Florida and PBC Stay-at-Home Orders
Governor DeSantis and County Administrator Verdenia Baker have issued executive orders to state and county residents requiring closure of certain facilities and stay-at-home requirements. Most community pool, clubhouse, tennis courts and other facilities are closed for the duration. Please read and understand what is in these orders:
Since new orders and status reports come out frequently – please check out the County’s site which lists both County and State orders and the City’s site which lists updates:
Stay safe!
2020 Municipal Election Results
The March 17 municipal election in Palm Beach Gardens was a clear win for challenger Chelsea Reed with 52% of the vote over incumbent Councilman Matthew Lane. Many of the individual precincts were close though.
Lane carried BallenIsles, Frenchman’s Reserve and Creek, Old Palm, Osprey Isles / Carleton Oaks, Mirasol, Mirabella, Rustic Lakes and Bay Hill Estates. Reed carried the rest and was particularly strong in PGA National, Bent Tree / Garden Lakes / Shady Lakes, Evergrene and Westwood Gardens. (See Map)
The overall turnout of 22% was twice what a municipal election normally sees, but very light for a Presidential Preference Primary. In 2016, about 16,000 Gardens residents went to the polls for a 42% turnout. That year delivered 51% to David Levy in a three way race before a court overturned it in favor of Carl Woods.
The Group 1 and 5 seats were up for re-election this year, but no one came forward to challenge Rachelle Litt or Mark Marciano and so they won by default.
Municipal elections are non-partisan, meaning the candidates cannot campaign as a member of a political party. In reality though, when the candidates are registered in different parties, the word gets out on who is who, and at least some of the voting is driven by party affiliation, particularly among voters who don’t follow city business. Think about that as supporting candidates who “share their values.” 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)
A candidate’s affiliation can often be determined by their endorsements. Chelsea Reed carried endorsements from just about every Democrat office holder in the county, from Congresswoman Lois Frankel, down through state senators and representatives, county commissioners and Democrat officials from other cities. Matthew Lane’s endorsements from individuals were mostly from Republican officials, both current and former.
Since the Gardens has an R+7 electorate, you would think that Matt would have had an advantage, but he made it clear early on that he did not want to associate with his party, and many political activists who would have normally helped such a candidate sat on the sidelines.
Chelsea Reed on the other hand, had a big team of supporters doing sign waving at the library during early voting, seemingly led by former Mayor and Councilman Eric Jablin who was there most days.
Hovering over all of this was the strange turnout numbers county-wide that were influenced by Corona Virus fears, and the preponderance of Democrat voters given the choices in the Presidential primary.
In our opinion though, Chelsea Reed ran the better campaign, put in the work, got out the vote, and deserves the win she achieved.
Group 3
| Group 3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Reed | Weak Reed | Very Close | Weak Lane | Strong Lane |
| Click the precinct on the map for vote totals. | ||||
| Neighborhoods | Voters | Cast | Turnout | Reed | Lane | Reed Margin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1186 | Mirabella | 1561 | 379 | 24.3 | 170 | 209 | 44.9 |
| 1188 | Westwood Gardens | 957 | 205 | 21.4 | 116 | 89 | 56.6 |
| 1189 | Old Palm – North | 107 | 22 | 20.6 | 7 | 15 | 31.8 |
| 1190 | The Isles\ Paloma\ San Michelle\ Alton | 4555 | 839 | 18.4 | 440 | 399 | 52.4 |
| 1192 | Evergrene | 1547 | 287 | 18.6 | 160 | 127 | 55.7 |
| 1194 | Frenchmans | 2197 | 560 | 25.5 | 229 | 331 | 40.9 |
| 1222 | Avenir | 13 | 4 | 30.8 | 2 | 2 | 50.0 |
| 1228 | Osprey Isles\ Carleton Oaks | 455 | 133 | 29.2 | 54 | 79 | 40.6 |
| 1238 | Mirasol | 1838 | 402 | 21.9 | 189 | 213 | 47.0 |
| 1240 | PGA National | 2576 | 603 | 23.4 | 337 | 266 | 55.9 |
| 1242 | PGA National | 2665 | 673 | 25.3 | 369 | 304 | 54.8 |
| 1244 | PGA National | 1612 | 344 | 21.3 | 188 | 156 | 54.7 |
| 1246 | Bent Tree\ Garden Lks\ Shady Lks\ Gdns of Woodbury | 2556 | 550 | 21.5 | 308 | 242 | 56.0 |
| 1247 | Old Palm – South | 265 | 46 | 17.4 | 15 | 31 | 32.6 |
| 1248 | PGA-east. | 1558 | 381 | 24.5 | 205 | 176 | 53.8 |
| 1250 | Gardens Glen | 64 | 17 | 26.6 | 2 | 15 | 11.8 |
| 1252 | BallenIsles | 2348 | 742 | 31.6 | 335 | 407 | 45.1 |
| 1254 | Hunt Club | 449 | 101 | 22.5 | 52 | 49 | 51.5 |
| 1260 | Elm Avenue | 1333 | 323 | 24.2 | 193 | 130 | 59.8 |
| 1262 | RCA Center | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 50.0 |
| 1264 | Northcorp | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 50.0 |
| 1266 | Union Square\ Randolph Way | 475 | 52 | 10.9 | 35 | 17 | 67.3 |
| 1268 | Golfers Drive\ Lilac | 317 | 37 | 11.7 | 25 | 12 | 67.6 |
| 1270 | Lilac Park | 11 | 1 | 9.1 | 1 | 0 | 100.0 |
| 1272 | Holly Drive\ Riverside | 1992 | 472 | 23.7 | 288 | 184 | 61.0 |
| 1274 | Gardenia Dr\ Arbor Way | 1625 | 344 | 21.2 | 175 | 169 | 50.9 |
| 1280 | Lake Catherine | 407 | 97 | 23.8 | 53 | 44 | 54.6 |
| 1284 | Gardens Mall area | 2344 | 405 | 17.3 | 226 | 179 | 55.8 |
| 1288 | Oakway Circle | 36 | 14 | 38.9 | 10 | 4 | 71.4 |
| 1290 | The Oaks | 2165 | 500 | 23.1 | 263 | 237 | 52.6 |
| 1292 | Nature’s Way | 91 | 24 | 26.4 | 17 | 7 | 70.8 |
| 1296 | Prosperity Oaks\ Marina Gardens | 795 | 89 | 11.2 | 57 | 32 | 64.0 |
| 1306 | US1 and PGA | 8 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 50.0 |
| 1310 | Ellison Wilson | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 50.0 |
| 1324 | Oaks East\ Sandelwood | 1329 | 235 | 17.7 | 133 | 102 | 56.6 |
| 1326 | Siena Oaks | 589 | 148 | 25.1 | 91 | 57 | 61.5 |
| 1340 | Landing Place | 16 | 9 | 56.3 | 6 | 3 | 66.7 |
| 1352 | Steeplechase\ Montecito | 2242 | 405 | 18.1 | 245 | 160 | 60.5 |
| 1360 | Sunset | 946 | 253 | 26.7 | 127 | 126 | 50.2 |
| 1372 | Sandtree | 184 | 27 | 14.7 | 15 | 12 | 55.6 |
| 6062 | Bay Hill Estates | 877 | 228 | 26.0 | 87 | 141 | 38.2 |
| 6064 | Rustic Lakes | 127 | 29 | 22.8 | 13 | 16 | 44.8 |
| TOTAL | Palm Beach Gardens | 45239 | 9980 | 22.1 | 5238 | 4742 | 52.4 |
Vice Mayor Litt Asks for the Mayor Job
The March City Council meeting ended with Items for Council Action and Discussion. During the February Council meeting, Mayor Marciano had stated that while he was honored to have served as Mayor, he did not want to be selected by the Council for the position again. (FYI – each April, the City Council selects its Mayor for the upcoming year.) The council members all thanked Mark for his service and praised his actions during the past year. While the results of the Group 3 Election will not be available until March 17 (incumbent Matthew Lane vs Chelsea Reed), the remainder of the Council will be unchanged and a new mayor will be chosen at the time. Vice Mayor Litt spoke to her accomplishments and requested that the Council consider her for the next Palm Beach Gardens Mayor. Meanwhile, Council Member and former-Mayor Maria Marino said that she looked forward to working with Mark (and everyone else) for the next couple of months. Since she is currently running for Palm Beach County Commissioner District 1, one can only assume that she was referring to ‘resign to run’. Mayor Marciano also alluded to upcoming discussions that will occur on how to fill the vacancy.
March 5The meeting was called to order and closed out by “Mayor for the Day” Barron Roberts, a precocious and accomplished second grader from the Weiss School. Barron is already advanced in three forms of martial arts and trains for many hours in the week. His favorite part of being Mayor for the Day was visiting with the Canine Unit.
Vice Mayor Litt gave an update on the Palm Beach State College bus stop safety issue that she discussed last month. Palm Beach Gardens will pursue solutions on Campus Drive, while Palm Tran has asked for 4-6 weeks to look at possible route changes. Later, Brendan Rodriguez, speaking for the Student Government association, described the positive experience working with the City and other entities to come up with possible solutions.
Council Member Marino thanked a long list of the City’s employees who made the Honda Classic such a success and City Manager Ferris added to the list during the City Manager Report. He also showed the latest update from Brightline on the upcoming intersection construction and detours. The dates will continue to shift and the city will post the changes as they occur. You can always check by yourself at https://www.gobrightline.com/railroad-construction for updates. Mr Ferris also described the actions taken by the City for corona virus COVID-19.
Key on the agenda was Resolution 13, 2020 – Denouncing Anti-Semitism which had been discussed during the last couple of meetings. The Council adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of Anti-Semitism. See the Palm Beach Post article for more details. Laurence Milstein, Director of AJC Palm Beach County, thanked the Council for adopting the definition and voting for the resolution.
City Updates on Brightline, FEMA Extreme Flood Maps and Presentations Dominate Council Mtg
As expected, Second Hearing on all of the listed ordinances and their associated resolutions, as well as the Consent Agenda, were passed 5:0.
During Items of Resident Interest, Vice Mayor Litt described a meeting with PB State College, where students voiced concerns about the existing bus routes which drop off them off across from the campus on PGA Blvd and also on Campus Drive, forcing 400-800 students to cross these busy and dangerous thoroughfares daily. The City and Palm Tran will work to help and solve the issue.
The City Manager report included:
- Virgin/Brightline Train Crossing Update – City Engineer Todd Engle described the upcoming crossing closures for construction. The closures will begin in May, be staggered and are scheduled to be completed by July 3. The tentative dates can be found in this Palm Beach Post article, and updates will be published on the City website and on the Brightline website as well. The representatives of the railroad were asked about the old FEC railroad ties which are the source of a lot of resident complaints. It was not clear that any direct action would be taken by Brightline. The fiber optic lines and cable lines (for all providers) will be located on the east side of the tracks. The second line of tracks will be built on the west side – until Kyoto Gardens Drive, where they will switch to the east side.
- FEMA Extreme Flood Maps – Mr. Engle continued with a report on FEMA flood zones. In 2017 the maps were updated and all units in PB Gardens were removed from the requirement of flood insurance. But in 2014 FEMA began a project to assess extreme floods – ‘500’ year floods where a worst case scenario with a ‘perfect storm’, king tides and other adverse conditions happen simulteously. In a recent public meeting on their new maps, 305 units in the City would once again would require flood insurance if there were mortgages on those units. The areas that would be affected are in Marina Gardens, Harbour Oaks, Nature’s Hideaway, The Meadows mobile homes and one road in Prosperity Oaks. The City will continue to monitor and be involved with the map changes, which will probably take several years to be approved.
- Litigation: City Attorney Max Lohman gave an update on the four different lawsuits brought forward by resident Sid Dinerstein on the City Charter. Lohman wanted to address what he considered to be misinformation being spread on the subject. He said that the total cost to the City was less than $100K (although at a standard commercial rate it would have amounted to $250K). While the City prevailed in the last lawsuit appeal at the 4th DCA, Mr. Dinerstein plans to appeal to the FL Supreme Court. While Mr. Lohman would love to go before the FL Supreme Court, he didn’t think it likely that they would take the case. He proclaimed that Sid was representing himself, not the people, and it was in fact he, the City Attorney, who represents the ‘people’ in these cases as they passed the various amendments. As to the expense of the claimant – Mr. Lohman said that he understood that the attorney representing Mr. Dinerstein was working pro bono – so any misinformation one hears about what it cost to bring forward the suit was a lie by someone. Council Member Lane praised the City Attorney’s defense at the 4th DCA, but also defended Mr. Dinerstein as having good intentions in bringing forth the law suits. Mr. Lohman said he would update the Council on the status of the ongoing lawsuits with Forbes and TransformCo (the new Sears) in private.
Public Comment:
- 211 Helpline – Patrice Schroeder of the 211 Helpline out of Lantana publicized 211 Awareness Week from February 11 – February 17. She pointed out that as a crisis hotline, calls to the Veteran’s Crisis line roll over to 211, and that they have Veterans that can take those calls.
- Palm Beach County Library – Doug Crane – Dept Director for Palm Beach County Library gave a brief update: all late fines were dropped last year – if a book is lost then the person must pay for the book; the libraries will be a key resource in the Census as each branch has wifi as well as computers where people can complete their census forms; as in the past, the libraries will serve as early voting locations in the March, August and November elections.
- PGA Corridor – Steve Mathison, representing the PGA Corridor, voiced the organization’s support of the City’s Mobility Plan and related actions.
Presentations included several charity related topics:
- The West Palm Beach Veterans’ Resource Center was presented with a check for $39,025.97 from the 2019 Mayor’s Veteran Golf Classic
- Closest to the Pin – Sandhill Crane’s Golf Club’s ‘Closest to the Pin’ for Charity is celebrating it’s first anniversary – donors give $5 collected at the golf course for the competition event for that month, and the winner receives 20% and the charity receives 80% of the proceeds.
- Police and Fire Rescue Foundation – In 2018, the Palm Beach Gardens Police Foundation’s mission was expanded to include the City’s Fire Rescue services whereupon the Palm Beach Gardens Police and Fire Rescue Foundation was formed.
- Operation 120 Inc – Empowering Female Veterans, discussed the issues of female veterans and how they were often more reluctant to seek help than their male counterparts, because many times they are single parents and afraid that they could lose their children in the process. The organization has found acquired its first housing unit. See Operation120 for more information.
A discussion on a resolution regarding awareness and opposition to anti-semitism was postponed for more in-depth discussion next month.
March 17th Council Election – Candidate Profiles
In March, as you go to the polls to vote in your party’s Presidential Primary, Palm Beach Gardens ballots will also have an election for the City Council Group 3 seat.
Three seats were up for re-election this year, but Mayor Mark Marciano in group 1, and Vice-Mayor Rachelle Litt in group 3 were un-opposed at the end of the qualification period, and thus re-elected by default.
In group 3, incumbent Councilman Matthew Lane is being challenged by alternate Planning and Zoning board member Chelsea Reed.
To help you make sense of who these candidates are and what they would do if they win, we asked each of them to describe themselves to our readers by answering 5 questions:
- Why do you want to be on / stay on the Council?
- What do you see as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing Palm Beach Gardens now and in the near future?
- What involvement have you had in the issues that the council has faced over the past few years?
- What is your “vision” for the city?
- What else would you like the voters to know about you and your candidacy?
Further information and links to their websites can be found in our online voters’ guide, and a printed copy of these profiles can be had at the [PRINT] link to the right of the title (above).
The following is how they responded:
| Group 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
 Matthew Lane |
 Chelsea Reed |
|
| 1. Why do you want to be on / stay on the Council? | ||
| Matthew Lane: It has been my honor and privilege to serve on the Palm Beach Gardens City Council during the last three (3) years. During my term in office, the Chamber of Commerce named us the “Top City to Live in Florida.” This is the result of the efforts of our Council, and years of hard work by the Mayors and Council members who served before us. I want to continue the work that we have done to make Palm Beach Gardens the exceptional place that it is. | Chelsea Reed: I love everything about my beautiful hometown of Palm Beach Gardens, since I am 50 and our City is 60 years old, we grew up together. We face tremendous development, and as a council member I will contribute with experience AND heart, as I have already been involved in bettering our city and county as a leader on impactful boards and committees. I will be an advocate for what residents and businesses deserve: expanded mobility, safe connected streets, sustainable growth and a prosperous economy with a clear view of our needs. My appointed board positions on PBG Planning, Zoning & Appeals as well as my seat as Vice-Chair of the County Transportation Planning Citizen’s Advisory, combined with my life-long local history of raising a family, and running businesses here, makes me the best choice for this election. I will represent our citizens’ needs and voices, providing thoughtful, authentic, and consistent communication. | |
| 2. What do you see as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing Palm Beach Gardens now and in the near future? | ||
| Matthew Lane: We need to keep the leadership team in place that made this City so special, and retain our excellent police, firefighters, administrators and staff. | Chelsea Reed:
Strengths
Our strength is reflected in our recent #1 ranking as ‘Best Cities to Live In’ on the State Chamber of Commerce list. From our 12 Golf Courses, new North County District Park and extensive athletic programs, to our attractive and growing PGA Corridor; our City is one of the most welcoming places to live. Combining these amenities with our award-winning public safety departments, our city staff, lauded for exceptional planning, effective budgeting and dedication to quality – we are even more attractive. The Chamber ranking showed our quality-of-life metrics such as commute time, median earnings and percentage of degree-holders in the state are among the best. Our population’s poverty level is one of the lowest in the entire state of Florida. Weaknesses:
Our weaknesses are potential byproducts of our strengths. Growth brings problems that are nice problems to have, but the city needs to be proactive in anticipating future needs and implement the necessary solutions well in advance. As we continue to attract new residents, we face issues with access to all levels of housing, education, and public safety with increases in traffic. Our essential service and first responder workers need to be able to live nearby, not only for the pleasure of enjoying our #1 rated City in Florida, but to also allow them to be community stakeholders, increase neighborhood safety and decrease commuter traffic. Opportunities:
Forward thinking about the next few decades will help us grow. Working together with the city manager and PBG staff, our County and State agencies like TPA, DOT, combined with input from our residents, we can implement responsible budgeting and maintain the character of our Tree City and green space. We must focus on our PGA Corridor becoming a connected urban environment, while mitigating traffic issues in our growing western communities. Our Mobility Plan, combined with the opportunity for a future Tri-Rail Station, and adoption of ‘Vision Zero’ will all provide ease of access to transportation, helping us get around with a beneficial effect on future traffic pressure points. Threats:
The challenge for Palm Beach Gardens is growth. The city must prepare and plan meticulously. We have to anticipate traffic before it arrives with our increasing population, we must assess safety needs well ahead of natural disasters, and we absolutely must consider our actions’ effects on our environment. I believe in rewarding and encouraging forward thinking, and buoying businesses that combine growth with environmental stewardship. Merging economy and sustainability will help us secure a healthy future for our City, our water and our air. |
|
| 3. What involvement have you had in the issues that the council has faced over the past few years? | ||
| Matthew Lane: As a member of Council, I have been directly involved with all the people and all the issues that the Council has faced during my time in office.
I voted: My greatest pleasure has been the extensive constituent service that I have performed during my term in office. |
Chelsea Reed: As an appointed Board Member of Palm Beach Gardens PZAB, I vote on all issues that will then go to City Council, and thus have tremendous experience in development petitions, variance requests and appeals made to our city on issues regarding land development regulations. As Vice-Chair of the Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) Citizens Advisory Committee, I represent all of District One and I am directly responsible for providing the TPA with a “citizen’s eye” view of all transportation, mobility, street and road concerns in Palm Beach County.
I am honored to be Palm Beach Chamber North’s “Volunteer of the Year,” which shows my support of commerce, a prosperous economy and local business development. I have chaired or founded several Chamber Committees which have direct and positive impact on Palm Beach Gardens, such as the Sustainability Subcommittee, Healthcare Committee and Artigras Recycling Committee. Lastly, I assisted our Palm Beach Gardens Fire Department in the development of their Strategic Plan. Recent ride-alongs with Fire Department 63 and tour of our PBG Police Department further reinforced my belief that safety and resilience must always be our first consideration. |
|
| 4. What is your “vision” for the city? | ||
| Matthew Lane: As Council members, we need to preserve the quality of life that we currently enjoy in the City of Palm Beach Gardens. We need to maintain our standard of excellence in the police, fire, planning and zoning, finance, and recreational services that we provide. Good is not sufficient. Excellence is our standard in the services that we provide and the constituent service that we perform. | Chelsea Reed: Much like families and individuals make plans for their future as they mature, we must plan similarly for our maturing 60-year-old city, creating a vision for what we’d like to see in a 90-year-old Palm Beach Gardens. We can’t predict the future, but can look to other busy and prosperous cities to see what has succeeded. This educated approach, merged with preserving the beautiful culture of our area, is the answer. We need robust business, sustainable growth, proper traffic planning, and our primary focus must always be on our safety and our health. | |
| 5. What else would you like the voters to know about you and your candidacy? | ||
| Matthew Lane: As your Councilperson, I am known for:
a. exceptional constituent service (usually within 24 hours) I am proud to announce I have received the endorsements of: FORMER MAYOR JOE RUSSO For more information about me, please visit my website at www.votemattlane.com |
Chelsea Reed: The best part of running for office has been knocking on thousands of local doors. I have listened to the hopes, frustrations, and dreams our residents have for our City, and I sincerely want to help make things even better! My focus on others and my sincere desire to connect, will add an accessible component to our Council. I believe in the voice of our community and I want our unparalleled city to stay beautiful and always maintain the character of my beloved home. As a local business owner, parent, and volunteer, my life is woven into the fabric of my hometown. I offer a depth of history and an inspiring vision for the future of Palm Beach Gardens. | |
Participate in the 2020 Census! and more…
Here are some highlights from the January 9, 2020 City Council Meeting.
Announcement and Presentations:
- Rich Bartholemew of the League of Women Voter’s urged the Council and City to inform the residents of the importance of the 2020 Census. He noted that notifications will start coming in the mail on March 12. And for the first time, people will be asked to respond by phone or electronic devices – including computers/smartphones, as well as the traditional mail. Those who haven’t responded will receive in-person visits in the May time-frame.
- Ken Kennerly, Executive Director and Andrew George, Tournament Director of Honda Classic gave an update on the impacts of the 2019 Honda Classic both to the marketing of Palm Beach Gardens and direct impacts through Honda Classic Cares to charities in South FL, and updates on the upcoming Honda Classic.
Public Comment was made by residents:
- Ed Dolezal – speaking about 5G technology. He has made comment on the topic before, but this time was requesting that the City form an advisory board to explore the health and wellness issues. Mayor Marciano said this was really a Tallahassee issue since state preempts the local municipalities.
- Alan Goldberg and his daughter Sheryl Wysockey, residents and proprietors of a small hot dog stand “Chicago Hot Dogs” in front of Home Depot, on Northlake Dr. spoke on code enforcement and the inability to advertise adequately in PBG. Even with permits – can only stand somewhere with visibility for 6 days a year! He’s willing to pay more for more days. The codes, as written, discourages the mom and pop, small businesses.
Consent Agenda:
While the Consent Agenda passed 5:0, Mayor Marciano pulled Resolution 10, 2020 for discussion – this was the culmination of the discussion from the prior two City Council meetings to create a resolution in support of the Senate Bill 182 and any companion bills. While Marciano and Vice-Mayor Litt have stated many times that this resolution is primarily in support of Home Rule – they also have voiced their support for the banning of single use bags and polystyrene materials. At some point, this ‘issue’ will surely arise in future Council meetings – and the impacts on business and residents. Stay informed!
All other ordinances and resolutions passed 5:0
City Attorney Lohman requested authorization (5:0) to counter sue Sears should the need arise between the January and February Council meetings, in the ongoing dispute between the entities. See Palm Beach Post’s “Palm Beach Gardens to Sears, Gardens Mall: See You in Court”.
Palm Beach Gardens has a Satellite in Space!
Well – not the city – but the Weiss School. Students currently involved in the program gave an update on the current WeissSsat-1 CubeSat and future projects. See the school’s website for details on their projects. 
Don Kiselewski, Sr. Director of External Affairs, Florida Power & Light Company (Palm Beach) – outlined FPL’s 3-year pilot project to harden neighborhoods – one of which 
is in Palm Beach Gardens.
Palm Beach Gardens Community Services Administrator David Reyes gave an update on the Capital Improvements funded by the ‘Penny’ Sales Tax. See the Palm Beach Post’s summary here.
The Consent Agenda and the Resolution 67, 2019 regarding approving Avenir Pod 1 and Pod 3 site plan amendments, passed 5:0.
The Council resumed discussion, started last month by Mayor Marciano and Vice-Mayor Litt, about adopting a resolution in support of a resolution by the Town of Palm Beach to Tallahassee in support of Florida Senate Bill 182 asking the legislature to pass something to re-allow municipalities to pass single-use plastics resolutions. Marciano and Litt couched support for such a resolution as a home-rule issue. However, while council members Lane, Marino and Woods supported the home-rule aspect of what Palm Beach was trying to accomplish, they were more skeptical of its value, corroborated by City Attorney Lohman who said there was virtually no support for SB 182. It was clear that an ordinance prohibiting single use plastics in Palm Beach Gardens would be a distinctly different effort requiring input from both business and the public and what fits the needs of our City. City Manager Ferris was tasked with coming up with a draft of the support of Palm Beach resolution.
City Attorney Lohman said that the City had recently severed ties with the restaurant operator of the Golf Club and that there were ongoing discussions to resolve contractual issues. He sought the Council’s authorization for him to file a lawsuit if necessary, with the City Manager’s support – should the negotiations with the operator prove unsolvable without litigation. The Council voted to authorize 5:0.
Rustic Lakes Zoning and Regulations Remain Unchanged
The November Palm Beach Gardens City Council meeting was relatively short. The bulk of the agenda pertained to the adoption of ordinances pertaining to the annexation of Rustic Lakes – which took a significant amount of work due to its agricultural and large lot nature. Martin Fitts of Planning and Zoning did the presentation of Ordinances 21-28, 2019. Residents from Rustic Lakes attended the meeting but did not make any public comment. All the ordinances passed 5:0.
Making Public Comment on issues not on the agenda were:
- Peter Evans – representing the Palm Beach Children’s Chorus – informing the Council of the Chorus’ recent eviction notice from the new owners of Loehmans’ Plaza, and providing the council with information regarding the reputation of those owners. He raised potential health and code compliance issues with the property. He also said that the Chorus will be representing Palm Beach County at a Carnegie Hall performance
- Ed Dolezal – speaking about 5G technology and raising health, personal privacy, aesthetics of community, local sovereignty concerns. He suggested that the City join a League of Cities lawsuit against Tallahassee regarding recent legislation on 5G.
- Steve Mathison – speaking on behalf of the PGA Corridor Board of Directors – thanking the City and staff for continued partnership with them.
The Consent Agenda passed 5:0. Purchasing Director Km! Ra was requested by Council Member Lane to detail the bidding for item C – the renovation of baseball fields at gardens park. The lowest bidder was awarded the contract.
At the end of the meeting, the Council discussed possible future resolutions regarding the use of plastics in the city. No action was taken.
The December City Council meeting will be held on Thursday December 5th. The January Council Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 9th.
Northlake Traffic- Frustration, Excuses, No Solutions
Two traffic related presentations plus an overview and approval of a Public/Private Partnership for the Development of an Indoor Recreational Facility at the Gardens North County District Park took up most of the October City Council Meeting.
FDOT staff gave an overview of the current status of the I-95/Central Boulevard interchange. Staff appreciated the interaction with FDOT but felt that issues still remained in the design of the interchange. The public will be afforded another opportunity to see the details: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a public workshop on Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 10500 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida to discuss the FDOT I-95/Central Boulevard Interchange Project.
Northlake Blvd Traffic Signal Issues: Two representatives from the PBC Traffic Division described the signal coordination issues with the stretch from Military Trail to US 1, which has 14 signals over 3.1 miles with 25,000 to 53,500 vehicles a day. Additional complexities include 20 train crossing per day (which certainly didn’t include the 20+ trains that will cross after Virgin Trains get going), and pedestrians pushing the crossing buttons. The signal syncing software has been unable to deal with the issues and it has been disabled on Northlake, PGA and Indiantown Roads. They are working with the vendor and using other methods to monitor and clear traffic. However they did not present any time-frame or potential solution to the issues. Traffic issues can be reported to the pbc traffic division.
Resolution 60, 2019 – Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation, Inc. was awarded the contract to develop and operate a world-class facility open to the public to be located at North County District Park. Financing is planned to come from donations and there are various funding checkpoints in the agreement. The City shall not commit any type of public financial resources or guarantee any credit or financing for the facility for this Project. The multi-level facility will include 2 ice-rinks, various sports courts, rock-climbing wall, pro-shops, track and much more. Watch the presentation here for the details.
City Manager Ferris’ report included:
- Honoring and awarding Officer Christopher Baez with the Meritorious Service Award. On August 29, while traveling southbound on the Turnpike, off-duty Officer Baez rescued a person thrown from semi-tractor trailer which was in flames. He found and pulled the fuel-covered driver to safety. Police Chief Clint Shannon, Keith Bryer, Fire Chief, and James Ippolito Deputy Chief of Operations Fire/Rescue presented Officer Baez with the award.
- The annual Fall Festival will be held at North County District Park for the first time, on Oct 26 from 6-9pm. See here for more information.
All Ordinances and Resolutions passed 5:0 including appointments to AIPP, Parks and Rec, PZAB and Fire Pension Advisory Boards.
City Attorney Lohman informed the Council that he would be presenting oral arguments on the lawsuit over the August Charter Referendum on Tuesday, 10/8 at 9:30am.
Finance Director Argues 8.8% Tax Increase Needed
The primary reason for the second City Council meeting in September is always because of the Final Hearing and Approval of the next year’s millage (tax rate) and budget. Finance Director Allan Owens gave a presentation seemingly designed to rebut Mayor Marciano’s position that the millage could be reduced from 5.55 to 5.50. Positions taken by the Council remained unchanged from First Reading – with Council Members Woods, Marino, Litt and Lane making various statements in support of keeping millage flat, and Mayor Marciano restating that “government should do as much as it can with as little as it can”. Always lost in the discussion, especially when pointing out the minimal dollar amount of the increases (whether City, School Board, County Commission) is that is it is the tax-payer’s money – not the government’s. Pennies here and pennies there do add up. Claims that holding a tax rate flat while valuations go up is not raising taxes when the actual tax dollars taken in are going up 8.8% is disingenuous. Read our analysis of the 2019/2020 Budget – 8.8% Tax Increase in 2020 Proposed Budget.
Not surprising, then, that Resolution 61, 2010 – Adopting A Tax Levy and Millage Rate passed 4:1 with the mayor voting No. The associated 2019/2020 Budget (Ordinance 20, 2019) passed 5:0 since there was no point in Mayor Marciano voting no on the actual budget once the millage had passed.
The meeting began with a crowded hall – filled with members and supporters of the PickleBall Athletic Club. After Mayor Marciano pointed out that the issues three members raised were not policy, and thus not related to the Council, City Manager Ferris asked the group to meet with Charlotte Presensky (Leisure Services Administrator) and members of her staff in the lobby.
Also making public comment was PBG resident Laurie French, PBGYAA Secy and Executive Board member thanking the City for the Soccer Fields in Gardens District Park.
The City Manager Report included:
- Candice Temple, Media Relations Manager, described the Bahamian Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort joint partnership with Chris Fellowship – see here for more information and how to help.
- City Manager Ferris gave a heart-felt, touching tribute to recently deceased long-time employee and Navy veteran Robin (”Smitty) Smith.
Ordinance 19, 2019 – adopting the City’s Mobility Fee Schedule drew public comment from a representative from Palm Beach County Planning. Khurshid Mohyuddin, Principal Planner, Transportation Planning. He asked that the City wait until the County held a county wide workshop in 2020. It was pointed out that the City’s Mobility Plan had already been approved at the last City Council meeting and that this ordinance was only codifying the fees.
Resolution 68, 2019 included details of the Model Home Row and Enhanced Entry Features for Avenir Pod 4. This subdivision will have separate Model Home Row designed to minimize any impact to construction areas. The homes will range in price from approximately $800K-$1.2 million. The resolution passed 5:0.
There was no City Attorney report. The next City Council Meeting will be held on October 3 at 7pm.