Art Opening & Social at the Old Davie School

I attended the Art Opening & Social at the Old Davie School. The new exhibit, "Florida Highwaymen Exhibit: The ONLY Highway Women: May Ann Carroll" opened on October 20th at the Old Davie School Museum. Janet and I were honored to meet this important artist at the opening. This exhibit is highly recommended.

Photo: (From Left) Mayor Tom Truex, Janet Truex and the artist, Mary Ann Carroll [*click* photo to enlarge]

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The Agenda for the November 01, 2006 Davie Town Council Meeting is online.

The Davie Town Council Meets at Davie Town Hall for our regular meeting on November 01, 2006. The Agenda is online.

Note the following items, in which there may be general public interest*:

1. Contract A Resolution of the Town of Davie, Florida, authorizing the Mayor to execute a contract with the firm of Mayer Hoffman McCann, P.C. to assist the Town in negotiations with certain vendors to recover overpayments identified in Mayer Hoffman McCann's August 31, 2006 report. ($10,000) (Agenda Item 4.6).
   
2. Agreement with Lobbyist. A resolution of the Town of Davie, Florida, renewing an agreement between the Town of Davie and Grande Consulting, Inc. to represent the Town of Davie for legislative and governmental consulting services, and providing for an effective date. ($38,000/year) (Agenda Item 4.7).
   
3. Selection of Firm. A resolution of the Town of Davie, Florida, selecting the firm of GC Works, Inc. to design/build a crime lab at the Police Department and authorizing the Town Administrator or his designee to negotiate an agreement for such services. (Agenda Item 4.10).
   
4. Grant Application (50% Town Match). A resolution of the Town of Davie, Florida, authorizing the application, approval and execution of a grant for funding for the 2007/2008 Cultural Young at Art and Ballet Program administered by the Broward Cultural Council, Education and Community Development Program in the amount of $60,000. (Up to a $30,000 grant with a cash match of 50%) (Agenda Item 4.11).
   
5. Waiving Bidding/Agreements with Bellsouth. Purchase of "Smartring" Service for 60 months ($84,108); purchase of data and voice communication services for 24 months ($47,355); and purchase of primary rate interface communications services of 24 months ($56,956). (Agenda Items 4.15, 4.16 and 4.17).
   
6. Agreement with Lobbyist. A Resolution of the Town of Davie, Florida, renewing an agreement between the Town of Davie and David K. Sigerson, Jr. of Ericks Consultants, Inc. to represent the Town of Davie for legislative and governmental consulting services for fiscal year 2006/2007. (not to exceed $38,000) (Agenda Item 4.18).
   
7. Contract with New Town Administrator. A Resolution of the Town of Davie, Florida, authorizing the mayor to execute an Employment Agreement between the Town and Town Administrator, Gary P. Shimun; and providing for an effective date. (Agenda Item 4.19).
   
8. Plat, Oak Landings, 6501 and 6641 SW 41 Street. The subject site consists of 1.15 gross acres, and is located on the north side of SW 41st Street. The plat is restricted to 16 townhouses. (Agenda Item 4.20).
   
9. Site Plan, Oak Landings, 6501 and 6641 SW 41 Street. This application is for a 16 unit townhouse development, on 1.15 gross acres, located on the north side of SW 41st Street. (Agenda Item 4.21).

*Items on the agenda may be tabled. Links to agenda items are PDF files and require a PDF Reader. This blOg does not constitute an official notice of any sort from the Town of Davie. The Agenda items listed above are a partial list of the Agenda. That is, not every item on the Town Council Agenda is listed on this blOg. If you want information about any particular agenda item, you should consult the official documents provided by the Town Clerk's office.

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Podcast Number 16 is online. Mayor Tom Truex Discusses Disaster Preparedness in Davie, Florida

Podcast Number 16: Earlier this year, the forecasters were predicting lots of hurricanes along the Florida Coast. Davie was preparing for for the worst. This interview between Davie's Public Information Officer, Braulio Rosa, and Mayor Tom Truex took place shortly after Hurricane Ernesto proved to be all wind, with little punch. The Mayor discusses hurricane preparedness strategy and disaster preparednes in general. (*Excerpted from Davie TV, Comcast channel 78, and Bellsouth channel 71)

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Secretary of HUD, Alphonso Jackson and Congressman Clay Shaw Announce $100 Million of Additional Hurricane Aid to Florida at Press Conference in Davie

Yesterday afternoon, I was honored to join Congressman Clay Shaw and Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Alphonso Jackson, at the announcement of an additional $100,000,000 in federal hurricane assistance to the residents of the State of Florida. Secretary Jackson praised Congressman Shaw for his role in securing this significant sum for Florida. In fact, without the considerable efforts of Congressman Shaw, it is likely that none of these funds would have been made available to assist Floridians. The announcement took place at the "Hurricane House" on the University of Florida's Research and Education Center in Davie, Florida.

Photo: Honorable Alphonso Jackson Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

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Gubernatorial Candidates Charlie Crist and Jim Davis Debate at NSU, in Davie

Last evening I attended the debate between gubernatorial candidates Charlie Crist and Jim Davis at NSU in Davie. The debate was a great forum for the voters' consideration. NSU--as venue for this important event--also scored points as an increasingly important educational institution in Florida.

Photo: Candidates for Florida Governor, Charlie Crist and Jim Davis, exchange remarks just prior to the beginning of the televised debate at NSU in Davie. [*click* photo to enlarge]

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Davie Fire Rescue Department Conducts the Graduation Ceremony for it's Recruit Training Program

I was honored to swear in nine new recruits to Davie's Fire Rescue Department last week. This ceremony represents a milestone in the lives of the new firefighters. It is also an extremely important milestone for the Town of Davie as we look forward to years of service by them for the Town. Public Safety is the single most important function of Town Government. We are extremely grateful to these brave professionals whose job is to keep us safe and secure.

Photo: Davie Firefighter Colby Hooper gives the "Student Response" at the Graduation of Class #06-02. [*click* photo to enlarge]

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EASE Foundation Honor's Councy Commissioner Lois Wexler

Recently, I was on hand when Davie's EASE Foundation presented County Commissioner Lois Wexler with the Humanitarian of the Year Award.

Commissioner Wexler says that as a County Commissioner, some of her priorities will be: promoting and expanding economic growth, accessing and expanding programs and services for senior citizens and aggressively developing solutions to address our traffic congestion.

Photo: (from left) Mayor Tom Truex, County Commissioner Lois Wexler, and Davie Councilwoman Susan Starkey, at the EASE Luncheon [*click* photo to enlarge]

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Floridian Community Bank Celebrates Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in Davie.

Recently I joined other Town of Davie officials and local business leaders in celebrating the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of Floridian Community Bank in Davie.

Floridian Community Bank, is a full service, FDIC insured, community bank, located at 5599 S University Drive, Florida. They offer a complete line of commercial banking products, including deposit accounts, certificates of deposit, loans, etc.

Photo: Mayor Truex (holding scissors) Joins Councilmembers Susan Starkey (far left) and Vice Mayor Mike Crowley (to her right) at Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Floridian Community Bank [*click* photo to enlarge]

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Mayor Tom Truex Speaks to Davie School Children for Government Day at Town Hall

Recently I spoke to a group of elementary school students at Town Hall. One point which seemed to amaze them is that Davie's Mayor (as in most local municipalities) is a part time job.

Photo: Mayor Truex Joins Elementary School Students for Government Day in Davie Town Council Chambers. [*click* photo to enlarge]

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VIDEO ONLINE: Mayor Tom Truex Discusses Diversity in the Town of Davie

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Davie.TV Video Clip

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Mayor Tom Truex 03 (2:25 minutes)

Mayor Tom Truex of Davie, Florida discusses diversity in the Town of Davie. Davie was part of the "Old South"--as such the "good ol' days" were better for some people than for others. Davie today needs to be a place where everyone who lives and works here feels welcome.

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Ceremony and Party Last Weekend Welcomes Pine Island Ridge Into the Town of Davie.

This past weekend I had the great honor of representing the Town at the official ceremony welcoming Pine Island Ridge into the Town of Davie. I have enjoyed working with the community during the annexation process. The Town is excited about having this new area as part of Davie.

Photo: Mayor Tom Truex presents a ceremonial key to the Town of Davie at Pine Island Ridge. [*click* photo to enlarge]

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The Agenda for the October 18, 2006 Davie Town Council Meeting is online.

The Davie Town Council Meets at Davie Town Hall for our regular meeting on October 18, 2006. The Agenda is online.

Note the following items, in which there may be general public interest*:

1. Ratification of Davie Community Redevelopment Agency Agreement. STAFF REPORT IN BRIEF: This resolution adopts an amendment to a Devlopment Agreement ratified at the time the plans were approved for Downtown Davie. The actual planning for the development resulted in an additonal cost for the burial of electrical and utlity lines. The additional cost is to extend the burial to boundaries which make the burial more aesthically pleasing and which extends the lines to the actual limits of the CRA area boundary. The cost of burying the utlities will be cheaper at the present time than in the future due to savings in mobilization and being done as part of one project rather than separate projects. The additional cost of the burial is $341,814.00, and will be paid for by the Davie CRA. (Agenda Item 4.10).
   
2. Agreement for Planning Services, State Road 7 Master Plan Area. STAFF REPORT IN BRIEF: The CRA Board approved an agreement with the Institute for Communtiy Collaboration (aka as the South Florida Regional Planning Council) on September 25, 2006. This action approved an agreement for providing additional planning services necessary to redevelop the State Road 7 Corridor. This agreement is to provide services to complete the Application for Development Approval for an Areawide Development of Regional Impact. This DRI will enable any area within the State Road 7 Corridor which might exceed the development thresholds requiring a DRI. Thus any area within the corridor would not have to go through the lengthy process of having a DRI approved in the future. Essentially this treats the entire area as a DRI. The cost of this planning is expected to be $350,000. (Agenda Item 4.11).
   
3. Plat, Saddle Bridge: So. Side of Griffin between 76th & 78th Ave. The petitioner requests approval of the plat known as the “Saddle Bridge.” The subject site consists of 16.011 gross acres (697,479 square feet) and restricted to ninety-nine (99) townhouse units and 20,000 sq. ft. commercial use. The proposed vehicular access onto the site is provided through five (5) points along the northern, eastern, and southern boundary lines. The first access point is a shared 50’ x 124’ Ingress/Egress Easement located on the northeast corner of the Griffin 78 Plat recorded in P.B. 171 Pg. 135 of the B.C.R. The next two proposed access points are located along the eastern boundary line, off Southwest 76th Avenue. The last two proposed access points are located along the western boundary line, off Southwest 78th Avenue. Both Southwest 76th and 78th Avenue are local roads. (Agenda Item 4.14).
   
4. Plat, Doyon: 5399 SW 42 Avenue Two detached single family homes on .688 acres. Acess is on SW 42 Street. (Agenda Item 4.15).
   
5. Contract with With the firm of Mayer Hoffman McCann, P.C. To assist the Town in negotiations with certain vendors to recover overpayments identified in Mayer Hoffman McCann's August 31, 2006 report. (Agenda Item 4.16).
   
6. Site Plan Innovative Concept Group-Pless Webb, 6415 SW 41 Street STAFF REPORT IN BRIEF: This application is for site plan approval for a 4,124 square foot addition to an existing 3,500 square foot building. The building is proposed with covered walkway placed up to SW 41st Street as required under the Western Theme District. The underlying land use category is RAC, Regional Activity Center and the zoning is B-2, Community Business District, Western Theme. The site is also located within the CRA. (Agenda Item 4.17).
   
7. Master Site Plan, Saddle Bridge, east of University, South of Griffin STAFF REPORT IN BRIEF: The subject site is approximately 16.011 acres in size and is located on the southside of Griffin Road between Southwest 76th and 78th Avenue. The subject site consists of an existing commercial building, two (2) single-family residences, landscape nursery, and vacant parcels. To the north of subject site is Griffin Road, to the east is Willow Grove a mixed-use development zoned Griffin Road Corridor, Gateway West – Zone 1, to the south are single family residences zoned Griffin Road Corridor, Intersection Commercial Node / A-1, Agricultural District, and to the west is a CVS, vacant parcel, a Midas, and a Baers Furniture zoned Griffin Road Corridor, Intersection Commercial Node.
   Commercial Building: The petitioner is proposing a two-story commercial building approximately 23,306 sq. ft. located on the front (north) portion of the subject site that will face Griffin Road. The two story commercial building proposes retail uses on the first floor and office uses on the second floor.
   Residential Units: The petitioner is proposing two (2) different styles of townhome units for this proposed master site plan. This design concept is mirrored across Southwest 76th Avenue at Willow Grove. The location of the townhome units are at the back (south) of the subject site. The petitioner is proposing ninety-nine (99) townhome units and recreation amenities. Out of the proposed ninety-nine (99) townhomes, thirty-six (36) are two-bedroom units and sixty-three (63) are three-bedroom units. The three-bedroom units are all three-stories in height. (Agenda Item 4.19).
   
8. Five year Capital Budget (Agenda Item 6.1).
   
9. Reserve Units for Saddle Up Development. Applicant seeks to use 99 "flex" units for Townhouses, which would otherwise not be permitted. (Agenda Item 6.2).
   
10. Rezoning, Vietnamese Buddhist Cultural Center of FL Inc., 2321 SW 127 Applicant requesting a rezoning from A-1 (Agricultural) to CF (Community Facility) for a 4,800 square foot house of worship on 2.09 acres. (Agenda Item 6.3).
    
11. Variance, Vietnamese Buddhist Cultural Center of FL Inc. To reduce the distance between frestanding houses of worship from 2,500 to 1,609 and 2,310. (Agenda Item 6.4).
    
12. Selection of Town Administator. Horace A. McHugh was ranked first at the Town Council Meeting on Saturday, October 14, 2006. (Agenda Item 8.1).

*Items on the agenda may be tabled. Links to agenda items are PDF files and require a PDF Reader. This blOg does not constitute an official notice of any sort from the Town of Davie. The Agenda items listed above are a partial list of the Agenda. That is, not every item on the Town Council Agenda is listed on this blOg. If you want information about any particular agenda item, you should consult the official documents provided by the Town Clerk's office.

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National School Lunch Week

Today I joined students at Davie Elementary School to celebrate National School Lunch Week. Broward County Schools provide delicious and affordable meals to our school children throughout the entire school year. Special thanks to the cafeteria staff at Davie Elementary. Not only did I enjoy an excellent lunch, but the students were very appreciative and complementary about the quality of lunches provided on a daily basis.

Photo: Mayor Tom Truex, enjoying lunch at Davie Elementary School during National School Lunch Week. [*click* photo to enlarge]

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Mayor Tom Truex Speaks With Group of Area Residents

This evening I spoke with a group of area residents. We discussed budget issues, among other things. I was able to clarify some of the recent misinformation regarding Town finances.

Photo: Mayor speaks to a group of residents in Davie. [*click* photo to enlarge]

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Davie Town Council to Interview Candidates for Town Administrator

The Davie Town Council will conduct public interviews of the finalist applicants for the position of Town Administrator next Saturday, October 13, 2006:

• 1:30 p.m. Gary P. Shimun
  
• 2:15 p.m. Mark A. Kutney
  
• 3:00 p.m. Michael L. Stampler
  
• 3:45 p.m. Horace A. McHugh
  
• 4:30 p.m. Dennis W. Kelly

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VIDEO ONLINE: Meeting of Davie's District Boundary Review Board

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www.Davie.TV Video Clip

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Mayor Tom Truex 02 (1:34 minutes)

This evening I attended the meeting of the District Boundary Review Board. In this video clip the consultants explain their role in drawing new district lines for Davie, Florida.

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Davie Area Land Trust Meets at Robbins Lodge in Davie

This evening I attended the meeting of the Davie Area Land Trust at Robbins Lodge. The group discussed, among other things, their upcoming Annual Meeting. The Davie Area Land Trust is also in the process of fund raising plans in view of their new status as an an IRS 501(c)(3) organization.

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VIDEO ONLINE: Mayor Tom Truex Interview, Discussing the Historic Viele House.

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Davie.TV Video Clip

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Mayor Tom Truex 01 (2:00 minutes)

Mayor Tom Truex of Davie Florida discusses the restoration of the "Viele House"

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Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting at New Office Depot at Weston Road and Griffin Road in Davie.

This afternoon I joined other government officials, and corporate officials from Office Depot at the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting at the new Office Depot at Weston Road and Griffin Road in Davie. Representatives of the respective Chambers of Commerce from Weston and Davie-Cooper City were on hand as well. Office Depot is a great corporate citizen. They have a track record of consistently helping the communities which they serve. I know first hand that the Office Depot on University Drive has helped children in the schools where my own children have attended. In fact, at the ceremony today, Office Depot provided generous donations to organizations which serve local children. Welcome Office Depot in Western Davie, and thank you!

Photo: Officials from Davie, Weston and their respective Chambers of Commerce attend the grand opening and ribbon cutting for Office Depot at Weston Road and Griffin Road in Davie. State Representative Susan Goldstein is holding the scissors. The store manager is to her left. [*click* photo to enlarge]

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Town of Davie Releases Credit Card Usage Report

The Town of Davie staff has compiled a report of credit card usage by elected officials and staff. In the interest of making this public record available to the public as soon as possible, I'm giving you exactly what the Mayor and Town Council have--without the benefit of any particular analysis.* Almost all of the charges which were earlier called into question have a logical explanation.

• Example 1: Mai Kai [Restaurant] -- Senior Field Trip [in fact, senior citizens paid to go on this outing]
  
• Example 2: Tropical Acres [Restaurant] -- Volunteer Luncheon [thanking volunteers for volunteering time worth many thousands of Dollars; the luncheon cost the Town a fraction of the value of volunteers' time]

The few apparent lapses are for the most part where I expected they might be; example: the large number of apparently undocumented and/or unexplained charges by former Town Administrator, Chris Kovanes (of course, it's not easy ask him about his charges at this point). But, not taking into consideration the first few pages of the report, dealing with administration and elected officials, the rest of the department reports are for the most part pretty mundane. I think the Town needs to consider whether our policies are appropriate of providing food for (1) public events; and (2) meals while employees and elected officials work through lunchtime/dinnertime. Also, we need to look at whether our policy for paying for meals (typically lunch) during which Town business is conducted needs to be changed.

My conclusion for moving forward is that we need to change procedures so that future public records requests can be filled immediately from a central location. A detailed explanation should be immediately available, with supporting documentation, as requested. Although almost every charge is explained in the detailed report--it took several weeks, and hundreds of staff hours [my guess--not verified] to produce the report. Town leadership also needs to lead by example, and reform our method of operation as well.

*NOTE: Total charges by Mayor Tom Truex = $0.00. I did eat pizza, sandwiches, etc. ordered by others on occasions when the Town Council had special meetings during dinner time, followed by a regular Council Meeting; at Council meetings conducted at Town Hall, at lunch time; and at meetings/events open to the public.

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Teen Challenge Event

Here's a photo from the Teen Challenge Banquet a couple of weeks ago. The spectacular floral arrangements in front of Pastor Fernandez were assembled by the residents of Teen Challenge from donated flowers (actually, mostly bromeliads and heliconia).

Photo: Pastor Rick Fernandez at Teen Challenge Dinner. [*click* photo to enlarge]

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The Agenda for the October 4, 2006 Davie Town Council Meeting is online.

The Davie Town Council Meets at Davie Town Hall for our regular meeting on October 4, 2006. The Agenda is online.

Note the following items, in which there may be general public interest*:

1. Hiatus Road at Orange Drive Improvements. A resolution of the Town of Davie, Florida, authorizing the appropriate Town officials to accept the bid recommendation for the Hiatus Road at Orange Drive intersection improvements (Willams Paving Company - $909,898) (Agenda Item 4.4).
   
2. Bus Route. A resolution of the Town of Davie, Florida, authorizing the mayor to execute a contract with Limousines of South Florida for the operation and maintenance of the Blue Route. (Agenda Item 4.6).
   
3. Bid, Locating and Marking Underground Facilities. A resolution of the Town of Davie, Florida, approving the award of the bid for locating and marking underground facilities to Craig A. Smith & Associates, Inc. ($80,000/year) (Agenda Item 4.12).
   
4. Bid, Automobiles, Trucks and Heavy Equipment. A resolution of the Town of Davie, Florida, approving the bid awarded by the State of Florida and the Florida Sheriff's Association for automobiles, trucks and heavy equipment. ($1,368,000)
   (Agenda Item 4.13).
   
5. Town Administrator, Short List.

*Items on the agenda may be tabled. Links to agenda items are PDF files and require a PDF Reader. This blOg does not constitute an official notice of any sort from the Town of Davie. The Agenda items listed above are a partial list of the Agenda. That is, not every item on the Town Council Agenda is listed. If you want information about any particular agenda item, you should consult the official documents provided by the Town Clerk's office.

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