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10605052272?profile=RESIZE_710xOld Ziff property sold to Oracle co-founder for $173 million

By Larry Barszewski

Manalapan is no longer playing second fiddle to the town of Palm Beach — or any other Florida location, for that matter — when it comes to pricey residential properties.
10605078468?profile=RESIZE_400xThe town became home to Florida’s most expensive estate in June when Netscape co-founder James Clark sold his ocean-to-Intracoastal Waterway property to a fellow billionaire (one who has many, many more billions), Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, for $173 million.
Clark ended up being a short-term resident. He owned the property at 2000 S. Ocean Blvd. for just 15 months, but he got his money’s worth when the final sale came through.
Clark turned a $79 million profit — an increase of 84% — on the estate that cost him $94 million, the priciest sale in town until he decided to sell it in an off-market transaction. The sale was handled by Lawrence Moens of Lawrence A. Moens Associates, who brokered both sides of the deal. Moens had also handled Clark’s earlier purchase.
The buyer was listed as Florida Realty LLC, a Delaware corporation with a California address that is the same as the one for the Larry Ellison Foundation. Besides the 15.65-acre main property, Ellison took ownership of an approximately 7-acre wildlife sanctuary space on Bird Island.

Forbes ranks Ellison as No. 8 on this year’s list of the world’s wealthiest people. His reported net worth was hovering around $93 billion at the end of June, while Clark, ranked by Forbes around No. 950, was worth about $2.9 billion.
Last year, Ellison paid $80 million for an oceanfront North Palm Beach estate. He also owns almost all of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, plunking down $300 million for it back in 2012. Other people still live on Lanai, and Ellison’s deal included a couple of Four Seasons resorts that attract the rich and famous to stay there.
His foray into Manalapan — a small town known for its expensive homes and quietly wealthy residents — had eyes popping over the purchase price.
“It’s an amazing number,” said Manalapan Vice Mayor Stewart Satter, a developer who recorded a $40 million sale of his own in March for a vacant ocean-to-Intracoastal lot. “It’s kind of hard for me to believe someone is spending that kind of money.”
Some residents may be concerned about what plans Ellison has for the town’s premier property, but Satter doesn’t think Ellison is looking to develop what he calls a “very, very, special property.”

10605052895?profile=RESIZE_710xThe main house is two stories and faces the ocean. Photos provided by Realtor.com

It includes a 33-bedroom, 38-bathroom main house that sits on both sides of State Road A1A, with the larger portion on the ocean side.
“He’s decided he wants some super-unique property,” Satter said. “No one is spending $200 million to develop it.”
While Satter himself was interested in the property before Clark bought it last year, he said the value in redeveloping it is overstated. The town can allow construction east of A1A in the area, which is what developers want, but Satter said the “final say” goes to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
“They made the requirements so strict, you effectively can’t build on the east side of the road,” Satter said of state regulators. “The requirements are so strict, you can only build a small house.”
In 2020, the town gave the previous owners, heirs of media pioneer William B. Ziff Jr., the ability to subdivide the property that they had been trying to sell since 2016, but those rights went away when Clark bought it in 2021. Clark’s purchase price was far below the $195 million the Ziffs originally sought.

10605053295?profile=RESIZE_710xA seating area with cut-coral walls, pecky cypress ceilings and a wall of live orchids.

The Shutts & Bowen law firm, representing Ellison’s corporation, has requested town records of zoning and development approvals granted for 2000 S. Ocean Blvd., as well as any approvals for items such as variances, site plans or permits. The request is also for 3040 S. Ocean Blvd., which is part of the property.
How unusual is the property? Descriptions mention three tunnels that go under A1A to connect the east and west portions of the property.
One of those tunnels — “if you want to call it a tunnel,” Mayor Keith Waters says — connects the two portions of the house and includes works of art and other extravagant furnishings. “To say it’s magnificent would be an understatement,” Waters said of the underground connector.
Previously known as the Ziff estate and before that as Gemini, the property has 1,200 linear feet of ocean frontage and another 1,300 feet along the Intracoastal. Besides the main house, it has a guest house, manager’s house, two ocean cottages, tennis courts, swimming pool, regulation golf practice area, a miniature golf course and a botanic garden with 1,500 species of tropical trees and plants.
For a time decades ago, it was considered the most expensive residence in the country. It now at least holds the state title.
The previous top sale in the state was $129.6 million for a four-parcel purchase on Blossom Way in the town of Palm Beach in 2012 by hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin, said Jonathan Miller, president of Miller Samuel Inc., a real estate appraisal and consultant firm. The most expensive single parcel before last month’s purchase was at 535 N. County Road in Palm Beach, which sold for $122.7 million last year, Miller said.
“If you look at what’s available in the properties, it’s an age-old saying: There’s only so much dirt on the ocean like that,” Waters said. “Palm Beach is a big, shiny object, and Manalapan is a quiet, subtle, and in my opinion, better version.”

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And the rocket’s red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there
— “The Star-Spangled Banner,” 1814

July Fourth: A day filled with barbecue, patriotic baby contests, hula-hoop competitions and watermelon consumption followed by sundown and an anticipated explosion of pyrotechnic sound and color in the sky.
Independence Day 2022 is sure again to be one of the most memorable days of summer, with plenty of flag-waving and singing of patriotic songs.
So, a quick history lesson:
Old Glory, the American flag, consists of 13 horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with six white. The stripes represent the original 13 Colonies that joined forces to declare independence from Britain, and the stars — as of July 4, 1960 — represent the 50 states of the Union.
The first time the flag was carried into battle was during this country’s Civil War, where the war dead on both sides number upward of 650,000. At one time there was discussion of removing the stars of the Southern states that seceded from the union, but President Abraham Lincoln refused, believing it would give legitimacy to the Confederate states, so they remain.
The Star-Spangled Banner was written as a poem on Sept. 14, 1814, after Fort McHenry was bombarded by British ships in Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812 — a conflict arising over territorial expansion in North America and escalating over trade restrictions that crippled the economy of a young America. The battle at Fort McHenry, a month after British troops had burned Washington, resulted in a U.S. victory; the poem’s author was inspired by the sight of the large American flag flying above the successfully defended fort as the sun rose.
The poem was later set to the music of a song popular at the time and became the national anthem by congressional resolution on March 3, 1931.
Any student of American history knows our country’s freedoms have not been easily won; but so far our Constitution, rule of law and unity of purpose have sustained us through the first 246 years of this country’s noble experiment in democracy.
It’s important to reflect on this history as we celebrate this year’s Independence Day. That omnipresent red, white and blue flag represents the historical strength of our union, the fireworks remind us of past battles we’ve endured, and that Star-Spangled song blasting is less of an anthem of individual freedom than an expression of gratitude that our union survives.

— Mary Kate Leming, Editor

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10605037880?profile=RESIZE_710xGreg Hazle, who used to work in corporate finance and project management, has led Boca Helping Hands’ expansion to other sites amid the demands of the pandemic. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Tao Woolfe

Greg Hazle, a chemical engineer and longtime corporate executive, never imagined himself heading a charitable organization, but when Boca Helping Hands itself needed a hand, he gave his heart and soul.
It was supposed to be a temporary gig for Hazle, who had served on Boca Helping Hands’ board of directors for about four years. But he found, much to his surprise, that the role was incredibly rewarding.
“After a few years I found I really enjoyed it. I found it to be a great privilege,” Hazle said, the lilt of his native Jamaica trickling through his words. “I was working with people I admired, but hadn’t met a lot in the corporate world — selfless, idealistic people.”
Gary Peters, who has been president of the board for 16 years, said the admiration was mutual. The board members, the staff and the volunteers liked Hazle’s soft-spoken, kind, intelligent management style.
“When our previous executive director retired, I asked Greg to step in as interim director,” Peters said. “He so liked the job, and was such a good fit, we asked him to stay.”
That was five years ago. Since then, Boca Helping Hands — a 24-year-old organization that feeds thousands of hungry people each year and provides job training and emergency assistance — has expanded to offer services to much of Palm Beach County.
“It was a very challenging role. We began expanding our food distribution and then COVID hit,” Peters said. “Greg managed the whole thing through the pandemic, and raised revenues, without missing a beat.”
The feeding program, which began as a humble soup kitchen in a church annex building, is now housed in several buildings off Glades Road. Sit-down hot meals were phased out because of the pandemic, but hot to-go meals are served Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Cars now line up for blocks and take turns driving into a canvas-covered distribution site. Volunteers quickly load bags of groceries into the cars Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Besides the main east Boca facility, there are now distribution centers in west Boca, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Lake Worth Beach.
Hazle said his background working in corporate finance and project management for both Florida Power & Light and Cemex, the international cement and building materials company, helped him figure out how to expand Helping Hands. “I brought to the job a lot of corporate disciplines — corporate governance and financial management,” he said. “But I kept an open mind about how I could contribute to the community.”
While listening to the donors and community advocates, Hazle found that his assumptions about the community of Boca Raton were completely incorrect.
“My stereotypical thinking was that Boca Raton’s residents were very self-involved,” Hazle said. “It is actually a very generous community that celebrates philanthropy.”
And, by listening to his employees, he learned to “unleash the capacity of people who want to become leaders in the organization.”
Bill Harper, Hazle’s director of food and warehouse operations, said he admires his boss for his business savvy and his people skills.
“He is a breath of fresh air, a pleasure to work with,” Harper said. “He’s my supervisor, but also a mentor in life. He really listens. He hears you and understands you, but he doesn’t try to fix it. He’s good people.”
Hazle, 66, lives in Boca Raton with Tina, his wife of 40 years. The couple has two grown daughters — one in Long Island, New York, and one in Atlanta — and several grandchildren.
He said there is a spiritual component to his life and his work. He is a member of Spanish River Church and a member of the school of ministry at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Harper, who described the organization’s volunteers as “the best in Palm Beach County,” said they, too, thrive in the warmth of appreciation fostered by Hazle.
“This is the best day of my week,” said volunteer Don Mandelbaum, who has been serving hot meals to Boca Helping Hands clients for seven years. “I feel good about being here — about what I’m doing.”

For more information about Boca Helping Hands, visit www.bocahelpinghands.org.

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I don’t understand why there is such contempt for iguanas. They are not aggressive toward people, they run away as fast as they can if anyone approaches them. They don’t bite, they don’t sting. They don’t attack our pets. They don’t ravage our important, edible crops. What harm are they causing? What crime have they committed, outside of being ugly?
One person complained that “they eat the flowers!” Big deal! Flowers serve no tangible purpose. We don’t eat them. We don’t feed livestock with them. We don’t manufacture anything using flowers. Nor are they medicinal. Who cares if they eat flowers?
Ironically, up in the Midwest, Canadian geese are a much bigger problem, yet we are not allowed to hunt or kill them. But unlike iguanas, geese are aggressive toward people. And their droppings completely saturate sidewalks and lawns.
If there is an invasive species that needed culling, it’s Canadian geese. They are a much bigger nuisance than iguanas.
Moreover, we have the most boring wildlife here. In South America, they have monkeys, llamas, jaguars, piranhas, giant bugs, spiders and all kinds of exotic birds, etc. In Africa they have rhinos, lions, giraffes, etc. In Asia they have tigers, elephants, cobras, etc. In Australia, they have kangaroos, koalas, wombats, etc.
Meanwhile, here in the States we have squirrels and sparrows. Woohoo! How boring! Iguanas are the first exotic creatures we have to break up the boredom of our bland native wildlife. I say let them live!

— Kurt Kelley
Boynton Beach

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By Tao Woolfe

Starting next year, Boynton Beach firefighters and paramedics will shift from a schedule of 24 hours on/48 hours off, to one of 24 hours on/72 hours off.
The change is expected to cut down on the city’s overtime costs and result in happier, healthier public safety workers, interim City Manager Jim Stables told the City Commission at a meeting on June 7.
“Forty-eight hours off is not enough time to decompress, especially when people are needed for overtime,” Stables said.
Hugh Bruder, interim Boynton Beach fire chief and director of fire and emergency medical services, further explained in an interview after the meeting how everyone will benefit from the new schedule.
Under the existing system, firefighters work a 48-hour week. Under the new system, the firefighters’ workweek is shortened to 42 hours, but the salary will stay the same.
Overtime has been paid, and will be paid, for any hours worked beyond the normal schedule.
Under the existing system, firefighter/paramedics are given a Kelly Day — a day off for rest and relaxation — every three weeks. The new system eliminates Kelly Days, which will automatically reduce overtime, the chief said.
The other half of the overtime reduction equation, he said, is that the department will hire 21 new full-time personnel. That way, there will be sufficient staff to fill all the department’s time slots.
There may still be the occasional shift that needs to be covered by overtime, but those needs will be drastically reduced, Bruder said. Last year, due to the coronavirus and staff shortages, the city paid $1.8 million in overtime.
More important, the chief said, the firefighters and paramedics will have time to decompress, rest and exercise, so they will have less reason to call in sick and will be better able to serve the community.
The city also will benefit from its ability to recruit and retain up-and-coming professionals who are seeking the 24/72-hour schedule, which is still a rarity in Florida.
Boca Raton’s is one of only a handful of departments in the state to offer the 24/72 schedule and, as a result, it is considered a destination workplace, Bruder said. Boynton is also expected to quickly earn that distinction.
Stables told the City Commission that the conversion will cost the city about $2 million up front, but ultimately will save — estimating conservatively — $1 million a year in overtime costs.
About $823,000 of the conversion cost will be used to hire the 21 new firefighter/paramedics, Stables said. They will be hired and begin training in October.
“We had 40 applicants in the first week of recruiting,” Stables said.
The commission approved the new schedule on June 7, and unanimously ratified a new, three-year contract with the Boynton Beach firefighters, Local 1891 of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Bruder said the commission’s approval set into motion a plan that signifies a huge, positive change for the city.
“It’s an example of good governance and it’s quite an undertaking,” Bruder said. “Everyone has to work together to make this happen — the City Commission, city management, the department administration, the bargaining unit, and the city staff.”

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10604984498?profile=RESIZE_710xTwelve small cottages line the north side of Ocean Avenue in downtown Lantana.

By Mary Thurwachter

The cluster of yellow, blue and pink Key West-style cottages on the north side of Ocean Avenue between Oak Street and Lake Drive has been part of downtown Lantana’s landscape for decades.
Today, many of the 12 buildings are in various states of disrepair and only one — a bungalow at 201 E. Ocean Ave. — is inhabited. It is home to Oceano Kitchen, a small but widely acclaimed restaurant with a big following.
Everyone talks about bringing in new businesses downtown, but that’s not likely to happen any time soon because of challenges faced by the town, the property owners and the businesses that would like to locate there, according to Nicole Dritz, Lantana’s development services director.
Dritz brought members of the Town Council together in late May for a workshop to address the downtown issues.
The property owners, the sister-and-brother team of Marsha Stocker and Steven Handelsman, want to rent out the buildings to businesses. Their parents, Burt and Lovey Handelsman, previously owned the cottages, which are on four contiguous property parcels.
Although potential businesses have made inquiries, Dritz said the cottages must be brought up to code — and have site plans approved if they have been vacant for more than six months — before the businesses can receive the business tax receipts needed to operate. Some of the buildings have been unoccupied since 2004.
Dritz said the inquiries include those from a jet-ski rental company, a doggie daycare and an artist village.
“One developer wanted to take all four parcels and do a unity of title so we would treat it as one, and do a very Key West-style boutique resort,” she said.
Jeremy Bearman, owner of Oceano Kitchen, had hoped to rent the former Mario’s Italian restaurant building at 225 E. Ocean Ave. to expand his business, but was unable to reach a lease agreement with the owners. He had planned to spend $500,000 for extensive renovations on the building.
Dritz said the town staff had been working with the property owners and that some improvements have been made, but “they are still not in compliance in terms of what we issued the code violations on.”
She said: “The code fines are getting up there and we have told them, ‘Listen, if you want a break on those code fines, show us what you’re going to do, get an application in, give us something to go on.’”
The owners have been fined $250 a day per parcel and those fines have surpassed $300,000, according to Dritz. None of the fines has been paid to date.
The owners prefer not to sell, Dritz said. “They would like to keep the structures as is and get tenants to rent those. They aren’t completely taking off the table working with a developer, maybe doing some kind of land lease where they lease the land and the developer comes and builds something on it.”
In an email reply to questions from The Coastal Star, Stocker said, “We are trying to work out a resolution so that these units can be rented. If we cannot come to a satisfactory resolution we will need to re-evaluate our options.”

‘Frustrating for everybody’
The empty cottages on Ocean Avenue have been a concern to the Chamber of Commerce for years.
“It’s frustrating for everybody — for us at the Chamber, for the town and for the residents. That little street could be so awesome,” said Dave Arm.
“As president of the Chamber, I’ve said I’d love to see that become a mini–Atlantic Avenue or a mini–Lake Avenue, where you could go have a drink in one place, have dinner in another, have dessert in another and go stop at a little boutique or something.
“Stroll Ocean Avenue. And right now, you’ve got a gap in there. That’s a damn shame. It’s frustrating and there just doesn’t seem to be a solution. Until the owners decide to play ball, I can’t see anything happening.”

Parking issues
Parking also has been problematic for downtown businesses. In 2019, to help the businesses, the town decreased its downtown parking requirement from 25 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area to 12 spaces. And last September, when Bearman came to the town seeking relief from the requirements that called for 49 spaces for the Mario’s site, he was granted a variance reducing the number to 18.
There are different ways to deal with parking, Town Attorney Max Lohman told the council at the workshop.
“Municipalities that have the constraint parking challenges similar to ours draw a box, they pick a zone, they change the parking requirements in that zone. Many of you have said you’ve never had a problem parking. ... Which would lead me to think that maybe, under the circumstances, the parking requirements are too strict in that area. And then, it would be something we could look at to potentially change,” he said.
“Then again ... if those vacant parcels ever become occupied, there’s a chance you might have a parking problem. But honestly, having a parking problem is a good problem to have. If you don’t have a parking problem, people aren’t coming. So, if you get a parking problem, we will figure it out.”
Lohman said it’s almost better to relax the regulations and then address the problem when it comes.
He said the town could better utilize the parking lot at Sportsman’s Park at night.
“You could potentially monetize that,” Lohman said. “Those large boat trailer parking spots could easily be chopped up into two or three.”
Another idea, he said, would be for the town to hire a valet service to benefit all the Ocean Avenue restaurants. “You could assess them (the businesses) the cost of it so they would be specifically benefiting from it. I’m not saying that’s the right solution, but I’m saying there are other solutions.”
Others suggestions are to add more parking spaces at Lyman Kayak Park or at the tennis courts at the recreation center.

Going forward
Dritz asked the council to weigh in on how to proceed.
“Do you wish for us to continue to capture those site plans like we are, or do you wish to see vacancies filled quickly, keeping those existing buildings with existing spec conditions in play, so that would require a code change to just basically eliminate the need for compliance?”
By consensus, council members agreed to continue enforcing the zoning laws that require site plans, landscape plans and signage. They want to keep the six-month vacancy requirements and will review special exception uses for each zoning district. And they are open to further loosening parking requirements.
“I like what you’re doing,” council member Lynn (Doc) Moorhouse told Dritz. “A lot of those places look like crap to me. I live next door to this. They’re falling down.”
Mayor Robert Hagerty said he wanted to stay the course. “I like the site plans. I like working the way you’re doing it. The problem I’ve got is if we leave those houses ... the same way that they are, they are decrepit. People could be injured.”

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By Mary Thurwachter

The Dune Deck Café, a popular open-air restaurant at the public beach for nearly three decades, will see Lantana increase its rent by 38% over the next three years.
The Town Council, at its June 13 meeting, voted unanimously to extend the lease of the concessionaire for three years, but the rent will go up each year until it reaches $65,000 annually in 2025. The breakfast and lunch restaurant currently pays $47,132 plus sales tax annually.
The higher rate is more in line with what the rent should be, according to a market rent analysis report done by Anderson Carr, a local appraisal firm, on March 28. It will take three years to get to the $64,045 rent suggested in that report. The rent, before the inclusion of sales taxes, will rise to $53,000 in 2023, $59,000 in 2024, and $65,000 in the new contract’s final year.
Council members had discussed the lease during a visioning workshop on April 22 after Dune Deck owner John Caruso had inquired about renewing the lease, which expires at the end of the year.
Besides the rent increase, the new agreement calls for the cash-only restaurant to make it more convenient for customers to pay their checks by making “reasonable efforts to begin accepting credit and debit cards as a form of payment prior to Dec. 31, 2024.”
Town Manager Brian Raducci said he thought the agreement was reasonable. “We had a very good negotiation, a very good discussion with Mr. Caruso and his attorney.”
Mayor Pro Tem Lynn (Doc) Moorhouse said he would do anything he could to support the Dune Deck, which, like the Old Key Lime House, is a destination point in town.
“Let’s face it, they’ve been through multiple hurricanes, and they are an outdoor restaurant,” Moorhouse said. “It’s not like you got walls and AC around to protect you. They don’t work when it rains because nobody comes. I think they’ve done a fantastic job.”
Council member Kem Mason agreed. “It’s a landmark location. They built it up. They made the name. They’re bringing people to our town so I’m behind them 100% and if they leave, we don’t know what we might get in there. For me, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
Mayor Robert Hagerty said he understood what Mason and Moorhouse were saying but also understood the reason for the conversation.
“It doesn’t mean nobody wants you around,” he said, referring to Caruso. “It’s not that at all. Everybody enjoys your restaurant, as a matter of fact. It’s just that we have to look into the future and not everybody knows what that entails. I don’t want to get rid of it. If anything, I want to improve that location if it’s possible.”
The Dune Deck has had a home at the public beach for 26 years. During a lease negotiation with the Town Council in 2012, Caruso said he had taken “a rat-infested building that was an embarrassment and created something to be proud of.”
He invested $80,000 of his own money to get the restaurant started and made many improvements over the years, including adding restrooms, new chairs and tables, and an outdoor bar. Customers previously used the beach’s public restrooms.
There were two public comments related to the new rent increase. One was from Pastor Ken Baker of First Baptist Church of Lantana, who said the Dune Deck was a staple in the community. He said the town should focus on bringing in new businesses, meaning “you don’t hurt the businesses that are already here by trying to jack up the price.”
John Raymer, who made an unsuccessful run for a council seat this year, said the rent was too low compared to what other business were paying and the town should charge more.
“You’re doing a disservice to the town of Lantana because that could be additional revenue that could help the town fix the beach and the roads and multiple other things, like hire lifeguards,” Raymer said of a rent increase.

In other action, the council made some changes to its rules and procedures as discussed at its visioning session in April. The changes allow the town manager to format the order of the agenda and to adopt a new section allowing for a consent agenda for non-controversial matters that do not require an individual discussion. Ú

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By Joe Capozzi

A $9.5 million budget proposal for Ocean Ridge would hold the tax rate next year while paying for rising public safety costs and enhancements to town flood prevention strategies. 
Even if commissioners on July 5 approve Town Manager Tracey Stevens’ request to keep the current tax rate of $5.50 per $1,000 of taxable value, residents can still expect higher tax bills next year because of rising property values across town. 
Preliminary estimates from the Palm Beach County property appraiser show Ocean Ridge’s taxable values rising 18.3% to $1.4 billion. As a result, commissioners don’t expect to pull money from reserves to balance the budget as they have done in previous years. 
Stevens’ spending proposal is nearly 8.4% higher than the current budget. One of “the driving forces” of the spending increases, she said in a memo to commissioners, is the “town’s commitment to funding enhanced maintenance and drainage infrastructure projects that were deferred for many years.’’ 
Other factors include increases in salaries and benefits for public safety services, along with a rise in insurance rates and solid waste collection costs.
At $3.464 million, the Police Department comprises the biggest chunk of the budget followed by the town’s contract with Boynton Beach for fire rescue services, at nearly $1.4 million.
On June 6, commissioners spent nearly half of a budget workshop reviewing $1,438,758 in capital improvements for infrastructure and maintenance, including stormwater issues.
Among more than $320,000 in flood-prevention projects included in the plan: 
• $85,000 for upgrades to the catch basin and valve replacements on Spanish River Drive to reduce “abnormally long-standing stormwater” in certain areas. 
• Up to $75,000 for repairs to the Tropical Drive pump station, where leaks in at least two of the five flap-gates are causing stormwater to backflow in the system.
• $70,000 in maintenance to the Tropical and Woolbright pump stations.
• $45,000 for pipe grouting beneath roads in Inlet Cay. 
• $15,000 for wet well maintenance at the Tropical, Woolbright and Coconut Lane pump stations.
During a discussion about nuisance flooding issues, Vice Mayor Kristine de Haseth asked, “What can residents do to mitigate standing water, especially after a rain event?”
Town engineer Lisa Tropepe said residents can turn off their sprinklers during heavy rain, trim their sod (which is often higher than the crowns of some streets), and make sure swales don’t erode. 
A few hours later, the commission in its regular meeting received a petition signed by 17 residents of Tropical Drive asking the town to install automatic shut-off valves to reduce flooding there.
Commissioners will shape the 2022-23 spending plan this summer before holding public hearings for the budget at 6 p.m. Sept. 6 and Sept. 19.

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By Joe Capozzi

Nothing brings neighbors together in South Palm Beach like a good party. That’s the idea behind a plan to honor the town’s most senior resident with a celebration at Town Hall in August.
Who will the guest of honor be? That’s what town officials want to know. They’re asking residents to help them identify the oldest person in town.
“We need to find them and celebrate them,’’ said Vice Mayor Bill LeRoy, whose idea for the party, pitched at a June 14 Town Council meeting, was met with enthusiasm by his fellow council members. 
“It’s just another event for the town to bring everyone together,’’ he said.
LeRoy has long been a proponent of the town hosting community events where residents, the majority of whom live in condos, can mingle and meet neighbors.
Happy with the success of two public events hosted outside Town Hall this year — a Memorial Day celebration and a wine-and-sliders party — LeRoy said he wants Town Hall to host more public gatherings. “Otherwise, you never see each other,’’ he said. 
One day in June, LeRoy said he was chatting with a golfing buddy. “He happened to ask, ‘Who is the oldest person in South Palm Beach?’ And I said, ‘I have no idea but we need to find out. And we need to have a party for them.’ I was also looking for a good reason to bring the people together in August.’’
If the inaugural birthday celebration is a success, LeRoy wants to make it an annual event.
“We can do the tent, get a big cake and some beverages, a lovely event to bring us all together.’’
To identify its most senior resident, the town plans to spread word through social media and in notices posted in condo lobbies. 
Someone at the June 14 meeting jokingly suggested reaching out to Al Roker, the Today show weatherman who offers tributes to centenarians, but LeRoy said he’s confident residents will be able to identify the guest of honor. 
“Somebody has got to know who the oldest person in town is. We need to find them, get them out and celebrate them,’’ he said.
In other business, the council in July will review Town Manager Robert Kellogg’s budget proposal for 2022-23. Property values in town are expected to exceed half a billion dollars, a 12.7% increase Kellogg said would generate an additional $193,900 in revenue for next year’s budget under the current tax rate.

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10604967059?profile=RESIZE_710xThe Little Club golf course has a number of lakes. Gulf Stream wants to double the size of a small, quarter-acre lake to provide additional drainage for a town capital improvement project. Photo provided

By Steve Plunkett

A demand by The Little Club to have a separate engineer review the town’s drainage plan may cause a three-month delay and add a year or more to the Gulf Stream capital improvement project, officials said.
Town Manager Greg Dunham told commissioners on June 10 that for the past year Gulf Stream’s consulting engineers at Baxter & Woodman have been “laboring under the assumption” that The Little Club would let the town enlarge one of its lakes to filter stormwater.
“But recently in meeting with The Little Club, they’ve expressed the need for them to use a golf course architect and their engineer to review this,” Dunham said.
And worse, the club’s engineer has other work booked and cannot start this review for two or three months.
Mayor Scott Morgan was not happy with The Little Club’s leaders.
“They spoke before the commission in June of 2021, one year ago this month, and made statements that they’re in agreement with that (proposal) and that the pond that was selected was the perfect place to do it without interfering with golf play,” Morgan said.
Baxter & Woodman engineer Rebecca Travis is supposed to present a draft design of the drainage and roadwork at the commission’s July 8 meeting, with 60% completed plans due in December and final plans next April. Dunham said perhaps she can provide another option.
“The schedule that we’ve got really can’t wait two or three months,” Dunham said.
No one from The Little Club attended the meeting, and club manager Rob Lehner did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
Gulf Stream wants to improve the streets, drainage and water mains on both the west and east sides of its Core area. Part of the plan includes replacing a 24-inch drainage pipe from Polo Drive to a canal off the Intracoastal Waterway with a 48-inch pipe. In order to gain permission from the South Florida Water Management District, the engineers have proposed enlarging a quarter-acre lake at The Little Club to a half-acre. The district does not consider a lake smaller than a half-acre as helping drainage.
“Part of the main reason that we’re redoing the roads is to eliminate the flooding that’s been occurring for decades,” Morgan said.
Commissioner Paul Lyons said he hoped to outlive the construction phase.
“This CIP plan — it’s taking a long time. I just want to be sure I have an opportunity to enjoy it,” he said of the town’s capital improvement plan. The town is in year five of the 10-year plan and wants the Core phase of the drainage project completed in three years.
The mayor said he and Dunham would continue discussions with club leaders.
Dunham said if negotiations with the club fail, Gulf Stream’s Plan B would be to use “water filtration trenches” all around town.
But that option also has potential problems.
“These trenches are rather large and our rights-of-way are full of other utilities,” he said.

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10604964874?profile=RESIZE_710xMore than 100 people gathered along Atlantic Avenue to protest the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision of the court that established the constitutional right to an abortion during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. The court’s June 24 decision shifted abortion rights decisions to state legislatures, with the likelihood that abortions would become illegal or face severe restrictions in about half the country. The decision brought out people for and against it nationwide. Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star

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10604960877?profile=RESIZE_710xKenny Brown holds a rescued pelican that was suffering from a fishing hook injury in 2010. Now people are helping Brown, who has lung and heart ailments. Coastal Star file photo

By Larry Keller

Kenny Brown, aka “the pelican man,” has spent the better part of two decades responding to calls in South County and beyond to help the whimsical yet graceful birds and other wildlife when they’re sick or injured.
Brown’s fee: Nothing.
“I appreciate him because he’s always willing to help, no matter what,” said Monica Slazinski of Delray Beach. Most recently it was to check on a wan wading bird called a limpkin.
“He was at my house within 30 minutes,” Slazinski said.
Now it’s Brown, 59, who needs medical assistance for serious lung and other maladies.
Treatment is far from free. So Slazinski established a GoFundMe page to help Brown, who has no health insurance and no income to pay bills. As of June 27 it had raised $7,863 from 172 donations.
Brown has been hospitalized three times lately, and was admitted to the intensive care unit once, he said in an interview shortened by his shortness of breath. He is now taking blood thinners for clots on his lungs, and medicine for an enlarged heart. He is dependent on portable oxygen.
“I can’t talk much longer,” he said in the interview from his home in west Delray Beach. “I keep coughing up stuff. I’m going to be out of breath … it’s very scary.”
Brown used to earn a little money with a for-profit no-kill animal trapping service, and doing carpentry jobs. His health has halted that, but he still has to make truck payments, pay rent and feed his two cats, two birds, a dog and himself.
It’s not just individuals like Slazinski who call Brown. So do towns without budgets to cover animal rescues and rehabs.
Ocean Ridge police have called Brown well over 100 times in the past 10 years, Chief Richard Jones said.
“We rely on him a lot … but Kenny is always there, and he never says no,” Jones said. “He’s been a huge asset to our department and our community. We’re obviously heartbroken that he’s ill and in a predicament where he needs help.”
While Brown doesn’t charge anybody to relocate animals not seriously hurt or to transport those that are to a place that will treat them, a nonprofit Ocean Ridge police support group has donated $500 to $1,000 annually to help him offset his expenses, Jones said.
“He’s had financial struggles over the years,” Jones said. “At one time he was driving an old vehicle that was breaking down all the time, and we’d call him and he’d say, ‘Hey, I can’t get there right now because the truck’s broken down, but I can get there tomorrow.’”
When he bought a newer truck a couple of years ago, Brown was pleased that it would enable him to respond to calls more quickly, Jones said.
In Manalapan, police also regularly rely on Brown.
“He has provided a service to us for over 20 years for free,” said Chief Carmen Mattox. “If there’s an injured animal in our community, we call ‘the pelican man.’ The pelican man’s response is ‘I’m on the way.’ He always comes.”
Beachfront towns like Ocean Ridge and Manalapan most often call Brown to assist seabirds in distress. But Slazinski has asked for his help with mammals too. “Kenny would, I think, save a rat if he had the ability to,” she said.
“Coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, possums — every animal there is in Florida, I’ve rescued,” Brown said. “You have to understand something. There is nobody to rescue injured wildlife.”
Local and state agencies “all call me because nobody will help them. You see an animal that’s injured or dying that’s been hit by a car or hanging in a tree, I’m going to go rescue them and bring them to a hospital.”
Now all he can do is hope that somehow he becomes well enough to resume helping shorebirds entangled in fishing line and four-legged critters smacked by motor vehicles.
“I sure hope so,” he said, “because I’ve already had many, many calls. I couldn’t do nothing and it breaks my heart.”
To many who have counted on Brown’s help, it seems only right to repay his kindness.
One GoFundMe donor wrote: “Kenny came to my home twice when wildlife were in danger, very late into the evening. He wasn’t well then with his breathing, but seemed tireless in efforts to save God’s creatures in trouble. Kenny is one of God’s creatures in trouble right now and needs our help.”
Slazinski added, “If we all want a better place, we have to chip in. He’s one of the few people who has truly dedicated his life to making this place more habitable for animals and people alike. The least we can do is help him out.”

Brown’s GoFundMe page is at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-help-kenny-brown?qid=49e499215acd78f83e33b59165c1de10

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Meet Your Neighbor: Ben Baffer

10604940893?profile=RESIZE_710xKaufman Lynn Construction executive Ben Baffer, chairman of the Delray Beach Historic Preservation Board, believes that historic buildings and sites ‘are our community’s collective legacy, and our link to our past.’ This photo mural of projects — including the historic Miami Freedom Tower — graces the Kaufman Lynn conference room. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Perhaps no one is more aware of the importance of preserving historic buildings in our communities than someone who builds new ones for a living.
That is one of the elements that has made Ben Baffer an excellent choice for chairman of the Delray Beach Historic Preservation Board. His two-year term in that role will come to an end in August.
Baffer, 57, recently rejoined Kaufman Lynn Construction as senior vice president after spending the last three years with a Miami firm. He also spent two years (2010-12) with Kaufman Lynn in Miami working on the restoration of the Freedom Tower, one of South Florida’s most iconic buildings, dating to 1925.
Considered one of South Florida’s leading experts on historical restoration projects, Baffer initially joined Kaufman Lynn in 2007 as a senior project manager before a promotion to vice president of operations. He and his family have lived in Delray Beach for 21 years.
“There is so little history in South Florida, compared to other parts of the country,” Baffer said. “That makes the few historic buildings we have become so precious, especially in areas that are attractive for development like Delray Beach.
“Historic buildings and sites are our community’s collective legacy, and our link to our past. This is critical to our identity as a community, regardless of whether you are a newcomer, a part-time resident of Delray Beach, or if your family has been here for generations.
“And from a purely economic standpoint, it is a well-known fact that communities with a strong commitment to historic preservation are able to sustain significantly higher property values.”
Baffer said as he nears the end of his final term, he is particularly proud of the way “we have furthered the mission of historic preservation by incorporating things like landscaping, sustainability and resiliency to our purview.”
Also, “the fact that we have been able to conduct our business as a board in a manner that has always been civil, collaborative and supportive of one another, the city staff and the applicants who come before us.”
“The paradox of historic preservation is that for it to be sustainable, property owners must be able to continuously maintain, improve and invest in their historic properties. If not, historic properties will be left to deteriorate and the historic resource will be eventually lost.
“Our job as a historic preservation board is to help property owners to improve and maintain their historic properties in a way that is consistent with the land development regulations, and the Secretary of the Interior’s standards for historic preservation. In other words, we are here to help people make good decisions.”
Baffer’s wife, Kathy, spent 14 years as president of the Seagate Neighborhood Association and is a Realtor in Delray. Their daughter Grace, 19, is a sophomore at the University of Florida, and Ava, 16, is a junior at American Heritage School.
The Baffers bought a small travel trailer camper during the pandemic and have used it extensively for family trips.

— Brian Biggane

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I grew up in Newport News, Virginia, which is in the southeastern corner of the state where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Growing up there, I got to know humidity, mosquitoes and the smell of low tide. I grew up on the water, and I knew at an early age that I could never live far from the coast. So, it should come as no surprise that I eventually ended up in Delray Beach. I went to college at Virginia Tech, and then graduate school at the University of Florida.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: I have only worked in one profession, as a general contractor in the construction industry. On the advice of my older sister, who was majoring in architecture, I majored in building construction. This turned out to be the right decision. I was hired by a general contractor immediately after college, and this is all I have ever done.
Construction is one of the few careers where we have lasting, tangible proof of our efforts and accomplishments, and so much of my professional identity is wrapped up in the buildings and projects that I have built, and I am proud of them all.
However, in 2010 I had the opportunity with Kaufman Lynn Construction to perform a two-year historic restoration of the Miami Freedom Tower. This is the one project I am most proud of since this building is so meaningful to Miami and the Cuban community. This project won numerous local and national restoration awards, including Engineering News- Record’s “Best Project of the Year.” A decade later, people still send me photos of the Freedom Tower lit up at night.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: Instead of chasing the money, find something that you really like to do, because you will spend a lifetime doing it. On the other hand, never forget that your job is still work. They call it work for a reason, and if it was fun all the time, it would be called a hobby. Never underestimate the value of showing up on time and giving an honest effort every day. This will pay off in the long run, in ways you cannot imagine. 

Q: How did you choose to make your home in coastal Delray Beach?
A: My wife, Kathy, is a Florida native who grew up in Boca Raton. She owned a small cottage in the Seagate neighborhood before we were married. After we were married and started having children, we realized we needed more space. We did not want to leave the Seagate neighborhood, so in 2003 we built a larger home, and we have been here ever since.

Q: What is your favorite part about living in coastal Delray Beach?
A: Delray Beach is a special place. It has everything you would ever want or need, but still has a small-town feel. Not to mention, the 2 miles of accessible, public-access beach. I also love to remind myself that we are so fortunate to be able to live, work and raise our families in a place where people from all over the world want to visit on vacation. Because of this, I try to make a point to live a little bit of vacation every day. 

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: The Storyteller, by Dave Grohl. I am a big fan of the Foo Fighters, who in my opinion are one of the last of the great American rock bands. Dave Grohl is about my age and grew up in Springfield, Virginia. I guess he’s living out my rock and roll fantasy life. I started reading his book before Taylor Hawkins died, so this just makes it so much more poignant.
 
Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: My musical tastes are pretty much stuck in the two decades of the 1970s and 1990s. When I want to be inspired, I like to listen to my daughter Grace, who is an accomplished classical pianist, and to my daughter Ava, who is becoming an excellent guitarist. I love to listen to both of them play, since as a parent, there is no prouder moment than when you realize your child is really good at something that you cannot do.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: Yes, too many to mention, starting with my father, from whom I inherited my work ethic, and to Mike Kaufman, who taught me the business side of the construction business. As far as life decisions go, I have found it is usually best to listen to my wife, Kathy, who keeps me grounded. She is a great sounding board, and she helps me to make good decisions.

Q: If your life story were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A: Vince Vaughn. Mainly because of his height, and the fact that he doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously. Vince Vaughn is known for his comedy roles and doesn’t necessarily have leading man looks, but he can carry a heavy role when he needs to.

Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: I’m not proud of the fact that I still have the sense of humor of a 10th-grader. Totally unsophisticated, basic, stupid humor. Caddyshack, Fletch and Animal House make me laugh hysterically, no matter how many times I’ve seen them.

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By Jane Smith

While Delray Beach residents were meeting about the future of Old School Square, Boca Raton Museum of Art officials who were getting a second look at operating Delray’s Cornell Art Museum decided they were no longer interested in the gig for now.
After kicking aside the Boca Raton museum’s proposals for the Cornell at their April 5 meeting, city commissioners reversed themselves June 14 and told City Manager Terrence Moore to begin new discussions with the museum’s representatives.
But Boca Raton museum leaders decided June 23 that “this is not the right time to take on the management of the Cornell Museum,” Irvin Lippman, executive director, wrote in a June 27 email to The Coastal Star. He said he had also told Moore.
“We realize many renovations still need to take place on the OSS campus,” Lippman wrote. “Still, more importantly, there is significant work to be done by the City to reach an undivided consensus about the arts in Delray Beach and what role OSS should play in the future.” 
On June 14, the City Commission also directed Moore and the city attorney to negotiate with Visual Adjectives, a mother-and-son team that now rents space at the Arts Warehouse in Delray Beach. The two want to host writing workshops and a literary festival on the Old School Square campus.
At the Delray Beach public forum held the night of the decision by Lippman’s board, participants talked about some of the things they wanted to see at Old School Square: Create better lighting throughout the campus; add more shade trees; provide a covering for outdoor concerts; host temporary public artworks; and have programs that appeal to the diversity of all city residents.
Nearly 60 attendees gathered at the Fieldhouse on the OSS campus for the forum, called a charrette. They wanted to see better signs on the grounds, local artists having display space in the Cornell, and possibly, having the museum host a Surfing Florida History exhibit that would reactivate the museum more quickly.
Moore said city staff would consult with the discussion leader, Tom Lanahan of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, about the suggestions. Moore planned to present a long-term vision for the campus in his weekly commission information letter on July 1. City commissioners will review the plan at their July 12 meeting.
The charrette was not streamed live and no city commissioners attended.
At the start, two men who are aligned with the previous campus operator, Old School Square Center for the Arts, tried to focus the discussion on “who” would run the downtown campus, instead of “what” the attendees want to see there.
“The who has to be defined before the what,” said Steven English, the registered agent of a new group, Friends of Delray, that supports the previous campus operators, known as OSSCA. The City Commission voted to end its relationship with OSSCA last year.
City Manager Moore stood steadfast at the charrette, redirecting the discussion to the “what” attendees wanted to see happen.
The attendees were divided into nine groups. Two of the people making presentations for their groups are board members of the former operator.
Patty Jones, the OSSCA board chairwoman, also mentioned keeping the grounds active with events, including yoga. Inside the Fieldhouse, her group wanted to see more activities for kids, along with the weddings and craft shows already held there.
Jim Chard, a former city commissioner and OSSCA board member, said it was important to have an organization that could attract donors and volunteers.
Lori Durante, a publicist and the daughter of a former city commissioner, said her group wanted to allow local artists to have exhibit space at the Cornell while hosting international art exhibits to increase attendance. She also talked about having more affordable ticket prices at Crest Theatre performances. “We need a financially sound operator,” she said.
Historic preservationist John Miller, whose group included Brian Cheslack, a lawyer who previously served on the OSSCA board, said the acoustics need to be fixed in the Fieldhouse, based on Cheslack’s input.
Suzanne Boyd, a former local TV news anchor and the new marketing manager for the Downtown Development Authority, proposed having a digital sign for Old School Square activities at the northeast corner of Swinton and Atlantic avenues.
Her group also asked for bocce ball courts, swing sets and other family activities. It did not want to see large festivals or big carnival rides on the Old School Square grounds.
The situation between the City Commission and the former operator erupted last August, after festering for years over the former operator’s finances.
City commissioners discovered the Crest Theatre was being renovated without their approval in July 2021. In addition, the bond documents for the work favored the contractor, not the city.
In August, the City Commission voted to end the lease with the former operator in 180 days on a 3-2 vote. Three months later, OSSCA sued the city, claiming wrongful termination of the lease.
“There was so much rancor from the previous tenant that many of our nonprofits were intimidated,” Commissioner Shirley Johnson said at the June 14 commission meeting.
Johnson, who was on the winning side of a 3-2 vote ending discussions with the Boca Raton art museum in April, changed her position June 14 to allow the discussions to start up again. Johnson explained her earlier vote as not understanding what the Boca Raton art museum was offering. She heard from Delray Beach residents who wanted to see the museum involved with Old School Square’s operations.
Now, before any new operator comes on board, the Cornell museum needs repairs before it can be activated.
It needs track lighting and security cameras that were removed by the previous tenants, said Laura Simon, the DDA’s executive director, at the June 14 commission meeting. She also said the adhesive from the tape used to mark the social distancing during the pandemic of the past two years had destroyed the finish on the hardwood floors in the museum.
While the Boca Raton art museum isn’t considering running the Cornell, Lippman said its leaders are willing to consult with the city’s Parks & Recreation Department on how to activate the grounds with public art while the buildings are being finished.
Commissioner Ryan Boylston’s idea for the Summer of Delray Arts fell apart because of the poor condition of the Cornell and because the nonprofits he expected to display at the museum said they wanted to be paid to put up exhibits there.
In other Delray Beach news, commissioners voted 4-1 on June 7 to increase the rates charged to properties served by the city’s water system starting July 1. It is the first time since 2009 that the city is raising water rates. Commissioner Johnson cast the dissenting vote, saying there may be other ways to raise the money for a new water treatment plant, estimated to cost about $125 million.
City water users will notice the first increase in their August bills. The average single-family home uses 6,000 gallons of water a month and will see rates rise by 5.36% to $60.93 from $57.83. The next increase will not occur until Oct. 1, 2023, when rates will rise an additional 6.11% to $64.65.

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10604886863?profile=RESIZE_710xThe town hopes 13-mph signs will encourage drivers to slow down on Old Ocean Boulevard, which during the season is crowded with people walking dogs, riding bikes and skateboarding. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Larry Barszewski


Ocean Ridge town commissioners hope “13 mph” speed limit signs on Old Ocean Boulevard will bring the town good luck in reducing the growing tensions among the pedestrians, cyclists and motorists competing for space on the popular oceanside roadway.
The oddly numbered limit won’t be enforceable from a statutory perspective, but it could catch motorists’ attention and be a touch-off point for police patrolling the promenade-like boulevard to have discussions with them about the need to go slow there.
“I know it’s not enforceable, but we thought it was a clever way to get people to slow down,” said Carolyn Cassidy, who heads a citizens task force looking for solutions to the road problems.
The task force came about due to safety concerns on Old Ocean, a nearly mile-long road between Corrine Street and Briny Breezes Boulevard, with a few stretches of unobstructed ocean views. It attracts crowds of people — on foot, on bikes, on skateboards, in golf carts and in cars and trucks.
In addition to lowering the speed limit posted on street signs, commissioners agreed at their June 6 meeting to have some of the roadside vegetation cut back. The trimming will provide space for pedestrians to step off the road when cars pass in both directions, leaving not enough room on the road. Earlier that day, commissioners had agreed to set aside $3,800 in the town’s upcoming budget for the work, officials said.
But commissioners put off — at least for now — other suggested changes that they fear might ruin the ambience of the town’s signature boulevard or create new problems. Those ideas included placing speed humps to slow cars, painting a center line down the road, installing electronic digital signs that track the speed of oncoming vehicles, and putting up “resident only” signs.
Despite the commission’s reluctance to install lighted digital signs, it did agree to allow Police Chief Richard Jones to place the town’s portable devices on the stretch of road temporarily to encourage motorists to slow down.
“It is kind of like a country road,” Commissioner Geoff Pugh said, with walkers vastly outnumbering drivers at peak times. “I’d say most of the people that drive down there know that if you drive down there at a certain time of day, you’re going to get the stink eye every time.”
Commissioners and some residents said that drivers aren’t the only ones to blame for the road situation. Many pedestrians don’t keep to their left and face oncoming traffic; instead they block the road for the cars coming up behind them.
“I think more than cars being the problem are pedestrians that are the problem,” said resident Debby Belmonte. “They’re walking all over the place. … I think just a couple of signs maybe, for stay to your left, or walk against traffic for your own safety, just some nice signs, it’s a start. Let’s move the pedestrians and get them flowing right.”
Walkers oblivious to the cars trying to get by can be frustrating, said 92-year-old Betty Bingham, a longtime resident who frequently drives on the road.
“I go over Old Ocean all the time. I drive 10 miles an hour. If the people don’t get out of my way, I’d like to bump them,” Bingham said. “A little civility might cure a lot of the problems there, seriously.”
In other matters, town commissioners:
• Approved a one-year extension for the owner of 6273 N. Ocean Blvd. to finish construction started in 2015. Under the agreement, the owner still has to get necessary town approvals for all modifications, has to put up $450,000 to cover the town’s costs in tearing down the building if the work isn’t completed on time, and has to reduce the size of a planned rooftop deck to about 2,200 square feet — which neighbors say is still too large. The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner Martin Wiescholek opposed.
• Learned that Town Clerk Karla Armstrong will be leaving to attend law school.
• Approved spending $59,844 to repair the Porter Street beach crossover, quadruple the $15,000 the town had budgeted for the work, with increased costs Town Manager Tracey Stevens said were “due to inflation from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The town will also spend $27,026 repairing brick sidewalks on Ocean Avenue east of the Intracoastal Waterway bridge. That cost is actually less than the $50,000 budgeted for it, because expected permitting through the Florida Department of Transportation will not be needed.
• Learned that the town was the victim of a $29,100 check fraud incident — one that may involve Postal Service employees. The checks in question were hand-delivered to a mail carrier at Town Hall, Stevens wrote in her commission report. Police are investigating.

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By Larry Barszewski

Manalapan’s rising property values have town commissioners looking at many things they might like to do next year, given the extra tax dollars that would be available even if they don’t raise the property tax rate.
In fact, Manalapan commissioners say they want to lower the tax rate. Higher property assessments mean they can do that and still collect increased property taxes for their budget priorities.
The money could be used to pay for some water treatment plant improvements that have been delayed, or to start getting all residents off septic tanks and onto a sewer system, or possibly to give employees a one-time bonus on top of a 5% pay raise that’s already in Town Manager Linda Stumpf’s preliminary budget.
During a budget workshop on June 27, commissioners even talked about starting the process of eliminating power poles and placing utilities underground, but only because it might make sense to do it at the same time that sewer pipes are installed.
“It makes common sense that if you can do it, do it all at one time,” Mayor Keith Waters said of the suggestion by Commissioner John Deese. “If we want to look at that, that’s probably not a bad idea because sooner or later, you know, all these poles are going to have to come down at some point. It might as well be, with what we’re doing, sooner, in my opinion.”
If the town were to leave its tax rate unchanged of $3.17 for every $1,000 of assessed value, it would collect $1.2 million more in property taxes this year than it did last year because of the rising property values. Stumpf recommended lowering the tax rate while still allowing the town to collect more taxes from residents.
Under Stumpf’s proposal, the town would set a tax rate of $2.83 for every $1,000 of assessed value, which amounts to a 12.2% tax revenue increase. Commissioners said they’d prefer to see what might be accomplished with a tax rate of $3 for every $1,000 of assessed value, which would produce a 19% tax revenue increase. That would give commissioners $315,000 more to work with than in Stumpf’s preliminary $6 million operating and capital projects budget, and still be 5.3% under the current tax rate.
“I want to send a signal very clearly, that the millage rate is going to go down,” Waters said, referring to the tax rate.
Commissioners will set the town’s tentative tax rate at a 9:15 a.m. July 26 meeting before the regular 10 a.m. commission meeting. Residents will get notices of their proposed assessments in August, followed by public hearings in September before commissioners adopt a new budget and tax rate for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. The town taxes are only a portion of a resident’s total tax bill.
Highlights of the commission discussion around Stumpf’s preliminary budget include:
Succession plans: Stumpf, who plans to retire in two years, has also been handling the town finance director’s duties, something not typical of a town manager. The budget includes $39,000 to hire a CPA firm to take on those duties, which will make it easier for the town to fill her position.
In the Police Department, Chief Carmen Mattox wants to reinstate a lieutenant’s position by converting an existing position. While Mattox has no specific plans to retire, Waters said it would be good to have “somebody else who understands and knows the force” ready to take over.
Employee raises: Stumpf included 5% raises for employees after commissioners said earlier this year they would like to go above the typical 3% raises and keep the town competitive with other similarly sized local governments. When Deese talked about possibly going even higher, Waters warned that the town has to be careful about changes that can’t be reversed and could burden the town if property values plummet in the future. Deese said the commission might instead consider a “one-time bonus” that doesn’t get built into employee base salaries.
Security guard woes: Commissioners are looking at replacing the firm handling security at the guardhouse, a situation that Stumpf said “has become untenable” based on continuing complaints from residents. The firm recently added a Barcalounger in the guardhouse, she said. “The complaints I’m getting is that there’s no visible gate guard. When we drive by, they’re actually inside with the door shut, on their cellphone,” Chief Mattox said.
Moving building plans online: Town Clerk Erika Petersen said she is nearing the end of a project to scan all filed Building Department plans and place them online. About 9,000 documents remain and should be scanned during the next year, while all new filings are submitted online-ready.
Capital projects budget: Stumpf suggested almost doubling this year’s capital projects budget even before commissioners started talking about other things they might want to include. The amount Stumpf proposed for the projects increased from $292,615 in the current budget to $572,894. The main items are $166,684 to renovate the Police Department squad room at Town Hall and $134,715 for three new vehicles — two for the Police Department and the other for Stumpf.
Commissioners have a lot to consider about getting homes off septic and onto sewers.
“We’re going to have to do this sooner or later. We’ve guessed it’s like a 10-year window, but it’s a guess,” Waters said. “If we do the sewers now, we know that we can get some help” paying for the work from other governments, he said.
While Deese and the mayor said it seems to make sense to bury utility and sewer lines at the same time, public support has been mixed.
“I talked with dozens and dozens of people about undergrounding and natural gas, and not one of them was interested in moving to natural gas. They were all perfectly fine with propane and with the tanks,” Waters said.
“Undergrounding with the utilities was sort of up in the air, because half the people said it was a great idea aesthetically, but it really doesn’t have any bearing [logistically] because we’re attached above-ground going over to the mainland.”
Waters acknowledged that much of the natural gas opposition stemmed from the personal cost property owners would have been facing to connect.
If the town could pay for the additional construction needed through taxes, residents probably would have much greater buy-in, he said.

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By Joe Capozzi

Just in time for the Fourth of July, the Town Council passed a new law regulating fireworks displays in Briny Breezes.
The measure requires a town permit for any fireworks or pyrotechnical displays, along with liability insurance and a performance bond. The nonrefundable permit fee is $1,000.
The fireworks regulations are part of an ordinance banning the release of balloons and sky lanterns in town as a tool to protect the environment and reduce trash on beaches where sea turtles nest.
When Alderwoman Christina Adams proposed the anti-balloon ordinance, the council felt it made sense to add the fireworks regulations.  
“It’s an important one for our environment,’’ Adams said after the council’s unanimous vote to approve the ordinance on second reading June 23. “Hopefully our neighboring towns will follow suit.’’
With the Fourth of July just around the corner, council President Sue Thaler suggested the corporation put out an email blast “telling people you can’t be setting off fireworks without a permit.’’
Asked if fireworks are a problem in Briny, Ocean Ridge Police Chief Richard Jones said: “We have never had any more of a problem than we have in Ocean Ridge. It is usually confined to holidays like the Fourth of July so it is somewhat expected. We ask that everyone in Briny obey the ordinance so that we are not required to conduct any enforcement action on a holiday.”
At a council workshop June 23, Briny’s sea wall replacement project dominated discussion of Town Manager William Thrasher’s budget proposal for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Along with increased costs for police and fire services, the $1.4 million spending plan includes a new reserve fund of $200,479 for matching grant requirements and $30,000 for a sea-wall-funding lobbyist in Tallahassee.
Requests in the budget’s property fund include $20,000 for engineering services, up from $7,500 in the current budget, and $13,800 for legal services, up from $10,000. 
Asked by Thaler about those increases, Thrasher didn’t offer specifics about the engineering services, but said the increases for legal services are related to the sea wall project. 
“I think we’re going to run into some headwind in regards to how we approach contracts going forward, particularly in ’23 for the proposed sea wall enhancement project. I’d rather be on the high side than the low side,’’ he said. 
Officials with Briny Breezes Corp. said they were uncomfortable with the town putting $200,000 in the reserve fund when shareholders are being asked to pay $207,600 for police and fire and $320,000 for water and sewer. Last year, the corporation paid $192,700 for police and fire and nearly $276,000 for water and sewer.
“If the town’s got more money, then the amount the corporation is deficit-funding the town should really come down,’’ said Michael Gallacher, the corporation’s general manager.  
Thrasher said the sea wall project will cost millions and won’t happen without money from state and federal matching grants. A future council could reallocate the reserves for other uses if the grants for the sea wall don’t come through, he said.  “You have to start somewhere,’’ he said. “If we don’t start now, we for sure won’t be in a position to match funds.’’
The budget will be discussed again at a workshop July 28. A meeting about the sea wall enhancement project will be held later this year, when more residents are in town, Thrasher said.

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10604877489?profile=RESIZE_710x ABOVE: Inside the terminal, a portion of the second floor will be removed to create a two-story entryway. BELOW RIGHT: The new passenger waiting area. Renderings provided

10604878872?profile=RESIZE_584xBy Larry Keller

Boca Raton is a city with an ample number of cosmetic surgeons serving its residents, and now its airport has an appointment for a $40 million face-lift.
Atlantic Aviation and the Boca Raton Airport have signed a new 40-year ground lease in which Atlantic will commit $40 million over the next seven years to replace and add new hangars and make improvements to parking areas and an office building.
Atlantic, which operates in 30 states, is one of two fixed base operators at the airport that provide maintenance, fueling, hangar and tie-down space and other services.
“It’s an opportunity to modernize, revitalize,” said Clara Bennett, executive director of the Boca Raton Airport Authority. And that’s something that’s needed.
“It’s a modernization of facilities that were built over 30 years ago,” Bennett said. “The aircraft are getting bigger. Because some of these hangars were built in the ’80s and early ’90s, they were built with lower door heights … that cannot accommodate the newer fleet that have taller tails and longer wingspans.”
The Boca Raton Airport is a general aviation facility. It has no commercial flights but serves private aviation and charters and is the site of Lynn University’s flight school.
A seven-member airport authority board operates the 214-acre airfield and leases 41 acres to Atlantic. The new lease was effective June 1, replacing one set to expire in 2033.
The original lease dates back to the 1980s, and there had been 22 amendments over the years, Bennett said. Atlantic maintains structures on the leased land and subleases space to tenants such as aircraft maintenance and charter aviation companies. The company also derives income from sources such as hangar rentals and fuel sales.
Atlantic hopes to break ground by the end of this year and to complete much of the construction of hangars and the airport’s Executive Terminal and office space building within five years of the start of work.

10604879664?profile=RESIZE_710xReplacing old hangars with new ones will add about 50,000 square feet of hangar space, and a new fuel storage tank will be built. Those changes are highlighted in blue.

Five hangars will be razed and new ones built resulting in a net increase of about 50,000 square feet of hangar space, said Tony Sherbert, Atlantic’s regional director. For 30 years Atlantic will own the new hangars it builds, after which ownership transfers to the airport authority, he added.
Atlantic also will resurface about 710,000 square feet of ramp or tarmac space and add another estimated 50,000 square feet of space. It also will build a new 90,000-gallon fuel storage tank.
“I think the biggest difference for the passengers of the aircraft is going to be noticeable in the Executive Terminal building,” Bennett said. “It’s pretty dated.”
Plans include eliminating a portion of the second floor to create a two-story entryway, Sherbert said.
In addition to better hangars and a smoother tarmac, pilots “will experience better service levels as well,” Bennett added.
The future upgrades by Atlantic are in addition to millions of dollars spent in capital infrastructure improvements in recent years, Bennett noted. They include widening taxiways, replacing and expanding storm drains and drainage infrastructure and resurfacing the sole runway.
It all amounts to a dramatic expansion from when the airport was built in 1936 and Boca Raton’s population was less than 1% of what it is now.
It became a military airfield in World War II where flight crews were trained in the use of radar, a fledgling technology at the time. The land was later transferred to the state, and 1,000 acres was designated for educational use and became the site of Florida Atlantic University.
The airport has undergone significant changes in the 21st century. The control tower opened in 2000, and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection facility began operating in 2018. It enables international travelers to fly directly to Boca Raton without stopping first at another airport to clear Customs.
Today, Bennett said, there are 209 aircraft based at the airport including 70 jets and 107 single-engine planes.

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By Mary Hladky

Taxable values of Palm Beach County properties have surged more than any year since 2006.
That year, countywide taxable values jumped by a whopping 23%. The Great Recession halted the meteoric rise, with the county experiencing significant decreases for four consecutive years beginning in 2008.
10604870482?profile=RESIZE_584xThey rebounded into positive territory in 2012 and recently have shown steady growth of about 6% a year.
But a white-hot real estate market and a spike in new construction boosted taxable values by double digits countywide and in all but seven municipalities last year.
Revised preliminary numbers issued by Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks on June 28 show countywide values increased by 15.2%, up from 5.8% the previous year. The numbers are based on market conditions as of Jan. 1, 2022.
All southeast county municipalities saw strong gains, with Manalapan’s 28.2% jump, Ocean Ridge’s 18.3% rise and Boynton Beach’s 16.5% increase outpacing the rest.
Boca Raton’s taxable values rose 14.5%, up from last year’s 3.8%, according to Jacks’ most recent valuations. Delray Beach’s went up 15.4%, an increase from 5.4%; Briny Breezes’ rose by 13.6%, up from 10.4%; Gulf Stream’s by 13%, up from 2.5%; Highland Beach’s by 13.8%, up from 3.5%; Lantana’s by 15.8%, up from 9.3%; and South Palm Beach’s by 12.7%, up from 4.4%.
The soaring valuations will translate into higher property tax bills for homeowners unless the county and municipalities reduce their tax rates, a potential outcome that has raised alarms at a time when inflation and rising interest rates are straining family budgets.
Pedro Garcia, Miami-Dade’s property appraiser, has sent a memo to county commissioners urging elected officials across that county and its School Board to cut the tax rate to provide relief to homeowners, the Miami Herald has reported.
Palm Beach County Mayor Robert Weinroth said county commissioners should consider reducing the tax rate to offset a tax bill increase, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Jacks, in an interview with The Coastal Star, was careful to stay in her lane. “It is not my place to counsel (other elected officials) on anything,” she said.
But Jacks noted that if taxable values rise and the tax rates stay the same, the county and municipalities will collect more revenue.
“If they need the same amount of money (as last year), maybe they can reduce the rate and keep your taxes about the same. If the values go up and rates go up, the taxpayer is not getting a benefit from increased value.”
She then added, “I think tax reduction is a great thing, especially for the folks who are paying taxes.”
Boca Raton officials pride themselves on their city’s low tax rate, which is possible because the city has the strongest tax base in the county.
“I will not vote for a millage increase,” said Mayor Scott Singer. “That is clear.”
Beyond that, Singer said in mid-June that it is too early in the city’s budget and tax-rate-setting process to say what will happen.
Boca, like all cities, is facing rising costs for supplies, equipment and building projects due to price increases and supply chain issues. The growing city also needs to hire more employees to keep service levels high, and to retain existing employees.
“Given the incredible inflationary environment, challenges to get staff, cost of construction materials, cost of gasoline, it is hard to say today what if any decrease in the millage rate we will have,” Singer said.
“Regardless, if there is no millage rate increase … we will continue to have one of the lowest millage rates of any full-service city in Florida.”
Manalapan Town Manager Linda Stumpf attributed her town’s enormous taxable value jump to the construction of new estate homes.
It is welcome news since the additional revenue “gives me a little bit of flexibility” on buying equipment the town needs and increasing staffing, she said.
Contacted on June 22, Stumpf noted that the town’s budget for next fiscal year was not yet finalized and no tax rate had been set.
“I anticipate it will be reduced,” she said. “How much I can’t tell you.”
Ocean Ridge Town Manager Tracey Stevens said her town’s strong taxable value showing is the result of continuing tear-downs and rebuilding of single-family homes and skyrocketing real estate values.
Speaking in mid-June, she said it is too soon to know what will happen with the tax rate, although the Town Commission had instructed her in early June to keep it at last year’s $5.50 for every $1,000 of assessed value.
The additional revenue that rate will bring in would pay for deferred maintenance and capital projects such as stormwater drainage.
The commission’s stance could change though, she said, after public hearings on the budget and tax rate this summer.
While taxable values have increased substantially, they do not fully reflect how much property values have increased as demand exceeds supply.
Homeowners don’t feel the full brunt of rising property values because state law caps the taxable value increase to 3% for homesteaded properties. Non-homesteaded properties are capped at 10%.
Another factor is that many properties such as churches and schools are tax-exempt.
In May, the median sale price of a single-family home in the county rose to a record $615,000, up $14,000 since April and 30% more than one year ago, according to Broward, Palm Beaches and St. Lucie Realtors. The average sale price topped $1 million.
There are signs, however, that the market is cooling off, in part because of increasing interest rates. But since the market has been so strong during the first six months of this year, Jacks anticipates valuation increases next year.
Local governments are reluctant to raise tax rates, a politically problematic step. When taxable values rise, they often reduce the tax rate a bit, but not enough to avoid a tax increase.
To prevent a tax increase altogether, elected officials would have to use the “rolled-back” rate, which state law requires them to calculate. That rate would generate the same amount of property tax revenue as the previous year. But again, officials are always in need of more revenue and rarely do that.
New construction has soared in the county to $4.4 billion, up from last year’s $3.2 billion.
The largest projects added to the tax roll this year in Delray Beach are the Ray Hotel at 223 NE Second Ave. in Pineapple Grove, the Delray Beach Market food hall at 33 SE Third Ave., and the estate home at 707 N. Ocean Blvd., according to the property appraiser’s office.
The largest Boca Raton projects are Aura Boca, a luxury apartment project at 789 W. Yamato Road, a single-family home built in 2021 at 450 E. Coconut Palm Road, and another new home built last year at 1908 Royal Palm Way.
In Boynton Beach, the projects are Quantum Lake Villas West apartments near the intersection of Gateway Boulevard and Quantum Lakes Drive, a single-family home at 634 Windward Circle South in the gated Casa Del Mar community, and a McDonald’s at 1701 S. Congress Ave.
Municipalities and the county will hold public hearings this summer on their new budgets and proposed tax rates. Final action on tax rates typically takes place in September.

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Republicans from Boca Raton to South Palm Beach will head to the polls Aug. 23 to pick candidates for two Florida House seats and one Senate seat in unfamiliar districts — the result of voting maps that were redrawn this year after the 2020 Census.
Qualified to run in the new House District 91 are Highland Beach Commissioner Peggy Gossett-Seidman and Christina DuCasse, a Boca Del Mar resident whose husband is a Boca Raton firefighter/paramedic. The winner will take on Boca Raton City Council member Andy Thomson, a Democrat, on Nov. 8.
The seat opened up when Democratic incumbent Emily Slosberg-King decided not to seek re-election. To run for state office, Gossett-Seidman and Thomson had to announce their resignation from their current municipal posts effective after the November contest.
In House District 87, which now includes Manalapan, Lantana and South Palm Beach, Mike Caruso, who has represented the barrier island from Boca through South Palm Beach and beyond since 2018, will square off against Jane Justice, a real estate agent from Greenacres. The winner will be on the November ballot with Democrat Sienna Osta, a West Palm Beach lawyer. If Caruso wins, he will have to move north from Delray Beach to his new district.
There will be no primary for incumbent Democrat Joe Casello, whose redrawn District 90 now includes the barrier island from Ocean Ridge through Delray Beach that Caruso formerly represented. The Nov. 8 ballot will pair Casello with educator Keith Feit, a Boynton Beach Republican.
And in Senate District 26, which covers north Boca Raton through Ocean Ridge on the island, Bill Wheelen, a county party insider from Wellington who started the year campaigning for Congress, will face off against Steve Byers, a beekeeper from west of Delray Beach. The winner will face incumbent Lori Berman, a Delray Beach Democrat, in the fall.

— Steve Plunkett

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