March 2021 Election Results

The March 9 municipal election in Palm Beach Gardens was a clear win for former Mayor Marcie Tinsley with 70% of the vote over newcomer Rob Nanfro. Nanfro won one precinct – 6064 Rustic Lakes.

With the exception of the Shady Lakes / Bent Tree precinct where the margin was only 4 points, Tinsley’s landslide victory was overwhelming. (See Map below)

The overall turnout of 16% was a lot more than what a municipal election normally sees in an off year, particularly a special election to replace a council person who left office early. In 2019 for example, turnout was only 9.5% in the low key race for Group 4 in which Carl Woods beat challenger Howard Rosenkrantz with 68% of the vote. The increased turnout may have been driven by the overhang of Vote-by-Mail ballot subscriptions from 2020. Few went to the polls on election day as an amazing 85% of the Gardens voters voted by mail.

As is often the case, BallenIsles led the way in voter turnout among the larger precincts with 31%, followed by Frenchman’s with 26%. These neighborhoods delivered 74% and 78% for Tinsley respectively.

Municipal elections are non-partisan, meaning the candidates cannot campaign as a member of a political party. Palm Beach Gardens goes farther than any other city in the county to discourage partisan activity, and actually has an ordinance that prevents a candidate from accepting money or assistance from a political party. (Code of Ordinances, Chapter 26-21 Unfair Acts)

In this case both candidates are Republicans, but partisanship was a factor as campaign ads from Rob Nanfro were claiming that Tinsley only became a Republican to run in this race. That was a stretch since Ms. Tinsley has been registered as a Republican for over 5 years. It is not clear why he thought that would have been relevant.

North county races have become somewhat nasty in recent years and this was no exception. You may recall the contest last year for County Commission District 1 where PACs supporting Maria Marino dumped $1M in negative ads to trash former Commissioner Karen Marcus. It seems to have worked.

In this race, Tinsley mostly ran on her record as Mayor and Councilman while the challenger (who is relatively new to the area and has no record) went negative. Perhaps the most questionable claim was that Tinsley was bashing Governor DeSantis over the Covid-19 Response at a Council meeting. Anyone who actually watched the video of the subject meeting would conclude just the opposite.

In our opinion there was never a doubt who would prevail. Marcie Tinsley had a good record to run on, followed the rules for term limits by sitting out for 3 years, and is appreciated by many who followed her activities on the Council over the years.

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Group 2
Strong Tinsley	Weak Tinsley	Very Close	Weak Nanfro	Strong Nanfro
Click the precinct on the map for vote totals.

	Neighborhoods	Voters	Cast	Turnout	Tinsley	Nanfro	Tinsley %
1186	Mirabella	1637	242	14.8	173	69	71.5
1188	Westwood Gardens	1034	104	10.1	71	33	68.3
1189	Old Palm – North	113	20	17.7	13	7	65.0
1190	The Isles, Paloma, San Michelle, Alton	5115	654	12.8	458	196	70.0
1192	Evergrene	1571	240	15.3	195	45	81.3
1194	Frenchmans	2289	585	25.6	458	127	78.3
1222	Avenir	40	5	12.5	5	0	100.0
1228	Osprey Isles, Carleton Oaks	481	79	16.4	52	27	65.8
1238	Mirasol	1912	428	22.4	290	138	67.8
1240	PGA National	2660	453	17.0	338	115	74.6
1242	PGA National	2704	577	21.3	410	167	71.1
1244	PGA National	1695	324	19.1	241	83	74.4
1246	Bent Tree, Garden Lks, Shady Lks, Gdns of Woodbury	2593	372	14.3	192	180	51.6
1247	Old Palm – South	271	46	17.0	30	16	65.2
1248	PGA-east.	1591	297	18.7	186	111	62.6
1250	Gardens Glen	64	10	15.6	5	5	50.0
1252	BallenIsles	2374	739	31.1	547	192	74.0
1254	Hunt Club	471	70	14.9	52	18	74.3
1260	Elm Avenue	1361	205	15.1	142	63	69.3
1262	RCA Center	2	0	0.0	0	0	50.0
1266	Union Square, Randolph Way	491	14	2.9	11	3	78.6
1268	Golfers Drive, Lilac	357	17	4.8	9	8	52.9
1270	Lilac Park	10	0	0.0	0	0	50.0
1272	Holly Drive, Riverside	2050	263	12.8	189	74	71.9
1274	Gardenia Dr, Arbor Way	1687	229	13.6	171	58	74.7
1280	Lake Catherine	434	77	17.7	46	31	59.7
1284	Gardens Mall area	2517	299	11.9	209	90	69.9
1288	Oakway Circle	40	8	20.0	5	3	62.5
1290	The Oaks	2290	337	14.7	240	97	71.2
1292	Nature’s Way	92	14	15.2	9	5	64.3
1296	Prosperity Oaks, Marina Gardens	831	70	8.4	54	16	77.1
1306	US1 and PGA	5	0	0.0	0	0	50.0
1310	Ellison Wilson	4	0	0.0	0	0	50.0
1324	Oaks East, Sandelwood	1376	136	9.9	94	42	69.1
1326	Siena Oaks	606	85	14.0	62	23	72.9
1340	Landing Place	18	6	33.3	3	3	50.0
1352	Steeplechase, Montecito	2347	267	11.4	166	101	62.2
1360	Sunset	994	205	20.6	120	85	58.5
1372	Sandtree	187	9	4.8	6	3	66.7
6062	Bay Hill Estates	945	164	17.4	99	65	60.4
6064	Rustic Lakes	133	19	14.3	7	12	36.8

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.

Gardens gets a shot in the arm: Vaccine site ready to open

The gymnasium at the Burns Road Community Center is about to draw crowds for a form of exercise that has nothing to do with basketball hoops and volleyball nets. 

The new playbook calls for senior citizens to roll up their sleeves to get a coveted shot in the arm. 

For the first time outside a Publix or other pharmacy, starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday, seniors will be able to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in north county.

Prompted by County Commissioner Maria Marino, a former Gardens councilwoman, county and city officials joined together Tuesday to formally unveil the vaccine center.

About 500 people with appointments will begin lining up Wednesday, with another 500 set to get a dose of the Moderna vaccine Thursday and 1,000 more on Friday, county health officials said.  

Palm Beach County Health Care District workers will be there to prep the vials and county and Palm Beach Gardens firefighters will handle the injections.

Vaccines will be available by appointment-only with recipients getting into the gymnasium through a separate entrance east of the main doors.  Appointments may be made at vaccine.hcdpbc.org but, at this time, only for people 65 or older.

In Palm Beach County, 250,000 have been vaccinated in about two months, “quite an astounding achievement,” Marino said, despite what she acknowledged as a “bumpy” rollout. The county depleted its stock of vaccines in January as Gov. Ron DeSantis shifted county doses to Publix before shifting back a few weeks later.

Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Carl Woods and council members Chelsea Reed and Rachelle Litt joined Marino and Health Care District CEO Darcy Davis, County Health Director Alina Alonso, County Administrator Verdenia Baker and Palm Beach Gardens City Manager Ron Ferris for the 3 p.m. Tuesday news conference and tour.

The gymnasium offers those getting the vaccine plenty of space to line up six feet apart as workers walk them through their paperwork.

The center of the gym is devoted to about a half-dozen tables where firefighters will give them the shot.

The site is designed to provide up to 1,000 shots a day.

While the Health Care District distributes vaccines at the South Florida Fairgrounds off Southern Boulevard and the South County Civic Center west of Delray Beach, it is venturing north for the first time at the site just east of Military Trail and south of PGA Boulevard.

Thank you for reading. You may also want to check out Joel’s recent posting on the status of plans for a Tri-Rail commuter line in north county. Joel, a longtime Palm Beach Gardens resident, wrote and edited stories at The Palm Beach Post for nearly 30 years before departing in December 2020. Joel welcomes your comments and news tips at Joel@OnGardens.org. 

Burns Road Community Center to be vaccine center

UPDATE

A north county vaccination center run by the Health Care District is going to open Feb. 24 not at Palm Beach State College but instead at the Burns Road Community Center, the county announced Feb. 17.

The college location on PGA Boulevard didn’t work out because of space factors. The community center east of Military Trail on Burns is owned by the city of Palm Beach Gardens. It was “deemed more suitable for this type of operation,” the county’s press release said.

The Feb. 24 opening is based on vaccine availability. Vaccines will be given strictly by appointment.

At a Feb. 9 county commission meeting, County Administrator Verdenia Baker, prodded by Commissioner Maria Marino, said a center would be opening the following week at the college.  But a final deal had not yet been struck.

ORIGINAL POSTING

Until now, north county residents had a choice of 15 nearby Publix stores to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

That means signing up for the shots through the grocery chain’s hit-or-miss website.

But, by the end of next week, that could change.

Planning is under way for a site run by the Palm Beach County Health Care District to open at Palm Beach State College off of PGA Boulevard south of the Gardens Mall.

The news emerged Tuesday as County Commissioner Maria Marino, a former Gardens Council member who represents north county’s District 1 on the county commission, questioned county officials. 

Pointing out that the average age in her district is 51, she said it was time north county had a site where residents could get inoculated.

County Administrator Verdenia Baker told her about plans for the college site. “We anticipate that site being ready to be up and running by the end of next week,” Baker said.

Marino had been pleading with county officials to offer vaccinations in north county. Lining up a site is a major first step.

“Opening up and having vaccines are two different things,” Marino said later in an interview. “We’ll be ready when we get more vaccines.

“It’s timing. And availability of doses. That’s the end of it. We can’t manufacture them out of thin air.”

First served at the site likely will be those already on the lengthy waiting list for a shot.

While difficulties getting an appointment coupled with the slow rollout of vaccines have grabbed headlines, health department figures indicate they’ve already inoculated about 46 percent of those over 65.

The site will be run by the Health Care District, which operates several COVID-19 testing sites, including the one at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach. Officials will reach out to local fire-rescue departments for help.

That’s similar to the way the inoculation center opening Wednesday at the South Florida Fairgrounds is set to operate. It will be able to inoculate up to 7,000 people a day.

At this point, the only residents eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine are those 65 and older and front-line health care workers. 

Residents who want a shot can’t just show up. They will need an appointment first. Details have not yet been announced on how that will be handled and whether those already on a waiting list will go first. But the waiting list will be tapped first at the fairgrounds, which is off Southern Boulevard west of Florida’s Turnpike.

Thank you for reading. You may also want to check out Joel’s recent PBGWatch blog on the proposed PGA Station development and the return of developer Dan Catalfumo. Joel wrote and edited stories at The Palm Beach Post for nearly 30 years before departing in December 2020. He lives in Palm Beach Gardens and welcomes your comments and news tips at JoelOnGardens@gmail.com.

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.

Out of retirement and into the frying pan — developer Dan Catalfumo is back

Palm Beach Gardens developer Dan Catalfumo is back.

When last we saw him 10 years ago, the city’s most influential builder since John D. MacArthur had been stripped of his real estate empire under a mountain of debt. 

He invested in a chicken deboning business and manufactured a seatless bicycle. He was spending time away from Palm Beach Gardens at second homes in South Carolina and Costa Rica.

Now, he’s pitching a $200 million legacy project in Palm Beach Gardens. 

He wants to build up to 750 apartments and an “iconic” eight-story office building on land he initially developed but lost to foreclosure. 

He no longer has the 350-employee workforce that made him the county’s biggest builder or the portfolio of developable properties that made him central to Palm Beach Gardens’ future. 

But he’s positioned to leave his mark with an ambitious proposal called PGA Station that would refashion an underused center into a major hub on the city’s most prominent commercial artery. 

“This,” he said, “should be our legacy for 50 years to come.”

Retirement, said Catalfumo, 65, did not suit him.

“I was bored. I didn’t have anything to do. I don’t play golf. So …”

So, in April 2019, Catalfumo brought $17 million to the table, with construction partner and longtime friend Bob Rawe, to buy three properties from BBX Capital Asset Management, the same lender that won a $44 million foreclosure judgment against Catalfumo just eight years earlier. 

The BBX debt and others, once totaling more than $100 million, are long gone, Catalfumo said, a statement reflected in court records.

“You write them a check, they go away,” he said. “Every person was paid 100 cents on the dollar. My mom and dad gave me a clean name when I was born and I have a clean, spotless name still. I owe nobody a penny. I wrote the checks to satisfy everyone. It did not change my lifestyle. Pour the wine, I drink.”

‘Iconic’ offices

With the land buy, Catalfumo took a commanding role in the revival of a mostly vacant and forgotten 30-acre corner of Palm Beach Gardens known as the PGA Design Center.

Erected in 2004 on former MacArthur Foundation land, the design center just west of Legacy Place and south of PGA Boulevard gave space to the booming furniture industry during a seemingly endless real estate expansion.

While the La-Z-Boy showroom off of RCA Boulevard remains, the huge two-story Robb & Stucky showroom is destined for the wrecking ball. The building, vacant for 10 years, would make way for a 396-unit apartment building, with the potential to go up to 750 units, and a 608-space parking garage. 

Catalfumo is partnering with the Richman Group, which has built apartment complexes throughout Florida and has an office in West Palm Beach, to build the residential. 

But the centerpiece of Catalfumo’s plan submitted to the city in September is the 200,000-square-foot office building on the vacant 7 acres along the railroad tracks at the foot of Design Center Way. It would include a 1,066-space parking garage with 100 spaces set aside for Tri-Rail if it comes.

Catalfumo in consultation with Tri-Rail is proposing to build walkways and drop off areas to serve the proposed train station separately from the entry to the office building. 

He promises a Class A building with interiors undisturbed by columns, allowing for open, 25,000-square-foot floor plans. 

He also would retrofit an existing two-story, 20,400-square-foot building, formerly home to Robb & Stucky’s outdoor collection, where he has rehung the Catalfumo nameplate.

Gone will be the Mediterranean-style architecture of the existing buildings. The new buildings, Catalfumo promised, will be “clean and crisp.”

The architect for the office building, SPINAOROURKE + Partners of West Palm Beach, describes it this way in Catalfumo’s application to the city: 

“The project’s architectural style is Contemporary modern. The overall project design is straightforward in its layout and the style reflects that with clean crisp forms derived from the simple massing.”

Catalfumo expects to bring the project before the city’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board in two months, however the city has not yet scheduled a hearing. City Council review would follow.

While commuter rail in north county is still years away, the city encourages apartments near the rail line to generate density within walking distance of the proposed train station. 

The proposal initially calls for 396 units, which is 13.4 units per acre. With bonuses for workforce housing, environmentally friendly design and ground-floor retail, Catalfumo is seeking to ultimately be allowed to build 25 units per acre over the 30-acre site, or 750 units.

He is seeking five waivers, including 48 fewer residential parking spaces, saying shared parking with the office parking garage and existing parking will make up for it. Two waivers would let him erect more signs on his buildings than allowed and two would allow landscape reductions, in one case to accommodate the train station.  

The Robb & Stucky demolition would happen first, followed by construction of the apartment building. The office building would come later. 

Owned the heart of the Gardens

While Catalfumo has been behind many large and important buildings throughout Palm Beach County — such as Office Depot’s Delray Beach expansion, West Palm Beach City Hall and adjoining library and the Port of Palm Beach cruise terminal — he has had more impact on Palm Beach Gardens then anywhere else.

Twenty years after the death of the city’s founder, insurance magnate John D. MacArthur, Catalfumo took up the mantle to shape all four corners along what is arguably the city’s most important intersection, the crossing of PGA Boulevard at Alternate A1A near the Gardens Mall. 

He spent about $50 million to buy large undeveloped sites on all four corners in 1999, when MacArthur’s Chicago-based foundation sold off its 14,808 acres, much of it centered in Palm Beach Gardens and held off the market for years after MacArthur’s 1978 death.

And until the Great Recession of 2008 hit, Catalfumo made money selling or developing the land. 

First came the PGA flyover, allowing PGA to flow over the Florida East Coast Railway tracks and Alternate A1A, a $26 million state construction project cleared only after the state agreed to pay the MacArthur Foundation $12 million for 35 acres needed for drainage and right of way.

Then Catalfumo began marketing the four corners around it, properties that would grow into Downtown at the Gardens, Legacy Place, the Design Center and a Florida Power & Light campus.

Catalfumo’s $10 million investment in what would become Downtown at the Gardens and a hotel nearly doubled in value when he sold them in 2002 and 2003 for a combined $19.3 million, deeds show. He spent $15.2 million on PGA Boulevard sites on the east side of the mall, bringing in at least $26 million.

He paid $12.9 million for land that became Legacy Place, selling off one portion for a 382-unit apartment complex for $6.7 million in 2002 and, two years later, the commercial section for $25.3 million, records show.

He paid $4.5 million for the 30-acre Design Center site south of PGA and west of Alternate A1A and began selling parcels in 2007, including one for his corporate headquarters. The northern portion of the site began to take shape with $9 million in sales in 2008, just as the economy began its collapse.

In 2011, a circuit court judge ruled he owed BankAtlantic $44 million for loans against the property. A successor bank, BBX, pursued the case vigorously, saying in court papers that Catalfumo had transferred millions to a Cayman Islands bank account. In a June 2013 press release, BBX said Catalfumo agreed to settle for $25 million upfront, $5 million later and forfeited property valued at $14 million.

“I paid CASH 100% on the dollar,” Catalfumo said.

Lenders also seized the fourth corner, the future FPL site, where Catalfumo confirmed that he had squirreled away a 4.25-acre parcel under the name Spearfisher Partners. The lender sold the rest of the 86-acre site to FPL in 2011. But Catalfumo held on to his piece until March 2018, when FPL paid $4.89 million for it.

In 2019, years after the lender lawsuits were closed out, Catalfumo paid cash when he bought three key Design Center properties back for $17 million. On the day of the closing, BBX extended him and partner Bob Rawe a $4.6 million loan, mortgage records show.

He and Rawe quickly built the second building in the center for TBC Corp., dubbed TBC South,  a 60,000-square-foot office building at 4260 Design Center Drive.

That left two parcels, one containing the long-vacant Robb & Stucky buildings, the other a blank slate along the railroad tracks. 

Now with five employees including his 26-year-old son, not 350 workers as in the past, Dan Catalfumo is moving forward on what he calls his legacy. 

“This is full-time. Fourteen hours a day,” he said. “This is the new wave of the future.”

Thank you for reading. You may also want to check out Joel’s recent PBGWatch posting on the status of plans for a Tri-Rail commuter line in north county. Joel wrote and edited stories at The Palm Beach Post for nearly 30 years before departing in December 2020. He lives in Palm Beach Gardens and welcomes your comments and news tips at JoelOnGardens@gmail.com.

All track, no train. What will it take to get Tri-Rail to north county?

For the first time since its inception in 1989, Tri-Rail is physically able to run its trains from Miami all the way through Palm Beach Gardens to Jupiter. 

Officials have been looking forward to this moment for decades to make good on a promise of delivering commuter rail to north county.

But there’s still a big hurdle in making a short-stop coastal commuter rail service real: Money. Lots of it. In fact, the rail line is still hundreds of millions of dollars away from actually delivering.

That hasn’t stopped transportation advocates from pushing the link. They’re encouraged by two recent developments: the double-tracking happening now on the easternmost Florida East Coast Railway tracks, courtesy of the long-haul passenger service Brightline, and the recent completion of a $4.2 million crossover in West Palm Beach to let Tri-Rail trains switch seamlessly from the CSX rail line to the FEC. 

The FEC is the easternmost line that, unlike CSX, rolls right through north county cities and towns.

Two hurdles could derail this north county expansion: The rail service doesn’t have permission from Brightline to operate on the FEC tracks and Palm Beach County has not begun negotiating a price. 

And, more critically, local officials haven’t figured out how to pay for the rest of the project, particularly new stations and new sidings at a price of  more than $100 million. 

Oh, and the cost to actually run the trains could be as high as $19 million a year, a figure fares alone will not cover. 

Until these issues are resolved, the hop-on-board support needed to spend taxpayer money in such a big way can’t leave the station.

A steering committee assigned to the task last met in February 2018 before acknowledging the difficulty of overcoming those unresolved issues and shutting down. The panel’s final instruction to staff went nowhere: No north county cities stepped up to agree in writing to offer “local funding options,” although Palm Beach Gardens has approved a mobility fee. 

But the issue popped up again at a meeting Jan. 21, when the chief of the Florida Department of Transportation in Fort Lauderdale, Gerry O’Reilly, responded to a question from Palm Beach County Commissioner Robert Weinroth. He said preliminary planning for the Tri-Rail Coastal Link is on hold because local officials haven’t lined up ways to pay for the project.

“This project has advanced through all the stages it needs to. Now it needs entities to say they would pay the costs of the train. Dade and Broward have done that,” O’Reilly told Weinroth at a meeting of the county’s Transportation Planning Agency. “You need to decide if someone in Palm Beach County is going to pay for the operating fee.” 

Brightline ready to deal

If O’Reilly and other advocates had their way, Palm Beach County officials would step up as their southern counterparts did. Voters in both Broward and Miami-Dade have approved sales tax hikes to pay for transportation projects.

Some of that money could cover the huge costs of offering commuter train service on the FEC line.

Such a tax in Palm Beach County likely would have to get voter approval and await the expiration around 2026 of the county’s current sales tax “surcharge,” an extra penny on every dollar, which raises the county’s sales tax to 7 percent.

Costs could better come into focus as Brightline for the first time has expressed interest in sharing its coastal tracks with a short-haul commuter line. 

For a price.

In November, Miami-Dade County agreed to negotiate a contract paying Brightline up to $50 million and $12 million a year for 30 years for the right to run commuter trains on the FEC corridor. A final agreement remains to be negotiated.

Broward is next. But talks about access between Brightline, which suspended its nascent Miami-to-West Palm Beach service after COVID struck, and Palm Beach County haven’t begun. 

While Broward, Dade and the southern half of Palm Beach County already have Tri-Rail, its tracks are west of most downtowns. The state paid $264 million in 1988 to buy the tracks, which also carry Amtrak and freight trains, and later spent $300 million over 10 years to double-track the 71-mile corridor.  

But it’s just not enough to serve the core population living closer to the coast.

While Tri-Rail is on pace to record its 100-millionth rider in August, it envisions luring more passengers if trains stop in the center of a downtown, a high-stakes move to a different rail corridor talked about  since the early 1990s.

“The last mile is often a challenge for commuter rail,” said Steven Abrams, a former Palm Beach County commissioner and Boca mayor who runs Tri-Rail’s South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. “The last mile is less of a challenge when where you’re going is within walking distance of the station.”

25th Street connector

There are two ways to get commuter rail to north county.

Trains could run from Miami north on the FEC line. Or passenger cars could switch from Tri-Rail’s CSX tracks to Brightline’s FEC tracks at 25th Street in West Palm Beach. 

The link is between Tri-Rail’s two most northern stations, the downtown West Palm station on Tamarind Avenue and the Mangonia Park station, next to the vacant jai-alai fronton on 45th Street. 

After Mangonia, the CSX line veers to the west toward Indiantown in Martin County. The FEC, built by Henry Flagler more than 100 years ago, continues up the Florida coast to Jacksonville.

The 25th Street connection became reality in 2019 after a federal grant paid for Tri-Rail and FDOT to build the half-mile link between Australian Avenue and U.S. 1.

At one time, officials considered — and rejected — building the connection in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach.

The only other FEC/CSX connection is at 79th Street in Hialeah. A third connection is planned for Pompano Beach.

All on board for $100 million?

Switching Tri-Rail trains from the CSX line to the FEC at 25th Street could bring commuter rail into north county for the first time since passenger service stopped in the 1960s. 

But at what cost?

The steering committee, which brought together regional transportation planners and elected officials, spelled out the potential costs in 2018, based on 2014 calculations adjusted for inflation.

They considered five north county stations: 45th Street in West Palm Beach, 13th Street in Riviera Beach, Park Avenue in Lake Park, PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens and Toney Penna Drive in Jupiter. 

They anticipated spending nearly $13 million to buy the land for stations and parking and $35 million to build the stations.  

Another $59 million would go toward installing extra tracks around the stations to allow Brightline and freight traffic to pass as passengers got off and on the trains.

That’s $107 million just to get rolling — without a payment to Brightline for the rail line.

While officials put the cost of a locomotive and three train cars at $17 million, they figured Tri-Rail would use its existing trains to spare that expense.

Running 50 trains every weekday, presumably under Tri-Rail, will cost another $12 million to $19 million a year.

Subsidies are required because riders aren’t going to immediately flock to the trains, meaning fares won’t cover costs.  

While most of the money likely would come from federal or state sources, powered by taxpayers, the local match could be as much as 40 percent, officials said.

Sales and property taxes and utility fees could be tapped, as could the property tax on rising land values due to denser development near stations. 

No decisions were reached and no city has volunteered to commit.

Why bother?

Local officials have to contend with a natural skepticism toward paying for a service that may never pay for itself. Heeding advice that trains are needed now, to prepare for inevitable gridlock on the regional road network, is a hard sell.

As Abrams pointed out, “Four hundred cars equal eight buses equal one train.”

Many residents oppose commuter service because, with up to 50 trains a day going back and forth, it will mean more frequent waits on east-west roads for rail gates to lift. They also object to the blare of train horns, although steps are promised to create “quiet zones,” as achieved with Brightline from Boca to West Palm.

The consequences, as Brightline encountered, could well be a rising number of people stepping in front of quiet, fast-moving trains. 

And, has been the case for decades, many residents balk at paying hundreds of millions of dollars to subsidize transportation for thousands.

Supporters say the government already pays billions to subsidize roads that will be so overwhelmed by traffic that investing in trains now will appear visionary 50 years out.

Reducing reliance on cars is a huge help for the environment, they say, and opening up land near tracks to take advantage of rail is big business. A 2013 study for Tri-Rail said the Coastal Link could generate $1.4 billion in new development, including 5,500 residential units and 8 million square feet of commercial. 

Brightline construction half-done

Meanwhile, Brightline, a privately owned company, is halfway done with its $2.7 billion expansion from West Palm Beach to Orlando, spokeswoman Katie Mitner told the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council on Jan. 15. Completion is expected in 2023.

While Brightline began operating passenger trains in January 2018 between West Palm Beach and Miami, it suspended service in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 outbreak. 

While often referred to as high-speed rail, Brightline trains can reach a top speed of 79 mph on the Miami-to-West-Palm section and up to 110 mph farther north. High-speed rail is generally considered to start at 160 mph.

After searing criticism over Brightline’s decision to build coastal stations only in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, the rail service has committed to adding stations in PortMiami, Aventura and Boca Raton. Additionally, Brightline has announced plans to add one station each on the Treasure Coast and the Space Coast.

To get to Orlando, the company must first add a second set of tracks north of West Palm, a step already completed to the south. The road closures at rail crossings in north county are part of upgrades to the 135-mile section to Cocoa.

Brightline also is laying tracks from Cocoa to Orlando International Airport, a distance of about 35 miles. Ultimately, Brightline expects to expand to Tampa.

Most recently, Brightline reopened the Donald Ross Road intersection at Alternate A1A after installing double tracks. Next in north county is Center Street at Alternate A1A in Jupiter, starting in February.

The work calls for Brightline to rebuild 29 bridges along the FEC line, including the rail bridge over the Earman River north of Northlake Boulevard and west of Alternate A1A in Palm Beach Gardens.

The Loxahatchee River rail bridge in Jupiter also will be rebuilt.

While Brightline’s parent company no longer owns the tracks, it has taken the lead in negotiating agreements with South Florida counties for the rights to share the tracks. Grupo Mexico, a mining and rail conglomerate, paid $2.1 billion in 2017 for FEC’s 351 miles of railway.

Thank you for reading. Coming up next: Which Gardens developer has emerged from retirement to pursue a $200 million development next to the city’s proposed train station?

Joel Engelhardt wrote and edited stories at The Palm Beach Post for nearly 30 years before departing in December 2020. He has lived in Palm Beach Gardens for 28 years. He welcomes your comments and news tips at JoelOnGardens@gmail.com. 

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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