Next City Council Mtg on Thursday, Sept 19

The next City Council Meeting will be on Thursday Sept 19 at 7pm. This meeting will include the Final Hearing and Adoption of the Fiscal Year 2019/2020 Budget as well as other items.

Consent Agenda includes:

• Purchase Award for Systems Furniture for the renovated/expanded areas of the City Complex. Piggyback/Access contract for $372K

Ordinances and Resolutions include:

• Resolution 61, 2019 – Adopting a tax levy and millage rate for the City of Palm Beach Gardens for the Fiscal Year commencing October 1, 2019, and ending September 30, 2020 and associated Ordinance 20, 2019 – Public Hearing for Second and Final Reading Adopting the Fiscal Year 201 9/2020 Budget.
• Ordinance 19, 2019 – Second reading and adoption of a City-initiated request to amend Chapter 78 of the City’s Code of Ordinances to incorporate a new Impact Fee Schedule for the City of Palm Beach Gardens Mobility Fee to be applied and assessed in the Mobility Fee Assessment Area in lieu of Transportation (Road) Impact Fees, pursuant to the adoption of the City’s Mobility Plan
• Resolution 67, 2019 – while publicly noticed, this resolution Avenir – Site Plan 1 Pods 1 and 3 model homes, model home row, and upgraded entry features has been requested to be postponed by the applicant. It will be opened for public comment and after the public hearing is closed, it will be postponed.
• Resolution 68, 2019 – Avenir Site Plan #1 – Pod 4 Site Plan Amendment Approval – to approve architectural models, design and diversity criteria for custom built homes, a model home row, and an enhanced entry feature for residential Pod 4 that is in Site Plan #1

Check the agenda to see if any additional items have been added before the meeting here.

Mayor Marciano – Gardens Should Lead by Reducing the Millage

First reading of the annual Budget typically results in discussion by the Council, and this year was no exception. See 8.8% Tax Increase in 2020 Proposed Budget and the Palm Beach Post article for more details about the budget specifics. After the Powerpoint presentation made by Finance Director Allan Owens, Mayor Marciano kicked off his analysis of the proposed budget. Unlike the remainder of the Council, the Mayor was previously on the Budget Review Committee (see report here) for several years prior to being elected to the Council and has an in-depth knowledge of the City’s finances not apparent in the others on the Council. He once again echoed former Mayor Bert Premuroso (also knowledgeable on budget matters).

Marciano proposed that the millage be cut to 5.50 rather than the staff recommended 5.55. The Mayor described the uses of the Budget Stabilization Reserve Fund which have strayed from its original intent when created, for critical items,  to cover useful but not critical budget items as they come up during the year. Staff always projects depletion of the Fund, but somehow it always ends up having many times the original $500K balance intended when formed. Marciano pointed out that while the City may be run efficiently as is a business, it is NOT a business and it’s goal is to provide critical needs for the taxpayer. He also said that the City has lowered millage in the past, and if it can’t do so in good times – when will it? He stated that Palm Beach Gardens should lead by example, as it prides itself on doing in other areas, and lower millage. Lowering the rate from 5.55 to 5.50 is of minimal impact to the City but is giving money back to the taxpayer.

Others on the Council did not discuss the points specifically made by Marciano but echoed fears of potential disasters (which is what the $23 million Reserve Fund is for), and in some cases displayed ignorance of how a taxpayers’ total tax bill is calculated. The vote was 4:1 and the Mayor remained open to further discussion. (PBG Watch is in total support of lowering the millage to 5.50)

In other business:

• State Representative Rick Roth gave a Legislative Update, postponed from an earlier Council meeting..
• All Ordinances and Resolutions, other than the Fiscal Year 2019/2020 Budget, passed 5:0 with minimal discussion by Council.
• Public Comment was made by Tom Cairnes of PGA Corridor about upcoming meetings, and by Steen Ericksson, representing the Fire Chiefs Association of Palm Beach County inviting people to the 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at Christ Fellowship Church in Boynton Beach at 7pm.
• Additionally – during discussion of the Purchase Award for Gasoline and Diesel Fuel, pulled from Consent by Council Member Lane – it became apparent that the Burns Rd Public Works Property was removed from the market and the pending sale last mentioned in PBGWatch after the May City Council meeting fell through. For more details – see Resolution 55, 2019.

The next City Council Meeting will be held on Thursday September 19, 2019 at 7pm – and includes the Final Hearing and vote on the Fiscal Year 2019/2020 Budget and millage rate.

Next City Council Mtg on Thursday, September 5 at 7pm

We hope that this post finds you and your loved ones safe from Hurricane Dorian.  Assuming that all is well on Thursday and nothing changes, the next City Council Meeting will be on Thursday, September 5th at 7pm in City Hall.

Presentations include:

• FL State Representative Rick Roth – with a Legislative Update

Consent Agenda includes:

• Resolution 57, 2019 – Terminating the City’s lnterlocal Agreement with Palm Beach County for Traffic Concurrency Certification Review – The City of Palm Beach Gardens has prepared a Mobility Plan and Fee Report as provided by Section 163.3180 (5) (i), Florida Statutes. Accordingly, the City’s lnterlocal Agreement with Palm Beach County setting forth the procedure for review of Traffic Concurrency Applications is no longer necessary and is recommended to be terminated Second Reading and Adoption of the Mobility Plan is Ordinance 16, 2019 on the Regular Agenda.
• Purchase award – Tires and Related Services – Piggyback/access contract for 3 years with no option to renew – $330K
• Purchase award – Gasoline and Diesel Fuel – Piggyback/access contract for 3 years with option to renew ‘Per State of FL Contract’ – $2 million

Public Hearings and Resolutions – New Business/First Readings includes:

• Ordinance 18, 2019 – First reading – A City-initiated request to amend Division 8. Landscaping of the City’s Land Development Regulations to add a definition of Residential Property to conform to recently approved legislation.  Of interest to owners of residential property in the Gardens:  On June 26, 2019, the Governor signed into law the Committee Substitute of House Bill 1159, amending Section 163.045, Florida Statutes, relating to tree trimming, pruning, and removal on residential property. Specifically, the bill prohibits a local government from requiring a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation for pruning, trimming, or removal of a tree on residential property if the property owner obtains documentation from an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture or a Florida-licensed landscape architect that the tree presents a danger to persons or property. The bill further prohibits a local government from requiring a tree to be replanted if the tree was pruned, trimmed, or removed for this reason.
• Ordinance 19, 2019 – First reading – A City-initiated request to amend Chapter 78 of the City’s Code of Ordinances to incorporate a new Impact Fee Schedule for the City of Palm Beach Gardens Mobility Fee to be applied and assessed in the Mobility Fee Assessment Area in lieu of Transportation (Road) Impact Fees, pursuant to the adoption of the City’s Mobility Plan. (Ordinance 16, 2019 – to be approved earlier in the agenda)
• Ordinance 20, 2019 – Public Hearing for First Reading of Ordinance 20, 2019 Adopting the Fiscal Year 201 9/2020 Budget.

BACKGROUND: This is the first of two required public hearings to set the millage and adopt the budget for Fiscal Year 2019/2020. On July 11 , 2019, Council approved Resolution 39, 2019, setting the maximum tentative operating millage rate for FY 2019/2020 at 5.55 mills. The proposed operating millage of 5.55 is 4.19% above the roll-back rate of 5.3268. The total operating millage rate proposed for Fiscal Year 2019/2020 is 5.55 mills, which is less than the current year rate of 5.6003 mills.

Total sources for all funds is $175,554,209, consisting of total estimated balances carried forward of $47,981,051 and projected total revenues of $127,573,158. Total sources of funds are balanced with projected total expenditures of $128,858,551 and ending reserves of $46,695,658, for a total use of funds of $175,554,209.

The second and final public hearing on the budget is scheduled for September 19, 2019. For more details see the 2019/2020 Proposed Budget page.

Check the agenda to see if any additional items have been added before the meeting here.

Presentations/Public comment and Council Discussion Book-End Mtg

The August PBG City Council was relatively short. All Ordinances and Resolutions passed 5:0.

Presentations included Lauren Berkson on the Gold Star Families Memorial (passed late in the evening at the July mtg – see the Palm Beach Post article here.),  an American Heart Association Gold Plus Award to PBG EMS for the 3rd time – for measures taken to deal with a special type of heart attack known as a ‘stemi’, and an award to PBG EMS as EMS State Provider of the Year for 2019. PBG EMS is the first to receive this award in Palm Beach County.  See Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue Earns State EMS Honor, for more details.

Public Comment included Attorney Jim Carroll announcing his candidacy for FL State Representative District 85, Julia Jackson of Lake Catherine expressing concern about the number of buoys now on Lake Catherine attributable to the model sailboat club races, and Barbara Grossman expressing concern about plans for Virgin Trains and requesting that the opposition group(s) be allowed to make a presentation to the Council at a future date.

During the presentation for Resolution 53, 2019 – Fire/Rescue Training Tower – it was mentioned that while such towers are typically made of concrete (as is the County’s tower off Southern Boulevard), the City’s training site uses movable and temporary structures, and thus a modular structure was necessary. See the Palm Beach Post article “Palm Beach Gardens is going to Build a 4 Story Fire Rescue Training Tower“.

Towards the end of the Council meeting – during Items for Council Action/Discussion, the first item for discussion was SPONSORSHIP OF THE 8TH ANNUAL SENATOR PHILIP D. LEWIS CENTER LUNCHEON, HOMELESS COALITION OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, proposed by Vice Mayor Litt. Sponsorship costs $1800 and includes 2 tickets to the luncheon. Council Member Marino asked how is the Council going to determine which non-profits are worthy or not? She pointed out that it is tax-payer money being used. Council Member Woods was leaning to approve, saying “we’re a large city and we have the money.” Mayor Marciano said that sometimes we have to spend outside the city to help people who can’t help themselves. Both Woods and Marciano discussed budgeting in the future for such expenditures for charities/non-profits using the City’s tax-payer moneys. The discussion continued during the next item CO-SPONSORSHIP OF THE PALM BEACH NORTH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS MAYOR’S BREAKFAST, where a $500 sponsorship was approved.

The discussion then segued to traffic on Northlake Boulevard – a topic of much complaint by residents. Council Member Woods said that actions were in early stages and to let staff processes continue and decide alternative solutions after working with the county.

Mayor Marciano raised the topic of Brightline/All Aboard. He said that the City has had three resolutions in the past expressing concern about the crossings and the trains impacts to the City. He is continuing to try and reach Congressman Mast to see what can be done on a federal level. If the train is going to come then the City, then the City has to be prepared with safe crossings and quiet zones, and even a train stop if that would benefit the city.  The Council will support the citizens in any way they can. But it didn’t seem likely that the Council will allow a presentation by opposition groups. (Note that while it’s interesting that the Council may have seen such a presentation by opposition groups elsewhere – it doesn’t make it public record for the citizens of the City.)

Next City Council Mtg on Thursday, August 1st at 7pm

The next City Council Meeting will be on Thursday August 1st at 7pm in City Hall.

Presentations include:

a. GOLD STAR MEMORIAL MONUMENT.
b. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EMS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR.
c. AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION GOLD PLUS AWARD.

Consent Agenda includes:

• Resolution 58, 2019 – a request by Avenir Development, LLC for approval of Avenir Site Plan 2 Pod 5 Plat – consistent with the approved site plan for the project approved by the Council on October 18, 2018.
• Purchase Award – Accounting and Financial Services – The Deputy Finance Administrator will retire in July 2019. The Finance Administrator submitted a proposed plan to the City Manager for the reorganization of the Finance Department, and to hire a consultant to work directly on the budget preparation process. An analysis done by the Finance Department showed that the reorganization of the department and hiring the former Deputy Finance Administrator, as a consultant, will realize savings of $97,000 each year for the City. Not openly competed. Contract term: 41 months; cost per fiscal year: $95K
• Purchase Award – Citywide Telephone System Replacement – The City is in the midst of several capital improvement projects and is using the opportunity to replace the existing telephone network with a voice-over-internet-protocol communications network. Piggyback/access contract for $280K

Public Hearings and Resolutions – New Business/First Readings includes:

• Ordinance 17, 2019 – An amendment to the City of Palm Beach Gardens Police Officers’ Retirement Trust Fund.
• Resolution 43, 2019 – A City-initiated application to submit the One-Year Annual Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. In accordance with U.S. HUD requirements, the City must submit a One-Year Annual Action Plan and application for grant funds that confirm the projects on which the current year’s grant allocation is proposed to be spent during the upcoming year. The City is eligible to receive approximately $228,608 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. Staff is recommending approval of the City’s FY 2019 CDBG application to U.S. HUD.
• Resolution 48, 2019 – Adopting the Fiscal Year 2019/2020 Fees and Charges Schedule. The new fee schedule will be effective October 1, 2019. See the resolution here which includes the proposed fee changes.
• Resolution 50, 2019 – Award of a Contract to Musco Sports Lighting, LLC to Supply and Install Outdoor Sports Lighting for the Gardens Park Baseball Expansion Project. The City’s total compensation to the Contractor for supplying and installing outdoor sports lighting for the Gardens Park Baseball Complex Expansion project shall be Four Hundred Forty-Three Thousand Nine Hundred Dollars ($443,900) – Funding from Current Fiscal Year Budget.
• Resolution 53, 2019 – Award of a Contract to Jahnke & Sons Construction, Inc., dba WHP Trainingtowers, for the construction of a Fire Training Tower at the Public Safety Training Complex on Richard Road. Total Cost: $1,468,411.86 The Fire Rescue Department has budgeted funds this fiscal year for the construction of a fire rescue training tower. This multi-story fire training tower will be used by fire rescue staff to conduct training on the suppression of different classes of fires; practice victim location and extraction; other search and rescue techniques; practice in different environmental scenarios and events; create realistic smoke; practice fire truck operations, safety, and training, including ladder use; practice rappelling and rope rescue, and confined space rescue; and other fire rescue training.

Check the agenda to see if any additional items have been added before the meeting here.

Virgin Trains impacts, Mobility Plan, 2019/2020 budget max millage and more

The agenda for the July 11th City Council took the max allotted time of 4.5 hours. Council Member Marino was not in attendance and all Ordinances and Resolutions passed 4:0. Since most attendees probably did not last until the end of the meeting here are a few highlights.

• City Manager Ferris was offered a new contract (as discussed at the June 2019 City Council Mtg); Council Member Woods proposed that on top of the 3% cost of living increases that the City Manager (and staff and thus the Council) have been getting over the last several years, that Mr. Ferris be given a one-time 6% increase.
  July 11th

  Mr. Ferris’ current salary at $239K is only less than the City Administrator of Palm Beach County at $270K, Boca Raton’s city manager of $240K and West Palm Beach at $240K. The Council’s rationale was that the top city in Florida to live in should have a city manager earning a top salary. There was no analysis of number of employees, city population or anything else.

• The maximum millage for the 2019/2020 Fiscal Year Budget was set at 5.55 – it can be lowered but not raised. The operational budget has been at 5.55 for several years as well – and given continued rising valuations, this will most likely be a tax increase for most property owners. The proposed budget can be found here. The first public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2019/2020 Budget will be held on September 5, 2019, at 7:00 pm in the City of Palm Beach Gardens Council Chambers.
• Representatives of Virgin Trains gave an update on service to Orlando, expected by mid-2022. Their plans are still to have 16 round-trips per day to Orlando. See  the Palm Beach Post article here for a summary of the update. Of note and not in the article – each crossing in the City will have to be closed for up to 10 days each, with the Kyoto Gardens intersection having to be closed twice for up to 10 days each. Plans are to not have adjacent crossings closed at the same time and to have well marked detours.

• The Palm Beach Gardens Mobility plan and updated fees had considerable discussion. There is only so much that city roads can be widened, so alternative modes of transportation will need to be considered. Most of the discussion however was due to a letter sent from Palm Beach County Administrator Verdenia Baker opposing modifications to the current transportation concurrency/road impact fees with a transition to Gardens’ mobility fees. Natalie Crowley, Director of Planning and Zoning outlined what PBG considered as wrong assumptions in the County’s letter. Patrick Rutter, Assistant County Administrator outlined the County’s issues; Nick Uhren, Director of Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency and Dr. Kim Delaney, Director of Strategic Development and Policy for the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, both spoke in full support of the City’s plan and fee approach.
• FPL sought approval for changes to its plans for the office building on Kyoto Gardens Drive. See the article for more details. Several members of the business community spoke in support and a resident inquired about the heliport stop.

Next City Council Meeting on Thursday July 11 at 7pm

The next City Council meeting will be on Thursday, July 11, at 7pm.

The meeting has quite an extensive agenda covering a lot of topics. For those interested in Brightline, there will be a presentation on Future Plans for Train Service to Orlando.  Additionally, there will be a 2019 Legislative Update by State Senator Bobby Powell.

Presentations and Announcements also includes recognition of Wendy Tatum as Manager of the Year by the United States Professional Tennis Association.

Consent Agenda includes:

• Purchase Award:  Financial Advisory Services – exercising option to renew existing contract for 5 years – $120K over 5 years
• Purchase Award:  Group Health Insurance Plan (Self-Funded) – Stop Loss Insurance Coverage – exercising option to renew for remaining 1 year of contract – $562K.
• Purchase Award:  Independent Auditing Services  – openly competed – 5 year contract total $447K
• Purchase Award:  Switches and Related Equipment for New Telecommunications System – Piggyback/Access Contract for  $118K

Public Hearings and Resolutions – Only first readings and new business listed below:

• Ordinance 12, 2019 – An amendment to the City of Palm Beach Gardens Firefighters’ Retirement Trust Fund.
• Ordinances 14/15, 2019 – Bay Hill Estates – First reading – city initiated ordinances to update Large-Scale Comprehensive Map and Zoning for  the recently annexed area
• Ordinance 16, 2019 – Mobility Plan and Mobility Fee – First reading – city initiated – request for approval and adoption of the Mobility Plan and Fee, which also has an impact on traffic concurrency agreements
• Resolution 44, 2019 – a request by PGA Marina to install three sets of automated crossing arms within the marina site
• Resolutions 45/46, 2019 – A request by FPL for an amendment to the PGA Office Center to combine Parcel A and Parcel B, realign the northern 400 feet of RCA Center Drive for a new intersection location at Kyoto Gardens Drive, and to add 1.3 acres of lake area to Parcel A. The request also includes site plan approval for a 270,000-square-foot office building, three-story parking garage, and helistop within 37.74 acres of affected area on the south side of Kyoto Gardens Drive. 
• Resolution 52, 2019 – A request from Nuvo Riverside, LLC to enter into a Miracle League Field Funding Agreement with the City of Palm Beach Gardens.  This agreement will result in the Applicant providing a one-time payment to the City toward the funding of the Miracle League fields.
• Resolution 29, 2019 – Gold Star Families Memorial Monument at Veterans Plaza – A request to install a Gold Star Families Memorial Monument at the City of Palm Beach Gardens’ Veterans Plaza
• Resolution 39, 2019 – Adopting a proposed maximum millage rate for the City of Palm Beach Gardens for FY 2019/2020, and setting the date, time, and place of the first public budget hearing.

Items for Council Action/Discussion includes discussion of a City Manager Contract – requested by Council at last month’s evaluation of the City Manager.

Check the agenda to see if any additional items have been added before the meeting here.

New Development at City Centre and Downtown at the Gardens

Vice-Mayor Litt was unable to attend as she was attending the graduation ceremony for completing Leadership Palm Beach.  Council Member Marino is also a graduate of the program.  Congratulations to Mrs. Litt.

During Announcements and Presentations Officer Francine O’Brien was chosen as PBC Chiefs’ Association 2018 Officer of the year. Also the PBA voted on and the Council approved a collective bargaining agreement for the next 3 years. Key elements included a 6%/year annual increase for each of the 3 years and change of the retirement age from 55 to 52.

All Ordinances and Resolutions on this very busy agenda passed 4:0 with the exception of the following:

• 2nd Reading and Adoption of Ordinance 6, 2016 and companion resolution 20, 2019 – which entailed the changes to the Costco site plan, and approval for a retail expansion and 24 position fueling center (limited to members) received much discussion by the Council, and public comment against and for. Council Member Lane was opposed to the number of fueling stations and traffic impact and the final vote was 3:1.
• Ordinance 8, 2019 – 1st reading – Ballenisles East Outparcel rezoning for the development of a medical and professional office building to be located on the SE corner of PGA Blvd and Ballenisles Drive. Staff had recommended AGAINST approval. The applicant requested postponement of the vote until July; staff recommended an indefinite postponement until issues were resolved. After discussion, the council voted 4:0 for an indefinite postponement.

New development includes plans for Solera at City Centre, located on US1 and PGA Blvd – a 136-unit multi-family apartment building, including some workforce housing (see  the Palm Beach Post article,  and a Life Time Health Club and parking garage to be built at Downtown at the Gardens – see a description the Post’s coverage here.

Also approved was the hiring of a consultant to develop a workforce housing program for the City. And the Council, while having met individually with City Manager Ferris to give private feedback, publicly gave him a stellar annual evaluation and suggested that the City Attorney bring forward a new contract to for Mr. Ferris.

Next City Council Meeting on Thursday, June 6 at 7pm

The next City Council meeting will be on Thursday, June 6, at 7pm. The meeting has quite an extensive agenda covering a lot of topics. For those interested in the issue of Workforce Housing, see Resolution 40, 2019 regarding the development of a Workforce Housing Program and Ordinance 9, 2019 which will provide for a density bonus for projects in Mixed Use zoning districts that include a workforce or affordable housing component.

Presentations and Announcements include: Police Officer of the Year Francine O’Brien, PBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, Legislative Session Summary and an update on small cell and micro antennas in city right of way (a home rule issue).

Consent Agenda includes:

• Lease of an Altec Model AT30-G Custom Truck for the Public Services Department’s Sign Shop – $117K
• Resolutions 36/37, 2019 – approving plats for Avenir Pod 2 and 4 – consistent with prior approvals
• Resolution 41, 2019 – The Collective Bargaining Agreement with PBA – covered under presentations – 3 yr contract from 10/19 – 9/22
• Purchase award – Electrical Work for New Golf Maintenance Building – piggyback/access contract – upon completion – $126K
• Purchase award – Pavement Marking Services – piggyback/access contract – upon completion – $64K
• Bid waiver – Construction of Baseball Batting Cages and Pitching Areas at Gardens Park – $162K

Public Hearings and Resolutions – Only first readings and new business listed below:

• Ordinance 8, 2019 – First Reading: Ballenlsles East Outparcel PUD – request to rezone a 5.27 acre site located at the southeast corner of PGA Boulevard and Ballenlsles Drive and Site Plan approval for a 60,000-square-foot, 2-story medical and professional office building. – staff recommends denial
• Ordinances 9/10/11, 2019 – First Reading: A request from Eastwind Acquisitions, LLC to amend the 13.58 acre City Centre site on the Future Land Use Plan Map to Mixed Use (MXD), rezone to Mixed Use with a General Commercial (CG-1) and Residential High (RH) underlying zoning, and a PUD Amendment to convert the existing approval for a 6 story office building on Parcel F to develop a 4-story multifamily residential project with 136 units, with a workforce housing component. The proposed Land Use amendment in Ordinance 9, 2019 will provide for a density bonus for projects in Mixed Use zoning districts that include a workforce or affordable housing component. See map for City Centre.
• Ordinance 13, 2019 – First Reading: Requesting approval of Ordinance 13, 2019 that would grant an Ad Valorem Property Tax Exemption to Carrier Corporation providing for 100 percent exemption for 1-5 Years and then 50 percent exemption for 6-10 Years. On March 5, 2015 “The City Council also conceptually approved Carrier Corporation, “Project Diamond”, for the Ad Valorem Tax Exemption Program for 100 percent exemption for 1-5 Years and then 50 percent exemption for 6-10 Years, provided the company sufficiently completes the application process for the ad valorem tax exemption, and the City Council grants final approval.”
• Resolutions 26/27, 2019 – Downtown at the Gardens – to add 116,862 square feet of Health, Physical Fitness, Weight Reduction, and Spa use and amend the site plan for Downtown at the Gardens to allow for a Life Time health club facility and a 426-space parking garage
• Resolution 30, 2019 – AIPP (Art in Public Places) for PGA Station Residence Inn Marriott
• Resolution 38, 2019 – Avenir Clubhouse – request for site plan approval to permit the construction of an 8.99-acre community clubhouse and recreation facility internal to the Avenir Planned Community Development (PCD).
• Resolution 40, 2019 – award of the contract with Strategic Planning Group, Inc. for the development of a Workforce Housing Program, consistent with the needs and requirements of the City, and subject to the deliverables detailed in the Request for Proposals. Additionally, the Mayor is hereby authorized to execute the subject agreement.

Items for Council Action/Discussion: City Manager Evaluation

Check the agenda to see if any additional items have been added before the meeting here.

New Tax Collector Office Building for PGA Blvd

The May 2nd City Council meeting included first reading on changes to two sites on PGA Boulevard and Northlake Boulevard respectively.

The current DMV site on PGA across from the Gardens Mall will be replaced by a beautiful new building housing both the Palm Beach County Tax Collector’s functions currently housed in the North County Courthouse, as well as the drivers’ license functions previously conducted on the site’s locations.  All on the Council were impressed by the new building, along with the included traffic improvements allowing access from the North County Courthouse and PBC Library parking lot areas.  Residents will be able to access all three locations without having to enter via PGA Blvd.

Costco, located on Northlake Boulevard across from MacArthur Boulevard, will be adding a members’ only fueling center at the site of the old Sports Authority and Rooms to Go Outlet, as well as revamping the access roadway for better traffic management on Northlake, enhancing the appearance of the store itself, and modifying the parking area and landscaping.  The Council did spend some time exploring the last minute complaint by the owner of an adjoining property.

Also of note – the Council approved the sale of the Burns Road Public Works property to Johnstone Capital Partners for $2.8 million.  A previous sale fell through, and while there was another higher offer, that offer presented legal issues as well as tying up the property for many months with no penalty should that offer fall through.  After deliberations, the Council agreed that the Johnstone offer, with only 10 days of deliberation and a closing date of June 12  for the property appraised at $2.2 million, was the way to go.

All ordinances and resolutions passed 5:0.

 

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