Who Should Run Broward’s 911?

[0:12] Hey, what's up, Lauderdale? Uncle Marv here, and welcome to the Let's Talk Lauderdale podcast, where we keep you connected to the people, places, and stories that make this community home.

[0:26] So yes, I am back after another short hiatus. I was up in Chicago for another tech conference. Yes, still the season of conferences. I have actually another one this upcoming week, And then I have another one in November. And then it'll be holidays. So it should be very interested. Well, today we're getting started with decisions that could affect your wallet, your public safety. We're going to follow back on Amendment 3, which we talked about two episodes ago. We're going to talk about voting because that is coming up. And Broward's growing battle over who should run 9-1-1. So we got some interesting news coming up, so let's go ahead and get started.

[1:16] First up, two episodes ago, we talked about Amendment 3, which is this year's proposal that concerns property taxes. And the debate is about how much homeowners could save and how local governments would make up the difference. Now, for a full recap, head back to our episode released on September 5th titled, What Amendment 3 Could Mean for Lauderdale? And you'll get all the information there. What I really want to focus on is voting. Whatever your position is on Amendment 3 and some of the other stuff, make sure that your ballot gets counted. So I do a mail-in ballot, so I don't go out to the polls and stuff. But if you want to find out where your local polling information is or if you want to get a ballot by mail, everything starts at BrowardVotes.gov. Now, the first thing you should know that if you are requesting a vote-by-mail ballot.

[2:18] You need to get that request in by Thursday, October 22nd at 5 p.m., and your completed ballot must reach the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day. That is received by. Don't wait until November 3rd to mail it. So, again, start at BrowardVotes.gov. That is the county's official page that provides the request portal, ballot tracking, return instructions. You can actually look up polling locations. You can get a whole bunch of information there.

[2:54] If you need to update your address, if you want to check provisional ballot status, there's a lot of stuff that you can do there. And if you are a candidate or a poll worker, there's some information for you as well. there. So if the ballot is going to an address already on file, you can request it by phone. And that number is 954-357-7055. Again, that's 954-357-7055. And if you are traveling or staying somewhere else, if you're one of those snowbirds or something, pay attention to the address. The Postal Service will not forward your vote-by-mail ballot. If you need it sent to an address, the elections office does not have on file, then you must request the statewide form with a change of address. And then, of course, once the ballot arrives, follow the instructions, sign the voter certificate on the return, send it, and then track it.

[4:00] Also, one other thing to note, a missing signature or one that does not match the record can create a problem. Florida does give you the opportunity to correct it. It says that the cure affidavit and identification must be submitted by 5 p.m. On the second day after the election, which is November 5th. But if you wait that long, well, the election might be over. So do everything that you need to do accordingly. If you prefer early voting, Broward's published schedule runs October 19th through November 1st, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Again, all of that can be found at BrowardVotes.gov.

[4:44] So from voting to public safety, Broward County and Sheriff Gregory Toney are in another high state's disagreement. This time, who should operate the regional 911 system? So the Sun Sentinel reported just over the weekend that commissioners placed a decision on their next Tuesday agenda, about moving consolidated regional E-9-1 operations that includes call taking and dispatch, from the Broward Sheriff's Office to county government. And that meeting falls on October 6th. So if you're listening in real time, yeah, coming up quick. So as of this recording, a takeover is under consideration, not a completed change. The county already owns the equipment and infrastructure, according to Commissioner Lamar Fisher, who proposed returning operations to county control. The Sheriff's Office has managed the service since 2014. Now, the latest tension follows a September 29th budget workshop. County officials said their expected Senior Sheriff's Office representative to attend, but neither of those nor the sheriff appeared. The absence intensified calls for a change in control.

[6:07] Then came another development. Sheriff Tony announced he was suspending budget talks with the county commission, citing an ongoing Office of the Statewide Prosecutor Investigation. He said the decision was intended to avoid disruption or questions about whether the investigation could influence budget decisions and was not a judgment about its outcome. So there are a lot of competing budget narratives here. Tony has argued that BSO needs more money to raise salaries and remain competitive in recruiting. The county has accused the agency of financial mismanagement and moving money away from salaries to preferred projects. Those are opposing claims in an ongoing dispute, not findings that we should treat as settled. So this also sits alongside a separate county decision to take over fire rescue services after the current agreement expires in 2028, and that is distinct from the proposed 911 transition. So for residents, the important questions go beyond whose name is on a dispatcher's paycheck.

[7:19] What would a transition cost? How would experienced staff be retained? Who would be accountable for performance? and how would officials protect uninterrupted emergency service during any handover? So those are questions to watch, not answers the current reporting has established. We'll be watching what commissioners actually decide, and we'll see what happens.

[7:46] So here's a battle that is very interesting. Of course, it's a weird transition from an emergency dispatch to a neighborhood disagreement. But if my previous co-host Jen was here, we would have a nice conversation about this. We're actually moving up to Boca. At Lotus Palm and West Boca Raton, a conflict involving pickleball teams, contracts and accusations about money has turned into a lawsuit, tennis and pickleball professional William Ljungstrom and his company, Swede Dreams, are suing the homeowners association, its management company, and three board members. The lawsuit was filed September 14th, but new reporting published after October 5th brings the dispute into this week's news. So, according to the complaint, The association renewed Ljungstrom's agreements in July. Around that time, Ljungstrom alleges that board member Jeffrey Spitzer began objecting to how he assembled pickleball teams.

[8:55] Lundstr m claims those disagreements and messages he described as aggressive and threatening helped fuel his eventual dismissal. That is his allegation, not a court finding. The dispute escalated on August 11th. Lundstr m says the association handed him a termination letter, ordered him to leave immediately, and required him to remove his belongings and equipment from the pro shop while management representatives and a security officer watched. He also alleges that an association-wide email accused him of stealing money. His lawsuit calls that accusation false and includes claims for defamation, interference with a contract, civil theft, and breach of contract.

[9:44] Separately, he alleges that the defendants made at least $6,000 or more in unauthorized withdrawals from his business bank account after his termination. So Ljungstrom is seeking damages, a public retraction and apology, attorney's fees, and a jury trial. Now, there's another legal wrinkle. The latest report says pickleball professional Keener filed a lawsuit separate against Ljungstrom and his company on October 1st, and unfortunately, we don't have enough detail about that one to explain the case's allegations and responsibility, but here's the important thing. The account we have is largely drawn from Ljungstrom's complaint. It does not establish that anyone stole money, retaliated against him, or violated a contract.

[10:38] The reporting reviewed also does not supply a substantive response from the association or the other defendants. So for South Florida residents, we know that HOAs have been in the crosshairs of a lot of things about having too much power, should they be abolished, fees have got to be lowered, all of that stuff. So this is a story to watch about what happens when recreation, business arrangement, and HOA politics collide.

[11:12] All right let's move to some restaurant news so, this is a restaurant that when i first moved uh here in 92 i lived in pompano, and one of the best burger places at the time i found was jack's old-fashioned hamburger house, well it's been some time since then and jack's is still around, but now it could be expanding beyond Broward. So a recent report from What Now says Florida restaurant licensing records indicate a planned move into the Miami area. So this will add to the two locations that it has now, one on South Cypress Road in Pompano and the other at 4201 North Federal Highway in the Oakland Park area. So obviously, this is not our opening announcement. This is just an expansion plan. And we yet to have heard about a Miami address, an opening date, size, ownership, all of that stuff. So if you're planning a road trip, hang on to that date for now. So if you don't know, this has been a familiar local burger name, potentially reaching a new market.

[12:33] It has been a staple, at least since I've been here in 92. I actually didn't get to check when it opened but should be an interesting deal here.

[12:44] So we head a little further north and cover a story about a Deerfield Beach pizza shop that is getting attention for something that isn't a topping.

[12:56] It promised not to use artificial intelligence. So CBS Miami reported over the weekend that family-owned Munchys Pizza went viral after posting its position on social media. The TikTok post had nearly 110,000 views and more than 25,000 likes at the time of the report. Owner Munchy Su says the issue was personal. He told CBS that the shop's original Instagram account, which had more than 30,000 followers, was hacked by what he described as an AI profile. So after spending thousands promoting that account, he says he tried for three months to reach Meta and received automated responses rather than human help.

[13:45] The fact that his account of what happened is not completely independently established, so it's a weird explanation of the hack. But Sue also worries about jobs. His position is that he does not want a computer taking over a human employee's work. So CBS included a different perspective from University of Miami Business School Dean Paul Pavlou. So, he expects AI to create jobs overall and predicts that hospitality's hands-on work will be less affected in the foreseeable future than some other kinds of employment. He also acknowledged concerns about misuse by bad actors and systems behaving unpredictably. Those are forecasts, not guarantees. So there are two debates here, what AI will do to employment and what happens when a small business needs help and cannot reach a person.

[14:49] So I work in the tech field. This is a very interesting conversation for me. We have it all the time with a lot of things. So I can only tell you this for now. My take right now is that you don't have to agree with every prediction about AI to appreciate the frustration of getting stuck in an automated support loop. That's happened for many, many years, even with phone trees and the automation that we had before. So it's coming, folks. But for Munchys, a very human message has become a very visible part of its brand. I do think that that's what's going to happen to a lot of places. If you want to deal with the human, then companies that keep that human aspect first, um, will be what makes them stand out.

[15:41] So from neighborhood pizza to a decidedly dressed-up night out, Caviar Club is preparing for its October 27th opening at 833 East Las Olas Boulevard. So in a recent interview with The Browardist, restaurateur Marc Fasero made one thing clear. Despite the name, this is simply not a caviar bar. He describes it as a retro-glam American steakhouse inspired by the excess and luxury of the 1980s. So, think tableside Dover sole, prime dry-aged and Wagyu steaks, and a room designed to become livelier later in the evening. So, because of some of the previous stories.

[16:36] Uh, speculation and talk about what type of event that it is. They had to clean up, uh, some of the more practical questions. So first off, you do not have to be a member. The public can book dinner in the main dining room or visit the bar room for cocktails and bites. There will be a separate private membership program that offers additional access and benefits. Also, you do not need a sport coat, but it is not a flip-flops and shorts destination. So the announced dress code excludes shorts, it excludes athletic wear and hats and excludes sandals for gentlemen. Notice I said gentlemen. The age policy matters as well. Children under five are not permitted. There are no highchairs, and strollers are not allowed inside.

[17:33] After 8.30 p.m., all guests must be 21 or older to enter. The barroom is scheduled to open daily at 4 p.m. Reservations are strongly encouraged for both rooms, including the bar and lounge seating, and are available exclusively through the restaurant's websites. There will be a limited number of early evening barroom seats that are going to be available for walk-ins.

[18:01] Um, let's talk about some events, but I want to start by talking about the fact that I had to go into, uh, one of the local depot stores and get a new lawnmower. Um, and I had to do that because, well, first of all, I should let you know, we've had an electric mower since we've had our house and we've already had to replace a battery once. And then we had to replace a battery again. And you know, because of all of the surcharges and stuff going on, the battery was so much that it was, you know what? It was almost as much as getting a new lawnmower. So I went and got the new lawnmower. And one of the first things I saw walking in the store, Christmas decorations. Folks, it is October and there are Christmas decorations up already. So with that, I would like to talk about some fall, even though the weather has not received the memo.

[19:07] So let's start with the fact that NBC6 Roundup highlights two Broward options. If you are looking for where to go to get your pumpkins and get your fall decor, because it is yet only October, the places you want to go are Flamingo Road Nursery and the Mirando Farms and Ranch. They offer two different experiences depending on whether you want seasonal decor and photo backdrops or more of an animal and farm outing. So first, Flamingo Road Nursery is in Davie. It is on South Flamingo Road. Its seasonal setup includes pumpkins, bums, cornstalks, hay bale, scarecrows, and fall displays. That makes it a useful stop for people shopping for a seasonal look as well as families looking for an outing. Now, Mirando Farms and Ranch is Southwest 64th Avenue in Davie.

[20:13] That has a $5 admission to the pumpkin patch or a $20 wristband covering the patch, petting zoo, train ride, and hayride. So the ranch official hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and then 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It is closed Wednesdays. So those are general ranch hours. So you must confirm the actual pumpkin patch and activity schedules before heading over. Now, going back to the Flamingo Road Nursery, they do have $20 admission for the fall experience, and they too have hayrides, pumpkin painting, creative displays, and frozen apple cider among the attractions. So the nursery says festival tickets are purchased at the counter on arrival, and list festival hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

[21:13] Uh just a weird little event to throw out your way on Halloween day something for the adults, Broward county's main library is hosting Halloween disco karaoke, on Saturday the 31st from 2 30 to 3 30 p.m. i know it sounds like a weird thing but you may want to consider it out uh the location is the second floor multi-purpose room. The main library is downtown Fort Lauderdale, folks, at 100 South Andrews Avenue. The theme is 1970s Halloween disco with light refreshments. Participants can choose a sing-along option or a traditional karaoke-style performance with the music playing in the background so you can have fun without having to carry an entire song solo. So this is listed for adults and new adults, not as a children's Halloween program. So registration is available through the library's official event listing. And it's very interesting because I went and checked it out and the page only shows 14 seats remaining. So you may want to get over there and check that out.

[22:31] Well, that is what's happening around Greater Lauderdale today. Important decisions to understand, local businesses to discover, and plenty of reasons to get out and enjoy the season. If you like the episode, folks, follow Let's Talk Lauderdale wherever you listen and share this episode with a neighbor who likes knowing what's happening close to home. Then make sure you make a plan. Support a local restaurant. Find your perfect pumpkin. explore a different part of Broward or take your disco voice downtown, I'm Marv Fultz thank you for listening stay connected, stay curious and enjoy this place we call home and until next time let's keep talking Lauderdale.