Sale and development wouldn’t come easy 

Included in the property for the planned Milani Park in Highland Beach is Yamato Rock, a favorite spot for snorkeling so named because the area was used in the early 20th century by members of the Yamato Colony, a group of Japanese pineapple farmers. The historical link of the site to that colony could impact how the property is developed. File photo/Provided by Rodrigo Griesi

By Rich Pollack

When several Palm Beach County commissioners last month threw the proverbial monkey wrench into plans to continue developing the Milani Park property as a park, they left open the possibility that the property could be sold for residential development.

If that takes place, the county’s coffers would grow greatly from the sale and future property tax revenue, while the door would be open for a developer to benefit financially as well.

Anyone purchasing the 5.6-acre parcel at the south end of Highland Beach would have to overcome a series of obstacles, however, including a hefty price tag and more recent archeological findings that could limit where construction takes place.

“There are some challenges but they’re not insurmountable,” said Highland Beach Town Manager Marshall Labadie, whose Town Commission would have to change the zoning of the property from use as a park to residential.

Plans for the park, which has faced opposition from the town and residents for more than 30 years, seemed to be on track until early last month, when Cam Milani told the County Commission his family, which sold the land to the county almost 40 years ago, no longer wants a park built there.

That was an about-face of the long-term position of the family, which in the past had financially contributed to the campaign of at least one member of a previous County Commission who had pushed for development of the park.

In an email to The Coastal Star, Cam Milani said that the decision to oppose the park came because “resident opposition to the park has reached levels we did not anticipate. We want peace and harmony in our community as we live here and want to continue to live here.”

Milani’s comments at the June 3 meeting set off an often-tense exchange between Commissioner Marci Woodward, who supports the park and whose district includes the Milani Park property, and Commissioner Joel Flores, who had previously voted in favor of developing the park but was now questioning that position.

Woodward has pointed out that Flores’ political action committee received $30,000 in contributions from Highland Beach Real Estate Holdings, a company controlled by the Milani family. The Coastal Star independently confirmed that three $10,000 contributions from the company went to the political action committee Friends of Joel Flores in 2024.

“We are proud to support candidates who share the same values as our family and will continue to do so as we feel that is our civic privilege and obligation,” Cam Milani said.

Following the discussion last month, commissioners agreed to meet individually with county staff for updates on the status of park development before deciding on the park’s future. Those discussions are expected to continue through early July.

If the county agrees to sell the land, the Milani family has not ruled out making an offer. The family, under a 2010 settlement agreement, has the right of first refusal, meaning that it could buy the property with an offer that matches the highest bid.

“Should the county decide to sell the lands, we will determine at that time if it makes economic sense to exercise our right of first refusal to repurchase,” Cam Milani said. “We would also work and cooperate with the town and its residents to ensure a development that is beneficial to all parties.”

Obstacles to development
Two of the biggest obstacles facing a developer hoping to build on the property, should the county sell it, would be zoning and price, and the relationship between the two.

In a letter to Woodward dated April 2024, Highland Beach Mayor Natasha Moore wrote that the property had been appraised at $45.75 million by an independent appraiser based on medium density on the west side of State Road A1A and low density on the east side.

Multifamily low-density zoning allows for six units per acre, while medium density allows for 12 units per acre.

Were the property to be sold to a developer, the new owners would first have to go before the Highland Beach commission to apply for a zoning change since the property is zoned for a park.

Along with density restrictions, the zoning comes with height restrictions: Buildings would probably be limited to 35 feet above the finished first-floor elevation on the east side, if approved for low-density zoning, and as much as 40 feet above the first-floor elevation on the west side if approved for medium density.

Moore said she believes residents who have opposed the park have focused their concerns mostly on the number of parking spaces — about 100 — that the county plans to put on the west side of A1A.

“My understanding of what most residents want is that they would like to see a park with just a few parking spaces as opposed to development of more residential units,” she said.

Archeological issues
A buyer who might be interested in building on the eastern parcel of the property, which the county is planning to turn into a beach park, would also face a major obstacle due to the archeological significance of the property.

County planners have long known of the existence of a Native American burial ground on the property and the historical significance of the use of the area by members of the Yamato Colony, a group of Japanese pineapple farmers in the early 20th century.

Woodward said that as the county conducts an archeological study, it is discovering that the historical significance of a portion of the property is greater than originally thought.

“It’s a treasure trove,” she said, adding that it is the only undisturbed place in Palm Beach County where evidence of a Japanese colony still exists.

Bryan Davis, a principal planner with the county working on efforts to get the area registered nationally as a historic site, says the Yamato Colony’s link to the property makes it unique.

“Every other piece of the Yamato Colony is gone,” he said. “It’s the only parcel left that’s still identifiable as associated with the Yamato Colony.”

Davis said that the Native American burial ground is the last remaining one of seven similar mounds — from Riviera Beach to Deerfield Beach.

“I like to call the area a unicorn,” he said, adding that there is nothing quite like it anywhere else in the county.

The county’s design for the park includes elevated walkways over the historically significant areas with educational material posted along the walkway.

“It is the best thing we could do to this land,” Woodward said.

The county has submitted a National Register of Historic Places nomination for part of the property, and the state division of Historical Resources has confirmed that it is eligible for listing on the national register. The county is providing additional information to the state as requested.

“I think there are limitations on what could be done on the east side,” Labadie said.

Potential next steps
Should the county sell the property, it could be at least four years before construction could be completed. The county estimates it would take nine months to sell the property once a decision is made, and the town estimates it would take six months to go through the rezoning process.

Another nine months would be needed for plan review and permitting, and then it would take about two years for construction.

Ron Reame, former president of Boca Highland Beach Club and Marina, which is adjacent to the park property, said he is hoping a compromise can be worked out with no more than 40 parking spaces at the park.

“I don’t think people realize what the alternatives to a park are and what the impact would be,” he said. 

 Carney’s letter to residents heightens years-old debate on cost of public safety

Related: Police chief resigns amid turmoil, takes top job in Longboat Key

By John Pacenti

The war of words between Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney and the Police Benevolent Association went nuclear in June. 

The mayor unleashed a scathing email newsletter to residents, saying that the union’s position on the stalled contract negotiations is “driven solely by personal gain rather than the department’s or taxpayers’ best interest.”

The Police Department’s lead union negotiator, in the meantime, says 26 officers — including seven near the end of June — have left since negotiations started a year ago, alarming some in the community who have pressured the City Commission to capitulate before the release of a mediator’s recommendations, expected this month.

Carney has given no quarter when it comes to the police union’s proposal for an extension of a special retirement program that would benefit, he says, only the top few in the department. That sticking point has stalled negotiations for months.

Carney has dared the union on several occasions.

“Let the members vote, because the new officers like this pay package, because what they’re interested in is being able to buy a house, they want to go on vacation, they want to buy a boat, they want to do something. They want some disposable income,” Carney told The Coastal Star.

The city has offered a $15.3 million increase over three years, raising starting salaries to $72,000 — up from $61,000. Third-year salaries will increase to more than $80,000, he said.

Carney went deeper with the late-night email on June 16 to residents, saying two union negotiators were trying to line their own pockets by bloating the compensation by $2 million each.

Not a DROP in the bucket

The issue is extending the DROP — the Deferred Retirement Option Program — that allows an officer eligible to retire to continue working while accruing retirement benefits for a fixed period of time. A participating officer earns the regular salary and a pension — with the latter going into a special account that’s paid out when the DROP period ends and the officer officially retires.

DROP is used as an incentive to retain veteran officers. Instead of officers retiring so they can begin collecting  pensions and start new jobs elsewhere, DROP allows them to keep working for the city while receiving pension benefits.

The union wants to extend the DROP program period from five years to eight years, allowing three years of additional pension to be deposited into a DROP account while an officer continues to earn a regular salary.

Carney, in his email, said the union two years ago opposed extending the DROP, arguing it would stifle promotions. The PBA has since changed its tune because the negotiators have skin in the game, the mayor said. “This blatant reversal underscores their hypocrisy.”

Battle tactics

The issue has become personal. The PBA trotted out mobile billboards — one during the St. Patrick’s Day parade — castigating Carney as allowing crime to skyrocket. The mayor says those are lies and produced crime statistics showing it is down in major categories from last year.

“They wanted to politicize it, just like they wanted to politicize the St. Patrick’s Day parade,” Carney said. “They want to politicize everything so that a few people at the top could get an extra three years of salary and benefits.”

In a show of support for the PBA, police officers came out in force at the commission’s Feb. 18 meeting, filling nearly every seat in the gallery. The tattooed officers — an intimidating presence in the view of many onlookers — puffed up their biceps as John Kazanjian, PBA’s Palm Beach County president, told elected officials the city is the second-lowest municipality in pay and benefits in the county and that officer morale is low.

“The city of Delray is that close to being in a crisis,” he said. “People need to realize this is no joke.”

Boca Raton, for instance, says it has one of the nation’s highest starting salaries for officers — $87,491 a year with a seven-year DROP. Boynton Beach has a starting salary of $73,000 and an eight-year DROP. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office offers a starting salary of $72,564 for deputies and an eight-year DROP.

The union’s side

The PBA has complained that the city hasn’t taken negotiations seriously since they started a year ago, with officials at the table who don’t have the authority to make decisions. In November, the PBA sent a letter to City Manager Terrence Moore complaining that he had not attended any negotiations.

Moore is not part of the city's seven-member negotiating team, which includes the city attorney.

Meer Dean, a sergeant with the Delray Beach Police Department and the treasurer for the PBA’s county chapter, said the mayor is engaging in the very politicking he criticizes. For instance, a Carney talking point about officers receiving “free” health care is just not true — they have paycheck deductions for their insurance policies like anybody else and have co-pays, he said. 

Whatever money the mayor thinks he is saving the city by opposing the DROP extension is countered by replacing and training those officers who have left — estimated to cost $362,000 apiece, Dean said. 

“Taxpayers are paying over $6 million to watch people leave,” he said.

Dean doesn’t mince words about what the failure to properly negotiate means for the city. “If the city doesn’t want to pay to attract and retain officers, then it might be time to have the commission ask Sheriff Bradshaw to give them a quote to contract police services in the city,” he told The Coastal Star, referring to Ric Bradshaw.

Casale teams with Carney

Commissioner Juli Casale — another target of the PBA’s billboards — says she believes Dean’s figures are incorrect, in part because he may be adding in the annual salaries of the new recruits.

Carney said the average length an officer stays in Delray Beach is 3½ years so attrition is normal. He said the city has five new officers in training.

Carney and Casale came into office last year without union endorsements — which increasingly are not carrying weight in Delray Beach.

“The union no longer has a commission stacked in its favor,” Casale told The Coastal Star. "The contracts are being reviewed and properly scrutinized. It's time for the union to bargain in good faith."

She doesn’t think residents are getting the full picture.

“This isn’t about politics. This is about cold, hard cash we don’t have,” she said at the June 3 commission meeting. “We have offered $15.3 million in increases. We are not going to get $15.3 million in revenue increases from property taxes this year.” 

Carney agreed, saying: “People don’t understand what’s been offered, what’s been asked.” He said commissioners don’t negotiate — they just accept or reject the proposed contract.

Long backs union

The PBA has an ally on the commission in Vice Mayor Rob Long, who at the June 17 meeting read a lengthy statement calling former Chief Russ Mager’s impending departure “a rupture” and an “indictment of how this city has handled public safety at the highest level.”

Long told The Coastal Star that Carney is desperate because the public is lining up in support of the union’s position as officers continue to leave. He said Carney and Casale are being “disingenuous and inaccurate” when they refer to the DROP as “double-dipping.”

Long said to remain competitive with other municipalities, the city needs to extend the DROP to eight years.

“What my colleagues are doing is based on ideology and it’s based on politics. It’s not based on what’s best for the city and what’s best for the residents and what’s best for our police,” he said.

Long said the department is now at its highest number of vacancies ever and it takes about a year to get a rookie trained.

As for the expense, Long said the city asked for a third-party analysis and was told extending the DROP would actually save $8 million. “Every single expert has told us the DROP extension will not cost us money,” he said.

Other voices

Commissioner Tom Markert — elected with Carney and Casale last year — is believed to side with the mayor, while Commissioner Angela Burns — who often votes alongside Long — sides with the union.

Markert didn’t return phone calls or texts. He said at the June 3 meeting that his family comes from law enforcement, yet he was critical of the union. 

“There is nobody up on the dais who cares more about law enforcement than I do,” he said. “I think some of the tactics have been hurtful, and I want it to stop, and I want it to be over, and I want to get back to the relationship with the Police Department that we always had and enjoyed.”

Burns says she doesn’t speak to the press but did say at the June 3 meeting, “My hope is the city and the union can come to a consensus on something that is fair and sustainable for everyone, and I'm looking forward to that.”

Paul Cannon, a member of the city’s police advisory board, spoke at the June 3 commission meeting:  “I’ve got one very simple ask, and that is, I want you guys please put your politics aside, let’s put the toxicity aside. Let’s get everybody in the room. Let’s have a conclave. Let’s figure this out, and don’t come out of that room until you’ve got a settlement, and let’s do it while we still have a Police Department.”

Former Mayor Shelly Petrolia says the real issue is that the city gave away the store to the fire union for its last contract and now the police want their share. She says these increasing contracts for police and fire — whose departments make up more than half of the city’s operating budget — are financially unsustainable.

“But the moment that you start saying anything about the police or the fire, you no longer care about safety. That’s what they do,” Petrolia said. “They start this whole campaign against you. …”

She said that is why so many commissioners — past and pre-sent — capitulate to the unions.

Fire union sees success

It appears the fire union has again gotten what it wants after doing a bit of politicking. IAFF City Local 1842 posted a photograph of a giant inflatable rat outside City Hall on its Facebook page before a June 10 commission workshop, claiming the administration was aiming to put public safety at risk.

Carney and the commission — possibly not wanting a two-front union war — gave its nod to the department’s proposed $52 million budget that would fund the union’s demands for three men per truck per shift.

“They made a compelling public safety argument. They needed it for public safety to save lives,” Carney said.

Political activist and observer Andre Fladell said the police and fire contracts should not be conflated — nor their political activism. The fire union is much more aggressively involved in local races, he said.

However, the PBA’s strong-arm tactics here have backfired, in Fladell’s opinion.

“The communication broke down between what we call the police union and the city electeds,” he said. 

“Why did the communication break down? Because for the first time, you had union reps that weren’t communicating. They were marching in the street, and they were doing things that were offensive, and the communication relationship levels broke down.” 

This time of year, when I set foot in my backyard, I’m greeted with the most beautiful floral bouquet — a large and magnificent frangipani tree. Fragrant five-petal white flowers adorn the tree. Some fall gracefully to blanket the green grass below. The scent is even sweeter after the lawnmower plows over them. And the tree looks so very pretty when covered with raindrops!

Summer treats are within easy reach. Neighbors share the bounty of their mango trees — and I can’t wait to turn them into mango smoothies or margaritas. 

Ah, the joys of summer in South Florida! Moments like these are part of the reason I look forward to the off-season, or the summer slowdown. I’ve learned to welcome summer, appreciating all its perks, including the blooming trees and juicy stone fruits.

The population dwindles, with many of our neighbors chilling in northern climes, or cruising aboard private yachts bound for the French Riviera, the Mediterranean or the Greek islands. 

But those of us left behind are not without benefits.

We don’t have to worry about reservations at our favorite dining spots. To sweeten the pot, restaurants are offering summer specials and discounted prices.

It’s also a great time for staycations, since many resorts offer discounted rates, too. 

Beaches are less crowded, but sea turtles are busy laying eggs and if we’re lucky we can participate in a turtle walk, giving us an exclusive after-hours look at the nesting process.

While both the temperature and humidity feel stratospheric now, we have ways of getting around that. Take in a theatrical performance or see a movie on the big screen. Icy air conditioning is complimentary.

Visiting an art museum is another option for indoor entertainment and elucidation. Check out the exhibits at Boca Raton Museum of Art or the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, which, by the way, offers free admission to county residents on Saturdays through Aug. 30. 

Of course, we’ll want to keep an eye on the tropics and stock up early with hurricane supplies. But we won’t let fear of a bad storm keep us from enjoying our summer.

Adiós for now. There’s a mango margarita with my name on it waiting on the lanai  — and the lounge chair beside it has a great view of my favorite frangipani tree. It’s happy hour at mi casa and you can guess where I’ll be hanging out. 

Please join me in toasting the off-season. ¡Salud!

— Mary Thurwachter, Managing Editor

Philanthropist Lois Pope’s latest donation — $10 million — went to further Alzheimer’s research at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine last month. Pope’s daughter Lorraine, 51, succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease last year. Photo provided by Laura Massa/CAPEHART

By Tao Woolfe

Sometimes a philanthropist chooses a cause to support, and sometimes pain drives the choice.

No one knows this better than Lois Pope, world-renowned philanthropist, Manalapan resident, primary heir to the National Enquirer fortune, and a mother who lost her youngest daughter to Alzheimer’s disease last year.  

Heartbroken, Pope donated $10 million to further Alzheimer’s research at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine last month. The gift will finance the Lois Pope Laboratory Wing in Memory of Lorraine Pope. 

“Alzheimer’s is an insidious disease,” Pope said. “Knowing how it robbed my daughter of any recognition of who I and other family members were, and who she herself was, couldn’t have been more heartbreaking.”

Lorraine Pope was born with Down syndrome. She nevertheless thrived at Cedars of Marin, a special facility in Ross, California, according to published reports. She joined the family for vacations around the world. She died last year at age 51.

“My daughter suffered for a number of years with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Pope, who is 92. “It was very difficult and very sad. I can’t think of anything more devastating to a mother than watching her daughter dying like that.”

Besides Alzheimer’s, university staff will study other neurological and neurodegenerative diseases and disorders, including ALS and Parkinson’s.

Pope’s gift builds on other donations to the university, including one for $10 million in 2000 to establish the Lois Pope Life Center. The center houses the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, which researches and treats spinal cord injuries.

Often a personal experience will suggest — or deepen — Pope’s commitment to a cause.

For example, Pope was moved to initiate the Miami Project’s spinal cord research after her friend Christopher Reeve, the actor, was paralyzed in a horseback riding accident in 1995.

Another $12 million went to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in 2018 because Pope’s mother suffered from macular degeneration.

And in describing her ongoing concern for disabled veterans, Pope tells this story:

Back in the 1960s, Pope was a Broadway performer. While giving a holiday benefit for patients at the Rusk Rehabilitation Hospital in New York, she sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

When she got to the line, “Hold my hand and I’ll take you there,” she reached out to a soldier in the front row, but stopped when she realized he could not take her hands. He had no arms.

“After the performance,” she said, “I went over to talk to him. He shared with me that he had lost his arms from fighting in the Vietnam conflict. In fact, everyone in the audience was a disabled Vietnam veteran. … I promised all of them that if I ever had the resources, I would do something big and memorable for them, to honor their sacrifice.”

Pope became a full-time philanthropist after the 1988 death of her husband, Generoso Paul Pope Jr., founder of the National Enquire. Lois and Generoso had supported a number of charities together, most of which focused on children, animal welfare, art and community health. The couple had four children.

Lois Pope further winnowed her favorite causes into four categories — projects for disabled veterans, children, medical research and animal health. 

Her role models were her husband, who was a generous philanthropist in his own right, and her mother, who always set aside a little something for those in need.

“I grew up in Philadelphia amid the Great Depression,” Pope said. “My grandfather owned a small auto parts store, and my father worked there. My mother was a teacher.

“Times were tough, and we didn’t have much. But I can still vividly recall my mother saving coins in a jar so that when people came to the door looking for a donation … she would have a little change to give them.”

W. Dalton Dietrich III, scientific director for the Miami Project, said Pope’s largesse gives hope to those in need.

“Lois Pope’s generosity has touched so many lives all over the world,” Dietrich said. “We could not be more grateful for her continued belief in, and support of, the basic and translational research we conduct in the Lois Pope Life Center.”

Pope says she thoroughly enjoys her role as philanthropist.

“It has been my life’s privilege to have the resources and passion to do this,” Pope said. “It brings me great joy and satisfaction.

“I say to young people: ‘Find your purpose and pursue it. Yes, you want to do well in life, but it is equally important to also want to do good in life.’” 

NOMINATE SOMEONE TO BE A COASTAL STAR 

Send a note to news@thecoastalstar.com or call 561-337-1553.

Florida has eliminated its HOV lanes as of July 1, and ended the decal program that allows drivers of electric, hybrid or low-emission vehicles to drive for free on the Interstate 95 express lanes. The Florida Legislature passed SB 1662, which repealed the state law creating HOV lanes, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it on June 19.

The elimination of high-occupancy vehicle regulations — which limited the use of the designated HOV lanes to multi-passenger vehicles during weekday morning and evening rush hours — won’t have much impact south of the Congress Avenue interchange in Boca Raton, where single HOV lanes have been replaced by double express lanes in most areas. 

However, the change will free up solo motorists to use the innermost I-95 lanes north of the Congress Avenue interchange without fear of getting a ticket.

— Steve Plunkett

Sargassum piles up on Lantana's town beach in May. File photo/The Coastal Star

By Mary Thurwachter

Although Lantana hasn’t formally given the green light to raking sargassum off its beach, the town appears to be headed in that direction — but the earliest the raking could begin is in August.

That’s because the town needs approval from the sea turtle nesting monitors to be able to rake the beach during the summer and fall, according to Marc Fichtner, Lantana’s marine safety supervisor.

Although the town has a turtle monitoring service agreement with D.B. Ecological Services Inc., it had not signed up specifically for monitoring for mechanical beach raking, the Town Council learned at its June 9 meeting.

“They informed us that at this point in the nesting season, when no nest marking has occurred, mechanical beach cleaning cannot proceed until nest marking begins and a minimum of 65 days have passed,” said Maria Rios, executive assistant to the town manager. “This waiting period allows any incubating nests to emerge before any mechanical activities take place.”

Rios said the town would first need to enter into an agreement for sea turtle monitoring specific to mechanical beach raking, followed by a separate agreement authorizing the raking itself.

Town Manager Brian Raducci said the town would seek those necessary agreements, but that would mean raking couldn’t begin until August at the earliest.

“The monitoring would cost about $5,000 for the season,” Raducci said. “The raking would cost between $1,000 and $1,200 for twice-a-month service.”

Mayor Karen Lythgoe said the town wanted to do raking several years ago, but “it was not real popular.”

Lantana’s policy has traditionally been to limit raking and not to remove sargassum. The thinking was that seaweed was essential for marine life, kept replacement sand on beaches and provided nutrients to plants on dunes.

In April, freshman Council member Jesse Rivero asked for the subject to be revisited and in June that happened.

In advance of that, on May 12 Raducci had Fichtner share his views, based on his being at the beach every day, talking with experts and hearing from beachgoers.

Fichtner said he was seeing an increase in sargassum at Lantana Beach and that patrons were becoming progressively annoyed by it.

Fichtner had spoken with Brian LaPointe, Ph.D, a research professor at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, who said 14 million tons of sargassum is expected in the Caribbean this year, the most ever recorded.

At some point, whether that’s June, July or August, some of that is going to hit Lantana’s beach, Fichtner related.

The bacteria that form from rotting sargassum are a problem, he said. One of the biggest things with that is hydrogen sulfide and ammonia produced by decomposing sargassum, which is toxic to animals and people.

Raking the beach, Fichtner said, could prevent that. It would also remove litter and other pollutants and would make it safer for sea turtle hatchlings, which can get trapped in sargassum piles while trying to get to the ocean, he said.

Vice Mayor Kem Mason asked whether hand raking could be done.

Raducci said he thought the town would be hard-pressed to find somebody to do it.

“Depending on the depth of the seaweed it could be incredibly heavy,” he said. 

City wins millions in tap water lawsuit — Delray Beach will receive $15 million as the result of the nationwide settlement of a class-action lawsuit against the manufacturers of so-called “forever chemicals” that are in tap water.

The city was one of a number of cities in South Florida — Boca Raton is getting $32 million — and in other states that had sued manufacturers of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, or PFAS, which are linked to a variety of health problems including thyroid disease, liver damage, some cancers, weakened immunity and reduced fertility in women.

In addition to tap water, the chemicals are in a wide variety of products, including non-stick pans, carpets, clothing, cosmetics and pizza boxes. They have been present for decades.

Delray Beach is preparing to start construction on a new $280 million water treatment plant. Costs have escalated in recent years, primarily because of the cost of PFAS-removing technology.

— Mary Hladky and Larry Barszewski

Related: Mayor and police union battle over benefits

By John Pacenti

Less than 12 hours after Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney criticized his department at a June 3 City Commission meeting, Police Chief Russ Mager resigned.

Mager submitted his resignation on June 4 after serving the city for 29 years. He had long hinted at retiring. His last day was to be July 4.

Just weeks later, officials in Longboat Key, a barrier island town off Sarasota, announced Mager will be police chief there of its 23-person department starting in August.

Delray Beach officials said on June 6 that Assistant Chief Darrell Hunter will serve as the interim police chief. Hunter joined the Delray Beach Police Department in 2007.

Mager’s resignation came after Carney criticized Mager’s department for failing to conclude an internal investigation involving the firefighter who drove a truck into the pathway of a Brightline train in December.

It also came the same week that Mager sent an email to commissioners expressing concern about 15 vacancies in the department, as the police union and the city haggle over a new contract. 

“Chief Russ Mager has been a dedicated public servant and an integral part of the Delray Beach Police Department for nearly 30 years,” said City Manager Terrence Moore.

“His leadership, integrity, and commitment to our community have left a lasting impact on our city. We are deeply grateful for his service and wish him all the best in this next chapter.”

Carney struck a positive tone, as well, on hearing of the resignation. “He’s had a great career with Delray Beach, and it’s been an honor to have him,” he said. “I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Carney said he wasn’t criticizing Mager personally at the June 3 meeting, saying his comments on the internal investigation were more directed to Moore.

But the mayor wanted to make clear he was unhappy the internal investigation had not been concluded by Mager’s internal affairs unit.

In June 2023, firefighter David Wyatt drove his car into a tree on Atlantic Avenue. Though police suspected a DUI, neither a breathalyzer nor a blood test was taken. Some police officers also turned off their body cameras once they learned Wyatt was a firefighter.

The investigation was looking into police conduct in responding to the crash. Wyatt ended up getting a ticket, and his license was suspended for failing to attend a driving class. For nearly two months, he drove a firetruck without a valid license.

Wyatt was behind the wheel of an aerial ladder firetruck when it went around lowered railroad crossing gates on Dec. 28 and was struck by a Brightline train.

“I don’t know how this city can be satisfied that it has taken as long as it has to investigate that accident on West Atlantic,” Carney said about the inquiry into the 2023 crash. “It’s been over four months.”

Mager has previously said he has had trouble scheduling officers for interviews.

“If I couldn’t get people in to testify, I would suspend them,” Carney said at the June 3 meeting.

Moore told Carney that he would have Mager approach the dais and explain, but the mayor said, “I don’t want to hear from the chief. These are the commissioners’ comments. I think I made my point pretty clear.”

The investigation has since concluded, with police officials determining the officers at the scene did nothing wrong in how they treated Wyatt. 

The department still has yet to conclude another inquiry into police competency in the investigation that led to the arrest of a code enforcement officer for bribery in October. 

In that case, the State Attorney’s Office has so far declined to file charges because of problems with the case. 

By Mary Thurwachter

Sean Scheller won’t be calling it quits as Lantana’s top cop this month — as he had been scheduled to do.

The police chief wants to stay — and the town wants him to remain. Council members told him so at their June 9 meeting and approved an ordinance change at their June 23 meeting that makes it possible.

Scheller has been in the five-year Deferred Retirement Option Plan, Town Manager Brian Raducci said. Employees in DROP are considered “retired” for pension purposes, but remain active employees for all other aspects of their job. 

Being in DROP allowed Scheller to receive his regular pay while also earning pension benefits, which accumulate and are paid out when the DROP period ends.

Scheller’s DROP period was set to end July 31, when he would have to retire. But the council approved an ordinance change that allows Scheller to continue working as chief while stopping any additional DROP benefits, Raducci said. Scheller also won’t receive his accumulated DROP benefits until he officially retires from his job and begins collecting his pension.

Scheller turns 55 this month and has worked for the Lantana Police Department for 30 years. He wants to remain in his job, Raducci said at the June 9 meeting.

“He loves his job, he loves who he works with and he’s been in it for 30 years, so he’s committed that he wants to stay on,” Raducci said. “He could go somewhere else and collect his full retirement and a salary comparable to his salary here, but that’s not his preference. He would love to see some projects he started here come to fruition.”

Town Council members praised him and so did residents, including Michelle Donahue of Hypoluxo Island.

“Our chief is the greatest and our town is so incredibly lucky to have him here,” she said. “We have the best Police Department, and I agree, it comes from the top down. He’s engaging. He listens. He cares.”

After hearing a round of applause, Scheller said the decision to stay was “a no-brainer.” He thanked the council, the staff and his officers for their dedication and support.

“I don’t want any of my successor chiefs to go through what I went through,” he said, remembering the day 13 years ago when he became acting chief after a previous top cop left abruptly.

He said he wants to see some of the projects he started take hold. One of them is the take-home car policy, which will go into effect Oct. 1. The policy will allow officers to take their vehicles home at the end of their shifts. The program will be phased in, starting with five vehicles, and be based on seniority.

“We are very progressive in our staffing and hiring right now,” Scheller said. “When I leave here, I want this department to be fully staffed.”

Scheller, whose annual salary is $200,322, said he “really enjoys working with people and solving problems on a daily basis.”

He promised to give the town his “heart and soul” for the next two years … or maybe more. 

Note: This is the story as it appears in the July print edition of The Coastal Star. A more detailed version is available online: Investigation finds code director’s complaints against vice mayor ‘unsubstantiated’

By John Pacenti

Accusations that rocked Delray Beach apparatchiks for weeks came to an end June 27 when an independent investigator found the claim by a recently hired director that her job was threatened by Vice Mayor Rob Long to be “unsubstantiated.”

Still, the investigator — attorney Brooke Ehrlich — found plenty of room for improvement, recommending City Manager Terrence Moore stop his practice of conference calls with city employees and individual commissioners. She also recommended that commissioners stop directly contacting city directors — and, if they do, ensure the city attorney or internal auditor is on the line.

In the meantime and before the investigation’s conclusion, the center of the storm — Rodney Mayo, lightning rod restaurant and coffee shop owner — decided to pour gasoline over
the already raging fire by releasing a scathing email that blasted the director who leveled the complaint: Jeri Pryor, the neighborhood and community services director who also oversees code enforcement.

“Was there any due diligence, background checks or concern of Mrs. Pryor’s past job performance and strange anomalies? Is this the best hire the city of Delray can offer its residents?” he wrote.

The investigation’s report redacts Pryor’s name, but The Coastal Star previously identified her as the complainant, citing a leaked document.

Pryor did not return a phone call for comment. 

Pryor accused Moore and Long of telling her in a Feb. 20 conference call to “stand down” on code enforcement for Mayo’s Subculture coffee shop and his restaurant Dada. She said they “threatened her employment,” according to the report.

The 52-page report — obtained by The Coastal Star July 1 through a public records request — also found “unsubstantiated” Pryor’s complaint that Moore directed her to go soft on businesses represented by the Downtown Development Authority. 

“With the conclusion of this investigation, the City remains committed to fostering a respectful and supportive work environment,” Moore said in a July 1 statement.

“We look forward to strengthening leadership within Neighborhood and Community Services and across all departments to ensure positive, productive relationships both internally and in service to our community.” 

Long emailed a statement, saying the complaint called his integrity into question.

“The report also raises legitimate concerns about the reliability of the complainant’s account. She waited two months to raise her complaint, never brought her concerns to her direct supervisor, and acknowledged that her decision to file was shaped by prior trauma in a different workplace,” Long said.

“Those factors, combined with the absence of corroborating evidence and the consistent accounts of multiple witnesses, speak for themselves. I’m grateful that the facts are now on the record.”

Pryor, when she was working as chief of staff for Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Warren Sturman, filed a complaint against Commissioner Steve Glassman there for using an expletive in her presence on Jan. 9, 2024. Pryor accused Glassman of “violent, hostile and aggressive behavior.”

The investigator in that case concluded that Glassman’s comments did not constitute harassment or bullying.

Another significant finding in the Delray Beach report: Pryor was not considered a whistleblower. Pryor had claimed protection under the state law, stating that Long and Moore violated the city’s charter by telling her to engage in “selective enforcement.”

“Whether or not (Pryor) engaged in a protected disclosure is unnecessary to examine in this matter, given that ultimately, no adverse employment action has been taken by the City against (Pryor) since the time her disclosure was made,” Ehrlich found.

Pryor was hired in January and Moore said he felt the phone call was more of an introduction between her and Long. 

Long said he felt the phone call was cordial.

Both men denied putting any pressure on Pryor to go easy on Mayo’s establishments but said the conversation may have addressed prioritizing “big” code violations, rather than “small” ones.

Mayo’s Dada had been cited for using an A-frame sign, which is prohibited by the city.

Mayo said he went on the offensive with his email because he is being singled out and targeted for political reasons. 

By Steve Plunkett

The two-month report card for Phase 2 of Gulf Stream’s Core District construction project is good, but work will likely stretch through the year-end holidays and into 2026.

Rebecca Travis of Baxter and Woodman Consulting Engineers told town commissioners at their June 13 meeting that the construction contract now has a 56-day approved extension of the completion date.

“So the original date was Dec. 13 of ’25 and now it’s Feb. 7 of ’26,” Travis said.

Commissioner Joan Orthwein, who had hoped the construction would be over before the holidays, wanted more details.

“Are you going to be paving roads in January, February or December? Or will you be … finishing up little things like mailboxes and driveways?” she asked.

“In December they’ll probably be paving, but typically the contractor takes off the week between Christmas and New Year’s. That’s up to him. He can still work it, but the restoration, the cleaning up on the mailboxes and that, that should be probably January,” Travis replied.

Once Phase 2 is done, contractor Roadway Associates LLC will then pave Phases 1 and 2 together with the final lift of asphalt. Part of January’s restoration work includes replacing broken curbs and valley gutters, Travis said.

The 56 extra days were based on additional road widening the town requested, a water main change and some weather and holiday delays, she said.

Commissioners approved paying Baxter and Woodman $68,170 for the extra time the company will be coordinating and supervising the project. 

They also approved taking a loan not to exceed $7 million from Seacoast National Bank to finish the construction and  pay for a water pipe connection to Boynton Beach, which has agreed to supply Gulf Stream with drinking water. The interest rate will be 5.32%, said Mark Bymaster, the town’s chief financial officer.

Roadway started on Phase 2 of the Core construction on April 21.

“We are pleased with the progress that they are making,” Town Manager Greg Dunham said. ”I think one of the reasons is that they’ve not run into water like they did” previously. “It wasn’t necessary to do as much dewatering in Phase 2 as it was in Phase 1.”

Phase 1 included Polo Drive and the finger roads, the scene of much flooding during previous king tides and storms.

Helping neighbors — Lantana has launched Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a program connecting volunteers with residents who need extra help in keeping up their homes.

The program is designed to assist residents with non-professional tasks such as mowing, weeding and trimming bushes, painting houses and cleaning gutters, taking out the garbage, storm prep and cleaning debris after a storm.

“I’ve been talking about it for some time,” said Mayor Karen Lythgoe. “As people grow older and/or get sick, it gets harder to maintain yards and homes. Not everyone can afford to hire someone. And then they get code violations and fines. If we had some way to match those in need with those who want to help, that would be great.”  

Development Services Director Nicole Dritz and her team came up with the program, and they facilitate the registry, Lythgoe said. 

“I see people asking for help putting up shutters before a storm and then after, they need to come down,” she said. “This might be a solution. It is at least worth a try.”

Homeowners who need help or people who would like to volunteer can email codeenforcement@lantana.org with a completed application form available at tps://www.lantana.org/DocumentCenter/View/349/Neighbors-Helping-Neighbors-Application-Form?bidId=.

Emergency operations center renovations — The Town Council on June 9 authorized an agreement with CPZ Architects, Inc. to provide architectural design and engineering services for the Lantana Police Department. The police are renovating their emergency operations center and training room. The cost for CPZ services is $39,560.

— Mary Thurwachter

By John Pacenti

Barrier islands were supposed to be just that — a barrier for the mainland, mostly shifting sands that ebbed and flowed with the whims of Mother Nature. 

Then, Florida’s pioneers started building on these pristine sand bars — which were even desirable in the time of the Tequestas and the Jeaga, Native American tribes that settled here long before the pioneers arrived.

With every building, home, neighborhood, or resort that followed the pioneers’ arrival, there also came a sea wall — and with every sea wall, the beach or coastline would eventually erode and vanish.

For decades, the solution has been to dump sand on the beach and rebuild sea walls where they have degraded.

An innovative solution — living sea walls — aims to keep the coastline from degrading.  Using unique substrates and designs, a living shoreline employs native vegetation and natural rocks to reduce erosion. 

Ocean Ridge is considering such a proposal, with commissioners hearing from Texas-based Shoreline Erosion Control Solutions, which wants to install its first living sea wall in the town. Lisa Burgess, executive vice president of the company, told the commission at its May 5 meeting that the company’s marine-engineered interlocking units diminish 99% of wave energy.

“In the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that coastal erosion causes $500 million annually in damage to property and infrastructure,” said Burgess, who was invited by Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy to give a presentation on how to replace the sea wall at the end of Hudson Avenue at the Intracoastal Waterway.

The design includes special baffle openings specifically designed for mangrove growth. “We would be growing mangroves through the baffle openings,” Burgess noted. “Sand and sediment build up naturally at the bottom.”

The Hudson Avenue project, estimated to cost just under $500,000, could be the first of its kind in Florida and is cheaper than the $750,000 the town has earmarked to build a new sea wall at the location, Burgess said.

“Until now, the only solutions were beach nourishment, planting native grasses, or installing rock riprap or vertical structures,” Burgess explained. “Nature-based solutions often get washed away in the next storm, while rock and riprap structures shift, sink and erode from behind.”

Cassidy said Shoreline’s presentation was only that — a presentation. She said the town needs to explore grant options, but said that the sea wall at the end of Hudson is deteriorating and will need to be replaced.

When Mayor Geoff Pugh asked about potential cost benefits, Burgess highlighted her company’s commitment: “We have not put any profit on this ... we are doing it at cost.”

Ocean Ridge would be the first living sea wall in Florida for SECS — but it has installed two others in Rockport, Texas.

Interim Town Manager Michelle Heiser said she knows that the company will be meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is meeting with the South Florida Water Management District.

“They need to be able to give some guarantees that we’ll be able to get a permit before I would be comfortable moving forward,” Heiser said.

Burgess said the company will start testing its project with the Army Corps of Engineers on July 28. “We’re making sure that we have a full battery of testing. There are a lot of projects that we’re under consideration for across the country,” she said.

A Google search for “living sea wall” will return numerous companies working in the space of coastal retention. It’s a vibrant area for academic and governmental researchers, as well. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has catalogued all the projects nationwide on its Living Shoreline Map.

Last year, the town of Palm Beach approved $157,000 for Applied Technology & Management to design a living shoreline along 500 feet of Lake Worth Lagoon on the town’s North End. 

Palm Beach Public Works said the project is moving along, currently in the design and permitting process.

The Coastal Star previously reported on Delray Beach’s Singer Studio, which has invented a substrate for an artificial reef that encourages coral growth and interlocks to prevent beach erosion, creating an offshore breakwater. 

The newspaper also reported how the University of Miami developed its SEAHIVE system — perforated, hexagonal concrete pieces that fit together to dissipate wave energy.

While wave energy eventually degrades sea walls from the bottom up, Burgess said her company’s sea walls are robust.

“They interlock and pin to the sea floor, so once you put them in, they don’t move,” Burgess said. The company has already tested similar units in Texas, with installations surviving Hurricane Beryl in 2024 without displacement.

Ocean Ridge Vice Mayor Steve Coz probed the timeline, learning the project would take approximately 18 months, with engineering, environmental studies, and permitting consuming much of that time.

Permits would be needed from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 

Delray Beach resident Patricia Torras, standing on the Old School Square campus, holds the sketches and watercolor designs she will use to create new logos for the cultural arts center: one main logo and one for each of the four venues. Torras received the most public votes in a contest to choose the designer. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Graphic designer Patricia Torras made news recently when she won the Legacy Through Art Initiative, a competition for a design that would inspire a new logo to celebrate and revitalize the visual identity of Old School Square, Delray Beach’s iconic cultural arts campus. The initiative was launched in March by the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority and the city of Delray Beach.

“I live just down the street,” she said, when asked why she decided to participate. “I took out my watercolor brush and my sketchbook, and I kind of just started. I traced over the memorable architectural details of the buildings — a window or arch that are easy to identify — I sketched it out in my book and then digitalized it.” 

What she came up with was a quadrant of squares in the color palette specified by the city and DDA, each with an easily recognizable architectural detail of Old School Square venues: the Amphitheater pavilion, Cornell Museum, fieldhouse, and the Crest Theatre and Creative Art School.

A panel of art and design professionals narrowed the entries to three finalists, and after a three-week public voting period, Torras, 32, emerged as the community favorite.

Now, she is fine-tuning her “inspirational” designs into five actual logos: an Old School Square main logo along with four individual venue logos.

What will they look like? They will be revealed early fall as part of Old School Square’s Centennial Celebration. But she gives a hint. Sort of.  

“They are going to be in watercolor — that’s the medium Old School Square chose. They will be vibrant, colorful and very Delray.”

She’s happy to have won this competition, which came with prizes: the $5,000 design commission, a Spotlight Gallery feature at the Cornell Art Museum, recognition across Old School Square’s branding and media campaigns, and special honors at the official unveiling event.

“Old School Square is such a great venue,” she said. “I’m super honored. I’m trying for my creation to be a timeless piece that is recognizable and memorable, and it will be cool to see my art daily. It’s part of my legacy.

“I love Delray, as cheesy as it sounds — I really do live and breathe Delray.”

Torras has a new nickname: pattypalms. That’s because during the pandemic, she spent a lot of time walking and taking photos of palms that she put up on Instagram with the hashtag pattypalms. So, as a freelance graphic artist she has a website that’s officially torras.design, but if you put in pattypalms.com you’ll be automatically redirected.

“I’m a South Florida girl. I like my palm trees,” she explained. “I never had a nickname, and it just stuck.”

— Christine Davis

Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A. I’m originally from Miami, born in Coral Gables, and spent my early years in the Miami Beach area until my family moved to Boca Raton in October 2001. Even after the move, Miami remained a significant part of my life, but my educational journey firmly took root in Palm Beach County, where I attended various schools: Orchard View Elementary, Calusa Elementary, Boca Raton Middle, Don Estridge Middle and Boca Raton High, before earning my bachelor in communications from Florida Atlantic University and my master of business administration in marketing from Lynn University.
Summers were a mix of family vacations and local camps: Camp Boca and Delray Beach Junior Lifeguard. I always embraced these experiences, finding excitement in making new friends. And having stayed in the area, I love the hometown feeling of always getting to run into someone I know. 
Growing up in South Florida instilled in me a deep desire to live by the water and foster my creativity, a privilege I don’t take for granted, as our coastline is rich with art and history, greatly influencing my ambitions for a career that provided the freedom to pursue creative outlets.

Q. What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A. I’ve always been a graphic designer. My professional journey began at FAU, designing the marketing of events and promoting the programs and resources within the Division of Student Affairs. Currently, I’m the creative manager at Atlantic Pacific Cos., directing the design projects for their residential portfolio and corporate branding. I also freelance, helping local small businesses with their branding and marketing initiatives.
My passion is to connect people through design, transforming complex information into tangible, inspiring visuals.
I’ve won a couple of awards and design contests in my day, but I’m most thrilled about recently winning Delray’s Old School Square logo contest, which allowed me to design the inspiration for their rebrand. I’m working on that this summer and excited to unveil it in the fall. Fun fact: This isn’t my first Delray Beach win — back in 2002, I won the Fourth of July bike decorating contest.

Q. What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today?
A. If something sparks your curiosity, learn everything there is to know about it. Aim to become the ultimate best in that field, striving for excellence but knowing the balance of not taking yourself so seriously that it stops being fun. Remember that beyond the allure of high salaries or travel opportunities, your career should be something you’re proud of for the impact it makes in the world.

Q. How did you choose to make your home in Delray Beach?
A. I chose to make Delray Beach my home because, simply put, my boyfriend and I never wanted to leave. While it may no longer be a hidden gem to these high school sweethearts, Delray is our favorite village by the sea.

Q. What is your favorite part about living in Delray Beach?
A. What I love most is the welcoming atmosphere, particularly the distinctive “chill vibe” of its residents. Taking a walk or bike ride alongside A1A with my Vizsla pup, Vinny, often feels like I’m on an episode of Cheers — he’s a hit.
The DDA is also exceptional in ensuring there’s always something engaging for people of all ages happening throughout downtown. Delray is where all my friends want to meet up; it’s a guaranteed good time for everyone. And I can’t forget my amazing neighbors! Our street is small, but there’s so much love on it!

Q. What book are you reading now?
A. Just finished Freida McFadden’s “The Housemaid” series. An absolute psychological thriller, and now I’m ready for the first movie to come out later this year.

Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax?
A. For inspiration, I always choose upbeat music; I’m not really a fan of slow jams. My playlists are diverse, ranging from Latin and 2000s hip-hop/rap to classics like John Mayer, the Beatles and the Eagles. If I need to focus while working, I often listen to instrumental versions of my favorite songs.

Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?
A. When I’m feeling self-doubt, I remember Paula Scher’s words: “It’s through mistakes that you actually can grow. You have to get bad in order to get good.” This quote reframes failures as learning opportunities, encouraging me to embrace experimentation and see setbacks as steps toward growth.

Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A. Yes, my dad. He was a great man who carried himself with such poise and intelligence, combined with his deep understanding of who I am, truly set him apart as my favorite mentor. He was my unwavering supporter, making me feel worthy and seen in every possible way.
Though he recently passed in June 2025, a loss I’ll always deeply feel, the knowledge that he prepared me so well for life without him brings comfort, making me believe he’ll always be with me. He taught me invaluable lessons like empathy and humor, inspiring me to strive for perfection while understanding the need for flexibility and patience, knowing when to pivot. Most importantly, he taught me to be independent, to believe in myself, and to find happiness within.

Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?
A. I think I’d want someone who can embody my vibrant and imaginative energy, but also be hilarious and unserious. Perhaps someone like Florence Pugh.

By John Pacenti

Manalapan Town Manager Eric Marmer has a whiteboard in his office full of projects that need addressing, but he says the top priority has long been on the municipality’s to-do list: converting its multimillion-dollar homes from septic to sewer to protect against a future environmental disaster.

The plan is to present a feasibility study of extending the central sewer system at the July 8 Town Commission meeting. Engineers have 30% of the design complete. Installing a sewer system would run between $15 million and $20 million, but Marmer says 50% of those costs could be covered through state and local grants.

“The thing that was most shocking is the fact that in just a few short years, the water intrusion potential into the current septic systems people have here is troubling,” Marmer said.

Septic systems release nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus into the surrounding soil. In coastal areas, these nutrients can leach into the groundwater and eventually leach into bays, estuaries in the Intracoastal Waterway and the ocean, where they feed algal blooms which choke marine life and cause coral bleaching.

And Florida — one of the most ecologically sensitive states in the U.S. — loves septic. Roughly 30% of its population relies on these onsite sewage treatment disposal systems — translating to roughly 2.6 million septic systems.

As such, Manalapan is hardly alone as other coastal Florida cities, towns and villages are struggling with the septic problem. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, for instance, has made eliminating septic tanks one of her signature issues, tied to the health of Biscayne Bay.

In the coastal areas of South Palm Beach County, septic systems are common and used by the majority of single-family homes in Ocean Ridge, Manalapan and Gulf Stream.

In Ocean Ridge, for instance, there are 728 single-family homes on septic and 873 multi-family units with approximately 15 “package plants.” Multi-family developments utilize small “package plants” that are privately owned, privately maintained and must be permitted through applicable state and local agencies.

Connecting homes to sewer has been talked about in Manalapan since at least the 1990s, Marmer said. Currently, its commercial and government properties — Manalapan Town Hall, the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Plaza del Mar, and La Coquille Villas — are connected to a central sewer that feeds into the Lake Worth Beach system.

The commission is looking at the options because 220 properties in town use septic tanks: 155 on Point Manalapan and 65 along State Road A1A. Only 93 properties are part of the gravity sewer system from Town Hall to the north.

Florida has mandated that some vulnerable areas — homes along the Indian River Lagoon in Martin County, for instance — convert to sewer by July 2030.

If the state does require Manalapan and other communities to move from septic to sewer, Marmer said that the competition for contractors and grant dollars will be fierce, putting the town in a bad position.

“We’re racing against the clock,” Marmer said.

Manalapan is home to large residences, often with unique designs that make their way to architectural magazines. For such a sophisticated community, it may come as a surprise to some — such as potential homeowners — that there is a septic field beneath those manicured lawns.

“The investments that are being made in this town and the development of more modern homes here, it’s just something that people who come to live here expect is already done,” Marmer said.

“I think doing this not only raises the property value, but also brings this municipality up to the standards that people expect it to be at.”

Tom Biggs, vice president for Mock Roos & Associates, the engineering firm that conducted the feasibility study, explained that the assessment uses multiple National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sea level rise models. The study indicates that some septic systems are currently impacted by seasonal high tides, with regular flooding along State Road A1A.

With sea level rise, Mock Roos models show that between 70% and 80% of the septic fields in Manalapan will be inundated. NOAA’s intermediate-high sea level rise predicts a rise of 1.65 feet this century.

“I’m confident right now with seasonal high tides, there are probably systems in the town that are impacted,” Biggs said.

Along the Indian River, municipalities struggled to get residents to connect to the central sewer because of the cost. Marmer told the commission at its April meeting that a connection fee is currently projected at $32,500.

“It’s going to be expensive to connect. We’re going to look at different ways to fund that, to try not to have residents bear the brunt of that connection fee,” Marmer said. “But we’re still exploring that.” 

Revisions by the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office to preliminary taxable property values released earlier this year show that those valuations have increased in all cities and towns in southeastern Palm Beach County.

Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks releases two sets of numbers each year, with the first estimates reported in May. The numbers are updated as the office refines them and finalizes the additions of properties to the tax roll before they are sent to the state at the end of June.

The office’s data released on June 26 shows that Palm Beach County-wide taxable property values increased by 8.2%, up from May’s estimate of 7.7%.

The total market value of county properties now is $528.8 billion. New construction added to the tax roll was nearly $5.5 billion, the second year in a row that new construction topped $5 billion.

In southeastern Palm Beach County, the largest upward change was in Briny Breezes, jumping from a 9.5% increase to 10%. Delray Beach moved from 8.3% to 8.7% and Lantana increased from 6.4% to 6.8%.

South Palm Beach was an outlier this year, seeing a 0.62% decrease — the first such year-to-year drop for a county municipality since 2013. The updated numbers still show a drop, but reduced to 0.21%.

South Palm Beach Town Manager Jamie Titcomb has attributed the decrease to the town’s aging condos that must comply with laws enacted after a Surfside condo’s collapse in 2021. The resulting higher maintenance fees and special assessments have prompted potential buyers to seek price reductions.

Local governments use taxable values to calculate how much property tax money they can expect. They then set their annual budgets and tax rates.

— Mary Hladky

By Steve Plunkett

The Bookmobile stops at Briny Breezes every other Monday afternoon. All town residents can get a free Palm Beach County Library card and have access to the county library’s e-resources. They can also get free library cards in Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and other municipalities with a cooperating library.

That would all end if Briny Breezes withdrew from the county system. But if the town did leave, its property owners would save a collective $57,000 a year in county library taxes.

So town officials are exploring the possibility of the town’s leaving the county system and relying mostly on its own volunteer library.

Town Manager Bill Thrasher suggested the breakaway at the Town Council’s monthly meeting June 26.

He had contacted Douglas Crane, director of the county system, about Briny Breezes’ leaving and was told that the town would need to meet five criteria: having an organized collection of library materials, paid staff, an established schedule of time open to patrons, the necessary facilities and being supported in whole or in part by public funds.

Thrasher said the town easily meets four of the requirements, but “it is a volunteer system. That might be a sticky wicket.”

Town Attorney Keith Davis said some preliminary research showed the idea of having a paid staff was not part of the law establishing the county’s library, and a legal challenge to that requirement might be made.

Crane also told Thrasher that 56 town residents hold county library cards, 119 have Boynton Beach privileges, and 36 have Delray Beach cards. He did not specify whether one person might have more than one card.

If the town leaves the system, a resident might still get a county card for $95 a year as a nonresident, Crane said. Boynton Beach extends library access for $30 for a three-year period, Thrasher said.

Mayor Ted Gross said paying county library taxes is similar to town residents’ paying the corporation for the shuffleboard courts.

“That’s because collectively, together, we’re able to end up having more resources,” he said.

Also, he said, the town’s library is “jigsaw puzzles, books and some movies. It’s nothing compared to what we’re talking about, the resources, the Bookmobile.”

The council wound up directing Thrasher and Davis to explore the matter further.

Earlier, at a June 21 special meeting, the council accepted the Resilient Florida Grant Agreement and authorized Gross to sign it, approved paying Baxter and Woodman Consulting Engineers up to $30,664 to file a State Revolving Loan Fund application, and agreed to pay Engenuity Group up to $190,000 for design and permitting of a stormwater drainage system. 

OCEAN RIDGE — Harold Louis “Sonny” VanArnem III, a visionary technologist, entrepreneur, sportsman and loving father, died on June 5 in Ocean Ridge. He was 84 years old.

Born in Cincinnati, Mr. VanArnem defied convention and exceeded expectations. A gifted athlete, he played college football as a wide receiver at the University of Cincinnati before launching a groundbreaking career in technology. He began at the General Electric Computer Division, quickly rising to a top sales position, then boldly left GE to pursue a more human-centered vision of computing, founding one of the earliest computer timesharing and software firms in Silicon Valley.

Mr. VanArnem’s contributions to the tech world were pioneering. He helped launch one of the world’s first doctoral programs in computer engineering and launched ACTS Computing, an early leader in cloud computing and remote access. He later co-founded Cybergate, one of the first internet service providers in the Southeastern U.S., and later led TOTALe, Europe’s largest network integrator, to a successful IPO. Decades ahead of his time, Mr. VanArnem was already envisioning the future of the internet and artificial intelligence.

But his ambition didn’t stop at technology. He was a true Renaissance man: owner of the Detroit Express professional soccer team, which won the 1982 ASL championship; an early cable television pioneer with a vision for sports and entertainment that anticipated the rise of networks like ESPN; and a film producer, co-producing the blockbusters Love at First Bite and The Quick and the Dead.

He lived boldly and took risks, once pursuing the purchase of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team and the Pontiac Silverdome. He was also involved in auto racing, reflecting his ever-curious spirit and love for challenge.

Yet for all his professional triumphs, Mr. VanArnem’s greatest devotion was to his family. He is survived by his loving children Aleise VanArnem, Heather Chidiac (Jean Chidiac), Sean VanArnem, and his grandson, John “JJ” Chidiac. He was predeceased by four of his beloved children: Heidi, HL (Harold IV), Adam, and Max VanArnem. Each of their lives and legacies carry forward Sonny’s indomitable spirit.

Heidi, despite becoming quadriplegic after a tragic injury, became a national advocate for people with disabilities and received recognition from President Bill Clinton. HL founded the financial platform Money.net. Adam is honored with a hotel in downtown Delray Beach, and Max will be memorialized through a future project named “The Maxwell.”

Mr. VanArnem bore unimaginable loss with grace and faith, never ceasing to lead, give back, or live with passion. He was a man who could fill the lives of many and, in fact, lived a life that would take several men to duplicate. His story is one best told in his own words, in his published memoir, Sonny Side Up.

Mr. VanArnem’s legacy is etched into the lives he touched, the industries he transformed and the family he cherished. He was a pioneer, a dreamer, and above all, a father whose love knew no bounds.

A funeral Mass was held June 13 at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Avenue Church or to a charity of your choice.

— Submitted by the family

Concerned that the cost of police services might go up by double digits, Briny Breezes officials told Police Chief Scott McClure to politely ask his Ocean Ridge bosses if they would temper a proposed contract renewal.

“No push, you know, respectful. Be kind to us,” Town Manager Bill Thrasher said.

Ocean Ridge has policed Briny Breezes since 2019, with the cost going up 3% per year to a proposed $214,928 starting in October.

But this time, Ocean Ridge wanted the payment to rise in following years by the greater of 3% “or the May All Urban Consumer Price Index CPI for the Miami-Fort Lauderdale Region.”

That May CPI figure brushed 10% in 2022 and was more than 3% in 2023 and 2024. Officials don’t know where it might land in future years.

“I’m wondering if we could possibly get a letter signed by the mayor respectfully sent to the Ocean Ridge council asking if we could just stay at the 3% rate. Is that a possibility?” Town Council President Liz Loper said. 

Thrasher and others said the CPI wording also appears in the 10-year contract the town signed with Boynton Beach for fire and rescue service. 

“It’s kind of standard rate increases in contracts,” Mayor Ted Gross said.

In the end the council designated McClure its ambassador on the matter.

— Steve Plunkett

By John Pacenti

A flood-prone stretch of State Road A1A in Delray Beach is getting a $2.2 million upgrade starting this summer. 

The Florida Department of Transportation aims to bolster pedestrian safety, enhance storm drainage, and lay down new asphalt.

The 1.6-mile, two-phase project from Linton Boulevard to just south of Atlantic Avenue will address longstanding issues with the roadway that partially abuts Delray Beach’s award-winning Blue Flag beach. 

The original design of the road had shallow swales paralleling it. 

“This allowed the water some place to go as it runs off the paved area,” Fernando Gomez, a consultant with Allbright Engineering Inc., said at FDOT’s June 11 open house about the project.

“Through the years, with the residents adding landscaping and that type of work to their properties, many of them filled in that swale so it wasn’t performing.”

FDOT aims to restore a minimal swale and enhance the natural percolation to remove the water more quickly.

The project, which was to start in late June and go until spring 2026, comes at the tail end of another FDOT project immediately to the south — covering A1A in Delray Beach south of Linton and extending through all of Highland Beach — that populated the scenic drive with plastic barriers to protect property along the highway. 

Besides repaving, upgrades will include safety measures such as installing rectangular flashing beacons at crosswalks, upgrading pedestrian signals and adding LED lighting at critical intersections.

There will be green bicycle markings at A1A and Linton Boulevard.

After initial public workshops, the team adjusted plans based on resident feedback, particularly regarding flooding and sidewalk concerns, Gomez said.

Traffic disruptions will occur from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with flaggers directing traffic as needed.

Sidewalk and curb ramp closures will be implemented as needed, with temporary pedestrian detours. Access to businesses and residences will be maintained at all times.

Phase 1 will kick off the infrastructure project with foundational groundwork. According to project details revealed in a recent public meeting, contractors will first focus on constructing new swales, concrete sidewalks, and pedestrian ramps. This initial stage will also include installing new signage and lighting, along with critical enhancements to traffic signaling.

The second phase will concentrate on the road surface itself. Contractors will mill and repave most of the roadway within the project’s 1.6-mile limits. This stage includes installing new pavement markings and implementing signal detection loops to improve traffic flow and safety.

The lighting along A1A is currently turtle-friendly because hatchlings can be attracted to artificial light. So, the challenge was how to upgrade pedestrian crossing locations without endangering beloved marine animals. 

“So whatever lighting was added in that section of the project was done to match the existing decorative lighting. And all lighting, both existing and new, is turtle-friendly,” Gomez said. 

A1A PROJECT DETAILS

• Milling and repaving A1A from Linton Boulevard to Casuarina Road, and at Nassau Street;

• Upgrading curb ramps and replacing sections of the existing sidewalk;

• Regrading swales on the east side of A1A between White Drive and Brooks Lane — and at Carissa Road — for enhanced drainage;

• Upgrading the pedestrian signal at A1A and Casuarina Road; 

• Installing rectangular rapid flashing beacons for crosswalks at Rhodes Villa Avenue, Bucida Road, Anchor Park, Nassau Street, and north of Ingraham Avenue; 

• Upgrading lighting to LED fixtures at Linton, Rhodes Villa, Bucida, Casuarina, Nassau, north of Ingraham and at Atlantic; 

• Upgrading signage and pavement markings, including installing green bicycle markings at A1A and Linton.