Next City Council Mtg on August 4th at 6pm

The next City Council Meeting will be held in City Hall on Thursday, August 4th at 6pm. You can watch it livestreaming either during or after the meeting, if you are unable to attend.

Announcements and Presentations include:

• Palm Beach North Resilience Action Plan presentation by Noel Martinez, President and CEO, Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce
• Legislative Update by Senator Bobby Powell

Consent Agenda includes:

• Resolution 47, 2022 – Purchase of Body-Worn Cameras and Less-Lethal Weapons System for the Police Department from Axon Enterprise, Inc. under a Contract with Sourcewell Cooperative Group Purchasing Organization. Total Ten-Year Contract Price – $3 million; FY 2023 payment – 188K
• Resolution 48, 2022 – Approving an Amendment to the Contract and Agreement between the City and Superion, L. L.C, a CentralSquare Technologies Company, as Successor In Interest to Open Software Solutions, Inc., to Incorporate the Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Justice Information Services Security Addendum into the Contract and Agreement.
• Purchase award – Insulated Screen Enclosure for Sandhill Crane Golf Club – openly competed – NA; Total contract value – $75K
• Purchase award – Maintenance Building for Tennis & Pickleball Center – Openly Competed, Total contract value: $75K

Regular Agenda – Ordinances and Resolutions includes:

• Ordinance 8, 2022 – Second reading and adoption – Amending Chapter 18. Businesses. At Article I. In General by Adopting New Section 18-1. Minimum Notice for Residential Rental Payment Increases. and New Section 18-2. Penalties. – first reading passed 4:0 in July City Council Mtg
• Ordinance 9, 2022 – First reading – Amending Chapter 74. Utilities. by repealing Article IV. Water Shortage Regulations in its entirety and readopting Article IV. as revised and with new ” Landscape Irrigation Conservation Regulations,” to provide for local implementation of the mandatory year-round Landscape Irrigation Conservation Measures Rules of the South Florida Water Management District
• Resolution 45, 2022 – A request by LRP Publications Inc., LRP Properties LLC, and LRP Properties Il LLC for a PUD Amendment to the PGA National Commerce Park for the development of two new buildings and site improvements on Lots 5, 5, 7, and 8, as well as modifications to the PGA National Commerce Park Development Guidelines.
• Resolution 46, 2022 – A request by Avenir Development, LLC for Site Plan approval for a 376, 759- square–foot commercial mixed – use retail center on a 51.55- acre site. This petition also includes a request for a Major Conditional Use for a drugstore/pharmacy with a drive -through and a Minor Conditional Use for a grocery store with a drive -through for an associated pharmacy within the Town Center District ( Parcel B) of the Avenir Planned Community Development ( PCD) Master Plan.

Please check the agenda before the meeting for additions or modifications.

Proposed millage 5.32, drop of 4.5%!

The biggest news of the evening: After several years of 5.55 millage, the City has proposed a decrease of 4.5% to the proposed 2022/2023 5.32 millage. Allen Owens, Finance Administrator, said that their models also maintain that same lowered millage in their 10 year projections. Council Member Woods expressed concern with the lower millage and looks forward to meeting with staff on the detailed proposed budget. He did point out that after several years of requesting the millage be lowered, Council Member Marciano was not in attendance to vote on the reduction. Vice Mayor Litt asked what homeowners will see and was told even homesteaded properties, capped at 3% increases, will see a reduction. Council Member Tinsley praised the city’s consistent fiscal responsibility. Mayor Reed had to select from all who were eagerly vying to raise and second the motion for Resolution 29, 2022!

Another exciting item brought to the Council by City Manager Ferris, was that FoxBusiness/Verizon recognized Palm Beach Gardens as one of top 10 small cities for small business!  The City came in first in the state and 8th in the nation and is the only small city on the entire east coast to be on the list. Here’s a video specific to the Gardens.

Ordinance 8, 2022 – First reading – requires that landlords give renters 60 days notice prior to rate increases of 5% or more. City Attorney Lohman said that the public will be informed through normal communications channels, as well as providing materials to each of the apartment complexes in the City. Enforcement/penalties will be incident based – eg if a renter has not received the required notice they can bring their complaint to the City.

In other business:

• City Manager Report
  • Introduced Madelyn Marconi as the new Administrative Services Manager
  • Chief Bessette, Division Chief of EMS, was named to Palm Beach County EMS Advisory Council– his seat is the only one representing all the EMS providers in the County
  • The Pickleball center won several grants/awards
  • Sandhill Crane Golf Club ranked 4th in Palm Beach County for local public golf courses
  • FDOT replied to a request submitted by Council Member Tinsley through the City about the Beeline/Northlake intersection – saying that the bike lane (with traffic going on each side of it), could not be moved and separated from vehicular traffic due to lack of sufficient easement.
• Consent Agenda passed 4:0
• All other Ordinances/Resolutions passed 4:0
• Public Comment was made by
  • Gina A. Levesque – Intake and Compliance Manager of the PBC Commission on Ethics giving the Council members information and her card
  • Manolo Calvo, who is President of the Soccer division of PBG Youth Athletic Association gave additional updates since he last spoke at the Council in June.
• City Attorney Lohman gave a short update on the lawsuit between the City and Palm Beach County regarding Mobility fees – briefs are being exchanged.

Next City Council Mtg on July 14th at 6pm

The next City Council Meeting will be held in City Hall on Thursday, July 14th at 6pm. You can watch it livestreaming either during or after the meeting, if you are unable to attend.

Consent Agenda includes many items this month. Not all are listed:

• Resolution 7, 2022 – A Resolution approving the plat for Panther National at Avenir within the Avenir Planned Community Development (PCD).
• Resolution 34, 2022 – Agreement with the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections (SOE) for Vote Processing Equipment Use and Election Services Agreement for the August 23, 2022, Primary Election.  Note – PBG has a Special Election for Referendum Question: CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS REFERENDUM QUESTION. AUTHORIZATION TO GRANT ECONOMIC PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE CONSTITUTION
• Resolution 44, 2022 – Ratification and Approval of the City Manager’s Authorization of Additional Expenditure to Complete the LED Lighting Systems Upgrade Project at the Police Department.
• Purchase Award: Architectural Services for Fire Rescue Station No. 6 – Bid Waiver – Contract value including City’s 10% Contingency – $296K
• Purchase Award: Furnish and Install Public Safety Communications Monopole at Avenir – Piggyback/Access Contract – $364K
• Purchase Award: Installation of Synthetic Turfgrass at Lilac Dog Park – Piggyback/Access Contract – $113K
• Purchase Award: Janitorial Supplies and Chemicals – Piggyback/Access Contract – 5 year contract with option to renew for 3 years – $1.2 million

Ordinances and Resolutions – New Business only:

• Ordinance 8, 2022 – First Reading – Amending Chapter 18. Businesses. At Article I. In General by Adopting New Section 18-1. Minimum Notice for Residential Rental Payment Increases. and New Section 18-2. Penalties. “Certain South Florida counties, Miami-Dade and Broward, and cities, including Lake Worth Beach, West Palm Beach, and Miami Beach, have recently enacted ordinances that require 60 days’ written notification be given by residential landlords to their tenants prior to increasing the tenants’ rent beyond 5 percent; therefore, it is necessary, in order to better protect tenants in the City, to establish a required minimum notice period (with which all residential landlords must comply) prior to increasing the rental rate of certain tenants beyond a specific percent.”
• Resolution 33, 2022 – A City-initiated application to submit the City’s Program Year 2022-2023 Annual Action Plan application for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Program (CDBG) funding and a substantial amendment to add an activity to the City’s adopted Program Year 2019-2020 Annual Action Plan.
• Resolution 40, 2022 – A request by Seacoast Utility Authority (SUA) for Site Plan approval to allow the development of a utility maintenance facility. The Seacoast Utility Authority parcel is 2.5 acres and is located on the south side of Avenir Drive, approximately 0.15 miles west of Coconut Boulevard within the Avenir PCD.
• Resolution 29, 2022 – Adopting a proposed maximum millage rate for the City of Palm Beach Gardens for FY 2022/2023, and setting the date, time, and place of the first public budget hearing. “The City is required to file with the County Property Appraiser and Tax Collector a proposed millage rate that will be sent out on the Notice of Proposed Taxes in August. The proposed operating millage rate for FY 2022/2023 is 5.32, which is a reduction to the current year rate of 5.55. Once the tentative millage is filed with the County, these rates can be lowered at the budget hearings, but they cannot be increased. “
• Resolution 32, 2022 – Adopting the Fiscal Year 2022/2023 Fees and Charges Schedule. “Please refer to Exhibit “A” for a comprehensive listing of the proposed changes by department.

Please check the agenda before the meeting for additions or modifications.