LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK

Anthony J. Abbate, architect. Resistance is building to yet another proposed public-private partnership in the city of Fort Lauderdale. Follow this story, as opposition seems to be mounting against an agreement with My Park Initiative LLC, a proposed privately operated concession and construction of 41 pickleball courts, bocce, shuffleboard, “beach” volleyball, restaurant and pro-shop on a five-acre area in the southwest corner of the popular Snyder Park. The park, known for its natural habitat, is popular in a city with 108 parks accessible to 79% of its residents, according to the Trust for Public Land.

Debbi Hixon, member, Broward County School Board. BCPS is developing the framework for a much-needed long-range facilities plan, and community input is needed. A long-range facilities plan is a look ahead at how existing facilities can best be adapted to meet the changing needs of the community and alternatives in allocating facility resources to meet future educational program needs. A community town hall will be held to provide the community with an update on the framework being developed as well as gather feedback from stakeholders. The event begins promptly at 7 p.m. at Plantation High School on Wednesday, Jan. 11. It will also be livestreamed at becon.tv/yourvoice.

Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, president and CEO, Community Foundation of Broward. Fort Lauderdale’s growing pains will trigger new traffic hassles next week, with the Kinney Tunnel scheduled to be closed from Jan. 9 through Jan. 13 for an ongoing improvement project. As downtown commuters, residents and visitors know, closing the heavily traveled tunnel makes already challenging traffic even trickier. Let’s all try to leave a little earlier and muster a little more patience as we endure the temporary shutdown to this stretch of U.S. 1 from Southeast Second Street to Southeast Seventh Street. Frustrating as the inconvenience may be, it’s paving the way for better days ahead.

Wendy Sartory Link, supervisor of elections, Palm Beach County. Municipal Election Day is March 14, 2023, in Palm Beach County. The deadline to register to vote in the 2023 municipal elections is Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. You may register to vote online at VotePalmBeach.gov or in person at any of our four offices Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Click on the “My Status” button on our website to determine whether your municipality is having an election, view your sample ballot once available, find your Election Day polling location, or verify the status of your vote-by-mail request. Visit your municipality’s website for more election information.

Howard Simon, retired executive director, ACLU of Florida. Except to his most rigid devotees, Gov. DeSantis’ rhetoric, including his inaugural address, sounds strange: up is down and discussions in universities and corporate seminars on topics he dislikes, like gender equity and racial injustice, should be restricted to make Florida a free state. But authoritarian rhetoric doesn’t become policy unless upheld by courts. As 2023 unfolds, we should be prepared for the shock of state and federal appellate courts giving the green light to much of his anti-freedom policies. Many judges have been appointed precisely with the expectation that they will find a way to make the absurd constitutional.

Thomas Wenski, archbishop, Archdiocese of Miami. The federal government should broadly interpret and robustly enforce our nation’s laws protecting the exercise of religious beliefs and moral convictions in health care, commonly called the “Conscience Rule.” But on Dec. 29, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued proposed revisions that suggest that “desire for abortion and other procedures can override rights of conscience.” No health care worker should be pressured or penalized by the government to perform abortions or gender-transition procedures that go against his or her conscience. Pope Francis has called conscientious objection “the ultimate responsibility of healthcare professionals,” one that “should never be negotiated.”

Beam Furr, member, Broward County Commission. On Tuesday, the Broward County Board of County Commissioners will host an emergency meeting on our 911 system. At this meeting, every possible solution will be examined and discussed. We are fully committed as a commission to moving forward and placing the safety of our residents first. We must take a holistic look at short-term and long-term solutions to make sure our system operates the best it possibly can. This is a complex issue with many moving parts. However, we must avoid pointing fingers or panicking. Instead, this is the time to collaborate responsibly and act steadily with urgency.

Lori Berman, member, Florida Senate. Rep. Hillary Cassel and I recently filed an updated version of “Greyson’s Law.” Greyson was a vibrant 4-year-old boy, the son of Ali Kessler, who was killed by his deranged father in a murder-suicide. Greyson’s Law would change factors a court must consider when reviewing issues of child custody and parental responsibility, including previous or ongoing domestic violence, abuse, abandonment or neglect. While the loss of Greyson is incomprehensible, we hope this legislation will protect children, prevent another such tragedy and honor him and his family.