Peter Weidinger agency provides funds

  Sure, times are tough, but there’s still some good out there. For example, on Thursday morning State Farm insurance agent Peter Weidinger presented a $500 check to the GFWC Plantation Woman’s Club. The club, which like most organizations has missed out on revenues this year, will apply the money toward one of its many beneficial endeavors.

  Woman’s Club president Lou Ireland accepted the check. The Woman’s Club works on several projects throughout the year. Then at council meetings the club presents checks for parks, fire and police, including money that helped buy a license-plate reader that flags cars whose drivers have outstanding warrants. The organization also awards scholarships.

 Weidinger, an acquaintance I made via a mutual love for bicycling, said he contacted State Farm’s corporate office, which passes money down for good causes. If you look closely, you’ll see Weidinger and Ireland shared an elbow bump.

  My role Thursday, which I think was executed splendidly, was to stand there and encourage everyone to keep doing whatever they can to make our city better. I must say, I am exhausted. Actually, Weidinger’s office associate, Maria Oliva, called me earlier in the week and said State Farm had the money and asked for Plantation causes. They selected the Woman’s Club from a few I rattled off, including my re-election campaign (joke).

Budget is council topic

  The next city council meeting is at 5 p.m. Monday, July 27, and we will be reading through the budget and setting the maximum millage rate. The current rate is 5.80 and that is the proposed rate for 2020-21. If you want to see the presentation, Zoom via navigating through Plantation.org.

  Our Finance Department provided me with an early copy of the budget. There are no large changes, other than the city has dialed back on capital improvements –new equipment, etc. – in anticipation of lower revenues because of Covid-19. The city is (correctly) expecting lower income via such things as sports registrations, building rentals and the like because of the pandemic.

  Your annual property tax (computed as your assesed value times the millage rate) pays for about half of our $111 million general fund ($85 million of that is personnel). The overall expenditures, which include special districts, capital projects and pensions, is $235 million as proposed.

   There will be two council meeting in September where we review the budget again and come to an agreement on what the final expenditures will be.

Fighting fight plans

  The Miami Herald printed a story Wednesday about residents concerned about a change in flight patterns out of Miami International Airport. There are similar concerns here about changes from FLL.

  Fort Lauderdale commissioner Ben Sorenson and activist Richard Cahoon (bchprop@mac.com) are arranging for a legal team that won a case against the FAA in Arizona – a rarity – to work on our behalf.

   At a June council meeting, Plantation’s Jay McMillan (fightngator@msn.com) stated that the new plans will affect some Plantation residents and the routes will be more consistent, meaning that selected homes will be holding their ears constantly.

Food at Central Park Friday

  City workers will again be distributing food Friday morning, July 24, at Plantation Central Park. The boxes, provided by Feeding South Florida, arrive via a truck early in the morning and we quickly get it all sorted out and set up an assembly line.

  The distribution is listed at 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. But because cars arrive as early as 4 a.m., if we are ready to get going earlier (it’s usually been 8 a.m.) then we start things up because there’s no reason to wait.

 Nick Sortal is president of the Plantation City Council. Contact him at 954-498-5337 or via NSortal@Plantation.org. This newsletter is shared via various social media platforms.