Posted on Tue, Jul. 24, 2012

Dania Beach commissioners Tuesday night unanimously voted to spend up to $850,000 to continue the city’s long-running legal fight against Broward County and construction of the new south runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

“We stand so much to lose if we don’t do something to get compensated for the detriment of our city,” City Commissioner Anne Castro said at Tuesday’s meeting. Noise from the new runway has been a principal issue in the city’s fight.

Dania Beach reopened a 1995 lawsuit and filed a new lawsuit against the county and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after the Federal Aviation Administration in May refused to fund parts of a deal the city had struck with Broward County. The deal included a cash payout for 857 homeowners who live closest to the new runway in exchange for not taking legal action.

On July 6, a judge denied the city’s motion to halt construction of the runway while the suits are being heard.

Also Tuesday, commissioners voted to prohibit the sale of artificial cannabis and bath salts in the city.