THIS WEEK IN PALM BEACH
March 1, 2019 Edition - The News Palm Beachers Need to Know 
CIVIC ASSOCIATION
VIDEO NEWSCAST
TOWN ELECTION
Council Candidates Outline Their Positions During Packed Civic Association Debate
Videos, Photos, Story
Candidates Debate 2-28-19
Palm Beach Town Council incumbent Julie Araskog and challenger Rene Silvin squared off Thursday in a Candidates Debate for the Group 2 seat.
Sponsored by the Palm Beach Civic Association, the debate drew nearly 200 people to the Parish Hall at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea to hear the candidates speak about their views on issues impacting the town.
See More (Civic Association News)
CIVIC ASSOCIATION NEWS
Home Depot Co-Founder Offers Insights at Luncheon
Ken Langone Luncheon
Ken Langone, a co-founder of Home Depot, offered up some straight talk about his life, the economy and the state of the country Monday during the Palm Beach Civic Association's 75th Anniversary Speaker Series Luncheon at The Beach Club in the Town of Palm Beach.
See More (Civic Association News)
Reception Honors Civic Association's Major Contributors
Major Donor 2-2019
One-hundred thirty-five of the Palm Beach Civic Association's major contributors enjoyed an evening reception Wednesday, graciously hosted by Ambassador Nancy Brinker, a Civic Association Director.
Supporters gathered poolside for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres during the event, sponsored by Hospital for Special Surgery. Civic Association Chairman and CEO Bob Wright welcomed everyone and thanked the guests for their commitment to the association. He asked Director Judy Goodman to share a "75th Anniversary Moment."
See More (Civic Association News)
NEWS AROUND TOWN
Town Manager Gives 
State Of The Town Address
Kirk Blouin
After one year on the job, Town Manager Kirk Blouin updated residents Thursday on changes that have been made to staff and policies and identified issues facing the town. Mr. Blouin spoke prior to the Town Council Candidates Debate sponsored by the Palm Beach Civic Association at the parish hall of The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea.
See More (Civic Association News)
President to Attend March 10 Fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago
Mar-a-Lago
The President is expected to host his first major fundraiser of 2019 at Mar-a-Lago on March 10, according to published reports.
Read More (Palm Beach Post)
Palm Beach Zoning Director Outlines Plan to Revamp Zoning Code
Joshua Martin
Joshua Martin
Joshua Martin doesn't swing a bat for a living, but he showed last week that you don't have to be a baseball player to knock one out of the park. The zoning director wowed commissioners and others Tuesday with his ideas for a simpler, "common-sense based" zoning code and streamlined design reviews.
Read More (Palm Beach Daily News)
Design Plans for Renovation of Palm Beach Docks Hit Snag with Board
town dock drawing
Proposed designs for a complete overhaul of the Town Docks did not go over well Wednesday with members of the Architectural Commission, who called some elements of the Mediterranean-style building plans "thick," "heavy," "bulky," "unaesthetic," "too dark" and "difficult to construct."
Read More (Palm Beach Daily News)
Town Not Moving Abandoned Boat Near Trump's Mar-a-Lago
Wendy Rhodes PB Daily News
Wendy Rhodes Palm Beach Daily News
Liability the issue; no action will be taken until vessel officially derelict. In the poetic lyrics of famed guitarist and songwriter Jimi Hendrix, "Castles made of sand fall into the sea, eventually." And as residents of Palm Beach can attest, so do solid fiberglass boats.
Read More (Palm Beach Daily News)
Chicanes May Not be Needed as Part of Palm Beach Undergrounding in One Neighborhood
undergrounding chicane
It appears a North End neighborhood won't be stuck with "street chokers" as part of its conversion from overhead to underground utilities. The street chokers, or chicanes, are curbed, landscaped areas that are built along the edge of the public right-of-way and curve out toward the street. Each one is about 25 feet long and 8 feet wide and costs the town $20,000 to build.
Read More (Palm Beach Daily News)
Palm Beach Approves Scholarship Honoring Former Council Member
Thomas Mettler

The legacy of the late former Town Council member Thomas Mettler will live on through a scholarship in his name. The council unanimously accepted his family's initial donation of $100,000 to the Thomas Mettler Scholarship Fund on Feb. 14 after an emotional presentation by his son Chris.
Read More (Palm Beach Daily News)
Dredging Project to Maintain the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Beach County
Intracosatal dredge project

The Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) is sponsoring a project to maintenance dredge the Intracoastal Waterway (IWW) channel to -10 ft. Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) - its federally authorized depth - in a 4.5-mile section from the Port of Palm Beach to the Town of Palm Beach Docks.
Read More (Town of Palm Beach)

Pieces of Mizner's Masterpiece Up for Historic Protection in Palm Beach
901 N Ocean
Playa Riente, architect Addison Mizner's Palm Beach masterpiece, fell to the wrecking ball more than 60 years ago. Still standing are the old estate's ornate perimeter wall and its seawall, with two staircases leading to the beach on the east side of the property.
Town Council Actions
Town of Palm Beach logo

To view the summary of actions taken at February's Town Council meetings, please click on the applicable link below.
February 13, 2019 Dev. Review
WEST PALM DEVELOPS
Bristol Condo Sale Sets 
Another Record
Bristol Tower
A penthouse at The Bristol tower just sold for $17.6 million, setting a new high-water mark for condo units in West Palm Beach. The buyer was identified in a deed only as Vantage Realty Corp. Trustee. Bristol developer Al Adelson declined to reveal the buyer's identity - and he promised the $17.6 million mark will stand only temporarily.
Read More (Palm Beach Daily News)
West Palm's Expensive Street Projects Get a $70.5 Million Bond Boost
WPB Street projects

All those projects to make West Palm Beach the city of the future come with future payments. The city commission Monday authorized the Community Redevelopment Agency to issue up to $110 million in bonds for projects to make West Palm Beach's downtown and neighborhoods just to the north more livable and connected.

MEETINGS & EVENTS

Monday, March 4, 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Coffee with The Crew:
North Undergrounding Utilities Update Meeting
Palmo Way Park: Near the Pump Station
 
Wednesday, March 6, 2019, 9:30 AM
Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
Town Council Chambers
 
Thursday, March 7, 9:30 AM
Ordinances, Rules, and 
Standards Committee Meeting
Town Council Chambers
 
Tuesday, March 12, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Election Day
Local Polling Station

Tuesday, March 12, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting
Town Council Chambers
 
Wednesday, March 13, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Landmarks Preservation Commission Meeting
Town Council Chambers
 
Thursday, March 14, 9:30 AM
Public Works Committee Meeting
Town Council Chambers
 
Friday, March 15, 9:00 AM
Retirement Board of Trustees Meeting
Town Council Chambers

PORT of PALM BEACH
Scrap Metal Exporter at Port of Palm Beach Operates without License
scrap pile
Residents of Palm Beach and Riviera Beach have complained about what they describe as an unsightly pile of scrap metal operating out of the Port of Palm Beach.
 
They have expressed concerns about the danger of the scrap blowing around during a hurricane and chemicals from the rusting metal flowing into the Lake Worth Lagoon.
 
Robert Holuba is a Civic Association director and chairman of the Port of Palm Beach/Peanut Island Committee. He took a video from his boat November, 2018 that showed the scrap pile reaching incredible height and bulk
Read More (Civic Association News)
Florida's Atlantic Coast Ports Boosting Infrastructure to Handle Cargo Growth
Port of Palm Beach
At the Port of Palm Beach, in Riviera Beach, a new Berth 17 minislip debuted in November, allowing stern-in mooring of a 350-foot-long vessel conducting roll-on/roll-off operations. That should help keep activity on the upswing at the port, which handled nearly 2.6 million tons of cargo in its fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2018.
SHARKS
Why So Many Great White Sharks Have Been Seen in Florida Waters This Month
Great White Shark
At least two and likely three white sharks have been spotted off the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County in the past two weeks with two identified as sharks tagged by the research group OCEARCH.
Read More (Palm Beach Daily News)
HURRICANES
The First (Very Early) Forecast for the 2019 Hurricane Season Is Here
hurricane michael
There's no doubt about it: The past three years have been rough on hurricane-prone regions. From Hurricane Matthew rocking the Carolinas in 2016 to Irma's devastation in 2017 and Michael's crushing of the Florida panhandle in 2018.
Read More (Coastal Living)
VIDEO NEWSCASTS
THIS WEEK IN
PALM BEACH
This Week in Palm Beach 2-22-2019
See all the video versions of This Week in Palm Beach.

Civic Association This Week in Palm Beach Made the Finals of the Public Relations Society of America Palm Awards
The Civic Association finished in the top three in the Video Category.
Read More (PRSA-Palm Beach)
TAX & FINANCE
Palm Beach County Teachers Get 3 Percent Raise
Palm Beach County School District
Palm Beach County's 13,000 teachers, already the beneficiaries of a salary boost from a new property tax, will get a raise this year too, retroactive to July 1. The raises, averaging 3 percent, were approved on Wednesday by the School Board. They will cost the district $24.7 million.
Board Certification Course - With Attorney Ken Direktor of Becker Law Firm
 561 Ã- 507Images may be subject to copyright. Learn More Kenneth S. Direktor
Kenneth S. Direktor
On April 10th Mr. Direktor will cover "Everything You wanted to Know About Being a Board Member...but were Afraid to Ask!" 
FLORIDA LEGISLATURE
Ten Big Issues to Watch During The 2019 Florida Legislative Session
Florida Capital
Florida lawmakers will gather March 5 in the House chamber to hear Gov. Ron DeSantis give his first State of the State address, the traditional start of the 60-day legislative session.
Read More (CBS Miami)
LAKE OKEECHOBEE
Lake Okeechobee Discharges to Start Saturday, Last Three Weeks, Army Corps Announces
Lake O discharge to St Lucie River
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District announced Friday it will increase discharges from Lake Okeechobee to stem the recent rise in water levels and to reduce the probability of high-volume releases during the wet season. 
Current Lake Okeechobee Discharges Spark Concern if There's a Drought
St Lucie Lock & Dam discharge
Early discharges from Lake Okeechobee are worrying political leaders in Palm Beach County as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reevaluates its rules for maintaining lake water levels. West Palm Beach receives most of its drinking water from Clear Lake and nearby Lake Mangonia, but Lake Okeechobee is a backup.
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