Dear Friends and Neighbors:
Whew! What a year! I hope this email finds you and your family healthy. Amidst the continued pandemic, 2021 was another year of transition and change in our Village. But thanks to the collective talent of our residents, staff, and Council that came together as a community, it was an amazing year filled with new opportunities and oh so many accomplishments!
As we ring in 2022, I am reflecting on some of the highlights accomplished together as a community this year. In addition to increasing public safety and expanding our programming and services to meet the needs of our residents, we:
- Completed the Franjo Road street project
- Completed the US1 Beautification Landscaping project
- In collaboration with the County, are nearing completion of the 136th street milling and multi-use path project.
- Began the next sub-basin project to mitigate flooding and protect our water quality and budgeted design for five more projects
- Budgeted for replacing the Coral Reef Park Rec room
- Completed field improvements at Coral Reef Park and budgeted for Palmetto Bay Park improvements
- Completed $150,000 in drain cleaning and $350,000 in street repaving
- Lowered our CRS rating so that in the near future residents will see lower flood insurance premiums
The list goes on and on... Most importantly, we looked to the future and with the expertise of our Village Manager Nick Marano, we not only passed a balanced budget, but finally put our Village on firm fiscal ground for the next many years to come. You can check out the 2021 State of the Village video that summarizes our year in the Village of Palmetto Bay and showcases the talented individuals who helped enrich our community through volunteerism, collaboration, and civic participation.
In the words of Thomas Edison, "Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning." To that end, the Village will kick off 2022 with a Visioning Session in February. As a part of that session, we will be looking at our Community Survey that many of you completed to make sure that our residents vision and needs are met in the upcoming budget cycle. The story of 2022 stretches before us unwritten. As we write the next chapter in our Village's history, I look forward to continuing to include your voice in the process.
This year we celebrate the Village's 20th Birthday and I resolve to work even harder to improve the place that we call home. Palmetto Bay is place that I went to school, raised my daughter, and have spent a lifetime sharing in the good times and challenging times with friends, neighbors, and family. Our Village is very important to me and preserving our quality of life, while navigating the changes that lie ahead, is my top priority.
I wish you and yours a happy and healthy 2022. As always, I am here to answer questions or lend a helping hand. Please feel free to contact me at kcunningham@palmettobay-fl.gov or at 305-799-0695. Together we are making Palmetto Bay an even better place to live, work, learn, and play.
Happy New Year Palmetto Bay!
