Tina Paul for Commissioner Town of Surfside
Answers to Questions Residents are Asking…
What is your position on development in Surfside?
My position has always been for responsible, sensible development and I am supportive of Historic Preservation. Having been in office for two terms I learned to recognize the need for growth. This does not have to translate into large development, it can involve re-use of buildings or moderate development.
What is your position on P3 Developments and Town Assets?
As a Commissioner I was open to the idea of a P3 based on the ongoing Commission discussions for the need of a parking garage before being elected. It was not something I personally wanted however, in my role I viewed this possibility objectively, with the intention to base my decision from community input. Once it was clear our community did not want the P3 the decision was not to consider any P3s for the Town. At some point we may need to explore ways to expand our Town's Assets and this should be done with symmetry of the Town.
What is your position on Traffic?
Traffic is reliant on times of day and what happens North and South of us. Traffic incursion is something we experience when there are problems in other areas. We can't stop traffic however we should be able to monitor and control speed and recklessness. I requested more diligence for ticket violations to establish Surfside as an area not to speed in.
What is your position with the Beach?
The Beach is our greatest asset. I believe many residents moved here for the close proximity to the Beach and the Beach needs our protection as a fragile environment and natural habitat. I did not support Beach Furniture as a resident and as a Commissioner I had to acknowledge this as an amenity and try to reach a proper balance. The Commission prior to me did not handle the issue and it is was not handled correctly by this Commission. Currently, there is not enough support to correct what's being done and I hope that will change. We made progress by removing the overnight storage and still need to eliminate the commercial vehicle use and pre-set of chairs.
What is your position on Tax?
By Tax, do you mean property tax or resort tax? Since I have been on the Commission, we lowered the millage rate however this was misleading because it did not reflect a lower amount residents pay in property taxes. The valuation of property has gone up and while that can be viewed as good, the opposite side is the need for more services and bigger government. In regards to the resort tax, while it pays for our Community Center it does not cover the infrastructure and impact of increased tourism. I started looking into the Tourism budget because it appeared that their focus was more on promotion and not balanced with maintenance and cleanliness of the Town.
What is your position on water?
I have been a strong advocate for clean water. In 2016, I sponsored an urging resolution for the EPA to strengthen water quality criteria. In 2018, I sponsored an urging resolution to oppose seismic airgun blasting for off shore oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic Ocean and an urging resolution to retain NOAA fisheries scientific headquarters in Virginia Key. An urging resolution brings attention to an issue though it is really only wishful thinking. I've attended seminars and study issues affecting our water like the myriad of Sargassum. I requested our Senator and lobbyist make clean water a legislative priority for Surfside. We've had too many unswimmable days due to bacteria in the ocean and this is one of the most important issues that effects our entire region.
What is your position on our Business District?
The Business District has been improving in part due to the DVAC committee who have brought attention to issues with empty storefronts. I suggested the possibility of a vacancy tax for properties that remain vacant for prolonged time. If we have less vacant stores I am hopeful the business district will become more vibrant and diverse.
Underground Wires
I am supportive of undergrounding utility wires and think this is the direction most of the State of Florida is going towards. As a state-wide issue, the Florida Public Service Commission is working with FPL to provide a report that determines which areas will benefit most from undergrounding wires. Municipalities that qualify would require an initial deposit with the balance to be paid over time through a cost recovery plan. I am in favor of Surfside participating in this plan and will follow up on how to get it started. The other option is hardening the wires and I would caution against the use of concrete poles near our homes.
Gated Residential Community
During my 4 years on the Commission, the possibility of gating the community was placed on the agenda and then deferred without discussion. I read the material (on pages 116 -147 on the link bellow) regarding procedure for how this is done. The item was not presented again, therefore a discussion among the Commission and community did not take place.
My understanding is that a special taxing district needs to be formed by petition to Miami-Dade County with at least 50% of homeowners signatures in support. Increased costs will be associated with gating the community and a detailed plan must be submitted and outlined in accompaniment to the petition. Interested residents have suggested looking at neighboring communities that are gated. While more research needs to be done about how this could work in Surfside I would support placing this item back on the agenda for discussion and also would support placing it as a ballot question for residents to decide at the next election.
New Residential Street Lighting
We began the process of the conversion to LED street lighting in August 2019. It is important to evaluate how this is working out and how it can be improved. Town staff is currently assessing the new lighting and will be reporting back to the Commission.
More Beat Police Presence in the Business District
I have always advocated for and supported adding Police Officers. At the next Commission meeting I will be presenting a discussion item to help alleviate the double parking issues in the Business District.
Upgraded Parks
When I was elected to the Commission in 2016, I became the liaison to the Parks and Recreation committee. I learned about their 5 year plan that included improvements for all Park facilities. The Tennis center had been completed and the Tot Lot was upgraded in January 2017. 96th Street Park is next, and an RFQ has been sent out in search of Architects and construction companies.
Second Floor on Community Center w/o closure of Center
I support adding a second floor to the Community Center and/ or an addition to the Town Hall building that is within the scale of the Town. I don't know if it is possible to build a second floor to the Community Center without closure or interruption to the Center. Let's first see how 96th Street Park renovation is done because and addition to the Community Center would proceed after 96th Street Park is completed.
Resort Oriented Residents Service
I think we have good residential benefits and amenities like our Community Center and Parks with programming and events. I supported First Fridays and the Farmers Market and consider events essential for bringing people together. While our resort taxes fund the Community Center operations, the focus of our tourism department needs to concentrate less on promotion and more on appearance and cleanliness in order to counterbalance maintenance and infrastructure due to the impacts of tourism.
Repair ALL/ ANY flooding in town
I recommended the Abbott Ave drainage project as a legislative priority for funding. Flooding has become more intense in the past few years and we need to find ways to handle it and protect our properties. I attended the CLEO Institute class for Climate Communicators and the Southeast Florida Climate Compact and read many articles regarding flooding, sea level rise and climate change. We have to make sure the actions we take are correct and we have to repair todays issues before we can look at future initiatives. I think the Town should plant mangroves at 96th street park and the street ends by the bay for added protection.
Raise a Foot Get a Foot
In February 2018 the Commission passed Ordinance 18-1674 that addresses increases of base flood elevation requirements for single family homes.
Limiting Commission Meetings to 2 hours
While I would welcome this, it will translate into more meetings each week or less being accomplished. The Town Charter states that meetings start at 7pm and end by 11pm. Budget meetings start at 5 pm and Quasi Judicial meeting are usually at 6 pm. I have left at 11pm on occasions and the meetings continued without me so I usually stay because of the important issues. If you read the decorum at the beginning of each agenda there is a part that states Commissioners should likewise speak for 3 minutes. That doesn't happen and it is up to the presiding officer (the Mayor) to enact this. It would definitely help to shorten the meetings.
Stop the continuous never ending studies
I supported some studies like Abbott Avenue drainage and the Stormwater master plan. I am not a fan of studies, and think our administration is too dependent on studies. Unfortunately studies are necessary in some instances in order to get things done because they require engineering and other technical specific plans.
What are your intentions (if any) regarding the horrendous traffic conditions which have and continue to plague residential Surfside (not to mention the Commercial District) but most specifically Byron Avenue. Speed bumps do perform as intended on Byron, they are horrible to look at and do nothing to curb or slow down the flow of traffic!
In 2018, I presented a discussion item with a Visual Presentation for Quality of Life Initiatives to the Commission. This included examples of stronger signage, and positioning of traffic officers. These were things I observed while visiting the Philippines that worked, including speed bumps made of asphalt. My presentation wasn’t until late in the evening and there was little discussion or reaction to it. I also presented a powerpoint for creative crosswalks that included a proposal from a resident who is an Artist and that idea was also met with very little enthusiasm. At the March 2020 Commission meeting, I will present an idea to help alleviate Double Parking in the Business District on Harding Avenue.