SRCenter … Holiday lights are going up … and I forgot how much I loved seeing the ocean!…

More to come…

Tags: After 8 Months In Chicago I'm Back In Lauderdale By The Sea, Lilly at 7 monthe, Scoops
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A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS …

Dear Readers .. an overview of last evening’s Commission Roundtable which took less than 2 hours as this writer prepares to return home for the Thanksgiving Holiday…Lilly is going to visit her other grandparents …

Before they began the eight items on the agenda Vice Mayor Dodd asked to include a ninth …item I. to address the parking restrictions discussed at the P & Z Workshop on Wed. night …(prev. post)… First up was discussion on Ord.2010-18 before 2nd Reading next month on Accessory Buildings & Structures…As previously posted in the agenda post for this meeting as well as the 1st Reading Comm. Mtg…Mayor Minnet was not happy about the allowance of sheds and VM Dodd put his on the roundtable for that reason…He reiterated that tonight and threw it back to her..Mayor Minnet repeated her personal choice of not allowing for sheds and stated other municipalities do not allow them…She said they were not allowed in the south end of town and came back under land-use in 2007..She spoke of Comm. Clottey’s past incident when her property was impacted by a flying shed in a storm and she had no recourse..Comm. Clottey said she did have that happen but made an inquiry to the TAtty. about an ordinance putting a legal obligation on the owner of that shed if enacted…TAtty. Trevarthen stated the Town did not want to be in the business of private legal rights between two parties…They went back and forth with the TAtty. stating it would still be between the parties unless the Town banned them as the Mayor wanted…The Mayor in the first such action of the evening cut off the discussion by stating it was a4-1 vote on 1st Reading ..She dissented and she wanted to again state the reason why…thanking VM Dodd for putting this on…

Next up was Comm. Clottey’s desire to have the Pelican Hopper in use for New Year’s Eve…She added the time put forth needed to be extended …She said it served a dual purpose to aid those in condos who cannot drive at night allowing them to partake in the Town festivities as well as easing the congestion of cars and the “party hardy” group…She said it wouldn’t cost that much…Comm. Vincent said the idea had merit but at 12:30 our businesses would not want people running off to catch a bus..He felt the cabs were sufficient…Comm. Clottey said the time should extend to 2am…Asst. TM Bentley who has been officially designated as acting TM in an e-mail sent to the Comm. last Sat…until TM Hoffmann returns after the holiday…said the cost of the using the Hopper for July 4th was $24 per hr. with a req. # of hrs…He did not know what the rate would be this time ..if it would be overtime…premium pay..He suggested talking to the event operators to see if they wanted to cover the costs stating we don’t ask them for much…VM Dodd said this was a laudable idea but he was not for it…due to the logistics and putting the onus of drunk riders on a single driver being too much for him to handle..He said the cabs know how to deal with it…as well as other transport…He said it was not a very clever idea… Comm. Sasser said he had a question of the cost …stating it was not totally out as far as he was concerned …He wanted the staff to talk to the businesses …agreed it was laudable..but wanted to know the routes…and that it was not just A1A..Mayor Minnet asked about including Benihana and Blue Moon due to their NYEve events as well… as well as the extra cost of adding another person on the bus to help the driver…Comm. Vincent spoke of not letting people off at Terra Mar to go over the bridge unassisted in they are impaired…The Mayor cut to the chaser and said Bud was given direction to find out the liability and perhaps enlist the C.O.P. volunteers to help out…She felt the hours should be 6pm to 2 am and staff should get back to the Comm. by the Dec. 7th Comm. Mtg…Comm. Sasser said there is also a free taxi service offered on that night from the County to check into…

Next item was Comm. Clottey’s item on expenditures exceeding 10% of the Town’s budget going to referendum vote…Comm. Clottey asked for the Comm.s indulgence ..saying she was not saying 10%…that could be 15% and the same for her $400,000 figure used…it too could be adjusted…She said they sit on the dais and they decide how to spend the taxpayer’s money..not our own money …BC- Hmmm are they not taxpayers as well?… She reiterated what was in her backup of large non-emergency/planned expenses going to the taxpayers to decide whether they pay for it or not…She spoke of the mail-in election option and spoke of the Comm. Beach pavilion as an example for this to be enacted…She stated after years of bickering and changes in the Comm. they had to get 3 extensions from the County…She said the 2nd part was a lot of concern over the increases …She said it was not one particular vendor (BSO) and used the VFD as an example if they came and asked for a $500,000 increase…do we just give it to them?.. She then spoke of one vendor (BSO) coming with an increase..She said she personally would pay ..but many don’t want to ..and they represent them …She said these are  hard decisions that they shouldn’t make on their own..and wanted to start that discussion tonight…That discussion was met with a rather loud response of silence from her fellow Commissioners…Finally Comm. Sasser said “I’m not in favor of it.” VM Dodd said ” 2nd “….

Up next was the Interlocal Agreement on the County/Districts/Towns and the future garbage use…This came up in 2009 when the former Broward County Mayor came to sell it to us …(prev. post)… Asst. TM Bentley spoke about the complexity found in reading 10% of this 130+ page backup and did a brief overview of the choices we have to go with the agreement or venture off to an alternative as other municipalities are doing…(see prev. agenda post/Town backup…link below)… While we thought the prev. Comm. approved this in Nov. 2009 after the TM answered they had no choice (they did)…They only approved the MOU..and we really have until 2013 with our current agreement…He wanted to start the discussion tonight on where to go…He stated the staff was recommending more research and reporting back to the Comm….Comm. Clottey said he should do that before they make any decisions…VM Dodd asked about the other options and if we have spoken to Choice …Bud answered we have …He added they will be used by Hallandale who had 5 bidders in their process for looking for an alternative disposal while Miramar had 5-6 bidders as well including Waste Management…Comm. Sasser who spoke on this as a candidate and was shot down by the prev. TM/Comm. about his warnings…reminded all of that exchange and his very real concerns…He stated he was for an alternative and went on to ask about the effect/penalty if  we leave the ILA ..The TAtty. did not know and will look into it…Bud said he did not know if such a termination clause existed…Comm. Sasser reminded all of the decrease in savings from the increase in recycling as stated in the backup as well…He was concerned about the Dec. 31st deadline in the backup..Bud that was for the signing bonus and reminded him we still have 2 years on our agreement… Bud also said Connie and he do not think the Comm. should be influenced by the $72,000 bonus offered for signing…They could always choose to join the district at a later time as well…Mayor Minnet repeated what VM Dodd had acknowledged as well as Comm. Sasser that they were told they had no options and she was glad they did…She asked Comm. Sasser if he would consider being the liaison “the Garbage Guy” …Scot replied as long as it ewas not a conflict due to the VM’s recycling liaison role and how that fit in this issue…The Mayor said she was initially the recycling proponent and was glad VM Dodd had taken this on…She saw no conflict…neither did staff…

The sewer rates were next…Bud showed a power point…(see agenda post/Town website backup..link below) of the backup to show the differences between north and south and the old calculations vs. the new…He talked about the impact to the larger condos as well as the the increase of 7000 gallons from 2000 gals per Ft. Lauderdale’s input …He also addressed it not applying for 12 months…and the balance increasing over 8 months… VM Dodd spoke up first… ” I personally stated at the last meeting that however unpalatable the pill is we should get our rates in line as quickly as possible. Who knows if Pompano will increase their rate next year and we are playing catch-up all over again. Budgeting for a loss as the best solution would not be my first choice. I am in favor of setting the rate to give us a zero deficit at the end of this year rather than an operating loss. Aren’t we supposed to balance the books? If there hasn’t been a rate increase since 2002 then its time to get it right. We may be able to drop the rate slightly next year when the collection period is spread over 12 months. Hopefully this will allow staff to provide a budget to cover infrastructure repairs or postpone further rate increases. In my opinion we are required to be fiscally responsible and pass on the true cost rather than fund the proposed loss from the general fund” He said he didn’t want to budget for a loss…Comm. Clottey said people need to pay the tru amount billed…The Town should not act as the “go-between” and move on..We should not be using reserves for funding waste water…The VM said we need to make up for the loss we have this year ..Comm. Clottey said she could go either way..Comm. Vincent asked Bud for the benefit of the viewers to address the loss of the 2000 gal. base before being charged in the south under the new calculations…He wanted to talk about the increases over the last 8 years from Pompano and what they might be over the next 5 years…BC- already brought forward in the prev. meetings and the backup…Comm. Sasser said he likes to keep things simple…”come in from the ether” …He spoke of the north end and what they pay including surcharge /maintnenace…He spoke of the south end and what they pay under the Master Sewer Agreement without that maint. fee for infrastructure and wanted to know why the Town does not charge the same amount …take the overage not needed to pay Pompano Beach from the south and put it in the coffers to apply to the infrastructure?…He also wanted further details on the no mans land between the 2..the SRClub buildings and SRLakes north…infrastructure/agreement with?… The Mayor said we need to be equitable and spoke of the “two water czars” and that neither want to give up their piece of the pie..Fort Lauderdale supplies the water…There was further discussion on who owns what …who services what in each portion of town and that Ft. Laud. does our  billing in the south…The Mayor said we could take back the billing…Bud was against that for the ability to cut off water comes from Ft. Laud. and we could not do it…BC- we used to, I believe.. Bud was also differing in some statement from what this writer was informed …He stated the north Pompano sewers began at SRCenter…Does he mean out in front from Pine Ave. or Gatehouse Rd?..I was told it was Pine Ave…He also responded that the cost was being passed on as charged to SRC/SRLN til 2002…Not according to those around back then..They insist SRC began paying LBTS in 1998..until being told to pay Ft. Laud…. Comm. Clottey felt that the north should pay for the infrastructure in the south due to the south paying for the septic to new sewer in the north… She said we were double taxing people in the south…She blamed that on two different commissions long ago who made the deal to pay for the sewers and give them away to Pompano plus the costly hookup fees that went into that repair fund for futures use…Comm. Sasser reiterated his plan of all paying the same…Comm. Clottey spoke of not having enough time to get the money and the need for a bond in the years to come…She also did not want people to get hit with any increase around Christmas…. The mayor said they all kept the millage down knowing sewer  was going up ..and it would not happen before Xmas..Comm. Sasser asked to summarize what they wanted from staff…and they did 3 different options…The SRC/SRLN particulars will happen at the next roundtable due to the time it will take per VM Dodd…

Next was the TM Performance Goals/Review…They joked TM Hoffmann was not at the table…Bud said she was most likely watching…VM Dodd stated  “It never ceases to amaze me. It is a pleasure working with a true professional. Even in her own review she has provided very professional guidelines on how she should be evaluated. Seems a bit of a change from the last manager’s review where the commission were hunting for another municipality’s evaluation process and one commissioner flatly refused to give the manager anything less than a 5.” He was mistaken by saying the review was in the code…It is in her contract…He also did not think it was needed at the top of the list…This writer respectfully disagrees..It does not matter who the TM is…rules apply the same… Comm. Sasser again stated #21 Government Efficiency was the most important..speaking of performance..He added finances in general need to be within the budget…Comm. Vincent had no comment…Comm. Clottey concurred with Comm. Sasser on the budget and efficiency…The Mayor said they all agree and #21 should be item #1…BC- YEP!…

Next was the Parking Sponsorship…Bud filled them in on BankUnited and the trial of allowing them to buy the metered time for their customers..It is an easy trial …The TM makes the decision for limits and fees and they will return with the specifics most likely in Jan. with other Parking Code items… VM Dodd said it  was a win-win..Comm. Clottey wanted to know if there would be a need for additional parking enforcement …Bud said communication would be with the bank and they would not ticket if it ran over 3-5 minutes of the 30 minute limit proposed…Mayor Minnet said there was consensus on it …

The Community Development Block Grant was brought to the Comm. for 2011/12…It entailed some questions from VM Dodd on the amount…Acting Finance Dir. Doug Haag said it was based on a formula of population..Comm. Clottey needed to try one more time to get herself off the hook for her past misdeed concerning the contract with the County and the Senior Center after Comm. Sasser w anted to make sure the agreement was in place to avoid any of those perceived problems…Again,, she failed miserably in her version (the latest) to give herself cover for her and former TM Colon’s actions…

Next up and the last item of the night was the Parking Restrictions put on by VM Dodd…He stated… He was personally going out on a limb …”I attended the P & Z meeting where the board looked at the some of the parking issues and I felt before staff and the board spend more time on this I feel the commission should provide some guidance. On what I heard at that meeting I would want to over-rule the majority and go with the minority. I rode my bike along Commercial and excluding the church I counted 13 storefronts vacant and available for rent. I heard Jeff Bowman state he has been turning away one to three businesses a month that wanted to open a new business in our town for as little as one parking space. I have been campaigning this issue for a long time and finally the message is getting across – we don’t have a parking problem in this town. In many ways I wish we did because we would be a thriving destination if all our 520 spaces were full. The present regulations for a restaurant call for 20 spaces for every 1000 square feet. Delray set their rate at 12 spaces for 1000 sq feet. Who can say whether Delray’s will work in our town or whether 6 would be more realistic. What I do know is that we have to try something to help fill the 13 empty spaces. Retail just about gets a free pass – as I understand it since they receive 4 spaces grandfathered and may have a couple of spaces in front of the business anyway. Unless we change the rules for restaurants there won’t be any opening any time soon in LBTS. When well respected and successful business owners stand up and say that full relaxation of the parking regulations is long overdue I’m with them on this one. I am going on record as saying I favor full relaxation or the parking space requirements for restaurants, coffee shops, café, delicatessens with in house tables, subs shops until such time as staff bring it back to the commission that this may be creating a problem and our car parks are overflowing. We need to fill those 13 empty storefronts rather than drive businesses elsewhere because they can’t afford to buy enough off-site parking to meet our out of date codes.”…He added sidewalk cafes as well…as he spoke of those running on having more..Comm. Sasser stated both sides ran on having them…Comm. Clottey asked for relaxing the codes for hotels as well who have requirements for parking that don’t pan out for some of their usage… looking for a broader view…Comm. Vincent thanked the VM and said he agreed after attending the P & Z meeting and thinking about it…as well as observing the weekend before that a full turnout of approx. 300 people on Sat. night left the Bougainvilla still with 50 open spaces…He too said we do not have a parking problem and after doing the math…he is for full relaxation…exemption for restaurants.. Comm. Sasser said he was the one who discussed this with Yann…They were on the same page (Comm. Sasser appointed Yann to P & Z)… and agreed also going out on a limb by stating this needed to be put on the next Comm. Mtg. …Mayor Minnet seemed to take the Admin. side of concern for full relaxation …”warning be careful what you wish for”…and stating full exemptions could bring problems..full rein brings those taking advantage..She did state she knows we need to help business and has stated that since 2008…but not a “fee-for-all”…Bud said the Comm. was saying relaxation…The Mayor said full exemption…Bud had said for “restaurant types”…VM Dodd added sidewalk cafe’s as well…Comm. Vincent asked if sidewalk cafe’s being on public property would come to them on a case-by-case basis…Bud said there is no parking req. for sidewalk cafe’s and they are in the public Right of Way…rented from the Town… Bud wanted to know about future requirements for outdoor seating…VM Dodd said when we have a parking issue ..but not now and the exemption extends to the sidewalk cafe’s…Why put a requirement in for them?.. Comm. Clottey asked about the decrease in revenue as a result.. Comm. Vincent said this was a long range visionary goal and we need to start somewhere…Comm. Clottey said she had no problem with that but deserved an answer..mentioning 101 Ocean… Bud said Aruba had previously had to pay the Town but that was terminated…101 pays permits at approx. $10,000 annually to the Town for space to meet requirement…Benihana pays not to park with the ROW and that does not enter into this equation… Bus was suddenly concerned the Comm. wanted this retroactively..He said that never bodes well when enacted…Mayor Minnet wanted to set a time and move forward on the exemption being enacted..BC- I agree with Comm. Clottey it’s unfair to continue requirements for 101…and with  the Mayor to start the exemption on a date certain going forward…Dir. Jeff Bowman stated the evening before there were no private parking agreements in place currently….and savvy restaurant owners will still look for ways to make parking close by or valet available to their customers if they feel that gives them the “home court advantage” of loyal and repeat patrons… …Comm. Clottey felt it was unfair to require 101 to continue to pay… Mayor Minnet said they needed to think about that …Bud spoke of using a moratorium or a code change which would require a Notice of Intent  …Comm. Clottey spoke of a 1 or 2 yr moratorium .. VM Dodd  again made it clear he wants this to vote on at the next Comm. Mtg. (Dec. 7th) …Mayor Minnet said she was sorry to hear businesses were turned down regularly and the Comm. was not informed to remedy the situation… Bud appearing to still be trying to stop the exemption asked about restaurants allowed in only certain districts…for avoiding undue explosions of them coming in…The Mayor said there are 3 sides to every story and these questions needed to be given to staff .. Com. Sasser said he wanted it at the next Comm. Mtg. and wanted to act on it…Staff could take the Clottey recommendation on the hotels back to the P & Z to address… The Mayor asked about two different areas or full exemption… Scot said he wanted to install a moratorium immediately…The TAtty. said a moratorium is by ordinance and takes months… BC- how was the building moratorium done in 2004/2005 while heights etc…were addressed?… Comm. Sasser said whatever is quickest… Mayor Minnet said there was consensus..and they adjourned wishing all a Happy Thanksgiving…

BC- The Commission took the lead on sewers…county refuse..and exempting the parking requirements for restaurants  …All a recipe for success in LBTS…Also a special thanks must go to Vice Chair of the P & Z Yann Brandt for bringing this exemption idea to his board to jumpstart business coming and opening up in our downtown! ….

Happy Thanksgiving… And Thanks for thinking outside the box!… See you all around town …

Link to Town website…archived backup…video of meeting… http://www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov/

more to come…

Tags: Lauderdale By The Sea November 22 2010 Commission Roundtable, LBTS Agendas/Meetings, local government, Local Politics, Scoops
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