WESTON ANNOUNCER AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2005 ISSUE NUMBER 21 A Reason to Be Proud By Mayor Eric M. Hersh Good news continues to come for Weston. Our most district will see a decrease in assessments this year as a recent appraisals have Weston’s property value now result of a very favorable bond refinancing which we worth over 6.5 BILLION dollars. With our mission to completed late last year. provide the highest quality of life in Weston while enhancing property investments, these latest figures We are now well into hurricane season and as we do surely give us cause to be proud. Of course, we are also each year, we have implemented an extensive emer- proud to brag that while accomplishing these goals, we gency plan. We are always hopeful that we will not are building financial reserves for the city to ensure our need to utilize our plan but in the event that it is future success while maintaining the lowest ad valorem needed, we will be ready. We learned a lot from the tax rate in Broward County. I very much expect that hurricane season of 2004, and the city has made vast our 2006 fiscal budget will once again provide for con- improvements towards being prepared. tinued improvements in our city, without raising ad valorem taxes. In fact, we expect that the Indian Trace Please remember that in the event of a hurricane or A Reason to be Proud (continued from cover) other emergency, the best city information can be 700 fire plans. Thanks to Chief Craig Otten and obtained from our website, www.westonfl.org, or all those who serve in his department for a job our radio station, 1680 AM. well done. In addition to health and safety notifications, we Our Police Services totaled 93 personnel in will also have information on business services Fiscal Year 2004, and they responded to over which are open or closed, any street closures, and 30,000 calls for service. Over 1,500 arrests were any clean-up plans. Please keep the radio fre- made, and over 7,000 citations were issued. quency and website address with your supplies. That’s a lot of hard work. We are fortunate to Hoping for the best and preparing for the worst live in a very safe city due to the efforts of the is the best course of action! men and women of BSO’s Department of Law Enforcement, under the outstanding leadership As we approach the anniversary of September of Chief Greg Page. 11th, I would like to take time to acknowledge and thank our professional firefighters, para- Next time you see a police officer, firefighter, or medics and police officers. They work year- paramedic, please take the time to stop and thank round protecting our city, many times without them for their service to our city. Although they enough recognition. Each month, the City don’t look for the thanks, they deserve it. Commission honors a BSO Employee of the Month, one from Police Services, and one from Finally, I hope you are enjoying and appreciate Fire/Rescue Services, as a small all the landscape improvements, new curbing, gesture of our appreciation of road improvements and traffic improvements their dedication and efforts. being made in our city. Your City Commission is dedicated to always improving Weston, and I’m Did you know that in Fiscal joined by Commissioner Stermer, Commissioner Year 2004, we had 115 Chermak, Commissioner Cheren and Fire/Rescue personnel Commissioner Henriksson in telling you that working in the city, there is more to come! Weston is still a young and they responded city and despite our successes, we’re not going to to almost 5,000 calls stop looking for ways to improve and enhance for service? They the unique experience of living in Weston. also performed over 1,900 fire Please keep in touch. inspections and reviewed over Eric M. Hersh 2 What’s Inside Did you Know That... Note from City Manager 4 … The Weston Fury Soccer Club has joined an elite group of only 45 soccer Attention Veterans 5 programs in the U.S. to partner with Nike as a Premier Soccer Club. Nike has Elected Officials 5-7 been a major sponsor and licensee of U.S. Soccer, outfitting both the men’s and Weston Homestead Information 6 women’s national team programs, as well as the youth national team programs, and sponsors a host of top international teams. This partnership highlights the Weston’s Halloween Safety Expo 6 quality and value of the Weston Fury Soccer Club programs. Remember to Fall Behind 7 Grand Opening of Vista Park 8 …If you did not file a Homestead Application for a new home bought in 2004, you can still apply by filing a petition with the Value Adjustment Board Movies in the Park 10 accompanied by a $15 non-refundable filing fee and qualify for the exemp- School is Back in Session 11 tion. If the application is filed after the September TRIM Notice deadline and you request a good cause hearing with the Value Adjustment Board on or Update Weston University 12 before December 31st, the Value Adjustment Board will hold a hearing to School Curb Parking 13 determine if it will hear your petition.You must show "good cause" why your petition was not filed by the September deadline. For more information call School Zones 13 the Broward County Property Appraiser at 954-357-6830. New applications Library Park 14 for the current year can now be filed online at www.bcpa.net. The Property Library Branch 15 Appraiser will be at the Weston Community Center for new filings. See the dates in this Announcer edition. 12th annual Weston Hometown Celebration 16-17 … Seventy-six members of the Cypress Bay High School Band opened Parks Report 18 the Summer Concert Series at Westminster Abbey in London on July 20th. Weston Honored with Visit 19 An incredible honor and an amazing experience for these talented musi- cians, this trip was surely a once in a lifetime experience. Community Center Programs 20-23 The 2005/2006 Weston Performing Arts Series Stepping Out 24-25 The YMCA Corner 26-27 New Weston City Hall in the Planning 28 Map & Guide Weston Website Wins WEBBY 29 Cliff Drysdale Tennis 30 Calendar of Events 31-32 The 2005/2006 City of Weston Map & Guide will be mailed to every household in October. I-75 South Off Ramp 33 The new Map & Guide includes a Weston New Names for Arvida Parkway34-35 street map and parks chart, and highlights Weston’s recreational services, public Traffic Signal Update 37 safety education and volunteer opportunities, along with city contact information. Residents I-C-E your Cell Phone 38 desiring an additional copy or two can pick them up at City Hall or the City Contacts 39 Weston Community Center. 3 A Note From The City Manager John R. Flint Is there security in numbers? That all In 2003, Weston’s crime rate/100,000 is not a constant, it is a variable affected in depends. The Florida Department of was 900.3, and in 2004 it was 1,476.0, part by the economy, climate, domestic Law Enforcement publishes a County an increase of 63.9%, just like the relations, and other forces beyond our and Municipal Offense Data Annual headline said.When the rest of the data control. Report each June. This report is a com- is read however, a different story pilation of major crimes reported by emerges. Looking at the crime rate Security is a lot more than just num- each law enforcement agency within county-wide, the City of Weston has the bers. It is being able to go jogging the State, and usually makes headlines in lowest crime rate/100,000 of any city before dawn; walk your dog before the press each year. in Broward County with the exception bedtime; wait on a corner for the of Lauderdale-by-the Sea (population school bus; stroll Main Street in Town This year, one of the headlines in the 6,278). Center; and go about our daily rou- local press was “Broward Sheriff’s crime tine with peace of mind. rate soars by up to 64%,” with the 64% So how does such a large percentage being a direct reference to the City of increase equate to such a low crime The men and women of the Broward Weston. As disturbing a headline as that rate/100,000? When dealing in such Sheriff’s Office in Weston provide us may be, it was in fact correct. However, small numbers, whether in crime or with peace of mind each day and night. unless the data that produced that head- anything else, any change becomes of They are the ones who rescue the tod- line is read as well, the headline is totally greater magnitude when put in terms dler who has accidentally fallen in the misleading. of percentages. A portion of these pool, who find the child that didn’t let changes may be due to the scrutiny his or her parents know where they The percentage of increase or decrease that the Broward Sheriff’s Office has were going, who get us in and out of in the crime rate is derived from the undergone in crime reporting and the the Regional Park on July 4th, and change in crime rate/100,000 popula- resulting changes instituted in report- whose mere presence keeps crime at tion from year to year. ing methodology. bay. We work on a daily basis with our chief and his staff to keep abreast of For anyone who is the victim of a crime, the law enforcement activities in the that crime is one too many.