March 17th Council Election – Candidate Profiles

In March, as you go to the polls to vote in your party’s Presidential Primary, Palm Beach Gardens ballots will also have an election for the City Council Group 3 seat.

Three seats were up for re-election this year, but Mayor Mark Marciano in group 1, and Vice-Mayor Rachelle Litt in group 3 were un-opposed at the end of the qualification period, and thus re-elected by default.

In group 3, incumbent Councilman Matthew Lane is being challenged by alternate Planning and Zoning board member Chelsea Reed.

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 / stay 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).

The following is how they responded:

Group 3
Matthew Lane	Chelsea Reed
1. Why do you want to be on / stay on the Council?
Matthew Lane:  It has been my honor and privilege to serve on the Palm Beach Gardens City Council during the last three (3) years. During my term in office, the Chamber of Commerce named us the “Top City to Live in Florida.” This is the result of the efforts of our Council, and years of hard work by the Mayors and Council members who served before us. I want to continue the work that we have done to make Palm Beach Gardens the exceptional place that it is.	Chelsea Reed:   I love everything about my beautiful hometown of Palm Beach Gardens, since I am 50 and our City is 60 years old, we grew up together. We face tremendous development, and as a council member I will contribute with experience AND heart, as I have already been involved in bettering our city and county as a leader on impactful boards and committees. I will be an advocate for what residents and businesses deserve: expanded mobility, safe connected streets, sustainable growth and a prosperous economy with a clear view of our needs. My appointed board positions on PBG Planning, Zoning & Appeals as well as my seat as Vice-Chair of the County Transportation Planning Citizen’s Advisory, combined with my life-long local history of raising a family, and running businesses here, makes me the best choice for this election. I will represent our citizens’ needs and voices, providing thoughtful, authentic, and consistent communication.
2. What do you see as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing Palm Beach Gardens now and in the near future?
Matthew Lane:  We need to keep the leadership team in place that made this City so special, and retain our excellent police, firefighters, administrators and staff.	Chelsea Reed: Strengths Our strength is reflected in our recent #1 ranking as ‘Best Cities to Live In’ on the State Chamber of Commerce list. From our 12 Golf Courses, new North County District Park and extensive athletic programs, to our attractive and growing PGA Corridor; our City is one of the most welcoming places to live. Combining these amenities with our award-winning public safety departments, our city staff, lauded for exceptional planning, effective budgeting and dedication to quality – we are even more attractive. The Chamber ranking showed our quality-of-life metrics such as commute time, median earnings and percentage of degree-holders in the state are among the best. Our population’s poverty level is one of the lowest in the entire state of Florida. Weaknesses: Our weaknesses are potential byproducts of our strengths. Growth brings problems that are nice problems to have, but the city needs to be proactive in anticipating future needs and implement the necessary solutions well in advance. As we continue to attract new residents, we face issues with access to all levels of housing, education, and public safety with increases in traffic. Our essential service and first responder workers need to be able to live nearby, not only for the pleasure of enjoying our #1 rated City in Florida, but to also allow them to be community stakeholders, increase neighborhood safety and decrease commuter traffic. Opportunities: Forward thinking about the next few decades will help us grow. Working together with the city manager and PBG staff, our County and State agencies like TPA, DOT, combined with input from our residents, we can implement responsible budgeting and maintain the character of our Tree City and green space. We must focus on our PGA Corridor becoming a connected urban environment, while mitigating traffic issues in our growing western communities. Our Mobility Plan, combined with the opportunity for a future Tri-Rail Station, and adoption of ‘Vision Zero’ will all provide ease of access to transportation, helping us get around with a beneficial effect on future traffic pressure points. Threats: The challenge for Palm Beach Gardens is growth. The city must prepare and plan meticulously. We have to anticipate traffic before it arrives with our increasing population, we must assess safety needs well ahead of natural disasters, and we absolutely must consider our actions’ effects on our environment. I believe in rewarding and encouraging forward thinking, and buoying businesses that combine growth with environmental stewardship. Merging economy and sustainability will help us secure a healthy future for our City, our water and our air.
3. What involvement have you had in the issues that the council has faced over the past few years?
Matthew Lane:  As a member of Council, I have been directly involved with all the people and all the issues that the Council has faced during my time in office. I voted: a. against over development of our City. b. against projects that would lead to traffic congestion c. in a fiscally responsible manner to keep our taxes low d. to make our schools safe e. to protect our environment f. to provide exceptional recreational facilities g. for term limits My greatest pleasure has been the extensive constituent service that I have performed during my term in office.	Chelsea Reed:  As an appointed Board Member of Palm Beach Gardens PZAB, I vote on all issues that will then go to City Council, and thus have tremendous experience in development petitions, variance requests and appeals made to our city on issues regarding land development regulations. As Vice-Chair of the Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) Citizens Advisory Committee, I represent all of District One and I am directly responsible for providing the TPA with a “citizen’s eye” view of all transportation, mobility, street and road concerns in Palm Beach County. I am honored to be Palm Beach Chamber North’s “Volunteer of the Year,” which shows my support of commerce, a prosperous economy and local business development. I have chaired or founded several Chamber Committees which have direct and positive impact on Palm Beach Gardens, such as the Sustainability Subcommittee, Healthcare Committee and Artigras Recycling Committee. Lastly, I assisted our Palm Beach Gardens Fire Department in the development of their Strategic Plan. Recent ride-alongs with Fire Department 63 and tour of our PBG Police Department further reinforced my belief that safety and resilience must always be our first consideration.
4. What is your “vision” for the city?
Matthew Lane:  As Council members, we need to preserve the quality of life that we currently enjoy in the City of Palm Beach Gardens. We need to maintain our standard of excellence in the police, fire, planning and zoning, finance, and recreational services that we provide. Good is not sufficient. Excellence is our standard in the services that we provide and the constituent service that we perform.	Chelsea Reed:  Much like families and individuals make plans for their future as they mature, we must plan similarly for our maturing 60-year-old city, creating a vision for what we’d like to see in a 90-year-old Palm Beach Gardens. We can’t predict the future, but can look to other busy and prosperous cities to see what has succeeded. This educated approach, merged with preserving the beautiful culture of our area, is the answer. We need robust business, sustainable growth, proper traffic planning, and our primary focus must always be on our safety and our health.
5. What else would you like the voters to know about you and your candidacy?
Matthew Lane:  As your Councilperson, I am known for: a. exceptional constituent service (usually within 24 hours) b. working to make our schools the best they can be c. diligent preparation, asking the hard questions, and voting with integrity I am proud to announce I have received the endorsements of: FORMER MAYOR JOE RUSSO FORMER MAYOR MARCIE TINSLEY FORMER MAYOR DAVID LEVY COUNTY COMMISSIONER HAL VALECHE COUNTY COMMISSIONER DAVE KERNER FORMER COUNTY COMMISSIONER KAREN MARCUS STATE REPRESENTATIVE RICK ROTH FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE PATRICK ROONEY, JR. FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE SHARON MERCHANT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER BARBARA MCQUINN FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER ANNIE MARIE DELGADO BIZPAC For more information about me, please visit my website at www.votemattlane.com	Chelsea Reed:  The best part of running for office has been knocking on thousands of local doors. I have listened to the hopes, frustrations, and dreams our residents have for our City, and I sincerely want to help make things even better! My focus on others and my sincere desire to connect, will add an accessible component to our Council. I believe in the voice of our community and I want our unparalleled city to stay beautiful and always maintain the character of my beloved home. As a local business owner, parent, and volunteer, my life is woven into the fabric of my hometown.  I offer a depth of history and an inspiring vision for the future of Palm Beach Gardens.

Participate in the 2020 Census! and more…

Here are some highlights from the January 9, 2020 City Council Meeting.

Announcement and Presentations:

• Rich Bartholemew of the League of Women Voter’s urged the Council and City to inform the residents of the importance of the 2020 Census. He noted that notifications will start coming in the mail on March 12. And for the first time, people will be asked to respond by phone or electronic devices – including computers/smartphones, as well as the traditional mail. Those who haven’t responded will receive in-person visits in the May time-frame.
• Ken Kennerly, Executive Director and Andrew George, Tournament Director of Honda Classic gave an update on the impacts of the 2019 Honda Classic both to the marketing of Palm Beach Gardens and direct impacts through Honda Classic Cares to charities in South FL, and updates on the upcoming Honda Classic.

Public Comment was made by residents:

• Ed Dolezal – speaking about 5G technology. He has made comment on the topic before, but this time was requesting that the City form an advisory board to explore the health and wellness issues. Mayor Marciano said this was really a Tallahassee issue since state preempts the local municipalities.

• Alan Goldberg and his daughter Sheryl Wysockey, residents and proprietors of a small hot dog stand “Chicago Hot Dogs” in front of Home Depot, on Northlake Dr. spoke on code enforcement and the inability to advertise adequately in PBG. Even with permits – can only stand somewhere with visibility for 6 days a year! He’s willing to pay more for more days. The codes, as written, discourages the mom and pop, small businesses.

Consent Agenda:

While the Consent Agenda passed 5:0, Mayor Marciano pulled Resolution 10, 2020 for discussion – this was the culmination of the discussion from the prior two City Council meetings to create a resolution in support of the Senate Bill 182 and any companion bills. While Marciano and Vice-Mayor Litt have stated many times that this resolution is primarily in support of Home Rule – they also have voiced their support for the banning of single use bags and polystyrene materials. At some point, this ‘issue’ will surely arise in future Council meetings – and the impacts on business and residents. Stay informed!

All other ordinances and resolutions passed 5:0

City Attorney Lohman requested authorization (5:0) to counter sue Sears should the need arise between the January and February Council meetings, in the ongoing dispute between the entities. See Palm Beach Post’s “Palm Beach Gardens to Sears, Gardens Mall: See You in Court”.

Next City Council Meeting on January 9th at 7pm

The first 2020 Palm Beach Gardens City Council Meeting will be on Thursday Jan 9 at 7pm.

Announcements and Presentations include:

• League of Women Voter’s Committee regarding the Census in Palm Beach County
• Honda Classic Community Impact Presentation

Public Hearings and Ordinances include:

• Ordinance 1, 2020 – First reading of the 2020 Budget Amendment – An amendment to the Fiscal Year 2019/2020 budget to adjust fund balance carryovers to actual amounts; re-appropriate amounts committed from the FY 2018/2019 budget for outstanding purchase orders and open projects; and for other purposes. After the amendments are made, the General Fund Budget Stabilization Reserve Account will total $1,664,638 in FY 2020. Unassigned General Fund Reserves total $25,500,000, which is a net increase of $2,433,894 and represents 27.8% of Expenditures.
• Ordinance 2, 2020 – City-initiated Comprehensive Plan Amendments – First Public Hearing and Transmittal City-initiated Comprehensive Text Amendments to the Future Land Use, Transportation·, Infrastructure, Intergovernmental Coordination, Capital Improvements, and Public School Facilities Elements related to the Palm Beach County School Board lnterlocal Agreement; update of the 5-Year Schedule of Capital Improvements; a new Vision Zero related policy; an update of Map A.4-Potential Future Annexation to include recently completed annexations; and the update of the City’s 10-Year Water Supply Facilities Work Plan. Here is a link to the ordinance since there are many alterations to the above items in the comprehensive plan! 
• Resolution 4, 2020 – A request by Avenir Holdings, LLC for a Planned Community Development (PCD) Amendment to the Master Plan to relocate 100,000 square feet of medical office square footage from Parcel C – Workplace/Economic Development to Parcel D – workplace; to relocate 155,000 square feet of commercial retail square footage from Parcel B – Town Center to Parcel D – Workplace; to modify an approved Parcel D driveway location; and to amend the list of permitted uses to include Emergency health care/ department and Recreation, outdoor private. The subject site is 4,763 acres and is generally located on the north side of Northlake Boulevard, east of Grapeview Boulevard, west of Bay Hill Drive, and south of Beeline Highway.
• Resolution 8, 2020 – Regional Center Planned Community Development (PCD) Miscellaneous Amendment, Public Hearing and Consideration for Approval: A request for approval to strike Condition of Approval 8 of Resolution 68, 2003 to allow for a future ground-floor tenant sign for the Parcel 27.04 project within the Regional Center PCD. The Parcel 27.04 project is located on the northeast corner of PGA Boulevard and Kew Gardens Avenue.

Consent Agenda includes:

• Purchase Award – Rental of Miscellaneous Industrial and Commercial Equipment – Openly competed – This Agreement establishes a pool of vendors from which the City may rent equipment for hurricane and emergency preparat ions and secure reim bursement from FEMA. The City may also use the Agreement to rent equipment in support of its normal operations. During the term of the Agreement, new vendors may be added to the vendor pool, provided they meet the
  minimum requirements established in the original solicitation. Five year contract with option to renew for five years – $500K
• Purchase Award – Traffic Signals for Northlake-Ancient Tree-Bay Hill Intersection – Piggyback/Access contract – upon completion – $322K
• Purchase Award – Bunker Gear for Fire Rescue Department (2020) – Piggyback/Access contract – upon delivery – $80K
• Purchase Award – Replacement Irrigation Pump Station for Sandhill Crane Golf Club – Bid waiver – In previous years, the City advertised two solicitations for the replacement of irrigation pump stations at several parks and received only one response in each instance. The manufacturer has never responded and when contacted has always offered the City a lower price than the sole responding contractor. The City will purchase the replacement irrigation pump station
  from the manufacturer and then obtain competitive quotations for the installation of the equipment – uponn delivery – $101K
• Purchase Award – Paving of Municipal Complex Roadways and Parking Areas – Piggyback/Access contract – $85K
• Purchase Award – Fencing for Gardens Park Baseball Expansion – Piggyback/Access contract – $118K
• Change Order – Paving of Public Services Operations Center and Adjoining Areas – Revised contract value (up $130K) – $957K
• Resolution 3, 2020 – Approval of an agreement with the Children’s Healthcare Charity, Inc. for the 2020 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 Mirasol and PGA National Parks for various parking facilities and general operations – $144K

Please check the agenda for any changes or additions prior to the meeting.

Palm Beach Gardens has a Satellite in Space!

Well – not the city – but the Weiss School. Students currently involved in the program gave an update on the current WeissSsat-1 CubeSat and future projects. See the school’s website for details on their projects. 

Don Kiselewski, Sr. Director of External Affairs, Florida Power & Light Company (Palm Beach) – outlined FPL’s 3-year pilot project to harden neighborhoods – one of which is in Palm Beach Gardens.

Palm Beach Gardens Community Services Administrator David Reyes gave an update on the Capital Improvements funded by the ‘Penny’ Sales Tax. See the Palm Beach Post’s summary here.

The Consent Agenda and the Resolution 67, 2019 regarding approving Avenir Pod 1 and Pod 3 site plan amendments, passed 5:0.

The Council resumed discussion, started last month by Mayor Marciano and Vice-Mayor Litt, about adopting a resolution in support of a resolution by the Town of Palm Beach to Tallahassee in support of Florida Senate Bill 182 asking the legislature to pass something to re-allow municipalities to pass single-use plastics resolutions. Marciano and Litt couched support for such a resolution as a home-rule issue. However, while council members Lane, Marino and Woods supported the home-rule aspect of what Palm Beach was trying to accomplish, they were more skeptical of its value, corroborated by City Attorney Lohman who said there was virtually no support for SB 182. It was clear that an ordinance prohibiting single use plastics in Palm Beach Gardens would be a distinctly different effort requiring input from both business and the public and what fits the needs of our City. City Manager Ferris was tasked with coming up with a draft of the support of Palm Beach resolution.

City Attorney Lohman said that the City had recently severed ties with the restaurant operator of the Golf Club and that there were ongoing discussions to resolve contractual issues. He sought the Council’s authorization for him to file a lawsuit if necessary, with the City Manager’s support – should the negotiations with the operator prove unsolvable without litigation. The Council voted to authorize 5:0.

Next City Council Meeting on Thursday, December 5th

The next City Council Meeting will be on Thursday December 5th at 7pm in City Hall.

The relatively light agenda includes only one public hearing:

• Resolution 1 regarding Avenir Pod 1 and 3 Site Plan Amendment – request for a site plan amendment to approve architectural floor plans and elevations, typical lot landscaping, and an upgraded entry feature for residential Pods 1 and 3 in Site Plan #1 . Avenir Site Plan #1 was approved on January 10, 2019, via Resolution 3, 2019. Pods 1 and 3 contain 98 and 119 single-family lots, respectively. During the original site plan approval, specific residential homebuilders were not identified. Condition of Approval #2 was included in Resolution 3, 2019, requiring approval by the City for a major site plan amendment for the proposed residential model home architecture prior to the issuance of building permits for review. Staff is recommending approval.

There will be two Presentations:

• Weiss School – update on the satellite launch
• FPL Hardening Project

City Manager Report lists:

• CIP Updates – presented by David Reyes, Community Services Administrator/Director of Emergency Management

The Consent Agenda includes:

• Purchase Award: Purchase of Toro 3575D Mowers, for Parks and Public Facilities, Piggyback/Access Contract for $103K
• Purchase Award: Construction of Miracle League Playing Fields,for Parks and Public Facilities, Piggyback/Access Contract for $433K. Details – The City is currently constructing certain capital improvement projects at Gardens Park. One of those projects is the construction of two synthetic surface baseball fields that will be used as agility fields and to which the Miracle League will have access for games and other activities. The fields will also be used by professional and amateur athletes for development and training. The Miracle League serves children and adults who suffer from any physical or mental disabilities that cause them to be excluded, whether intentionally or not, from conventional baseball leagues. The first Miracle League field opened in Conyers, Georgia, in April 2000. In addition to providing its own funds for this project, the City has received a monetary donation of $350,000 from Nuvo Development that will assist with the cost for the construction of the project. The remaining cost of $83,448 will be funded by the City
• Resolution 80, 2019 – Dedication of easement to Seacoast Utility Authority for the installation of utility infrastructure just north of the Northlake Boulevard Right-of-Way at the Sandhill Crane Golf Course.
• Resolution 81, 2019 – Authorizing the City Manager to approve Independent Contractor Agreements (ICAs) subject to the limitations and conditions set forth in the Resolution. No amounts were specified in the background or body of the resolution which specifies: The City routinely enters into agreements with independent contractors or the provision of certain services. In order to expedite the provision of or receipt of goods and/or services through Independent Contractor Agreements (ICAs), a need exists to delegate to the City Manager the authority to negotiate, approve, and execute certain ICAs that do not exceed five (5) years, not including any extensions, and when any such agreement contains a revenue-sharing provision for the benefit of the City.
• Resolution 82, 2019 – Adoption of the Palm Beach County Local Mitigation Strategy.  The proposed Resolution adopts the updated Palm Beach County Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) Plan. Adoption of this Resolution provides the City with the ability to request and receive pre- and post-disaster federal mitigation funding.
• Resolution 83, 2019 – Delegates to the City Manager the authority to negotiate,renegotiate, approve, and execute the Public Private Partnership (P3) Agreement with the Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation, Inc. as the City Manager deems necessary in order to obtain approval of same from the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners.

Check for updates to the agenda here.

 

Rustic Lakes Zoning and Regulations Remain Unchanged

The November Palm Beach Gardens City Council meeting was relatively short.  The bulk of the agenda pertained to the adoption of ordinances pertaining to the annexation of Rustic Lakes – which took a significant amount of work due to its agricultural and large lot nature.  Martin Fitts of Planning and Zoning did the presentation of Ordinances 21-28, 2019.  Residents from Rustic Lakes attended the meeting but did not make any public comment.  All the ordinances passed 5:0.

Making Public Comment on issues not on the agenda were:

• Peter Evans – representing the Palm Beach Children’s Chorus – informing the Council of the Chorus’ recent eviction notice from the new owners of Loehmans’ Plaza, and providing the council with information regarding the reputation of those owners.  He raised potential health and code compliance issues with the property.  He also said that the Chorus will be representing Palm Beach County at a Carnegie Hall performance
• Ed Dolezal – speaking about 5G technology and raising health, personal privacy, aesthetics of community, local sovereignty concerns.  He suggested that the City join a League of Cities lawsuit against Tallahassee regarding recent legislation on 5G.
• Steve Mathison – speaking on behalf of the PGA Corridor Board of Directors – thanking the City and staff for continued partnership with them.

The Consent Agenda passed 5:0.  Purchasing Director Km! Ra was requested by Council Member Lane to detail the bidding for item C – the renovation of baseball fields at gardens park.  The lowest bidder was awarded the contract.

At the end of the meeting, the Council discussed possible future resolutions regarding the use of plastics in the city.  No action was taken.

The December City Council meeting will be held on Thursday December 5th.  The January Council Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 9th.

Next City Council Meeting on Thursday, November 7 at 7pm

The next Palm Beach Gardens City Council meeting will be held on Thursday, November 7, at 7pm in City Hall.  There are no listed Announcements or Presentations.

Consent Agenda includes:

• Purchase Award: Comprehensive Generator Maintenance Service – Openly bid – $274K total – 5 year contract – no option to renew
• Purchase Award: Renovation of Baseball Fields at Gardens Park – Openly bid – $404K – 3 phrase project through 2022 – no option to renew
• Purchase Award: Systems Furniture for Police Department (Renovs) – Piggyback/Access contract – $200+K
• Resolution 72, 2019 – to approve the Avenir Clubhouse Plat. The plat is consistent with the approved site plan for the project
• Resolution 73, 2019 – selecting the dates for the January 2020 City Council Meeting – moving to January 9, 2020 from first Thurs in the month
• Resolution 75, 2019 – approving the Bonnette Hunt Club Plat located on the south side of Hood Road, west of Florida’s Turnpike. The proposed plat is consistent with the approved site plan for the project.
• Resolution 76, 2019 – approving the Arcadia Gardens plat located on the south side of RCA Boulevard, east of Alternate A1A. The proposed plat is consistent with the approved site plan for the project.
• Resolution 77, 2019 – Approving a Grant Agreement with the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Division of Water Restoration Assistance for the Palm Beach Gardens Stormwater System Reconstruction Project. In order to assist with funding, City staff applied for and was awarded two grants from the Florida Legislature in 2015 and 2017 for $250,000.00 each. In 2019, City staff re-applied for the same grant, and was awarded a third grant in the amount of $300,000.00. These funds are being provided by the FDEP Division of Water Restoration Assistance and will be used towards the project, which consists of repair or replacement of stormwater pipes and structures by different methods, such as slip lining, cure in-place liner, or complete replacement, and sediment removal. The Grant Agreement outlines each party’s responsibilities as it relates to dispersing and receiving such funds.

Ordinances and Resolutions:

• Ordinances 21, 2019, Ordinance 22, 2019, Ordinance 27, 2019, Ordinance 28, 2019, Ordinance 23, 2019 and Ordinance 24, 2019 are all city initiated changes to provide for/accommodate city amendments/regulations/standards due to the annexation of Rustic Lakes in March 2018.
• Ordinance 25, 2019 – The City is requesting to rezone approximately 9.8 acres of property following annexation into the City of Palm Beach Gardens. The properties consist of two parcels totaling approximately 9.8 acres, sitting at the southwest corner of the intersection of Northlake Boulevard and 112th Terrace North. The parcels are approved through the County as Bayhill Commons for 37,284 square feet of retail commercial use with a current zoning designation of Multiple Use Planned Development (MUPD). The site remains undeveloped at this time.
• Ordinance 26, 2019 – The City is requesting to rezone approximately 10.8 acres of property located at the southeast corner of the intersection of 112th Terrace North and Northlake Boulevard following annexation into the City of Palm Beach Gardens. The parcels are limited to 82,799 square feet of general office and 11,290 square feet of medical office through the current County approvals and have a current zoning of Multiple Use Planned Development (MUPD). A conceptual site plan with two two-story buildings with 52,390 square feet of office space was approved, but the properties remain undeveloped.

Please check back to see if the agenda changes before the meeting here.

Northlake Traffic- Frustration, Excuses, No Solutions

Two traffic related presentations plus an overview and approval of a Public/Private Partnership for the Development of an Indoor Recreational Facility at the Gardens North County District Park took up most of the October City Council Meeting.

FDOT staff gave an overview of the current status of the I-95/Central Boulevard interchange. Staff appreciated the interaction with FDOT but felt that issues still remained in the design of the interchange. The public will be afforded another opportunity to see the details: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a public workshop on Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 10500 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida to discuss the FDOT I-95/Central Boulevard Interchange Project.

Northlake Blvd Traffic Signal Issues: Two representatives from the PBC Traffic Division described the signal coordination issues with the stretch from Military Trail to US 1, which has 14 signals over 3.1 miles with 25,000 to 53,500 vehicles a day. Additional complexities include 20 train crossing per day (which certainly didn’t include the 20+ trains that will cross after Virgin Trains get going), and pedestrians pushing the crossing buttons. The signal syncing software has been unable to deal with the issues and it has been disabled on Northlake, PGA and Indiantown Roads. They are working with the vendor and using other methods to monitor and clear traffic. However they did not present any time-frame or potential solution to the issues. Traffic issues can be reported to the pbc traffic division.

Resolution 60, 2019 – Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation, Inc. was awarded the contract to develop and operate a world-class facility open to the public to be located at North County District Park. Financing is planned to come from donations and there are various funding checkpoints in the agreement. The City shall not commit any type of public financial resources or guarantee any credit or financing for the facility for this Project. The multi-level facility will include 2 ice-rinks, various sports courts, rock-climbing wall, pro-shops, track and much more. Watch the presentation here for the details.

City Manager Ferris’ report included:

• Honoring and awarding Officer Christopher Baez with the Meritorious Service Award. On August 29, while traveling southbound on the Turnpike, off-duty Officer Baez rescued a person thrown from semi-tractor trailer which was in flames. He found and pulled the fuel-covered driver to safety. Police Chief Clint Shannon, Keith Bryer, Fire Chief, and James Ippolito Deputy Chief of Operations Fire/Rescue presented Officer Baez with the award.
• The annual Fall Festival will be held at North County District Park for the first time, on Oct 26 from 6-9pm. See here for more information.

All Ordinances and Resolutions passed 5:0 including appointments to AIPP, Parks and Rec, PZAB and Fire Pension Advisory Boards.

City Attorney Lohman informed the Council that he would be presenting oral arguments on the lawsuit over the August Charter Referendum on Tuesday, 10/8 at 9:30am.

Next City Council Mtg on Thursday 10/3 at 7pm

The October City Council Meeting will be held on Thursday, 10/3 at 7pm at City Hall.

Highlights include two presentations which should be of interest to drivers in the area:

• I-95/Central Boulevard Interchange project – FDOT Project No 413265-01-52-01
• Northlake Boulevard Signal Timing

The Consent agenda does not include any purchase orders or resolutions

Public Hearings and Resolutions include:

• Ordinance 18, 2019 – Second reading and adoption of the tree trimming and removal ordinance passed in the Sept. 5 city council meeting
• Resolution 59, 2019 – Lease of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Air Packs for the Fire Rescue Department from Ten-8 Fire Equipment, Inc. and financed through JP Morgan Chase Bank. The current SCBA air packs are almost 16 years old, do not comply with the new NFPA standards, and will reach the end of their useful life later this year. The City will own the SCBA air packs at the end of the seven-year lease term. Amount of lease – $91K
• Resolution 60, 2019 – Award of a Public Private Partnership Agreement with Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation, Inc. for the Development of an Indoor Recreational Facility at the Gardens North County District Park in the City of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The City seeks a long-term partner as part of a public private partnership that has the resources and ability to develop and operate the facility. The City shall not commit any type of public financial resources or guarantee any credit or financing for the facility for this Project.
• Several resolutions for appointments and re-appoints to the following boards: Art in Public Places Advisory Board; Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board; Fire Pension Board.

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

Finance Director Argues 8.8% Tax Increase Needed

The primary reason for the second City Council meeting in September is always because of the Final Hearing and Approval of the next year’s millage (tax rate) and budget. Finance Director Allan Owens gave a presentation seemingly designed to rebut Mayor Marciano’s position that the millage could be reduced from 5.55 to 5.50. Positions taken by the Council remained unchanged from First Reading – with Council Members Woods, Marino, Litt and Lane making various statements in support of keeping millage flat, and Mayor Marciano restating that “government should do as much as it can with as little as it can”.  Always lost in the discussion, especially when pointing out the minimal dollar amount of the increases (whether City, School Board, County Commission) is that is it is the tax-payer’s money – not the government’s. Pennies here and pennies there do add up. Claims that holding a tax rate flat while valuations go up is not raising taxes when the actual tax dollars taken in are going up 8.8% is disingenuous. Read our analysis of the 2019/2020 Budget – 8.8% Tax Increase in 2020 Proposed Budget.  

Not surprising, then, that Resolution 61, 2010 – Adopting A Tax Levy and Millage Rate passed 4:1 with the mayor voting No. The associated 2019/2020 Budget (Ordinance 20, 2019) passed 5:0 since there was no point in Mayor Marciano voting no on the actual budget once the millage had passed.

The meeting began with a crowded hall – filled with members and supporters of the PickleBall Athletic Club. After Mayor Marciano pointed out that the issues three members raised were not policy, and thus not related to the Council, City Manager Ferris asked the group to meet with Charlotte Presensky (Leisure Services Administrator) and members of her staff in the lobby.

Also making public comment was PBG resident Laurie French, PBGYAA Secy and Executive Board member thanking the City for the Soccer Fields in Gardens District Park.

The City Manager Report included:

• Candice Temple, Media Relations Manager, described the Bahamian Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort joint partnership with Chris Fellowship – see here for more information and how to help.
• City Manager Ferris gave a heart-felt, touching tribute to recently deceased long-time employee and Navy veteran Robin (”Smitty) Smith.

Ordinance 19, 2019 – adopting the City’s Mobility Fee Schedule drew public comment from a representative from Palm Beach County Planning. Khurshid Mohyuddin, Principal Planner, Transportation Planning.   He asked that the City wait until the County held a county wide workshop in 2020. It was pointed out that the City’s Mobility Plan had already been approved at the last City Council meeting and that this ordinance was only codifying the fees.

Resolution 68, 2019 included details of the Model Home Row and Enhanced Entry Features for Avenir Pod 4. This subdivision will have separate Model Home Row designed to minimize any impact to construction areas. The homes will range in price from approximately $800K-$1.2 million. The resolution passed 5:0.

There was no City Attorney report.  The next City Council Meeting will be held on October 3 at 7pm.

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