Email: ddavis@juno-beach.fl.us or DianaDavisJunoBeach@gmail.com

Town Finance Director Micheal Ventura presented the Town's proposed preliminary budget for 2024-2025. (click here for the budget presentation) Budget Calendar:

July 18th- proposed budget available with updated revenue projection,

July 24th - approval of a maximum millage rate, and

August 28th- adopt budget and set millage rate.

1st Budget Hearing: September 11th & 2nd Budget Hearing: September 25

What will you pay in property taxes to Juno Beach based on the preliminary budget? The millage rate per $1,000 dollars of assessed property value in the preliminary budget is 1.8195, which has been the millage rate since 2022. If the milage rates stay the same, you pay more in taxes due to rising property values.

New numbers show increases in taxable & new build property values: The percentage change from 2023 taxable value to the 2024 taxable value including net new value is 6.81%. Click here for updated property appraiser 2024 taxable values for Palm Beach County. [PBC news release]

Your Tax Dollar - Town of Juno Beach receives less than 10% of your total property tax assessment. As you know, our total property taxes are influenced more by Palm Beach County millage assessments. [graphic below from Town presentation]

• Ensure that sufficient current revenues are adequate to pay current expenditures. [Fund Council goals: beautification/ landscaping, zoning code updates, Master Plan & other goals are priorities needing funding sources to complete]
• Ensure that appropriate reserves exist to pay unexpected and unbudgeted expenses/losses
• Ensure that existing infrastructure is maintained, and enhancements are made where needed, including appropriate assessments to new builds.
• Ensure that appropriate oversight is given to financial issues through a review of internal and external audits and review of internal controls and financial policies. [Link to 2023 financial audit] [Link to Audit Oversight Committee]
• Ensure that salaries are competitive in the market place and that merit increases must be based on job performance review. [2024 Link PEPI Study comparisons] [401(a) matching and vesting survey provided]
• Ensure that risks are appropriately mitigated through the purchase of insurance and internal reserves.

Clarification was made by Town Attorney, Len Rubin, that zoning code changes do not apply to existing properties and are prospective only, unless specifically made retroactive by using specific language.

New Parking requirements for new multifamily or commercial projects were adopted on second reading. There was specific grandfathering language approved so that it is clear that existing projects within these zoning codes do not have to meet these new parking requirements and that existing properties within the impacted zoning codes can make improvements without triggering the new requirements.

Definition of Artificial Turf - requires it to be similar to real grass, and no other changes to our landscape code regarding artificial turf. Currently, it is not considered as landscaping within any zoning code.

Towers next to flat roofs - no changes were made to the requirements for Towers. Our different zoning codes Tower requirements will continue to be evaluated by Town Council and our P&Z Board. Remember towers do not have fixed heights. They are allowed by our code to be 1 1/2 times the height of the permitted structure.

We are privileged to have known and worked with Captain John Gonzales. We send prayers and condolences to his family on his passing. He brought a tremendous amount of experience and qualifications to the Board, as a longtime U.S. Coast Guard Unlimited Ocean Master Captain, with educational degrees and experience as MBA, JD, and PhD., and a resident of Waterford on Universe Blvd.  

Congratulations to Jim Ferguson, a previously selected board member, who now has a voting role. Jim Ferguson is a retired educator and administrator, who lives in a single family home on Ocean Drive, who has extensive previous P&Z Board experience as both the chairperson and a member, and has volunteer experience in board positions for the Juno Beach Historical Society and the Ecology Group. Congratulations to our newly elected P&Z Board member Jonathan Butler, an Attorney and Charter Review Committee Member, who lives in New Palm Beach Heights, west of U.S. 1, as our most recent appointment to the Planning and Zoning Board.

We thank all of our amazing, qualified and exemplary P&Z Board volunteers selected for 2024-2025, which now includes: Jonathan Butler, James L. Ehret, Jim Ferguson, Carol Rudolph, Laure Shearer, and Michael Stern, who was elected chairperson by the Board. 

A neighbor spoke during public comment at the Town Council meeting regarding their nightmare-lived experience. Imagine waking up to bulldozers and other earth-moving machines that are removing soils from a lot adjacent to you, only to discover an escarpment of your property without the soil being first stabilized. I have sat with neighbors and watched videos of collapsed lot-line vegetation, collapsed fences, and seen the undermining of pool membranes that are alleged to be caused by the neighboring property construction/ development project. Town Hall has not provided a solution to date. When impacted residents call Town Hall for relief, it is described as a "neighbor issue." The currently available relief is to file a civil lawsuit against the neighboring property's developer/ builder.

An existing homeowner should not have to hire lawyers, engineers, and other professionals to protect their property against encroachment. Our Town zoning codes, building application and review processes should provide this protection for our residents against potential damage from new proposed development adjoining their property.

Proposed solutions discussed at Town Council: (1) Return siting act review to our Planning and Zoning Board for single and two-family homes - currently it is a staff only review, it is our only environmental review, and it specifically asks questions regarding compliance with our comprehensive planning documents, and (2) Adopt retaining wall code provisions - the provisions in our walls and fences regulation are not intended to address the engineering requirements to stabilize property and retain soils.

Littoral Shelf Plans for Pelican Lake were shared after the meeting. Click here for a summary of the Pelican Lake walk-around and workshop.

Click here to review the Pelican Lake proposals for the North Littoral Shelf engineering and North Littoral Shelf planting plans, and the South Littoral Shelf engineering and the South Littoral Shelf planting plans. Additional opportunity for public comment on the planting plans and littoral shelf engineering and their proposed locations within Pelican Lake was requested.

Your input and opinions: Public engagement is a vital part of the work that Town Council does for our community. Your comments and thoughts are encouraged and welcomed. Enjoy your 4th of July!

All the Best to you,

Diana Davis

phone: 561-267-7772 official email: ddavis@juno-beach.fl.us

From left to right, Marianne Hosta Vice-Mayor Pro Tem, Diana Davis (me) Council person, Peggy Wheeler Mayor, Jacob Rosengarten Council person,and DD Halpern Vice-Mayor.

Save the Dates: July 3rd -Coffee with a Cop, July 15th -Planning and Zoning Board at 4pm, July 24th - Town Council meeting at 4pm (note earlier start time).

Click here for the agenda and backup materials for the June 26th Town Council Meeting. Click here to see the video of the June 26th Town Council meeting. Click here for the agenda and backup materials for the June 27th Pelican Lake Workshop. Click here for meeting summary of walk-around and Pelican Lake Workshop.