west park news september 2013

Well, here we are.Children are back inschool, vacations areover, and we aresettling in to reality.During the summermonths we had anothersuccessful year with

our park programs, we gave outscholarships, helped many children withour back to school give-away, theinstallation of bus benches, theupgrading of McTyre Park’s parking lot,the preparation of 56th Avenue for con-struction, and other projects are on thetable for future implementation. Muchthanks to our City Administrator and hisstaff, who successfully applied for andreceived grants that will aid us inmaking our city a more appealing placeto live. As elected officials we want toearn constantly your confidence andsupport. I read a story about how U.S.Marines, trained for duty in Iraq weregetting drilled in people skills as well asheavy weaponry. They were receivinginstruction about staying respectful aswell as staying alive. Marines are stilltaught to fight. They are gifted in heavyweaponry and with the tools to use themeffectively; but in order to diffusehostility borne of suspicion they aretaught to ask questions first and shootlater. Yes, there is great risk to such astrategy. An enemy certainly can exploitit for his purposes, and Marines still willhave to be alert to defend themselves,but they are being asked to believe thatpeople in Iraq "can still be won over ifAmerican troops treat them with moredignity, patience and understanding." Sothey are being asked to use their fightingskills wisely, to employ them withdiscretion, remembering the greatermission of working with the people of

Iraq to promote peace. This means theywill sometimes pull back instead offighting. Some of their intimidating

www.communitynewspapers.com 305-669-7355SEPTEMBER 2013

ALL FOR THE GREATER GOOD

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WHO’S WHOIn City Government

MayorEric H. Jones, Jr.

Vice MayorFelicia M.Brunson

CommissionerThomas Dorsett

CommissionerSharon Fyffe

CommissionerRita “Peaches”

Mack

City ManagerW. AjibolaBalogun

––––––––––See GREATER, page 5

By Mayor Eric H. Jones Jr.

Groundbreaking Ceremony for SW 56th Avenue (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.) Improvement.Pictured from Left to Right: Ajibola Balogun, City Manager; Commissioner Rita Mack;Commissioner Thomas Dorsett; Commissioner Sharon Fyffe; Mayor Eric H. Jones Jr.; Vice MayorFelicia M. Brunson; State Representative (District 101) Shevrin Jones; Greg Perry, P.E., PalmEngineering; Persaud Khamedat, Broward County Community Development; Claudio Martinez,Florida Engineering Superintendent; Fedrick Shepard Broward County Community Development;and Walta M. Tolbert, U.S. Representative Frederica S. Wilson Congressional Aide.

Groundbreaking Ceremony for McTyre Park Parking Lot Improvement. Pictured from Left to Right:Ajibola Balogun, City Manager; Commissioner Rita Mack, Commissioner Sharon Fyffe;Commissioner Thomas Dorsett; Vice Mayor Felicia M. Brunson; Mayor Eric H. Jones Jr.; StateRepresentative (District 101) Shevrin Jones; Bill Lynch, P.E. , The Corradino Group; NaomiHarrison, of Mc Harry & Associates; Walta M. Tolbert, U.S. Representative Frederica S. WilsonCongressional Aide; Fedrick Shepard, Broward County Community Development; and PersaudKhamedat, Broward County Community Development.

COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM September 2013

Groundbreaking Ceremonies for SW 56th Avenue (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Boulevard) Improvementand McTyre Park Parking Lot Improvement

The City Commission, staff, consultants, contractors, residents, StateRepresentative, and Congresswoman Federica Wilson’s staff participated inthese groundbreaking ceremonies on Friday, August 23, 2013. The first cer-emony was held at the intersection of SW 56th Avenue and SW 22nd Streetfor the proposed improvements to SW 56th Avenue. The improvements willinclude, the resurfacing of the roadway; construction of bike lanes; brick

paved intersections; new sidewalk, landscaped median; and the installation ofornamental streetlight, while providing much needed traffic calming alongone of the most traveled roadways in the City. The second groundbreakingceremony was held on the McTyre Park parking lot to formally commencethe much needed drainage improvement and the realignment of the parkinglot to meet City Code.

September 2013 COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM

By Vice Mayor Felicia M. Brunson

Did you know……

7 millionThe number of

grandparents whosegrandchildren underage 18 were livingwith them in 2011.

2.7 millionThe number of grandparents responsi-

ble for the basic needs of one or moregrandchildren under age 18 living withthem in 2011. Of these caregivers, 1.7million were grandmothers and 1.0 mil-lion were grandfathers.

594,000The number of grandparents responsi-

ble for grandchildren under age 18 andwhose income was below the povertylevel in the past 12 months comparedwith the 2.1 million grandparent care-givers whose income was at or abovethe poverty level.

5.5 millionThe number of children under 18 liv-

ing with a grandparent householder in2011. Nearly half, 48 percent or 2.6million, were under age 6.

10%Percentage of children in the U.S. liv-

ing with a grandparent in 2012, totaling7.1 million.

Many families in the United Statesobserve National Grandparents Day on thefirst Sunday of September after LaborDay. This day honors grandparents. Wetoo in West Park join in this celebration!Grandparents are special in so many dif-ferent ways. Their hearts are filled withlove and they brighten up our days.Grandparents are great listeners when weneed them to advise, because they’realways understanding and are truly verywise.Grandparents have great smiles becausethey’ve been smiling for so long, and theyeven make us smile when everything isgoing wrong.Few can bring the warmth that can befound in their embrace, and little more isneeded to feel loved than the smile on theirface.They’re a supply of precious stories yetthey’ve time to wipe a tear, and give usreasons to laugh as they grow more pre-cious through the years.Nobody can do for grandchildren whatgrandparents are willing to do, becausegrandparents sprinkle stardust over ourlives in all that we do.Grandparents are so generous and theymake sure we have the best, so I’m thank-ful for my grandparents and I know I’mtruly blessed.May the land yield unto them a perfumedgarden always growing, with a warmbreeze and a quiet sea that’s filled withlove overflowing.

Grandparents Are Special!HAPPY GRANDPARENTSDAY WEST PARK!

Remember to contact me at City Hallwith your ideas, suggestions or con-cerns. I represent you and appreciateyour input into the continued success ofour beloved city. I can be reached at(954) 889-4164 or [email protected]

www.communitynewspapers.com


The Twin Lakes Water Control DistrictAdvisory Board shall have all the pow-ers and duties granted to it under this

Ordinance and may undertake such activitiesas are consistent with the comprehensivewater management plan adopted by the coun-ty. The powers and duties of the district advi-sory board are to:

(1) Review and propose contracts; reviewand make recommendations concerning pro-posals for buying, acquiring, selling, owning,using, controlling, operating, improving andleasing all land and personal property as thegoverning board may deem necessary or prop-er in carrying out the provisions of thisOrdinance; do any and all other acts andthings authorized or required to be done as anadvisory board of the water control district;and do any and all things necessary to accom-plish the purposes for which it is created.

(2) Prepare a proposed budget to be submit-ted to the board for its approval prior toAugust fifteenth of each year. The proposedbudget shall include an estimate of all neces-sary expenditures of the District for the nextensuing fiscal year and an estimate of incometo the District from the taxes and assessmentsprovided for pursuant to this article. The advi-sory board shall hold a public hearing on suchproposed budget. Notice of the hearing of thebudget shall be published in a newspaper ofgeneral circulation within the District inBroward County, Florida, once a week for two(2) consecutive weeks; providing that the firstpublication shall be not less than fifteen (15)days prior to the date of the hearing. Thenotice shall further contain a designation ofthe date, time and place of the public hearing.The procedures and requirements for adoptionof the budget by the governing board shall bein accordance with the procedures andrequirements of law for the adoption of theCity’s budget and as established by BrowardCounty for municipal service taxing units.

(3) Act for the governing board in suchmatters regarding the District as the governingboard may authorize.

Twin Lakes Water Control Advisory Board


By Vice Mayor Felicia M. Brunson

Each year, Americans observeNational Hispanic Heritage Monthfrom September 15 to October 15,by celebrating the histories, culturesand contributions of American citi-zens whose ancestors came fromSpain, Mexico, the Caribbean andCentral and South America.The observation started in 1968 as

Hispanic Heritage Week under President LyndonJohnson and was expanded by President RonaldReagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting onSeptember 15 and ending on October 15. It was enact-ed into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval ofPublic Law 100-402.The day of September 15 was significant because it

is the anniversary of independence for LatinAmerican countries Costa Rica, El Salvador,Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition,Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence dayson September 16 and September18, respectively.Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which isOctober 12, falls within this 30 day period.The term Hispanic or Latino, as defined by the U.S.Census Bureau, refers to Puerto Rican, South orCentral American, or other Spanish culture or originregardless of race. According to the 2010 Census,

50.5 million people or 16% of the population are ofHispanic or Latino origin. This represents a signifi-cant increase from the 2000 Census, which registeredthe Hispanic population at 35.3 million or 13% of thetotal U.S. population. In the City of West Park, thereare 4091 Hispanic residents which make up 28.9% ofour city.West Park, I am happy to join in this celebration ofNational Hispanic Heritage Month to remember thevast accomplishments of the Hispanic community.We honor the dedication of Hispanics for makingimportant economic, social, and political contribu-tions. Remember to contact me at City Hall with yourideas, suggestions or concerns. I represent you andappreciate your input into the continued success ofour beloved city. I can be reached at (954) 889-4164or email [email protected].

Mes de la Herencia HispanaCelebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Serving and Leading Our Nation with Pride and Honor

apparel is removed. The course talk andthe gruff demeanor, which are so mucha part of the military’s image of power,are toned down. It is not just semper fianymore. It is semper respectful. That isthe way it has got to be when you aretrying to win the peace. Wars are foughtand won with an indiscriminate use offorce; but if you are trying to buildconsensus you need to exercise yourpower with greater precision and tact.You need to use the tools at yourdisposal with greater care so as to uniteand not divide, so as to encourage andnot dissuade, and that is true, as well,when it concerns a Nation, a state, or acity. For the sake of this article, I willfocus on our city. The city is a part ofour lives. We know what we meanwhen we make statements about “ourcity” because we have certain ideasabout what it stands for. As electedofficials we are expected to build up thecity. While doing this we are to berespectful, considerate, and concernabout the needs of those who elected usto serve and not just our own. We are towork for the greater good of all as ourultimate goal. With your input and helpwe will strive to do this. There isscarcely a direction you can look inWest Park without seeing someonehard at work making our city the great

place it is to live and raise our families.We have many excellent volunteers andare always looking for more peoplewho care about West Park and want tobe part of making it a great place to live,work, and play. At this point I want togive a shout out to our city staff, citycommission, and all the volunteers herein the city. Although we have a smallstaff, they accomplish a lot. They workvery hard and sometimes do the workthat two or three people do in othercities. I also want to say to our citycommission that I appreciate all that wedo together. We have had some harddecisions to make and been able to findcommon ground with the good adviceof our City Manager. I know that hoursare spent going through information soas to make decisions with the bestinterest of the city at heart. I cannotreiterate enough how grateful we are forour volunteers. There is no way wecould have such a lean staff without thevolunteers who work to make WestPark a great place to live. This spirit ofvolunteerism is one of the many reasonsit is great to live in West Park! Onanother note, let us remember that if weare going to have a great city there arecertain rules that must be adhered to.The city of West Park strives tomaintain a healthy community and hasadopted Ordinances to assist inmaintaining the health and safety of itsresidents. Adherence to the ordinances

is necessary to promote a safe, healthy,and neighborly community. Codeenforcement follows guidelines that thecity has set in it resolutions andordinances. They are not out to makeyour life miserable but to keep our cityclean and you, the resident safe. I hopeall will understand our efforts to main-tain a clean and safe city and not see itas intimidation. Often a timely responseto any violation can work in your favor. Planning for a better tomorrow- startswith keeping strong our commitment tothe safety and quality of life here inWest Park today. Enough said aboutthat. I want to close by leaving you witha few safety tips.

TO SAFEGUARD YOUR HOME:• Keep all windows and doors closedand locked even when you are home.• Install a deadbolt and peepholes.• Leave a front porch light on allnight; motion sensing lights add extraprotection.• Trim or eliminate shrubbery wherea criminal could hide.• Make an inventory of yourvaluables, include serial numbers, makeand model, and store them in a safeplace. Purchase an engraving tool foritems that do not have serial numbers.Use a unique number (not your socialsecurity number). This facilitates thereturn of stolen property.• Roll the windows all the way up

and always lock your car even if it isparked in the garage.• Never leave the keys in anunattended vehicle, even to let it warmup in the morning.• Remove all personal property fromyour car.• Report crimes, call 9-1-1 for situa-tions involving immediate threat to live,safety, property or any crime inprogress. Call the BSO to reportsuspicious circumstances or any othermatter you think needs the attention ofa patrol officer.

TO SAFEGUARD YOURSELF:• Stay tuned in to your surroundings.• Trust your instincts, if something orsomeone makes you feel uneasy, avoidthe person or leave the area.• Carry your purse close to yourbody, not dangling from the straps. Putwallet in an inside coat or front pantspocket, rather than the back pocket.• If you think someone is followingyou, change directions, and go to abusiness with lots of people. Do not beafraid to yell for help.

There is a lot you can do to safeguardyour home and yourself. Remember tha t an ounce o fprevention is worth a pound of cure.

God bless America and God blessthe City of West Park.

GREATER, from page 1 –––––––––


From the Desk of Commissioner MackBY COMMISSIONER RITA “PEACHES” MACK

Volunteers Needed for the Broward Sheriff's Office Citizen Observer Patrol (BSO - COP)

As a resident,t o g e t h e rwith BSO

we can be a greatteam. Our BSObelieves that with

residents helping the officers spotsuspicious activities, they can stopcrimes before they are committed. BSOis asking residents to volunteer for theCOP Program. BSO's COP Program is avolunteer group sponsored by theSheriff's Office that uses a simpleapproach to safeguarding neighbor-hoods through residents' involvement.COP volunteers are local residents whohelp BSO fight crime by patrolling theircommunity, looking out for suspiciousactivity or potential hazards andoffering assistance to local residents.

Typical assignments in addition topatrol activities include performingchecks on unoccupied residences (at theowner's request), checking on elderly orhomebound residents (as requested) andreporting potential problems andneighborhood hazards to BSO. COPvolunteers wear uniforms and drivespecially marked vehicles, adding to thecrime-fighting presence in thecommunity.

I'm asking residents of West Park tovolunteer for the COP program.Volunteers must be 18 years of age,pass a background check, possess avalid Florida driver's license, completeat least four hours of the training pro-gram and comply with all program poli-cies and procedures. To apply, you maycut-out the application provided in thisnewspaper or you may call BSO at954.321.4100. As always, if you needany assistance, please do not hesitate tocall me at 954.889.4156.


CITY DEPARTMENTS DIRECTORY

CITY COMMISSION

Mayor Eric H. Jones954.889.4153 / [email protected] Mayor Felicia M. Brunson

954.889.4164 / [email protected] Thomas Dorsett

954.889.4163 / [email protected] Sharon Fyffe

954.963.7745 / [email protected] Rita “Peaches” Mack954.889.4156 / [email protected]

ADMINISTRATION

City Manager 954.989.2688City Attorney 954.768.9770City Clerk 954.989.2688Building & Permits Dept. 954.989.2688Business Tax Licenses 954.989.2688Public Works 954.964.0284Trash/Recycling 954.964.0284McTyre Park 954.964.0284Mary Saunders Park 954.985.1990Code Enforcement 954.766.2715Planning and Zoning Dept. 954.266.6495Finance 954.903.0712

Police Dept./BSO 954.765.4321Fire Dept./BSO 954.831.8200

CONGRESSWOMAN FREDERICA WILSON 954.364.4449REPRESENTATIVE SHEVRIN D. JONES 954.893.5010

Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson’sDistrict Office in West Park, FL

Now Open Monday – Friday

Location: West Park City Hall at 1965 South State Road 7,West Park, FL 33023

Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Phone: 954-989-2688Constituent Services

Nighttime driving is statistically more riskythan daytime driving- the nighttime crashrate is about 3 times higher than the daytimecrash rate. While many factors are at playduring nighttime conditions, drivers gener-ally acknowledge that their nighttime visi-bility of the roadway and roadside is signif-icantly reduced compared to their daytimevisibility. Traffic signs and pavement mark-ings are made with retro-reflective materi-als to help increase their visibility duringnighttime conditions. Retro-reflective mate-rials are unique in that they shine headlamplight back toward the driver.The Manual on Uniform Traffic ControlDevices (MUTCD) requires most signs andpavement markings to be retro-reflective.The MUTCD has new standards that werebuilt on the nighttime needs of older driversto see and read traffic signals.Recent research results from the FloridaHighway Administration (FHWA) shows,that not only does the retro-reflectivity ofthe pavement markings appear to be linkedto safety, but so does the width of the pave-ment markings. Wider edge lines on two-lane highways are a cost effective, statisti-cally-sound approach to reducing run-off-

the-road crashes and fatalities. Wider edgelines are an effective countermeasure intheir own right and can also be consideredin combination with other countermeasuressuch as rumble strips. Rumble strips addresscrashes where the driver is distracted,drowsy or otherwise inattentive and can beeffective even during rain. Also, wider edgelines seem to be effective where the driveris looking at the roadway/striping or wherethe driver’s peripheral vision is picking upthe marking.Traffic safety professionals continue toimprove the signs and pavement markingson our nation’s highways to provide a saferand more comfortable driving experience.The goal is to ensure adequate visibility fornighttime drivers.

Signs & Pavement Markings

September 2013 COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM Page 152013 Hurricane Preparedness Guide Continued

COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM September 20132013 Hurricane Preparedness Guide Continued

September 2013 COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM Page 17

2013 Hurricane Preparedness Guide Continued

COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM September 20132013 Hurricane Preparedness Guide Continued


What is a Local Business Tax? The Business Tax is a tax for the

privilege of engaging in or managingany business, profession or occupationwithin the city limits. In order to oper-ate a business based in the City of WestPark, you will need to pay the BusinessTax. Whether your business is operatedfrom a commercial location or is home-based, the Business Tax is required pur-suant to both local and state laws.Why is it required to have a Business

Tax Receipt?Licenses are required for three main

purposes:• To identify your business and make

sure you are accountable for youractions • To protect the public health and

safety • To keep track of your finances for

tax purposes What are the benefits for having a

Business Tax Receipt?

The City showcases Businesses withcurrent Business Tax Receipt in WestPark Newspaper and the City’s website.By having records of the types of busi-nesses in the City, the City is able toseek for and make available incentivefor our local businesses. Incentivessuch as Enterprise zone opportunities.Businesses within the Enterprise zoneare able to take advantage of:• EZ Job Tax Credit;• EZ Property Tax Credit;• Building Material Sales Tax

Refund; and• Building Equipment Sales Tax

Refund.What about Zoning requirements? The City is divided into a variety of

commercial and residential zones,which groups similar types of usestogether. It is important to check to seeif the location you choose allows forthe type of business you want to do.You may contact the City Building

Department for courtesy zoning reviewfor your proposed business.How much does a Business Tax

Receipt cost? Business Tax Receipt fees vary from

one classification to another and manyfees are based on variables like "Typeof Business" or "cost of inventory."New business tax receipts are proratedif the business starts on or after April 1.The cost is reduced by 50% of the regu-lar fee. Do I need just one business tax

receipt for my business? Many businesses operate under more

than one of the nearly 200 business taxreceipt classifications and are requiredto have a business tax receipt for eachclassification. Additionally, each loca-tion of a business is considered a sepa-rate business and requires separate busi-ness tax receipts. When will my business tax receipt

expire?

The business tax receipt year isOctober 1st - September 30th. All busi-ness tax receipts expire September30th. How do I renew my business tax

receipt?Renewal courtesy notices are mailed

August 1 and are due no later thanSeptember 30th of the year, to avoidpenalties of up to 25%. Failure to receive a notice is not an

excuse for nonpayment. Once your payment is received, your

tax receipt will be mailed to you. When you receive your tax receipt it

must be posted in a conspicuous place,visible for public inspection. We except Check, Credit Card and

Money Order for business tax receiptpayments.

For further information, please con-tact the Permit and Account Analyst at954-989-2688.

Business Tax Receipts Frequently Asked Questions


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west park news september 2013

Documents

jones jr

brunson mayor eric

city administrator

vice mayorfelicia

representative frederica

shevrin jones greg perry

shevrin jones bill lynch

c i t y o f f i c