Styrofoam Use on City Property Dominates Council Mtg

The December City Council meeting was relatively brief, at just over an hour in length. All agenda items passed 4:0 including:

• Budget amendment – 2nd reading and adoption
• Expanding alcohol sale hours to begin at 7am from the previous 8a (the subject of much discussion in two prior council meetings) – 2nd reading and adoption
• Amending Land Development Regulations to add laboratory, dental or medical use to office, professional and business use – driven by National Dentex, LLC plans to move into Seminole Shoppes (formerly Carl’s Plaza) – first reading
• Site Plan Approval for the Club House at the Regency (The Pearl) at Avenir residential community. For an update on Avenir in general – here’s a recent Palm Beach Post article.

Tony Bedala, Palm Beach Gardens Youth Athletic Association President updated the Council on progress in the last year and thanked both staff and the Council for their support. He in turn was honored by the Council and presented with a large photo of the City Park (which action was entirely off screen on the livestream of the meeting).

City Manager Ferris’s report included:

• Purchasing Department (and Director) Km! Ra was awarded both an excellence in procurement award in November, and the UPPCCA agency certification award for 7th year in a row in December.
• The City has filed for around $291K from the Municipal Cares Reimbursement Program (PBC) to reimburse municipalities for ppe/equipment/information covid19 related expenditures not in budget.  See this WPTV piece on the program.
• The first 2021 City Council Meeting will be on Thursday, January 14.

Public Comment was made by Brendan Rodriguez, President of the Student Government Association for Palm Beach State College, Gardens Campus (2020-21) – thanking the Council and specifically Council Member Chelsea Reed for her involvement with their Panther Talk initiative in the creation of educational videos on Sustainability.

Sustainability dominated the last fifteen minutes of the hour long meeting. Council Member Reed asked that the City adopt a policy eliminating polystyrene or styrofoam products from city property (only). She had previous discussions with City Manager Ferris and City Attorney Max Lohman. The City website recently started a Sustainability web page as well. Vice Mayor Litt and Council Member Marciano were also in favor. Mayor Woods wanted staff input on impacts to the City and he didn’t want a ‘heavy hand’ on how the City serves drinks and take-out at their facilities. City Manager Ferris pointed out that the facilities don’t use styrofoam at all except at the golf course and senior center. He also explained that an ordinance is a law and needs enforcement and fines. After discussion, the Council will leave it to Ferris and Lohman to figure it out whether it should be a proclamation or resolution and they will bring back a proposal for the Council to consider.