Call Center Company in Pompano Beach, FL

Co-owner Cheyne Cottrell shares why IWS is expanding even in an uncertain economy, how this store will be different, and how the important spring break season turned out.

Island Water Sports, a key high-volume retailer based in South Florida, continues to expand its reach.

Owners the Cottrell siblings – Cheyne, Karly, and Linsey – just added a fourth store in Pompano Beach to their growing retail empire.

We asked Cheyne about why the time was right to open a new store, how this location will be different, and how the all-important spring break period turned out.

Why were you guys interested in adding another store at this time – especially given the uncertain economic environment?

Cheyne Cottrell: We weren’t actively looking to open a new store, however we’re always looking for a good opportunity. We’ve been keeping an eye on this area for a long time. The next 12 to 18 months might get interesting with the economy, but the last 24 months have already been interesting in the surf industry.

I remember 2006 to 2008 being really hard, then once the bottom fell out during the global financial crisis, the worst was already behind us. Overall, we’re playing the long game. It’s an A-plus location, and with the hotels and development in that area, we didn’t want to pass it up.

The street view of Island Water Sports, Pompano Beach, Florida. Photo courtesy of IWS.

How many stores does the company now own and operate?

Cheyne Cottrell: We have four total, including the three Island Water Sports locations in Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach, and now Pompano Beach. We also operate Boca Surf and Sail in Boca Raton.

How big is the new store, and what kind of merchandise will it carry? Any differences from your other stores?

Vuori Women’s at the new Island Water Sports in Pompano Beach. Photo courtesy of IWS.

Cheyne Cottrell: The store is 3,000 square feet. At first we’ll carry a very similar merchandise assortment to our main store in Deerfield Beach, with a little less hardgoods, and a little more focus on fish and dive since it’s only seven miles from our Deerfield location. We are going to be careful not to cannibalize those destination items, but at the same time make it a destination for goods we’ve never really been able to fully represent in Deerfield due to space.

At the end of the day, the sales will dictate how much space we allocate, so we’ll be watching these first few months of reporting very closely.

Spring break is such a key time for South Florida – how has the season gone so far?

Cheyne Cottrell: Spring break was great. Late Easter always helps, and we got blessed with very good weather. Online sales were rough, but in-store sales made up for them.

Any interesting trends as far as products and brands that are resonating with consumers this spring break?

Cheyne Cottrell: Good quality, premium products are still trending very well. That ‘60s vintage look really took off on the men’s side for us, linen pants and all. Brands that complement that trend like Katin, Critical Slide Society, and Rhythm, had a lot of growth.

On the women’s side, it wasn’t as brand-specific, but if it had crochet, it seemed to sell.

The sandal wall. Photo courtesy of IWS.

POMPANO BEACH, Fl. – Tulane Beach Volleyball is back in action this weekend for the Florida International University Invite at Pompano Beach.

The Green Wave will kick off the tournament against Florida Gulf Coast University at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 4.

At 1:30 p.m. Friday, the Wave will play its first match against No. 17 FIU. This will be Tulane's second C-USA contest this season. The two will rematch at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 5.

To wrap the weekend, Tulane will play FGCU again at 11:00 a.m. Saturday.

All stat links will be available here.

TICKETS Tickets for the current baseball season can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.

SOCIAL MEDIA Follow Tulane bowling on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

WE ARE NOLA BUILT Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.

The Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), originally established to revitalize our city, has long outlived its purpose, devolving instead into a slush fund that favors private interests over the needs of taxpayers. Rather than serving as a catalyst for community improvement, it now fuels misappropriation, nepotism and unchecked financial waste. Our city should take immediate action to sunset it in its entirety — including both the East and Northwest branches.

Our CRA has been overtaken by private consultants and developers who profit from government-backed opportunities while residents are left to foot the bill. Alarmingly, our city manager serves as the CRA’s executive director, creating a clear conflict of interest that benefits only an elite few. The team at the consulting firm RMA, together with the local Economic Development Council, wields disproportionate influence, prioritizing lucrative projects like the “New Downtown” and the “McNab House & Botanical Gardens” over essential services. Notably, bonds are being issued for projects that neither reflect our community’s needs nor have been requested by residents.

Moreover, oversight is severely lacking. For example, attorney Claudia McKenna provides legal services to both the CRA and RMA, our primary consultant firm, further eroding accountability. In another instance, one of the project managers for the East CRA’s flagship project is not only a CRA employee but also the daughter-in-law to a principal at RMA. When public voices oppose these expensive projects, critics are discredited, accused of spreading “misinformation,” and residents are subjected to costly marketing campaigns, such as a nearly $50,000 mailer promoting several “New Downtown” public meetings that merely served as compliance rather than genuine resident engagement. The full scope of the overall marketing campaign is still unknown.

Before any new projects are approved or further debt is incurred, the CRA must be dissolved. If our city fails to implement proper guardrails, we need state or federal intervention to protect our taxpayers. At a minimum, strict limitations should be placed on tax increment financing bonds and guidelines tightened to prevent further conflicts of interest. With the East CRA scheduled to sunset in 2031 — and with its potential new debt obligations threatening to extend its life yet again — this overall agency (CRA) now controls approximately 23% of our city’s land, freezing a large portion of our tax base and leaving us unable to fund critical city services without resorting to additional bonds or grants.

For these reasons, I, along with many other Pompano Beach residents, strongly support Florida Senate Bill 1242 and House Bill 991, which would eliminate CRAs statewide and restore essential tax revenue to our city. The time to act is now — before more taxpayer dollars are squandered and before special interests tighten their grip even further.

I encourage all Pompano Beach residents to make themselves available to attend the upcoming City Commission and joint CRA/City Commission meetings in the month of April. For more information about meeting times and location, please visit pompanobeachfl.gov/meetings.

Pompano Beach City Commissioner Audrey Fesik represents the city’s District 1. Contact her at audrey.fesik@copbfl.com or 954-228-3466.

Who/What:

Oceanic at Pompano Beach Pier will host Tides and Tannins, a five-course chef dinner featuring Burgundy producer Domaine Faiveley onWednesday, May 21.

Guests will savor an evening that celebrates the art of food and wine pairing in spectacular style. The next indulgent chapter in Oceanic’s wine dinner series, Tides and Tannins, will feature an elegant five-course menu curated by Executive Chef William Middleton designed tocomplement the exceptional wines of esteemed Burgundy producer Domaine Faiveley. A family of seven generations of Burgundian winemakers, Domaine Faiveley offers the most beautiful and purest expression of the climates of Burgundy.

Hosted in Oceanic’s intimate Mangrove Room alongside the wine cellar, this one-night-only experience highlights fresh seasonal ingredients, coastal influences and savory sophistication. Each course is expertly paired with a stunning selection from Domaine Faiveley's latest vintages.

The menu includes:

Seats are limited for this exclusive evening of culinary craft and vinous storytelling.

When:

Wednesday, May 21, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Where:

Oceanic at Pompano Beach

250 N. Pompano Beach Blvd.

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Cost:

Seats are $125 per person plus tax and gratuity.

How:

For more information, please visit https://www.oceanicpompano.com/events/tides-and-tannins-5-course-chef-dinner-featuring-burgundy-producer-domaine-faiveley.

To make a reservation, please call 954-366-3768 or visit https://resy.com/cities/pompano-beach-fl/venues/oceanic-pompano.

About Oceanic at Pompano Pier:

With the iconic Pompano Beach Pier as the backdrop, Oceanic boasts boundless views of the Atlantic Ocean. The chef-driven menu features coastal-inspired cuisine with fresh seafood and creative dishes crafted with high-quality ingredients. Oceanic is dedicated to delivering a high-quality dining experience and warm hospitality, making it the perfect spot for celebrating special occasions or grabbing a quick bite after a day at the beach. With spectacular views from every angle of the restaurant, the space is artistically designed with flexibility in layout, with the ability to host private events from intimate gatherings to extravagant celebrations. Serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, Oceanic’s hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Brunch is offered Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and happy hour is offered weekdays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., exclusively at the bar. Oceanic’s Brunch Unplugged live music series takes place on Sundays from 12 to 3 p.m.

Oceanic is in Pompano Beach Village at 250 N. Pompano Beach Blvd., Pompano Beach, FL 33062. For more information or to make reservations, please visit oceanicpompano.com or call 954-366-3768. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram at @OceanicPompano.

About LM Restaurants:

LM Restaurants is a Deerfield Beach, FL and Raleigh, NC-based hospitality management group privately held, and family owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Lou and Joy Moshakos with daughter Amber as President. LM Restaurants has 34 award-winning restaurants throughout the Southeast. Its South Florida restaurants include Lucky Fish Dania Beach, Lucky Fish Pompano, The Cove Waterfront Restaurant and Tiki Bar in Deerfield and Oceanic at Pompano Beach. Lucky Lou’s, a raw bar concept, will join the South Florida family in mid-2025. For more information, visit https://www.LMRest.com/ or call 919-851-0858.

Walter and Debbie Priebe thought they were doing the right thing.

Their home in Pompano Beach, FL — which they purchased in 2002 from Walter’s father—needed serious repairs. The walls were infested with termites. The roof was failing.

But more than that, the house held deep emotional value: Their late son had done the plumbing himself, and the home is set on the water, complete with a seawall and boat lift they’d added over the years. A dream home of their own making.

In 2021, the Priebes decided to renovate with the future in mind. They would fix the roof and add a second story, making space for aging in place while preserving the structure’s sentimental roots.

Debbie, who had worked for a real estate attorney for nearly 25 years, anticipated that their property taxes might increase.

But when the final tax bill arrived in 2023 after construction was complete, their taxes had skyrocketed from $15,000 a year to more than $90,000—six times their previous bill, and nearly double what they had estimated their new tax liability would be.

The reason? Their remodel had triggered a full reassessment of the property’s value, and high demand for homes in their neighborhood had driven home prices sky-high.

While the Priebes had bought the home in 2002 for $650,000, it was now assessed at over $4.4 million.

At the core of the Priebes’ story is a confluence of factors that have been quietly brewing beneath the surface of the housing market.

While national conversations on affordability have largely focused on mortgage rates and first-time buyers, another crisis has been gaining steam: Property taxes are becoming unaffordable, even for longtime homeowners who have stayed put for decades.

The reassessment

The Priebes knew their property tax protections were at risk. In Florida, the homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of a primary residence by up to $50,000, while the Save Our Homes cap limits annual increases in assessed value to 3% or the consumer price index — whichever is lower.

So, before beginning renovations, they reached out to the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office to confirm those protections would remain in place while they temporarily relocated during construction — a step confirmed in documents reviewed by Realtor.com®.

“We thought that if we kept the foundation and the outer walls of the house and we just took the roof off, it was our understanding that we were going to preserve our Save Our Homes and our homestead,” says Debbie.

Their hope was, when they moved back into the home, only the value of the new addition would be reassessed at the current market value, not the property as a whole.

But the renovations — removing the roof, adding a second floor — ultimately triggered a full reassessment of the home’s value. Under Florida law, once a property is deemed substantially improved, it can be treated as new construction, removing the protections that had capped the home’s assessed value for years.

“They called this a brand-new house. Now, if you look on the tax roll, we’ve owned the home since 2022,” she says. In fact, the Priebes have owned the home since 2002.

The appeal

The Priebes fought the county’s valuation using their contractor invoices, appraisal documentation, and historical records of improvements. Still, the final assessed value — based on recent sales, not cost to build — stood.

“We had a magistrate who actually agreed with us,” Debbie says. “But he said, ‘Unfortunately, I can’t do anything about it.’”

That’s because Florida law requires county appraisers to reassess a homesteaded property at just value — essentially, market value—after substantial improvements are made. Substantial improvements include things like expansions and major structural changes, not cosmetic upgrades, explains Mila Schwartzreich, general counsel for Broward County Property Appraisers.

From the county appraiser’s perspective, dealing with situations like the Priebes’ is a balancing act. The law requires market-based assessments. But local officials are often caught between the letter of the law and its real-world consequences.

“We do have the law to comply with,” Schwartzreich says. “It really puts us in the middle.”

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The all-cash factor

But what was driving up market values so high that a reassessment could trigger such a dramatic change in tax burden? It turns out that the Priebes were up against yet another factor that’s been transforming the housing market.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought in a surge of out-of-state buyers paying record-setting prices for Florida homes. Just before the Priebes completed their renovation, a neighboring home was sold for $4.9 million, and Debbie immediately sensed trouble.

“All-cash offers are typically the product of highly competitive housing markets,” explains Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst for Realtor.com. “Buyers use all-cash offers to win in a multiple-bid scenario, signaling a level of competition that goes hand in hand with home price growth.”

And while that home price growth is typically seen as a net positive for homeowners because it adds to their equity, it can become an albatross for those who can’t afford the higher property taxes that come with it.

In 2002, when the Priebes bought their home for $650,000, 37% of home transactions were purchased with all cash—well above the national share of 15% of sales. By 2023, when the Priebes were hit with their shocking tax bill, 62% of home sales in their ZIP code had been conducted in all cash, according to data from Realtor.com.

“Big-budget buyers are the most able to participate in today’s high-price, high-rate housing market, and these buyers are more likely to buy higher-priced homes and pay all-cash, driving home sale prices higher and the all-cash share higher,” explains Jones.

But appraisers still have to factor these sales into their assessments. Cash sales are considered valid under Florida law, even if the buyer paid above asking, explains Schwartzreich.

A rallying cry for reform

It’s one thing to talk about market dynamics. But for the Priebes, the stakes are painfully real: Their home is on the line—and they’re not alone.

“You should not be in the situation where you have to give up your home because you cannot afford the taxes,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently said at a roundtable on property tax relief in the state.

DeSantis has expressed support for eliminating property taxes altogether — a sweeping proposal that’s stirring debate. But such a change faces steep hurdles. Property taxes are the single largest source of revenue for local governments, funding essential services like public schools, first responders, and infrastructure.

Still, for families like the Priebes, relief can’t come soon enough.

“We weren’t doing this for money,” Debbie says. “We did this to try to preserve our home and stay in order to retire here.”

Their $90,000 annual tax bill may ultimately prove too much to bear. But they’re holding out hope that momentum around reform might arrive in time to help them stay in the home they’ve poured decades of love and savings into.