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Commissioner’s Message

From the Desk of Commissioner Heather Moraitis
t is an honor to represent you on the Fort Lauderdale City Commission! District 1
is more than my current home; it’s where I was born, work, play, and raised my
Ifamily. I was born at Holy Cross Hospital, worked at Westminster Academy,
paddleboard and walk along the Galt Ocean Mile beach, and raised two
daughters (Alexis 19, Catherine 16) with George, my husband of 23 years.

On March 20, the new commission was sworn in and we are already hard at work
addressing your issues, as we plan for the future of our city. The city recently
conducted a neighborhood survey, which highlighted three areas of concern I am
committed to improving: traffic flow, homelessness, and public education.
In District 1, Sunrise Boulevard from Gateway to I 95 has been identified as a top
priority for improving traffic flow. The Sunrise Signal Retiming effort is underway
with a consultant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), working
with Broward County Signal staff, to retime all the signals for improved traffic flow.
The schedule for implementing this plan is fall 2018. FDOT is also studying a
Heather Moraitis flyover near Gateway Plaza to allow vehicles to move from Sunrise to US 1.
District 1 Commissioner
According to the survey, 81% of us see homeless people throughout our community on
a daily basis. The city, county, state, and federal government, along with numerous
local nonprofits allocate resources, but we still have a homeless problem. The goal is to
provide permanent housing, with support services, to ensure the cycle of homelessness
is broken. As a community, we must collaborate at all levels to leverage resources and
commit to expanding housing options at current shelters or new options.

As an educator, I value access to excellent public education from preschool to
college. 19% of neighbors surveyed thought the quality of our public middle
schools was good or excellent. I hear concerns from many friends and neighbors in
our city about public school options for middle school. I am committed to working
with our current public schools or exploring a charter school in Fort Lauderdale to
provide excellent options for middle school.
Upcoming Meetings:
Please join me from 6:00PM – 7:00PM for a District 1 Pre-agenda Meeting:
• April 2 at Beach Community Center, 3351 NE 33rd Avenue (always first
Monday of each month)
• April 16 at Broward Health Imperial Point, 6401 N Federal Hwy (always third
Monday of each month)
Office Contact: For More Information:
Melissa Coningsby
District 1 Commission Assistant • An overview of current District 1 and Citywide Public Works Projects, including
Email: mconingsby@fortlauderdale.gov water & sewer infrastructure, can be found at gis.fortlauderdale.gov/LauderWorks.
Phone: 954.828.5667 • Sign-up for Email Updates/Newsletters to get additional links to important city
information, upcoming events, photos, commission agendas and meeting
reminders for district meetings. Please contact District 1 Assistant Melissa
Coningsby, mconingsby@fortlauderdale.gov or 954-828-5033, to receive emails
or to schedule an appointment.
• Follow Commissioner Moraitis on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn @heathermoraitis
• Learn more about District 1 at fortlauderdale.gov/district1

Heather Moraitis
District 1 Commissioner
16 The Landings & Bay Colony