By Rich Pollack
With an eye to the future, Highland Beach leaders are finalizing a strategic priorities plan that puts an emphasis on continuing to maintain the town’s brand as “three miles of paradise.”
“The strategic priority process allows us to constantly recalibrate on where we’re going, how we are going to get there and how to plan for the resources needed to get there,” Town Manager Marshall Labadie said. “It’s a dynamic process.”
In all, town commissioners and town staff have identified 23 priorities placed into four categories: community safety; community enrichment and sustainability; public infrastructure and resiliency; and organizational excellence.
Integrated into the plan is a budgeting element where town leaders mesh the priorities with thought-out steps to ensure money is available to cover the costs.
Listed as the top priority in the coming year is continuing to work with Palm Beach County on the development of Milani Park, a hot topic since many residents opposed the county’s creating a park at the south end of town.
“We’re continuing to keep an eye on the project and advocating for the town’s position along the way,” Labadie said.
The Milani Park issue falls under the community enrichment and sustainability heading, where many of the projects are focused on maintaining the quality of life and livability of Highland Beach.
Another priority in that section — although not one of the top 10 overall issues — is continuing to educate the community on the importance of dune restoration, handing the lead of that project to the town’s Natural Resources Preservation Board.
Labadie said many of the priorities are improvements that have long been planned for.
“Our strategic priorities are more focused on capital improvements than they have been in the past,” he said. “We’ve been planning and saving for them over the last several years.”
Public safety continues to be a major focus. Six of the top 10 priorities fall under that category, with major facility improvements listed.
Among the priorities are the conversion of the town’s former post office to a real-time operations center for the Police Department, which will also serve as the public entrance for the department. The plans for the center, which is currently in design phase, call for it to focus on crime prevention.
Another public safety priority is the continuation of efforts to build a dock for the police marine unit, a process that is underway with the town hoping to get additional state funding.
The planned rehabilitation of the old fire station, which needs a major upgrade and will be used mainly to house apparatus and equipment, is also on the list.
Two issues that have been identified as concerns by Vice Mayor David Stern are also listed as priorities, although they are not high on the list. The town will be looking at what can be done to ensure pedestrian and bicyclist safety as e-bikes become more prevalent.
Another focus will be on electric vehicle protocol, with the fire department charged with working with condominiums to develop fire safety guidelines for vehicle charging and battery storage. Both those issues are priorities for state leaders as well.
Completion of the town’s sewer pipe lining project is also a priority, as are several steps designed to help the town be more efficient and effective. Those including strengthening communication with residents and working on creating a plan to get more state appropriations.
Labadie said that throughout the year he will be providing regular updates to the Town Commission on the status of many of the priorities to ensure adequate allocation of resources.
“We try and keep the process nimble and simple,” he said.
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