BMSD Newsletter—November 2021
OIC of South Florida celebrates 20th Anniversary
Broward County contractor OIC of South Florida recently
celebrated its 20th Anniversary and kicked o a series of
yearlong fesvies.
Contracted by Broward
County, OIC’s Social
Enterprise Division (OIC-Si)
team cleans 40 bus
shelters a day, power
washes community
sidewalks, and provides
weekly lawn maintenance
in the BMSD, maintaining
approximately 42 properes. In addion to beaufying the
BMSD community, the OIC-Si division hires parcipants who
have been trained
through OIC’s workforce
development programs.
OIC serves Broward and
Miami-Dade Counes
and will be launching
community iniaves
such as Youth-led
YouTube Series and its
community-focused
podcast. To learn more
about OIC-Si, please visit oics.org/social-enterprise-division/
Community Events
LIBRARY
STEM for Kids: Lobe Your Brain (Online)
• Saturday, December 4, 11-12 pm
Learn how your brain works and make a
neuron cra!
Register: hp://lib.nova.edu/stem
Let My People Vote: Returning Cizens -
South Florida Social Jusce Common Read
• Saturday, December 4, 3-4:30 pm
• African American Research Library and
Cultural Center
• 2650 Sistrunk Blvd
Fort Lauderdale 33311
Series brings together key South Florida
instuons & organizaons with missions
related to the advancement of Black history,
educaon, advocacy, racial, social jusce.
hp://broward.libnet.info/event/5685154
PARKS
Hayride: includes S’mores goodie bag
• Friday, December 3, 6:30-9 pm
• Samuel Delevoe Park
• 2520 N.W. Sixth Street
Fort Lauderdale 33311
• 954-357-8801
Reserve Online $4/person ages 3 and up –
Preregistraon, prepayment required @
park oce or Webtrac.Broward.org
Silver Bells Senior Social Program
Winter Celebraon
• Thursday, December 9, 11-1 pm
• Samuel Delevoe Park
• 2520 Sistrunk Blvd
Fort Lauderdale 33311
• 954-357-8801
For seniors, the celebraon of
accomplishments at the year and holidays.
Winter Moneyland: Toy giveaway
• Sunday, December 12, 1-4 pm
• Roosevelt Gardens Park
Parent Toy Registraon
hps://forms.gle/RmMbmQ2cBBSh7mPR8
Josie Bacallao, retiring from Hispanic Unity of Florida
“During the past 17 years, I have been honored to be part of our HUF
Family and contribute to this organizaon, which has served more than
300,000 families and children in search of freedom and opportunity. And I
am above all proud and grateful to the HUF Family that made this possible
including our dedicated sta, supporve board members, engaged
volunteers, program partners and generous funders and donors.” Josie.
This dynamic Community leader and inuencer has le an indelible mark
in our community. Josie served since 2003 as the President/
CEO of a BMSD partner, Hispanic Unity of Florida. Thanks to
Josie’s vision, leadership, and immigrant advocacy, Hispanic
Unity was recognized in 2016 with the Aliate of the Year
Award from the Naonal Council of La Raza (NCLR), and in
2015 the agency was recognized with the Southeast Aliate
of the Year Award. NCLR is the largest Lano advocacy and
civil rights organizaon in the country.
Last year Ms. Bacallao chaired the Ethnic & Cultural Subcommiee for the Broward County
Complete Count Census 2020 Commiee. She was named to the Broward County Women’s
Hall of Fame and received United Way of Broward County’s Human Services Professional
Award.
Josie is married and they have a tuxedo cat, Rafaela. We thank Josie for her service!
2020 Census Redistricting Data Summary File
Recently, the U.S. Census Bureau released the 2020 Census Redistricng Data (Public Law 94-
171) Summary File to states and the public in an easier-to-use format. Redistricng is the
process of drawing boundaries for polical districts in the United States every 10 years. The
redistricng process re-balances districts to account for populaon shis, thus ensuring equal
representaon. In 2021, per state law, counes in Florida must redraw its County Commission
districts to account for changes in populaon since the last decennial census. In 2018,
Broward County’s voters approved an amendment to the Broward County Charter that
modied the County’s approach to redistricng. This amendment reinforces the County’s
policy of protecng vong rights by prohibing racial or parsan gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering is the manipulaon of electoral districts to favor or disfavor a parcular
person or group.
The Broward County Charter also requires the County to retain a public
Florida college or university to draw the County Commission districts.
Florida Internaonal University (FIU) was chosen to draw the new Broward
County Commission districts. Several Redistricng Community meengs
were held throughout Broward County in September and October and
provided residents the opportunity to parcipate and comment on the
proposed plans.
United Way of Broward County Launched a New Affordable Housing Initiative
The nonprot organizaon idened aordable housing as the biggest challenge facing South
Florida. They have made it their goal to reduce the housing gap. You can read more about it
on the Broward Housing Council Newsleer. Go to BrowardHousingCouncil.org/newsleer,
click the Fall 2021 edion, and look for Broward County News secon. The United Way’s
iniave is of crical importance for our community. Last year’s ALICE report (Asset Limited,
Income Constrained, Employed) indicated that 257,000 Broward County households, many of
which are people of color, are working families just one crisis away from not being able to
make housing payments.
Aordable housing is generally dened as housing that costs the occupant no more than 30
percent of his/her gross income, including ulies. Research shows that the shortage of
aordable housing costs the American economy about $2 trillion a year in lower wages and
producvity. Without aordable housing, families have constrained opportunies to increase
earnings (see hud.gov).
Aordable housing is somemes referred to as “workforce housing.” Teacher aides, nursing
assistants, retail workers, hotel clerks, government employees, and law enforcement are
among some of the workers our community rely upon that need aordable housing. These
workers, and many others, are experiencing the challenges of living aordably within our
South Florida housing market.
Earlier this year, the Broward County Commissioners approved new policies aimed at
increasing the availability of aordable housing units for residenal development. Please see
Broward.org/BrowardNEXT to learn more.
MyBroward App
With the MyBroward App
you can
use your
cellphones
or tablets
to easily
report and
track ser-
vice requests to the County.
Free COVID-19 Vaccines (Drive-Through Service)
Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park
2520 N.W. Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale 33311
Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday thru
Saturday, ages 12 and older. A parent or
guardian must be present to sign the
consent form for children 17 and under.
The site is operated by Florida Department
of Health in Broward County, in
collaboraon with the Broward Parks &
Recreaon, Broward Municipal Services District and Broward
Sheri's Oce.
STAY CONNECTED
Get informaon on community meengs, events, job opportunies, programs, and more
by connecng with the BMSD on
Broward.org/MunicipalServicesDistrict
Ph: 954-357-7794
Important Phone Numbers
Aging and Disability Resources Center (ADRC) ............................................................................. 954-745-9779
Abandoned Vehicles (Private property) ........................................................................................... 954-357-9700
Abandoned Vehicles (Public property, street) ................................................................................ 954-764-4357
Animal Care ............................................................................................................................................... 954-359-1313
Building Permits ....................................................................................................................... 954-765-4000 (option 1)
Building Code Enforcement .................................................................................................................................. 311
Bulk Pickup & Garbage Collection ............................................................................................ 954-765-4999 / 311
Business Taxes Receipts......................................................................................................................... 954-831-4000
Broward County Housing Authority .................................................................................................. 954-739-1114
Child Abuse/Sexual Assault 24 Hr. Crisis Hotline .......................................................................... 954-761-7273
Crisis ............................................................................................................................................................................. 211
Code Violation ........................................................................................................................................................... 311
Consumer Protection ............................................................................................................................. 954-765-4400
County Information Hotline .................................................................................................................................. 311
Elderly and Veterans Services ............................................................................................................. 954-357-6622
Environmental Response 24 Hr. Hotline .......................................................................................... 954-831-4000
Family Success Center ............................................................................................................................ 954-357-5001
Fire Code Violations ............................................................................................................................... 954-831-8210
Homeless Initiative .................................................................................................................................. 954-357-5099
Housing and Utilities Payment Assistance ....................................................................................... 954-357-5001
Household Hazardous Waste .............................................................................................................. 954-765-4999
Law Enforcement (BSO)/Emergency .................................................................................................................. 911
Law Enforcement (BSO)/Non-emergency ............................................................................. 954-764-(HELP)4357
Minimum Housing Complaints ........................................................................................................... 954-357-9700
Office of Economic and Small Business Development ................................................................ 954-357-6400
Property Appraiser Consumer Service and Exemptions ............................................................. 954-357-6830
Sidewalk Damage/Pot Holes ................................................................................................................................ 311
Solid Waste and Recycling .......................................................................................................... 954-765-4999 / 311
Street Lights .............................................................................................................................................. 800-468-8243
Tree Trimmer Complaints ..................................................................................................... 954-765-4000 (option 2)
Unsafe Structures .................................................................................................................................... 954-765-4400
Weeds & Tall Grass .................................................................................................................................................. 311
Zoning Information .................................................................................................................................................. 311
October 18, 2021
Hello BMSD resident:
The Urban Planning Division occasionally sends out informaon by email to our BMSD community. If you
don’t have access to the internet and would like to receive BMSD info in the mail, please complete the slip
below, detach from phone list, and mail to: OR call 954-357-7794
Broward County Urban Planning Division (BMSD) | 1 North University Drive, Box 102 | Plantaon, FL 33324
Please add me to BMSD mailing list:
Last name _____________________________________ First name _______________________________
Mailing Address _________________________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________________________ Zip Code _______________________
Phone # _________________________ Email _________________________________________________