By Bari Auerbah

‘Playing it Safe’
“Proceed with caution” seems to be the phrase of the day as the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission continues to balance growth and development with proactive measures designed to safeguard and enhance the community. But just imagine if some of the progressive initiatives had these intriguing twists…

‘Redrawing Voting Districts’
Since the City Commission is advocating that voting districts be redrawn to ensure citizens of Sunny Isles Beach are fairly represented, why not pass out crayons to future junior voters and let then pitch in to help?

The kids can have lots of fun redrawing the districts in all their favorite colors! Then when it’s a sure thing that not too many commission members can live in the same area of the city, constituents can breathe a sigh of relief knowing there won’t ever be “favoritism” conspiracies. After all, no one would ever want to see only the southern portion of Sunny Isles Beach getting streets paved with gold!

‘Water Conservation’
Whether or not you have an even or odd numbered address determines when you can water your lawn in Sunny Isles Beach. There are penalties for violations that will be enforced by the city – but don’t you think there should also be hefty fines for anyone caught transposing their address numbers above their garage or on the mailbox?
There are no restrictions when it comes to water use inside your home – so there’s no excuse for using extra cologne instead of showering or letting those dirty dishes pile up!

‘Development On Hold’
In light of current real estate market conditions, the City Commission recently passed an ordinance to permit time extensions for unexpired development approvals. This means participating developers may decide to put projects on hold for at least a few years…In the meantime, wouldn’t it be a great idea to use the land for more parks, a performing arts center, a high school campus, an historic preservation museum – or maybe even a Sunny Isles Beach Mall??

Then again, since it’s all the new developments that help fund community enhancements, the return of construction cranes might actually be a welcome sight.

‘High and Dry’
A major stormwater project will soon be getting underway to alleviate flooding – but the project will cause disruptions in traffic flow. While many residents feel the improvements will be worth the inconvenience – others might approve of another solution: The city could buy boats for everyone so when the water gets too high to drive, there would be an alternative means of transportation. But with so many new developments on hold, it could be kind of hard to float the cost.

With so much progress going on in Sunny Isles Beach, it’s safe to say life in the city is only going to get better – especially if the sun continues to comply with forecasts for perpetually perfect weather!