Hallandale Beach State Of The City Part 5

Water is another critical part of our future. Hallandale Beach has invested heavily in its Water Infrastructure, and we are ahead of many communities because our treatment process already utilizes advanced nanofiltration technology.

Our system was designed to move toward desalination as future conditions require. We are now planning what our water demands will look like years from now by adding another 3-million-gallon skid.

Wastewater presents another challenge. The City previously closed its wastewater treatment operation and entered into a large-user agreement. That removed certain operational responsibilities from the City, but it also means we must continue negotiating for sufficient treatment capacity as Hallandale Beach grows.

That capacity does exist, we continue to partner with other communities to leverage that. It is our responsibility to ensure Hallandale Beach has access to resources as future demand grows.

The third issue residents consistently identify is what I call curb appeal. Curb appeal means different things to different people. It means landscaping, clean streets, attractive commercial corridors, sidewalks that aren't cluttered, and Code Compliance. It also means creating a community where people are proud to live, work, and invest. One example is our bus shelters.

Over time, different benches and shelters have been installed throughout Hallandale Beach, creating an inconsistent and sometimes cluttered appearance. We are going out to contract to replace more than 27 bus shelters, with the long-term goal of creating a more consistent appearance throughout our community.

Like communities throughout South Florida, we are also confronting homelessness. Homelessness is not new, but it has become increasingly visible. We have a task force working on this issue, and our Police Department continues working with property owners regarding trespassing on private property.

If you own a business and have not worked with our Police Department regarding Trespass Enforcement, I encourage you to do so. At the same time, we recognize that homelessness is a human issue. We want people connected with shelters, treatment, and services. But some individuals repeatedly decline those services.

Our responsibility is to balance compassion for individuals experiencing homelessness with our responsibility to maintain safe public spaces and protect residents and businesses. We need everyone to do their part.

I call Code Enforcement a love-hate relationship. We continue with robust code enforcement. We can only control certain aspects of the City: our public right-way, parks, beaches, and facilities. Once the sidewalk ends and you step onto private property, the owner's responsibility begins.

We all need to do our part. We do know many businesses and residents are struggling, so we have been looking at various programs to help our local residents and business owners.

Economic Development will take us from CRA to a citywide strategy. Our CRA has played an important role in transforming Hallandale Beach. Through Facade Grants, business assistance, and property improvement programs, we have helped businesses reinvest in our community. Although the CRA will sunset, that doesn't mean economic development stops.

We intend to establish an Office of Economic Development that can continue many of our successful initiatives. One significant difference is that future programs may be implemented citywide rather than being limited to the CRA boundaries. Programs supporting facade improvements, windows, doors, and property improvements can help businesses and neighborhoods throughout Hallandale Beach.

Code Enforcement remains an important tool to improve our curb appeal. I encourage people to visit our city's website as we have an interactive site that will show you exactly what our code violations are and how to remedy them.

As always, I am available anytime for your questions, concerns, and ideas to make our City a better place on my Phone/Text at: (954) 632-5700. Or you can email me at: jcooper@cohb.org. Please visit me on my Facebook page at: MayorJoyCooperHB. Like! Follow! And share!