Once upon a time in the kingdom of Tamarac……
If I became the Queen of Tamarac, there would be quite a few things I would change under my rule:
1. My first job as queen would be to put a Starbucks on every corner. The way I see it, without a Starbucks in Tamarac, we’re nothing. I love Starbucks and without my caffeine I couldn’t even begin to make changes in my kingdom.
2. Term limit all homeowner association president and officers. These HOA’s officers have been running their neighborhoods for decades. We need fresh new blood in these communities and the constant complaint I hear is that no one wants to take their place. The problem is, I don’t think they really want to let go of their positions. I say, after five years of serving on an HOA, you’re history. Start finding your replacements and turn your communities over to newer people with different ideas. While we’re at that, I’ll create…
3. Term limits for city commissioners and the mayor. Two terms and they’re out the door. This would be to avoid those long term relationships with department heads and other city officials. We need to keep citizens in office who must remember that they represent their constituents, not the city.
4. As queen of Tamarac, make all department heads live in Tamarac. This includes the police chief, fire chief, head of public works and the city manager. I may even include code compliance in the mix. If we can’t find qualified Tamarac residents to fill these positions, then we’ll hire them from elsewhere like we always do and within 90 days they must make Tamarac their primary residence. This way our most highly paid and important city officials will actually live in the city they oversee and observe the issues we see on a daily basis. This way, they will be more invested in our community.
5. Bus shelters everywhere. Every bus stop that consists of a single yellow sign will be converted into a beautiful shelter complete with protection from the elements. Each will have adequate seating and a trash receptacle. Lighting will be solar generated. All shelters will match one another and no advertising will be allowed. Our citizens will no longer stand in the rain waiting for public transportation no more
7. Plastic bags will be banned. As queen, we will be Broward’s Green City and I will create a local ordinance banning these nuisance bags from local businesses. Shoppers must use their own recyclable bags or be charged $1.00 per bag.
8. The $1.00 bag fund will be used to fund our bus shelters as well as well as fund our annual free Thanksgiving feast hosted by the Tamarac Kiwanis every year at our community center for all that want to join.
9. Tamarac will join other cities and ban smoking in all public parks and outside of all businesses. Throwing out cigarettes from your car will be considered the the same as littering and will receive stiff fines of $250 per cigarette.
10. As a proponent of exercise I will make our beautiful Tamarac fitness center free of charge for all tax paying Tamarac residents.
11. Let all children who can swim use the water-slide at the Caporella Aquatic Center. Many parents have complained to me that their children, who are great swimmers cannot use the water-slide at the Caporella Aquatic Center because they are not tall enough. On summer days, the water-slide sits empty as children climb the stairs only to be turned away in tears because they aren’t the size of a small adult. As queen, I will, stop discriminating against short children and let these little swimmers use our water-slide.
12. Free WIFI in Tamarac. I would follow cities such as Raleigh, NC, Houston, TX and Seattle, WA and put hotspots around areas that residents or myself like to hang out so we can web surf.
13. Ban texting while driving. Although there isn’t a state ban yet, Tamarac will set precedence and make our own ban. So don’t even try to text and drive in Tamarac city limits, for we have enough bad drivers. First offense is relinquishing your phone. Second offense is getting a finger cut off.
14. Loud music ordinance. Driving through Tamarac with your windows down and your music blaring? You may want to take a detour through Lauderhill because in my kingdom, you will be fined $250. Be afraid. We will be listening.
15. Tamarac schools will be the best in the county. As queen, our schools in Tamarac will become so desirable that people like our city manager will be pulling his kids out of Parkland schools and sending them over to our schools. It would be my mission to make sure our building department doesn’t delay on that K-8 Charter School project with permit issues that drag on for weeks. The school would be built quickly for our children, attracting new residents into our community.
16. More parks would be built east of University for all the residents in the eastern part of the city.
17. Follow Lauderhill’s lead and build beautiful walls with lush landscaping around our communities. I would start in east Tamarac around Tamarac Lakes, then the Mainlands and move west from there.
18. Destroy the shopping center on the NE corner of University and Commercial. I can’t even name a single business in that strip center. It is a dead mall and an eyesore, although I would save Scruby’s on the side because they have good food.
19. Code enforcement would become stricter than ever. No more Christmas lights up in July, dogs barking incessantly at night or weedy looking lawns. Habitual offenders will spend the night in the Tamarac jail. Yes, Tamarac has a jail.
20. Last but not least, as queen I would declare that all Tamarac parks would be open on Mondays. I would open up those gates and let our residents, babies, dogs and skateboards through.
Don’t like my kingdom? Then I’m sure Sunrise or Lauderhill will happily accept a serf like you.
