Shannon’s Vision For Pinecrest

I believe in:

Government Focused On Serving You

Health and Safety of Our Community

Fiscal Responsibility with Our Public Funds

Government Focused On Serving You

Founded in 1996, the Pinecrest Charter spells out that the Government is supposed to work for you. “This government has been created to protect the governed, not the governing.” That is the first sentence after the preamble. We have a Citizens Bill of Rights. Among these rights are Convenient Access to transact business with Village Government, Truth in Government, Detailed Budgeting, Open Public Records, the Right to be Heard, and the Right to Notice. (click to see our Village Charter)

The Charter mandates that the Mayor and the Councilmembers must serve voluntarily, without compensation. The council is not a profession. It is a volunteer effort to make sure our founders’ vision is carried out – that Village Government is a Government Focused on Serving You.

Health and Safety

Covid has presented new challenges to our Village. Schools are virtual. Businesses have struggled. Our freedom to visit our friends, travel, and work have all been constricted. As we continue to open, we must do so safely, adhering to CDC guidelines on smart policy implementation. We must continue to make testing easy and accessible to our Residents, like the drive-thru program at Village Hall.

Implementing safe and responsible practices are for the safety of all us, but especially our senior citizens because they are the most vulnerable to the virus. By some accounts, 25% of our Residents are senior citizens.

On top of Covid, Flu season is now here. As a Village, we must encourage Residents to get vaccinated and continue working with local pharmacies to make it safe and accessible. Without a flu vaccination, we are vulnerable to both the flu and Covid at the same time. We must work to avoid that risk.

Safety – Our Village Police

We are fortunate that in Pinecrest we have police force that practices community-based policing. The Village police is actually a “modified” community-based police force because we have a low crime rate. This gives our police force even more freedom and opportunity to work directly with the Residents to find solutions to safety concerns. The Village Police have a Watch Order Program that enables you to have your home patrolled when you are out of town. (click here to learn more) The Police even have a Safer Watch app that allow you to quickly access current safety topics that the police are tracking and it allows you to quickly communicate any safety concerns that you may have.

In our schools, we must continue to promote school partnerships with the Village Police on programs like D.A.R.E. that educate children at a young age on the dangers of drug use. And as schools open up, we must be ever diligent for the safety of our students. This means community-based policing, in partnership with the schools, to continue to innovate and implement smart tactics to guard against violence in our schools.

I am proud that early in my career, I worked on community-based policing projects with the US Dept. of Justice (https://cops.usdoj.gov/aboutcops). I am proud that the Village Police follow these standards. If elected, I will work tor ensure that our Village Police continues to find innovative ways to improve.

Safety, that the Village Police continue to be responsive to Residents’ needs, and that the Village Police are part of a government that works for you.

Health and Safety – Power Loss

As a Village, we must continue to find ways to safeguard against power loss and work on solutions for fast restoration. And FPL pilot program is currently undergrounding 20.1 miles of power lines in Pinecrest with state funding. We have a beautiful canopy, but falling trees often lead to power loss during storms. Additionally, the Village has provided park space to FPL to use as staging grounds for rapid storm response. We must continue to find innovative, cost-effective ways to improve a risk of power loss. (click here to learn more)

Health and Safety – Water

The lack of water to 710 Pinecrest homes is another safety concern.  They rely on well water.  These homes are at  risk to salt water intrusion. If there is a power loss, these homes are subject to water loss altogether because the pumps are electric.  The Village has applied for federal grants, seeking funding to address this issue. If the federal grants do not come through, we must work with Tallahassee to find cost-effective solutions. This means effective communications with our state representatives.  As a lawyer who has advocated for many causes, I will work diligently with our state representatives to find solutions to this safety concern without raising taxes on our Residents.  This means not only communicating with our representatives, it means going to Tallahassee and making effective presentations to the appropriate committees and government officials on the need to find solutions.

Family  

• Pinecrest is a wonderful place to raise a family.

  We have excellent schools. Public and Private.

  We have parks where families can spend quality time, and we even have a dog park now. We have a community center and recreation department offering families fitness classes, virtual programs, a Farmers Market, musical events, holiday events, and much more.

  We have high-quality sports leagues, like Pinecrest Premier Soccer, Beth Am Basketball, Howard Palmetto Baseball-Softball, Suniland Sundevils, along with expanding opportunities in girls’ and boys’ lacrosse.

  We have a professional, community-based police force that works with Residents to find solutions on a variety of issues from crime prevention to community service.

  Pinecrest is a welcoming Village for all families, regardless of race, creed, or sexual orientation. Inclusion is critical to a healthy Village, and I am honored that Save recognizes that and endorses my candidacy.  http://actionpac.save.lgbt/.  And I am proud that the Miami Assoc. of Realtors, who also has a positive and inclusive family vision for Miami-Dade, supports my candidacy.  (Click here to learn more)

  If elected, I pledge to:

  • Continue to Improve Quality of Life for all Families.

  • Build on Community Outreach and Opportunities.

  • Build on Informing Residents of all that the Village has to Offer.

  • Maintain and support our professional, community-based police force.

  • Build on Making Pinecrest a Welcoming Village for all Families.

If elected, I pledge to continue making Pinecrest a government that works for you.

Fiscal Responsibility