People everywhere worry about artificial intelligence. But in Fort Lauderdale, the outrage is over artificial turf.
A turf war at a commission meeting Tuesday revealed much about what ails this politically fractured but never boring city.
What should have been a celebratory moment involving the city’s beach ended in discord.
Things got ugly. People went home angry and frustrated. Days later, they were still talking about one commissioner’s conduct. It was more of the same: Bad Broward behavior.
Mike Stocker/Sun Sentinel
Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel columnist.
At issue was the city’s revamped beach park plan with upgraded basketball courts, four pickleball courts, fitness equipment and patches of artificial turf.
Really.
The city once posted signs announcing the iconic hoops would be moved without telling anyone. A grassroots movement saved the courts, but deep suspicion lingers.
A vocal group of residents does not favor pickleball on a sandy, breezy beach. They view the plan as overly generous to a developer of nearby Bahia Mar marina, who’s contributing $1 million to the upgrades.
Some said the city failed to adequately seek public outreach and ignored their concerns about potential harm to turtle nests.
But sticking synthetic turf on one of the world’s most famous beaches struck some as incongruous, or worse.
“I think you need to re-dream plastic grass,” resident Bob Kimble said. “It doesn’t belong in any parks.”
“Fake grass is toxic. Bad for the environment,” said another resident, Chris Stachowski.
Even the city Parks and Recreation board — appointed by commissioners — was critical, urging “removal of artificial turf in favor of natural landscaping materials.”
The parks board was not asked for its input on the plan, and it didn’t see the rendering until a week before the vote. It asked for a delay.
To be sure, some residents enthusiastically support the revamped beach park. But what lingered was Commissioner Steve Glassman’s outburst.
He aggressively defended use of artificial turf on the beach and called it better than real grass. Speaking at length, he said he has had no complaints about the beach park plan. He accused residents of misrepresentations and exaggerations and of being “ridiculous.”
“Synthetic turf technology has advanced significantly,” said Glassman, calling real grass, “a pain to maintain” that needs pesticides and gas-powered mowers.
Resistance to artificial turf might be eased if the city had taken the time to explain in great detail its benefits and risks. Turf has a serious image problem in Fort Lauderdale because of costly, blazing hot turf at a small park near the tunnel.
Websites of environmental groups such as Clean Water Action and the Sierra Club, which endorsed Glassman in 2024, discuss turf’s hazards at length.
“Use of synthetic turf in place of natural green spaces negatively impacts human and environmental health,” Sierra’s turf policy reads.
Glassman, shouting, sarcastically ridiculed opponents, saying: “That awful turf area, oh, my God, with all the plastics.”
As murmurs of opposition rolled through the room, Glassman asked Mayor Dean Trantalis: “Can you control the audience, please?”
“Keep talking,” Trantalis said.
He did. After a 10-minute rant, Glassman said, “I’m not going to belabor the point,” which brought howls of mocking laughter.
The commissioner singled out opponent Ted Inserra, telling him: “Bad upbringing, Ted. Really bad upbringing.”
Hostility begets hostility.
Resident Nancy Thomas, a frequent critic of the city commission, demanded that Glassman apologize and called for his censure in emails to city officials. “(He) has a reputation for being nasty and condescending to residents who disagree with him,” she wrote.
Attorney Pat Rathburn was so disgusted, she emailed complaints to City Manager Rickelle Williams and City Attorney Shari McCartney, writing that the city should strengthen its “toothless” code of conduct to require civility by elected officials.
The code, passed in 2024 after a previous incident involving Glassman, bars “ridicule” of residents and “disparaging (or) mean-spirited” statements.
As Rathburn wrote: “Dismissive, disparaging, caustic and rude language seems to be tolerated. We deserve better.”
In a brief reply, the city manager wrote: “This matter may be best suited for the legislative-elected official level.”
Commissioner Ben Sorensen, who cast the lone vote against the beach plan and who may face Glassman in the next mayoral race, was also disgusted.
In a statement, he wrote: “It is important that we treat everyone who comes before the city commission with respect even when we disagree. Residents take time out of their lives to participate in the public process, and I believe that they deserve to be heard respectfully.”
Artificial turf aside, in Fort Lauderdale, there’s no doubt: The political turf is toxic.
Steve Bousquet is Opinion Editor of the South Florida Sun Sentinel and a columnist in Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale. Contact him at sbousquet@sunsentinel.com or (850) 567-2240.