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June marks the start of summer vacation for kids, and it’s the start of hurricane season. So, this newsletter will include information about summer camps and here's where you can find the hurricane resource guide. We will continue to provide storm prep resources until the end of hurricane season.
Because school’s out and most snowbirds have left town, traffic volumes have changed. Gregg asked the county engineer if they had adjusted the timing of our traffic lights to account for these changes. The county engineer responded explaining that though traffic volumes are lower, rush hour traffic is similar and does not require adjustments. Most intersections can detect vehicles and will shorten the length of a signal cycle when no more cars are present. However, they won’t do this if the signal is coordinated with nearby traffic lights and changing the timing would disrupt traffic flow. Traffic signals at schools are changed to flash mode since they aren’t used, and school flashers are programmed to be inactive during the summer.
Last month, we asked for your help identifying intersections and roads that need improvement, and how to make it better. Dozens of you took the time to fill out the questions, and some of you called or emailed us directly. Thank you to all who responded. We are processing the responses and will report back in a future issue of this newsletter.
At Tuesday’s Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting, the board passed a resolution condemning the killings of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim in Washington, DC on May 21, and denouncing the rising threat of antisemitism and hate, while affirming support for local initiatives that promote interfaith dialogue and community unity. Gregg, who championed this resolution and has a track record of speaking out against hate, talked about how the brutal murders of Yaron and Sarah represent an attack not just on the Jewish community, but on the fundamental values of peace, diplomacy, and human dignity that define our democracy. He emphasized the proactive measures already underway in Palm Beach County to combat hate, including the Palm Beach Center to Combat Antisemitism & Hatred established by the Jewish Federation, the State Attorney's Office Hate Crimes Task Force, and educational initiatives implemented by the School District of Palm Beach County.
District 2 residents just outside of the Boynton Beach city limits reached out to our office after they got wind that the city commission was considering selling city-owned land along Nickels Boulevard to a developer. They were concerned because the 10-plus-acre property, also known as Nickels Woods or The Forest, is home to gopher tortoises and other wildlife that they do not want to see displaced. Additionally, there were questions about the ownership history of the parcels and whether there are use restrictions that could prevent the development of the property. After meeting with representatives of the community on Friday, Gregg made a site visit on Saturday and joined the neighbors at a cleanup (see Commish in the Community). During his visit, Gregg saw several gopher tortoise burrows, a variety of birds, and what appeared to be otter tracks. Because of the residents’ concerns, we sent a letter to the Mayor of Boynton Beach on Monday asking to pause moving forward while we investigate potential restrictions.
As of June 1, former County Administrator Verdenia Baker has retired. Assistant County Administrator Todd Bonlarron has taken her place in the interim, while the BCC is working through the process of hiring a new person to lead the county. After HR and the County Administrator Taskforce (CATF) whittled down the applicant pool from more than 200 to just six, two candidates dropped out. So we are now down to four finalists, all of them locals. They are: Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller Joe Abruzzo, Assistant County Administrator Isami Ayala-Collazo, Strategic Planning Director Keith Clinkscale, and Deputy County Administrator Patrick Rutter.
The next step in the process: on Monday, June 16 the finalists will have individual one-hour interviews with each of the county commissioners. Also that day, at 5:30 PM, the candidates will be at the Convention Center for a public forum, where they will answer questions from the public. The forum will be televised and livestreamed. Members of the public will be able to submit questions both in advance and live. Keep an eye on the county’s website for additional information that will be posted as it becomes available over the next days. Then on Tuesday, June 17, the BCC will interview the candidates in the chambers from 8:30 AM to noon, and from 1:00-3:30 PM. This meeting is open to the public, and it will be televised and livestreamed. After the interview part is done, the BCC will deliberate and take a vote. Each commissioner will write the name of their preferred candidate on a ballot, and after all ballots are collected, they will be read aloud. If one of the candidates has a majority (four) of the votes, they will be selected as the new county administrator. If none of the candidates get a majority in the first round, the top two vote-getters will move on to the second round. If the board cannot reach consensus and none of the finalists are able to garner a majority, the board will start over by hiring a recruitment firm to do a national search.
We will keep you posted along the way.
That’s a wrap. Thanks for being a reader.
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