2014 Council Election Results – An Analysis

The 2014 municipal elections in Palm Beach Gardens generated a lot of interest – a full 19% of registered voters participated, compared to a more typical 10%.

Congratulations to the winners – incumbents Eric Jablin and Marcie Tinsley.

Group 3

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In group 3, 22 year incumbent Eric Jablin was outspent by challenger Michael Peragine, who ran more TV and radio ads. Both candidates did a prodigious direct mail campaign with flyers piling up in mailboxes as the election approached. In the end though, it came down to turning out the vote, and Jablin prevailed, winning by 151 votes (1.9%), with 51.1% of the vote.

Peragine dominated the precincts from NW to SE along I95 by large margins, particularly in the area of the proposed stadium and in his home precinct of Mirabella. Jablin Captured the larger precincts that have traditionally gone for the incumbent – BallenIsles, PGA National, and Frenchman’s (Reserve and Creek). BallenIsles alone delivered 784 votes for Jablin (22% of his total) and saw their turnout increase to 43%, compared to 32% last year.

Turnout was up in most precincts, as the challengers sought out new voters. Precinct 1246 for example, which includes Bent Tree, Old Palm and Shady Lakes turned out 22%, up from 6% last year, and delivered 418 votes for Peragine, 87% of their total. If the relative voter turnout among precincts had been similar to last year, Jablin would have won by a larger margin, 54% to 46%.

Not coincidentally, the two precincts with the biggest increase in voter participation were the home precincts of challengers Robin Deaton (Bent Tree and surroundings – up 267%) and Michael Peragine (Mirabella – up 190%).

Group 3
Strong Jablin	Weak Jablin	Very Close	Weak Peragine	Strong Peragine
Click the precinct on the map for vote totals.

Group 5

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In group 5, three year incumbent Marcie Tinsley turned back a challenge from stadium opponent and Bent Tree resident Robin Deaton. Much less money was spent on this race compared to group 3, and in addition to a smaller direct mail campaign, the challenger depended on a network of volunteers to reach and turn out voters. At the end of the day, Tinsley prevailed by 617 votes (9.2%), 54.6% to 45.4%.

In her home area of Bent Tree and the neighborhoods around the stadium, Deaton turned out 22% of her precinct and won 87% of them. She was also strong in precinct 1190 (The Isles, Paloma and San Michelle). In other areas she was probably hampered by lack of name recognition. Tinsley captured 79% of her home precinct of Evergreene (15% turnout) and was strong in the incumbent friendly areas of BallenIsles, PGA and Frenchman’s.

Group 5
Strong Tinsley	Weak Tinsley	Very Close	Weak Deaton	Strong Deaton
Click the precinct on the map for vote totals.

Tabular Results

Precinct	Reg	Cast	TO%	Jablin	Peragine	M3%	Deaton	Tinsley	M5%
1186	1460	423	29	91	329	22	210	161	43
1188	784	93	12	28	64	30	53	36	40
1190	2448	322	13	98	217	31	203	107	35
1192	1403	206	15	76	116	40	42	162	79
1194	1907	624	33	450	169	73	153	443	74
1238	1571	426	27	210	215	49	177	212	54
1240	2413	555	23	345	206	63	197	310	61
1242	2392	699	29	470	223	68	212	386	65
1244	1454	355	24	207	142	59	140	187	57
1246	2209	494	22	67	418	14	424	62	13
1248	1415	295	21	91	201	31	162	127	44
1250	65	15	23	12	3	80	1	14	93
1252	2279	989	43	784	194	80	265	602	69
1254	435	65	15	39	26	60	23	41	64
1260	1262	194	15	57	132	30	97	95	49
1264	6	0	0	0	0		0	0
1266	450	9	2	5	4	56	4	5	56
1268	269	11	4	3	8	27	7	4	36
1270	8	0	0	0	0		0	0
1272	1843	233	13	83	148	36	113	115	50
1274	1564	198	13	82	115	42	94	102	52
1280	422	54	13	21	33	39	30	19	39
1284	2091	165	8	103	62	62	54	100	65
1288	40	11	28	5	6	45	6	5	45
1290	2076	211	10	82	129	39	103	104	50
1292	58	8	14	6	2	75	3	5	62
1296	626	27	4	13	13	50	13	12	48
1306	8	0	0	0	0		0	0
1310	4	0	0	0	0		0	0
1324	1237	85	7	26	58	31	45	38	46
1326	584	58	10	21	37	36	27	29	52
1340	10	1	10	1	0	100	0	1	100
1352	2031	223	11	94	128	42	106	105	50
1360	845	113	13	46	66	41	58	49	46
1372	138	5	4	2	3	40	2	3	60
TOTAL	37807	7167	19.0%	3618	3467	51.1%	3024	3641	54.6%

Possible changes to petition requirements for citizen initiated ballot questions

The City Council had a relatively brief meeting on Thursday night.

Police Contract

The item with most financial impact to the city was the ratification of the 3-year contract with the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), who represent the Gardens Police. The contract provides for a 2.5% rise in base pay over two years, and requires the union to make a contribution to the pension plan. The contract is expected to cost the city about $1M for its 121 Police employees. The Council, each in turn, congratulated both HR and the union for reaching the agreement, and thanked the police force for being patient during the hard fought negotiations.  It was felt that the contract would address expected retirements, allow for promotions from within as well as new hiring and continue to focus on addressing pension funding issues.  Kudos were given to the department for keeping Palm Beach Gardens the safe place it is.

Term Limits Petitions

A topic with potential long-term impact to city government was discussion related to a lawsuit served against the City earlier in the day by a group seeking Term Limits for the Council.  (See the PB Post article.)  The city currently requires that citizen initiated referenda on the ballot require petitions from 15% of the registered voters, (approximately 5800 signatures). State statutes only require 10% or 3900.   City Manager Ferris and City Attorney Max Lohman both suggested that an ordinance be introduced in April’s meeting to reduce the requirement to the state’s 10% which would resolve the lawsuit as well as make it easier for citizens to engage with their government.  (Given that less than 10% typically vote in a municipal election, and a candidate only needs 1% to get on the ballot, this sounds reasonable.)  Mr. Lohman pointed out that it is an enabling ordinance that has the requirement and not the Charter (which only states “The qualified voters of the city shall have the power to institute initiative and referendum procedures as provided by general law of the State of Florida.”).  Thus, it will not require a ballot initiative to make the change.  Members of the council opined that the initiators of the lawsuit could have come to the council to make the request for such a change instead of resorting to a lawsuit.

The topic expanded to include discussion of a much needed Charter Review – with all the council agreeing that the subject needs to be brought up again.

40th Terrace Project

Another item that has been the subject of discussion over many months was the issue of services to the neighborhood of 40th Terrace and Sunset Drive.  Sufficient responses had been returned to the city to allow for the next step – having an informational meeting / open house for the residents of the area in order to explain what can be done for water and sewer improvements and to answer any questions they may have.  The open house will be on March 24th from 6pm-7:30pm.  Affected residents will be notified and a posting will also be made on the city website.

Honda Classic

The success of the Honda Classic was described by Councilman Joe Russo.  City Manager Ron Ferris also pointed out that the close marketing partnership with the Honda Classic website led to many more hits for the City’s website from all over the world and that the marketing partnership will continue in the future.

Public Comment

Residents speaking during Public Comment were:

• Ruth Peeples requesting more information on the confidentiality agreement with the stadium proposal as the document disclosed under a public records request wasn’t signed by anyone on the council or the city manager.  The City Attorney explained some of the relationship between the Business Development Board and requirements of State Statute 288.075.  Note: Similar questions had been raised by Vito DeFrancesco and former mayor Mike Martino – so the transparency/handling of the stadium proposal remains a citizen concern.
• Michael Peragine (candidate for City Council Group 3 and on the board of Palm Beach Gardens Needs Term Limits) took issue with the council comments on the lawsuit, stating that many emails had been sent to both the administration and council requesting such a change with no response.  He also spoke in favor of a Charter Review and was strongly in favor of the PBA Contract.
• Sheldon Rich thanked the Council for all they do and praised the city.  He was upset by the negative politicking during this election cycle and negative press for the City as a result, and suggested that those who are unhappy should consider moving out.

All Ordinances and resolutions on the agenda were passed unanimously.

So save the date – April 3rd for the next City Council meeting and remember to vote on Tuesday March 11!

Thanks to resident Steve Tarr – who once again recorded the meeting in its entirety and posted it on Youtube – view it  here.

What is the Gardens Election About?

Palm Beach Gardens is a nice place to live. A collection of mostly upscale, private communities, surrounding a business core along PGA Boulevard that features the Gardens Mall, Downtown at the Gardens, and Legacy Place among others, it is green, attractive, safe and prosperous. Taxes are not too high, planning and zoning rules ensure that new development adheres to standards of attractiveness, and the economy is improving. City government has been fiscally responsible for the most part, and no officials have gone to jail recently.

Yet this year, two of the three council members up for election in March have drawn an opponent, a group is circulating a petition to enforce term limits on the incumbents, and large numbers of red-shirted protestors invaded the usually staid Council Meetings. Is there trouble in paradise?

It is easy to conclude that the proposal to place a large baseball stadium in close proximity to schools and quiet residential neighborhoods is the cause of the angst, or more specifically the way the proposal was managed. Backroom discussions between the team owners, county officials and the city were ongoing for over a year before the public became aware of it. A minor story in a Houston paper that quoted Astros Owner Jim Crane that the Palm Beach Gardens stadium was 95% complete and only needed a final vote by the City Council took many by surprise. What followed was a series of obfuscations and denials from city officials that went on long enough to generate a large and vocal opposition.

To many, the handling of the stadium proposal by City Manager Ron Ferris, and the reluctance of any of the sitting council members to disclose if they support it or not, showed arrogance and a distinct lack of transparency. Although restrictions do exist on divulging the content of confidential discussions related to economic development projects, once Jim Crane let the cat out of the bag the Council should have been more forthcoming.

So let’s stipulate that the stadium is a black eye for the current Council. But is this serious enough to threaten the seats of the two incumbents, Marcie Tinsley and Eric Jablin?

Incumbents rarely lose, unless they are tainted by major scandal, or voters perceive the government has gone off the rails in some way. In Palm Beach Gardens, there is no scandal that we know of, and most residents who are not actively involved with the city have little about which to complain. At least on the surface, the stadium is now a non-issue, as the Council has voted to terminate the project.

On the “typical” issues of taxes and the budget, economic development, the environment and growth, the candidates are really not very far apart.

So what is this election really about?

At PBG Watch, we strongly believe that no elected officials should get a free ride. It is good for our system of government when there are challengers, and since no official or group of officials is perfect, there are always shortcomings to criticize. After several years of observing Council meetings, we have seen a certain smugness from the dais. The mishandling of the stadium project suggested a lack of preparedness for hard questions, and the refusal to fully disclose the true status of the project is a symptom.

Over the past weeks, the candidates met the voters and each other in various meet & greets, forums (including ours on February 25), gave interviews to the media, sent many pieces of mail, and otherwise got out their message. They used many different issues to differentiate themselves from each other and to educate the public on what is important.

In our view, the Council’s biggest area for improvement is in transparency and respect for due process. Listed below are several actions taken by the current Council that could have been handled better. This election, in our view, is really about these things, and whether the voters will decide that a change is needed. Hopefully, we will have a more open and responsive council going forward, whoever wins.

The following are some past council actions that we hope will be considered by the voters as the make their choice on March 11:

• While details of the stadium proposal were being suppressed, the Council moved ahead on Ordinance 16 and 19 – which eliminate the “uplands setaside” provisions for land owned by a government. While staff denies that it was introduced specifically for the stadium project, they do admit that not having it would make the stadium harder.
• The Waste Management contract was renewed for 5 years without going out for bids. This was done a year ahead of schedule, added to the Council agenda a month before it had been advertised, not included in the printed agenda at the meeting, and voted on near 11:00pm when most of the meeting attendees had left. Inspector General Sheryl Steckler admitted the action did not violate the letter of the law, but it should not have been done this way. When Delray Beach did this, new Councilmen were elected who then moved to void the contract after the fact.
• When the Inspector General Ordinance that extended jurisdiction over the city was passed by 72% of the voters in 2010, the Council and staff moved quickly to add definitions of “waste, fraud and abuse” to the city code with the effect of obstructing the jurisdiction of the IG over city business. Similar definitions had been proposed and rejected by the county ordinance drafting committee.
• When West Palm Beach brought suit against the county, objecting to the ordinance requirement to pay for the Office of Inspector General, our Council voted 5-0 (again late at night) to join the lawsuit and withhold payment for the OIG. The net effect is to limit the investigative power of the OIG by constraining staffing.
• When the City Attorney determined that the City Charter was in conflict with state statutes, the Council directed him to create a ballot question for the 2012 election. Rather than introduce individual changes to the charter, the entire document was scrapped and re-written from scratch, without convening a charter review committee or drawing from the work of the previous committee report, and public comments were entertained only after the fact. The first iteration contained an “incumbent protection” provision that eliminated runoff elections for city council when a race contained 3 or more candidates and no majority is attained. That provision was dropped only after significant public opposition. The ballot amendment was defeated by the voters and the existing charter still stands.

Have the challengers, Robin Deaton and Michael Peragine made their case for change on these issues? Have the incumbents, Marcie Tinsley and Eric Jablin offered explanations that are acceptable to the voters? We will find out on March 11.

Council Candidate Forum Synopsis

On February 25, PBG Watch, along with the South Florida 912 and the Palm Beach County Tea Party, Taxpayer Action Board, the Palm Beach Gardens Residents Coalition, and the Republican Club of the Northern Palm Beaches hosted a candidate forum for the City Council election. In Group 3, Vice Mayor Eric Jablin was invited and initally indicated his participation, but he would not return our calls for confirmation and ultimately decided not to attend. Despite the empty chair, his opponent Michael Peragine, was able to contrast his views with Mr. Jablin’s and should give you an idea of where they stand.

In Group 5, Councilwoman Marcie Tinsley and challenger Robin Deaton filled out the slate.

Moderated by Dennis Lipp, former Vice-Mayor of Loxahatchee Groves and a member of the County Planning Commission, the candidates were asked a set of questions about current issues facing our city, some of which proved to offer a real choice between the candidates.

Present for the forum (and keeping them honest) was former Councilman and now County Commissioner Hal Valeche, and Gardens Mayor Bert Premuroso, along with former Commissioner Karen Marcus and former Mayor Mike Martino.

The meeting was kicked off by PBGWatch Organizer Fred Scheibl, who introduced the leaders of the other sponsoring groups including Shannon Armstrong, founder of South Florida 912, Mel Grossman, President of Palm Beach County Tea Party, Kevin Easton, President of Palm Beach Gardens Resident’s Coalition, and Iris Scheibl, co-founder of the Taxpayer Action Board (TAB), PBC Tea Party and PBG Watch. Timekeeping duties were performed by Barbara Grossman.

The event was well-attended with all seats taken and the library’s large room filled to capacity with standing room only. See Council’s procedures come under fire at forum for the Palm Beach Post article on the event.

Below you will find a summary of the event, with the questions that were asked, and a link to a video of that section of the forum.

February Council – Unanimous Council Opposition to Beeline Flyover

Even when the City Council meetings are well attended, very few in the audience stay until the meeting is adjourned.  Thus there was hardly anyone left to hear the final discussion of the evening about the proposed flyover at Beeline and Northlake, prior to adjournment.

(Listen to the meeting audio at timestamp 2:18:34)

Councilwoman Marcie Tinsley interrupted the motion to adjourn to propose a statement of solidarity for Councilman Eric Jablin who is going to the next meeting of the Metropolitan Planning Organization as the Council’s representative.  The meeting is expected to discuss the proposed Northlake flyover of the Beeline Highway and railroad tracks, and she wants Mr. Jablin to be authorized to convey the Council’s unanimous opposition to the proposal. As the flyover is intended to accommodate the increased traffic as western development picks up, this will signal their opposition to western growth as well. The vote was unanimous to give Mr. Jablin this authority for the MPO meeting, and staff was directed to bring back a resolution at the March meeting to formalize their opposition.

Ms. Tinsley explained that they don’t want to encourage western growth, and that there had been a lot of talk back and forth with PGA National residents over this. She stated that they do want to encourage proper buffering like DOT did for neighborhoods next to turnpike in the past.

Councilman Joe Russo moved to have Mr. Jablin lodge Palm Beach Gardens’ objection to the  flyover, which he said has been lodged before.  Joe wants the formal Resolution to go to elected officials, to MPO, DOT, etc plus have work done to justify the really good reasons why it shouldn’t be done.

The state plans to widen Beeline, which has a special designation, to the north and to the south.  DOT wants a flyover at Northlake as part of the project, to improve traffic flow on both roads, and accommodate the expected increase in passenger rail traffic crossing Northlake.

Presumably, when the resolution is discussed in March, the Council will further clarify their opposition to western growth, including Avenir.

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The February 6th City Council meeting had a little bit of everything.  There were lots of good news stories among the Presentations:

• The Dwyer High School Football team was honored for its State Championship in 7A Division Football.
• The Mayor’s Annual Golf Tournament raised $27,000 for Veterans; the timing of the tournament coincided with the re-opening of the City Golf Course which made it all the more special
• The annual Holiday Joy Drive in December collected toys for over 1600 children – many getting 3 or more gifts.
• Police Chief Stephen Stepp presented the Annual Crime Report – a very positive story adding to what makes PBG a great place to live, learn, work and play. The report is available online.
• Beth Kigel, President and CEO of the NPB Chamber of Commerce described the multi-phase effort with focus groups and surveys to develop a Brand for the 10 municipalities which comprise Northern Palm Beach County for future use by the Business Development Board
• The Honda Classic is also instrumental in marketing Palm Beach Gardens  all year – not just during the upcoming event.  An excellent video highlighting the benefits of the city was played and will be shown during the event.

Public Comment:

• A member of the PGA Corridor Association gave their monthly kudos to the City Council.
• Steve Barnes, resident of Shady Lakes, described the significant increase in traffic on PGA Blvd and Military Trail.  There was significant discussion by the Council on lack of North/South arteries or reliever roads.  Councilwoman Tinsley said that the County will be implementing an automated traffic light system that should help a little bit with the backing up at signals but all agreed that East of the Turnpike, Military Trail was the major north/south route.
• Ruth Peeples cited a 2005 plan for the regional park (that would have been the site for the proposed stadium) as a passive park with a nature center/visitor center like McArthur Park.  The Council advised her to speak to the County, and warned her that the BCC was unlikely to favor a passive park over a different designation.

As is usual, except when an agenda item is controversial, most of the audience left the room after Announcements and Presentations.   The Consent Agenda and all Ordinances and Resolutions in the Regular Agenda passed 5:0 with little discussion or comment.

Under Items for Council Action/Discussion:  The 40th Terrace and Sunset Drive project is still awaiting more responses from the property owners in the area.  Councilwoman Tinsley asked that rather than wait for the minimum number of responses to be received, why not schedule the next step – a Workshop.  After a bit of discussion among the Council and City Manager Ferris – they decided to give it another month and schedule the date for a workshop at the next City Council meeting.

January Council – Has Peace Returned to the Gardens?

By a 4-1 vote, the City Council last night closed the door on a baseball stadium at the 117th street location. Councilman Joe Russo, in a much anticipated move, proffered the motion to stop all work on the site plans, to assist the county in searching for alternate locations, and to require that if a similar proposal ever comes back to the city, that it should come to the council first – in full view of the residents.

In a well crafted explanation for the move, Mr. Russo referred to his request several months ago that a detailed proposal by the teams be presented for evaluation. Since none has been forthcoming, it is time to move on and let the residents of Bent Tree, Shady Lakes, Old Palm and the other neighborhoods in the vicinity get on with their lives.

Introduced during the “Items of Resident Interest” section of the agenda which is usually filled with lists of council members personal activities and other trivia, the motion was made and carried with little council discussion, or prior comments from the public. When residents were allowed to speak, much of the thunder was gone, including the comments by Old Palm resident and former Economic Council Chairman Larry Brown whose text was published yesterday on the Palm Beach Post website. Most applauded the move but used their time to get in a few licks about the process and to call for the repeal of Ordinance 16 (uplands set-aside exemption for government owned land), which opponents claim was passed to enable the stadium. Shady Lakes resident Vito DeFrancesco proposed that repeal would be evidence of “good faith” on the part of the council. PGA Corridor Association co-founder Tom Cairnes dissented, saying the city was missing out on an opportunity. When he added that it was the residents close by who were the biggest losers as their children will not be able to utilize the practice fields, there were jeers heard from the red-shirted residents.

The lone dissenter, David Levy, who was Mayor when the proposal was first brought to the city over 18 months ago, did not explain his vote from the dais, but told us during the break that he objected to closing the door on something that hasn’t yet been fully described. Agreeing that the matter could have been handled better, he thought that many of the residents concerns with the site could have been addressed to their satisfaction if discussed in a less political environment. The confidential disclosure rules under which the city was bound had limited the options for engaging with residents. In any case, he supports the decision of the Council and would oppose the project if it was brought back to them.

Present in the audience were the three challengers in the March Council elections, at least one of which was prompted to run on the stadium issue alone. The issue had the potential to bring a lot of new participants into the normally low-turnout election, and time will tell whether they are still engaged two months hence. Although the issue is resolved for now, the conditions that led to the dispute in the first place are still lingering and issues of honesty and transparency could still dog the incumbents.

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In other Council actions, Ordinance 19 (the companion to 16 which exempts uplands set-asides for government land under some circumstances) was passed 5-0, as were Ordinances 1 (routine budget adjustments), 4, 6 and 7 (approving the Gables PCD on Northlake near the turnpike).

Resolution 5, approving a change to the setbacks in the part of Bent Tree that adjoins Shady Lakes brought comments from residents that the 50 foot ‘opaque buffer’ requirement has been ignored by Bent Tree property owners for years and the HOA has no teeth to enforce it. The ordinance, which would allow building into the current setback area is contingent on correction of the buffer issues and passed 4-1 (Russo voting no).

A discussion of televising future council meetings returned to staff for more information. The consensus was that live television would not be affordable or needed, but a webcam and archival video may make sense. Staff presented a survey of systems in Boynton, Riviera Beach and Delray as examples.

Former Mayor Castigates Council on Stadium Actions

Michael Martino, former Mayor and Gardens Councilman for many years, has been sending written questions about the stadium to the City Council, and so far has received no answers. In his latest letter, included below, he takes issue with the perceived arrogance and disrespect which the Council has directed toward those who object to the proposal.

As it has always been our experience that questions to Council or staff on most things are answered in a timely fashion, the stonewalling that Mr. Martino has received suggests that the behind the scenes maneuvering on the stadium is anything but business as usual.

The following is the full text of Mayor Martino’s latest letter to Council:

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To Mayor and City Council:

As a Mayor and City Councilman for the City of Palm Beach Gardens I probably participated in over 1500 meetings during the course of my twenty years of service on behalf of the residents of the City. When I served the public had much more access to their City Council. Four meetings per month were held, two regular meetings and two workshop meetings, not one per month as is currently practiced. I have not attended a Palm Beach Gardens council meeting in probably close to 10 years until recently.

Owing to my interest in the City initiated baseball stadium complex proposal off Central Boulevard I attended the recent November 7th and December 5th City Council meetings. I really wish I had not. I was deeply disappointed in how those meetings were conducted. It was not the Chairman; it was not the manner, or the methods, or even the rules but rather the atmosphere and the attitude.

At the very least at these two meetings, especially when discussing, or rather, not discussing the City’s stadium complex proposal, it is my opinion the City Council and its administration embarrassed themselves. Your demeanor concerning information requested by members of the public about the City’s stadium complex proposal was awful. It was at times an insult to the intelligence of those in attendance, condescending, arrogant, and disrespectful.

The Mayor and City Council offered little in the way of substance on the stadium complex proposal. During the November and December meetings the Mayor and City Council flatly refused to answer reasonable questions presented in writing by myself and those asked by many residents at both meetings. Concerning the stadium complex proposal, I am of the opinion the City Council should answer the simplest of the questions that have been raised. This question is not subject to Florida Statutes, does not require traffic studies, does not need a financial analysis, it does not require a deal, and so on. That simple question is…

In my opinion, the Mayor and City Council cling to answers, such as, there is no proposal, I know nothing, or I can’t answer that because of Florida State Statute (FS) 288.075 implies I don’t have to. I am hopeful that more than nothing is known after eighteen months of this proposal floating around, and hiding behind FS 288.075 is at best a questionable excuse. The City has not produced any evidence that it has met the intent of FS 288.075 requirements nor has the City publicly displayed any documentation requesting the statutes benefits. Further, parts of FS 288.075 provisions regarding the stadium complex have already been met, thus, the statute may not even be relevant.

Even though it is your responsibility to do so, the Mayor and City Council choose not to answer reasonable questions about the stadium complex proposal. Members of the City Council even deny in newspaper articles that a City initiated stadium complex proposal exists and reaffirmed those denials directly into the faces of the residents that attended the December 5th City Council meeting.

Since the City Council chooses not to answer reasonable questions about the stadium complex proposal and even is denying a proposal exists, than let me offer some facts…

1. The City of Palm Beach Gardens hired a Public Relations firm to promote a stadium complex proposal for a baseball Spring Training Complex off Central Boulevard at a cost of $60,000 in taxpayer money.
2. Starting at least as far back as July of 2013, the City‘s $60,000 Public Relations firm and various unnamed City officials have made several presentations to various business entities and private organizations about a Spring Training Complex off Central Boulevard. A stadium complex site plan proposal and other information offered insights concerning this Spring Training complex to these organizations.
3. On October 16th, 2013 at the Doubletree Hotel on PGA Boulevard the City advertised and hosted a full blown public presentation complete with poster boards highlighting pertinent information and site plans for a stadium complex proposal off Central Boulevard. Also, on display was financial information, traffic information, tourism information, etc. Answering questions for the 300 or so persons who attended were the City Manager, other City department heads and officials, the City’s $60,000 Public Relations firm, Palm Beach County officials, and other pertinent parties. Also, in attendance welcoming the attendees was the owner of the Houston Astros baseball team, one of the teams interested in the stadium complex proposal site as their Spring Training facility.
4. An editorial on November 16th, 2013 the Palm Beach Post gave thumbs up to “the proposed location for a spring training stadium in Palm Beach Gardens” off Central Boulevard.
5. Also on November 16th in an article in the local section of the Palm Beach Post a Gardens council member is quoted as saying “I would love to be able to tell you what my position is” and continued, “At this point, there is no proposal to base a decision on”. Illustrated in this same article as this quote is a site plan proposal of a “Proposed two-team baseball stadium site” off Central Boulevard in the Gardens.
6. On the City of Palm Beach Gardens official website under “Important Links” is a link, “Baseball proposal FAQs”, that transports one to a post titled Spring Training Baseball. This post clearly delineates a site plan for a stadium complex off Central Boulevard in the Gardens. Under this site plan is the declarative sentence, “The City of Palm Beach Gardens is currently considering a proposal for a dual-Major League Baseball Spring Training facility.
7. A City Council member has publicly stated that a commitment by the teams to the stadium complex proposal is needed by the end of the year. Still another member will not commit until the financial questions concerning the stadium complex proposal have been answered. There is a third member who vehemently denies a proposal exists.

And may I take some further liberties to inform about the following pieces of information that have been circulating…

1. It has been brought to my attention that a Gardens council member was visiting some of the business establishments along the PGA Boulevard corridor touting the stadium complex proposal and that these businesses would do well to support it.
2. Reportedly, at a recent meeting of various North County Home Owners Associations the Palm Beach Gardens City Manager was the featured speaker. His subject was the Palm Beach Gardens proposal for a dual-team Spring Training Complex off Central Boulevard. In his company was a representative of the $60,000 public relations firm the City hired to promote the stadium complex proposal. Also in attendance, by mere coincidence I am sure, were certain City Council members. At least one of these Council members commented on the presentation concerning the stadium complex proposal by the manager. It may have been raining that day so the Florida Sunshine Law may have been washed away.
3. One City Council member has privately stated to city residents that the handling by the City of this stadium complex proposal has been abominable (may not be the member’s exact word but the meaning is close). Yet the member remains publicly mute.
4. Apparently, the principals of Timber Trace Elementary School and the Watson B. Duncan Middle School principals had a lengthy “informational” meeting on December 4th with the Mayor, the City Manager, the Chief of Police and other city officials. Displayed for the principals were site plan maps, charts, and other information of the proposed stadium complex. It was inferred to me that discussed were such details, as extra security for games held during school hours, parts of the 117th North road will be closed off at all games during school hours, and other elements of the proposed stadium complex as it would be used by the various teams.

So what are we as residents of Palm Beach Gardens to believe? Is a proposal for a stadium complex real or imaginary? Does a proposal exist or doesn’t it? One could make light of all this by asking, “Who is kidding who here?” but this is not a laughing matter. In the City of Palm Beach Gardens a major policy decision has been made to pursue a proposal to build a dual-team Major League Spring Training facility in the middle of a prestigious residential area…

• directly affecting the property values and the quality of life of the residents of some 1900 homes and many thousands more on the periphery,
• affecting the safety of the students of two first rate school facilities,
• destroying a City park,
• upsetting the tranquility of the City tennis courts,
• endangering environmentally sensitive land and all the non-human critters that live there,
• creating more traffic problems for an area of the city that has enough congestion scheduled,
• and with a price tag pegged at $100,000,000.

When the City Council denies the existence of a stadium complex proposal the council members are at variance with the truth. The City Council denials fly in the face of reality. With each denial that a stadium complex proposal exists the City Council members insult the intelligence of the residents of the Gardens. Each denial calls into question the competence of this City Council and its administration.

The City Council attempts to parse its words. The City Council would have us believe the stadium complex proposal is not a proposal at all but merely a concept. A concept is something conceived in the mind, or a thought. A proposal is an offer to accept or adopt something, or an act. Spending $60,000 to hire a Public Relations firm to market a stadium complex proposal is an act. Creating a site plan for a stadium complex proposal and putting it on paper is an act. Marketing a stadium complex proposal to business organizations, homeowner associations, the public, and creating a link on the City’s website depicting the stadium complex proposal site plans and related information, all are acts

If we are to believe the City Council that they have little or nothing to do with this stadium complex proposal, a major policy decision, than who is responsible? Why was this major policy judgment delegated away by the elected City Council?

By its Charter the type of government that is established for the City of Palm Beach Gardens is a
City Council-City Manager form of government. It is not a City Manager- City Council government. It is my opinion that the City Council has abdicated some, if not all, of their governmental authority and responsibility on the stadium complex proposal issue, and quite possibly others, to the City Manager. That is unacceptable governance and needs corrective measures immediately. 

After their election, City Council members take an oath of office, swearing to represent the trust given to them by the residents of the City of Palm Beach Gardens. The protection of the residents’ health and welfare, and their quality of life, should be the foremost concern for a City Council member as decisions are made on behalf of the residents.

City Council members are elected to serve the residents of Palm Beach Gardens. Council members are not elected to serve any other masters, not Major League Baseball or any of its owners, not Palm Beach County, not the Grapefruit League, not the Tourist Development Board, or any other entities.

Finally, the longer questions go unanswered concerning the stadium complex proposal the more the ugliness of speculation rears its head. Laws of propriety may be called into question. Transparency and openness can be challenged. Ethics become part of the conversation. If the Mayor and City Council were to ask my advice, and I am not holding my breath that you will, I would strongly suggest…

• a workshop meeting devoted only to the stadium complex proposal to answer the lingering questions surrounding this proposal be publicly advertised and scheduled for January of 2014
• that the City Council answer the simple question spelled out above and below, sooner rather than later, better yet how about right now…

Sincerely,
Michael Martino

Stadium Fight Kicks Up a Notch – December Council

Are you for it or against it?

This was the mantra repeated by a dozen or so opponents of the proposed stadium on 117th street, backed up by a sea of red shirts in the audience. Speakers included Bent Tree residents Cathy Sorkin and Bruce Oestreich, Vito DeFrancesco of Shady Lakes, former Gardens Mayor Mike Martino, and Mike Peragine Sr. a former mayor of a northern city.

Cathy Sorkin charged that the city has not shown the residents respect – limiting the information disclosed and proceeding with a project against the wishes of their constituents. She also reported that Roger Dean apparently is running a $1M/year deficit backed by the taxpayers – not something she wishes for the Gardens.

Bruce Oestreich expounded on the history of similar projects in Miami and Homestead that didn’t end well, and suggested the property be used for a regional park (its original purpose) rather than to support a for-profit enterprise with taxpayer dollars for a business that doesn’t care about Palm Beach Gardens.

Ruth Peeples referred to last months session where a parade of boosters – many from outside the city or employees of the city or county, came to speak the praises of the stadium. “Speakers solicited by the city” she claimed.

Mike Martino, referring to the long list of question he sent to the council and staff for which no reply has been forthcoming, said the council has offered little of substance on this issue. They should say if they are for or against it, and then “the people will know what to do.”

Vito DeFrancesco charged that the council and staff have been hiding their role in the project. A public information request he filed for communications between city representatives and the Astros management came back “nothing found” yet “someone” developed a preliminary site plan, did traffic studies, etc. Where is the transparency?

Two realtors Steve Barnes and Marc Schafler both spoke of home value impacts, people moving out, and lack of interest by prospective buyers until the stadium issue is settled.

Other speakers touched on the core issues to the nearby residents – danger to the school children from drugs, alcohol, traffic, scalpers, noise, bright lights and other ills that the stadium would bring.

In response, none of the Council would say how they felt about the proposal, saying they have to keep an “open mind” until a formal proposal is on the table. It was suggested that the sea of red shirts did not represent the city – that many people who support the stadium just didn’t come out tonight. The audience was invited by Mayor Premuroso to “keep coming back each month” to make their views known. Joe Russo suggested that the issue was “bigger than the city” and with the future of baseball in South Florida at stake, the county and state have an interest in the outcome. He may not have meant it this way, but it came across to the audience as “we may be asking you to make a sacrifice for the greater good..”. Perhaps a diminished quality of life and declining property values for “the 5%” is a fair price to pay to save baseball in South Florida?

Many of those opposed to the stadium location wore red shirts. Both councilman Russo and later councilman Jablin, fully knowing the significance of the shirts, jested that they were already dressed for the Christmas festivities (caroling and Christmas bazaar) during the weekend. The residents were NOT amused.

It is clear to an objective observer that this entire issue has been mishandled by the city. Going to the residents first and getting buy-in from those most affected would have avoided the bitter fight that is coming. Instead we got secrecy (the County Business Development Board and Sports Commission and others meeting with the teams out of the public eye), the public statements by the team owner that it is a “done deal” before anyone had heard of it, and a continued lack of information coming from council and staff. The good reputations of the city leaders could be tarnished by this ham-handed approach. And, as one of the speakers so aptly put it: most of the mistakes that a council invariably makes can be easily remedied by repealing an ordinance – building a stadium in the wrong place could do irreparable harm.

Several speakers alluded to the upcoming March municipal election. Given the usually light turnout, if all of the voters of Bent Tree, Shady Lakes, Old Palm and the other affected neighborhoods get out the vote, then Council Members Jablin, Tinsley and Premuroso may have a tougher time getting re-elected unless they start to listen to their constituents.

For other items discussed at the 12/5 Council Meeting, see: Now on to Topics Actually on the December City Council Agenda

Palm Beach Gardens Celebrates Veterans Day

Several hundred people turned out for the annual recognition of Veteran’s Day at Veteran’s Plaza.

Mayor Bert Premuroso introduced the officials on the platform, which included the City Council, CD18 Congressman Patrick Murphy, Representative Pat Rooney of Florida House District 85, and County Commissioner and formal Gardens Councilman Hal Valeche.

The Mayor then recounted a brief history of Veteran’s Day. Prior to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in June of 1919 which formally ended World War I, an armistice that effectively ended the fighting took effect at 11:00AM (Paris time) of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. That is the day which we celebrate as Veteran’s Day.

The Police and Fire Honor Guard, carrying flags of the United States, the “MIA” flag, Florida, and the Gardens Police and Fire departments then marched into view, along with the Police ceremonial rifle team who later fired off a three shot salute prior to the playing of Taps.

The Palm Beach Gardens High School Chorale “Pizzazz” sang the National Anthem and other patriotic songs.

The event was sponsored by the Palm Beach Kennel Club.

Stadium prospects draw large crowd at November Council Meeting

The published November 8 Council agenda was light – only a couple of project approvals and some board appointments. Yet opposition to the proposed baseball stadium in the city from residents who live in close proximity to the site has been growing, complete with petition drives organized efforts by homeowners associations. Word got around that they would bring their case to the council this month during “Comments from the Public”.

The council chamber, which holds 150, was filled to capacity, with an overflow crowd in the foyer, long before the meeting got started at 7:00pm. After receiving over 40 cards from people who wished to speak, Mayor Bert Premuroso arranged them in alphabetical order and gave everyone their 3 minutes – stretching the discussion past two hours.

Positions of the speakers was mixed. By the end, over 50 residents had their say with about half in favor of the project and half against. Of those against the project, many from the Shady Lakes and Bent Tree communities adjacent to the 117th site, most said they did not oppose bringing baseball to the Gardens, but did not think the location was workable. Traffic, impacts to the children who live in the neighborhood or attend the two adjacent schools, noise, bright lighting, crime, drug and alcohol use and other concerns were raised by a succession of speakers. The proliferation of red shirts in the crowd and strong applause for these speakers, as well as the 400 signature petition presented to the council are all evidence of a strong and growing opposition to the perceived plan.

Supporters of the proposal included a varied group representing business interests (PGA Corridor Association), baseball interests (manager of Roger Dean Stadium, people associated with the Marlins, coaches and officials of local sports, people connected in some way to city or county parks and recreation, the executive director of the PBC Sports Commission), and others who pointed out the economic benefits that could ensue from the stadium. Given the advance warning of the opposition speakers, this parade of boosters was clearly organized.

There is much excitement about the project from its boosters, but also a rather disturbing attitude of “we can’t let a few thousand people in a small part of the city get in the way of this great project!”. While the opposition is clearly coming from a “not in my backyard” perspective, the boosters willingness to reject their concerns in favor of “the greater good” suggests trouble down the road.

Toward the end of the comment period, County Commissioner Hal Valeche, himself a former Gardens Councilman, took the microphone to point out that the county has not taken a position on this project yet and is waiting to see what the city proposes. He pointed out that two of the boosters – Roger Dean manager Mike Bauer and Sports Commission director George Linley, who are county employees, were not authorized by the county to speak in favor of the stadium.

A few of the speakers who were not either for or against the project, pointed out that there are still a lot of unanswered questions, particularly about the finances, and both sides should curb their enthusiasm until more details emerge. Former Mayor Michael Martino, who was present but did not speak, has sent the council a multi-page list of questions that need to be addressed by the council in a workshop. The questions address transparency, finances and the implications to the Comprehensive Plan. (See his questions on PBGWatch HERE.)

The Council listened intently to these two hours of comment and took the concerns of the nearby communities seriously. Mayor Premuroso stressed that the project is in its very early stages and although it is appropriate to consider the effect on baseball in South Florida, the council will do nothing to jeopardize the city’s finances or top notch credit rating. Joe Russo, noting that the uncertainties surrounding the project are causing people “a lot of angst”, said we are “not going to save baseball at the expense of Palm Beach Gardens”. Marcie Tinsley listed transparency as a key goal in anything they do, and suggested that the purchase of the 82 acres from the county should be considered regardless of whether the stadium project happens. David Levy indicated his opposition to selecting an alternative site in the west (eg. near the airport or Avenir) and thought the purchase from the county should be considered, even if just for local sports fields. Eric Jablin compared the neighborhood concerns to the way he felt when the airport was constructed near his home in PGA National – there are ways to make it work. He stressed that the teams and the city are not yet close in the negotiations. He also said “trust us” but verify.

At the end of the session, Joe Russo suggested that we can’t leave this hanging and wants to see a full set of facts on which to make a decision by year end. He asked City Manager Ron Ferris to step up the talks with the teams and the county and try to meet that time line.

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