Decisions, Decisions…
By Bari Auerbach

“Cause and effect” is a great way to concisely sum up how decisions made by the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission can wind up affecting the way residents and visitors enjoy life in the city. Here are just a few examples of how some recent issues voted on by elected officials are influencing and impacting people of all ages...

Logging On – Now that the City Commission has decided to proceed with plans to create a “wireless island” providing Internet access throughout the city, stores that sell computers are expecting to see a surge in business from customers who live in Sunny Isles Beach...and just think about the ramifications: When more people start logging on – there could be an increase in memberships to on-line dating sites resulting in more marriages. Fortunately, just by coincidence, the Commission recently decided to allow weddings on the beach!

Not a Lot of Lots – The City Commission’s opinion that off-site lots aren’t the best way for developments to comply with parking requirements could actually end up protecting the global environment and creating a very positive economic impact. Think about it...If there aren’t enough parking spaces for cars, maybe more and more people will decide not to drive and use the city’s convenient shuttle bus system instead! This could lead to less exhaust fumes polluting the air - plus all the money residents save on gas would get pumped into the local economy!

Safer Roads – Realistically, there will always be motorists who will never give up driving their own cars in exchange for public transportation. That’s why the City Commission’s decision to endorse a driver safety course for motorists age 50 and up taught by instructors from AARP was brilliant! Now maybe when the light turns green, cars will go - and when there’s a stop sign, cars won’t continue to go...When the speed limit is 35 mph, speedometers will exceed 15 mph...And when you’re walking behind cars getting ready to pull out in RK Shopping Centers, your odds of surviving will dramatically increase!

Higher Property Values – If it wasn’t for all the decisions the City Commission has made regarding optimal new development in the city, property value assessments wouldn’t have increased again this year by 12 percent; and homeowners wouldn’t be celebrating a tax break beyond what the state is mandating.

But there are even bigger and better reasons to appreciate revenue from new construction. Without it, there wouldn’t be new restrooms coming to Town Center park (in fact there wouldn’t even be a park); there wouldn’t be hope for more upscale shops surrounding Thee Dollhouse on Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard; and of course, there wouldn’t be a beach access point at 180th Street and Collins Avenue named in honor of the Dezer family, developers of luxurious Trump towers.

So as you can see, the Commission’s decisions can create a domino effect trickling down to touch the everyday lives of families in Sunny Isles Beach. Here’s just one more example: When the Commission voted in favor of opening a public school, about nine months later, you could figure out why lights in the city were being turned off extra early (hint: it wasn’t for energy conservation!)

TOP