MY PLATFORM
Almost thirty years ago, my family and I were fortunate to find this unique area within South Florida to raise our three young daughters. It was this unique rural lifestyle and the values it instills that were integral in raising our family. My purpose in running for Mayor is to do all that I can to preserve and pass on this rural lifestyle to the next generation of Ranchers.
-Steve
STEVE BREITKREUZ
on “Preserving our RURAL Lifestyle”
Rural Life Style
Above all we need to protect our rural lifestyle for the generations to come. Too often, a move away from our rural lifestyle seems small and inconsequential. However, as I said many times, our Rural Lifestyle can be thought of as a vehicle without a reverse. Once we give in to a reduction in our rural lifestyle, there is little chance that we will ever be able to reverse that loss. Therefore, we must guard it every day and in every Council decision.
I served on the Council for 12 years (2006 - 2018) and as Mayor since 2020. The longer I was on the Council the more I saw just how critical that preservation needs to be. I have seen proposals to sell a portion of our public lands, such as at Griffin and Dykes Road for commercial development. I successfully fought that proposal. As Mayor, I have always fought for open space that can be preserved for future generations.
Code Enforcement
Code enforcement is a balance. I, like many of you, moved out to this community looking for relief from HOA rules and an oppressive code enforcement team. Here in the Ranches, I believe that we have found a natural and positive balance where most code issues are reactive, meaning that code cannot be patrolling the Town looking for these issues and writing citations. There are, of course, some exceptions. One of these is illegal filling. This can be catastrophic for neighboring properties so it is it is important that this is handled as quickly as possible. But for most issues, Code Enforcement will not take action unless there is a complaint. Of course, at that point compliance, not fees, should always the objective.
Property Rights
At times we have seen a number of troubling cases come before Code Enforcement which has ultimately turned into litigation. This is litigation between the Town and a resident. Certainly, there may be situations that are so grievous that this might be necessary. However, that should be the exception. When I was elected Mayor in 2020, I immediately researched the outstanding cases and was able to successfully mediate a number of those such that they were resolved. I believe that only when all other options are exhausted, should we contemplate litigation against one of our residents. Residents are here for the quiet enjoyment of their properties, need to be allowed that enjoyment.
Waste to energy Plant ( Potential Incinerator)
One of the challenges that our part of the County faces is related to what is to be done with our garbage. This is a growing challenge. I have been a leader, not on in our Town but in Broward County, fighting for alternatives to building an incinerator. I am currently a member of the Solid Waste Authority Executive Committee. Every two weeks we meet and are working on the master plan regarding how this county will deal with it waste generation for the next 40 to 50 years. My goal is look forward not back and focus on the Zero Waste options that are becoming available. I would never want to see an incinerator in our county again, especially not one near Southwest Ranches. Also, I have been working with some exceptional residents of Southwest Ranches to move our town more toward recycling, composting and other Zero Waste options. This is critical and I believe that Southwest Ranches can be a leader in our county.
Charter Amendments
I co-authored the two Charter Amendments that were overwhelmingly approved by the residents. Along with one other Council Member, we proposed and developed the wording of these two charter amendments. In my view, they are among the most important pieces of legislation that the Council has approved since I joined the Council in 2006. They are the key to ensure that our Rural Lifestyle is preserved.
What are these Amendments? :
The first one directs that before a publicly owned property (such as a Town park) can be sold, it needs unanimous approval from the Council and majority approval from the residents of our Town. Every resident has a say! I think that that is really important. The second Amendment says that before land use / zoning changes are made, it requires a unanimous vote from the Council. This keeps our current properties from becoming commercial, unless all the members of the Council agree.
Why are they important? :
These are critical because under the first charter amendment, you, the resident, get a say before any open space properties could be sold to a developer. And under the second amendment, the Council member for your community can stand up and protect that community. What it really does is it gives equal power to all Council members to protect our Town, and in the case of selling property, it gives rights to the residents as well. From my view, that is a very good thing!
