Improvements On The Horizon

Over the past three years our city has been addressing all our underground infrastructure. This includes water, wastewater, stormwater as well as major lift stations. These projects, as I have written before in the past, are critical and essential to our sustainability. They are also very disruptive and create inconveniences that are unavoidable.

Over the past month, there have been multiple boil water notices particularly in the northeast due to a water main replacement. In these cases, they were unavoidable. Many cities simply turn the water off during construction. This practice leaves residents and businesses with no water during construction. When we can we do work at night. We also perform many of our water projects under low pressure. Our philosophy is we would rather have low pressure than no water available for our residents. 

The particular water breaks that we have been seeing are due to digging in areas where many lateral connections are over 50 years old. Once the dirt is disturbed the pipes can lose support and can crack. In the case of broken water pipes, we must perform boil water notices. To ensure water is safe to consume, two evaluated readings must come back clear before we can lift the notice. 

Our staff has been placing notices on Facebook, on our website and in some cases doing direct calling. Notifications have included maps of the specific areas that have been impacted. For example, some people thought all of the northeast was on a boil water notice when it was actually condominiums along Hallandale Beach Boulevard and 14^th. 

It is imperative that residents understand best and accurate information can be found directly on our website and our social media platforms. There is good news at least for this project, the northeast should be completed within the next month.

In addition to the water project in the NE, we are replacing and upgrading over 15 lift stations. On Atlantic Shores, right before Diplomat, there is work being performed on the lift station which requires a road closure. This project is also expected to be finished within a month. I encourage everyone to sign up for our notifications. Residents can also visit our website where there is an interactive map that lists in detail all our projects. On behalf of the city, I want to thank our residents and business partners for understanding that there will be inconveniences and disruptions.

In other news, our city approved moving forward on contract negotiations for automated school zone speed detection. Many cities have started to implement this state authorized technology. Our staff has been taking every initiative into researching this program before we decided to proceed. We actually did not directly piggyback on any of the existing contracts. We went out with our own Request for Proposals and ended up approving negotiations with a Jenoptik Company. The time and effort Police put into this program resulted in a much better agreement.

Through the negotiations this contract will include not simply Hallandale Beach Blvd. and Pembroke Rd. but all areas currently that are designated school zones. We also will be collaborating with them and school district to expand school zones for some of our private school locations. The significant difference with our contract is the city will be paid up front for any infractions issued not just at the end of what is collected. All upfront costs of installation and equipment are being paid for by the company. 

The contract also includes a mobile unit that can be multi-purposed for enforcement, special notifications and an additional license plate reader unit.

There will be a notification period of 30 days that will include signage, mailings, & social media notifications. The company pays all these costs. After the 30 days enforcement will begin. State law allows us to utilize this form of enforcement a half hour before school in one session and a half hour after. Our city, like others, is not choosing a simple time slot in the morning and in the afternoon. The system will be utilized from 6:30 AM to 3 PM. 

Drivers will receive a 100-dollar violation if they are traveling 10 miles over the 15-mile posted school zone time. During the day speeders will also receive infractions if they are going over 10 miles above the posted speed. There are no points associated with the ticket and information will not be accessible to insurance companies. This program is set up with a goal for safety for our students. It has been found to change driving behavior.

As always, I am available anytime for your questions, concerns, and ideas to make our city a better place at phone/text 954-632-5700 or you can email me at jcooper@cohb.org. Please visit me on my Facebook page at Mayor Joy Cooper. Like, follow, and share.