To further assist our readers in making educated decisions when voting in November, we have sent a list of questions to each candidate running for the District 3 Commissioner of Coral Springs, FL.
Randal Lee Cutter
- What is your full name?
Randal Lee Cutter
2. Where are you originally from?
Wisconsin
-Why did you choose to move to Coral Springs/Parkland?
I came to Coral Springs back in 1987 to start a congregation.
-How long have you been here?
I have worked in Coral Springs since then, though I did live in Margate for a bit over a decade during the past 33 years.
3. Why are you running for this position?
I have been deeply involved in Coral Springs for 33 years. In addition to my responsibilities as a pastor and business manager, I was a volunteer police chaplain for four years. I became co-chair of the Clergy Coalition of Coral Springs and Parkland in 2002. I am a member of the Coral Springs Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee (National Day of Prayer Committee) since 2004. I am also a member of the Customer Involved Government Committee and the CS Regional Chamber of Commerce, as well as such as several of our mayor’s personal initiatives, such as the Mental Wellness Networking Alliance, and the Veterans Networking Alliance. This abbreviated resumé indicates that I am deeply involved in this city, and work to help it.
I believe it is important to do our best to keep Coral Springs safe and affordable for everyone, especially those who are on a fixed income, like seniors. I don’t believe you do that by cutting services, but by developing other sources of income, most especially our small businesses and our corporate park.
I believe this is even more important now in our new pandemic and post-pandemic reality as the cities in Broward County are struggling to maintain budgets that were implemented before the pandemic began. The next several years are going to test Coral Springs’s ability to provide the level of services its residents have come to expect, while at the same time not raising property taxes in a way that impacts those least able to afford it.
-Have you run in the past?
I ran for the special election last summer for the Coral Springs Commission Seat 2 in 2019. Also ran for the Broward Commission in 2016
4. If elected, what is your first point of action?
I will continue to be involved in this community in the ways listed above, and I will also work hard to make certain that our police department has the personnel, resources, and training to keep our community safe, especially during this time of social unrest.
-Why?
A basic premise that any government entity gives to its residents is that it will provide for the protection of their families and their property. This is especially important during times of social unrest. Coral Springs is among the safest cities in Florida. Many of our residents moved here because we are safe. We must commit to fulfilling the promise of safety for our residents.
5. What mission do you feel most passionate about? Why?
Until recently, I would have said that I am most passionate about building unity in our increasingly diverse city. I have devoted my life to helping people understand that they can believe different things, and still live together focused on helping everyone in our city.
However, as I have seen the social unrest grow around the nation, my commitment to building unity hasn’t faded, but the absolute necessity of keeping our residents safe has. If our city isn’t perceived as safe, businesses will not come and people will not stay. This aspect of the city government is critical at this time.
6. Where do you feel our city needs improvement?
The issue of customer service is a perennial issue. We need to continually assess every department, from code enforcement, fire inspections, and other areas where the public interacts with our city government so that we are customer-centric, rather than institution-centric.
-Why?
Whether we are city staff or an elected official, we are here to serve the residents. The residents are not here to serve us. That has to be trained and retrained so that it becomes, even more, a part of our government culture.
7. Where do you feel our city stands above the rest?
I might be biased on this one, but I think our city has amazing residents, and since most of our city staff come from among our residents, we are blessed with great city staff. This has given Coral Springs a great sense of esprit de corps and unity that we can continue to build on.
8. How do you plan to involve residents in the decision making process in our town?
I am a team and a consensus builder. I have appreciated all the opportunities afforded in the past to add input to our city’s future direction. I would continue to encourage the many initiatives to hear from the residents of our city, and inform them of the many issues that confront us as a city. Townhalls and neighborhood meetings can be an effective way of hearing from a larger section of our population.
9. If someone came to you with a proposal to build a new piece of public infrastructure in our city (road, bridge, etc.) how would you evaluate whether that project was worth implementing?
The main determining factors include budget and the common good. As stated above, we must make certain we don’t drive out the very residents that built this city by placing severe tax burdens on their property. We certainly cannot build infrastructure beyond the ability of our residents to pay for it. If we have the ability to pay for it, then the question is the common good. How many residents will the project impact for good? There may be some projects that are so critical, that even though it impacts only a few residents, it is necessary for life and safety improvements, but for the most part, public infrastructure should be weighted by the way that it positively impacts the majority of the community.
10. What neighborhood do you live in? Why? Where are your favorite places to spend time in our town?
We moved to Eagle Trace last fall. Our only criteria for a home was that it needed to help us care for my disabled mother in the best possible way. We looked at many wonderful homes throughout our community, but the one with the best layout available for her needs was in Eagle Trace, and we have enjoyed living here since then.
My wife, Dawn, and I have enjoyed our well-maintained parks since we first moved here. We have also enjoyed spending time together at the many restaurants that our city has to offer.
Randal Lee Cutter
Noor Fawzy
- What is your full name?
Noor Fawzy
2. Where are you originally from?
I am the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. My mother was born and raised in Venezuela. I was born in San Antonio, Texas, but have lived in South Florida my entire life. My family and I moved to Coral Springs in 2000 and we are proud to call Coral Springs home.
-Why did you choose to move to Coral Springs/Parkland?
My family decided to move to Coral Springs because it is a great place to raise a family. It is one of the safest cities in the State of Florida, the schools are top quality, and there are plenty of recreational opportunities for young people to get involved. I, myself, grew up playing for the Coral Springs Basketball Club up through law school.
-How long have you been here?
I have lived here for almost 20 years.
3. Why are you running for this position?
I am running for this position because I recognize that policymakers outside of our city don’t always have our best interest in mind, and given the profound influence that local politics has on our day-to-day lives, I don’t think we should wait on anyone to make important policy decisions for us. I want Coral Springs to take the lead on local policy, specifically in the areas of economic growth, suburban development, and public safety, and become the model city for good local government in Broward County and beyond.
-Have you run in the past?
No. I am a first-time candidate for public office.
4. If elected, what is your first point of action?
(1) At the city level, I would prioritize improving the construction and design of our city roads. Coral Springs is a relatively large city and our population is growing. This will undoubtedly exacerbate traffic and accordingly, increase the likelihood of accidents occurring on our roadways. I would want to work with the appropriate city staff to come up with an alternative road design to promote traffic safety, decrease traffic at intersections, and reduce the response time for our first responders.
(2) At the county and state levels, I would push to implement cognitive behavioral therapy programs in our schools and to make it a required part of the K through 12 school curriculum, as cognitive-behavioral therapy is known to be effective at treating various mental health issues, including anxiety, stress, and depression, and achieving the prevention of violence in all its forms.
5. What mission do you feel most passionate about?
Our finances. Not only do we need to prioritize our spending, but we must also look for ways to increase our revenue base in order to keep taxes low and provide a high-level quality of services in our city. To that end, we should diversify our investment practices and invest in more real property and small businesses, as one example, to increase our overall profit returns.
Our youth. They are the future of our city, and our future is contingent upon their physical and mental wellbeing. My hope is that our youth will develop a love for sports as I did growing up in Coral Springs and that their mental health will be prioritized in our schools through my proposed cognitive behavioral therapy programs.
6. Where do you feel our city needs improvement? Why?
- 1. We need to prioritize our spending so that we can provide the most value for every hard-earned taxpayer dollar spent.
- 2. We need to diversify our revenue base in order to keep taxes low and provide a high-level quality of services in our city.
- 3. We need to negotiate better with developers to ensure that future development projects provide maximum community benefit.
- 4. We need to improve our road traffic and design to significantly reduce traffic and the incidence of accidents on our roadways, and reduce the response time of our first responders.
- 5. We need to prioritize the need for adequate telecommunication infrastructure in order to improve the quality of the Internet, WiFi, cable, and mobile services enjoyed by our residents.
7. Where do you feel our city stands above the rest?
Aesthetics and public safety. Our city takes great pride in maintaining beautiful, clean, and pristine landscaped areas and roads. We are also one of the safest cities in the State of Florida, and I am truly grateful for that. As commissioner, I will work so that we continue to improve in these areas.
8. How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our town?
Major development proposals and other significant funding initiatives should be voted on by our residents. Decisions as to commissioner salaries should be left to the voters. Our city also needs to have on its official website a running, user-friendly database that can be used to search for all ordinances passed by the City Commission to keep our residents more informed about what decisions are being made on their behalf.
9. If someone came to you with a proposal to build a new piece of public infrastructure in our city (road, bridge, etc.) how would you evaluate whether that project was worth implementing?
Is X project a need in our city?
What percentage of our residents would support X project?
How much, if anything, must be budgeted for X project?
Will the city have to raise taxes to accomplish X project?
Can a portion or all of the total cost of X project be satisfied by a third party? Would funding be available by the county or the state?
Will there be a way for the city to generate revenue as a result of X project?
Will the location of X project create or exacerbate a hardship for residents, such as traffic or increased traffic, as an example?
9. If the proposal is for a new road, will the construction and design be one that will reduce traffic and promote safer driving practices?
Are there any jurisdictional considerations involved? Does this project need county or state approval?
10. What neighborhood do you live in? Why? Where are your favorite places to spend time in our town?
I live at Summerwind, which is operated by a homeowner’s association. The home we purchased was of new or original construction. It is within walking distance to two of the schools my siblings and I went to growing up: Riverside Elementary and J.P. Taravella High School. Our home also within short driving distance to the Coral Square Mall, our doctor’s offices, the salons, our go-to grocery stores, restaurants, and other places we frequent, so our neighborhood is an ideal location for us.
I enjoy going to our coffee shops, the Coral Springs Gymnasium, Mullins Park, and The Walk for its awesome restaurants.
Noor Fawzy
Andy Kasten
- What is your full name and what position are you running for?
Andy Kasten running for Coral Springs City Commission Seat 3 ( Non-Partisan)
2. Where are you originally from?
I grew up in Northern New Jersey and have lived in Alabama as well as New York City.
-Why did you choose to move to this city/county/school district/state district?
We moved to Coral Springs as we believed after much research that this would be a great place to raise a family. The City was still growing at that time so new home pricing was low (1996), the schools were highly rated, the crime was low, parks were abundant, and there was a large Jewish Community.
-How long have you been here?
Since 1995, so 25 years.
3. Why are you running for this position?
I have been intimately involved in the Coral Springs Coconut Creek Regional Chamber for over 15 years. First as a member, then as a board member, executive board member, and past Chairman of the Board. I have also for the last 6 years served on and currently Vice-Chair of the Coral Springs Redevelopment Agency, aka CRA. This has given me the opportunity to work with hundreds of mostly small business owners in Coral Springs. Also, this includes being involved in the new Municipal Building and the $170,000,000 “downtown” redevelopment project. I would like to continue to be more deeply involved in our city and to hopefully bring my business expertise and community involvement to our city and those that live and work here.
-Have you run in the past?
No this is the first time running for any elected position.
4. If elected, what is your first point of action?
At this time and due to the COVID crisis I would work to continue to keep our current business owners engaged, bring more businesses to our industrial park, and drive the downtown redevelopment these are critical to our economic future.
-Why?
Since we are in an economic crisis, and since we are a built-out city, the only way we can keep our taxes down is if we continue to build our business base. Businesses supplant taxes that would otherwise have to increase on our residents. Also, the business brings jobs which also bring in tax dollars, and business is less burdensome on our city services such as fire, police, and the like.
5. What mission do you feel most passionate about?
It’s very hard to pick just 1 mission. I would say continued safety in our schools, community, and economic stimulus would be of high priority, along with Citizen engagement.
-Why?
These are critical to keeping our city a city of excellence.
6. Where do you feel our city needs improvement?
I think that while the city is doing a better job of communicating with our citizens we can do better. I find that when our citizens have critical information about certain projects and expenditures, the residents will almost always support these things.
-Why?
Communication with the city residents allows them to feel part of the process and thus not excluded.
7. Where do you feel our city stands above the rest?
We still have great rated schools, fantastic parks, low crime rate, and soon a downtown thriving economic engine, other cities’s can’t boast all of these.
8. How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our town?
I would like to see us expand our electronic engagement via the internet, computers, texting, smartphones, etc. to allow citizens to weigh in on issues within our city. Offer free internet service in all of our parks and public places.
9. If someone came to you with a proposal to build a new piece of public infrastructure in our city (road, bridge, etc.) how would you evaluate whether that project was worth implementing?
First and foremost, weigh the economic impact on the city and simultaneously ask all stakeholders to weigh in on the project. Garner as many public comments as possible about the project.
10. What neighborhood do you live in?
I live in townhomes “Mainstreet at Cinnamon Crossings”
Why?
Value, Location.
11. Where are your favorite places to spend time in our town?
When my kids were growing up in the parks, we spend hours with the kids playing in soccer, baseball, and volleyball leagues. However, now since I am an avid Ice Hockey player I still love playing Ice Hockey at my home away from home the Panthers Ice Den.
Andy Kasten
Nancy Metayer
- What is your full name and what position are you running for?
Nancy Metayer, Coral Springs Commissioner, Seat 3.
2. Where are you originally from? Why did you choose to move to this city/county/school district/state district?
I am originally from Coral Springs and a product of this community. I’ve called Coral Springs my home since I was 11 years old. What I appreciate most about Coral Springs is its distinct culture.
-How long have you been here?
My family and I have called Coral Springs our home for 23 years.
3. Why are you running for this position?
I started my advocacy journey in 2010 after witnessing the cholera epidemic in Haiti; people were dying because they did not have access to clean water. From that moment on, I was committed to ensuring that everyone was and is treated fairly. By gaining a better understanding of how our government functions, I quickly realized how meaningful changes can happen through policy. I have been working across different levels of our government to make changes for the better.
After gaining several years of experience, I made the decision to run for Commissioner of our beautiful city because there is no community I believe in more.
The challenges we face here are apparent. How do we accommodate our growing population? How do we develop in an environmentally sustainable way? How do we keep everyone safe? I am ready to tackle these issues along with the many other concerns that I hear about from my neighbors. Coral Springs needs an experienced, bold and unrelenting leadership, or we run the risk of falling behind and missing out on opportunities to maintain and grow the vibrant quality of life we all enjoy.
My perspectives as a lifelong resident and an experienced advocate are an opportunity to bring the commission and our community together to create a Coral Springs that benefits all of us.
-Have you run in the past?
I ran for Mayor in the 2019 Coral Springs Special Election. Elections were held on March 12, 2019. With only 8,098 voters, I came in second with 2,290 votes in a 4-way.
4. If elected, what is your first point of action? Why?
During my first 90 days, I will continue cultivating relationships with neighbors and city staff. Community building is crucial because it’s how I’ll ensure I’m doing the job I was elected to do. I will hold virtual conversations and office hours so I am always connected to the issues in Coral Springs. I will listen and turn needs into solutions. Second, I will work on building a COVID-19 task force to assist residents and business owners with resources needed to build back lives post coronavirus. Lastly, I will begin drafting a plan that moves our city towards decreasing its dependency on fossil fuels meaning a cleaner and safer environment for us all.
5. What mission do you feel most passionate about? Why?
For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to public service. At Coral Springs Charter School, I accumulated over 200 volunteer hours, volunteered in local campaigns, and participated in many community initiatives. At Florida A&M University, where I studied Environmental Science, I was introduced to the many environmental issues that harmed our communities. After college, I knew I wanted to apply my passion for social justice to my future career. I’ve worked with elected officials for over a decade supporting and implementing policies, which promote fair and just societies at the local, state, and federal levels. I have served at the FL House of Representatives, the US Senate, and the White House. My most valuable qualification is that I have been working in my community and communities around South Florida for years and I understand the issues of everyday people, and I truly care about making life better.
6. Where do you feel our city needs improvement? Why?
The challenges Coral Springs faces are apparent. First, we must find ways to accommodate our growing and aging population. We are quickly running out of space for our seniors in the city and unless we purchase a new property, and upgrade our current facilities we will be faced with a crisis.
Second, we must continue our development with environmental sustainability in mind and figure how we will keep ourselves safe. Our city is growing and the long-term effects of climate change will not skip us. I want to invest in ways to make our city more resilient. With experienced, bold, and unrelenting leadership, I am ready to tackle these issues with my neighbors in Coral Springs.
7. Where do you feel our city stands above the rest? Why?
Coral Springs celebrates much strength with its diverse population. With 37% of the population speaking a second language, beautiful parks where families can come together, and our outstanding Performing Arts Center & Museum we have a lot of things to offer our members in the community,
8. How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our town?
Ongoing conversations. I want to ensure that I am always keeping an open line of communication.
9. If someone came to you with a proposal to build a new piece of public infrastructure in our city (road, bridge, etc.) how would you evaluate whether that project was worth implementing?
If someone proposed to build public infrastructure in our city, I would evaluate whether that project is worth implementing by:
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Environmental standards: I want to ensure infrastructure is resilient, LEED-certified, the ability to implement solar energy and green spaces.
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Community Benefits Agreements (CBA): Ensure negotiations are made between community members and/or coalitions of community groups. Common CBA benefits have living-wage provisions, local hiring plans, guarantees that developments will include affordable housing, and assurances of minority hiring minimums. Because agreements are negotiated between community coalitions and interested developers, the benefits can be tailored to meet specific community needs i.e. infrastructure updates, new parks, etc.
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Budget: Want to ensure that new infrastructure will not cause a financial burden to the members of our community.
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Setting ethical expectations.
10. What neighborhood do you live in? Why?
My family and I currently live in the Westview Estates neighborhood. I remember our family falling in love with this particular neighborhood in 1999 when we decided this is where we would purchase our new home. Our neighbors are welcoming and our neighborhood is filled with many cultures offering memorable experiences.
11. Where are your favorite places to spend time in our town?
I enjoy spending time in Coral Springs parks. My favorite park, in particular, is North Community Park because of the walk and biking trail, soccer fields, basketball, tennis, and volleyball court. Our parks serve as places for recreation, mediation, and where we can celebrate nature.
Nancy Metayer
*Abel Pena is also running for the District 3 seat in Coral Springs. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he was unable to send his answers in time.*