By Stephanie DeThomas, Public Information and Events Specialist

We receive many letters at City Hall from residents who may want to offer a suggestion, compliment or a complaint about our city by the sea. We have started a new column in the Sunny Isles Beach Sun to address these letters and give our residents a chance to express their thoughts and ideas.

One suggestion came from SIB resident Sylvia Moses. Sylvia is an avid bingo fan but was unhappy that Bingo was only offered once every three months to residents. Due to her encouragement the City of Sunny Isles Beach will now offer free Bingo on the first Wednesday of each month from 2:00 to 3:00 pm in Commission Chambers at the Sunny Isles Beach Government Center.

Another letter came in from Ronald Sutter of Sunny Isles Beach on the status of the city.

“A publication under the heading “Sunny Isles Beach Reporter,” is currently making its way into the city’s condominiums and other residential communities. This publication is a compilation of letters which paint a broad negative picture of the development of our city from its inception until the present day. The collective emphasis of all authors of these letters is twisted statements and borderline defamatory accusations on the mayors and commissioners who have served the residents throughout this time. This being an election year one must wonder the timing and the political expediency of the authors to mud sling our City Mayor and Commissioners.

Here are the facts. In 1997, when the city was incorporated, Sunny Isles Beach had only one communal private park in the Winston Towers complex; Collins Avenue was lined up with run down motels where at night people would drink on the streets and crime was rampant. Our children had to be driven to Ives Dairy Road or West Dixie Highway to go to school. Winston Tower residents and other west side citizens used to have to ask for permission from local motel staff to trespass on their property in order to go to the beach. Most of North Bay Road had no sidewalks and the wetland area by the church was riddled with drug use.

In 2010, all the residents of Sunny Isles Beach enjoy the various beautiful parks with their rich amenities throughout the city. Our children go to school close to home and boast of attending one of the most successful and beautiful K-8 schools in the state of Florida.  Parents are very pleased that their children have a cultural community center and park to go to for after school programs. These programs enrich the children’s knowledge and cater the needs of parents who work late through the day.  The new public library at City Hall is a Mecca for avid readers and computer users among us. All residents can proudly go to the beach through our beautiful Samson Oceanfront Park or through one of the many public beaches accessed along Collins Avenue. North Bay Road has become a beautiful road with the attractive Senator Gwen Margolis Park for the city residents to enjoy. This has replaced the drug-infested wetland area.

Before the incorporation of Sunny Isles Beach in 1997, Sunny Isles used to have 11 high rises which included 7 at Winston Towers, 3 at Oceania and Sands Pointe. All high rises were between 24-30 stories and were the initial tax base for Sunny Isles Beach after its incorporation. . By natural progression of replacing the run down crime rampant motels with residential condominiums, Sunny Isles beach was able to increase its tax base and purchase expensive lands for Samson Oceanfront Park, Sen. Gwen Margolis Park, Heritage Park, Pelican Park and the K-8 Community School.

Many cities and towns in Miami-Dade and Broward counties which were incorporated 60, 70 and 80 years ago have seen a very minimal growth of community development and services for their residents due to a consistent low tax base. They have had budgetary cycles in the red with notable layoffs of staff for city services including police force due to the down turn in real property values.  At the same time Sunny Isles Beach has been able to stay within its budgetary needs, with minimal impact on city services during these hard times because of a fiscally responsible City Government of Mayor and Commissioners who created reserve funds to alleviate the burden in the event of a down turn in property values. This is smart planning and responsible government which has the best interest of the residents and the city at heart.

One geographical challenging fact in our city is the location with the Atlantic Ocean along one side and the Intracoastal Waterway on the other.  The distance between these two bodies of water is small and since our city lies almost completely at sea level this posed a particular problem for the storm water drainage system. City engineers along with experts in the field have come together and the city has already successfully alleviated the areas near our school and are now moving to resolve the other public areas of the city where the problem exists. This is a complex undertaking where success is not always guaranteed.

Conclusively is Sunny Isles Beach a Garden of Eden? Of course not. Has Sunny Isles Beach become home to families whose children go to a very good school, get to play in beautiful parks, go to the beach through a beautiful oceanfront park and have the best public services and police protection around. Of course – the answer is Yes!
All that was achieved in our city over the years was a fruition of well thought and responsible planning where our children can grow academically, our seniors can enjoy community services and where our young adults can build a family and a future.”

Letters, suggestions and ideas are welcome from our Sunny Isles Beach residents. Please send your correspondence to Stephanie DeThomas c/o SIB Sun, Sunny Isles Beach Government Center, 18070 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 or via e-mail sdethomas@sibfl.net. For information to be considered you must include your name and contact information for verification. Letters may be edited for content. Submission does not guarantee publication. Article space is limited.  The City of Sunny Isles Beach reserves the right not to publish all letters received.