Town Hall plans stay the same — After architects gave one last go at coming up with ideas to shrink the size of South Palm Beach’s new Town Hall, council members voted unanimously to keep with the earlier plan.
The Town Council, seemingly alarmed that the planned construction is coming in at about 11,000 square feet compared to 7,000 square feet for the current building, sent CPZ Architects representative Joe Barry back to the drawing board at its October meeting to see if he could come up with a design somewhat smaller.
Barry returned in November with a proposal that would trim approximately 900 square feet off the design and save about $430,000, but would make the entry lobby smaller, eliminate one of the community rooms on the second floor and either make the proposed cafe smaller or eliminate it.
Council members mostly shook their heads while Barry went through the changes and Vice Mayor Monte Berendes was the first to give them a thumbs down.
“I was one of the proponents of making it smaller and I’m not sure it’s worth it,” Berendes said.
Town manager spending limit increases — A request from Town Manager Jamie Titcomb to increase his discretionary spending limit upward from $5,000 was approved at the council’s Nov. 10 meeting, with the council giving him a new $25,000 limit.
Titcomb assured the council he would not be going on a “spending spree,” but that the move would simply “limit the expenditures I have to bring to you before they get approved, which often translates into a delay in getting repairs and critical work done.”
Dune restoration underway — Sara Gutekunst, the coastal coordinator for the town of Palm Beach, informed the council that the beach restoration project involving the two municipalities was underway. Sand was being trucked from Phipps Ocean Park in Palm Beach and the project was expected to take about six weeks, or almost until Christmas.
Town clerk on maternity leave — The council on Nov. 10 approved three months of paid maternity leave for Town Clerk Yude Davenport, who gave birth on Nov. 17. The leave for Davenport, who has served in her position for nearly 20 years, is until the end of February.
— Brian Biggane
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