steve coz - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T12:24:53Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/steve+cozLetter to the Editor: Fear not: Ocean Ridge knows where infrastructure is buried, vice mayor sayshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/letter-to-the-editor-fear-not-ocean-ridge-knows-where-infrastruct2023-10-04T18:02:49.000Z2023-10-04T18:02:49.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-town-seeking-grant-to-fix-water-valves">Ocean Ridge: Town seeking grant to fix water valves</a></p>
<p>Recently, some residents were led to believe that Ocean Ridge had no idea where our buried water pipes, juncture boxes or turn-off valves were located. Of course, if this were true that would be quite shocking and derelict of the town governance. </p>
<p>This concern grew to the point that the alarming topic was covered by <em>The Coastal Star</em> in a reasonable manner considering the information then available. Even a former commissioner, who had recently and abruptly resigned from the commission, piped in by blasting the current commissioners.</p>
<p>All this confusion stemmed from a Town Commission meeting on July 10. There was a broad budget discussion of our aging drinking water infrastructure. At one point during this discussion, it was misguidedly noted that $50,000 might be needed to just find our water valves and pipes.</p>
<p>Predictably this caused a small-town firestorm. I never imagined that Ocean Ridge would be the butt of jokes for knowing where our turtle nests are, but not our water pipes.</p>
<p>As to location of valves, etc., here are the facts. You might find them historically fascinating.</p>
<p>After the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers in 2001, the Department of Homeland Security ordered that all water-related infrastructure locations were not to be publicly displayed or distributed except under extremely strict guidelines. This was due to the fear of a terrorist attack on the system. </p>
<p>Our town’s longtime engineering firm, Engenuity Group, has a precise GIS (geographical information system) map of our buried water infrastructure. They work closely with our Public Works employees to help them locate pipes and valves that need attention, staying true to the Homeland Security tenets. </p>
<p>Yes, over the last 60-odd years maybe a valve has been buried 6 inches or a foot under dirt, or a few short sections of pipe have been moved a foot or two during a construction project, but with current technology those pipes are found when necessary.</p>
<p>So no, the sky is not falling in Ocean Ridge. We know where our infrastructure is located and, in fact, are currently working on state and federal grants to update some of the aging pipes.</p>
<p>Recently we were awarded an American Rescue Plan Act grant of over $900,000 for just that purpose. That is monies that Ocean Ridge taxpayers do not need to pony up.</p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><em>Steve Coz</em><br /><em>Vice Mayor, Ocean Ridge</em></p></div>Ocean Ridge: Beach access closures for sea wall project roil some residentshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-beach-access-closures-for-sea-wall-project-roil-some-2020-12-30T16:39:01.000Z2020-12-30T16:39:01.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8365748462,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8365748462,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="8365748462?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>A shovel moves sand brought in to reinforce a sea wall being installed along beachfronts of three properties just south of Ocean Ridge’s Anna Street beach crossover. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Dan Moffett</strong></p>
<p>In February, Ocean Ridge commissioners declared a state of emergency after a series of fierce winter storms damaged 1,700 feet of the town’s coastline, tearing up dune lines and crumbling sea walls.</p>
<p>It turns out relations between neighbors may also have been damaged.</p>
<p>The Town Commission, during its November meeting, approved a plan that would allow a half-dozen oceanfront homeowners to build protective sea walls along their eroded dunes, with three of those homeowners agreeing to spend $70,000 of their own money to build a 20-foot section of sea wall for the town along the Anna Street crossover. </p>
<p>To bring in the equipment for the sea wall project, the town closed the crossover access at Edith Street and Anna Street.</p>
<p>Town officials thought they had a solution in place that suited the neighborhood. But a group of unhappy residents came forward en masse at the Dec. 7 commission meeting, complaining about losing their beach access and questioning why officials didn’t do a better job of informing the public about the project.</p>
<p>“Isn’t it a little odd that most of the people here had no warning and no idea that the beach access is going to be closed?” Hudson Avenue resident Theodore Ritota asked the commission. Ritota said he wasn’t opposed to building the sea walls but objected to closing “simultaneous beach access” points.</p>
<p>“It’s really disappointing to residents like us who buy properties here for the assets then find out an asset like beach access is being pulled out from under us,” said Sharon Monson, a Hudson Avenue resident.</p>
<p>Mayor Kristine de Haseth said the town faced an emergency situation in which the state Department of Environmental Protection made most of the decisions about how repairs would proceed. Commissioners had actually favored a more expansive sea wall project, but state environmental officials wouldn’t approve it.</p>
<p>“All property owners’ desires and needs were taken into account,” de Haseth said. The beachfront homeowners and their dunes, she said, “are the first line of defense for the entire barrier island.”</p>
<p>The commission discussed the project during its November meeting and posted diagrams, descriptions and aerial photos of the plan on the town website, before voting unanimously to approve construction. The work has to be done between December and March to avoid interfering with turtle nesting season.</p>
<p>“I think what’s fueling a lot of this concern is mostly our fault on the communication effort,” said Vice Mayor Steve Coz. But he said the sea walls were urgently needed. “Those houses are on the brink of falling in.” </p>
<p>Commissioner Susan Hurlburt said that although opponents may be “getting an inconvenience for four months,” the homeowners have no choice but to make repairs and the whole town benefits over the long term by “getting a little bit of sea wall out of it.” She said the town was committed to completing the work expeditiously.</p>
<p>The oceanfront homeowners have told the town they are committed to minimizing annoyances for neighbors — for example, the contractors are trying to reduce noise by pressing piles into place, rather than driving them. </p>
<p>“I’m delighted so many people came to the meeting and spoke out publicly,” de Haseth said. “I’d welcome them to come out again and stay involved.” </p></div>Ocean Ridge: Commission candidates talk sea rise strategy at forumhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-commission-candidates-talk-sea-rise-strategy-at-forum2019-02-27T17:30:00.000Z2019-02-27T17:30:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Dan Moffett</strong></p>
<p>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.<br /> 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.<br /> 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.<br /> “I just don’t see how that works practically,” Coz said. “It’s just not a solution.”<br /> 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.<br /> “If we’re raising home elevations 18 inches,” Coz said, “imagine going through town and raising roads 18 inches.”<br /> 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.<br /> 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.<br /> “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.”<br /> 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.<br /> 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.<br /> 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.<br /> 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.<br /> 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.<br /> 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.<br /> “I’ve never understood the supermajority argument,” Lipscomb said.<br /> 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.<br /> 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.</p></div>Ocean Ridge: Ocean Ridge offers different terms for winner, runner-uphttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-ocean-ridge-offers-different-terms-for-winner-runner-2019-02-27T17:00:00.000Z2019-02-27T17:00:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>Candidate profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Related Story: Commission candidates talk <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-commission-candidates-talk-sea-rise-strategy-at-forum" target="_blank">sea rise strategy</a> at forum</strong></p>
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<p>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.</p>
<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960855659,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960855659,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="7960855659?profile=original" /></a>Steve Coz</strong><br /> (Incumbent)</p>
<p><strong>Personal:</strong> 61; Cum laude in English & classics from Harvard University; full-time Ocean Ridge resident for 32 years. Married, three grown children.</p>
<p><strong>Professional:</strong> President of Coz Media since 2004, serving clients in the health field.</p>
<p><strong>Political experience:</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>Positions on issues:</strong> Wants to hire a permanent town manager; concerned about population growth, town drainage, protecting beaches, traffic-related issues.</p>
<p><strong>Quote:</strong> “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.”</p>
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<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960855668,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960855668,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="7960855668?profile=original" /></a>Susan</strong> <br /> <strong>Hurlburt</strong></p>
<p><strong>Personal:</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>Professional:</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>Political experience:</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>Positions on issues:</strong> Supports managed growth; concerned with aging infrastructure; wants to preserve the town’s quality of life; favors emphasis on environmental protection.</p>
<p><strong>Quote:</strong> “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.”</p>
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<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960856099,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960856099,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="7960856099?profile=original" /></a>John D.</strong> <br /> <strong>Lipscomb</strong></p>
<p><strong>Personal:</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>Professional:</strong> Realtor with The Presson Group for the last year. Also a property manager for the Villas of Ocean Ridge and author of two books — <em>The Painting and the Piano</em> and <em>Through Jasper’s Eyes</em>.</p>
<p><strong>Political experience:</strong> None.</p>
<p><strong>Positions on issues:</strong> Wants to see more preparedness for climate change; concerned about flooding; wants a city sewer system; supports mitigation of beach erosion.</p>
<p><strong>Quote:</strong> “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.”</p></div>Ocean Ridge: Town replaces mayor, tightens building rules, lifts moratoriumhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-town-replaces-mayor-tightens-building-rules-lifts-mor2018-11-28T18:00:00.000Z2018-11-28T18:00:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Dan Moffett</strong></p>
<p>In a busy night of changes and decision-making, Ocean Ridge commissioners saw a mayor step down, elected his replacement, removed a construction moratorium, enacted a bundle of new building rules and advanced four proposed charter amendments to the March 12 municipal election.</p>
<p>The three-hour meeting on Nov. 5 began with Mayor James Bonfiglio resigning to run for the state House District 89 seat in compliance with Florida’s resign-to-run statute.</p>
<p>Bonfiglio said he decided to step down as mayor early in the meeting and finish the night as a commissioner to ensure a seamless transition to his successor.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960835670,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960835670,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="7960835670?profile=original" /></a>The commission chose Steve Coz as that successor on a 3-2 vote. Bonfiglio and Commissioner Phil Besler threw their support behind Coz, who voted for himself. Vice Mayor Don MaGruder and Commissioner Kristine de Heseth voted for MaGruder, who retains his vice mayor’s seat.</p>
<p>Commissioners, at their next meeting on Dec. 3, are expected to consider appointing someone to fill the remainder of Bonfiglio’s unexpired term until the March election.</p>
<p>Bonfiglio lost the state House race to Mike Caruso.</p>
<p>With their passage of multiple ordinances governing building rules, commissioners removed a moratorium on new construction that had been in place since June. The most significant and extensively debated change was a town-wide requirement that developers set aside 35 percent of their lots for pervious, drainable materials such as landscaping.</p>
<p>MaGruder said that with rising seas and increasing development, “35 percent is absolutely mandatory” for Ocean Ridge. The town’s engineer, Planning and Zoning Commission and outside planning consultant recommended the higher standard, up from the current 25 percent, to reduce drainage problems.</p>
<p>The commission also approved tighter new-construction requirements that call for more parking spaces for bigger homes and more green space to promote better drainage. Bonfiglio said the new rules were necessary to close loopholes in the building code. Last spring, the town received plans for a nine-bedroom, 111/2-bath home on Island Drive South, and the commission enacted the moratorium.</p>
<p>Commissioners also gave final approval to four charter amendment questions that will go on the March 12 ballot. Voters then will decide the amendments’ fate, with more than 50 percent approval needed to pass each one.</p>
<p>The most contentiously debated proposal failed to advance, however.</p>
<p>The commission rejected by a 3-2 vote a provision to require a four-vote supermajority to change the town’s density or height requirements for new construction projects. The measure was offered by the charter review committee as a way to protect the town from excessive development and discourage ambitious developers.</p>
<p>Bonfiglio, who weeks ago expressed support for the supermajority idea, changed his vote to no, joining Coz and Besler in opposition. MaGruder and de Haseth voted the other way, believing residents should get to have a voice in March.<br /> Bonfiglio said he worried requiring the four-vote majority would create legal problems and come with unintended consequences. He said the charter isn’t the place for building restrictions.</p>
<p>“Generally speaking, a supermajority is a bad idea in any legislative proceeding,” Bonfiglio said. “I am against placing any of the zoning issues in the charter.”</p>
<p>Coz argued that requiring four votes gives too much power to minority positions because two commissioners could obstruct the majority.</p>
<p>“The supermajority actually puts the minority in control,” Coz said. “It’s counterintuitive.”</p>
<p>Besler was concerned the proposal would tie the hands of future commissions.</p>
<p>“I don’t think any commissioner here wants skyscrapers or anything like that,” Besler said. “But we don’t know what the future holds. It sets us up for something in the future that we’re not anticipating now.”</p>
<p>Also on a 3-2 vote, the commission approved an amendment proposal for term limits that would restrict commissioners to three consecutive three-year terms, after which a one-year absence from office would be required before a person could run again.</p>
<p>Coz, MaGruder and de Heseth thought term limits would encourage more people to participate in government and bring fresh ideas to the commission. They supported putting it before the voters.</p>
<p>Bonfiglio and Besler said the proposal might force effective officials to leave government when they still could contribute.</p>
<p>Three other amendment proposals won unanimous approval: a measure that would give the town manager hiring and firing authority over all employees except for the police chief position, which commissioners would oversee; a provision that requires more notice for special meetings and sets a three-vote minimum for commission approvals; and a collection of mostly language clarifications to the town’s election rules.</p></div>Ocean Ridge: Coz ousts Vice Mayor Allisonhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-coz-ousts-vice-mayor-allison2016-03-30T14:00:00.000Z2016-03-30T14:00:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><b>Correction</b></p>
<p> <em>A story in the April Coastal Star misstated the reason the town of Ocean Ridge paid $50,000 in legal fees to Commissioner Richard Lucibella’s attorney. The payment was reimbursement for Lucibella’s legal defense of a failed recall effort against him last year. The fees were not due to his lawsuit against the recall’s organizers, which also named the town clerk as a defendant because of her ministerial role in certifying elections.</em></p>
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<p><strong>By Dan Moffett</strong><br /> <br /> Political newcomer Steve Coz pulled off an upset in the March 15 election when he ousted Ocean Ridge Vice Mayor Lynn Allison, who held a seat on the Town Commission since 2004.<br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960642487,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960642487,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="114" alt="7960642487?profile=original" /></a> Coz, 58, a 31-year resident of Ocean Ridge who has served on town zoning and adjustment boards, captured 55 percent of the vote in defeating Allison, 445-358, a strong turnout of 54 percent of registered voters.<br /> “It’s disappointing. We worked very hard,” said Allison. “But I’m hopeful the new commissioner will keep some of the promises he’s made and work for the good of the town.”<br /> Coz, the president of a publishing company, won the endorsements of the four other commission members and campaigned on a commitment to work toward preparing the town for projected development and population growth across the bridge.<br /> “It’s not Ocean Ridge residents causing the trespass problems at McCormick Mile Beach Club,” he told voters. “It’s not Ocean Ridge residents robbing our children at gunpoint in the center of town. It’s not Ocean Ridge gangs breaking into cars at the south end of town. We have serious problems past our town limits. Outside population pressure will define our town in the years to come.”<br /> Allison was sympathetic last year toward the failed recall efforts against Commissioner Richard Lucibella, a movement that grew out of the forced resignation of Police Chief Chris Yannuzzi.<br /> Defending itself against Lucibella’s suit over the recall cost the town some $50,000 in legal fees and also a toll in political acrimony within the commission.<br /> Mayor Geoff Pugh believes neither the recall dispute nor the commissioners’ support for Coz dictated the outcome.<br /> “Those issues are relegated to a small volume of the population,” Pugh said. “The large volume of voters gets direction on who to vote for from their neighbors. Petty backbiting is relegated to just a very few. I think most people just believed that maybe, after 12 years, it was time for someone else.” Pugh credited Coz with running a forward-looking campaign that did not revisit the town’s political turmoil.<br /> “Mr. Coz got out there and was more upbeat than Lynn,” Pugh said. “Lynn Allison gave 12 years of her life to the town of Ocean Ridge and was an excellent commissioner. One reason she lost was that people want to see change.” Pugh said he’s hopeful that the newly formed commission will work for Ocean Ridge’s best interests.<br /> “We don’t have a lot of big issues. But in a small town, issues are created — especially in a paradise, they’re created,” he said. “My biggest concern is when people come (onto the commission) that they do it for the town and don’t do it for their ego.”</p></div>Ocean Ridge: Publisher takes on finance specialist for Town Commissionhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-publisher-takes-on-finance-specialist-for-town-commis2016-03-03T15:30:00.000Z2016-03-03T15:30:00.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p> These candidates are competing for a three-year term on the Ocean Ridge Town Commission.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>RESULTS (unofficial):</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Allison: 44.44% | 356 votes</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Coz: 55.56% | 445 votes</strong></p>
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<p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960638698,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960638698,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="93" alt="7960638698?profile=original" /></a>Lynn Allison</strong> (incumbent)<br /> <strong>Age:</strong> Did not disclose<br /> <strong>Education:</strong> Bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology, American University; master’s degree in social work, Howard University; Ph.D. in administrative management, Walden University<br /> <strong>Marital Status:</strong> Married, three children<br /> <strong>Employment:</strong> President and founder, International Enterprise Development Inc. — performs economic development in the field of micro financing<br /> <strong>Political/Community Service Experience:</strong> Town commissioner of Ocean Ridge for the last 12 years, elected four times<br /> Important Issues: Stormwater management, infrastructure, increasing the town’s reserves, maintaining the current property tax rate, construction of pedestrian crosswalks, town signage upgrades<br /> <strong>Quote:</strong> “Right now we want to maintain Old Ocean Boulevard as a two-way street, despite the desire for those in the town to make it one-way. We also want to maintain our beaches and minimize bad behavior at those beaches by increasing police protection.”</p>
<p><strong>Steve Coz</strong><br /> <strong>Age:</strong> 58<br /> <strong>Education:</strong> Bachelor’s degree in English, Harvard University; postgraduate study at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard<br /> <strong>Marital Status:</strong> Married, three children<br /> <strong>Employment:</strong> President of Coz Media Group, a publishing company<br /> <strong>Political/Community Service Experience:</strong> President, Ocean Ridge Dunes Preservation Society; member, Board of Adjustments; member, Planning and Zoning Commission; honored by <em>Time</em> magazine as one of 25 most-influential Americans of 1997<br /> Important Issues: Overdevelopment, increased population, traffic safety, fire rescue, beach preservation<br /> <strong>Quote:</strong> “I’ve been a resident of Ocean Ridge since 1985 and an active participant in town meetings since 2006. My overriding issue is preserving Ocean Ridge’s quality of life. We have tremendous population pressures over the bridge with Boynton Beach, which has flat-out said they want to develop that entire corridor along the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway with housing, condos, etc. That puts tremendous pressure on Ocean Ridge’s infrastructure, including its traffic and its lifestyle. It creates a safety issue for the town. That’s something that needs a long-range plan put in place for how Ocean Ridge is going to deal with that population pressure.”</p></div>