Platform

We are rapidly growing our population.  But we have not invested with the same speed and level of investment in the core infrastructure needed to support that growth.  We saw the consequences of this in 2020 with the breaking sewer and water pipes.  The state mandate forced our city to invest, but it’s not enough – our pipes continue to break.  We need to plan and build the infrastructure now to support the next 20 years of growth.

* Deliver 10-year plan for full rebuild of all sewer and water mains through the city;

* Deliver 10-year plan for full rebuild of our stormwater systems, including blocking infiltration of waste into our waterways and regular maintenance of stormwater check valves to prevent flooding;

* Deliver 30-year plan for full rebuild of all city seawalls to counter rising sea levels

Fort Lauderdale’s canals, rivers, and beaches are the lifeblood of our community, contributing to both our economy and our way of life. However, our waterways have faced significant challenges due to pollution, overdevelopment, and mismanagement. Kevin Cochrane believes that protecting and restoring our waterways is essential for maintaining the quality of life that residents deserve.

Kevin is committed to implementing comprehensive environmental restoration plans aimed at revitalizing our 170 miles of canals and waterways. These plans will focus on achieving clear blue waters that are safe for swimming, fishing, and boating year-round. By enforcing strict environmental protections and investing in sustainable infrastructure, Kevin will work to make Fort Lauderdale’s waterways the envy of the world, teeming with life and free from pollution.

Kevin also understands that protecting our waterways requires community involvement and strong enforcement of existing regulations. He will advocate for stricter penalties for pollution and more rigorous monitoring of water quality to ensure that our rivers and canals are restored to their natural beauty. Through public awareness campaigns and community engagement, Kevin will ensure that every resident understands the importance of safeguarding our waterways and is empowered to contribute to their preservation.

As your City Commissioner, Kevin will prioritize the health of our waterways, ensuring that they remain clear, clean, and vibrant. His vision is for a Fort Lauderdale where residents and visitors alike can enjoy pristine waters that are safe, beautiful, and sustainable for generations to come.

* Full 10 year environmental restoration plans for all 170 miles of our canals and waterways for clear blue waters that are safe to fish and swim in year-round;

Kevin deeply believe that our community needs leaders who will push back against the developers destroying our city and quality of life. Put simply, Fort Lauderdale has mismanaged development. Mismanaged development is development that leads to a deterioration of our quality of life. Degraded police, fire, and EMT services due to staffing levels not commensurate with population growth. Degraded water supply owing to a failing water treatment plant and breaking water mains. Degraded waterways owing to failing sewer infrastructure and inadequate stormwater system. And increased traffic congestion, lack of affordable housing, and rising rents owing in part to the proliferation of short-terms rentals (AirBnBs) crowding out first-time home buyers into the rental market.

We want our city to grow. But we want it to grow responsibly, in a manner that protects and preserves the character and integrity of our neighborhoods and benefits all residents – not just a privileged class of developers, their lobbyists, and realtors. Every day, Fort Lauderdale residents are tired of mismanaged growth. They are tired of a city run exclusively by and for developers and their lobbyists and realtors. They want a city that grows in a way that makes their lives better.

Our city is a city on the move.  With our growing population, traffic planning and mitigation has and our roadway infrastructure has been overwhelmed.  We are nearing a tipping point of regular gridlock, with our current growth in traffic becoming a critical bottleneck not only for everyday life but also our police and emergency services leading to potentially catastrophic loss of life.

* Ensure adequate planning to mitigate traffic congestion and build out a comprehensive network of bike lanes to support our bikers, runners, and walkers;

* Investigate underpasses at train tracks for Sunrise and Oakland Park to improve east-west traffic flows;

* Investigate additional arterial route from I95 to downtown to reduce impact on Davie Blvd and improve traffic congestion on Broward Blvd.

* Implement new Master Downtown Traffic Plan to establish one-ways streets to with synchronized lights to improve traffic flow through our urban core;

* Investigate two new Kinney Tunnels along 3rd and Andrews to improve traffic flows through downtown and better support our maritime traffic

* Establish neighborhood by neighborhood mobility plans to reduce thruway traffic on non-arterial roads and introduce traffic calming 

Similar to infrastructure, are we making adequate investment in our police force, our firefighters, our teachers and other public services to support our population growth? We need growth to improve our quality of life.  When we do not invest and grow the ranks of those that provide the essential services to ensure the public welfare, we conversely diminish our quality of life.  I aim to change that.

* Ensure adequate police staffing and patrolling (including by foot) to deter and prevent crime;

* Ensure adequate first responder (EMT, Fire) staffing to protect and preserve lives;

* Ensure adequate code enforcement staffing to crack down on AirBnbs that are destroying the quality of life in our neighborhoods and crack down on marine offenders that are destroying the quality of our waterways (bilge dumping, gas leaks, etc.).

We are seeing housing become ever more unaffordable.  While growth should improve our quality of life, we’re instead seeing local workers priced out of living in Fort Lauderdale. Are we supporting our firefighters, police, teachers, and local workers with the right jobs, wages, and developments so that they can afford to live here?  We’re growing.  Let’s make sure that growth lifts up and support all members of our community.

* Investigate 10 year affordable housing target goals based on projected economic and population growth;

* Investigate 10 year funding target based on number of affordable housing units required to 10 year target;

*  Examine and reset as needed impact fees for net new developments to ensure adequate affordable housing over that 10 year plan; 

* Enforce stronger regulations against vacation rentals that are driving up the cost of housing, blocking first-time home buyers from entering the market, and consequently driving up rental costs, including:

• Enforcing licensing with $10K fine if running unlicensed AirBnB
• Ban licensing of AirBnBs for more than primary or secondary residences
• Expand code enforcement and fines ($2.5K,$5K, $10K) for violations.  Enforce pulling of license for 12 months if three strikes.

Our community thrives only when the least amongst us thrive as well.  We are seeing unprecedented population growth – and sadly, including our rising homeless population.  We need to make it a priority to better fund and end our homeless crisis.  We can no longer turn a blind eye – including to proper funding and staffing of our police and firefighters who are on the front line day providing emergency care and services.

* Ensure 100% commitment to housing and care for all of our homeless, with a zero tolerance approach to panhandling and sleeping in our streets.  No more watching people dying in our streets – we must give them hope, purpose, and a positive role in our community;

* Expand partnerships with community organizations like Salvation Army and Operation Sacred Trust to provide six-month rehabilitative programs to help our homeless with addiction, mental health, and life skills

* Provide temporary 6 month employment for our homeless through an expanded “Green Your Routine” program to help our homeless get a living wages, help clean up our streets, and build work ethic and skills to assist with job placement in the private market