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Fort Lauderdale board hears FY27 plans as leaders flag staffing, funding and KPIs
Summary
Department heads presented FY27 business plans focused on transportation, capital projects, IT, public works and community services. Officials highlighted constrained general funding, staffing shortages, cyber risks and a push for clearer KPIs as the city prepares major infrastructure and service investments.
Department directors presented compact FY27 business plans to Fort Lauderdale’s board on March 18, stressing limited discretionary funding, staffing challenges and a push for clearer performance targets.
Milos Maestroovich, director of transportation and mobility, said the department will rely on data-driven prioritization and external funding to address congestion and safety, noting recent adaptive-signal work on Sunrise Boulevard and the forthcoming CyGold pedestrian/connectivity master plan. "Our team really ensures that everyone who lives, works, and plays in our city does so safely, efficiently, and with more options available," Maestroovich said, urging coordination with FDOT and the Broward MPO for state corridors.
Information-technology leader Ron McKenzie told the board that cybersecurity remains the department’s “most persistent challenge” and proposed new tools, including an AI-based email anomaly detector and replacement of the AskFTL chatbot with modern AI agents. McKenzie said ITS is running proof-of-concept tests and expects to provide metrics on efficiency gains as tools are implemented.
Colette Satchell, director of capital projects, described a new department formed in October 2025 to manage projects above $100,000 and said staff are implementing project-management and scheduling software to reduce procurement delays. Brad Kane, public works director, outlined the Fortify coastal-resilience program and said phase‑2 design funding is being readied for projects including Melrose Park and Middle River Terrace.
Public-safety leaders cautioned that growth is straining emergency services. Fire Chief Steven Golan said hospital emergency‑department backlogs have lengthened ambulance turnaround times and underscored the importance of new stations and a long lead time for apparatus procurement. Police Chief Schultz highlighted new headquarters occupancy and said houses-of-worship security and visitor-driven demand remain top concerns.
Utility services director Albert Carvin said the Prospect Lake water-treatment plant will go live in September and that transitioning water chemistry through older distribution pipes can take weeks; he asked board members to prepare residents for a temporary transition period.
Board members repeatedly asked for more specific KPIs, district-level data (for travel times and sensor coverage) and clearer estimates of efficiencies and costs tied to AI and service changes. The board also approved a motion to allow a remote participant to join by Zoom and approved the February 18 minutes earlier in the meeting.
The board scheduled follow-ups: transportation and ITS staff were asked to provide additional corridor-level travel-time data and an assessment of the expected efficiency gains from proposed AI tools; utilities will share outreach plans for the Prospect Lake transition.
