Next City Council Mtg on June 3rd at 6pm

The June City Council Meeting will be on Thursday, June 3.  You can watch it livestreaming either during or after the meeting, if you are unable to attend.

Presentation:  Seal of Excellence Award from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

Consent Agenda:

• Purchase Award – Office Furniture for City Hall (2nd Floor) – Piggyback/Access Contract – no option to renew – $114k
• Purchase Award – Street Sweeping Services – Openly competed – 5 year contract no option to renew – $530K *taking option to renew from prior contract

New Business:

• Ordinance 6 and 7, 2021 – Downtown Palm Beach Gardens – Large-Scale Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map Amendment and Rezoning – First Reading and Transmittal  – A request from Excel Gardens, LLC for a Large Scale Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map Amendment to change the land use designation of the 49.04-acre Downtown Palm Beach Gardens site to Mixed Use Development (MXD), limit the development intensity and density of the property to the proposed development program, and change the zoning to Planned Community Development (PCD) overlay with underlying zoning designation of Mixed Use Development (MXD).
• Resolution 27, 2021 – A request by Avenir Holdings, LLC and Avenir Development, LLC for a Planned Community Development (PCD) Amendment to amend the PCD Master Plan internal parcel boundaries (including creation of a new internal parcel), shift entitlements between parcels, modify the PCD internal roadway network including adding driveway connections, revise PCD and roadway buffer landscape plans, update development standards, and modify certain conditions of approval in Resolution 4, 2016.
• Resolution 28, 2021 – A Resolution approving the Design, Survey, and Permitting Services related to providing a westbound right-turn lane roadway improvement at Northlake Boulevard and Osprey Isles Boulevard as part of the Neighborhood Improvement Assessment Program (NIAP). In addition, this Resolution authorizes the City Manager to take all actions and execute all documents necessary to provide services . for Design, Survey and Permitting for the identified area.

2nd Reading and Adoption:  Ordinance 5, 2021 – Voluntary Annexation Request -A request from Sheela Shah MD, PLLC for a Voluntary Annexation of a 0.13-acre parcel located on the north side of Bomar Drive approximately 400 feet west of U.S. 1.

Annual City Manager Evaluation

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

Storm Clouds – both literal and figurative

There was a very heavy thunderstorm during the May City Council meeting which disrupted the meeting briefly so that a system could be rebooted. But the topic of a traffic signal at Northlake and Bay Hill Estates highlighted conflicts between Palm Beach Gardens and Palm Beach County.

Finance Administrator Allan Owens, and the Tammy Goldstrich of Marcum LLP kicked off with the first presentation on the audit of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2020. The report can be found here..

Bayhill Traffic Signal update

• City Manager Ferris informed the Council about a community meeting with residents of Bayhill, Osprey Isles, Carleton Oaks, Ancient Tree, Avenir and Ibis regarding the progress on the desired traffic signal for the intersection, which has been worked on for three years now. Much of the meeting was taken by the presentation by Natalie Crowley, Director of Planning and Zoning and Todd Engle, City Engineer about the proposed signal, Council discussion, public comment and discussion by the City Attorney and City Manager. The City has had issues with Palm Beach County over several topics – but the jurisdiction and permitting for the signal have raised yet another ‘stormy’ conflict.
• Read Joel Engelhardt’s in-depth piece entitled “‘Abuse of Power:’ Gardens Ready to Sue County of Bay Hill Stoplight”.
• Public Comment regarding the traffic signal was made by Matthew Kamula, resident and HOA President of Osprey Isles (and accompanying residents), Victor Martin, HOA President Carlton Oaks, Gia Muirragui, Judy Ahrens, Douglas Grant.
• City Manager Ferris, as his report, started by asking Mayor Litt to comment on Monday’s meeting on the Bay Hill Traffic Signal.
• City Attorney Lohman added Resolution 31, 2021, which passed 5:0 – authorizing a law suit in Circuit Civil Court and additional steps to streamline moving forward with the traffic signal..

Public Comment:

• Andres Torrens regarding issues with the tree-planting program and a tree in memory of his nephew.
• Head football coach McKinley Rolle from Dwyer HS, a community school, requesting an athletic field since the one from the school is in poor condition
• Lisa Wade, resident, also asking that the Dwyer field be replaced – that the school district has told them is not in budget to be repaired and that they’d have to fundraise. She found out that both the fields in Jupiter and Wellington were in great shape and were paid for the respective cities. So she was asking PBG to do the same. Mayor Litt replied that Deputy City Manager Stepp would be contacting them and working with them to see what can be done.
• Douglas Grant from Balsam Street had concerns about day care businesses surrounding his residence and seeking the help of code enforcement. City Manager Ferris said that Deputy City Manager Stepp would step out and get additional information from him.

The Consent Agenda passed 5:0 with a few items pulled by the Mayor Litt and Vice Mayor Reed, and the following passed 5:0

• Purchase Award – Furnish and Install Playground at Miracle League Field – Litt lauded the Parks and Rec department for the new playground, presented by Km! Ra, Purchasing and Contracts Director; Charlotte Presensky, Leisure Services gave credit to Todd Engle and David Reyes, Community Services Administrator.
• Proclamation – Mental Health Awareness and Trauma Informed Care Month – Vice Mayor Reed was pleased to have mental health awareness focused on.
• Proclamation – Professional Municipal Clerks Week – Mayor Litt honored City Clerk Snyder with an award trophy from the Council.

Ordinances and Resolutions:

• Ordinance 4, 2021 – Annual Budget Amendment passed 5:0 on 2nd reading without any changes/addition discussion
• Ordinance 5, 2021 – Voluntary Annexation of one parcel on Bomar Drive– passed 5:0 after brief discussion with the owner
• Ordinance 6, 2021 – Automated Express Car Wash facility – on empty lot on Northlake near Roan Lane – all on the Council were very supportive, passed 5:0 on 1st reading.

Under Items for Council Discussion – Council Member Marciano described progress on the beautification of the main Post Office – with assistance of staff and involvement of Representative Mast.

Next City Council Mtg on Thursday May 6 at 6pm

Another light agenda for the May City Council Meeting.  You can watch it livestreaming either during or after the meeting, if you are unable to attend.

Announcements and Presentations – FY 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

Public Hearings – Ordinances and Resolutions

• Ordinance 4, 2021 – 2nd Reading and Adoption Budget Amendment – which was passed on first reading 4:0 in April.
• Ordinance 5, 2021 – 1st Reading – Parcel Voluntary Annexation Request – A request from Sheela Shah MD, PLLC for a Voluntary Annexation of a 0.13-acre parcel located on the north side of Bomar Drive approximately 400 feet west of U.S. 1.
• Resolution 26, 2021 – Tricore International, LLC is requesting approval of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Plan Amendment and a Major Conditional Use approval for an automated, express car wash facility on an approximate 1.54-acre vacant parcel. The parcel is located on the north side of Northlake Boulevard, approximately 200 feet west of Sunrise Drive.

Consent Agenda includes

• Resolution 25, 2021 – Economic Development Incentives Agreement with Virtu Financial, Inc.  Final approval for economic development incentives agreement with Virtu Financial to include an Economic Development Employee Incentive Grant and expedited permitting through the City’s Targeted Expedited Permitting Program. Grant amount $165K.
• Purchase Award – Landscape and Irrigation Products and Services – Openly competed – Five year contract – $6.643 Million
• Purchase Award – Furnish and Install Playground at Miracle League Field – Piggyback/Access Contract – $238K
• Purchase Award – Bleacher Covers for New Showcase Baseball Playing Field at Gardens Park – Piggyback/Access Contract – $112K
• Purchase Award – Installation of Bleacher Covers for New Showcase Baseball Playing Field at Gardens Park – Piggyback/Access Contract – $67K

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

Congratulations to Mayor Litt and Vice Mayor Reed

At the April 2021 City Council Meeting, the results of the Special Election were certified, and newly-elected Council Member Marcie Tinsley was sworn-in.  Council Member Marciano nominated Rachelle Litt as the new Mayor and Chelsea Reed as Vice-Mayor and both were confirmed by the Council.  Former-Mayor Carl Woods was ill and not in attendance.  Congratulations and best wishes to Mayor Litt and Vice Mayor Reed, and returning Council Member Tinsley.

There was no video of the meeting, and there were audio disruptions as well on the livestream.  Here is a link to the complete audio with no gaps.

Comments from the Public:

• Former Mayor Joe Russo – He congratulated Mayor Litt, Vice-Mayor Reed, Council Member Tinsley, County Commissioner (former-Mayor) Marino and the entire council and said that Covid kept him from coming to meetings.  He also thanked the City on behalf of the Honda Classic
• Agustin Sosa, VP of the Palm Beach State College Student Body Association – Gardens location, thanked the Council and City Staff for the positive working relationship on security/traffic issues.

City Manager Report:

• PBG Cares and Mortgage Assistance Program – status of the applications – submittals are coming in.  To apply see here.
• Burns Rd Rec Center Vaccination Site – Just over 9000 doses so far in 12 days.  Starting to open 4 days – M, T, TH and F – Moderna doses – administered by the the Healthcare District of Palm Beach County.
• Par 3 19-hole golf course status – received 7 proposals for design, Jack Niklaus design team chosen and in negotiations
• Mobility Fees dispute with Palm Beach County – City has received 3 letters of support for their position, (from North County Chamber, PGA Corridor and TPA) and against the County’s plan to place liens on private property owners.  The item will be held on the April 20 Board of County Commissioners’ Agenda and Ferris recommends that Mayor Litt address the Commission and present the letters of support.  He also suggested that he and City Attorney Lohman also attend.
• Granted an additional 90 extension to the outdoor seating exemptions.  Now will allow through the end of June.  See here for more information.
• Brightline RR Crossing closures: all are complete except for Kyoto Gardens Dr. which will be closed from April 21 to May 16.
• The American Recovery Act – The City expects $5.92 million from the recent federal legislation.  While the ‘grants’ are expected to be given to the City in two block – the first of $2.96 million by 5/10/21 and the same amount 1 year later, the City is awaiting more detailed communications from the Secretary of the Treasury.

Consent Agenda:  Passed 4:0

Ordinances and Resolutions:

• Ordinance 4, 2021 – Budget Amendment – Finance Administrator Allan Owens, presented a summary of the amendment, which is done every year to reconcile the prior year’s budget with the current one.  His charts can be seen here.  Passed 4:0
• Resolution 23, 2021 – AIPP  for Alton Town Center and Resolution 24, – AIPP for Downtown Palm Beach Gardens.  Both passed 4:0.  Former Mayor Eric Jablin made public comment on the first item, saying that he had been chosen Chair of the AIPP.  Joel Engelhardt published an in-depth piece on both sculpture project in his blog OnGardens.Org entitled Meet your new neighbors: Council welcomes Tekno and The Blooms.

Items for Council Actions/Discussion and Items of Interest:

• The Council reassigned primary and alternate members of various external Boards and Committees
• Mayor Litt said that she wanted to bring back Board and Committee Reports to the monthly agenda
• Mayor Litt said that she wanted to ‘share the truth’ about the status of the Covid-19 Pandemic and gave her perspectives on both the current statistics and the actions the public should still be taking.  One of the key items was to get vaccinated.  Council Member Marciano said that while most of his patients are getting the vaccine, he is encouraging those who are reluctant to do so as well.

There was no City Attorney Report.

Next City Council Mtg on Thursday April 1 at 6pm

The next Palm Beach Gardens City Council meeting will be on Thursday April 1 at 6pm. While the agenda is a light one, the results of the Special Election will be certified adding former-mayor Marcie Tinsley to the Council, and the Mayor/Vice-Mayor will be selected by the ‘new’ council. Additionally, committee assignments will be reapportioned with the full council complement. These are accomplished through Resolutions 18 and 19, 2021 at the beginning and Appointments at the end of the meeting.

Ordinances and Resolutions other than those relating to the reorganized Council include:

• • Ordinance 4, 2021 – An amendment to the Fiscal Year 2020/2021 budget to adjust fund balance carryovers to actual amounts; re-appropriate amounts committed from the FY 2019/2020 budget for outstanding purchase orders and open projects; and for other purposes. This amendment is done every year. Note that the Budget Stabilization Reserve Account is NOT depleted. “In addition to the carryforward of purchase orders and amounts designated for projects, the budget amendment records the proceeds from the Series 2021 Bond; establishes the golf expansion capital project in the amount of $13,941 ,000; allocates $2,000,000 to the recreation special revenue fund to offset the continued revenue loss due to COVID-19; and records $1,208,675 Community Development Block Grant funding for the repair, infrastructure, and mortgage and rent assistance programs. After the above amendments are made, the General Fund Budget Stabilization Reserve Account will total $6,850,167 in FY 2021.  Unassigned General Fund Reserves remain unchanged and total $26,000,000, which is equal to 26.1 percent of FY 2021 budgeted expenditures.
  • Resolution 23, 2021 – A request from NADG Brock Alton PBG, LP to approve proposed on-site artwork for the Art in Public Places (AIPP) requirement for the 40.8-acre Alton Town Center located south of Donald Ross Road and east of Alton Road in the Alton Planned Community District (PCD) – the proposed artwork is entitled ‘Tekno’ and is by Alexander Studios

• Resolution 24, 2021 – Consideration for Approval: A request from Excel Gardens, LLC to approve proposed on-site artwork for the Art in Public Places (AIPP) requirement for the Downtown Palm Beach Gardens 49.04-acre site, located east of Alternate A 1A between Gardens Parkway and Kyoto Gardens Drive. The artwork pieces are entitled “Bloom Sculpture” and are by Dan Shaughnessy IV.

Consent Agenda includes:

• Resolution 21, 2021 – A Resolution Approving the Gardens Self Storage Planned Unit Development (PUD) Plat.  On July 16, 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution 34, 2020, approving the Gardens Self Storage PUD site plan to allow the development of a 74,936-square-foot self-service storage facility with a 1, 129-square-foot accessory office. The site is located on the northeast intersection of Interstate 95 and Northlake Boulevard.
• Resolution 22, 2021 – Lease Purchase of an Air Light Rehab Truck from Emergency Vehicles, Inc., an Authorized Dealer for Rechtein International Trucks, Inc. in the State of Florida, under a Contract with the Florida Sheriffs Association Cooperative Purchasing Program, and the Lease Purchase of a Ladder Truck (Quint) and a Combination Pumper from FWD Seagrave Holdings, LP, dba Seagrave Fire Apparatus,  LLC under a Contract with the Houston-Galveston Area Council Cooperative Purchasing Program, and Financed by BB&T Bank (now Truist Bank) for a Period of 10 Years. Total Contract Price: $3,018,501 .90 in 10 annual installments
• Purchase award – Pest Control Services for City facilities and buildings – Openly competed – 5 year contract with no option to renew – $82.5K

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

Changing the Landscape of Burns Rd – Future Bike Track

The only Resolution on the March 4, 2021 City Council Meeting Agenda was Resolution 16, 2021 – A Resolution supporting an application to the Florida Department of Transportation through the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) for the 2021 Transportation Alternatives (TA) Program for the construction of a separated two-way bicycle track on the south side of Burns Road – between Military Trail and Alt A1A. 

City Manager Ferris noted that generally grant requests go under the Consent Agenda – but this future project, if the grant is approved, dovetails so beautifully with the City’s Mobility plans. The Council was extremely supportive. This will be the first track of this kind in Palm Beach Gardens and would link into existing and future bike lanes. The Resolution was passed 4:0.

The Consent Agenda also passed 4:0.

Public Comment was made by Gardens’ resident Ramona Bean – thanking the Council and the City and Marcie Tinsley and County Commissioner Maria Marino for making the Burns Rd Covid-19 Vaccination Center happen. This segued well into City Manager Ferris’ Report about the Vaccination site. He described how seamlessly the project has been using City Police for traffic management, and Rec staff working with the paramedics doing the vaccinations. They’re proud to be working with the Health Department and County crew.

Presentations included:

• Casey Mitchell – Director of Golf – reported on the results of the 14th Annual Mayor’s Veterans Golf Classic – all funds go to the VA Resource Center, and over $55K was raised in 2020.
• Andrew Lezza, Division Chief of Training and Professional Development, Fire/Rescue – showed an exciting video of new Fire/Rescue recruits going through training at the new fire tower. The class of new recruits was so large that it took two separate training sessions to complete. Existing personnel will also go through refresher training at the new facility using the City’s instructors. Watch the video here. 
• Noel Martinez, President & CEO of Palm Beach Chamber North gave a big thank you to the Council and City staff for pulling off the planning for Artigras in 6 weeks. He praised the service minded culture where find the staff always finds aa way to make things happen. The even was a great success with the big layout so could it could easily be spread out. Artists were happy and sold a lot. The sponsors were also very happy with new location and they hoped it would be available again next year.
• Joann Skaria, Planning Manager, AICP – gave a summary of the CDBG Cares Act Mortgage and Rent Assistance Program. Details can be found on the City website here.  The Palm Beach Post described the program here.  Applications are available online or available at the City in paper form.

Next City Council Mtg on Thursday, March 4 at 6pm

The March 4, 2021 Council agenda is fairly brief. You can watch it livestreaming either during or after the meeting, if you are unable to attend.

Announcements and Presentations include:

a. MAYORS VETERANS CHECK PRESENTATION.
b. 02-2020 FIRE RESCUE RECRUIT CLASS.
c. 2021 ARTIGRAS UPDATE.
d. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT – CARES ACT MORTGAGE AND RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CDBG-CV).

Regular Agenda:

The only Resolution on the agenda is Resolution 16, 2021 – A Resolution supporting an application to the Florida Department of Transportation through the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) for the 2021 Transportation Alternatives (TA) Program for the construction of a separated two-way bicycle track on the south side of Burns Road.…”Specifically, the project proposes a 9.5-foot wide two-way bicycle track on the south side of Burns Road between North Military Trail and Alternate A 1A with a 1.5-foot wide raised concrete separator. This can be accommodated within the existing right-of-way”

Consent Agenda includes:

• Resolution 5, 2021 – Lease of a Mobile Command Unit for the Police Department from Emergency Vehicles, Inc., an authorized dealer for Rechtein International, under a cooperative purchasing program contract with the Florida Sheriffs Association and financed by BB&T Bank (now Truist Bank). “This lease is being financed by BB&T Bank (now Truist Bank) that offered the lowest interest rate to finance this acquisition. At the end of the 10-year lease period, the City will own the mobile command unit.” Total Contract Price: $779,310 10 Annual Lease Payments of: $84,593.40 each
• Purchase Award – Generator for Logistics Center – Piggyback/Access Contract – 1 year, $66K, no option to renew
• Purchase Award – Janitorial Services for Tennis Center and Golf Club – Openly competed – $362K, 5 year contract with option to renew for another 5 years.

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

Honda Classic and Vaccine Request to Governor Bookend Meeting

The February City Council Meeting was a very short one.

Honda Classic

Ken Kennerly (Executive Director) and Andrew George (Tournament Director) presented plans for this year’s Honda Classic with different dates, capacity 20% of last year’s and details on how they will keep the public safe yet still make it a compelling event. See the website for information. Tickets will be by the day and once sold out, more will not be available.

Public Comment

• Rob Nanfro, resident – not mentioning that he was a candidate for City Council – highlighted his analysis of the City Budget and the cost of the Council itself, and suggested that their primary job appeared to be to monitor the actions of a single employee – the City Manager, and that there were no written annual evaluations of Mr. Ferris other than a full one in 2010 and a couple of self-evaluations in 2020 – so his conclusion was that his rating of the Council’s job on evaluating the City Manager was unsatisfactory.
• Marcie Tinsley – also candidate for City Council – had presented the Council by email, earlier in the week, a proposed resolution to encourage Governor DeSantis to add Palm Beach Gardens (Fire/Rescue) as a point of distribution for Covid 19 vaccines. She said that while the governor was doing a great job getting vaccine out through Publix, that many residents she spoke with were uncomfortable getting a vaccine with possible side effects in a Publix or even a pharmacy and felt more comfortable with it being given by trained paramedics. (Note at the time she began this effort PBC only had Publix as the primary outlet – since then the Governor has added several other locations to handle western communities, plus adding the Fairgrounds, Walmart, Sams Club, Winn Dixie as additional points of distribution). She planned on reaching out to the Governor DeSantis with her request as well.

Council Discussion

• Resolution 20, 2021*** – was the number assigned to the resolution Tinsley submitted  and includes:

“SECTION 2. The City Council of the City of Palm Beach Gardens requests that Governor DeSantis direct a reliable supply of vaccines to the City in order to provide an inoculation pipeline running concurrently and parallel to the Publix distribution channel in accordance with the directives set forth in Executive Order 2020- 315 utilizing the City’s POD.

SECTION 3. The City Council further requests that, once the ” at risk” population has been inoculated, Governor DeSantis authorize the City to continue to inoculate other members of the public, as directed by future executive orders and pursuant to CDC guidelines.

SECTION 4. The City Clerk of the City of Palm Beach Gardens is hereby directed  to forward a copy of this Resolution to Governor Ron DeSantis.”

• • Mayor Woods said that this would help the Governor distribute the vaccine. Council Member Reed said people like EMTs giving the vaccine. Vice Mayor Litt echoed the comments on Gardens’ Fire/Rescue capabilities and pointed out that County Commissioner McKinley was able to get vaccines for Belle Glade by making noise about it. Woods piped in commenting to the PB Post Reporter – that she should do the same for the Gardens…Council Member Marciano praised Tinsley for taking action. He said that Council resolutions don’t always have an effect, and this one may not either – but it was well thought out and could help the Governor get vaccines out to the people by adding another point of distribution.
  • The Resolution was passed 4:0.

• Vice Mayor Litt also made comments countering Mr. Nanfro’s earlier criticisms stating that the annual City Council public evaluation of Mr. Ferris is readily available online to view, that Palm Beach Gardens has been rated the number 1 place to live, has high satisfaction ratings and has award winning Fire/Rescue, Police, Parks and Rec, Purchasing and other departments.

All other items on the agenda, including Consent, Ordinances 1,2 and 3 2021 second reading, passed 4:0.

*** Comment – despite the good intentions of former-Mayor Tinsley and the Council in passing Resolution 20, 2021, and although it is ‘legal’ to do so – this was another case where ‘transparency be damned’.  The Public was not allowed to see this resolution in advance nor to make public comment had they sought to.  This is becoming a habit for this Council that prides itself on openness and transparency.

Next City Council Mtg on Thursday, Feb 4 at 6pm

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

The Agenda is a light one featuring two presentations:

• Honda Classic Community Impact Presentation
• Carrier Corporations’ Mobile Application

The Consent Agenda includes:

• Resolution 11, 2021 – Approval of an agreement with the Children’s Healthcare Charity, Inc. for the 2021 Honda Classic PGA Golf Tournament to provide a public safety grant for Police and Fire Services and related staff services, and the use of specific portions of Parks, as described, for various parking facilities and general operations….”Just as in last year’s agreement, marketing objectives are included to leverage the exposure the tournament brings to our City. Through the partnership with the tournament staff, we have strategically developed concepts that will bring to the forefront that Palm Beach Gardens is the “Host City” of the event.
• Resolution 15, 2021 – A request by the property owner for approval of a platting exception to allow a portion of Lot 29 in the E-1 single-family parcel to be sold and transferred to Lot 28 within the Frenchman’s Creek Planned Community Development (PCD). The Frenchman’s Creek PCD is located at the southeast corner of Donald Ross Road and Alternate A 1 A.
•   Resolution 17, 2021 – SUPPORTING CARRIER FIRE & SECURITY AMERICAS CORPORATION’S BLUEDIAMOND CONTACT TRACING FEATURE. Consideration for Approval: Endorsement of Carrier Corporations’ BlueDiamond Contact Tracing Feature and its availability as part of Carrier’s BlueDiamond mobile credentialing mobile application on the Apple Store/Google Play Store….:To most easily make Carrier’s contact tracing app available to their customers’ employees for their use, Carrier needs to have the app available for customers to download on both the Google and Apple online stores. At present, both Google and Apple require apps that reference COVID-19 to have certain government or healthcare affiliation. Therefore, City Council’s endorsement would allow Carrier to add its contact tracing feature as part of Carrier’s BlueDiamond mobile credentialing mobile application on the Apple Store/Google Play Store.”

Regular Agenda – Ordinances/Resolutions:

• Ordinance 1, 2021 – 2nd reading and Adoption: An amendment to the City of Palm Beach Gardens Firefighters’ Retirement Trust Fund. Required due to IRS changes and “the proposed amendment will have no actuarial impact on the cost of the Plan.”
• Ordinance 2, 2021 – 2nd reading and Adoption: An amendment to the City of Palm Beach Gardens Police Officers’ Retirement Trust Fund. Required due to IRS changes and “the proposed amendment will have no actuarial impact on the cost of the Plan.”
• Ordinance 3, 2021 – 2nd reading and Adoption: A City-initiated request to update the 5-Year Schedule of Capital Improvements (Table 9A) and the Palm Beach County School District’s Summary of Capital Improvements Schedule (Table 9B) of the Capital Improvements Element (CIE) of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, in accordance with Section 163.3177(3)(a)5.(b), Florida Statutes.

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

 

March 9th Election – Candidate Profiles

In March, there will be a Palm Beach Gardens City Council (Group 2) Municipal Election to fill the seat vacated by newly elected County Commissioner District 1, Maria Marino.

The election is considered a “special election”, and the winner will fill out the remainder of Maria’s term which ends in March of 2022.

The candidates are previous Council Member (and Mayor) Marcie Tinsley and newcomer Rob Nanfro.

Marcie Tinsley, a land planner and landscape designer is Vice President of Karl Corporation, a land management company. She was term-limited out in 2017, and is eligible to run again after sitting out a three year term.

Rob Nanfro, A CPA and Sr. Director of Taxation for ECN Capital in West Palm Beach is a newcomer to the Gardens, having moved here from New Jersey in 2019.

To help you make sense of who these candidates are and what they would do if they win, we asked each of them to describe themselves to our readers by answering 5 questions:

1. Why do you want to be on the Council?
2. What do you see as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing Palm Beach Gardens now and in the near future?
3. What involvement have you had in the issues that the council has faced over the past few years?
4. What is your “vision” for the city?
5. What else would you like the voters to know about you and your candidacy?

Further information and links to their websites can be found in our online voters’ guide, and a printed copy of these profiles can be had at the [PRINT] link to the right of the title (above).

Here are their responses:

Group 2
Rob Nanfro	Marcie Tinsley
1. Why do you want to be on the Council?
Rob Nanfro: My wife, Claudia, and I instantly fell in love with Palm Beach Gardens and I immediately became PBG Proud!. I believe – if you love where you live you should get involved. With the encouragement of a few long-time residents, I did my due diligence and decided, as a tax expert, that I could help PBG by serving on the City Council. I am running for Transparency, Fiscal Responsibility and will honor the current “Term Limits’ of 2 three-year terms. What made me run was the lack of transparency for just 4 issues over the last decade: 1. $14M Bond – At the 01/14/2021 City Council meeting, various reports and documents were brandished from 2013 through 2019 as transparency in government for the Resolution [Lucky #] 7, 2021. Why weren’t the materials, brandished from the dias, from 2013-2019 easily accessible on the website? The truth about the $14M Bond – it is dependent on recreational impact fees and “projected” revenues, not guaranteed revenues. Any shortfall will be footed by the taxpayers. 2. The “Sears Lawsuit” – The City Council became involved in a private corporate dispute when it passed an Ordinance that affected Sear’s ability to sublet its retail space at the Gardens Mall. Sears sued and the Appellate Court ruled the City Ordinance was unconstitutional and it awarded Sears $625,000 in legal fees to be paid by the City. Ultimately it was the taxpayers that paid because it was not covered by the city’s insurance policy. Not only was this a waste of time but costly to our residents. 3. The Stadium – Astros Leadership acknowledged that the City had been in talks with the City since 2012 for a potential spring training Facility in PBG. Even with the team’s general council stating in mid-November 2013 that the Astros were only focusing on the 117-acres site off Central Blvd. After the City Council approved $60K for a PR firm to work on the stadium project, my opponent stated, just three days later – “I would love to be able to tell you what my position is,” Tinsley said. “At this point, there is no proposal to base a decision on.” We all know an MLB team would not make such a statement unless some guarantees and a preliminary proposal were in place. 4. Term Limits – In 2014, the residents voted for term limits of 2 three-year terms but in 2017, the City Council put forward a deceptive measure trying to extend the term limit to 3 three-year terms. This strategy landed the City back in court which cost the taxpayers $100K to put the measure on the ballot with court-ordered mandatory education for the voters. These funds were on top of the monies already spent by the City to try and defend what the City Council wanted to extend the term limits the residents voted for in 2014. Originally my opponent stated the voters should decide “Term Limits” but once she was “termed-out”, she changed her tune. Her subjective view stated approval for ‘reasonable’ term limits and what is out there isn’t reasonable.” Her return to the political landscape after sitting out for one term might be legal, but in not in the “spirit’ of the term limits concept. This “spirit” is to have new people with fresh ideas and diverse expertise in leadership positions of our City for two 3-year terms. As a CPA and tax expert, I am the best choice to bring government transparency and fiscal responsibility to the City Council.	Marcie Tinsley: Palm Beach Gardens has been my home for almost 20 years. I began public service by Volunteering at Allamanda Elementary School in 1989 while attending college. My husband and I have raised our three children in PBG, I have continued to serve my community by volunteering on boards and committees on a local and regional level for the last 20 years. My family and home are the biggest investment of my life and are located in our beautiful city. I supported term limits and have listened to the will of the voters. I took a break from politics and had an opportunity to watch our city grow from the sidelines. I was encouraged by friends, many residents and business owners to serve again. As an empty nester, I now have more time to dedicate my leadership skills and experience to our city. I have always been a consensus builder. In today’s challenging time, I can use my knowledge and history to protect our neighborhoods from over development while protecting our natural resources. I can help bridge the gap between the past and present and lead our city into the future.
2. What do you see as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing Palm Beach Gardens now and in the near future?
Rob Nanfro: strength and a weakness are derived from the same dominant thinking. A Strength for a City Council is having consistency in leadership structure. The weakness creeps in when the leadership structure does not change and there is complacency with a lack of improvement relying on the status quo. Strengths – “Our Signature City” has many strengths. I believe that we can all agree that Our #1 strength is the reputation for being a best city to live in Florida, with great quality of life metrics and stellar public safety programs. BUT, the “Palm Beach Gardens Biggest Strength” came from you, the voters. In 2014, you passed a measure with 80% of the voters supporting “term limits” with City Council members serving 2 three-year terms and then they must step down. History has shown that “term limits” strengthen democratic institutions over time because the change in political hierarchy encourages a rising generation of leaders with fresh ideas and views to suggest policy changes that will strengthen a municipality. The election of the new City Council members does not allow city management nor council members to become stagnant and complacent which helps “Our Signature City” grow and encourages “Fiscal Responsibility” and “Government Transparency”. Weaknesses – I always look at a weakness as an opportunity to improve. In reviewing the current 2021 Adopted Budget, I noticed that the City Council’s budget is a staggering $545,129 for 5 members. This is an astonishing 40% higher than the 2019 Actual Budget of $388,572 during a pandemic. Why is it so high? The answer is that the City Council is paid a salary with health benefits, a pension, travel per diem, memberships/dues, professional service fees and contingency fees. This is a part time position and our City is budgeting over $109,000 for each person. I believe that this is too much and should be curtailed. Opportunities – Fiscal Responsibility, Government Transparency, Impact Tax & Helping local businesses. Fiscal Responsibility – Trimming the City budget and redirecting monies to areas where it is needed and adjusting it on an annual basis depending on where the critical needs are for the communities served. Government Transparency – This supports fiscal responsibility. When there is government transparency and a true participatory government by the governed, there are checks & balance. We should reinstitute the resident’s workshops and use social media to broadcast the City Council meetings in real time to engage the residents. With true transparency, we can learn from past mistakes to prevent wasteful spending, i.e. The Stadium and the Gardens Mall Lawsuit. Threats – The lack of Government Transparency, no resident workshops, and the planning with no oversight from the community are dodgy practices which lead to rapid growth, the misuse of impact fees, and a neglect of the infrastructure. I am sure if the City Council is scrutinized, there will be a finger-pointing blame game. I have three questions: 1. Why is there NO COLA (Cost of Living Increase) for the PBG Police Department when all other departments have it? 2. When were the resident workshops for the Workforce Housing and Loehman’s Plaza plan to become a train station? 3. What worker will be able to afford the housing being discussed and who, with such a car centric community will use the train?	Marcie Tinsley: Strengths: The strength of our city is its people, businesses, amenities, and government working together. It provides an opportunity to live, work, play in a safe and beautiful environment. Our community leaders and residents are able to voice their concerns. It is up to local government to listen and respond. Our city has award winning first responders that are second to none. Weakness/ Threats can blossom into opportunity: Our city has always been faced with the challenges of over development and traffic congestion. However, my planning background allows me to have a thoughtful approach to both and the knowledge to turn a threat into a natural resource. A perfect example is the North County District Park. I was able to turn that property from the threat of a Major League Baseball Stadium into a beautiful District Park with 23 acres of preservation, walking trails, multi-purpose fields and an outdoor public playground for all North County to enjoy in perpetuity. My business mind has been instrumental in keeping taxes low while luring high paying jobs and business to our City. In the past, I was the deciding vote in favor of lowering the mileage rate. I have a track record of being an independent thinker and doing my homework before making decisions.
3. What involvement have you had in the issues that the council has faced over the past few years?
Rob Nanfro: As a tax expert, I have been involved with various municipal councils regarding multi-million-dollar projects regarding footprints, job growth, and working with the various state/municipal councils to ensure that the entity I represented was being a good corporate neighbor. Most recently, I have been attending current and reviewing previous Palm Beach Gardens City Council meetings. While the City seems to be run efficiently, I believe fresh ideas and full transparency are needed at the Council level. During the last two council meetings, observing first in December and then participating in the January meeting, I left the last council meeting perplexed – how could the City Council vote on a Resolution [Lucky #7], a $14M Bond, and claim transparency when no document or study they referenced was available on the City Council website, for public review?	Marcie Tinsley: As a public servant, volunteer and resident, I have been an active problem solver in our community for many years. I now have the unique perspective of being able to see things through the eyes of a resident, property owner, mom and government official. I have protected property owners by lowering taxes, protected neighborhoods from over development and also supported local business. I listened to residents and I fought for more transparency in government. This resulted in live streamed council meetings and a very informative city website. In addition to the examples above, serving on the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, gave me the tools to solve many traffic problems. It also was instrumental in creating policy to keep developer impact dollars local to pay for roadway improvements in our city. More specifically, I used my land planning skills to improve the safety and traffic flow of 117th Court North. I witnessed parents driving up on the same sidewalk that students of both Timber Trace Elementary and Duncan Middle school were walking. Cars were backed up on Central Blvd causing mayhem each morning. I collaborated with the School Board, The City Public Works and Engineering Department and came up with a plan to solve the traffic, parking and access issues while vastly improving the safety of our young pedestrians. There are a myriad of examples to share that exemplify my passion in helping to improve local government and our community.
4. What is your “vision” for the city?
Rob Nanfro: A more transparent City Council that will create meaningful change that encompasses MacArthur’s vision and the opportunity to become a forward-thinking community. Innovation is the key to success. The City Council should invite participation from the residents by; having interactive council meetings, when necessary, to review project areas and the neighborhood(s) that will be affected, resident workshops and interactive council meetings that include social media and local cable stations, with the ability for residents, not attending in person, to be able to ask questions or make comments and be on the record.	Marcie Tinsley: My near term vision and goal is to help our residents through the pandemic and help get our economy moving again. I also want to make sure our city grows in a thoughtful manner while keeping taxes low and protecting our natural resources.
5. What else would you like the voters to know about you and your candidacy?
Rob Nanfro: I have No Agenda I will Fight For Transparency I believe in Term Limits I will Fight To Close Loopholes	Marcie Tinsley: It is not easy to get things done in a bureaucracy. I am a consensus builder and am proud of what I have accomplished. I have taken a step back and have a clear vision, I am willing to dedicate the time and use my knowledge, history and skills in leading our city into the future. I would love the opportunity to do more.

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