The City of Fort Lauderdale City Commission held a conference meeting on August 18, 2026, at 1:05 PM in the Fort Lauderdale Police Department Community Room. The meeting covered updates on the Fire-Rescue Bond Program, a presentation on the Resilient Broward Grant Program, an informational presentation on the Broward County Public Schools Next Generation Referendum, an overview of the Infrastructure Investment Special Obligation Bond, a presentation on the Harm Reduction Overdose Program, and a discussion on the Airport Leasing Policy and Lease Reversion. Commissioners also gave reports, and the City Manager and City Attorney provided updates.
Okay, folks, thank you so much. I appreciate everyone's patience today. Um moving on to the conference meeting. Uh before I I begin the conference meeting, I just and I'll I'll do it now and I'll do it later. I just want to remind everyone who has not yet voted that today is election day and we'd appreciate if everyone makes their way to the polls to vote. We have a lot of important races from school board to primaries and all the different races up and down the the tickets. So um if you need to excuse yourself, we'll let you go for a few minutes to go vote. But uh we appreciate uh you your uh your voting today. So we begin our meeting um with uh communications and we have a communication from the uh fire rescue um uh bond bond issue blue ribbon committee. Um and uh Mr. Vercenas, are you here? There you are. Um so we have a communication. John, you want to come up uh and talk to us about this communication? Thank you for being here. You don't have a smile on your face. I don't know. This is pretty ominous. Do you want me to read the whole thing? No, no, just give me the punchline. Mayor and commissioners, I'm John Brett Senus. I'm the current chairman of the blue ribbon committee, fire bond board. Um this this uh situation started 22 years ago um when the city voters voted uh a bond issue and you guys, your your predecessors, I think, authorized it. I don't think any of you were on the commission then I was one of those predecessors. Um approximately ten stations have been in the program, and we have just are about to groundbreak uh station number thirteen reconstruction, which is the last station in the in our mandate. Um I think you've noticed the sunrise boulevard uh road work that started that um they have to change the road to get to the new elevation for the uh the fire station exit due to everything being raised due to uh water level changes. And we anticipate uh actually the abatement and the demolition work to start here in September and real construction to start uh in December of this year, uh completing the station at the end of December of 2027, and this program will come to an end. Um I think staff has done a great job and the department has been very patient, and I think everybody involved is uh happy to see this program sunsetting. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone have any questions of uh John? All right. Yes, Chief. Mayor, I just wanted to personally thank John and the entire team that they've gotten this bond project further along, and I know that there's been times where it's been rather aggravating. We haven't seen much movement with the projects, but it's further along than it's been in 22 years, and we're right there at the cusp, I think in the next 30 to 60 days. More late than never. Exactly. All good things come to those who wait, right? We're right there. 22 years later. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time. I I appreciate all the meetings that you're there for and leading and and making this come uh together. So thank you. All right. Mayor, I have a question. Um is there anything from the commission perception that we would need to do to make sure this does not stall for another 22 years. Can I offer some suggestions since I audited the fire station bond program 15 years ago? Uh it starts with number one budgeting for inflation. It starts with number two, budgeting sufficient amount of money to actually complete the program.