Fort Lauderdale voters got a preview of the District 2 commission candidates running in the Nov. 5 election during a lively forum hosted by the Fort Lauderdale Council of Civic Associations.
The forum, moderated by South Florida Sun Sentinel Deputy Opinions Editor Dan Sweeney, allowed candidates to share their perspectives on controversial topics that included downtown development, the homeless crisis and the debate over whether the county should build a bridge or tunnel to get commuter trains across the New River.
District 2 includes 24 neighborhoods from the beach to Las Olas, Victoria Park, Sailboat Bend and downtown’s Flagler Village.
Voters who live in the district will have three choices: Chad Van Horn, a bankruptcy attorney making his first run for office; Charlotte Rodstrom, a former Fort Lauderdale commissioner seeking a return to office; and retired teacher Steve Glassman, the incumbent.
The winner will initially earn a yearly salary of $88,500. That will increase to $89,100 on Dec. 1 as part of the commission’s automatic yearly raise.
Comments have been edited for brevity.
Opening remarks
Glassman: “I’m concluding my second term in office as a very proud District 2 commissioner. Also serving my second stint as vice mayor. I began as the president of an association on the beach. Served on planning and zoning (and the) beach redevelopment advisory board. I love this city and I so much look forward to serving another four years.”
Rodstrom: “I’ve been a commissioner from 2006 to 2012. Served on numerous boards. Married to John Rodstrom, the county commissioner. Had three sons, raised them all here in this town, and I’ve lived here for 60 years — 40 years in District 2.”
Van Horn: “The reason I’m running is because Fort Lauderdale has given me so much, that I can never give enough back. I bought my first home here. I own a business where we employ over 40 people. It’s a bankruptcy law firm. On a daily basis I deal with the issues of people that are struggling. And I wanted to give back more. So this was a natural step.”
Looking ahead, what direction would you like to see future development take?
Glassman: “The development downtown is exactly where we wanted it to be. It was not that long ago that we had a very blighted downtown. In fact in the 1990s, practically no one lived in downtown Now our downtown rivals our seaport and our airport as an economic engine. That’s incredible in just 20 years. We work very closely with our staff, with our neighborhoods to make sure that our neighborhoods are protected. We have transition zones now. Those transition zones protect each and every neighborhood from the encroachment of that development. But do we want the development? Do we want the height? Do we want the density downtown? Yes we do. That’s exactly what the master plan said. That’s exactly what we have executed. It’s been tremendously successful and at the same time protecting the integrity and the quality of life of our neighborhoods.”
Rodstrom: “I don’t see how you can possibly protect the quality of life of neighborhoods if you’re putting up three 35-story buildings at the Searstown site. (Note: Two towers will be 30 stories and the third will be 21 stories.) I believe that growth needs to be managed. I believe that we need wider sidewalks. I believe we need more green space. And I believe we need infrastructure with our sewer and water taken care of before we approve any more large-scale developments. Don’t forget, the RAC (Regional Activity Center zoning that allows for more dense development) was extended up to Sunrise Boulevard. It used to be in the downtown. The downtown has now encroached to the Sunrise (Boulevard) area. That is a huge encroachment on neighborhoods, especially Victoria Park, Progresso Village and other neighborhoods.”
Van Horn: “Overdevelopment is a massive issue in Fort Lauderdale. Within the last 24 hours I had flooding in Flagler Village. The flooding is because of overdevelopment. If we’re going to go to 500 feet (residential towers), the people on the top floors might be able to stay there 10, 20, 30 years from now. But everybody below is going to be flooded. We need to focus on keeping our city as it is and have sustainable growth and not this crazy growth where whatever you apply for, go ahead, we’ll grant the variance.”
Is the city’s infrastructure keeping up with development?
Glassman: “When Charlotte (Rodstrom) served on the commission, those were the years nothing was done about infrastructure. In fact, the reason we are spending $1.6 billion right now on fixing infrastructure is because when she served on the commission, not one penny was spent on infrastructure. And the money that was supposed to be allocated for infrastructure was raided to balance the budget. We are making up for lost time with infrastructure. I am very proud of the fact that we have committed $1.6 billion to make sure we are making up for past decades of neglect.”
Rodstrom: “No, (infrastructure) is not keeping up with what is going on. And the commission has just approved more development for Flagler Village. If you go on the Downtown Development Authority’s website, you’ll see all of the developments that they have approved with this current commission. Growth is not paying for itself. Growth is not keeping up with the infrastructure. And growth has to be managed properly for our neighborhoods to be able to thrive and enjoy life here in Fort Lauderdale.” In response to Glassman’s comments, Rodstrom said she voted against raiding the water and sewer infrastructure fund to help balance the budget when she was on the commission.
Van Horn: “The short answer is no. I live in a townhome. And our basement, when you run the water, you hear bubbling sometimes. That’s when you know something’s going to happen. And that something could be really, really bad if it comes up through the showers. These are things that our residents should not have to deal with. We should have a first-class city. Look what the commission is spending the money on. When I’m in there, I promise you, I am going to get rid of the fluff and we are going to focus on things like making sure sewage is not coming up through our showers.”
What’s your position on the bridge vs. tunnel for commuter rail at the New River crossing?
Glassman: “I am adamantly opposed to what a bridge would do to my district, downtown neighborhoods and also neighborhoods in other parts of our city. We have to make sure that we are working with the county but not just giving in to the county. Trust me, they’re not going to get the funding they need either unless the federal government sees that we are walking together in sync. I don’t think we have to say, ‘Whatever they want. They’re the county.’ We have to stand up for our neighborhoods.”
Rodstrom: “I’ll tell you right now that I am totally convinced that the county can afford to do what they’re going to do. I don’t think it’s our place as the city to stand in their way (of building a bridge). The city right now is already over budget with all kinds of things that they’re doing. If the county’s willing to pay for it, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Van Horn: “I’m from the City of Bridges. I’m from Pittsburgh originally. It’s really a Broward County issue because we cannot fund the tunnel and we cannot fund the bridge without Broward County. Now, ideally, we would have the tunnel. But I don’t think we’re going to get the funding for that. So we’re going to have to deal with a bridge.”
Closing remarks
Van Horn: “This is how bad I want to be your commissioner. One of our number one issues we have in the city that hasn’t been addressed today is homelessness. I’m going to donate my entire salary to homeless charities when I become commissioner until we get it fixed, which probably will take much longer than four years (the length of a commission term). We’re going to work on that. It’s on all of us in the city to work together to solve these issues. We have to work together as a community to solve these really tough issues.”
Rodstrom: “I also think there’s an issue with the homeless. And I think we need to work with the county better. I don’t think the current city commission is working well enough with the county. I’ve spoken to several people from the county, and they just don’t get along. This idea of let’s not give the county everything they want, that’s a terrible idea. We have to negotiate with the county. The county has a lot more money and a lot more power than we have. It takes all of us. It takes all the cities. It’s not just Fort Lauderdale (with a homeless problem). It’s Wilton Manors. It’s Oakland Park. Everybody has to be involved. Charlotte Rodstrom running for District 2, please consider me again.”
Glassman: “Charlotte, we’re not going back. We have our challenges. There’s no city in the United States that’s perfect. There’s no city, though, that has done more in the last six and a half years that I can remember, when I read what’s going on around the country. There’s a reason that people are flocking here. There’s a reason businesses are establishing themselves here. Do we have challenges? Yes we do. But I am so proud of what we have accomplished. We have dealt with a lot of homeless initiatives. In fact, most of the affordable housing is in my district. We have been dealing with all of our public spaces. All of our public spaces, like the Swimming Hall of Fame, were left in decay for decades. Now they’ve all come back. We have a lot to be proud of.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan