Special Workshop on All Aboard Florida – Thursday 2/26 at 7pm

The City Council will be having a Special Workshop this Thursday, February 26th at 7pm at City Hall. The presenters will be representing All Aboard Florida.

In November, 2014, Mayor Premuroso sent a letter to All Aboard Florida with several question specific to the City of Palm Beach Gardens concerns with the project.  On January 2nd, 2015, the Mayor received a response letter from All Aboard Florida, which none on the Council considered as adequate in addressing the City’s concerns.  They directed City Manager Ferris to set up this workshop where they hope to hear direct answers to their questions.

The agenda for the workshop can be found here.

Update:  Here is an article on the workshop in the PB Post.  Note that since this is a workshop public comment will not be permitted, but comments/questions can be submitted by card before the meeting.  Also the workshop will be streamed.

Next City Council Mtg on Thursday February 5th at 7PM

The next City Council Meeting will be this Thursday, February 5th at 7pm at City Hall.

The Consent Agenda includes:

• Lease/purchase of a Medium Duty Ambulance for $319K as a Reserve Rescue Unit replacement for Fire Rescue
• Lease/purchase of a 100′ Aerial platform Truck for $1 Million. “The Fire Rescue Department currently maintains an aerial platform truck for emergency response purposes and as backup for the frontline vehicles. The aerial platform truck is the only 100-foot aerial in the Fire Rescue fleet.”
• Approving the plat for Cimarron Cove Planned Community Development (PCD) – this was last discussed by the Council on 9/3/14 approving the site plan.
• Changing the dates for the July and August City Council meetings due to adjustments around July 4th – (so save the dates Wednesday July 1st and Thursday August 6th)

The Regular Agenda includes:

• Ordinance 1, 2015 is intended to amend sign code to regulate human signage.  You’ve seen various businesses with sign wavers and spinners.  The PB Post covered this proposal, initiated by the City based on the premise that “Human Signs”, if not properly regulated as to time, place, and manner, distract drivers and impede pedestrian traffic in the public rights-of-way and pose a significant threat to public health, safety, and welfare.  This may generate some public comment.
• Ordinance 3, 2015 – creating specific signage requirements for gas stations in Palm Beach Gardens.  The City chose to develop it’s own requirements after PB County passed an ordinance last year; the latter was met by objections by local gas station owners.  Those same owners approve of the proposal described in Ordinance 3.
• Resolution 2, 2015 would permit Nativity Lutheran Church (located at nw corner of Holly Drive and Plant Drive) a 2-year extenion for existing modular structures.
• Resolution 7, 2015 is a request for site plan and major conditional use approval for the replacement of PBG Fire Rescue Station No 2 (RCA/Campus Drive) – which was discussed by the Council last year.
• Resolutions 8 and 9, 2015 – regard amending the Central Gardens Master Plan and approving a site plan for a 140-bed Assisted Living Facility withing Parcel B.  Central Gardens is located at the intersection of Hood Road and Central Boulevard.

The agenda (with links to full detail) can be found here.  Check the agenda to see if any additional items have been added before the meeting.

See a summary of the January meeting on the PBG Watch website.

We get the government we deserve – and it’s up to us to watch what they do.  Hope you can make it.  If you can’t make the meeting try and watch live-streaming or on-demand.

Next City Council Mtg on Thursday, January 8th

The next City Council Meeting will be this Thursday, January 8th at 7pm at City Hall.

Once again, this month’s meeting looks like it will be relatively short.

Presentations include Florida First Responder Appreciation Week Jan 5-9 – declared by Governor Rick Scott, and another on the economic impact of the Honda Classic.

The Consent Agenda includes:

• Approval of an agreement with The Children’s Healthcare Charity, Inc. for the 2015 Honda Classic PGA Golf Tournament to provide a public safety grant for off-duty 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 – as was done in 2014
• Approving the Alton Neighborhood Plat 1- which is part of the Briger tract between Donald Ross and Hood Rd.
• 3 Purchase Awards, two of which are piggyback contracts for equipment for Fire/Rescue (up to $100.2K) and for 2015 vehicles (not to exceed $528K).  The third is for a $2 million, 3-year contract with option to renew for small maintenance and construction projects.
• There is also an Arbor Day proclamation.

The Regular Agenda consists of only one item:

• Ordinance 14, 2014, 2nd reading,which is an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2013/14 Budget. This item had little discussion at 1st reading.

The agenda (with links to full detail) can be found here.  Check the agenda to see if any additional items have been added before the meeting.

See a summary of the December meeting on the PBG Watch website.

We get the government we deserve – and it’s up to us to watch what they do.  Hope you can make it.  If you can’t make the meeting try and watch live-streaming or on-demand.

Next City Council Mtg on Thursday, December 4th

The next City Council Meeting will be this Thursday, December 4th at 7pm at City Hall.

Thursday’s meeting looks like it will be relatively short because many of the significant resolutions appear on the Consent Agenda rather than the Regular Agenda.

Presentations include the annual investment update by Steven Alexander with PFN Asset Management, LLC.

The Consent Agenda includes:

• Approving the Discovery Village Assisted Living Facility (ALF) Plat within the Gables Planned Community Development (PCD).  On February 6, 2014, the City Council approved a site plan for the Discovery Village Assisted Living Facility, consisting of a total of 120 units/138 beds comprising 129,831 square feet.
• Adoption of the Palm Beach County Local Mitigation Strategy.  The purpose of the Palm Beach County LMS Plan is to develop and execute an ongoing unified strategy for reducing the community’s vulnerability to identified natural, technological, and societal hazards, as well as place Palm Beach County in a position to compete effectively and productively for pre- and post-disaster funding. Palm Beach Gardens has participated in the Palm Beach County LMS Plan since 1998 and is required to adopt the updated LMS Plan to be eligible for pre- and post-disaster funding in the upcoming year.
• Approving the Azure Plat: In 2005, the subject site was approved to allow the development of 113 multifamily dwelling units and 9,900 square feet of ancillary office/retail space for use by the marina – the property is at the intersection of Donald Ross Road and Prosperity Farms Rd at Loggerhead Marina (previously named Frenchman’s Marina).
• Approving the Alton PCD Plat – which is part of the Briger tract between Donald Ross and Hood Rd.
• Purchase awards for the Artistic Bus Shelters, Tennis Center Parking Expansion and for the Neighborhood Improvement Asessment Program (NIAP) at 40th Terrace/Sunset Drive.  The latter will provide paved roads and piped water for residents of the community to bring the neighborhood up to the infrastructure standards of the City.

The Regular Agenda consists of only one item:

• Ordinance 14, 2014 which is an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2013/14 Budget. “As a part of the annual fiscal year closeout process, it is necessary to review the financial statements to determine if any post-closing budget amendments are required to properly reflect certain accounting transactions, and to ensure compliance with legal levels of budgetary control.”  Only 2 items are in this amendment – one with no impact on the City’s fund balance position and the other adding $1809 to Golf reserves.

The agenda (with links to full detail) can be found here.

See a summary of the November meeting, and the latest Martino Minute on the PBG Watch website.

We get the government we deserve – and it’s up to us to watch what they do.  Hope you can make it.  If you can’t make the meeting try and watch live-streaming or on-demand.

Next City Council Meeting on Thursday Nov 6th at 7pm

The next City Council Meeting will be this Thursday, November 6th at 7pm at City Hall.

Here are some highlights:

Consent agenda:

• Setting January 8, 2015 as the date for the January City Council meeting
• Purchase awards: $249K for 2 play/fitness areas in Mirasol Park Playground, $123K for long-distance telephone service for Police Dept., amendment to existing contract for mowing and landscaping services, additional $92K for repairs to bridge at Lighthouse Drive, and increasing the scope of a contract to map and inspect the City’s water drainage infrastructure and increasing the cost by $247K.

Public Hearings:

• 2nd reading of Ordinance 16, 2014 which updated the Land Developement Regulations (LDR) text (and will once again set a record for length of the description of the Ordinance)
• 1st reading of Ordinance 17, 2014 which would impose a temporary moratorium on the approval and/or issuance of any new licenses or permits for any uses that involve the cultivation, processing, and/or dispensing of medical marijuana within the City until October 1, 2015.   Taking this action was discussed at a prior council meeting as necessary in case Ballot Amendment 2 passes on the 11/4 election.
• Resolution 60, 2014 is a master signage amendment to approve a tenant wall sign at the northwest corner of Northcorp Parkway and RCA Blvd.
• Resolution 67, 2014 is a site plan amendment for Northlake Commons Shopping Center at the SE Corner of Northlake and Military Trail  I-95.
• Resolution 68, 2014 is an amendment to the City Centre Planned Unit Development (PUD) which is located on the southwest corner of PGA Blvd and US 1.

The agenda (with links to full detail) can be found here.

See a summary of the October 23rd Growth Management Workshop, and the latest Martino Minute on the PBG Watch website.

We get the government we deserve – and it’s up to us to watch what they do.  Hope you can make it.  If you can’t make the meeting try and watch live-streaming or on-demand.

City Workshop on Growth Management – Thursday October 23rd at 6pm

The City Council will be holding a workshop on Thursday, October 23rd at 6pm at City Hall.  This meeting was requested by City Manager Ferris and the Planning and Zoning Department a couple of months ago in order to have staff and the Council discuss density issues.

There will be a presentation on Growth Management followed by discussion between staff and the Council.  The agenda can be found here.  Note that it was stated when the meeting was scheduled that there will be no public comment as part of the workshop agenda.  Many regular council attendees have said they’d like to see more workshops – so we highly encourage you to attend!

Reminder:  Early voting begins Monday October 20th and continues until November 2nd.  There are two questions on the ballot regarding Term Limits for Palm Beach Gardens City Council.

Next City Council Meeting on Thursday, October 2nd at 7pm

The next City Council Meeting will be this Thursday, October 2nd at 7pm at City Hall.  It’s not an overly long agenda but there are a few items that may generate discussion.

Here are some highlights:

• Consent agenda:
  • Several proclamations
  • 3 Purchase awards of which two are sizable, multi-year contracts: selection of a new independent auditing firm ($380K) and Microsoft Enterprise License ($418K)
• Public Hearings:
  • Resolution 58,2014 which is a continuation of a discussion from a prior Council meeting regarding a date extension for a temporary modular structure at PGA National golf course
  • Resolution 61, 2014 regarding signage changes for Gardens Station PUD
  • Ordinance 16, 2014 – cleaning up the Land Development Regulations (LDR) and adding some new definitions
  • Appointments to the Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board (PZAB) and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
• Items for Council Action/Discussion:
  • PBC Gas Signage Ordinance – since July, when this was first discussed, staff met with a small group of gas station owners in order to develop an alternative to the regulations passed by the County which are viewed as too confusing and expensive to implement.  The alternative will be discussed.

The agenda (with links to full detail) can be found here.

See a summary of the Final Budget Hearing, and the latest Martino Minute on the PBG Watch website.

We get the government we deserve – and it’s up to us to watch what they do.  Hope you can make it.  If you can’t make the meeting try and watch live-streaming or on-demand.

Final Budget Hearing on September 18 at 7pm

The next City Council Meeting will be this Thursday, September 18 at 7pm at City Hall.  It’s a short agenda.   Note that this is the final of two required 2014-2015 Budget hearings for the City.  

Ordinance 15, 2014 and Resolution 51, 2014 are the budget items. If approved as recommended by staff, the new budget will increase taxes over rollback by 6.14%.  Please read our summary of the first budget hearing here describing comments on the budget. Additionally – former Mayor Martino challenges the Council to go to rollback here.

There will be a District Park Presentation by Council Member Tinsley.  And for those of you who live in the Sunset Drive area – in Resolution 64, 2014 on the Consent Agenda, the County agrees to transfer ownership of the rights-of-way and improvements of Sunset Drive and 40 Terrace North and pay the City $50,000 for maintenance assistance of the roadways within sixty (60) days of execution of the lnterlocal Agreement.  See the details here.

The complete Agenda can be viewed here.  The proposed 2014-2015 Budget can be viewed here.

We have a new feature on the PBGWatch website – The Martino Minute compiling his frequent postings together in a blog.

We get the government we deserve – and it’s up to us to watch what they do. Hope you can make it.  If you can’t make the meeting try and watch live-streaming or on-demand.

First 2014-2015 Budget Hearing (and City Council Mtg) on Wed. 9/3!

The next City Council Meeting will be this Wednesday, September 3rd at 7pm at City Hall.  There’s a lot on the agenda.  Note that this meeting falls on Wednesday so as to not conflict with required Budget hearings from other governmental entities.  Note also that this is the first of two required 2014-2015 Budget hearings for the City.  The second meeting will fall on Thursday, September 18th at 7pm.

Please at a minimum, review the Budget overview letter . If you are a property owner, you should have already received your TRIM notice.  Note that our Council will be telling us that they are responsibly holding Operating Millage (tax rate) flat at 5.7404 mills. Due to the increase in property valuations, however – this means that with a flat tax rate the City would be increasing property tax revenues by 6.14%.  Most of the other governmental entities in your trim notice also propose similar actions taking advantage of the property evaluation ‘windfall’.  This is a return to attitudes and approaches taken during the boom.  It is up to you as active residents to evaluate whether some or all of that ‘windfall’ should be returned to you, the taxpayer, or is properly being used for infrastructure repairs, improvements,  and salary increases.

The Budget will presented early in the meeting under Presentations and will be the first item that is part of the Public Hearings as Ordinance 15, 2014 at which time public comment will be allowed.

The City Manager Report, also early in the Agenda includes 3 items of particular interest:

• Update on FEMA Maps.  The new maps impact property/flood insurance rates and there will be a series of public hearings prior to adoption.  This link shows the dates and times for the Open Houses throughout the County in early September.
• Contract Extension for City Manager through June 2018 (currently ending in 2016) – you might recall that in July, Council Member Jablin “proposed an extension of the City Manager’s Contract for an additional 2 years to June,  2018 – primarily because if term limits are imposed, “the council will be wiped out“.  (It’s important for you to watch the discussion here! )  The motion was withdrawn until the contract could be reviewed, and placed on the agenda for transparency and public vote.  Retirement intentions and a succession plan need to be discussed as well.  It will be on the agenda in the first budget meeting in September.”  It’s up to you as active residents to also determine whether this is a valid action or not.
• Also postponed from the August meeting is City Attorney Retention: Max Lohman has left the employ of Corbett, White and Davis and has formed Lohman Law Group.  The City Manager proposes that Mr. Lohman be retained rather than taking the services of another attorney from his former employer.

Public Hearings include several Resolutions, among them:

• Resolution 53, 2014 and Resolution 54, 2015 making upland preserve modifications and approving a site plan for a ‘341-MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING UNIT DEVELOPMENT, WHICH SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 33.93 ACRES WITHIN THE 50.58-ACRE PARCEL 31.04 PLANNED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (PCD), AND IS LOCATED SOUTH OF VICTORIA FALLS BOULEVARD AND EAST OF CENTRAL BOULEVARD AND INTERSTATE 95
• Other resolutions affecting signage in Gardens Towne Square, a time extension for a modular temporary building at PGA National Core Golf Course, and a request by Cotleur and Hearing, Inc., on behalf of Palm Beach Community Church, to approve an expansion of an existing Major Conditional Use for Discoveryland Preschool, a day care within Midtown Planned Unit Development (PUD). The site is located on the north side of PGA Boulevard, approximately 0.25 miles west of North Military Trail. The 2,600-square-foot expansion, located within the existing building, will provide a total area of 6,157 -square-feet of day care use. The Applicant is also seeking to increase the maximum number of students permitted from 85 to 152.
• Updated schedules and fees for fiscal year 2014/2015 is the final item on the Agenda.

The complete Agenda can be viewed here.  The proposed 2014-2015 Budget can be viewed here.

We get the government we deserve – and it’s up to us to watch what they do. Hope you can make it.  If you can’t make the meeting try and watch live-streaming or on-demand.

Next City Council meeting on Thursday August 7th at 7pm

The next City Council Meeting will be this Thursday, August 7th at 7pm at City Hall.  It’s not a long agenda but there are several interesting items on the list.

Here are some highlights:

• Presentations:
  • Update on Minto: if you’re interested in PBC western development
  • Plat 1 Update: resident Steve Martino spoke about several issues with this older area in the City.  This is a response from the City.  View Steve’s letter to the city here.

• City Manager Report:
  • City Attorney Retention: Max Lohman has left the employ of Corbett, White and Davis and has formed Lohman Law Group.  The City Manager proposes that Mr. Lohman be retained rather than taking the services of another attorney from his former employer
  • Special Issue Referendum Election:  In July the Council pass Resolution 48, 2014 to resolve an issue between the City and the SOE about placing the Term Limits questions on the ballot, assuming PBGNTL submits the required petitions.  Apparently issues still exist with SOE.

• Consent agenda:
  • Renewal of the City’s health insurance with Florida Blue, a plat change at Downtown at the Gardens, and purchase award for additional benefits – health, life insurance

• Public Hearings:
  • Resolution 52,2014 which is an abandonment of a right of a platted right of way by the City – upon which ownership will revert to Paloma HOA and South Gardens LLC – both in agreement with this proposal
  • Resolution 48, 2014 approving and ratifying a 3-yr contract negotiated with SEIU

The agenda (with links to full detail) can be found here.

See a summary from July’s meeting, an open letter from former Mayor Martino on the PBG Watch website.

We get the government we deserve – and it’s up to us to watch what they do.  Hope you can make it.  If you can’t make the meeting try and watch live-streaming or on-demand.

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