>> GOOD EVENING. DEPARTMENTS NOW,
[Call to Order]
[00:00:03]
7 PM AND I'LL CALL THE ORDER.THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 16TH WILL BEGIN WITH AN INVOCATION, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE, AND THEN A PLEDGE. PLEASE STAND. [NOISE]
>> DEAR GOD, HELP US USE OUR AUTHORITY WISELY.
ALL OF THOSE THAT LIVE IN THE TOWN MAY HAVE A WONDERFUL LIFE. AMEN.
>> LET'S HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [NOISE]
>> PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE.
>> MAY WE HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
>> VICE MAYOR SNYDER, COUNCILOR DELANEY.
>> COUNSELOR MAY, COUNCILOR SUNDSTROM.
>> THANK YOU. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT COUNCILOR MAY WILL BE JOINING US SOME TIME HALF-HOUR TO AN HOUR FROM NOW.
WE BEGIN TONIGHT. WE HAVE SOME PROCLAMATIONS AND A COUPLE OF PRESENTATIONS.
[1. National Police Week, May 14 – 20, 2023 and Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15, 2023 – Chief David England, Chief of Police.]
THE FIRST ONE, WHICH I WILL BEGIN PRESENTING TO CHIEF DAVID ENGLAND.THIS IS A SPECIAL WEEK, IT'S NATIONAL POLICE WEEK.
READING THE PROCLAMATION OF JUPITER, DECLARING THE WEEK OF MAY 14 TO 20 2023 YEARS NATIONAL POLICE WEEK.
WHEREAS CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAVE DESIGNATED MAY 15TH AS PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY.
THE WEEK IN WHICH MAY 15TH FALLS IS NATIONAL POLICE WEEK.
WHEREAS THE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN OF JUPITER POLICE DEPARTMENT PLAYING A CENTRAL ROLE IN SAFEGUARDING THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF THE CITIZENS OF THE TOWN OF JUPITER.
WHEREAS IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL CITIZENS KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, HAZARDS, AND SACRIFICES OF THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
THAT MEMBERS OF OUR AGENCY RECOGNIZES THEIR DUTY TO SERVE THE PEOPLE BY SAFEGUARDING LIFE AND PROPERTY, BUT PROTECTING THEM AGAINST VIOLENCE AND DISORDER.
PROTECTING THE INNOCENT AGAINST DECEPTION AND THE WEAK AGAINST OPPRESSION.
WHEREAS THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE TOWN OF JUPITER POLICE DEPARTMENT UNCEASINGLY PROVIDE A VITAL PUBLIC SERVICE IN WHEREAS POLICE OFFICER DEDICATED, WELL-TRAINED AND HIGHLY RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUALS WHO TAKE THEIR JOB SERIOUSLY.
WE'RE PROUD OF THEIR DEPARTMENT AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT WITHIN WHICH THEY SERVE.
NOW, THEREFORE, I JIM KRESGE, MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF JUPITER, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF MAY 14TH TO 20TH NATIONAL POLICE WEEK IN JUPITER, FLORIDA, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL WITH THE NATIONWIDE OBSERVANCE OF THE SAME.
ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS OF JUPITER TO JOIN THIS COUNCIL IN EXPRESSING APPRECIATION FOR THE DEDICATION AND OUTSTANDING SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVE AS POLICE OFFICERS.
I FURTHER CAUGHT UP ON ALL CITIZENS OF THE TOWN OF JUPITER TO OBSERVE THIS DAY AS PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY.
IN HONOR OF THOSE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO HAVE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN SERVICE TO THEIR COMMUNITY OR HAVE BECOME DISABLED AND PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTY.
LET US RECOGNIZE AND PAY RESPECT TO THE SURVIVORS OF OUR FALLEN HEROES AND WITNESS HAVE HEARING TO SET MY HAND AND SEAL THE 16TH DAY OF MAY 2023.
AS I PRESENTED, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE COUNCIL TO JOIN ME IN IT.
[00:05:09]
[APPLAUSE]. [BACKGROUND]>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL.
FIRST, LET ME START OUT BY SAYING 26,308 OFFICERS HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
THESE ARE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED FEDERALLY STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
THE STATE ALONE, FLORIDA, HAS LOST 948, 10 JUST IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS.
IN THE JUPITER POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO LOST TWO [NOISE] COLLEAGUES IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
MAJOR ED HUMPHREYS DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY ON SEPTEMBER 8, 1995.
PFC BRUCE ST. LAURENT DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2012.
I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS PROCLAMATION, RECOGNIZING THEM, THEIR FAMILY, THEY'RE SURVIVORS.
WE REMEMBER THEM FOR THEIR SACRIFICE, BUT ALSO IN HOW THEY LIVED.
WE DO THIS SO THAT WE NEVER LET THEM DIE SECOND TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE]
>> NEXT WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION WHICH I'LL BE PRESENTING TO THOMAS FERNANDEZ,
[2. National Public Works Week, May 21-27, 2023 - Mr. Thomas Hernandez, Director of Engineering and Public Works and Mrs. Amanda Barnes, Interim Director of Utilities.]
DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS, AND AMANDA BARNES, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES.IF YOU WANT TO WORK YOUR WAY UP.
THIS IS A PROCLAMATION OF THE TOWN OF JUPITER, DECLARING THE WEEK OF MAY 21 TO 27TH AS NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK.
WHEREAS PUBLIC WORK SERVICES RIGHT IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE INTEGRAL PART OF OUR CITIZENS EVERYDAY LIVES.
WHEREAS THE SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING AND INFORM COMMUNITY IS VITAL TO THE EFFICIENT OPERATION OF PUBLIC WORKS SYSTEM AND PROGRAMS SUCH AS WATER, STORMWATER, SANITARY SEWER, STREETS AND HIGHWAYS, PUBLIC BUILDING'S SOLID WASTE COLLECTIONS, PARKS AND CANAL MAINTENANCE.
WHEREAS THE HEALTH SAFETY AND COMFORT OF THIS COMMUNITY GREATLY DEPENDS ON THESE FACILITIES AND SERVICES.
WHEREAS THE QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE FACILITIES, AS WELL AS THEIR PLANNING, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION.
IT'S EXTREMELY DEPENDENT UPON THE EFFORTS AND SKILLS AND PUBLIC WORKS OFFICIALS.
WHEREAS THE EFFICIENCY OF THE QUALIFIED AND DEDICATED PERSONNEL WHO STAFFED PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ON MATERIALLY INFLUENCED BY THE PEOPLE'S ATTITUDE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK THEY PERFORM.
NOW THEREFORE [INAUDIBLE] MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF JUPITER DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF MAY 24TH TO 27TH AS NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK IN THE TOWN OF JUPITER AND CALL UPON ALL CITIZENS AND CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS TO ACQUAINT THEMSELVES WITH THE ISSUES INVOLVED IN PROVIDING PUBLIC WORKS AND TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS WITH PUBLIC WORKS OFFICIALS MAKE EVERY DAY TO OUR HEALTH SAFETY, COMFORT, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN WITNESS TO HAVE A HEARING ON TO SET MY HAND AND SHIELD THE 16TH DAY OF MAY 2023. YOU WANT TO JOIN.
>> YEAH [INAUDIBLE] [APPLAUSE]
>> I'LL SPEAK FAIRLY BRIEFLY ABOUT IT.
BUT EVEN THOUGH MY DEPARTMENT IS ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY GROUP AND DEPARTMENT FOR THE TOWN THAT DEALS WITH PUBLIC WORKS FUNCTIONS AS WELL AS WRITTEN THE PROCLAMATION UTILITIES, AS WELL AS PARKS DO QUITE A BIT OF OTHER PUBLIC WORKS FUNCTIONS.
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ACTUALLY NAME THEM AND BASICALLY WORKING WITH THEM AND WHAT THEY DO ON A REGULAR BASIS.
OUR GROUP GREATLY APPRECIATES THAT YOU'LL RECOGNIZE NOT ONLY OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT THE OTHERS EVERY SINGLE YEAR, AND THEY DO ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES OF THE TOWN PUT ON FOR THEM TO TRY TO APPRECIATE WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DO FOR THE TALENT ON A DAILY BASIS.
>> I ALSO THANK YOU, AND I THANK THOMAS, FOR INCLUDING THE UTILITY IN THIS FIELD, STAFF, STORMWATER AND WATER WORK HARD IN THE FIELD.
ACTUALLY WE DO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM IN PUBLIC WORKS ON MANY PROJECTS. THANK YOU.
[00:10:04]
>> NEXT I WELCOME MISS MEGAN HOUSTON,
[3. Palm Beach County Office of Resilience - Megan Houston, Director of the Palm Beach County Office of Resilience.]
DIRECTOR OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY OFFICER VISIT RESILIENCE, WHO WILL BE GIVING US A PRESENTATION TONIGHT. [NOISE] [BACKGROUND]>> GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME, MEGAN HOUSTON, AS YOU SAID, WITH PALM BEACH COUNTY RESILIENCE OFFICE SO WE ARE ON AUTO PLAY TONIGHT, SO I WILL TRY TO CATCH THOSE SLIDES, BUT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK THAT THE COUNTY HAS BEEN DOING TO DEAL WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, CLIMATE ADAPTATION, AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, HOW WE'RE ACQUIRING FUNDING FOR THAT AND SOME OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH DIFFERENT REGIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
WE THINK OF THE OFFICE OF RESILIENCE, AS I MENTIONED, WITHIN PALM BEACH COUNTY, WE WORK ON CREATING A SUSTAINABLE, THRIVING COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESILIENT, THAT PEOPLE STAY HERE AND CONTINUE TO LOVE WHAT THEY LOVE ABOUT BEING IN SOUTH FLORIDA, AND DO THAT WHILE WE'RE FACING CHALLENGES LIKE FLOODING AND SEA LEVEL RISE, AND I'M SURE EVERYONE HAS SEEN THE IMAGES OF THE FORT LAUDERDALE AIRPORT.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ALL THIS WATER COMES ALL AT ONCE.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT WE HAVE SEEN AND THAT WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO MITIGATE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CLIMATE THREATS, WE TEND TO THINK OF WATER, SEA LEVEL RISE, IT'S ALL AROUND US, PEOPLE DO, THERE ARE DRAMATIC IMAGES OF FLOODING, BUT THERE'S ALSO MORE THAN JUST THE WATER-RELATED INCIDENTS.
WERE TALKING ABOUT HURRICANES ARE GETTING STRONGER, HIGHER WINDS, EXTREME HEAT.
WE LOVE OUR WALKABLE COMMUNITIES, OUR WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS GOING OUTSIDE, GOING BASEBALL GAME.
IT'S HARDER TO ENJOY THAT WHEN IT CAN FEEL LIKE 10 OR 20 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT MORE WARM THAN YOU'RE USED TO.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE TRY TO ADDRESS AND INCORPORATE IN HOW WE PLAN FOR COUNTY CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND HOW WE INTERACT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEA LEVEL RISE, WE USE DIFFERENT PROJECTIONS.
THERE'S NO EXACT EXPLICIT PATH OF HOW MUCH WATER WE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT, SO WE TRY TO LOOK AT A RANGE OF OPTIONS.
WHAT SHOULD WE BE PLANNING FOR? IF YOU LOOK AT THAT YELLOW LINE, THERE IS NO INTERMEDIATE HIGH CURVE.
THAT'S WHAT WE TEND TO LOOK AT WHEN WE ARE THINKING ABOUT JUST AN ASSET THAT ISN'T AN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, BUT WE WANTED TO EXTEND AND FOLLOW THROUGH WITH ITS USEFUL LIFE.
AS AN EXAMPLE, BY 2070, WE WANT TO BE THINKING ABOUT 40 INCHES OF SEA LEVEL RISE AND INCLUDE THAT IN HOW WE DESIGN BUILDINGS.
WHETHER THAT MEANS RAISING HVAC SYSTEMS AND INFRASTRUCTURE OFF THE PADS OR PLANNING FOR ADDITIONAL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT CAPACITY.
IT'S NOT JUST A COASTAL ISSUE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEA LEVEL RISE, SO WHEN, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CONNECTED SYSTEMS LIKE CANALS THAT HELP MOVE WATER FROM WEST TO EAST AND OUT INTO THE OCEAN OR INTO SOME CATCHMENT BASEMENT BASIN.
THESE THINGS GET BACKED UP WHEN WE CAN'T HAVE THAT GRAVITY LEAD SYSTEM, SO IT AFFECTS OUR INLAND COMMUNITIES AS WELL, WHICH IS WHY PALM BEACH COUNTY IS ATTEMPTING TO WORK WITH ALL 39 OF OUR MUNICIPALITIES, INCLUDING OUR WESTERN COMMUNITIES.
I MENTIONED HEAT, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE MOST DEADLY THREATS THAT WE'RE SEEING.
PEOPLE WILL DIE IN THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE PROPER AIR CONDITIONING OR THE ABILITY TO FUND AND PAY FOR THE FUEL TO TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONING.
WE'RE SEEING MORE HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES.
MEDICATIONS DON'T WORK THE SAME WAY.
HIGHER INCIDENCE OF HEART DISEASE AND ASTHMA ATTACKS DURING THESE EVENTS.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS INCREASE TREE CANOPY COVERAGE AND OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE URBAN HEAT CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE.
THOSE ARE THE CHALLENGES NOW FOR THE MORE FUN, UPBEAT STUFF OF WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING ABOUT IT.
[00:15:01]
WE HAVE THESE CROSS DEPARTMENTAL TEAMS. WE HAVE 30 DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, 6,000 EMPLOYEES.I HAVE THREE PEOPLE INCLUDING MYSELF ON THE RESILIENCE OFFICE, SO CLEARLY, ANYTHING THAT'S A COUNTY-WIDE INITIATIVE IS GOING TO BE US WORKING WITH OUR ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS TEAMS OR OUR UTILITIES OR OUR ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENTS.
WE HAVE THESE TEAMS WHERE WE ADDRESS THESE CROSS-SECTOR ISSUES, WE'VE DONE PROCLAMATIONS AND WORK ON TREE CANOPY.
WE LOOK AT OUR SINGLE-USE PLASTIC REDUCTION, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING.
ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY WE SPEND 30 MILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR ROUGHLY ON ELECTRICITY, SO IF WE CAN REDUCE THAT COST OF THE COUNTY, THAT'S A GREAT THING.
OUR WATER BILL IS APPROXIMATELY THREE MILLION DOLLARS.
ON THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY SIDE, THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT FOR US WAS OUR LED STREETLIGHTS CONVERTING THOSE SAME WITH OUR PARKS, WE'RE CONVERTING THOSE BIG SPORTS FIELDS, BIG POWERFUL LIGHTING EQUIPMENT OVER TO HIGHER EFFICIENCY VERSIONS, AND THEN LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO BRING THAT COST DOWN.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
WE'VE INSTALLED CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AT OUR DOWNTOWN HEADQUARTERS AT THE GOVERNMENTAL CENTER.
WE HAVE FUNDING TO ACQUIRE SEVEN ELECTRIC BUSES FOR OUR PALM TRAN FLEET.
WE HAVE THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THOSE BUSES, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE THAT FLEET THAT HELPS WITH IDLING AND EMISSIONS ALONG WITH CHANGING OUT THE FUEL SOURCE.
THEN FOR OUR CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PLANNING, WE HAVE A BIG CAPITAL PLANNING BUDGET WITH THESE 30 DEPARTMENTS, ABOUT FIVE CAPITAL PLANNING DEPARTMENTS EXIST FROM OUR AIRPORTS, SO OUR WATER UTILITIES, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENT.
OUR FACILITIES FOLKS AND WERE ASKING THEM AS THEY'RE PLANNING FOR THEIR PROJECTS, HOW ARE THEY INCLUDING RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY INTO WHAT THEY'RE DOING? WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO TEAR OUT SOMETHING LATER BECAUSE IT WASN'T DESIGNED APPROPRIATELY WITH KNOWN INFORMATION NOW.
IT'S A LOT CHEAPER TO LOOK AT THE FUTURE.
LOOK AT 10,20 YEARS OUT AND SAY, LET'S TINKER WITH THINGS IN THE DESIGN PHASE BEFORE WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH RENOVATION AND REPAIR LATER ON.
WE HAVE THIS POLICY THAT SAYS WE ALL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT FUTURE CONDITIONS AND WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT COST-EFFECTIVE IMPROVEMENTS.
THEN WE'VE CREATED A CHECKLIST, SO HOW DO WE OPERATIONALIZE A LONG DENSE POLICY? WE CREATE A CHECKLIST THAT IS VERY EASY TO GO THROUGH AND WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR TEAMS TO IMPLEMENT THAT RIGHT NOW.
WE CAN THEN LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, WE'VE INVESTED THIS MUCH IN RESILIENCY EFFORTS, WE'VE IDENTIFIED WHEN WE BUILD, BUILDINGS WERE REALLY GOOD AT GOING ABOVE ENERGY CODE, BUT WE HAVEN'T QUITE GOT WALKABILITY POINTS OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE THAT THAT'S DATA THAT WE CAN USE.
THAT'S DATA TO SHOW HOW INNOVATIVE WE ARE AND WHEN WE MEET WITH OUR RATING AGENCIES AND OUR INSURANCE BROKERS, THEY'RE ASKING US TO PROVE HOW RESILIENT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUR ASSETS ARE.
THAT'S PART OF THEIR BOND RATING PROCESS, THAT'S PART OF THEIR COST TO US.
IF THEY WANT TO ENSURE OUR ASSETS, THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW GOOD OUR ASSETS, SO WE FIND THAT THAT'S A USEFUL TOOL WHEN WE'RE TALKING, AND IT'S A WAY THAT TRANSLATES RESILIENCY INTO SOMETHING THAT IS A FINANCIAL ADVANTAGE FOR THE COUNTY.
NOW WE'RE MOVING INTO THIS VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT AND RESILIENCE ACTION PLAN PERIOD.
I WAS BROUGHT TO THE COUNTY IN 2018.
WE'VE BEEN DOING SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY FOR DECADES.
IF YOU TALK TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENT WHO THEY'VE DONE LIVING SHORELINES FOR DECADES LIKE EVERYONE'S INTEGRAL TO RESILIENCY.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE THIS PLAN YET OF IN THE SHORT, MEDIUM, LONG TERM FUTURE, WHAT ARE THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD BE PRIORITIZING NOW, WHAT ARE THE RISKS? IS IT WILDFIRES OR IS IT SEA-LEVEL RISE? SHOULD WE ONLY BE FOCUSING ON COASTAL EROSION? IT'S EXAMINING WHAT THOSE THREATS ARE, HOW IT'S AFFECTING OUR ASSETS, SUCH AS OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, OUR PEOPLE, OUR ECONOMY, AND THEN DEVELOPING A PLAN THAT WE CAN USE TO TO RESPOND TO THOSE CHALLENGES.
A LOT OF OUR OTHER MUNICIPAL FRIENDS ARE WORKING ON THEIR OWN, AS I UNDERSTAND.
I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES.
WE'VE USED RESILIENT FLORIDA FUNDING TO HELP SUPPLEMENT THIS PROJECT.
[00:20:01]
ANOTHER PIECE OF THIS PLANNING IS WE SUPPLEMENTED WITH A SMALL GRANT TO GET COMMUNITY INPUT AND GO WHERE OUR COMMUNITY IS.WE LOOKED AT PLACES WHERE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDICES WERE HIGH OVERLAP WITH CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES.
WE PRIORITIZE A COUPLE OF AREAS IN OUR WESTERN COMMUNITY AS WELL AS CENTRAL PALM BEACH COUNTY, TO ASK OUR RESIDENTS, HOW IS THE WEATHER IMPACTING YOU? WHAT DO YOU THINK CLIMATE CHANGE MEANS? WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING ABOUT IT? WHAT ASSETS DO YOU WANT TO SEE? WHAT ARE THE GEMS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE OR WE MIGHT START WITH COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE? WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE PRETTY WELL-INFORMED AND UNDERSTAND HOW THINGS ARE IMPACTING THEM AND THE RESPONSES WE GOT WHERE EVERYTHING FROM HOUSINGS AND ISSUE ROADS, POTHOLES WE JUST NEED TO RESPOND TO THE FLOODING TO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, THE AIR-CONDITIONING BREAKS, AND MY KID CAN'T LEARN WHEN IT'S SO HOT THAT IT'S TOO HOT TO BE COMFORTABLE.
WE'RE GOING TO BE TRYING TO CONTINUE THAT ENGAGEMENT AFTER HOURS, WHERE IT'S EASY FOR PEOPLE WITH A TYPICAL 9-5 JOB TO IT OR EASIER FOR THEM TO ATTEND.
THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, WE HAVE RECEIVED ACCOLADES FOR OUR EFFORTS.
WE ARE A LEAD GOLD COMMUNITY WE'RE A SO SMART GOLD COMMUNITY.
WE'VE RECEIVED FLORIDA GREEN BUILDING COALITION SILVER DESIGNATION.
THAT AGAIN HELPS WITH OUR METRICS AND SHOWING HOW WE'VE INVESTED IN PALM BEACH COUNTY.
ANOTHER STRONG PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE IS OUR SOUTHEAST FLORIDA REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE COMPACT.
WE STARTED THIS IN 2010 WITH BROWARD, MIAMI-DADE, AND MONROE COUNTIES.
THE IDEA WAS THAT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING ARE REGIONAL.
I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD THIS A LOT, WATER DOESN'T RESPECT JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES.
WATER GOES WHERE IT WANTS TO GO, SAME WITH HURRICANES.
MANY OF THESE ISSUES THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING, IT'S EASIER TO DO IF WE'RE A UNITED FRONT AND FIGURING OUT WHAT STANDARDS WE SHOULD BE USING AND HOW TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO OUR POLICIES AND PLANNING.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND WE HAVE CREATED A FEW VERSIONS, THREE, TO BE EXACT, OF OUR REGIONAL CLIMATE ACTION PLAN THAT IS A STARTING POINT.
ALL OF OUR JURISDICTIONS WHO WANT TO WORK ON CLIMATE ACTION PLANNING THEY CAN PICK AND CHOOSE THROUGH DIFFERENT SECTORS ON WHAT MAKES SENSE TO THEM.
WE HAVE THE SECTOR IS LISTED HERE.
EVERYTHING FROM ECONOMICS TO TRANSPORTATION TO SOCIAL EQUITY, TO AGRICULTURE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT, IT'S A GOOD TOOL FOR STAFF AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO USE AS A STARTING POINT IN DEVELOPING YOUR OWN SPECIFIC TAILORED PLAN.
THIS ISN'T SPECIFIC ENOUGH FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY TO SAY WE HAVE ADOPTED IT, BUT THEN WE STILL HAVE MORE WORK TO DO.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE USE TO INFORM WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
SOME OTHER INITIATIVES THAT THE CLIMATE COMPACT HAS.
WE HAVE UPDATED A LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLEDGE.
IT USED TO BE CALLED A MAYOR'S PLEDGE, BUT WE HAVE DIFFERENT STRUCTURES WITHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, SO IT'S BROADER THAN THAT.
ANY JURISDICTION WITHIN OUR REGION CAN ADOPT THIS PLEDGE, WHICH WILL SAY, I SUPPORT OR I WILL WORK ON CLIMATE ACTION PLANNING.
I WILL USE CLIMATE COMPACT TOOLS AS WE SEE APPROPRIATE.
IT CAN BE TAILORED AS, THE PLEDGE IS NOT PRESCRIBING ANY METHOD, BUT IT'S A WAY TO SAY, HEY, WE ARE UNITED, AND WE THINK THAT WE HAVE AN ISSUE HERE.
WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER AND WE WILL LOOK TO SEE WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE AND USE THEM AS IS APPROPRIATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF IMPLEMENTATION WORKSHOPS, SO ONE IS GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON RESILIENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING SPECIFICALLY, THAT'LL HAPPEN OVER THE SUMMER.
WE CONDUCTED A MUNICIPAL SURVEY EVERY YEAR.
I MADE THESE SLIDES ABOUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, SO THAT'S A LITTLE OUT OF DATE, WE HAVE NOT YET LAUNCHED THE MAY 2024 DATE, BUT THAT SHOULD BE COMING OUT THIS SUMMER, SO I USUALLY ASK ALL OF OUR 39 MUNICIPALITIES IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING AND SHARING WITH THE REGION, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO INCREASE WALKABILITY OR REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, OR HOW HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING ABOUT FLOODING? THOSE QUESTIONS.
THEN WE HAVE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORMS THAT WE WORK ON.
[00:25:04]
THEN EVERY YEAR WE HOLD AN ANNUAL CLIMATE SUMMIT.WE USUALLY SELL OUT EVERY YEAR, I THINK BETWEEN 500-700 PEOPLE ATTEND THESE, LOTS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THIS ONE WILL BE IN MIAMI BEACH, SO IT SHOULD BE VERY FUN.
PALM BEACH COUNTY HOSTS EVERY FOUR YEARS.
THE LAST ONE WE HOSTED WAS IN 2021 DURING COVID, SO WE HAD TO SWITCH TO VIRTUAL THAT WE EXPECT TO HAVE IT BACK IN PERSON IN 2025.
I MENTIONED RESILIENT FLORIDA AS A FUNDING MECHANISM.
THIS IS HOW WE'RE HELPING TO PAY FOR OUR VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT AND RESILIENCE ACTION PLAN.
THE COUNTY PUT IN 500,000 AND GOT FUNDING FROM THE STATE THROUGH DEP, THIS PROGRAM, AS WELL AS DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FUNDING THROUGH THEIR CDBG MITIGATION PROGRAM.
BUT ALL THAT'S TO SAY IS RESILIENT FLORIDA IS THE BIGGEST POT OF MONEY THERE IS RIGHT NOW FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, FOR PLANNING FOR FLOODING AND SEA LEVEL RISE.
SPECIFIC TO FLOODING AND SEA LEVEL RISE, THIS NUMBER IS OUT OF DATE, IT'S ACTUALLY $80 MILLION.
THIS IS ONLY BEEN LAUNCHED SINCE 2021.
IN PALM BEACH COUNTY, OUR MUNICIPALITIES ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE.
MOST OF THIS FUNDING HAS BEEN GOING OUT TO OUR MUNICIPALITIES.
IF YOU HAVE DRAINAGE ISSUES, IF YOU HAVE STORMWATER SYSTEMS THAT NEED IMPROVEMENTS TO ADJUST FOR THE INCREASED FLOODING DEMANDS, NOW'S A GOOD TIME TO PUNCH.
YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST.
THE HOMEWORK IS THIS VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT.
THIS HOMEWORK IS A PREREQUISITE TO APPLY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION DOLLARS.
IF YOU WANT TO GET A VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT 100% PAID FOR BY THE STATE, THIS IS THE TIME TO APPLY.
I THINK IT CLOSES SEPTEMBER 1 SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT OVER THE SUMMER, THAT'S WHEN YOU APPLY AND YOU SAY I NEED TO DO A VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT THAT COMPLIES WITH STATE STATUTE REQUIREMENTS.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S 100% GRANT FUNDED.
MOST JURISDICTIONS, INCLUDING OURSELVES, WE HIRE A CONSULTANT TO DO THAT WORK.
IS STILL IT'S TIME TO MANAGE THAT, TO PROVIDE THE DATA SETS, TO WORK WITH GIS, AND WORK WITH ALL OF YOUR TEAMS WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED.
BUT IT IS THE BEST SOURCE OF FUNDING TO DO THAT, AND THEN THAT'S YOUR ENTRY CARD.
THEN LATER YOU CAN APPLY FOR THESE 50% MATCH IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.
WE GOT $13 MILLION TO IMPROVE OUR AUSTRALIAN AVENUE ROAD AND ADDRESS DRAINAGE.
WE'RE APPLYING FOR [NOISE] I THINK I'M NOT SURE THEN.
WE'RE APPLYING FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF FUNDING THIS ROUND FOR ADDITIONAL CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT WILL HELP WITH DRAINAGE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR PARKS SYSTEMS AND HOW WE CAN PROTECT OUR PARKS.
WE HAVE COASTAL PARKS WITH SEAWALL ISSUES, SO THINGS LIKE THAT THAT HAVE FLOODING CONCERNS.
THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO LOOK TO THAT FUNDING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO IT ALONE.
THEN ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW CITIES HAVE PARTNERED BEFORE IS THIS COASTAL RESILIENCE PARTNERSHIP, WE, PALM BEACH COUNTY HAD VERY LITTLE GEOGRAPHY.
WE WERE UNINCORPORATED, IT'S ALL LIKE THE NON-COLORED SPOTS WITHIN THAT BLACK BOUNDARY, VERY LITTLE POCKETS.
BUT WE WERE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH BOCA RATON, AND OCEAN RIDGE, AND THESE SEVEN SOUTHEASTERN MUNICIPALITIES TO SEE IF WE COULD DO A JOINT VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT.
IT'S HARD FOR STAFF WHEN THERE'S NO SUSTAINABILITY LEAD OR RESILIENCY LEAD, IT'S HARD FOR IT TO PUT THAT ON A STAFF MEMBER OF A SMALLER MUNICIPALITY WHO MIGHT BE A PUBLIC WORKS PERSON WHO HAS OTHER DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES.
WE SAID LET'S ALL WORK TOGETHER.
LET'S SHARE RESOURCES AND GET FUNDING.
WE GOT FUNDING FROM DEP, THREE DIFFERENT ROUNDS, TWO DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES TO DO THIS VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT.
ONCE EVERYONE HAD THAT, NOW BOCA DEL REY BEACH, THEY CAN ALL START APPLYING FOR PROJECTS AND THEY HAVE RECEIVED PROJECTS THROUGH THAT.
I THINK IT WORKS WELL WHEN YOU'RE IN THE SAME REGION AND YOU HAVE THE SIMILAR ISSUES OF COASTAL EROSION AND THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE SHARED DATA SOURCES SOMETIMES TOO, BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED TO BE PART OF WORTH UTILITY, AND WE ALSO HAD A LOT OF DATA SOURCES.
ALL THAT'S TO SAY IS PEOPLE ARE APPLYING FOR IT ON THEIR OWN,
[00:30:03]
AND SOMETIMES CITIES ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO APPLY FOR THIS RESILIENT FLORIDA FUNDING.I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH ON JUNE 27TH, THE COUNTY IS WORKING WITH OUR AMERICAN FLOOD COALITION TO HOST A WORKSHOP ON RESILIENT FLORIDA FUNDING AND SHORELINE PROTECTION ISSUES.
WE'RE TRYING TO INVITE STAFF TO THAT FROM ALL OF OUR MUNICIPALITIES JUNE 27TH FROM 9:00 AM-11:00 AM.
IT'S STAFF SPECIFIC ON THOSE WHO MIGHT BE WORKING ON THESE SIMILAR ISSUES TO HEAR ABOUT THIS FUNDING SOURCE THE APPLICATIONS, AND SEE IF JURISDICTIONS ARE INTERESTED IN PARTNERING TOGETHER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE, AND I APPRECIATE THE INVITATION.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMING HERE TO TAKE THE TIME TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
WHEN YOU ADDRESS US, THEN WHERE ALL MEETINGS WERE VIDEOED.
PEOPLE WATCH THEM LATER AND WHATEVER.
IT'S A GOOD FORUM TO REACH PEOPLE WITH JUPITER SO THANK YOU.
CAN YOU BACK PAGE TO PAGE 7? BECAUSE JUST A SUGGESTION ON THIS ONE AGAIN, FABULOUS PRESENTATION PAGE 7.
THE AVERAGE PERSON WOULD READ, HISTORICALLY FROM 71-2000 WE'VE HAD FOUR DAYS PER YEAR WITH TEMPERATURES ABOVE 105 AND I THINK, THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S SAYING.
BECAUSE YOU DID USE THE WORD HEAT AND I'D BE REMISS AND NOT MAKING A PITCH.
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HELPING EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT HEAT INDEX PARTICULARLY SINCE TONIGHT WE'RE HONORING OUR PUBLIC WORKS AND POLICE OFFICERS WHO WORK OUTDOORS.
THAT'S HOW WE'RE AWARE OF THIS HEAT INDEX.
BUT JUST FOR THE PUBLIC THAT MAY BE LISTENING SO AS AN EXAMPLE, JUST SO YOU HAVE SEEN A HEAT INDEX OF 105 BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE A HEAT INDEX OF 105 WHEN YOU HAD A TEMPERATURE OF 86 AND HUMIDITY OF 90% AND IF IT GOES UP TO 90 DEGREES, WHICH IS WHAT PEOPLE KNOW.
BUT THE HUMIDITY IS 70, THE HEAT INDEX IS 105 AND A HEAT INDEX AT 105 IT'S A DANGER CLASSIFICATION AND SO I KNOW IT HAPPENS A FEW TIMES A YEAR AND THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE TO REMIND PEOPLE TO TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF THEY'RE WORKING OUTSIDE.
BUT AGAIN, JUST TO THE DEGREE THAT YOU'RE EDUCATING AND THEN YOU'RE SHOWING THE INCREASE.
I DO BELIEVE THAT EDUCATING, BE MORE PRECISE ABOUT THE HEAT INDEX, PEOPLE WERE REALLY RELATE TO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE REAL IMPACT.
>> BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT'S NOT A CRITIQUE.
I GUESS THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY.
YOU DIDN'T SAY THE WORD HEAT, YOU DIDN'T SAY TEMPERATURE.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I'LL ASK MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>> NO, THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THIS IS COUNSELOR SCHNEIDER'S INITIATIVE TO TRY TO BRING YOU HERE AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND SO WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOU TAKING THE TIME AND FOR US GETTING TO LEARN ABOUT THIS SO THANK YOU.
[4. Celebrating Jupiter’s 45 years as a Council-Manager form of government this year by the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) Communications Committee.]
>> THE NEXT ITEM, WE HAVE ANOTHER PRESENTATION CELEBRATING JUPITER 45 YEARS AS A COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT THIS YEAR.
PRESENTATION IS BY THE FLORIDA CITY AND COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE AND I CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND HAVE THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE STAND UP AND BE RECOGNIZED AND IF YOU WOULD INDIVIDUALLY SOMEWHERE, NO, BUT COULD YOU INTRODUCE THEM?
>> YES I WAS PLANNING ON INTRODUCING THEM [OVERLAPPING] ABSOLUTELY.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNSELORS, MANAGER KITZEROW.
MY NAME IS ANDREA MCCUE, I'M THE CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF GREENACRES.
I'M ALSO THE DISTRICT FOR DIRECTOR FOR THE FLORIDA CITY COUNTY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION, ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OUR 600 PLUS MEMBERS, INCLUDING WITH ME HERE TONIGHT, WE HAVE THE MANAGER FOR TEQUESTA AND HE IS ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY CITY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION, JEREMY ALLEN.
WE HAVE RETIRED MANAGER, DALE SUGARMAN, AND WE ALSO HAD LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE THE FORMER MANAGER FOR JUPITER AND ALSO NOW
[00:35:01]
THE DEPUTY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF BOCA RATON, ANDREW LUKASIK.IT IS OUR HONOR TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF YOUR TOWNS RECOGNITION OF ITS OPERATION UNDER A COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT BY THE INTERNATIONAL CITY/COUNTY MANAGER ASSOCIATION.
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TOWN OF JUPITER WAS INCORPORATED IN 1925 AND THIS TOWN OF JUPITER MAY HAVE WORKED UNDER A COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT LONGER THAN THE 45 YEARS, ICMA WAS CAPTURING THAT DATA FROM A CERTAIN POINT.
THIS IS WHERE THAT RECOGNITION OF THE 45 YEARS COMES INTO PLAY.
THIS IMPORTANT MILESTONE MUST SURELY BE CELEBRATED AND IS ONE THAT WE AS PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS, ARE GRATEFUL FOR.
THE COUNCIL MANAGER AND OR COMMISSION MANAGER FORMS OF CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT WERE CREATED TO HELP SEPARATE ADMINISTRATION FROM DIRECT POLITICAL INFLUENCE AND ESTABLISHED MERIT-BASED PRACTICES WITHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
IT IS MODELED AFTER CORPORATE FRAMEWORKS, WITH VOTERS SELECTING A COUNCIL OR COMMISSION, WHO IN TURN APPOINTS A MANAGER TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL AND IMPLEMENT ITS POLICY AND ACTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT.
CITY MANAGER KITZEROW IS A CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL AND LEADS WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF INTEGRITY AND IS WELL-RESPECTED AMONGST HIS COLLEAGUES.
AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF FCCMA AND ALL ITS MEMBERS CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS MILESTONE RECOGNITION.
>> THANK YOU. IF WE COULD GET A PICTURE.
>> YOU CAN TURN AROUND A LITTLE BIT.
>> CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE]
>> WITH THAT, WE CONCLUDE THE PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO CITIZEN COMMENTS.
DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMENTS?
>> SEEING NONE MOVE TO THE MINUTES.
[5. May 2, 2023 Town Council Meeting Minutes.]
COUNCIL WE HAVE BEFORE US ON THE DICE SOME REVISIONS TO THE MINUTES.IF THERE'S NO OTHER REVISIONS, MAY I HAVE A MOTION.
>> MOTION TO APPROVE AS AMENDED.
>> MOTION AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
>> MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
THIS IS THE ITEMS NUMBER 6 THROUGH 10.ON THE SECOND PAGE OF THE AGENDA, IS THERE ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WANTS TO PULL A CONSENT AGENDA ITEM?
>> SEEING NONE, WE DO HAVE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ORDINANCE 923 WHICH IS QUASI JUDICIAL.
ANY EXPERTISE IN SCHOOLS WISH SO TO MAKE? THAT'S ON THE RITZ-CARLTON.
>> FOR ME SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
>> MOTION AND A SECOND. I'D ASKED THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO READ ORDINANCE 923 IN SHORT TIME.
>> ORDINANCE 923 AND ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL LIKE TOWN JUPITER, FLORIDA APPROVING AMENDMENT TO THE RITZ-CARLTON PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT, PROVIDING FOR A WAIVER TO THE UNIT TYPE IN THE R1 SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICT TO ALLOW GUEST COTTAGE AS AN ACCESSORY USE TO THE PRIMARY SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING UNIT AND LOT WANTING TO OF REPLANT 2 OF PART A AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
>> MOTION AND A SECOND HOME FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
>> THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
WITH THAT WE MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 11,
[11. Zoning Text Amendments – Applicant initiated amendments to the Abacoa Town Center subdistrict of the Mixed-Use Zoning District to increase density, reduce the commercial core requirement and establish new workforce housing requirements.]
[00:40:02]
UNDER THE REGULAR AGENDA, THE ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS.>> GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, FOR THE RECORD, DONALDSON HEARING.
I'M HERE TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT, WHICH IS ARIES LAND ACQUISITIONS, LLC.
MR. RENDINA IS INDEED HERE ALONG WITH MR. TODD FABBRI WITH THE RICHMAN GROUP.
RICH IS WITH THE RENDINA COMPANIES AND WE'RE JUST REALLY LUCKY TO HAVE TWO OUTSTANDING, WELL RESPECTED LOCAL BUSINESS PEOPLE BRINGING THE PROJECT BEFORE YOU AND THE TEXT AMENDMENT BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
OUR APPLICATION OR OUR REQUEST IS FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND CAN BE OUTLINED IN THREE SPECIFIC WAYS.
I'M GOING TO SPECIFICALLY NOT GO THROUGH ALL THE THINGS STAFF MIGHT COME THROUGH ON THE STAFF REPORT, BUT TALK ABOUT THINGS ON A HIGH LEVEL.
OUR HOPE TONIGHT IS TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME DIRECTION AND HOPEFULLY WORK TOGETHER WITH STAFF TO BRING AN ORDINANCE BACK BEFORE YOU THAT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
THE THREE ELEMENTS ARE FIRST TO ESTABLISH AN APPROPRIATE RESIDENTIAL DENSITY IN A TOWN CENTER.
THEY'RE APPROPRIATE FOR TOWN CENTERS TO PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL GROUND FLOOR AREA WITHIN THE ABACOA TOWN CENTER SPECIFICALLY, AND TO PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE HOUSING AND TO PROVIDE FOR A PROVISION THAT PROVIDES FOR A BALANCE TO THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
HOPEFULLY YOU RECEIVED ON THE DAIS THIS EVENING, A PROPOSED AMENDMENT THAT WE'VE MADE TO OUR ORIGINAL APPLICATION.
WE WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MEET WITH US BECAUSE YOUR COMMENTS REALLY HAVE INFORMED HOW WE'VE REVISED THE APPLICATION TO PROVIDE WHAT WE THINK IS A BIGGER COMMITMENT TO WORKFORCE HOUSING AND I'LL GO THROUGH THAT.
THOSE THREE ITEMS THAT I IDENTIFIED TO YOU ARE REALLY ARTICULATED INTO THE FORM OF OUR REQUESTS, WHICH IS A ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT.
SPECIFICALLY WE'RE AMENDING THE TOWN CENTER'S SUB-DISTRICT FIRST.
TO ASSIGN AN APPROPRIATE RESIDENTIAL DENSITY FOR THE TOWN CENTER, OUR PROPOSAL AS IT IS AND I'LL REVIEW THAT, BRINGS IT TO A TOTAL OF 19.2 UNITS TO THE ACRE.
IF YOU WANTED THIS TO BE 19.2, THAT WOULD BE FINE WITH US.
THEN ALSO TO PROVIDE FOR THE BALANCE OF RESIDENTIAL AND NON-RESIDENTIAL LAND USE WITHIN THE TOWN CENTER, WE'RE ASKING TO MODIFY THE CORE COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENT FROM 30 PERCENT TO 25 PERCENT.
THEN LASTLY TO BALANCE THE ABOVE, WE'RE PROPOSING TO PROVIDE WHAT WE THINK IS A PRETTY BOLD WORKFORCE HOUSING PROGRAM.
IT'S THE LARGEST WORKFORCE HOUSING PROGRAM THAT'S COME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL SINCE BARCELONA, BACK IN 2013.
THAT ACTUALLY CAME THROUGH AT A PERFECT TIME AND PLACE IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMY AND CONSTRUCTION COST.
WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO, WE PREVIOUSLY HAD SUGGESTED THAT 6 PERCENT OF THE ADDITIONAL UNITS THAT WERE ABOVE THE 16 UNITS TO THE ACRE WOULD BE PROVIDED AS WORKFORCE.
WE ARE NOW PROPOSING THAT 21.8 PERCENT OF THOSE UNITS BETWEEN THE EXISTING 16 UNITS PER ACRE WITHIN THE TOWN CENTER TO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR, 19.2, BE WORKFORCE HOUSING.
I'LL GO THROUGH THAT BREAKDOWN WITH YOU.
ON TOTAL JUST TO KEEP IT SIMPLE, DURING MY PRESENTATION, I'M GOING TO BASICALLY BE SAYING IT'S 20 PERCENT OF OUR TOTAL.
WE HAVE 357 TOTAL UNITS, WE'RE PROPOSING 71 WORKFORCE UNITS AS A PART OF OUR PLAN.
THE ABACOA TOWN CENTER, AS YOU'RE AWARE, IS 70.36 ACRES AND THE AREA THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THIS EVENING IS OBVIOUSLY A MUCH SMALLER AREA.
THE TWO VACANT LOTS THAT ARE PART OF WHAT WE CALL TOWN CENTER PHASE 4.
THE VACANT LOT, WHICH WAS A FORMER MOVIE THEATER, WHICH IS IN TOWN CENTER PHASE 2, AND THEN ONE EXISTING BUILDABLE LOT, WHICH IS JUST TO THE WEST OF THE HOTEL, WHICH WE'RE PROPOSING TO UTILIZE TO PROVIDE FOR EXPANDED STRUCTURED PARKING THERE TO FACILITATE ALL OF THE TOWN CENTER AND TO MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL.
IN 2018, MR. CHICK AND MYSELF, WERE BEFORE THIS COUNCIL WHEN WE AMENDED THE EXISTING DEVELOPMENT ORDER AND RESCINDED THE DRI.
PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, WHICH WAS A DISCUSSION AND THERE WERE GIVES AND TAKES THAT WE WORKED OUT WITH COUNCIL,
[00:45:02]
THE ONE ITEM THAT WE REQUESTED WAS THE ABILITY TO RETAIN THE EXISTING ENTITLEMENTS THAT REMAINED ON THE UNDEVELOPED PARCELS FOR A DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME THAT WAS DEFINED IN THE ORDINANCE AND THEN TO HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE FLEXIBILITY TO EXCHANGE THOSE BASED ON PM PEAK HOUR.THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE APPLICANT.
THEN IN EXCHANGE, THE TOWN ASKED US AND WE AGREED AND SELF-IMPOSED UPON OURSELVES THE REQUIREMENT THAT ANY NEW RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNIT THAT WOULD BE BUILT IN ABACOA TOWN CENTER WOULD CONFORM TO THE TOWN'S WORKFORCE HOUSING ORDINANCE THAT REQUIRES 6 PERCENT AND THAT ALL NON-RESIDENTIAL BE CONFORMED TO THE TOWN'S ORDINANCE, WHICH REQUIRES A LINKAGE FEE.
THE NEW REHABILITATION HOSPITAL THAT JUST OPENED UP IN ABACOA THAT MR. RENDINA DELIVERED, THEY HAD TO PAY A LINKAGE FEE, WHICH GOES TOWARD AFFORDABLE HOUSING, GOES INTO THE TOWN'S FUND.
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY BACK IN THE TIME.
BUT AS IT RELATES TO SPECIFICALLY THE ABACOA TOWN CENTER, THERE IS A FAIRLY LARGE AMOUNT OF ENTITLEMENT THAT REMAINS ITS RETAIL OFFICE, 1,035 SEAT MOVIE THEATER, AND 104 RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNITS, SO THERE IS 104 APARTMENT UNITS THAT EXIST THERE TODAY ON THE PARCELS THAT WE DISCUSSED EARLIER.
OUR PROPOSAL THAT WE'LL BRING BEFORE YOU IS 357 APARTMENTS, 13 OF WHICH ARE TO STORE LIVE WORK UNITS.
THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT 20,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL, THE 104 EXISTING APARTMENTS AND THEN THE 1,035-SEAT MOVIE THEATER.
WHAT WILL REMAIN UNUSED AND WILL BE ENTITLEMENT THAT WILL REMAIN UNUSED IS A LITTLE BIT OVER 200,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN TRAFFIC.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS BUILT TO SUPPORT A MUCH MORE INTENSE DEVELOPMENT, THE WATER, THE SEWER, THE REUSE WATER, THE ROADWAYS.
WHAT WE'RE BRINGING BEFORE YOU WHILE WE'RE ASKING FOR AN INCREASE IN DWELLING UNITS, WE'RE ASKING FOR WHAT WE SAY IS A DECREASE IN DENSITY BECAUSE I KNOW DENSITY CAN BE A BAD WORD SOMETIMES.
DENSITY IN THE CONTEXT OF A TOWN CENTER TO ME IS A POSITIVE WORD BECAUSE IT BASICALLY MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER, MORE VIBRANT, MORE WALKABLE, BUT WE'RE REDUCING THE TRAFFIC BY 108 TRIPS THAT ARE THERE.
I THINK A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED IF WE WERE TO ACTUALLY START TO GO THROUGH AND ADD THOSE UP.
OUR PLAN WITH THE 357 UNITS REALLY DOES A LOT OF THINGS, IT PROMOTES THAT WALKABLE TOWN CENTER.
I'VE GOT AN EXHIBIT THAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU WHERE SOME OF THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES DEALING WITH WALKABILITY EXIST WITHIN THE TOWN CENTER.
IT PROVIDES THE CRITICALLY NEEDED HOUSING IN THE TOWN OF JUPITER, AS WELL AS NORTHERN PALM BEACH COUNTY, IN ADDITION TO THE 71 WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS.
WE HAVE A CRITICAL HOUSING, THERE IS A 20,000 UNITS SHORTAGE.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TALK TO ANY EMPLOYER IN JUPITER AND FIND OUT WHAT THEIR NUMBER ONE ISSUE IS, THEY CAN'T GET EMPLOYEES THAT CAN COME HERE AND MOVE HERE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIND A PLACE TO LIVE AND THEN OFTEN IT'S UNAFFORDABLE.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S LETTERS IN YOUR PACKET FROM JUPITER MEDICAL CENTER, AND CERTAINLY THEY'RE ONE OF THEM, OUR OFFICE IS ONE OF THEM, WE'VE GOT FIVE POSTED OPENINGS THAT WE'D LOVE TO BRING HERE.
THE BIGGEST ONE IMPEDIMENT IS FINDING HOUSING, NOT NECESSARILY, ALWAYS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SO THOSE ARE ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH.
WE HAVE 344 APARTMENTS, 13 LIVE WORK APARTMENTS, AND THEN OUR PROPOSAL ALSO INCLUDES A PUBLIC ELEMENT, A COVERED PICKLEBALL.
WE'D LOVE TO HAVE 50, BUT WE HAVE TWO. IT'S COVERED.
IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC, WE'LL WORK THROUGH YOUR RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO PROGRAM THAT.
THAT SPACE IS ALSO A WONDERFUL COVERED SPACE THAT CAN BE USED FOR LOTS OF MULTI-PURPOSES, NOT JUST BEING UTILIZED FOR PICKLEBALL.
THE AREAS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW ARE LIVE WORK UNITS.
WE'RE PROPOSING 13 LIVE WORK UNITS AND THEY'RE TWO STORIES IN HEIGHT.
YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY AWARE THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LIVE WORK UNITS, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THEY'RE HUGELY SUCCESSFUL, BUT THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL IN ANTIGUA.
THERE IS 20 EXISTING LIVE WORK UNITS OPERATING TODAY IN ANTIGUA.
IT WORKS BECAUSE SOMEBODY CAN LIVE THERE AND THEN THEY CAN ALSO AFFORD TO HAVE THEIR BUSINESS THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE LIVING AND ARE WORKING IN THE SAME LOCATION.
THERE THERE'S SIGNIFICANT STRUGGLES OR CONSTRAINTS BECAUSE THEY LOOK LIKE RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
WE'RE PROPOSING STOREFRONTS, THEY DON'T HAVE PARKING, WE'LL HAVE MORE THAN AMPLE PARKING TO SUPPORT IT.
THE LIVE WORK UNITS THAT WE'LL PROVIDE, WE THINK WILL HELP SUPPORT THAT ACTIVE STREETSCAPE THAT EVERYBODY IS LOOKING FOR AND POST-COVID, WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE VERY POSITIVE AND WE WOULD HAVE
[00:50:01]
SOME GOOD BUSINESSES WITHIN THOSE AREAS.WE'RE DOING RIGHT HERE, AND WE'RE PROVIDING THREE PUBLIC PARKING GARAGES.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS COUNCIL TO UNDERSTAND THAT RESIDENTIAL USE IS THE ONLY USE THAT CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR STRUCTURED PARKING, LET ALONE TO PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL PARKING THAT'S NEEDED FOR BASEBALL.
YOU CAN'T BUILD AN OFFICE AND RENT IT, AND BUILD A PARKING STRUCTURE AND MAKE IT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE AND VIABLE OR OTHER USES AS WELL.
THAT'S JUST AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO POINT OUT.
I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SOME OF THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES AND THIS COUNCIL WAS CERTAINLY WELL AWARE.
I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM WITH THE ABACOA TOWN CENTER, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL HOMES IN A WALKABLE PROXIMITY TO THE TOWN CENTER.
OF COURSE IN YOUR PACKET, I BELIEVE, ARE SEVERAL LETTERS FROM THE BUSINESS OWNERS, I THINK SOME OF THEM ARE HERE TONIGHT FROM THE TOWN CENTER.
RIGHT NOW THERE IS LOTS OF COMMUNITIES THAT ARE WITHIN REASONABLY CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE TOWN CENTER, BUT NOT MANY OF THEM THAT CAN WALK THERE.
I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING ON THE EAST SIDE OR CENTRAL, THEY'VE GOT A CROSS CENTRAL BOULEVARD, IT'S A HUGE BARRIER, YOU'VE GOT BASEBALL A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER, FAU A BARRIER, THE GOLF COURSE A BARRIER.
THERE AREN'T AS MANY UNITS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY THAT ARE WALKABLE TO THE TOWN CENTER, SO IT REQUIRES DRIVING AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DO SO.
THIS REALLY DOES BENEFIT THAT.
THE ABACOA TOWN CENTER, AS YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE LOTS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS COUNCIL TO NOTE BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD COMMENTS, WELL, MAYBE THERE IS POTENTIAL OTHER USES.
IF THERE'S A USE THAT IS NOT ECONOMICALLY VIABLE, IT'S NOT AN ALTERNATIVE USE.
IF IT CAN'T BE BUILT THERE AND BE ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE, IT'S NOT AN ALTERNATIVE USE.
THE RENDINA COMPANIES AND MR. CHICK AND MR. RANDINA IT WILL TELL YOU, THEY HAVE MARKETED THIS PROPERTY NATIONALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR 25 PLUS YEARS.
IF THERE WAS A MARKET, THAT MARKET WOULD BE HERE TODAY.
IF THERE WAS, IT WOULD BE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TAKING A BUILDABLE LOT WHICH HAS 30,000 SQUARE FEET OF ENTITLEMENT AND WE'RE GOING TO USE IT TO PUT PARKING BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A MARKET FOR THESE OTHER ALTERNATIVE USES THAT ARE THEIR.
RENT WITHIN THE ABACOA TOWN CENTER AND WE PROVIDED THE FACTUAL DATA SO YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR STAFF REPORT, ARE TWO-AND-A-HALF TIMES LESS THAN THE RENTS IN THE ALTON TOWN CENTER RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET OR ABACOA TOWN CENTER OR DONALD ROSS VILLAGE.
IT'S BECAUSE OF JUST MARKET FORCES WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED.
ALL OF THOSE CENTERS ARE 100% FULLY OCCUPIED.
ALTON TOWN CENTER HAS A WAITING LIST, ALL AAA CREDITS.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE HAVE IN ABACOA TOWN CENTER.
IT STRUGGLED, BUT ALL TOWN CENTERS HAVE STRUGGLED.
BOCA TOWN CENTER HAS STRUGGLED.
CELEBRATION. THE THEATER IN CELEBRATION HAS BEEN VACANT FOR 13 YEARS.
IT'S MUCH SMALLER, AS NOTED IN THE STAFF REPORT, BUT THEY STRUGGLED AND THEY'VE HAD TO EVOLVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING TO DO TODAY.
WE'RE WANTING ASKING YOU TO LOOK INTO THE WINDSHIELD, GO FORWARD, DON'T LOOK BACKWARD.
LET'S LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH AND WHAT WE CAN SOLVE.
WE CAN SOLVE PARKING, WE CAN SOLVE ISSUES WITH HOUSING.
WE CAN MAKE A MORE VIBRANT TOWN CENTER.
WE CAN MAKE A GREAT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S THERE.
WE HAVE LOTS OF NEW JOBS AND YOU'RE AWARE OF THE JOB, JUPITER MEDICAL CENTER, AT A MINIMUM, WILL BE PRODUCING 300 NEW JOBS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SURGICAL CENTER WHICH WILL OPEN UP LATER THIS YEAR AND WITH THE NEW BED TOWER, WHICH YOU ALL ARE PROVED A FEW WEEKS AGO.
THEY CRITICALLY NEED PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO LIVE HERE BECAUSE THEY DON'T NEED EVERYBODY LIVING IN PORT ST.
LUCIE OR WEST PALM BEACH OR OUT AN INDIAN TOWN, THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO PROVIDE THOSE EMERGENCY SERVICES.
THIS TOWN IS ADVERTISING FOR NEW JOBS, POLICE, FIRE, TEACHERS.
WE NEED PLACES FOR THESE PEOPLE TO LIVE AND IF WE CAN HAVE THEM IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, THEN THAT'S GOOD.
THIS IS ALL LOCATION, WHICH IS AN APPROPRIATE LOCATION FOR HOUSING TO EXIST.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE BRINGING IT TO YOU.
THE TOWN DOESN'T HAVE MANY GREAT LOCATIONS TO BE ABLE TO ADD REASONABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WILL MEET THE NEED.
THIS CAN DO THAT IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY.
A LOT VEHICLES, MILES THAT WOULD BE LESS TRAVELED.
WE PROMOTE INFILL DEVELOPMENT.
WE PROVIDE HOUSING VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A LOT OF JOBS, WHICH WE THINK IS BENEFICIAL AND WE SUPPORT YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN. WE DID HAVE A CHANCE.
I DO LOOK AT YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN EVERY YEAR AND TRY
[00:55:02]
TO STUDY IT AND APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT EACH OF YOU DO.WE WANT TO SEVERAL OF THE POLICIES THAT ARE UNDER STRONG LOCAL ECONOMY OR DIRECTLY IN SUPPORT OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO THIS EVENING AND THAT IS TO HOUSING SUPPLY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
WELL, IT'S CRITICAL FOR US TO CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR BUSINESSES AND SUSTAIN OUR BUSINESSES HERE IN THE TOWN AND BE ABLE TO HAVE HOUSING FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES TO LIVE.
IT ALSO HELPS ABACOA TOWN CENTER BE SUCCESSFUL.
WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL HELP MORE PEOPLE SHOPPING DOWNTOWN THAT CAN WALK QUICKLY FOR LUNCH AND FOR DINNER OVER THEIR, WORKFORCE HOUSING.
WE HEARD YOUR DISCUSSIONS WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD TOWARDS.
OUR PROPOSAL, LOOKING AT IT JUST CONCEPTUALLY IN GENERAL, HAD ABOUT 10% AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE WERE DOING OUR 6% AS REQUIRED BY THE TOWN ORDINANCE, CONSISTENT WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT ORDER AND THEN WE WERE PROPOSING AN ADDITIONAL NUMBER OF UNITS AND ADDITIONAL 4%.
THAT WOULD HAVE BROUGHT US UP TO 10% BUT WE WERE ASKING FOR THOSE TO BE IN THE MODERATE HIGH WORKFORCE HOUSING CATEGORY THAT WAS 101-120% AMI.
WHAT WE BRING BEFORE YOU TODAY IS THAT WOULD HAVE PRODUCED 35 UNITS.
TODAY WE'RE PROPOSING 20%, 71 UNITS.
THE ONLY OTHER PROJECTS THAT'S PRODUCED ANY REASONABLE NUMBER OF UNITS HAS BEEN BARCELONA BACK IN 2013.
HOUSING COSTS WERE LESS THAN A THIRD OF THEY ARE TODAY.
LAND COSTS WERE SIGNIFICANT LESS, IMPACT FEES WERE LESS.
IT WAS A DIFFERENT DAY, IT WAS A DIFFERENT ERA.
WHAT WE'RE BEING REALLY IS A PRETTY BOLD PROPOSAL.
TWENTY PERCENT, WE'RE DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WE HAD PROPOSED IN THE LOW MODERATE RANGE, WHICH IS GOING 7-14.
WELL 50 IN THE 100-120 FOR A TOTAL OF 71.
WE WILL GIVE PRIORITY TO JUPITER BUSINESSES, TO JUPITER FIRST RESPONDERS, TO TEACHERS, AND TO BUSINESSES OF THE TOWN.
THERE CERTAINLY THAT MUCH NEED THAT WE KNOW THAT WE COULD DO THOSE 71 UNITS. YOU NEED TO KNOW.
MR. FABRI WILL CERTAINLY ANSWER A QUESTION IF YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY AND WHAT THAT COST IS, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE UNITS IS BELOW MARKET.
THE REMAINING 286 UNITS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING ARE SUBSIDIZING THOSE UNITS AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPERS EFFORTS AT THE DEVELOPER IS PUTTING INTO IT.
THE ONES AT THE LOWER END OF THE CATEGORY, THEY DON'T EVEN PAY THE BASIC OPERATIONAL COSTS TO MAINTAIN THE GROUNDS, TO PAY THE TAXES AND TO MAINTAIN THE PARKING GARAGES SO WE THINK THAT THAT'S A BOLD PROPOSAL.
WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT SUPPORT AND SO WE HOPE YOU CAN SUPPORT AS TOO.K AT THAT, WE THINK WE HAVE A GREAT PROJECT.
OUR GOLDEN IDEA TO GET SOME GOOD INFORMATION TO YOU.
WE'D HOPE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD ON A RESOLUTION, THAT ORDINANCE THAT CAN COME BACK BEFORE YOU THAT CAN ADD SOME SUCCESS AND WE COULD DELIVER SOMETHING THAT WE THINK WILL MEET A NUMBER OF HOT BUTTONS THAT ARE NEEDED WITHIN OUR REGION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY MORE QUESTIONS, AS WELL AS OUR ENTIRE TEAM.
>> [NOISE] GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL. FOR THE RECORD, GARRETT WATSON WITH THE PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT.
BEFORE I BEGIN, YOU'RE PROVIDED A PACKET ON YOUR DIETS THAT INCLUDED A ONE-PAGE MEMO THAT THE APPLICANT WAS REFERENCING REGARDING THE INCREASED WORKFORCE HOUSING.
IT INCLUDED SOME LETTERS FROM BUSINESSES IN TOWN CENTER AND SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION, AS WELL AS THE LETTER FROM THE BDB SUPPORTING THE APPLICATION AS WELL.
YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT AS ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT THAT MODIFIES ABOUT 70 ACRES OF TOWN CENTER.
PORTION OF THESE MODIFICATIONS DEAL WITH A SMALLER PORTION OF THAT, ABOUT 21 ACRES THAT'S REFERENCED AS THE COMMERCIAL CORE.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE THE APPLICANTS PRESENTATION OUR STAFF REPORT REFERENCES THOSE VACANT PROPERTIES WITHIN TOWN CENTER, THAT WHAT'S ACTUALLY BEING DISCUSSED TONIGHT AS A ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT THROUGHOUT THAT WHOLE SUBDISTRICT.
WE'RE NOT AT THE SITE-SPECIFIC LEVEL YET.
THAT'S THEIR INTENT IS TO DEVELOP THOSE PROPERTIES BUT WHAT'S BEING CONSIDERED AT NIGHT FOR THAT ENTIRETY OF THE SUB-DISTRICT.
TO START THERE IS NO ORDINANCE FOR YOU TONIGHT.
THIS ISN'T FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MADE A RECOMMENDATION FOR DENIAL AND STAFF HAS NOT MADE A RECOMMENDATION.
OUR PRACTICE IN THAT SCENARIO IS TO NOT PRODUCE AN ORDINANCE.
[01:00:01]
I'LL GO INTO AT THE END OF MY PRESENTATION, SOME ACTIONS THAT YOU CAN TAKE TONIGHT SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.THERE ARE THREE KEY POLICY DECISIONS THAT ARE OUTLINED FOR YOU IN THE REPORT.
THOSE THREE DECISIONS ARE THE REDUCTION OF THE COMMERCIAL CORE, THE INCREASE IN DENSITY IN THE TOWN CENTER SUB-DISTRICT, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A SPECIAL WORKFORCE HOUSING PROVISION IN EXCHANGE FOR THOSE TWO THINGS.
I'LL COVER THOSE MORE IN DETAIL NOW.
THAT FIRST POLICY DECISION IS RELATED TO THE COMMERCIAL CORE.
FOR SOME HISTORY, TOWN CENTER REALLY BEGAN AS A MUCH MORE INTENSIVE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND OVER THE YEARS HAS MORPHED INTO THIS MORE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THE NORTH AND EAST ENDS HAVE BEEN CREATED INTO THIS MORE RESIDENTIAL URBAN PATTERN AND THE COMMERCIAL CORE OF TOWN CENTER HAS SHRUNK TO THE MIDDLE THAT IT EXISTS TODAY.
IN RESPONSE TO THE LORD PROJECT, WHICH WAS 2013, 2014, THE COUNCIL DEVELOPED WHAT'S CALLED THE COMMERCIAL CORE, WHICH IS BEING MODIFIED TONIGHT AS A MEANS OF SAVING THOSE LAST REMAINING PARCELS FOR COMMERCIAL USES.
AT THE TIME, THE COUNCIL ACTUALLY WANTED TO GO ONE STEP FURTHER AND COMPLETELY PROHIBIT RESIDENTIAL ENTIRELY GROUND FLOOR ABOVE IT BUT THERE WOULD HAVE CREATED SOME NONCONFORMITY IS AT THE TIME AND THEY WERE ADVISED NOT TO DO SO.
THEY DECIDED JUST TO CREATE A RESTRICTION ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
THE PROPOSED TEXTS AMENDMENT TONIGHT MODIFIES BOTH THE SIZE OF THAT COMMERCIAL CORE.
IT REDUCES THE SIZE AS WELL AS THE OVERALL PERCENTAGE OF TOWN CENTER.
IT'S NECESSARY BECAUSE THE APPLICANT'S FUTURE SITE PLAN INCLUDES RESIDENTIAL ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
AS FURTHER NOTED IN THE REPORT, THE APPLICANT DISCUSSES A MARKET ANALYSIS THAT FOCUSES ALMOST PRIMARILY ON THE USE OF RETAIL AND WHETHER OR NOT IT'S VIABLE TO ADD ADDITIONAL RETAIL.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER USES THAT COULD MEET THE INTENT OF THE COMMERCIAL CORE, SUCH AS RECREATION USES, SMALL OFFICE USES, PERSONAL SERVICES, CHURCHES, HOTELS, CONFERENCE CENTERS, THINGS THAT CAN BE COMPLIMENTARY TO TOWN CENTER WHILE NOT BEING A RETAIL USE PER SE.
SOME OF THOSE SAME USES COULD BE PROVIDED ON THE GROUND FLOOR UNDERNEATH THE RESIDENTIAL THAT'S PROPOSED AND STILL MEET THE INTENTS AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT COMMERCIAL CORE.
THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE FOR THAT COMPLIMENTARY NON-RESIDENTIAL USE HERE, BUT IT'S NOT THE APPLICANT'S REQUESTS.
THEY'RE REQUESTING GROUND FLOOR RESIDENTIAL IN THE FORM OF LIVE WORK UNITS, WHICH THE DETAILS WILL BE HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT LATER AT A SITE PLAN LEVEL, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE RESIDENTIAL AMENITIES ARE BEING PROVIDED ON THE GROUND FLOOR, BUT NO COMMERCIAL AT THIS TIME.
THE SECOND POLICY DECISION IN THE REPORT IS RELATED TO THE INCREASE IN DENSITY.
THE APPLICANT'S ASKING FOR AN INCREASE FROM 16 UNITS PER ACRE TO 20 UNITS PER ACRE.
THAT'S NOT THE HIGHEST IN ALL OF ABBACOA.
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL IS 22 UNITS PER ACRE BUT IT'S AN INCREASE.
THERE'S CURRENTLY JUST SHORT OF 1,000 UNITS BUILT AND 104 UNITS AND TITLED WITHIN THIS TOWN CENTER SUBDISTRICT.
UTILIZING THAT 16 UNITS PER ACRE UP TO 128 CAN BE BUILT TODAY.
IF THEY WERE TO GO BUILD ALL NEW UNITS UNDER THAT EXISTING 16 UNITS PER ACRE CAP, THEY COULD PRODUCE 128 UNITS.
THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING THAT INCREASE TO ALLOW FOR 357 UNITS TO BE CONSTRUCTED, WHICH RESULTS IN A DENSITY IN THE TOWN CENTER SUBDISTRICT OF 19.2 UNITS PER ACRE.
IT'S ACTUALLY SHORT OF THE 20 UNITS PER ACRE AND THAT LEAVES ABOUT 53 UNITS LEFTOVER THAT CAN BE BUILT ELSEWHERE WITHIN THAT 70 ACRES SOMEWHERE.
THE DENSITY FOR ABBACOA AS A WHOLE SO ALL 2,000-ISH ACRES OF ABBACOA WOULD GO FROM 3.2 UNITS PER ACRE TO 3.3 UNITS PER ACRE WITH THIS PROPOSED PROJECT.
IF THE TOWN COUNCIL IS SUPPORTIVE OF THE INCREASE IN DENSITY OF THAT GROUND FLOOR COMMERCIAL IN SOME CAPACITY GOING AWAY.
THE THIRD POLICY DECISION IS A MODIFICATION TO THE WORKFORCE HOUSING PROVISIONS.
IT'S A SPECIAL PROVISION THAT THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING.
WE GOT THAT MEMO THIS AFTERNOON SO WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO DIGEST IT, PRODUCE A SIGNIFICANT ANALYSIS BEHIND IT.
BUT WE WERE ABLE TO WORK OUT SOME BASELINE NUMBERS AND CAN PROVIDE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION HERE.
THE INCREASE IN WORKFORCE HOUSING FROM 10% TO ABOUT 20% PRODUCES 71 UNITS AND PLACES THIS PROJECT MORE IN LINE WITH THE BARCELONA PROJECT, WHICH IS ABOUT 20% OF ITS UNITS AS WELL.
THE DIFFERENCE IS BARCELONA AT THE TIME WAS ABLE TO PRODUCE 50% OF THEIR UNITS AT THE LOW CATEGORY SO HALF OF THEIR UNITS WERE AT THAT VERY LOW OR THAT LOW CATEGORY.
[01:05:03]
WHEREAS THIS PROJECT PRODUCES ABOUT 10% OF THE UNITS IN THAT LOW CATEGORY.LIKEWISE, BARCELONA PROVIDED ABOUT 17% OF THE UNITS AT MODERATE HIGH AND THIS PROJECT PRODUCES ABOUT 70% OF THOSE UNITS AT MODERATE HIGH SO IT'S AN INCREASE.
THE APPLICANT'S STATEMENT OF USE GOES INTO SOME RATIONALE BEHIND THIS PRODUCT TYPE AND THE YEAR THAT BARCELONA WAS BUILT, CONSTRUCTION COSTS THAT JUSTIFY THEIR POSITION AND WHAT THEY'RE OFFERING.
FOR SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT ABOUT WORKFORCE HOUSING IN GENERAL, WE'VE PROVIDED BOTH THE COMP PLAN ELEMENTS FOR YOU AS ATTACHMENT E, AS WELL AS THE CODE FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING AS ATTACHMENT F. WE'VE ALSO PROVIDED ON PAGE 7 OF THE REPORT A BREAKDOWN OF THE 2022 RENT COSTS FOR YOU BECAUSE MOST OF THESE UNITS ARE IN THE MODERATE HIGH I'LL JUST READ THROUGH THEM QUICKLY FOR YOU.
ONE-BEDROOM UNIT AT THE MODERATE HIGH LEVEL WOULD RENT FOR ABOUT 1,600.
A TWO-BEDROOM WOULD RENT FOR ABOUT 1,950, THREE BEDROOM WOULD RENT FOR ABOUT 2,242 PER MONTH.
THAT'S AT THE MODERATE HIGH LEVEL, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT 50 UNITS IN THEIR PROPOSED PROJECT.
YOU'LL SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 8 OF THE STAFF REPORTS.
SORRY, THE TOP OF PAGE 9 OF THE STAFF REPORT, WE'VE PROPOSED SOME ADDITIONAL BENEFITS THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL COULD CONSIDER SHOULD THE APPLICANT'S RECENT EDITION OF 20% OF THE WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS NOT BE ENOUGH FOR THE COUNCIL.
THEY COULD INCREASE FURTHER THE PERCENTAGE OF WORKFORCE HOUSING.
YOU COULD REQUIRE AN EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF UNITS, SO THEY WOULDN'T BE 70% MODERATE HIGH.
YOU CAN PROQUIRE AN EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE UNITS.
YOU COULD ALSO DO A SHORT-TERM RESTRICTION FOR CERTAIN UNITS TO BE LOWER-INCOME CATEGORIES FOR CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME THAT'S BEEN DONE IN THE PAST BY COUNCIL OR SOME COMBINATION OF ALL OF THOSE.
WE ALSO HAVE PRESENTED FOR YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER, THE OPTION OF HIRING CONSULTANT THAT COULD EVALUATE THIS CURRENT REQUEST AND MAKE SURE IT'S CALIBRATED FOR THE CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS AND THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL IS GETTING WHAT THEY EXPECT OUT OF THE EXCHANGE.
IN CONCLUSION, THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT WAS RECOMMENDED FOR DENIAL BY THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, WHICH IS WHY YOU DON'T HAVE AN ORDINANCE TODAY.
IT IS A DEPARTURE FROM PRIOR POLICY DECISIONS OF THE COUNCIL.
BUT THAT SAID, IT IS WITHIN YOUR AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THOSE POLICY DECISIONS, SHOULD IT BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE NEW POLICY.
A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO TONIGHT, DEPENDING UPON THE ACTION YOU DECIDE TO TAKE.
IF YOU'RE IN SUPPORT OF THIS ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT TONIGHT IN SOME FORM, YOU'LL NEED TO DIRECT STAFF TO PREPARE AN ORDINANCE THAT EITHER ALIGNS WITH THE APPLICANT'S MOST RECENT REQUEST OR SOME LEVEL THAT THE COUNCIL IS COMFORTABLE WITH.
WE WILL THEN BRING THAT ORDINANCE BACK FOR FIRST READING.
UNLESS YOU DIRECT US TO GO BACK TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION WITH THAT NEW REQUEST.
IF YOU'RE NOT IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT WITH WHAT THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED TONIGHT, YOU CAN LET US KNOW AND THE SUBDISTRICT PLAN THAT WOULD COME INTO FUTURE, THE SITE PLAN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD COME IN THE FUTURE, WON'T BE MOVING FORWARD AS WELL AS THIS APPLICATION.
WITH THAT, I'LL CONCLUDE AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. WELL, THIS IS UNUSUAL ONE, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE'RE DOING A ROUND TABLE IN A WAY.
I'M GOING TO JUST SUGGEST AN APPROACH HERE THAT NUMBER 1, I LIKE THE WAY STAFF FRAMED TOPICS TO DO.
I'D LIKE TO GO THROUGH THOSE TOPICS.
REDUCTION IN COMMERCIAL CORE, INCREASE IN DENSITY AND THEN WORKFORCE HOUSING, A MOUNTAIN ROLE.
BUT PERHAPS BEFORE WE DO THAT, IT MAY BE APPROPRIATE TO GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE IF YOU WANTED TO ASK GENERAL QUESTIONS.
THEN AFTER WE'RE DONE ASKING GENERAL QUESTIONS, THEN IF INDIVIDUALS WANT TO MAKE GENERAL OVERALL REMARKS BEFORE WE GET INTO THE SUBTOPICS, THAT'S THE APPROACH I'D LIKE TO USE.
I'LL TURN IT FIRST TO COUNCIL IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
>> I DO. FOR THE APPLICANT QUICKLY.
THIS HAS BEEN A LOT OF WORK AND YOUR EFFORT COMES ACROSS CLEARLY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
[01:10:05]
YOU'VE MADE AN ATTEMPT TO LISTEN TO US.BUT I WAS SURPRISED, I HAVE TO SAY BY TODAY, GETTING A MEMO SAYING THAT THE WORKFORCE HOUSING WOULD BE INCREASED.
A BIG TOPIC OF OUR CONVERSATION IN THE PAST WAS WORKFORCE HOUSING.
WE HAVE A LOT OF EDUCATION THAT WE HAVE TO DO FOR OUR RESIDENTS, FOR OURSELVES AND WORKFORCE HOUSING.
IT'S A VERY BIG TOPIC IN THE COUNTY.
IT'S HARD TO KNOW THE MARKET CONDITIONS AROUND IT AND WHETHER OR NOT THE TOWN AND ITS RESIDENTS ARE GETTING A GOOD DEAL.
I STRUGGLE IN A NEGOTIATION WHEN THE BENEFIT, WHICH THIS PRESENTATION WOULD BE THE SAME PRESENTATION, HOW DID THAT NOT CHANGE? THE SAME STATEMENTS WOULD BE MADE, BUT THE WORKFORCE HOUSING JUST DOUBLED THE DAY HOURS BEFORE.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STATEMENTS MADE ABOUT WHY IT COULDN'T BE MORE THAN 10%.
I CAN QUOTE. LET'S SEE, THE DOUBLE COUNTING OF UNITS FOR THE PURPOSES OF WORKFORCE HOUSING IS NOT PRESENT IN ANY OTHER CODE SECTION OR ZONING DISTRICT AND REPRESENTS A SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC BENEFIT.
>> YOU CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION.
>> WOULD RAISE CONCERN. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT THAT.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION AND COUNCIL GREAT COMMENT.
WE APPRECIATE IT. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
EVERYTHING THAT WE TELL YOU ABOUT THE COSTS ARE REAL.
I MEAN, YOU UNDERSTAND CONSTRUCTION COSTS SUPPLY ALL OF THAT IS 100% REAL.
THE RENTAL RATES, EVEN AT THE HIGH LEVEL THAT YOU RENT, YOU CAN'T FIND ANYTHING IN TOWN COMPARABLE IN EVEN ONE OF THE APARTMENT LOWER OR CLOSE BY FOR CLOSE TO THOSE NUMBERS THAT ARE THERE.
WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME CHANGES IN STATE TAX LAW WHICH ENABLE US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, WHICH WOULD JUST ADOPT IT WELL AFTER THE TIME THAT WE HAD MET, I BELIEVE THE LAST TIME.
WE'VE TAKEN US A LOT OF TIME TO UNDERSTAND THOSE AND TO HAVE OUR PROFESSIONALS TELL US WHAT THAT MEANS FROM A TAX PERSPECTIVE AND THEN HOW WE COULD TAKE THAT AND RELATE THAT INTO WHAT WE COULD DO FROM AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BUT LET ME SEE IF [INAUDIBLE] YOU WANT TO TRY TO RESPOND? BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE NEW ORDINANCES.
I DON T THINK THE TOWN ONES, BUT SOME OF THOSE SAY RIGHT NOW AND WE WERE ALL TRYING TO DIGEST IT.
THIS IS NEW INFORMATION AND WE FORCED OURSELVES TO DO IT SO THAT WE CAN PRESENT SOMETHING TONIGHT BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO THIS COUNCIL.
BUT IT'S BY NO MEANS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE HOLDING BACK.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE FORTHRIGHT AND AN HONEST.
MR. RODRIGUEZ CAN COMMENT ON THAT.
>> GOOD EVENING MAYOR, THE COUNCILS. THANK YOU.
AS DON MENTIONED, THIS IS RECENT LAW THAT'S JUST BEEN ENACTED, JUST SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR.
IT IS THE LIVE LOCAL ACT AND SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH IT.
WHAT IT DOES THERE'S A TERMINOLOGY THAT IT'S BEEN USED RECENTLY, THE MISSING MIDDLE, WHICH WOULD BE THAT 80 TO 120% AMI.
THERE ARE NOW TOOLS, IF YOU WILL, IN THAT LAW THAT ALLOW FOR ESSENTIALLY TAX EXEMPTION, PARTIAL TAX EXEMPTION ON THOSE UNITS.
[NOISE] EXCUSE ME. IF YOU'RE COMMITTING TO HAVE THOSE UNITS SET ASIDE TO SERVE THOSE INCOME LEVELS, YOU THEORETICALLY WILL BE ABLE TO GET A REDUCTION OF YOUR REAL ESTATE TAXES.
AS YOU KNOW, TAXES ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.
THEY'VE BEEN INCREASING EVERY YEAR, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES THAT WE DEAL WITH.
BUT THIS IS A VERY RECENT CHANGE, VERY RECENT TOOL THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET FROM THE LEGISLATURE.
I WILL SAY THAT THAT'S STILL EVOLVING IN TERMS OF LIKE ANY LAW THAT GETS PASSED INITIALLY.
IT TOOK US A WHILE TO REALLY DIGEST AND FIGURE OUT WHETHER THIS IS SOMETHING PRACTICALLY THAT CAN BE USED.
THOSE THINGS ARE STILL BEING LOOKED AT AND THERE'S NOT GREAT DETAIL WRITTEN IN LAWS, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, ENOUGH WRITTEN THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN THAT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT.
THAT WAS REALLY THE MAIN REASON THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE OUR PROPOSAL AND STILL HAVE THE PROJECT BE FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE.
OBVIOUSLY, NOTHING HAPPENS IF IT'S NOT FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE.
[01:15:03]
BUT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED AND WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE ABLE TO UTILIZE TO HELP BRING MORE WORKFORCE HOUSING.IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE AGAINST WORKFORCE HOUSING.
PART OF WHAT WE DO AT THE RICHMOND GROUP IS BUILD WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE'RE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT IT AND WANT TO PROVIDE IT.
IT'S JUST IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS WHERE YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY REAL SUBSIDY, IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE A LOT OF THOSE UNITS AT THOSE INCOME LEVELS GIVEN WHERE COST STAR AND OPERATING EXPENSES.
RECENT COSTS IN THE LAST TWO TO THREE YEARS HAVE GONE UP 40-50%.
THOSE ARE ALL CHALLENGES WE DEAL WITH AS DEVELOPERS.
BUT THAT'S A LONG-WINDED ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
>>THANK YOU. I KNOW IT CAME A FEW HOURS BEFORE WE MET TONIGHT, SO I HAD TO ASK IT.
THAT ADDRESSES A STATE-LEVEL AND SP1 OR TWO AS A CONCERN.
THE RULES OF THIS GAME ARE CHANGING FREQUENTLY AND RAPIDLY.
IN TERMS OF THE COUNTY LEVEL, WHY AM I BLANKING ON IT, BUT WE HAD THE VOTE ON THE WORKFORCE HOUSING.
WILL THERE BE SUPPORT AT THE COUNTY LEVEL THAT YOU ANTICIPATE GOING TO RECEIVE OR?
>> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GAP FINANCING.
>> I THINK THE COUNTY HAS THE MONEY ALLOCATED, BUT THEY REALLY HAVEN'T DEVELOPED THE PROGRAM ON HOW THAT WILL GO OUT. YOU WANT TO [OVERLAPPING].
>> THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I DON'T HAVE A LOT TO ADD, BUT AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE COUNTY HAS PASSED THAT POLICY WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE FLOATING BONDS TO BE ABLE TO HELP TRY TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING.
THEY'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH HOW THAT'S PRACTICALLY GOING TO BE ADMINISTERED.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ANSWERS AT THIS POINT.
THERE'S SOME IDEAS THAT HOW IT'S GOING TO GO, BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE FINAL, THERE HAS BEEN NO REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT OUTLINING HOW THOSE MONIES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE.
WE'RE WATCHING IT CLOSELY, BUT WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE HOW THAT WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY A PART.
BUT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT IT COULD BE HELPFUL TO HELP OFFSET AT LEAST THE INITIAL COST OF CONSTRUCTING THOSE UNITS.
WE'RE WATCHING THAT VERY CLOSELY.
>> IN TERMS OF WORKFORCE HOUSING, YOU SAY YOU PRIORITIZE JUPITER, TEACHERS, POLICE, ALL THAT.
I KNOW WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE PROJECT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAX AMENDMENTS.
BUT IN TERMS OF THIS WORKFORCE POLICY QUESTION, HOW WOULD YOU EXPECT TO ENFORCE THAT OR WHAT WOULD THAT EVEN LOOK LIKE?? TALKING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THEN WATCHING THEIR MEETINGS, A LOT OF TEACHERS AREN'T EVEN AT THE LOWEST END.
WHEN YOU SPEAK ABOUT THE MAJORITY OF YOUR UNITS BEING AT THE HIGHEST END, YOU'RE NOT SERVING THAT COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS OTHER DEVELOPMENTS MAY.
WHY CAN'T THEY BE MORE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED? HELP TEACH US ABOUT THAT? WHY CAN'T WE HAVE MORE EVEN DISTRIBUTION AGAINST THESE AMI LEVELS? HOW WOULD YOU ENFORCE OR MANAGE WORKFORCE HOUSING IN A WAY THAT WOULD BENEFIT JUPITER?
>> WELL, THE FIRST QUESTION IS ABOUT THE BENEFITTING JUPITER.
WE WOULD COMMIT TO HAVE A SPECIFIC MARKETING PLAN TO MARKET SPECIFICALLY TO LOCAL BUSINESSES IN JUPITER TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALL AWARE THAT THESE UNITS EXIST WELL IN ADVANCE OF THOSE UNITS COMING ONLINE.
WE WOULD MAKE A COMMITMENT TO TRY TO PROMOTE THESE UNITS TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE WORKFORCE OF JUPITER.
THAT'S A COMMITMENT WE CAN MAKE AND CERTAINLY DO AND HAVE DONE IN OTHER SITUATIONS AND OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES SIMILAR.
IN TERMS OF THE BALANCE, IT'S REALLY COMES DOWN TO THE ECONOMICS OF THE PROJECT AND EVEN WITH THE INCENTIVES THAT I MENTIONED WITH THE LIVE LOCAL, THERE STILL A BALANCING ACT TO WHERE THE DEVELOPMENT NO LONGER MAKES SENSE IF WE'RE PUTTING TOO MANY UNITS IN THOSE LOWER LEVELS AS DON MENTIONED IN HIS PRESENTATION EARLY ON.
THE THE UNITS AT THE 61-80, THE RENTS AT THOSE UNITS PRODUCED DON'T COVER THE 100% OF THE OPERATING EXPENSES FOR THOSE UNITS TO OPERATE OVER THE LONG TERM,
[01:20:05]
SO YOU REALLY, THEY'RE LOST LEADERS IN TERMS OF THOSE UNITS ARE NOT PRODUCING ANY INCOME.THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY LOSING MONEY ON THOSE UNITS.
THE 81-100 OBVIOUSLY GETS BETTER.
THE RENTS ARE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
YOU'RE ABLE TO OFFSET THOSE OPERATING EXPENSES.
BUT AGAIN, THERE'S STILL A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER THAT WE CAN PUT IN THERE.
WE REALLY LOOKED HARD AT THIS BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
WE AGREE THAT IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND WANTED TO PROVIDE WHAT WE COULD AND SO WE TOOK A HARD LOOK AND A VERY GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO TRY TO PUT AS MANY UNITS AS WE COULD, STILL BALANCING THE METRICS OF A PROJECT THAT WILL WORK AND CAN BE FINANCED AND GET COMPLETED ULTIMATELY AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF IT CAN'T BE BUILT IT DOESN'T HELP ANYBODY.
IT'S A BALANCING ACT ON TERMS OF WHAT WORKS, IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMICS AND WHAT DOES NOT.
>> YOU TALKED ABOUT ECONOMICALLY VIABLE USES, SO I UNDERSTAND THE STRUGGLE WITH COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE RIGHT NOW AND WITH OFFICE, BUT IN MEETING THE INTENT, JUST HAVING THESE OTHER USES THE TOWN CLEARLY WOULD BENEFIT FROM RECREATION.
I KNOW A LOT OF RESIDENTS WHO ASK ME ABOUT RECREATION ON A REGULAR BASIS.
TWO PICKLEBALL COURTS ISN'T TOO MUCH FOR, GIVEN THAT POPULARITY OF THAT USE.
WHY WOULDN'T A PLACE OF WORSHIP LIKE WHEN THAT MIGHT BE COMING ON INDIAN TOWN ONE DAY OR RECREATION OR I DON'T KNOW A HOTEL.
WHY WOULDN'T SOME OF THESE OTHER USES WORK HERE?
>> WELL, AGAIN, IT'S A COMMON THEME, BUT THE ECONOMICS, THOSE USES AREN'T ABLE TO BASICALLY PRODUCE RENT THAT WOULD COVER BECAUSE WE'RE LOSING UNITS IF WE'RE UTILIZING SPACE FOR THOSE PARTICULAR USES THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY PRODUCE ENOUGH RENT TO ALLOW THE PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD AND WE'RE TAKING AWAY MULTI-FAMILY UNITS OR RENTAL UNITS, ACTUAL RENTABLE SPACE.
AGAIN, IT'S DETERIORATING THE ECONOMICS OF THE PROJECT TO THE POINT WHERE IT NO LONGER MAKES SENSE IN TERMS OF FINANCE ABILITY.
WE DID LOOK AT TRYING TO COME UP WITH USES ON THE GROUND LEVEL THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY RESIDENTIAL BUT CAN STILL BE UTILIZED AS AN AMENITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO THE COMMUNITY, AND PERHAPS STILL BE ABLE TO MONETIZE THAT SPACE SOMEWHAT TO HELP OFFSET THE RENT THAT YOU'RE LOSING FOR THE RESIDENTIAL SPACE.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT.
TONIGHT IS THE APPROPRIATE FORUM FOR THAT, BUT FOR EXAMPLE WE LOOKED AT NEAR THE PICKLEBALL COURTS, TAKING AWAY A FEW OF THE LIVE WORK UNITS AND PUTTING IN A SIMULATOR, LIKE A GOLF SIMULATOR, YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT WHERE THAT COULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
IT WOULD BE A RECREATIONAL USE MULTI SPORT SIMULATOR.
THIS GOES ALONG WITH THE LIVE WORK, BUT HAVING, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, OFFICE SMALL SUITES, OFFICE SUITES WHERE THEY COULD BE RENTED AND WE WOULDN'T DO A HUGE NUMBER OF THEM BUT HAVE SOME ON THAT GROUND FLOOR WHERE RESIDENTS WHO ARE OUTSIDE FOLKS COULD, AND I THINK YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN JUPITER ALREADY.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT BUT I REMEMBER LOOKING AT IT.
>> WHERE IF I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, I'M A REALTOR OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, I WANT TO RENT, 150 SQUARE FEET, 200 SQUARE FEET AND HAVE EXECUTIVE SUITES, HAVE ACCESS TO PRINTERS AND TWO OTHER WI-FI AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES AND A PLACE TO MEET IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT IN YOUR HOME, HAVE A PLACE TO MEET WITH BUSINESS CONSTITUENTS.
AGAIN, WE COULD DO THAT ON SOME LEVEL AND HOPEFULLY GET SOME MORE ACTIVE USE ON THAT GROUND FLOOR AND STILL BE ABLE TO MONETIZE THAT SPACE SO THAT IT CAN PAY FOR ITSELF.
>> JUST TO ADD ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT IS THAT OTHER USES THE HOTEL THAT THERE HAS AN ADDITIONAL 60 ROOMS THAT THEY'VE NOT YET BUILT, 30 ROOMS THAT THEY HAVEN'T BUILT SO FROM A MARKET STANDPOINT, THEY ARE OCCUPANCIES JUST AREN'T ADEQUATE TO SUPPORT MORE ROOMS THERE.
[01:25:03]
CHRIST FELLOWSHIP DID LOOK AT THE SITE AT AT ONE POINT IN TIME AND IT JUST ENDED UP BEING JUST CONFLICTS WITH BASEBALL ON CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR THAT REALLY DIDN'T MAKE THAT VIABLE.AS TODD POINTED OUT, THERE ARE RECREATIONAL USES BUT A USE WHETHER IT'S RECREATIONAL, RETAIL OR OFFICE, STILL HAS TO BE ABLE TO PAY A MARKET RATE TO MAKE SOMETHING FEASIBLE.
I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT AND WE'VE CERTAINLY LOOKED IN TODD HAS SOME IDEAS THAT CERTAINLY WE'D CERTAINLY WILLING TO ENTERTAIN IF YOU'D LIKE.
>> TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS [INAUDIBLE].
>> I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GO WITH THIS.
>> I'VE JUST WANTED TO ASK STAFF A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND WE GO INTO THAT GOOD SUGGESTION.
YOU MAY NOT KNOW THE ANSWER, I UNDERSTAND, AND THEN GET IT FOR ME.
BUT DO YOU HAPPEN TO RECOLLECT IN BARCELONA THE LESSONS LEARNED, DID WE HAVE PROVISIONS FOR IT TO BE LOCAL USE.
>> HI, GOOD EVENING, STEPHANIE THORBURN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
YES, ONE OF THE MAIN LESSONS LEARNED WAS ENFORCEMENT.
WE HAD A MAGISTRATE CODE COMPLIANCE CASE REGARDING THE ACTUAL LEVELS OF THE INCOME LEVELS AND THERE WAS A SPECIFIC CONDITION OF APPROVAL RELATED TO THAT.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
IT IS ALSO DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE PRIORITIES BECAUSE BY THE TIME WE GET THEM, WHICH IS A THIRD PARTY, IF WE DO IT THAT WAY, IT IS IN A REPORT AND IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY DON'T NEED IT AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
THAT'S WHAT'S THE MAIN LESSON WE LEARNED ON BARCELONA WAS IT'S DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE AND THE NEED TO HAVE A THIRD-PARTY REVIEWER WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THE THRESHOLD AND THE INCOME QUALIFICATIONS.
>> I JUST HAD TO ASK, I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE IT TIME TO BOUND ON THAT, BUT DEBBIE, WORTHWHILE THAT GIVE IT TO US IN WRITING.
AS WE MOVE TOWARDS SOME POLICY DIRECTION, WE KNOW WHAT'S THE BEST WE HAVE NOW BASED ON THE FACT WE TRIED AT BARCELONA AND HOW COULD CHANGE IT, SO THANK YOU.
I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SOME COMMENTS.
FIRST OF ALL, I DO APPRECIATE THE APPLICANT FORCING THIS TO COME BEFORE US TONIGHT AND I WAS NOT AVAILABLE OR WILLING TO MEET BEFORE.
IT'S COMPLICATED FOR ME BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THESE ARE POLICY DECISIONS THAT SHOULD BE MADE FIRST BEFORE YOU GET TO GROUND IN A SITE PLAN AND I KNOW HOW IT WORKS.
IT'S A SITE PLAN, SMALLER STUFF. IT WORKS THAT WAY.
YOU GET THE SITE PLAN AND THERE'S A FEW HOUSEKEEPING ISSUES.
THIS IS NOT THAT THIS IS SIGNIFICANT POLICY.
JUST A HISTORY PERSPECTIVE, THE DRI DID EXPIRE.
WE MOVED INTO A PUD ARRANGEMENT WITH MY RECOLLECTION OF IT, THE TOWN COUNCIL ACTED TO PRESERVE TRAFFIC ENTITLEMENTS BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY IMPORTANT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T LOSE THOSE AND BE COMPETING AGAINST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DONALD ROSS ROAD SINCE THE ABACOA PROJECT DID DO SIGNIFICANT ROAD IMPROVEMENTS OR WHATEVER UNLIKE ANYTHING THAT'S DONE IN THESE TIMES.
HAVE YOU THAT AS A PUBLIC BENEFIT FOR DISCRETIONARY USE BY THE TOWN COUNCIL I'M NOT DEBATING ABOUT THAT, BUT NEVER IN MY MIND THAT I IMAGINED THEY'D BE ADDING RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
I'M NOT SAYING I'M NOT OPEN TO THINK ABOUT IT, BUT THAT'S THE FACTS BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT THE ABACOA DRI AND IT HAD MANY UNDERLYING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND REALLY HAS PROVEN TO BE A BENEFIT TO THE TOWN, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
BUT TWO KEY TRAFFIC-RELATED ONES FOR ME PERSONALLY, WHERE ONE WAS MITIGATION FOR JOBS FOR ALL.
FOR SOME JOBS FOR ALL WHERE MANY PEOPLE TRAVEL GREAT DISTANCES TO GET A JOB SO I'VE ALWAYS FELT AND STILL FEEL WE NEED WORKPLACE IN THE TOWN TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM HAVING TO TRAVEL SO FAR.
SECONDLY, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO MAXIMIZE INTERNAL CAPTURE OF TRIPS AND THAT WAS NOT FULFILLED.
I'M NOT SAYING THIS TO FIND FAULT, I'M JUST STATING A FACT SO WHILE IT MAY SAY IN ONE REGARD WELL,
[01:30:03]
TRIPS ARE DOWN AND THE OTHER REGARD TO THE INTERNAL CAPTURE DIDN'T HAPPEN.THAT MEANS MORE TRIPS WERE ACTUALLY GOING OFF SITE.
THERE'S THINGS I KEEP IN MIND HERE.
I AM OPEN-MINDED TO PIVOT HERE BUT I STILL THINK IT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT IN THAT TOWN TO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE NEED WORKPLACE BECAUSE IF WE WERE TO JUST PIVOT AND JUST SAY TO AN EXTREME AND WE'RE JUST DOING RESIDENTIAL UNITS WELL LOOK ON BOARD ST. LUCIE, WE DON'T WANT TO BE A BEDROOM COMMUNITY, WE REALLY STILL NEED NOT LOSE SIGHT OF IN THE WORKPLACE.
I APPRECIATE ONE EXAMPLE TO COUNCILOR SUNDSTROM'S QUESTION THAT MAYBE SOME UNIQUE FIRST FOR YOUTH COULD BE DONE FOR WORKPLACE THAT ISN'T IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO ME.
IN THE ABSENCE OF YOUR COMING BEFORE US TONIGHT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS LATELY AND I'VE AGONIZED SINCE I'VE BEEN UP HERE LONGEST ABOUT.
WE THOUGHT WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN WORKFORCE HOUSING AND L TIMED OUT OR WHATEVER.
I LOOK AT THE BARCELONA PROJECT AS LIKE THE BENCHMARK OF SUCCESS O WHAT WE'VE DONE BECAUSE IT PERPETUATES SO IN THE FUTURE.
OUR POLICIES THAT WE'VE HAD COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF BONUS DENSITY HAS TO BE SIGNIFICANT.
IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME AFFORDABILITY RENTS MUST ADDRESS CRITICAL NEEDS.
I'M JUST SAYING IN AS A POLICY STANDPOINT, I MEAN, WHAT WAS OFFERED BEFORE THE CHANGE TONIGHT, THAT'S NOT EVEN A MIX OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE TOWN, WORKING IN THE TOWN TO JUST DO SO.
I KNOW HOW CHALLENGING THIS IS.
I'M JUST TALKING. IT'S NOT QUICK PEEK OF WHAT'S OFFERED.
ITS POLICY THOUGHTS THAT EACH ONE OF US ARE AGONIZING WITH TO MAKE HERE.
I'M SORRY, I CAN'T OVEREMPHASIZE.
I'M GOING TO JUST TEASE DON BECAUSE WE KNOW EACH OTHER SO WELL FROM YEARS BACK, DON IS THE MOST PASSIONATE PRESENTER THAT EVER COME FROM FLORIDA COUNCIL.
HE COULD GET UP THERE FOR ONE WORKFORCE HOUSING UNIT AND OH MY GOSH, IT'S THE BEST THING HE'S EVER DONE.
I'M JUST TEASING YOU DON, YOU KNOW THAT.
BECAUSE THAT'S EVEN THE PUBLIC WORKFORCE HOUSING PROJECT, DOES ANYBODY LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF UNITS AND WHAT PERCENTAGE IN WHICH THE INCOME DISTRIBUTION AFFORDABILITY? WE HAVE TO. WE DO UP HERE AND OUR STAFF DOES.
WE HAVE TO BE CONVINCED IN DOING THE ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT.
THAT'S THE RIGHT THING, THE PIVOT AND I'M OPEN-MINDED TO IT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M CERTAINLY AGONIZING ABOUT.
I LOOKED AT THE EARLY INFORMATION, WELL DONE, PUT TOGETHER.
I DID SEE THAT THE ABACOA TOWN CENTER OFFICE SPACE SALE WAS $309 A SQUARE FOOT.
IT WAS 40 PERCENT HIGHER THAN OUR OFFICE SPACE IN ALCOA.
THEREIN I THINK, OFFICE SPACE IN ABACOA ISN'T TOO BAD.
NO, IT'S THE FACT. IN THE REPORT THEY'RE NONE.
>> I'M SORRY. WE'RE NOT HAVING A CONVERSATION.
I'M JUST SUGGESTING OFFICE SPACE STILL DOES HAVE VALUE AS TOLD BY THE MARKETPLACE.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I HAD ALWAYS EXPECTED ON THAT SITE, WAS TO CLASSY OFFICE BUILDINGS.
THAT'S THE LAST WE LEFT IT AT.
QUITE FRANKLY, EVERYTHING WAS SHOEHORNED IN THE LAST REMAINING SITE.
I HAVE A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS AND I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE ANSWERED TONIGHT.
BUT AS AN EXAMPLE, AGAIN, I'M GRATEFUL TO RICHMOND GROUP COME AT THE TABLE AND TRYING TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE AND GET IT TAKEN OUT ALL OF THE EMERGING REVENUE STREAMS THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE.
BUT AS AN EXAMPLE, THE REDUCTION IN REAL ESTATE TAXES.
I WANT TO ASK STAFF HOW MUCH IS THAT? NO AND I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO TELL ME BECAUSE YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW IT YET.
BUT AS AN EXAMPLE, IT'S LIKE WE KNOW WHEN WE APPROVE A NON-PROFIT PROJECT WE'RE GETTING NO REVENUES.
THIS ONE, IT NOW IS THE CASE THAT A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THE UNITS ARE EXEMPT FROM REAL ESTATE TAX.
IT'S A LOSS OF REVENUE FOR THE TOWN TOO.
I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE'RE NOT WILLING TO GO THERE.
I'M JUST SUGGESTING, AS A POLICYMAKER HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS.
THE KIND OF BALANCE, WHAT THAT IS.
AGAIN, I'M WILLING TO GO THERE, BUT I'M JUST NOT GOING TO NAIVELY, OKAY, I DIDN'T HEAR THAT.
I'M GOING TO ASK STAFF WE NEED TO FIND THAT OUT JUST AS A GENERAL RULE BECAUSE WE WANT WORKFORCE HOUSING.
WE NEED TO KNOW THAT IN THIS NEW LEGISLATION WHAT DOES IT
[01:35:04]
MEAN IF THEY'RE EXEMPT FROM THE STATE [INAUDIBLE].EVERYTHING THEY ALWAYS GIVE IN TAX SAVINGS IS ONLY FROM THE LOCAL GUYS.
BUT I MEAN IT HALF SERIOUS BY THE WAY.
WITH THAT, AFTER I GIVE MY COLLEAGUES A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, AGAIN, I WANT TO HAVE SOME REALLY THOUGHTFUL DIALOGUE.
I DIDN'T COME HERE PREPARED I THINK IF A MAJORITY DOES FINE TO MOVE FORWARD SPLIT.
I'M GOING TO GIVE THIS A REAL GO AT IT.
BUT I'M THINKING I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PONDER SOME MORE.
BUT WE'LL GO THROUGH IT TOGETHER.
BUT I'VE JUST GIVEN YOU A FLAVOR OF LET'S SEE IF [INAUDIBLE] IS GOING TO WORK.
BUT THERE'S STILL QUESTIONS THAT I KNOW WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE ANSWERED TONIGHT.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE WHO MAY WANT TO [INAUDIBLE].
I'M OPEN TO THIS IDEA OF RESIDENTIAL AND MAYBE SOME MIXED USE OR WHATEVER.
BUT THERE'S SO MUCH TO DIGEST, I WANT TO KNOW IF THE REST OF THE COUNCIL IS OPEN-MINDED TO EVEN GENERALLY GO INTO THE MAYOR'S LIST OF CHECKUPS AND THEN GETTING TOGETHER WITH STAFF AND THEN COMING BACK AT A LATER DATE.
ANYONE NOT ABOUT PASSING ON THIS OR ANYTHING TONIGHT SO YOU FOLKS OPEN TO TALKING ABOUT IT OR I GUESS THAT'S WHAT WE START?
>> EXCUSE MY HICCUPS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE APPLICANT MULTIPLE TIMES AND STAFF LAST WEEK.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY PUSHED WAS THE INCREASE IN WORKFORCE HOUSING. I'D ASKED HIM FOR THAT.
AT THE TIME WE HAD JUST LEARNED ABOUT THE THE NEW STATE LAW, I BROUGHT UP THE $200 MILLION BOND FROM PALM BEACH COUNTY AS BEING AN EFFORT TO HOPEFULLY OFFSET.
THEN THEY WERE ABLE TO CRUNCH SOME NUMBERS AND GET BACK AND PRETTY MUCH SAY, YEAH, WE CAN INCREASE THE NUMBER OF WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS GOING UP TO 71, WHICH I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS WORKING TO GET THAT DONE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I CARE A LOT AMONG THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE WORKED WITH IN THE PROFESSION THAT I'M IN, TEACHERS, POLICE OFFICERS, LIFEGUARDS, PEOPLE LIKE THAT, THEY WANT TO WORK AND LIVE HERE.
IT COMES DOWN TO AFFORDABILITY STANDPOINT.
THIS PROJECT REALLY HELPS BRING THAT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THEN WE HAD THE PRESENTATION FROM THE BUSH ROAD PROJECT AND THEY'RE LIKE, YEAH, ITS WORKFORCE HOUSING AND HERE'S FIVE UNITS.
THIS IS 71 UNITS, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD AMOUNT IN MY MIND.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DID STICK OUT TO ME WHEN I WAS MEETING WITH STAFF TOO WAS IT IS AN INCREASE IN DENSITY BECAUSE YOU'RE ADDING MORE UNITS TO THE PLOT, BUT IT'S A DECREASE IN INTENSITY.
WHEN YOU HAVE COMMERCIALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IT'S MORE INTENSE THAN JUST RESIDENTIAL.
RESIDENTIAL, NOT AS MUCH TRAFFIC AS A COMMERCIAL USE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT REALLY STUCK OUT TO ME BECAUSE DENSITY IS ALWAYS THE BOGEYMAN WORD.
WE ALL HATE THAT WORD. I HATE THAT WORD.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM AN INTENSITY STANDPOINT AND YOU CAN DECREASE THE INTENSITY OF THE PROJECT, I THINK IT GOES ALONG WAY IN THIS AREA.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THESE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE HAD THEIR UPS AND DOWNS, ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF COVID AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS ADD MORE COMPETITION TO THE RD POTENTIALLY NOW THRIVING BUSINESSES IN THE ABACOA TOWN CENTER.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE MORE BUSINESS TO THEM TO MAKE THEM MORE SUCCESSFUL.
I APPRECIATE IT BEEN RESIDENTIAL SOLELY AS WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO YOU ALLOW MORE PEOPLE TO LIVE IN THIS TOWN THAT WANT TO WORK HERE.
THAT'S MY THOUGHTS. MOSTLY, I'LL SUPPORT WHATEVER POLICY DECISIONS WE CAN COME UP WITH TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA AS WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD MORE HOUSING IN THE TOWN.
>> I LIVE IN ALCOA AND IT MAY NOT BE WALKABLE, BUT IT'S VERY BIKEABLE.
I BIKE TOO, BAHAMA BIKES OF MY DAUGHTERS ALL THE TIME.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS WHO LIKE TO HAVE A PLACE TO BIKE TOO, SOMETIMES NOT NECESSARILY DRIVE.
I'VE EVEN BIKED TO MEETINGS, MAYBE WITH SOME OF YOU.
[LAUGHTER] BUT I THINK JUST A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE MOST ORGANIZED, BUT IN TERMS OF THE NON-RESIDENTIAL USES, THOSE PARCELS ARE UNIQUE IN THAT THEY ARE ON THE BALLPARK.
JUST SOMETHING I'M THINKING ABOUT IS IT WOULD BE UPSETTING TO
[01:40:02]
WALK OUT OF A BALL GAME AND SEE A BLOCK OF RESIDENTIAL, AS I WALKED TO MY CAR OR I WALK.YOU WANT TO ACTIVATE THAT AREA, PARTICULARLY NEXT TO THE HOTEL OR NEAR THE BALLPARK.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE LIVE WORK CAN DO IT, BUT I'M OPEN TO SEEING HOW THAT WOULD WORK.
I AM OPEN-MINDED ON THIS PROPOSAL.
I DO THINK THAT THIS TYPE OF APPROACH WORKS IN TOWN CENTER VERSUS OTHER PARTS OF TOWN.
I DO THINK IT MAKES SOME SENSE.
I ALSO THINK WE HAVE THESE BUSINESSES IN ABACOA AND JUST AS A RESIDENT AND IN TALKING TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND OTHER AREAS, IT'S NOT JUST THE USES, IT'S ALSO JUST THE UPKEEP OF THAT AREA, MARKETING, BRANDING.
THERE ARE EFFORTS THAT CAN BE DONE AND I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO THAT BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND WORK WITH THEM ON THAT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE BESIDES LOOKING AT THESE USES.
ADDITIONALLY, WE WERE IN A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE, IN WHAT? 2019? IT'S BEEN A FEW YEARS AND HERE WE ARE IN THIS RADICALLY DIFFERENT PLACE, AND SO I DON'T WANT TO BE SHORTSIGHTED IN LOOKING AT OUR USES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS HOLDS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NEXT YEAR HOLDS OR IF WE WILL HAVE RECESSION OR IF WE WANT OR HOW TRENDS WILL CHANGE.
WE HAVE HAD THAT TOWN CENTER FOR A LONG TIME.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE HOW IT'S OPERATED AND THEN SOME OF ITS STRUGGLES.
I THINK THIS IS A VERY THOUGHTFUL PROPOSAL, BUT I JUST WANTED TO KEEP THAT IN THE BACK OF MY MIND.
I UNDERSTAND THE DENSITY AND INTENSITY A BIT.
THE TOWN CENTER DOES MAKE MORE SENSE THAN OTHER PLACES IF WE'RE HONEST.
THE WORKFORCE HOUSING REALLY GETS ME BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A BIG TOPIC.
THE BIG QUESTION IS, ARE WE GETTING A GOOD DEAL? ARE THE RESIDENTS OF JUPITER GETTING A GOOD DEAL? WHEN YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEGOTIATION AND THEY SUDDENLY HALF THE PRICE, CUT IT IN HALF, OR IF THEY DOUBLE THE BENEFIT HOURS BEFORE YOU GET CONCERNED.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS ARE GETTING THE BEST DEAL.
WE HAVE POTENTIAL STATE BENEFITS IN TERMS OF TAXES THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, COUNTY BENEFITS IN TURN OF THE HOUSING BOND.
THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY, AND THAT WE'RE ALL STILL READING THE LAW AND TRYING TO INTERPRET AND UNDERSTAND IT.
[NOISE] I'M HESITANT TO ACT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS, WHERE WE'RE STILL DIGESTING THINGS THAT HAVE JUST SO RECENTLY HAPPENED.
THAT'S A CONCERN, AND THE ENFORCEMENT AND LESSONS LEARNED.
HOW CAN WE LEARN FROM THE PAST WORKFORCE HOUSING, NOT JUST IN JUPITER BUT IN PALM BEACH COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF TRUST THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE TONIGHT, AND NOT HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES? I'M VERY OPEN-MINDED TO THIS.
I WANT TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT AND WORK THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT.
I THANK YOU AND I THANK THE APPLICANT [NOISE] JUST FOR ACTIVE LISTENING, AS OUR MAYOR SOMETIMES SAYS, AND JUST WORKING WITH US.
I'M OPEN TO DIALOGUE AND WANTING TO SEE WHAT OTHERS THINK.
>> I THINK THIS IS DEFINITELY THE LARGEST OPPORTUNITY FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING I'VE SEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
THIS COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY TO GET A GOOD DEAL AND MAKE IT FEASIBLE FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A LITTLE TIME AND REFLECT.
THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS WITH THIS THAT I NEED TO GO OVER.
BUT I'M GENERALLY IN FAVOR OF IT, AND I THINK RESIDENTIAL IN THIS AREA HELPS FEED THE TOWN CENTER.
I'M NOT NECESSARILY IN FAVOR OF A MORE COMPETITIVE [NOISE] BUSINESS TO WHAT'S ALREADY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, I AGREE WITH THAT.
>> AS COMMISSIONER TOWNSEND SPOKE, AND THEN WHEN I TOOK NOTES BECAUSE YOU WERE ACTUALLY WORKING ON THE FIRST TOPIC WAS REDUCTION AND COMMERCIAL CORE.
THE NOTES I TOOK IS YOU'RE QUESTIONING ABOUT NEXT TO THE BALLPARK, IS IT REALLY GOING TO WORK WITHOUT SOME GROUND FOR COMMERCIAL? WHICH SEEM [OVERLAPPING] TO BE APPROPRIATE.
>> ANY OTHER USE, AND NOT NECESSARILY COMMERCIAL, BUT SOMETHING THAT ACT OF [OVERLAPPING] THAT AREA.
>> WHEN I SAY COMMERCIAL, I'M USING THAT LOOSELY.
WE ALL KNOW ABOUT RETAIL, SO LEAVE THAT MESSAGE.
I'M USING THE COMMERCIAL AS NON-RETAIL BUT COMMERCIAL MEANING,
[01:45:03]
WHICH IS JOBS AND SOMETHING OTHER THAN RESIDENTIAL.WHEN I'M JUST USING THE WORD HERE, WHETHER IT'S CORRECT OR NOT.
>> THERE'S THE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT WORKS IN THAT SPACE, BUT THEN THERE'S THE RESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE OF WALKING OUT.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S AN OPEN FIELD AND I THINK THE APPLICANT WROTE THAT THIS COMPLETES THE PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE WALKING BY BLOCK AFTER BLOCK OF JUST SOLID RESIDENTIAL, YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ACTIVATES THE STREET, IT CREATES THAT ENVIRONMENT, THE SPIRIT AND INTENT OF THE TOWN CENTER.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S NOT LOST IN THIS DISCUSSION.
>> BUT SEEMS LIKE WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED BY THE APPLICANT CONCEPTUALLY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TALKING SITE PLAN HERE, IS LIVE WORK UNITS WHICH PROVIDE THE POTENTIAL FOR NOT BEING IN A RESIDENTIAL, SOME COMMERCIAL, BUT THEY ALSO CAN BE ALL TRULY RESIDENTIAL.
STAFF SUGGESTED SOME OTHER USES THAT WOULD BE NON-RETAIL.
GRANTED, I GET IT, IT'S WHAT'S GOING TO WORK FINANCIALLY.
BUT THEN I MAYBE HEARD THE RICHMOND GROUP SUGGESTED AN OPEN-MINDEDNESS TO THE OFFICE NICHE MARKET FOR SMALLER OR WHATEVER.
[NOISE] THAT WOULD BE A COMMERCIAL.
THEN JUST TO COMMENT ABOUT WORKFORCE HOUSING GETTING A GOOD DEAL, AND I KNOW HOW IT WAS INTENDED AND I AGREE HOW THAT COMMENT WAS INTENDED, BUT I JUST WANT TO STATE FROM MY STANDPOINT AS A POLICY DIRECTION IS THAT, I'VE COME WITH THE CONCLUSION THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN GETTING ENOUGH WORKFORCE HOUSING AND FOR ME TO SUPPORT ANY BONUS RESIDENTIAL UNITS, IT'S NOT A DEAL FOR THE PUBLIC IF THERE ISN'T A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THOSE IN A WORKFORCE.
WE CERTAINLY HAVE ENOUGH IN STUFF.
I'M CERTAINLY GLAD MY DAUGHTER GOT IN AND WAS AFFORDABLE.
BUT IN ANY EVENT, SO WHEN REDUCTION AND COMMERCIAL CORE, WE CAN BRING THAT TO THE CONCLUSION ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO WEIGH IN BUT GUESS WHAT YOU'RE HEARING IS THAT I THINK WAS AN OPEN-MINDEDNESS TO CERTAINLY PIVOT AWAY FROM PUTTING FOR WHAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL VISION OF RETAIL, BUT NOT WANTING TO LET GO OF SOME COMMERCIAL ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? [OVERLAPPING] THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT OPEN STILL TO IT, BECAUSE WE'RE HEARING RECEPTIVENESS ABOUT THAT.
WE STILL THINK THAT THE FIRST GROUND FLOOR IS SOMETHING.
I HAVE TO PONDER ABOUT HERE AND GET INPUT FROM STAFF, YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, EVERYTHING WE SAY HERE, STAFF HAS GOT THE ACTUAL DATA.
I'M NOT THE APPLICANT REALLY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO COME BACK TO US.
BECAUSE AT SOME POINT IN TIME IT HAS TO BE FRAMED INTO DIRECTION WE'RE GIVEN HERE, BASED ON SUGGESTIONS, WHAT YOU HEARD.
THEN ANYTHING ELSE ON THE REDUCTION IN COMMERCIAL CORE, ANYBODY WANTS TO SAY?
>> I GUESS IT'S NOT REALLY A REDUCTION IN COMMERCIAL CORES.
IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, I WAS GOING TO MENTION ABOUT THE WORKFORCE HOUSING AND BEING ABLE TO REALLY HAVE A HANDLE ON MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S PARAMETERS IN PLACE THAT MAYBE LIKE AN AUDIT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AN ANNUAL AUDIT OF THE PROJECT FROM THE TOWN TO SAY, HEY, LET'S LOOK AT WHO YOU HAVE IN THE WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS, WHERE THEY LIVE, OR WHERE THEY WORK AND THINGS LIKE THAT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING SUBLET OUT UNDERNEATH THEM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, JUST TO HAVE SOME MORE CONTROL THERE.
>> THE NEXT THREE TOPICS, BY THE WAY, WE'RE INCREASING DENSITY AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS WORKFORCE HOUSING AMOUNTING RATE.
IF WE CAN TRY TO STICK TO THOSE, BUT STAFF ALREADY HAD THE ACTION ITEM, TO GET BACK WITH US ON THE BARCELONA LESSON LEARNED.
THE LESSON LEARNED BEING NOT WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT IT, BUT WHAT WE NOW WOULD RECOMMEND TO MAXIMIZE WHATEVER IT IS WE COULD CONDITION REASONABLY.
>> THAT WAS MORE OR LESS THE QUESTION, DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SOMETHING OF THAT SORT CURRENTLY PLACE WHERE WE CAN AUDIT THE LEASING COMPANY?
>> I THINK THEY WERE GOING TO GET BACK WITH US BECAUSE HE SAID IT WAS CHALLENGING.
[01:50:01]
IT'S NOT EASY TO ENFORCE THOSE PRIORITIES AND THAT CONDITION.
WE HAD A CONDITION IN BARCELONA THAT WAS VERY SPECIFIC AND WE HAD A HARD TIME ENFORCING IT AND ULTIMATELY, WHEN WE WENT TO THE MAGISTRATE, WE HAD FINES ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND WE WERE LIMITED IN HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THAT.
THEN ULTIMATELY IT DIDN'T HELP THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THAT POSITION.
>> STEPHANIE, WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE APPLICANT IN THAT CASE IN THE TOWN WERE SINCERELY TRYING TO MEET THE CRITERIA WITH THE MAGISTRATE, BUT THEY HAD CHALLENGES TOO, CORRECT?
>> THEY HAD CHALLENGES BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED, THERE WAS NO FLOOR, SO WHEN THEY DID THEIR DUE DILIGENCE, THEY MADE THEIR FINANCING BASED ON A SPECIFIC NUMBER AND BECAUSE OF THE RECESSION, THAT NUMBER WENT BELOW, AND SO THE HUD NUMBERS, THE NUMBERS FROM HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT WENT BELOW THE PROJECTED NUMBERS AS PART OF DUE DILIGENCE, AND SO IT REALLY IMPACTED THEIR BOTTOM LINE.
INSTEAD OF DOING THE SPECIFIC RENT BASED ON A SPECIFIC INCOME, THEY ENDED UP DOING THE HIGH END OF EACH CATEGORY, AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT DURING THAT PROCESS, BUT THERE ARE LESSONS LEARNED.
WE CAN PUT THAT INTO THE NEXT STEP, INTO THE UPDATE FOR THE STAFF REPORT.
I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT I DIDN'T MENTION WAS HAVING A HOUSING CONSULTANT TO HELP US MONITOR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS INSTEAD OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE BARCELONA ISSUE WAS THAT, AND I THINK THE TERM WAS USED THE FOX WATCHING THE HEN HOUSE BECAUSE THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY FOR BARCELONA WAS OVERSEEING THE INCOME LEVELS OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
WHEN WE GOT THE REPORT, THEY WERE DOING ALL OF EVERYTHING THEMSELVES.
HAVING A THIRD PARTY AND HAVING A CONSULTANT COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL AND WE CAN BRING THOSE THINGS UP AND WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT WORKFORCE HOUSING IN GENERAL FOR THE TOWN.
DULLY A FEW YEARS AGO WE WERE DISCUSSING SOME SUBTLE WORKFORCE HOUSING PROJECT AND AUTONOMY.
WE DISCUSSED A THIRD PARTY COMING IN.
I THINK IT WAS WITH HOMES, IT WAS DEVELOPED OR BUILT KNOWN HOMES, BUT A THIRD PARTY WOULD REGULATE.
WE MORTGAGED AMOUNTS AND THEN IF THERE WAS EQUITY BUILT OVER TIME, THE HOMEOWNER GOT THE EQUITY AND THE PROPERTY REMAINED TO THEM.
>> YES. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IN ORDER TO HELP US OVERSEE.
>> WITH THAT, IS ANY AGENCY SIMILAR TO THAT HELP US WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
>> YES. WE CAN BRING THOSE TOPICS BACK TO YOU.
>> THIS IS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF UNIT.
>> [OVERLAPPING] THE COMMUNITY LAND INTEREST MAKE MORE SENSE WITH HOME OWNERSHIP.
RENTAL IS A DIFFERENT ANIMAL WHEN IT COMES TO WORKFORCE HOUSING.
THERE ARE OPTIONS AND THE COUNTY DOES A LOT OF WORKFORCE HOUSING WITH RENTAL, SO THERE ARE EXAMPLES OUT THERE THAT WE CAN LOOK TOWARDS AND WE CAN BRING THAT TO YOU.
>> TOM, BEFORE YOU SPEAK, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU TWO MINUTES, I SAY STAFF, BUT THE ASK GOES TO THE APPLICANT TO THE DEGREE THAT THEY'RE PROFESSIONALS TOO AND I'M SURE YOU'D WANT TO OFFER UP EVERYTHING YOU COULD, SO WE WANT TO ASK YOU TO COME UP TO THE MIC, BUT UNDERSTAND.
YOU CAN SAY TWO MINUTES, BUT IT'S AN OUTSTANDING ASK, RIGHT?
>> YEAH. WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY, MR. MAYOR, IS THAT THE FIRST THING IS THAT WE'RE LUCKY WE HAVE THE RICHMOND GROUP, AND I MEANT THAT VERY, VERY SINCERELY BECAUSE THEY OWN AND MAINTAIN AND MANAGE THEIR OWN PROPERTIES, THEIR OWN MANAGEMENT COMPANIES.
IT WASN'T A THIRD PARTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY WHICH WAS THE CASE IN BARCELONA.
THEY KNOW HOW TO DO COMPLIANCE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO.
THEY'RE DOING IT IN PALM BEACH COUNTY, THERE'S SOME GREAT RESOURCES OUT THERE.
WE CAN HELP WORK WITH STAFF BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WANT COMPLIANCE, BUT THEY WANT COMPLIANCE TOO.
THE LAST THING THAT THEY WANT TO DO IS BE FOUND IN THAT, SO WE'LL WORK WITH YOU ON IT. [OVERLAPPING]
>> YOU SEPARATELY GET WHAT OUR STAFF LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, WHAT YOU REPRESENT YOU CAN IN FACT DO BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE CONVINCED IT CAN BE DONE.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT RESOURCES
[01:55:01]
OUT THERE NOW AND WE'LL WORK WITH STAFF TO PULL THOSE THINGS TOGETHER.>> ARE WE WRAPPING UP NUMBER 1?
>> YEAH. UNLESS YOU WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING, [OVERLAPPING] IF YOU WANT TO ADD ON SOME [OVERLAPPING].
>> JUST SOME FLEXIBILITY ON THE COMMERCIAL USE.
>> THAT'S PRETTY MUCH HOW WE LEFT IT.
>> BUT THE OTHER TWO AND I GET A FEELING BECAUSE WE WERE JUST DOING IT WITH PIVOTING BACK-AND-FORTH.
WE WANT TO TAKE THEM SEPARATELY, BUT IT'S HARD TO SEPARATE THEM.
INCREASE IN DENSITY IN WORKFORCE HOUSING AMOUNT AND RATE.
WE WERE MORE QUESTIONING HOW YOU GO ABOUT FROM A PRACTICAL MATTER, THE WORKFORCE, HOUSING AMOUNT AND RATE.
HAD A LOT OF DIALOGUE. BUT FOR ME, THEY GO HAND IN HAND, SO I'M NOT SURE.
AGAIN, I'M GOING TO STATE THAT IF TURNS OUT ALL WE COULD GET WAS ONE UNIT, I'M NOT GOING TO AWARD A BONUS.
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC BENEFITS, I DON T THINK WE BENEFIT FROM PUTTING MORE RESONANCE IN THE TOWN IF WE'RE NOT STARTING TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF BONUS UNITS, WORKFORCE HOUSING, AND THAT GOES DOWN TO THE LOW LEVEL, WHICH IS NOT LOW.
THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THAT WHAT THE INCOME LEVELS ARE.
AS WE SAID I MEAN, TEACHERS ARE PROFESSIONALS, AND IT'LL BE NICE MORE THAN FIVE OR SEVEN COULD BE POTENTIALLY FOR THAT TYPE OF A PROFESSION.
I'M CERTAINLY INCLINED TO WHAT MORE OF AN EQUAL DISTRIBUTION.
I LIKED THE FACT THAT BARCELONA HAD SUCH A HIGH AMOUNT IN THE LOW RANGE.
BUT AS A VERY MINIMUM, I'M LOOKING, IT'S GOT TO BE SPREAD ACROSS THE CATEGORIES FOR ME.
IF I JUST WANT TO WEIGH IN ABOUT THAT.
>> I DO LIKE THE SPREAD TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE MISSING IN THIS IS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE MARKET AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.
THERE IS STRUCTURED PARKING HERE WHERE THERE ISN'T MUCH, I'M TRYING TO LEARN ABOUT AS WELL.
BUT TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE TO TRY TO GET MORE TEACHERS, TO TRY TO GET MORE OF THAT DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
>> EFFECTIVELY NOT SURPRISINGLY, THOSE WORDS STAFF HAD CONCLUDED WITH IN ADDITION TO THE THREE ITEMS WAS TALK ABOUT THAT.
I THINK WE'RE REALLY FOLLOWING ALONG WITH THE AGENDA THAT STAFF PUT TOGETHER. THANK YOU.
>> A QUESTION TOO, ON DENSITY.
I HAVE A QUESTION ACTUALLY ABOUT THIS.
IT'S 19.2 UNITS PER ACRE. IS THAT RIGHT?
>> WITH THE PROPOSAL [OVERLAPPING]?
>> THEY WERE TO BUILD WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING 19.2 UNITS PER ACRE.
>> DOES THAT 19.2 LEAVE THE 53 UNITS ACROSS THE 70 ACRES?
>> THAT WOULD BE 53 UNITS ADDITIONAL WITHIN A 70 ACRES WOULD EQUAL 20.
>> THAT WOULD EQUAL 20. BUT WHAT WOULD IT BE? I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE A CALCULATOR, BUT 19, IF WE WERE TO DO 19 INSTEAD OF 20, HYPOTHETICALLY, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THE APPLICANT AND FOR THE TOWN?
>> IT WOULD BE A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN UNITS.
I COULD DO SOME QUICK MATH FOR YOU.
>> THAT'S OKAY. WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT LATER, BUT JUST A QUESTION TO PUT OUT THERE.
>> WELL, I'D ASK, TO FRAME THIS IN A WAY TO TRY TO ADVANCE.
YOU HAVE SOME PEOPLE CAME TONIGHT WITH THE EXPECTATION.
WE GIVE SOME DIRECTION OR DON'T USE THE LANGUAGE, HEY TWO WEEKS, WE'RE BACK WITH AN ORDINANCE.
YOU DIDN'T SAY THAT, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I DO THINK I'D LIKE TO SEE AN ACTION ITEM FOR STAFF TO GET BACK WITH US WITH JUST THE SKELETONS OF HOW YOU WOULD BELIEVE WE WOULD STRUCTURE AN ORDINANCE.
NOT RIGHT THE ORDINANCE YET BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO GET INPUT FROM OUR TOWN ATTORNEY AS WELL ON THAT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A UNIQUE BECAUSE WE'RE BEING ASKED TO APPLY IT.
IT'S A PROJECT OF X ACRES AND WE'RE BEING ASKED TO APPLY IT ACROSS THE WHOLE TOWN CENTER, SOMEWHAT UNIQUE BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE
[02:00:01]
SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING SEPARATE FROM A SITE PLAN IS ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT THAT'S LIMITED TO JUST THE TOWN CENTER.I DON'T WANT TO HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES HERE BECAUSE THEN, NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THOSE OTHER AREAS, MIND YOU, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ORDINANCE IS GOING TO ACCOMPOSE.
SINCE THERE'S NOTHING IN FRONT OF US, CAN YOU FRAME SOMETHING AND GET BACK? I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE INFLUENCED BY THE APPLICANT, BUT THEY CAN CERTAINLY GIVE THOUGHTS TO YOU BECAUSE IT'S COMING BACK TO US ON THE COUNCIL.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE WOULD WANT TO GET TO THE POINT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING TO INDICATE WHETHER WE FEEL WE COULD ADVANCE ORDINANCE OR NOT.
>> I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> OKAY. I GUESS LET'S HEAR FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
>> GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. MY NAME IS RYAN WITKOWSKI.
I'M THE OWNER-OPERATOR OF STADIUM GRILL, BEEN IN ABACOA FOR THE LAST 22 YEARS.
I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE OTHER OWNERS IN ABACOA.
WE SIGNED A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED MULTI-FAMILY PROJECTS.
ABACOA TOWN CENTER SUPPORTS MORE RESIDENTIAL IN ABACOA.
WE SUPPORT THE ADDITIONAL PARKING IN THE TOWN CENTER ESPECIALLY STRUCTURED PARKING.
RESIDENTS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE LIKE SOPHIA IN ALORE ARE GREAT FOR OUR BUSINESSES.
WORKFORCE HOUSING IS A MAJOR ISSUE FOR ME.
I HAVE 175 EMPLOYEES BETWEEN STADIUM GRILL AND BLUE POINT BARN GRILL MY TWO RESTAURANTS.
I'M ALWAYS STRUGGLING TO FIND EMPLOYEES SO THE ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE HOUSING IS GREAT FOR THE TOWN CENTER.
THE ABACOA TOWN CENTER AND THE MARKET DOES NOT DEMAND MORE RETAIL OR COMMERCIAL USE.
RETAIL COMPETITION IN THE TOWN CENTER WOULD ADD TO EXISTING CHALLENGES FOR THE ABACOA TOWN CENTER BUSINESSES.
YOU MENTIONED WALKING OUT TOWARDS A ROW OF HOMES, BUT I WANT THEM WALKING TO THE TOWN CENTER WHERE THE AMPHITHEATER IS, WHERE MY BUSINESS IS THAT I'VE LIVED AND BEEN IN FOR 22 YEARS.
>> MR. BAIRD, DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANY WORDS OF WISDOM OR GUIDANCE HERE TONIGHT?
>> YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO BUT NOT TONIGHT.
THE STAFF FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE DIRECTION TONIGHT, AND IF NOT, WHAT ELSE MIGHT WE GIVE IN THE WAY OF DIRECTION?
>> I HAVE A LOT OF NOTES, WE HAVE A LOT TO LOOK INTO.
WE'LL WORK WITH THE APPLICANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, LOOK THROUGH LESSONS LEARNED, LOOK THROUGH WHAT SOME OF THE TAX BENEFITS ARE THAT LEAD TO THE INCREASE, AND WHAT THOSE IMPACTS MAY BE ON THE TOWN.
WE'LL TALK TO THE APPLICANT ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTION OF WORKFORCE HOUSING.
WE'LL LOOK INTO A LOT OF THOSE THINGS AND WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU WITH THOSE CONSIDERATIONS IN ADDITION TO AN ORDINANCE THAT MODELS SOME OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
IT'LL HAVE A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION IN THERE TO WEIGH, AS WELL AS A MODEL ORDINANCE FOR INCORPORATING THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TONIGHT, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE LESSONS THAT WE'VE LEARNED FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING AND SOME OF THOSE OTHERS ITEMS. WE'LL BRING THAT BACK. I'M UNSURE OF THE DATE THAT WE'LL BRING IT BACK YET.
THE NEXT MEETING THAT THIS WAS SCHEDULED FOR WAS 6/20, SO THAT'S THE NEXT MONTH.
THAT'S JUNE 20TH FOR POTENTIAL TO CONSIDERATION AND SO WE CAN LOOK AT THAT MEETING DATE TO PRODUCE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
>> WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOME TIME IN ORDER TO DETERMINE
[02:05:01]
IF THIS SKELETON ORDINANCE IS FEASIBLE.FOR EXAMPLE, LOOKING AT SOME GROUND FLOOR USES WHERE THAT MIGHT BE, WE'LL ALSO REDUCE THE DENSITY, MAYBE TO THE 19 UNITS PER ACRE INSTEAD OF THE REQUEST FOR 20, AND THEN ALSO LOOK AT HOW THE IMPACTS OF THE EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME LEVELS IMPACT ALL OF THAT.
THERE WERE SOME THOUGHTS THAT WE WANT TO SHARE WITH THE APPLICANT TO DETERMINE ON HOW MAYBE COSTS CAN BE ADDRESSED IF WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS ARE IN ONE AREA SO THAT THEY CAN BE SOMEWHAT SEGREGATED AND NOT NECESSARILY LIKE BARCELONA DID.
BARCELONA HAS THEM THROUGHOUT AND THEY FLOW.
THERE MIGHT BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT HOW THAT COULD HAPPEN AS WELL, THAT WE COULD BRING BACK AND ADDRESS THE BOTTOM LINE.
>> I THINK THAT IN THE WAY OF EXPECTATIONS, WHICH I ALWAYS LIKE TO BE CLEAR ON SETTING IS NUMBER 1, WHEN I HEAR THE TERM MODEL ORDINANCE, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING THE ORDINANCE TO BE DONE ENOUGH TO COME BACK THAT WE CAN FEEL WITH GUIDANCE FROM OUR TOWN ATTORNEY THAT WE HAVE A CONCEPT THAT WE ARE BEGINNING TO FEEL COMFORTABLE ABOUT.
FURTHER, I THINK, I KNOW EVERYBODY'S ANXIOUS, BUT PROBABLY REALISTICALLY FOUR WEEKS IS PROBABLY A REASONABLE TO GET THAT DONE BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS SAYING 6/20 IS WHEN IT WAS COMING BACK, THAT'S IT?
>> THAT IS WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED AND IT'S GOING TO BE FIRST READING.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE FIRST READING, SO YOU'LL HAVE TWO [OVERLAPPING].
>> YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE COMING BACK WITH FIRST READING YET, YOU'RE COMING BACK TO US.
>> ALSO, WE'RE GOING TO DO ANOTHER ROUND TABLE TYPE, I THINK.
>> I THINK SO, YEAH. I DON'T THINK WE'VE GIVEN ENOUGH CLEAR DIRECTION TO DO A FIRST READING.
>> DO YOU OR ANYBODY HERE THINK SO?
>> NO. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST.
>> IT'S A TIME FOR US TO LEARN, IT'S TIME FOR RESIDENTS TO LEARN.
>> I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES, WE SHOULD FRAME THEM SO THAT WE CAN BE COMFORTABLE WITH, THEN YOU GO BACK AND WRITE UP THE ORDINANCE.
[NOISE] IF WE AGREE THAT THERE'S AN ORDINANCE TO BE WRITTEN.
WE HAD ONE MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL THAT WASN'T HERE, SO I'M SURE SHE'LL COME UP TO SPEED ON THIS AND MAY WANT TO WEIGH IN AS WELL. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MAYOR.
THIS WAS A GREAT DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION AND IT'S REALLY WHAT WE HOPED TO ACHIEVE TODAY.
THEY'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A DIALOGUE WITH YOU AND TO GET YOUR COLLECTIVE FEEDBACK. LOTS OF GREAT THOUGHTS.
IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU THINK THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM SPECIFICALLY COULD PROVIDE, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON, LET US KNOW, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THAT.
I KNOW YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, WELL, HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE GETTING ENOUGH? OF COURSE, ALL OF THAT COMES DOWN TO ECONOMICS AND HOW DO WE PRESENT THAT INFORMATION? WHAT WOULD YOU NEED TO SEE? PLEASE LET US KNOW BECAUSE WE WILL CERTAINLY DO IT.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR DIALOGUE TONIGHT, ON BEHALF OF OUR ENTIRE TEAM.
>> THANK YOU ALL. I GUESS THAT'S THE END OF OUR REGULAR AGENDA.
I MOVE THE REPORTS. COUNTY ATTORNEY.
>> WELL, NOW THAT YOU'VE GIVEN STAFF AN AMBITIOUS SCHEDULE, I NEED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED A APPEAL FROM THE SPIRIT PROPERTY, WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 90 PAGES.
WE NOW HAVE, AT THE STAFF LEVEL WITH SOME ASSISTANCE FROM MY OFFICE, APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS TO WRITE A RESPONSE TO THAT 90-PAGE APPEAL.
AFTER THAT, THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO SET A HEARING DATE TO HEAR THAT APPEAL SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE AT THAT LEVEL IN TERMS OF THAT ISSUE.
IT'S REALLY THE ONLY REPORT THAT I HAVE OTHER THAN MR. [INAUDIBLE] AND I DID ATTEND MEDIATION IN THE JUPITER SOCCER CASE, I WOULD DESCRIBE THAT MEDIATION AS NOT PRODUCTIVE.
>> JUST GOING BACK, I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE STATUS.
WE'VE GOT THE APPEAL ON THE SPIRIT PROPERTY, YOU AND STAFF HAVE THREE WEEKS TO WRITE A RESPONSE.
[02:10:01]
>> THEN THE BRIEFS, IF YOU WILL, ARE PRESENTED TO COUNSEL AT A HEARING AND YOU DECIDE THE APPEAL OF THE HISTORIC RESOURCE BOARDS FINAL ORDER.
>> DOES THE ENTITY FILING APPEAL COMMENT FIRST ON THE RESPONSE? I HAVEN'T BEEN THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
>> NEITHER HAVE WE. IT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS AND ITS AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL OF A DECISION OF, ESSENTIALLY, AN ADVISORY BOARD TO THE COUNCIL.
THE APPELLANT, THE OWNERS OF THE SITE ARE ESSENTIALLY ASKING COUNCIL, WELL, THIS IS MY INTERPRETATION OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO ASK YOU IS, WE THINK THEY GOT IT WRONG, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> AGAIN, YOU MENTIONED AT SOME POINT A COUNCIL HEARING IS GOING TO BE SCHEDULED.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT UNTIL WE GET THE RESPONSE, I SUPPOSE, RIGHT?
>> YEAH. WE'LL COME THROUGH THE MANAGER'S OFFICE WITH A RECOMMENDED TIME.
WHEN THE MANAGER AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS PREVIOUSLY, WE'VE THOUGHT THAT GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE PERHAPS A SPECIALTY SET HEARING WHERE THAT'S ALL YOU'RE DEALING WITH WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
>> I THINK SO, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE.
>> YEAH. IT'LL BE A LONG NIGHT.
>> BUT I THINK [NOISE] I WOULD WANT TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT.
THAT'S WHY I'D WANT TO SEE THE APPEAL, NOT NOW, BUT WITH THE RESPONSE.
HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME THOUGH.
MORE THAN HOURS TO PONDER ABOUT THAT? THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS REAL QUICK.
[TOWN MANAGER]
THE TOWN ATTORNEY AND I HAVE A MEETING FRIDAY MORNING, AND THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD SOLID PLAN THAT WILL BE FORWARDING ON TO YOU IN RELATION TO THAT.AS FAR AS THE MEDIATION GOES, I WOULD WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY ON HIS ASSESSMENT OF THAT MEDIATION.
THE OTHER COUPLE OF OTHER POINTS JUST VERY QUICKLY, I KNOW IN THE BEGINNING WE STARTED AT OUR MEETING WITH SOME RECOGNITION FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITY FOLKS.
I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT WAS IN THAT PROCLAMATION.
I KNOW AND I SEEK THOMAS BACK THERE STILL.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE HOW MUCH UTILITIES AND HOW MUCH OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT DOES, RIGHT DOWN TO THE VERY ROOM THAT WE'RE SITTING IN AND THE TEMPERATURE IN THE ROOM AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
KUDOS TO THESE GUYS, THEY WORK HARD EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY REALLY DON'T GET ANY CREDIT FOR IT.
SAME THING WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND IT COULDN'T BE ANY MORE PROUD OF THESE FOLKS.
THE CHIEF STANDS UP THERE HERE, BUT WE GOT OFFICER SCHNEIDER BACK OVER THERE WHO'S OUT HERE ALL EVERY DAY PRACTICALLY BETWEEN DETAILS, PUTTING HIS LIFE ON THE LINE AND PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU ALL. FOLLOWING THAT, MY LAST POINT IS TO FRIDAY EVENING IS THE POLICE-COMMUNITY SERVICES AWARDS DINNER.
I HAD MENTIONED IT TO YOU ALL BEFORE.
IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN ATTENDING, IT'S SPONSORED BY THE JUPITER LIFE MASON LODGE AND IT'S GOING TO BE HELD AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, STARTS AT 6:00 PM FRIDAY, AND WE TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE OFFICERS WHO PERFORM EXEMPLARY COMMUNITY SERVICE FROM THE JUPITER POLICE DEPARTMENT, TEQUESTA POLICE DEPARTMENT, JUNO BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE DEPARTMENT.
PLUS WE PROVIDED DINNER AND THE MAYOR IS GOING TO BE THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, PLEASE GET WITH ME OR GET WITH STACY AND WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET REGISTERED THERE.
IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY IS DOING.
>> FIRST, JUST QUICKLY BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TOO MUCH TIME.
[TOWN COUNCIL – LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMENTS]
I AM CONTINUING TO GO TO EACH OF THE BOARDS AND COMMITTEES THAT THIS TOWN HAS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY OPERATE, HOW THEY CAN GET RECOMMENDATIONS TO US, HOW WE CAN BREAK OUT OF SILOS A LITTLE BIT.I WENT TO THE POLICE PENSION BOARD.
THEY'RE DOING INCREDIBLE WORK, REALLY GOOD DIALOGUE AROUND THE INVESTMENTS, INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT.
INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT AI AND HOW IT'S CHANGING THE GAME,
[02:15:03]
AND THEN HISTORICAL RESOURCES BOARD.I DID GO AND I HAD WANTED TO OFFER COMMENTS MORE GENERALLY, BUT I ENDED UP SPEAKING ON THE ITEM OF THE LOCAL TOWN HALL DESIGNATION, HISTORIC LOCAL, HISTORIC DESIGNATION FOR THE TOWN HALL, WHICH IS AN APPLICATION THAT WAS WITH HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD.
THEY DID LOOK AT THE BUILDING, BUT THEN THEY EXPANDED IT TO THE SITE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT IS OR WHERE IT'LL GO.
I WANTED YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THAT.
BUT IT'S INTERESTING. BECAUSE THE TOWN HAS SO MANY MOVING PARTS.
WE HAVE A CIP FOR PLAYGROUND REHABILITATION AND THAT BEING ONE OF THE OLDER PLAYGROUNDS, IT'S ALREADY IN THE QUEUE.
THEN WE HAVE STORMWATER THERE AS WELL.
IT'S A COMPLICATED PICTURE, SO IT'S INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT.
IT FLOODS, THEY'RE QUITE OFTEN.
I'VE BEEN THERE MANY WEEKENDS AND YOU'LL SEE PEOPLE.
THERE'S A GOLF CART AND THERE'S A GUY ON A BODYBOARD WITH A ROPE SURFING ON THE FLOODWATERS.
IT'S A COMMON WAY FOR PLAYING AND HANGING OUT.
THERE ARE SOME STORMWATER NEEDS.
IN FACT, THAT WAS GREAT GETTING TO SEE A LOT OF THAT COMMUNITY CAME OUT TO THAT CONVERSATION THEY LIVE BACK THERE.
IT WAS GREAT GETTING TO TALK TO A LOT OF THE MEMBERS, INCLUDING MY APPOINTEE.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS AROUND THE HUNDRED-YEAR ANNIVERSARY AND THEY HAD SPOKEN WITH STAFF ABOUT THAT.
SHE'S JUST GOOD TO KEEP GETTING THOSE IDEAS.
[NOISE] BECAUSE A GOOD IDEA CAN COME FROM ANYWHERE.
THEN WHEN I WENT TO THE ART COMMITTEE, YOU SEE THAT THEY WANT TO LOOK AT WRAPPING UTILITY BOXES AND THAT MAY LOOK DIFFERENT.
IT MIGHT BE FOCUSING ON THE GREENERY OF THE TOWN.
IF YOU LOOK AT TEQUESTA'S RECREATION CENTER, THEY WRAPPED THEIR UTILITY BOX WITH BRIGHT GREEN LEAVES.
IT'S LIKE A WRAP THAT LOOKS LIKE LEAVES AND IT JUST MAKES THE AREA BRIGHTER AND GREATER AND IT HIDES WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE LIKE AN UGLY THING.
BUT ON CENTER STREET, IT COULD BE A HISTORIC THING.
I'VE SEEN THAT IN TOWNS LIKE NASHVILLE OR SEEN THE NASHVILLE, SO ANYWAY HISTORIC DOESN'T KNOW WHAT ART'S THINKING ABOUT.
THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
I'VE TALKED TO OUR TOWN MANAGER ABOUT THAT.
[NOISE] JUST HOW WE CAN IN A TOWN WHERE THERE ARE SO MANY MOVING PARTS BREAK DOWN SILOS OR GET MORE INFORMATION FLOW FROM THESE BOARDS AND COMMITTEES.
THAT'S IT. I ALSO HAVE A SEAT FOR FRIDAY. I RESERVED.
I HAVE A CRAZY SCHEDULE A DAY AND I AM TRYING TO BE THERE.
THERE'S A DRESS CODE, FORMAL. THIS IS LIKE-
>> IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE THAT JUST CLAIMS YOU ARE.
>> IT'S A GIRL QUESTION [OVERLAPPING].
>> ONLY FOR WOMEN COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU HAVE TO REALLY DRESS THAT FONT.
>> YOUR POSITION. YOU CAN NEVER BE OVERDRESSED.
>> ANYWAYS, I HOPE I CAN MAKE IT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY CELEBRATING ALL OF YOU AND THAT'S IT.
I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT YOU MADE AN EFFORT TO BE THERE.
>> THANK YOU. I REMEMBER LAST YEAR I TRIED AS WELL OR I DON'T KNOW. THANK YOU.
>> NO REPORT. UNFORTUNATELY, AS MUCH AS I WANT TO BE THERE, THEN ON FRIDAY I'M ON DUTY.
TODAY'S TUESDAY MY NEXT DUTY DAY IS FRIDAY AND TAKING A VACATION FOR THIS MEETING AND REALLY I DON'T WANT TO PLUG IN TOO MUCH VACATION.
I'M TRYING TO HOLD OFF SOME OF THAT, BUT I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE INVITE.
>> I WILL ALSO BE A LAST MINUTE FOR THAT ONE.
THAT'S IT. A LOT OF THINGS SCHEDULED THAT DAY, BUT I'M GOING TO TRY.
>> I WILL LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THEN.
>> GRACIOUS. FOR QUICK, ITEMS 1 IS, AS I WAS READING PRESENTATION, THE PROCLAMATION FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS WORKERS.
I APPRECIATE OUR ENGINEERING PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR EMPHASIZING.
I THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WITH THE DEPARTMENTAL NAMES [NOISE] YET THE WORD PUBLIC WORKS AND YOU MENTIONED THIS IT WAS MENTIONED ENCOMPASSES EVERYBODY THAT WORKS IN PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS, UTILITY.
I'M NOT SURE HOW I WOULD HAVE WORDED IT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE PUBLIC WORKS IS IN THERE.
BUT JUST FOR NEXT TIME, I GUESS THE LESSON AS WE DO THAT EVERY YEAR, IF THERE'S SOME WAY.
IT'S A NUANCE OF THE TERM AS USED.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE MEMBERS IN PARKS AND UTILITIES DON'T FEEL SLIGHTED.
[02:20:01]
I THINK IT WAS WORDED IN THERE, SO IT WASN'T LIKE IT WASN'T BUT I DON'T KNOW.
I JUST TAKE THAT BACK FOR NEXT YEAR.
THEN JUST COMMENT ABOUT THE UTILITY BOXES. IT'S INTERESTING.
IN ORDER IF I GO TO PORT ST. LUCIE, OH MY GOSH.
THEY HAVE ALL THEIR UTILITY BOXES NICELY WRAPPED AND I DO THINK THEY'RE NICE.
BUT THE FUNNY THING IS, I DON'T NOTICE THE UTILITY BOXES IN THE TOWN, SO I JUST DON'T HAPPEN TO NOTICE THEM.
IT'S LIKE ANYTHING ELSE IS LIKE, MAYBE IT STICKS OUT IN PORT ST. LUCIE BECAUSE YOU'RE SO NICE BUT I'M SUPPORTIVE OF IT BECAUSE THEY'RE NICE.
>> THEY'RE GOING TO STICK OUT NOW THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT IT. IT HAPPENS.
IT'S LIKE [OVERLAPPING] THE POLICE RADIO CALL OR SOMETHING YOU'RE GOING TO NOTICE EVERY POLL IN TOWN.
>> I UNDERSTAND. I'M JUST SAYING, I'VE ALWAYS ADMIRED THEM [LAUGHTER] UP IN PORT ST. LUCIE.
I'M OPEN TO THAT. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT ON THE RECORD.
THEN JUST A TOPIC THAT WAS BROUGHT UP BEFORE WE WERE ALL HEARD FROM STAFF AND WE'RE DELIGHTED THAT WE HAD TWO PROJECTS GET FUNDED IN THE STATE BUDGET CENTRAL GOVERNOR.
I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO OUR SYSTEM TOWN MANAGER ABOUT THIS BUT I GOT A CALL FROM CENTER TO GAIL WHO RAIL AND SHE WAS JUST SUGGESTING THAT SINCE SHE'S SHARING THE GOVERNOR IS GOING TO PROBABLY PROCESS THE BUDGET EARLIER THIS YEAR.
SHE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT WE REACH OUT TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE TO LOBBY BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW AND I CERTAINLY READ IT OVER THE WEEKEND.
HE'S RENOWNED FOR LINE-ITEM VETOES.
STAFF WILL BE WORKING TO PUT IN WHATEVER WE CAN PUT IN AND I'LL BE SUPPORTING ANY OF THAT.
BUT I WANTED YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE CELEBRATIONS NOT YET AT HAND UNTIL IT DOESN'T GET LINE-ITEM VETOED.
>> KATE IS ALREADY WORKING ON THAT MAYOR.
>> SHE'S IN CONTACT WITH THE LOBBYIST AS WELL.
>> SHE PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR YOU.
>> I HAD NO DOUBT. I JUST FIGURED SINCE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MENTIONING IT'S JUST TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.
>> IF THERE'S SOMETHING MORE THAT WE CAN DO AS A COUNCIL TO HELP GET THAT MESSAGE ACROSS VIA PHONE CALL OR IN PERSON ANYTHING.
>> WITH THAT, THE TIME IS 9:22 AND WE'LL ADJOURN THE MEETING. THANK YOU ALL.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.