By Arden Moore, Mary Thurwachter and Rich Pollack

Neighbors, family members, longtime clients and anyone else who knew veterinarian Ken Simmons rarely were at a loss for words to describe him. He stood 6-foot-8, but his attitude and actions stood out even more.
They talked about his unyielding compassion for pets, his reputation for innovation and most of all, his determination to get the best out of life every day. These traits were shared by Alice, his wife of nearly 33 years.
On the afternoon of Feb. 1, Ken, 62, and Alice Simmons, 59, of Hypoluxo Island, loaded up their 1979 Piper Lance II single-engine aircraft with supplies and their golden retrievers, Lily and Bailey, bound for their favorite and frequent destination, Great Guana Cay in the Bahamas, where they had a waterfront getaway home. But 15 minutes after leaving the Palm Beach County Park Airport in Lantana with Ken as the pilot, the plane plunged into the Atlantic Ocean.
Despite intense search efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Air Traffic Control, the plane had yet to be recovered almost a month later.
While no one can say for certain what caused the aircraft to go down, there’s a good chance weather was a factor.
According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, the plane was cleared to higher altitudes to avoid areas of heavy rain but veered from its assigned headings.
After being questioned about that, Simmons told the air traffic control tower that his autopilot “had kicked off” and that “the winds are really weird up here.”
He apparently tried to maneuver around the storm cells and later told the controller, “I don’t know what’s going on up here. I’m working on instruments . . . acting really goofy here.”
The controller advised him to try to maintain an altitude of 6,000 feet and said it “looks like you are getting pushed up in the air drafts.”
Simmons did not reply and there was no further communication. Radar showed the plane rapidly descending and then disappearing off the screen in heavy storms about 15 minutes after it took off.
Downdrafts — or microbursts — are one of the biggest threats associated with thunderstorms, said Richard McSpadden, executive director of the Air Safety Institute of the AOPA, a pilots and aircraft owners association.
McSpadden speculated that Simmons might have ultimately encountered a downdraft.
“Downdrafts can be so severe that they impair your ability to have enough control to overcome them. They push your airplane down like an elevator,” McSpadden said.
The NTSB will investigate further, but it could take months or even years before the results are finalized.

Making the world better
What is certain is that Palm Beach County and beyond lost a couple who shared a lifelong mission to make this a better planet for all, including pets.
“What I remember most is the simple kindness, his gentle words, his caring about my K9 partner Sabre and the thousands of other dogs and cats who came through his doors,” said Bob Burnell, a retired police officer who operates Sit Means Sit dog training in Boynton Beach.
Burnell and his wife, Eileen, first met Dr. Simmons 17 years ago late at night at the Simmons Animal Hospital in Greenacres when their two Akitas got into an altercation that required sutures.
“He stitched up the little one and sent us home with some antibiotics,” recalled Bob Burnell. “He called the next day to see how she was. That was the kind of veterinarian he was.”
And, on the day Sabre suddenly collapsed on a walk and died, Burnell was devastated, but police policy mandated that a necropsy be performed.
“Dr. Ken knew I was upset about having my partner cut apart,” Burnell said. “He spoke gently, kindly, on how he was going to perform this with limited surgery. I could not speak to anyone because I was so devastated. Dr. Ken spent hours on the phone explaining to Eileen, my wife, about what happened, about the tumor on K9 Sabre’s heart, how it took that moment to burst and how Sabre went quickly.”

Alice Simmons, wearing a black crown, is surrounded by friends, including Lyn Tate (first row, fourth from left), at her 50th birthday party at the Simmons home on Great Guana Cay. Ken Simmons had flown her friends there to surprise her. Photo provided by Lyn Tate

J.J. McDonough, a friend and neighbor, flew often with Dr. Simmons to the Bahamas and said his friend was a good pilot. They enjoyed fishing and diving on these trips.
“The guy just attacked life with such tenacity,” McDonough said. “I never really met anyone who just tackled everything — his personal life, his professional life, everything that way. Every time he would go to the Bahamas, he would bring certain vaccinations and things to assist the dog community in Marsh Harbour, which he didn’t have to do and he did it on his own dime. He gave his time and energy in a lot of different ways.”

Ken Simmons visits the dog day care at his animal hospital in Greenacres in 2013. He sold the hospital when he retired a few years ago. Coastal Star file photo

McDonough said beyond Simmons’ work as a veterinarian, he helped implement a business curriculum in the veterinary school at the University of Florida, after he found that interns who worked for him lacked business knowledge. When he sold his business, Simmons helped found Healthy Aquatics Marine Institute, a not-for-profit on a mission for coral conservation through education, research and restoration. He remained active with the institute in retirement.

Not the sort to give up
And he got the most out of everything he took on.
“I remember we were in Abaco and he went free diving on his own one morning out in the reef,” McDonough said. “He speared a couple fish and, on the way back, he had a small reef shark that was after his fish. The first rule of spear fishing in the Bahamas is if you shoot a fish, you usually leave the location you’re at. You don’t stay, because typically there’s a larger fish and typically that fish is a shark that is close by, because the Bahamas are very sharky.  
“This small reef shark was after the couple fish that he got and he was trying to fight off this shark not once, but essentially for his whole swim back to shore. The reef was probably 200-300 yards out when he swam back. He probably had to attempt to mitigate this issue with this shark for probably 10 minutes. Most people would just get rid of the fish, give the shark your fish. But he wasn’t going to do that. He was not that type of guy. He wasn’t going to give up the fish.”
Rob Martin, a veterinarian who operates the Colonial Animal Hospital in Boynton Beach, said, “He was a terrific guy who was very innovative. The use of technology in veterinary medicine was very important to him. I also understand his draw to the Bahamas as we take our boat there.”
Rich Anderson, executive director and CEO of the Peggy Adams Rescue League in West Palm Beach, credits Ken and Alice Simmons for aiding not only family pets, but also homeless ones at shelters.
“The dedication to animals by Ken and Alice Simmons is well known, and as advocates for police dogs, they were probably second to none,” said Anderson. “We will be forever grateful to them. Thousands of abandoned and homeless pets were saved and got the second chances they needed thanks to Ken and Alice.”
Alice met Ken, a graduate of Lake Worth High, while both were attending the University of Florida; they married in 1986. She served as the director of business and operations for the Simmons Hospital for decades and is credited with helping its success and expansion.
Before they sold the practice and retired a few years ago, they expanded it to make it a one-stop place for pet care and activities with the addition of the Barkers Hotel, the Purrington Inn, plus the swimming pools and lounge areas for dogs being boarded or attending day care.

Active in the community
Alice was an active volunteer with Best Buddies and could often be seen during the day running with her dogs throughout her neighborhood.
Lyn Tate and her husband, Rock, were neighbors and friends, too.
“She was compassionate and kind and found the best in everyone,” said Lyn Tate about Alice. “She adored her two sons, Chris and Matthew. She loved the outdoors, paddle boarding, kayaking with her beautiful dogs.”
Lyn Tate was among friends whom Ken Simmons flew to Guana Cay to surprise Alice on her 50th birthday almost 10 years ago.
“I just found the wine glass and bagged sea glass that was our party favor,” Tate said. “It put a smile on my face, as Alice loved to collect sea glass in Guana.”
Ken Simmons served as the Tate family’s veterinarian for more than a decade. Rock Jr. worked for Ken during the summers while in high school and in college.
“Ken saved our dog, Queenie, from an autoimmune disease and she managed to live five more years under Ken’s care,” Tate added.
Many speak about Ken’s efforts in 2013 to try to save the life of a retired K9 officer named Drake, a German shepherd, who had been shot five times during a home invasion. Dr. Simmons was able to stabilize Drake, but knew he needed more specialized care. He quickly loaded up Drake in his plane and flew him to a veterinary specialist at UF. Drake did not survive his wounds.
Dr. Simmons memorialized Drake by hiring artist Jocelyn Russell to create a life-sized bronze sculpture of Drake at his veterinary hospital. The base also contains the inscribed names of service dogs across the country who were killed in the line of duty or who died of natural causes.
On Feb. 11, the Lantana Town Council called for a silent moment of prayer to honor Ken and Alice Simmons.
Mayor David Stewart, also a neighbor, said, “It’s just a sad situation. Let us remember Ken and Alice, their parents, the two sons, neighbors and friends and the many animals who were their friends.”
The couple are survived by their sons, Christopher (Amanda) Simmons and Matthew Simmons; Ken’s mother, Lorraine Simmons; Ken’s siblings, Kathleen (Patrick) Day, Dale (Marian) Simmons and Patrice Antony; and Alice’s siblings, Barbara (Dale) Buzz; Suzanne (Steve) Hurst, Rita (Joe) Sammarco, Patricia (Mark) Dobson and Dennis (Lisette) McCormick.
A celebration of life took place Feb. 16. In lieu of flowers, the Simmons and McCormick families ask that donations be made to the Coral Restoration Foundation to honor Ken and Alice Simmons. Details are available at www.coralrestoration.org/donate.

By Shelly Petrolia

“Florida’s New Sweet Spot” is how the Wall Street Journal described Delray Beach in a headline. The article went on to describe three perfect days in our city, noting it had been transformed and “now has a distinctly different vibe.”
That vibe can be observed in the mix of creative people in Pineapple Grove and felt in special places of cultural significance, like newly renovated Cornell Museum. You can watch the vibe in motion at the drum circle or listen to it at a concert on the grounds of Old School Square. You can visit the Historical Society or walk the five designated historic districts in Delray to soak up vibrations from Delray’s past.
Visitors strolling our charming tree-lined downtown, with institutions like Hand’s Stationery, The Colony Hotel and Huber Drugs on the same blocks with hip new stores and hangouts like Urban Outfitters, Capital One Cafe and Subculture Coffee, experience the Delray vibe. And the nightly sing-alongs at Johnnie Brown’s as the train rumbles by are part of the Delray lore visitors take home.
In my capacity as mayor, I often wrestle with how to guide the city forward and yet stay true to Delray’s “distinctly different vibe” that has garnered our city so much recent national attention. I believe elected officials must be faithful and responsible stewards of the city, respectful of the decades of hard work before them. And in my case, a preservationist at heart.   
But Delray faces many challenges, and it’s going to take the cooperation of the entire village — elected officials, stakeholders, business owners and residents — to keep Delray from becoming indistinguishable from so many other South Florida cities.  
We see developments encompassing whole blocks threatening to canyon-ize certain streets in Delray. Our historic districts are now targets of inappropriate development, despite their restrictive zoning. There was a recent challenge to the three-story height restriction for buildings on Atlantic Avenue, and a proposal for bike lanes on historic Swinton Avenue almost caused 150 trees to disappear.
And the list goes on.  We win some battles, and lose others, but this is how the charm of the city is slowly eroded.
In the near future, the Northwest/Southwest neighborhood will finally be developed — a huge undertaking to finally unite West Atlantic and create a project that honors the historic home of our African-American community. This is an exciting opportunity, but we must remain vigilant that this project hits all the marks.  
Delray has such an engaged citizenry: They are the guiding force who often sound the first alarm that something is not in keeping with Delray’s authenticity. 
If the City Commission does its part, we can shape the future of our city instead of having it shaped for us. Let’s keep the vibe going.

Shelly Petrolia is mayor of Delray Beach.

As a longtime Fortune 500 senior executive and business owner, I knew the right location was critical when we moved here from New Jersey as full-time residents. My husband, Roy, and I selected Ocean Ridge after looking carefully at several small coastal towns, finding the town well-run and the engagement of the citizenry and sense of community very apparent.
That level of management takes work, and I have recently learned that the town manager, Jamie Titcomb, who is responsible for many of the key town projects, will be leaving his role in March. This creates a gap in the town management that will take some time to fill properly with a seasoned candidate.
This is a cause for concern. When I have attended the Town Commission meetings of late it is apparent that it takes experience, knowledge of town needs and how to ensure our safety and well-being. Steve Coz, who has a high level of experience and has consistently represented the town’s best interests, is up for re-election in March. His experience would be very helpful during the transition period. This will be critical, as a poorly managed transition could result in lost opportunities for improvement and likely cost taxpayers money.
So often people do not exercise their critical right to vote.
Why does this matter in a small town like ours? Because we need to ensure that this beautiful town that we love remains a safe and good place for ourselves and our loved ones.
Show up to vote on March 12.

— Janet Schijns
Ocean Ridge

In a few days it will once again be election day here in Ocean Ridge. As I hope we all recognize, there are three candidates running for two seats on the Town Commission. Qualified voters will have two votes to cast, two chances to shape the future for our town.
During the last town campaign, some people in Ocean Ridge advocated for “bullet voting,” the tactic of casting a ballot for only one person even when two positions are open. The purpose of “bullet voting” is to give one’s favored candidate a vote, while denying votes to other candidates.
To my way of thinking, it is a destructive stratagem, a negative way of pursuing one’s civic duty. The town needs two commissioners, not just one, and I hope people in Ocean Ridge will exercise their right to vote completely. 
This is an important election after all, and it would be great to know that the town has the two best new commissioners, when all is said and done.

— Peter Hoe Burling
Ocean Ridge

By Jane Smith

When local TV stations look for scenes of tidal flooding, Delray Beach is the poster child, city commissioners heard on Feb. 12.
That set the stage for a stormwater consultant’s report stating the city will need to spend $378.2 million to keep homes, offices and restaurants safe from flooding caused by higher tides, storm surge, heavy rains and sea-level rise.
That multimillion-dollar price tag astonished the commissioners. “How are we going to manage a $300 million endeavor in little Delray Beach?” Mayor Shelly Petrolia asked.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency requires cities to update a stormwater master plan every five years to allow property owners to get reductions in flood insurance rates. The consultant had been retained by the Public Works department to prepare the plan update.
The price tag in the report covers only the 13 most flood-prone areas of Delray Beach. Other parts of the city would be addressed later, said Jeff Needle, the city’s stormwater engineer.
Two of the flood-prone areas are west of Interstate 95. The remaining 11 sit along both sides of the Intracoastal Waterway.
Fixes for Marine Way, which floods several times a year, were not included in the total amount because the road is part of a separate project, Needle said.
Delray Beach is trying to determine who owns Marine Way and acquire the easements. The estimated $2.8 million needed remains in the current year’s capital budget.
Even so, the road is among the 14 flood-prone areas listed by the consultant, Alex Vazquez of A.D.A. Engineering.
Of the 11 Intracoastal locations with price tags in the report, the Tropic Isles neighborhood was the most expensive at $157.2 million.
It sits on the west side of the Intracoastal south of Linton Boulevard. The fixes include new outfall pipes that have back-flow prevention devices to stop tidal water from flowing in, lined stormwater pipes to prevent groundwater intrusion and raised roads.
The lowest amount needed was $6.4 million for a portion of Southeast Seventh Avenue, south of Southeast Seventh Street.
A small section of Atlantic Avenue east of the Intracoastal was included in an area that needs about $28 million in fixes.
Delray Beach last updated its stormwater master plan in 2000, Needle said.
Commissioners were so overwhelmed as Vazquez showed various hydrologic models and higher-level math equations that they were content to approve the stormwater master plan that same day.
But commissioners decided to wait until June to prioritize the stormwater projects when they discuss the city’s capital budget.
On Feb. 12, the commission also declined to discuss a sea wall ordinance without specifying a return date.
Needle said most of the sea walls along the Intracoastal Waterway will need to be replaced or raised. Delray Beach owns less than 1 mile of sea walls. The remaining 29 miles of sea walls are held privately.
The city will have to coordinate with the private property owners, Needle said, creating the need for an ordinance.
Petrolia asked the city staff to send the stormwater report to U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel. The congresswoman called a forum of mayors and city managers in her district on Feb. 11 to ask what their needs are. She was just appointed to the appropriations committee in the U.S. House.
At that meeting, Petrolia asked for money to raise roads. The stormwater plan, she said, will bolster that request.
In other action on Feb. 12, the commission:
• Decided to keep the start of its regular meetings at 4 p.m., despite several people saying that start time doesn’t allow working people to attend. The mayor and Deputy Vice Mayor Shirley Johnson wanted to push the start time later, but they were outnumbered by three commissioners. The commission will revisit the start times in six months.
• Formally approved Lynn Gelin as city attorney. Her salary will be $195,000.

A hatchling green turtle makes its way into the surf. Green turtles typically nest every other year. Photo provided

By Rich Pollack

At first glance, the dramatic drop in the number of sea turtle nests along the Palm Beach County coastline during the 2018 nesting season appears alarming.
Overall, the number of turtle nests on beaches from Boca Raton to Tequesta dropped about 33 percent — from 39,715 to 26,458 — according to numbers compiled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Those numbers, however, don’t tell the whole story because they are skewed by an expected drop in the number of green sea turtle nests — with 2018 seeing close to 12,000 fewer green turtle nests than the year before.
Because the pattern for decades has shown that the number of green turtle nests on Florida beaches alternates from extreme lows one year to extreme highs the following year, local turtle researchers are unconcerned by the drop and predict high numbers this year.
“We’re expecting a busy green nesting season,” said David Anderson, sea turtle conservation coordinator for the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton.
Remove the drop in green sea turtle nests from the equation and it appears the 2018 season did not have a lot of surprises. There were only about 1,300 fewer nests last year in Palm Beach County than in 2017, if you don’t include the green turtle nests.
“If you look at it overall, it was about an average year,” said Kelly Martin, a senior environmental analyst for the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management.
Though there were large amounts of sargassum seaweed on the beaches, and some red tides, neither seemed to have much visible impact on nesting or on the number of eggs that hatched in 2018.
Along with the drop in green turtle nests, there was a slight decline in the number of loggerhead turtle nests on county beaches, from 26,245 in 2017 to 24,876 last year. Again, the drop didn’t set off alarm bells, in part because most species of sea turtles nest every two to three years.
“Loggerhead numbers seemed pretty normal,” said Luciano Soares, assistant research scientist for the FWC’s marine turtle program.
There was actually a significant increase in the number of leatherback turtle nests in 2018, with 305 nests compared with 207 in 2017.
In the southern portion of the county, South Palm Beach had an increase in the number of loggerheads, to 1,432 nests in 2018 from 1,352 in 2017. Delray Beach also saw a slight rise, with the number of loggerhead nests increasing from 252 to 271.
Many communities saw increases in leatherback nests, with Boca Raton reporting 18 nests — up from five in 2017 — and Highland Beach reporting seven, up from three the previous year.
In Highland Beach, turtles came ashore to nest 1,825 times, with 955 staying to nest and 870 false crawls. The close to 50-50 ratio is common, according to Barbara James, who coordinates the sea turtle program in the town.
There were some positive signs when it came to hatch rates in 2018 as well.
During an inventory of 645 nests in Highland Beach there was evidence that more than 50,600 hatchlings left their shells, about 75 percent of the overall eggs.
In Boca Raton, the hatch rate was slightly lower at 65 percent, but that was an increase from 58 percent in 2017 and a low of 38 percent in 2016.
Sand temperature and rain, Anderson said, play a large role in those numbers. If the sand is too hot and there’s no rain to cool it down, the egg could be destroyed.
While the hatch rate appeared good in 2018, it’s difficult to know how many hatchlings made it to the ocean or were strong enough to survive once they made it to the water.
Some hatchlings did get caught in the sargassum, Anderson said, with a few rescued by people. Still, some of those young turtles may have used up energy they needed to survive in the ocean while struggling to get past the seaweed.
On its website the FWC says that only about one in 1,000 turtles survives to adulthood, because of predation from birds, crabs and other animals, as well as dehydration if they don’t make it to ocean quickly.
One interesting phenomenon in 2018 was the discovery of sea turtle nests in places that had never seen them before. One Kemp’s ridley nest was discovered as far north as New York.
Could climate change be responsible for a bit of a northern migration, as well as for what seems to be a longer nesting season, which officially begins this month?
That’s a big topic among researchers, who haven’t come to any conclusions yet, local experts say.
Palm Beach County’s Martin points out that the largest concentration of leatherback turtle nests used to be found in Palm Beach County.
Now there are more nests in Martin County than here.
“Climate change could drive turtles to high latitudes,” said Soares, “but not as far north as New York.”
That turtle, researchers say, maybe just got lost.

Sea turtle nesting totals

Boca Raton
2017 – 1,071
2018 – 723
Highland Beach
2017 – 1,829
2018 – 955
Delray Beach
2017 – 304
2018 – 278
Gulf Stream
2017 – 806
2018 – 448
Gulf Stream Park
2017 – 68
2018 – 53
Ocean Ridge (includes Briny Breezes)
2017 – 710
2018 – 638
Manalapan
2017 – 2,013
2018 – 1,071
South Palm Beach
2017 – 1,503
2018 – 1,465
Green turtle nests
2017 – 1,860
2018 – 134

Total nests,
Palm Beach County
2017 – 39,715
2018 – 26,458
Green turtle nests,
countywide
2017 – 13,263
2018 – 1,277

By Steve Plunkett

Town officials are poised to create time limits between 16 and 30 months on future new construction in Gulf Stream.
The new rules, which town commissioners will consider on final reading in March, come after unhappiness at the slow progress at 3140 Polo Drive, an 8,560-square-foot house that passed the three-year mark of building activity in February.
The pending ordinance notes that “lingering construction projects have a negative impact on the health, safety and welfare of town residents.”
The clock will start when a building permit is issued, and the allowable time is based on square footage. Trey Nazzaro, Gulf Stream’s staff attorney, looked at all home construction in town for the past eight years and at Palm Beach’s rules to develop the sliding scale.
Projects up to 3,999 square feet must finish in 16 months; those 6,000 to 10,000 square feet will get 24 months. Anything larger will get 30 months.
“In all the projects dating back to 2011 only one dragged on significantly longer than the proposed schedule. There were, I think, three or four that were one month over,” Nazzaro said.
Extra time can be granted by the Town Commission “for good cause.” Commissioners have the option to impose a fee for additional days, perhaps 10 cents a square foot, Nazzaro said.
Commissioner Paul Lyons wanted to make sure homeowners and contractors received a schedule of fees. “A lot of people get instructions more clearly if they understand the consequences of failure,” he said.
Commissioners also had a lively discussion on a separate proposal to limit time between demolition of a house and the commencement of rebuilding. Nazzaro suggested 30 days, but Vice Mayor Tom Stanley said 90 days was more realistic.
And Commissioner Joan Orthwein said it might be time to shorten the winter ban on construction from six months to five.
Commissioners will review a revised proposal in March.
In other business on Feb. 8:
• Police Chief Edward Allen introduced the town’s newest police officer, Allen O’Neal, who comes to Gulf Stream after five years in Manalapan and 26 years in Riviera Beach.
“We look forward to seeing you around town,” Mayor Scott Morgan said. “It’s a small town and we get to know our police officers.”
• Commissioners agreed to reduce a $200,000 lien on a house at 2900 Avenue Au Soleil to $20,000. The lien started accruing in November 2006 for code violations; property owner Anthony Turner died the following August. His estate, which disputed the validity of the lien, was unable to sell the property with the $200,000 cloud over it, commissioners were told.
As part of the settlement, the estate promised to make the property comply with code within six months.

Richard Granara takes the oath of office after his appointment to the Manalapan Town Commission. He will serve the year remaining on the term of Monica Oberting, who moved away from town. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Dan Moffett

Manalapan commissioners are exploring the possibility of buying the vacant BB&T Bank building at the northeast corner of Plaza del Mar as a new home for the town’s expanded Police Department.
Town Manager Linda Stumpf told the commission during its Feb. 26 meeting that the property, covering roughly two-thirds of an acre, went on the market for about $1.6 million after the branch closed and BB&T merged with SunTrust Banks, Inc.
Commissioners unanimously agreed to seek two appraisals for the property to consider whether negotiating a deal makes sense.
“I’m interested at the right price,” Vice Mayor Peter Isaac said.
A service station stood on the site decades ago, raising the possibility that old gasoline tanks or other environmental problems may be lurking beneath.
The two appraisals are a first step, Town Attorney Keith Davis said, and then commissioners can seek more information as part of due diligence if they decide to proceed with negotiations.
Manalapan expanded its Police Department from eight full-time officers to 12 last year as part of a response to a series of auto thefts. The department also moved its dispatch center from the guard shack on Point Manalapan to Town Hall. A move to the bank site could help provide the space to relieve the department’s growing pains, officials said.
Stumpf said she hoped to have the appraisals for the commission’s review within weeks.
In other business:
• Palm Beach developer Jeff Greene wants to flip the housing pattern on State Road A1A at Manalapan’s southern entrance.
Greene owns the three lots that are adjacent to Boynton Beach Inlet and divided by the road, with a house on the west side of the thoroughfare. He wants to build three new homes on the eastern, oceanfront side of the properties and use the western lots for docks, decks and cabanas.
Greene’s attorney, Ken Kaleel, said the change is logical because “the land mass is greater to the east than to the west.”
A zoning change would affect only seven lots in the town, Kaleel said, and the other owners in the small zone support the move. He said the plan would enhance the “arrival view” when people enter the town from the south.
The commission voted 4-1 to refer the proposal to the town’s Zoning Commission for review. Commissioner Jack Doyle voted against the referral, arguing that new construction on the east side needs sea walls, which the state no longer permits.
“We’re supposed to be forward looking,” Doyle said. “I’m talking about a future disaster here.”
Mayor Keith Waters said even if the town decides to change its code, Greene’s plan would still need state approval to go forward, which could take many months.
“This is a marathon,” Waters said. “It’s not going to happen in one or two meetings, I promise you.”
• Commissioners unanimously approved the appointment of Richard Granara to serve out the year remaining on Monica Oberting’s commission seat, which represents the Point. Oberting, who joined the commission in 2017, sold her home and moved out of Manalapan recently.
Waters said Granara has a background in real estate and construction, “a great deal of experience” that will help the commission. Granara has served on the town’s Zoning Commission for four years.
It was the last commission meeting for Isaac, who after six years on the panel became the first elected official in the town’s history to be ousted because of the term limits voters approved in 2013.
Isaac will be replaced this month by Stewart Satter, who qualified for the at-large seat in the March 12 election and was unopposed.

By Steve Plunkett

A federal lawsuit filed against Boca Raton has coastal communities scurrying to update their websites before they too wind up in court.
Juan Carlos Gil, a legally blind resident of Miami who has sued roughly 200 governments, stores and restaurants over access to information on the internet, added Boca Raton to his list of defendants Jan. 7.
Gil went to myboca.us in September to educate himself “on the quality of life and governmental functioning” in Boca Raton, his suit said. He quickly realized that PDFs on the website did not interface with “screen reader software” that visually impaired people use.
That’s a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Gil said.
“This exclusion resulted in plaintiff suffering from feelings of segregation, rejection and isolation as plaintiff was left excluded from participating in the community programs, services and activities offered by the city of Boca Raton in a manner equal to that afforded to others who are not similarly disabled,” the suit said.
Boca Raton posted a notice online Feb. 15 saying that it is reviewing its website to make sure documents, forms and information meet accessibility standards.
“During this renovation period, we will be assessing the content on the site, removing documents that are not compliant, and removing links to some external sites and resources,” the notice said. “Many of these documents will be remediated and reposted as staff and resources are available to update documents.”
One of the first apparent changes was to the online City Council agendas. Those for the Feb. 25 and 26 meetings had no links to PDFs of the backup information on various items. Backup material was linked to the Feb. 11 and 12 meetings.
Boca Raton is hardly alone in trying to cope with how it gets information distributed over the web. Gulf Stream, which became the poster child for municipalities facing lawsuits over public records starting in 2013, spent $1,800 in January to make its website more ADA-compliant after hearing about the Boca Raton lawsuit.
Changes included boosting the contrast on webpages to ensure their compatibility with digital readers.
“We feel like we’ve made a very good-faith effort to be ADA-compliant,” said town finance officer Rebecca Tew, who heard about Boca Raton’s lawsuit at the January meeting of the local chapter of the Florida Government Finance Officers Association.
Tew and Gulf Stream’s executive assistant, Renee Rowan Basel, also signed up for three days of website training in April.
Meanwhile, the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District was finishing a $42,000 upgrade of its webpages.
Chrissy Gibson, Boca Raton’s chief spokeswoman, said the city was preparing a request for bids to see how much it will cost to update web documents. Converting just the 326-page city budget for 2018 cost $2,000, she said. Gil’s lawsuit seeks screen-reader versions of the budgets for 2017, 2016 and 2015 “and all City Commission agendas and backup for 2018, 2017 and 2016,” as well as “the many other documents” online.
Boca Raton has also hired the Florida Institute of Government at Florida Atlantic University to train city staff on how to create ADA-compatible documents.
How long it will take to convert the old PDFs has not been determined. In the meantime, “I’d be happy to meet with someone and read a document to them,” Gibson said.
Gibson and Tew both said no resident has ever complained to them about website accessibility.
Gil’s lawsuit against Winn-Dixie stores in 2017, which resulted in the grocery chain’s paying almost $109,000 for Gil’s attorney fees and costs, opened the floodgates on ADA website complaints.
The number of ADA web lawsuits filed in federal courts nationwide jumped from fewer than 200 in 2016 to almost 1,200 last year, according to the Florida League of Cities. Florida is the second-most sued state.
Gil settled an ADA lawsuit with the Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller’s Office in September for $9,500, The Palm Beach Post reported.
In June the Palm Beach County Commission paid $15,000 to settle litigation with Eddie Sierra, a deaf Miami man who has filed more than 30 ADA lawsuits demanding that online government videos include closed-captioning, The Post said. The same month the Palm Beach County School Board settled a suit with Sierra for $15,000. Boca Raton in August paid Sierra $11,000 for his attorney fees, it said.
Elsewhere, Delray Beach took minutes, agendas and videos offline in October while it revamped its website. A new website, delraybeachfl.gov, went live in January.
Since December, Delray Beach streams only its City Commission regular meetings and Community Redevelopment Agency workshop and regular meetings. Meeting videos with captions are posted later.
In January, commissioners asked that their workshops be streamed. Previously, the city streamed all commission, CRA and advisory board meetings.
Boynton Beach does not stream its meetings but uploads videos to YouTube, which provides closed-captions.
Lantana no longer puts recordings of its meetings online because of ADA concerns.
Highland Beach briefly stopped streaming meetings last summer, then hired sign-language interpreters to help hearing-impaired website visitors.

Jane Smith and Mary Thurwachter contributed to this story.

By Jane Smith

When Javaro Sims becomes Delray Beach police chief in May, he will be the city’s first black police chief.
City Manager Mark Lauzier announced his decision at the Feb. 12 City Commission workshop where fellow officers packed the first three rows of the chambers.
“After an in-depth process in which Sims and Assistant Chief Maria Olsen tried out for the police chief’s job, I offered the job to Sims,” Lauzier said. “He has the support of the department, the command staff and the community.”
According to the latest census estimates, minorities accounted for 37.9 percent of the population in Delray Beach, 36.5 percent in Boynton Beach and 25 percent in Palm Beach County. Boynton Beach also recently named a black police chief.
In January, Lauzier set up a special phone line for residents and city employees to provide input on the police chief selection. He said he would take the calls and listen to the voicemails.
The current chief, Jeff Goldman, became acting assistant city manager in August, allowing for Olsen and Sims to spend some time in the chief’s chair. Goldman returned to the chief’s position on Feb. 11. He will retire in May and then Sims will become chief.
Lauzier said he was impressed with Sims’ “one-community philosophy” that states when one neighborhood is hurting, the whole city is affected.
Deputy Vice Mayor Shirley Johnson, who lives in the Northwest neighborhood, was pleased that the announcement came during Black History Month.
Sims, 58, was hired by the department in 1992 after spending four years as a teacher. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M University and a master’s in criminal justice from Lynn University.
As Sims rose through the ranks in the Police Department, he supervised the Community Policing Unit, the Street-level Narcotics Unit, the West Atlantic Avenue Task Force, the Community Response Division, the Criminal Investigations Division, the Support Services Division, the Community Patrol Division and, as assistant chief, the Special Services Bureau.
He graduated from the FBI National Academy in June 2014.
Olsen, 55, was hired by the department in 2014, following her retirement after 32 years with the West Palm Beach Police Department.
She will remain assistant police chief in Delray Beach.

By Dan Moffett

Several dozen condo residents from southern Ocean Ridge jammed Town Hall on Feb. 4 to make their case to the Town Commission for an A1A crosswalk.
They pretty much had the commissioners at hello.
Town Manager Jamie Titcomb told the group that the commission has intended to appeal to the state Department of Transportation for a crosswalk since debating the matter during last summer’s budget workshops.
Titcomb said commissioners decided to wait until peak tourist season to seek a required traffic study, however, so that state officials would see the strongest evidence of the need for a safe way to cross what has become an increasingly busy road.
With minimal discussion, the commission voted 5-0 to spend about $5,000 on the engineering study needed to make the crosswalk request to FDOT, which owns A1A and must approve all changes to it.
“Something for you to consider is that, under DOT standards, we can’t just build a crosswalk to nowhere,” Titcomb said.
Commissioners will have to decide on a location that allows public access on both sides of the road. A possible spot could be along the Crown Colony Club development, roughly across from Fayette Drive.
Several Crown Colony residents spoke in support of the plan.
“What we’re waiting for is an accident to happen,” said Sal Masarof, who said crossing the road has gotten more dangerous over the years — especially for disabled residents — with increasing traffic levels.
Results of the traffic study should be available in weeks, but it likely will take months before the town hears definitively from the state.
In other business:
• During a special meeting on Jan. 30, commissioners approved appointing Town Clerk Tracey Stevens as acting town manager, beginning March 18, when Titcomb is resigning to manage Loxahatchee Groves.
The vote was 4-0 to give Stevens the job for a 180-day period. Mayor Steve Coz was absent and did not vote because he was called as a witness in the trial of former Vice Mayor Richard Lucibella.
“I appreciate your confidence,” Stevens said, “and I’m excited about the opportunity.”
Police Chief Hal Hutchins also had sought the interim manager’s job, and commissioners considered splitting duties between him and Stevens. But ultimately they chose the clerk, who joined the Ocean Ridge staff three years ago after holding similar positions in Melbourne Beach and several municipalities in Maine.
The commission has unanimously approved the hiring of Kathie Gatewood as assistant clerk/administrative assistant to bolster the town staff. Gatewood has a background in retail management and a bachelor’s degree from Hodges University in Naples.
Coz said he supported selecting Stevens, saying she has done a “fabulous job” as clerk and her familiarity with the town was an important asset. He said after Stevens’ six-month period as acting manager, “We’ll take an evaluation of the situation.”
Loxahatchee Groves, an upstart municipality in western Palm Beach County, has a relationship with Titcomb that goes back 13 years to when he helped guide the community through the incorporation process.
• The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has awarded a $72,000 grant to an alliance of Palm Beach County coastal communities that is studying the potential effects of sea level rise.
Representatives of the communities have been meeting for months to discuss ways to prepare for looming environmental changes. Vice Mayor Don MaGruder has represented Ocean Ridge in the group, which also includes Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Lake Worth and Lantana.
The state grant will help the participants assess vulnerabilities in infrastructure, study the barrier islands, collect data and promote public awareness about sea rise.

By Dan Moffett

Three commission candidates in Ocean Ridge found a lot of common ground when they squared off against each other during an hourlong election forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County on Feb. 7.
They all opposed sober homes, supermajority approval requirements and raising taxes. They all supported term limits, a proactive approach to sea rise and maintaining Ocean Ridge’s special quality of life.
An area of potential disagreement surfaced concerning how to deal with street flooding and the impact of rising seas. Political newcomers Susan Hurlburt and John Lipscomb say they are open to the idea of raising street levels, if engineers endorse it. But Steve Coz, the incumbent mayor, is soundly opposed.
“I just don’t see how that works practically,” Coz said. “It’s just not a solution.”
Coz said raising the level of some roads will mean residents hit a hump as they exit their driveways. He said the town recently changed its building rules and now requires new construction projects to start 18 inches higher.
“If we’re raising home elevations 18 inches,” Coz said, “imagine going through town and raising roads 18 inches.”
Coz said the town has completed drainage improvements for some neighborhoods, in particular Inlet Cay, and residents are “extremely happy” with the results. The work included repairs and maintenance to stormwater lines.
Hurlburt, for years a historic preservation advocate in Delray Beach, said that besides following the guidance of engineers, the town should pay attention to what other cities are doing and learning about rising seas.
“Miami and the Keys are putting big money into studies looking for different ways to address this situation,” she said. The message for Ocean Ridge: “It’s coming and it’s better to be proactive.”
Lipscomb, an entrepreneur and real estate agent originally from St. Louis, said there is no time like the present for infrastructure improvements. “It’s cheaper to do it now than to do it later,” he said.
Lipscomb said the town will have to deal with the long-term prospect of eliminating septic tanks and connecting with the Boynton Beach sewer system. He said it likely would make sense to “raise the roads and raise the sidewalks” while overhauling the sewers.
Lipscomb broke with his rivals by saying he could support spending public money to help condo associations upgrade their sewer systems. Coz and Hurlburt are against the idea, saying taxpayer dollars shouldn’t go to private entities.
All three support the proposed charter amendment on the ballot that would impose term limits on town commissioners. Hurlburt said the limits “are like a double-edge sword” in that, while they advance wider participation, they also may push qualified officials out of office.
Coz said the proposed amendment strikes the right balance because it puts a three-term limit on commissioners but allows them to run again after sitting out a year.
All three candidates oppose requiring a supermajority vote of four commissioners to approve high-density construction projects. The idea came up during last year’s charter review but commissioners voted it down.
“I’ve never understood the supermajority argument,” Lipscomb said.
The commission has to be “ahead of the game,” Hurlburt said, “and you don’t need a supermajority to do that.” Coz argued that a supermajority rule would give too much power to a minority of two commissioners.
Two seats will be contested in the March 12 election. The top vote-getter will serve until 2022, and the second-highest will finish the year left on the term of former Mayor Jim Bonfiglio, who resigned last year and unsuccessfully ran for the state Legislature.

By Dan Moffett

Besides filling two commission seats in the March 12 municipal election, Ocean Ridge voters will have to decide the fate of four proposed amendments to the town’s charter, the document that dictates government rules and procedures.
Probably the most contentious proposal contains a provision that imposes term limits on commissioners. If it’s approved, a commissioner would be restricted to three consecutive three-year terms, and then be required to sit out a year before running for the commission again.
Another proposed amendment governs the power of the town manager. The manager would have the authority to hire and fire employees without commission approval — except for the police chief position, over which commissioners would retain control. The proposal also removes the requirement that suspended police officers receive hearings.
The rules for selecting a mayor and vice mayor and filling commission vacancies under certain circumstances are addressed in another proposal. The amendment would also require a minimum 12 hours’ notice for special meetings.
A fourth amendment deals with housekeeping issues throughout the charter, cleaning up spelling errors and removing language that is no longer relevant.
The proposals are the result of months of deliberation last year by the town’s charter review committee, chaired by former Commissioner Zoanne Hennigan. Other committee members were former Mayors Geoff Pugh and Ken Kaleel, former Commissioner Terry Brown and Polly Joa.

Official Ballot Language
Town of Ocean Ridge
Charter Amendment Questions

QUESTION 1: Shall Ocean Ridge amend its Charter to address various housekeeping and administrative issues relating to qualifying periods, forfeiture of office, commencement date of Commission terms, date of Election, qualification of electors, form of ballots and correcting spelling errors?

QUESTION 2: Shall Ocean Ridge amend its Charter to clarify Town Managers are not required to be residents; modify the votes required to appoint, remove or compensate Town Managers; provide the Town Manager with authority to hire and remove employees, without confirmation or appeal by or to the Commission, but requiring Commission approval for termination of the Police Chief, and delete the requirement that a suspended Police employee is entitled to a Town Manager hearing

QUESTION 3: Shall Ocean Ridge amend its Charter to modify the selection of Mayor and Vice-Mayor; to modify Commission vacancies, forfeiture of office, the filling of vacancies and to add a provision on suspension from office; to increase Special Meeting minimum notice requirements; and to provide that three affirmative votes, by the Commission, are required for any approval?

QUESTION 4: Shall Ocean Ridge amend its Charter to provide that a Commissioner may not serve more than three consecutive terms, of three years each, unless there is, at a minimum, a period of one year at the end of a term in which the person does not serve as a Commissioner?

Candidate profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith

Four candidates vie for two open at-large seats, each with a two-year term. The top two vote getters will each win a seat.

Elvadianne Culbertson
(Incumbent)

Personal: Declined to give her age; B.S. in business administration from Pacific Western University and M.S. in environmental management from Chadwick University; full-time South Palm Beach resident for nearly 14 years. Married, two grown sons and one stepson, one grandchild, four step- grandchildren, three step-great-grandchildren.

Professional: Retired; was a documentation specialist/consultant for the Center of Naval Analyses.

Political experience: Has held a seat on the South Palm Beach Town Council for the last three years.

Positions on issues: Wants improved fiscal accountability; supports better transparency in town government; favors local government more effectively governing itself rather than the state doing it.

Quote: “I think the town is better off with a detail-oriented person such as myself. Having served the town by being on both the Community Activities Advisory Board and the Code Enforcement Board, as well as editing the town newsletter, I was unanimously appointed to serve on the Town Council. I won honorable mention for innovative participation in the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County’s ‘Read for the Record’ and take part in the Keep Florida Beautiful program that has removed 3 million pounds of debris from Florida roads and has planted 30,000 trees and plants.”

Kevin Hall

Personal: 58; no college; married, two children; resident of South Palm Beach for eight years.

Professional: Currently is property manager of Palm Sea Condominiums. Was self-employed for 35 years in his painting contracting business and ran a construction company with his wife.

Political experience: None.

Positions on issues: Opposes construction of a new town hall, but wants the old one restored; concerned about the slow speed at which projects, police officers and town officials get approved; concerned about delays on the town’s storm sewer needs; wants to see beach renourishment go forward.

Quote: “I’m for a restored town hall, but not a brand new, five-story one. We’ve been waiting about three years for that to happen. We’ve been through yet another town manager and now we have an interim one instead of a new one. Things just take forever to get resolved around here. It took six months to a year to get a new police chief. We still don’t have our storm sewers done. That’s been going on for 2-3 years. We budgeted for two new policemen, but never hired them. Beach renourishment is another issue. If we’re not going to get it passed, I believe we need to move on and come up with a Plan B or just forget about it. We talk about a lot of things, but we do nothing.”

C.W. “Bill” LeRoy
(Incumbent)

Personal: 66; master’s in English from Bradley University; married, two children; resident of South Palm Beach for three and a half years.

Professional: Retired; was a real estate broker for 30 years.

Political experience: Has served one year on the South Palm Beach Town Council.

Positions on issues: Favors keeping local Police Department in place; wants better signage at the Town Hall; would like to see better management over traffic congestion.

Quote: “We have very few issues in our town. It’s a small town. We haven’t had any tax increases. We have a wonderful town and I’d like to see it stay a wonderful town. I don’t want any radical changes made to it. I want to preserve what we have here.”

Mark F. Weissman

Personal: 70; B.A. in administrative studies from Nova University and an A.A. in mortuary science from Miami-Dade Junior College; married, six children; resident of South Palm Beach for two and a half years.

Professional: Semi-retired; owned a funeral home in South Florida from 1973-1995, sold the business and stayed on for another 12 years as a consultant. Opened more funeral homes in Broward County in 2010 and sold those in 2014. Also has done consultant work for Delray Beach’s city cemetery.

Political experience: Former state legislator (2000-2002) and city commissioner of Parkland (1996-2000 and 2006-2016); served on the State League of Cities Environmental Committee; was vice chair of the Elder and Long Term Care Committee in the Florida House.

Positions on issues: Supports beach renourishment; favors maintaining first-class emergency medical services, police and fire protection teams; wants to keep millage rates and taxes low.

Quote: “My goal is to bring experience to the South Palm Beach Town Council, to protect the beauty and environment of South Palm Beach, as well as the safety and security of all residents in the city.”

Candidate profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith

Related Story: Commission candidates talk sea rise strategy at forum

One three-year term and a partial one-year term are contested this time around for the Ocean Ridge Town Commission. The top vote getter receives a three-year term and the runner-up gets a one-year term, which is the remainder of Jim Bonfiglio’s term. Bonfiglio resigned his seat to run for the Florida House. Seats are at-large.

Steve Coz
(Incumbent)

Personal: 61; Cum laude in English & classics from Harvard University; full-time Ocean Ridge resident for 32 years. Married, three grown children.

Professional: President of Coz Media since 2004, serving clients in the health field.

Political experience: Three years on the Ocean Ridge Town Commission and was appointed mayor in late 2018; has also served on the town’s Planning and Zoning Board and Board of Adjustments.

Positions on issues: Wants to hire a permanent town manager; concerned about population growth, town drainage, protecting beaches, traffic-related issues.

Quote: “I’m running again because I have experience. We have a relatively young commission and I’ve helped them deal with town matters for the last three years. I’m very familiar with the town, the challenges the town faces and the residents of the town. I’m also familiar with our various neighborhoods. We face challenges and I feel I can best help our town successfully overcome those challenges.”

Susan
Hurlburt

Personal: 63; Attended the University of Florida and graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor’s degree in art history with a minor in art education; full-time Ocean Ridge resident for five years. Married, three grown children.

Professional: Retired; spent her career in museum administration as a curator and gallery director at the Fort Lauderdale Museum, the Boca Raton Museum and the Schmidt Gallery at FAU. Also went into interior design and ran an antique shop in Delray Beach called Bad Blonde Designs.

Political experience: Never held public office, but was appointed to Delray Beach’s Historic Preservation Board, serving for nearly a decade. She also served 12 years on the Beach Property Owners Association in Delray Beach.

Positions on issues: Supports managed growth; concerned with aging infrastructure; wants to preserve the town’s quality of life; favors emphasis on environmental protection.

Quote: “I believe in proactivity. If I’m going to be part of a community, I want to be the part of it that speaks up, listens, hears the issues and works toward making everything better. I love my town. That’s why I’m running. I want to preserve and protect our slice of heaven.”

John D.
Lipscomb

Personal: 60; Graduated from Columbia College in Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in business and a minor in marketing; full-time Ocean Ridge resident for six years. Married, two grown children, three stepchildren.

Professional: Realtor with The Presson Group for the last year. Also a property manager for the Villas of Ocean Ridge and author of two books — The Painting and the Piano and Through Jasper’s Eyes.

Political experience: None.

Positions on issues: Wants to see more preparedness for climate change; concerned about flooding; wants a city sewer system; supports mitigation of beach erosion.

Quote: “I’d like to speed up the process of the way things work in Ocean Ridge, so that we don’t get caught behind the eight ball in terms of being prepared for climate change. Ocean Ridge is a great town and I want to keep it the way it is. We’re the best-kept secret in Florida. I want to preserve our town and keep developers from coming in and overrunning things. I’m big on technology. I think that can help us a lot, in terms of modernization.”

By Mary Thurwachter

As work at the luxury condo project at 3550 S. Ocean Blvd. reaches its finishing stages, construction hours have been extended. The South Palm Beach Town Council agreed to the added hours during a special town meeting on Feb. 14 and a workshop meeting.
“Kast Construction is requesting to extend hours of operation to help achieve the projected schedule — Sundays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Monday through Saturdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.,” Hector Gomez, construction manager, told the council. Previously, work hours were from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
“All we’re doing is trying to get this project done as soon as possible,” he said.
Not everyone was onboard with extra hours at the site of the old Hawaiian Inn hotel.
“We have a town rule and that should be our priority,” said Councilwoman Stella Gaddy Jordan. “We should stand as is. I don’t think we need to keep on accommodating issues such as this.”
Jordan said she was concerned about noise from electric saws and other machinery.
“We are conscious of the neighbors and would limit this work during extended hours to the interior of the units only,” Gomez said. “We are at the finishing stage of the project, so this work will be limited to quieter activities such as painting, grouting, trim out, appliances, cleaning, etc.; in other words, activities that would not affect the neighbors in any way.
“We do not anticipate having to do this every day or every week, but when we do work outside of standard hours, we would only limit the work to these types of activities and would not work outside of the condo units.”
Mayor Bonnie Fischer said she and interim Town Manager Bob Kellogg had recently visited the project and were impressed with the soundproofing.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a noise issue,” Fischer said. “They have much better windows and doors than any building in town.”
Council member Bill LeRoy said the project needed to be finished.
“I want it to be done. I want everybody to be happy. … Let’s get this done, be over it and talk about something else.”
Vice Mayor Robert Gottlieb agreed.
“The sooner we can collect taxes the better the town is,” he said. “We would encourage you to finish sooner.” With condo units selling for up to $5 million each, the town’s tax base could rise significantly.
Gomez said everybody working on that project “would like to finish earlier and as soon as possible.”
Extended work hours are good through May 1.
Jordan also objected to work being done on Sundays, saying residents, especially those who live in buildings on either side of 3550 S. Ocean Blvd., should have one noise-free day.
Developed by Manhattan-based DDG real estate investment group, the 30-unit condo building is expected to open this summer.
In other business:
• The council approved unanimously a contract with Kellogg, whose nine-month probation as interim town manager will end on Sept. 30. Kellogg’s $95,000 annual salary will jump to $100,000 in October, assuming he receives a favorable evaluation. He will not get the $300 monthly car allowance he requested. If terminated without cause after the probationary period, Kellogg is eligible to receive 20 weeks of severance pay.
• By a 4-1 vote, the council approved Police Chief Mark Garrison’s request for a reclassification of a second sergeant position to lieutenant. “The person chosen will have the experience and knowledge to act on the chief’s behalf in his absence,” Garrison said.
This move won’t increase the budget and is only a title change. He said the position has been posted to receive applications.
Jordan cast the dissenting vote.

Three-year-old Luke Howard gets a push from his father, Jake, during the Hypoluxo Island property owners annual picnic at McKinley Park on Feb. 24. They were in town visiting grandparents Diz and Sally Howard of Hypoluxo Island. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Mary Thurwachter

The Town Council made some revisions to its 12-year-old polices and guidelines, even though the old policy had generally provided good guidance, according to Dave Thatcher, Lantana’s development services director.
“It was incredibly wordy and confusing,” he said at the Feb. 25 meeting. “The new one is a more user-friendly document and should be easier to understand by the public and easier to use by staff.”
Town staff worked with several groups of residents in a variety of situations in adopting the new policies, Thatcher said.
Since the guidelines were first adopted in 2007, there were 10 requests for calming projects. Three failed to meet the criteria.
Those applying for traffic-slowing measures must provide a petition signed by at least 66 percent of area property owners before a traffic study is done.
Due to pending litigation, Mayor Dave Stewart handed over the gavel to Vice Mayor Ed Shropshire to preside over the discussion.
In October, the Florida Commission on Ethics found probable cause that the mayor violated state statutes after a resident alleged he said he’d “make sure” her neighborhood would get the speed humps for which she petitioned the town if she had sex with him.
Stewart is fighting the claim and the case is headed for an evidentiary hearing this year.
Stewart voted with the rest of the council in favor of the guidelines. He said the goal was to trim them from 15 pages to 5.
The town agreed to take a look at speed bumps already in place on South Lake Drive beside the Old Key Lime House after restaurant owners Wayne Cordero and his son Ryan said the traffic-calming measures there were not performing well. Ryan Cordero said he had been struck by a car on South Lake and worried about children being hit.

By Brian Biggane

GULF STREAM — Alice Dye, a golfing icon who built a strong reputation for her charity work in South Palm Beach County, died Feb. 1. She was 91.
Dye, who with her husband, Pete, formed a legendary golf course architecture team that designed 145 courses around the world, was named First Lady of Golf by the PGA of America in 2004. She was one of the top female amateur players of her day, winning 11 Indianapolis city titles and nine Indiana state championships.
One of her solo designs was the par-3 St. Andrews Club course in Delray Beach, which had been planning to honor her at its ladies member-guest event on March 6.
“Coming to a golf course that she designed, and getting to meet her, and seeing all the things she has done for women in golf, it was truly an honor,” St. Andrews club pro Amy Carver said.
Dye had signed 80 copies of her book, From Birdies to Bunkers, which will be distributed to all participants in the event.
“We asked her permission to do the member-guest [event] in her honor and she thought that was great,” Carver said. “And I asked her if it would be too much to sign these books, and she said she would do it, and she did.”
Born Alice Holiday O’Neal in Indianapolis on Jan. 24, 1927, she was a student at Rollins College in Winter Park when she met Pete Dye, who had just returned from serving in World War II.
The two were married in 1950 and for much of their time together spent their winters in Gulf Stream and their summers at a home off the 18th green at Crooked Stick Golf Club near Indianapolis.
Gulf Stream neighbor Tony Graziano fittingly called the pair “golf royalty” but said, for all they’ve accomplished, their humility sets them apart.
“You go in their house and it’s a simple house that any one of us could live in, not pretentious at all,” he said. “The only thing pretentious is the golf memorabilia, which comes from a family life of golf success.
“And the personalities that go with them — they are and were absolutely regular folks. They never changed from being good, solid Midwestern people, no matter how famous they were.”
Perhaps the only way Mrs. Dye rode her reputation was in her work for charity. Her brother, the late Perry O’Neal, was a longtime president and board member of the Wayside House, a treatment center for women in Delray Beach. For more than 25 years, the Dyes hosted the Alice & Pete Dye Golf and Bridge Invitational each November at St. Andrews.
“For a long time, we had just the golf tournament,” Wayside President Kathryn Leonard said. “But then Alice said some of her friends no longer played golf, but all of them played bridge. So, it was her idea to add the bridge tournament and that brought in 100 more people.”
Last year’s tournament raised more than $25,000.
In addition to her prowess as a golfer — she won the 1978 North and South Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur in both 1978 and 1989 and was a member of the U.S. Curtis Cup team in 1970 — Mrs. Dye worked hard to help women enjoy the golf experience. She is considered the person most responsible for the advent of ladies tees that typically shorten par-72 courses by 1,000 yards or more.
She was the first female board member of the PGA of America and the first woman to serve as president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.
It was also her inspiration that brought about one of the most famous holes in golf. Pete had removed so much sand from what was intended to be the par-3 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra that he had no idea what to do next, whereupon Alice pulled out a napkin and drew a lake with the green in the middle. That lake has since become home to thousands of errant shots.
Other courses designed by the Dyes include Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, which will host the 2020 Ryder Cup matches, The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island in South Carolina and PGA West in California.
St. Andrews in Delray was always a favorite of Mrs. Dye, and former greenskeeper Charley Crell recalled what an honor it was to be hired there about eight years ago.
“That was part of the reason I took the job,” Crell said. “It’s a smaller golf course, but it’s really special because of the people who are there, in particular the Dyes. She really enjoyed being at the club, playing bridge and going out and playing. She did a lot for St. Andrews, loaning her expertise to different things. A great lady.”
Crell left St. Andrews last year for Reunion Golf and Country Club in Mississippi and said Mrs. Dye played a role in his getting that opportunity.
“She put in a good word for me, and it made a difference,” he said. “That meant a lot to me and my family.”
Mrs. Dye spent much of her time in recent years caring for Pete, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
The Dyes have two sons, Perry Dye of Colorado and Paul Burke Dye of Ohio, who are also golf course architects.
Pete Dye along with Perry’s wife, Ann, and Paul’s wife, Jean, are among Mrs. Dye’s survivors.
A celebration of life was held at the Gulf Stream Golf Club on Feb. 20. Another celebration of life is planned for 2-5 p.m., May 29, at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind.
Donations can be made to Wayside House, 378 NE Sixth Ave., Delray Beach, FL  33483; waysidehouse.net; or the Indiana Golf Foundation, 2625 Hurricane Road, Franklin, IN 46131.

DELRAY BEACH — Linda Bailey Searle died at her home in Delray Beach on Jan. 16. She was 93.
Born March 14, 1925, in East Orange, N.J., to Clifford Sherwood Bailey and Ellen Laird Bailey, she grew up in Darien and New Canaan, Conn., and graduated from Ethel Walker School and Finch College.
In June 1945, she married John “Jack” Endicott Searle Jr., who was in the Army Air Corps.
Upon his discharge, Jack enrolled in MIT and the couple moved to Cambridge, Mass. In late 1947, they moved again to Marblehead, Mass, where they raised their two daughters.
Mrs. Searle was very creative and had beautiful style and taste. 
The couple bought a home at St. Andrews Club in Delray Beach in 1973, where they became very involved in the club. In particular, Mrs. Searle was very active within St. Andrews and led a number of the club improvement projects.
The couple were also members of nearby Gulf Stream Bath and Tennis, and The Little Club.
They maintained a presence in New England, owning a condominium in Beverly Farms, Mass. They were members of Essex County Club in Manchester, Mass.
Mrs. Searle was predeceased by her husband in 2012. She is survived by her daughters, Ellen “Kip” Searle Abbott and her husband, John H. Abbott, of Manchester, Mass., and Carol Putnam Searle, and her husband, Andrew J. Ley, of Dedham, Mass. She leaves a granddaughter, Kelsey Searle Abbott, and her husband, Peter T. McDougall, of Osprey. Also surviving her is her sister, Mary Bailey Lumet of New York City.
The family is very grateful for the loving care provided by her caregivers Nadine Holloway and Claudette Kirlew Smith.
Arrangements will be private. Contributions in her memory may be made to St. Andrews Club, Jack Searle Golf Tournament Fund, 4475 N. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, FL 33483.

— Obituary submitted by the family