Village Council - Regular Meeting

All right, good evening. We're going to call to order the meeting of the Wellington Village Council for Tuesday, September 22nd. I'd like you all now to please stand for the invocation by Deacon Pete DelValle from St. Therese to be followed by the pledge.

Amen. Would the girls guys like to come up and read the pledge? Come on up. Just come up. Come to this side. Come around. Come all the way up.

Just go down this way and turn and face the flag. Anyone wants to start? Go for it. I give my greetings to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I'd love for meetings to get shorter. Is there a motion to approve?

Which we've already done. So it's approved as amended. Takes us to our first item.

Well, congratulations on your award. Thank you. I was at the preserve a few weeks ago, and I was biking through there, and I saw that little plaque that caught my eye, which I hadn't seen before. I was like, what is this plaque doing out here? So I had to pull up and take a look at it, and I saw it was you guys planting the new trees right by the front of the preserve. So it was awesome. I was excited to see that, and I'm even happier that you're here tonight so we can tell you how proud we are and thankful of your project. It's going to be fantastic for years to come. So thank you so much for

you want to say anything else thank you guys for what you're doing i know and thank you to the troops i my daughter used to be in girl scouts i know how much work it is to find all these special things for them to do and for you guys to dedicate this extra time when you're busy with school and sports and other stuff we really appreciate you taking the time to make wellington better so thank you so much i just want to say thank you for setting an example

Because of all of you, you have now set an example for others to follow you. And that is a really, really important thing. And I know you enjoy it because you've done a very good job. So thank you.

It's exceptional to see such young ladies recognizing how important the environment is and how important our trees are and the sustainability of it all. So I applaud all of you for doing what you can to help our environment.

Same. Thanks so much to the troops, 24241 and 201A3. It's so great for you guys to be involved in the community like that. Really excited to see it. Thanks so much.

And I think we're going to come down and take a picture because I see our photographer lurking back there.

Oh wait, you need to be in the front because you're shorter.

And you're welcome to stay, but you're not required to stay for the rest of the meeting.

Girl Scouts just want to hear about the budget. They love that stuff.

Okay, we're going to vote while you're gone. Mr. Warren, do you want to tee up the next item while the Girl Scouts are filtering out?

Ms. Quiggle, thank you again for your presentation, and thank you to your staff for all the hard work that goes into this budget, not just the last month, but all year long, to get us to where we are today. This is a public hearing item, so I'd like to have our public go first before we start commenting and asking questions.

All in favor? Aye. Public hearing is now open. Madam Vice Mayor, we have some cards.

We do. If I may call Ms. Brody up to the podium, please. And Mr. Tooman, if you want to take this podium over here.

You both know the drill. Name and address, three minutes.

That was your time was up. Oh my gosh, sorry. Why don't you finish your dog park thought?

We have Paul Quince. We do. We have one. Miss Lauren?

That's all we got? That's all we got. All right.

So anyone else want to speak on the item before we close public hearing?

All in favor? Aye. Aye. Public hearing is now closed. We will go to council comments, and I won't go first this time. So who wants to start with comments, questions, observations, thoughts?

I hear you, and I agree with you, the two speakers about, you know, We should be doing whatever we can to decrease the burden on people out there because things are just continuing to get more and more expensive. So I, for one, believe that we have the ability to decrease the millage rate. I propose 2.40. As you probably don't know, it was voted against at 4 to 1 the other way to keep it at 2.47. But I agree with Ms. Brody's comment that if it's such a small number, then why aren't we saving the taxpayer that small number just to save them something? And I think that we have enough that's in r

Anybody else? Sure, I'll go. Last time I suggested going down in small increments instead of more or less taking a sledgehammer to it. Let's take a scalpel. Maybe we do small reductions over time. I did meet with Ms. Quickle and Mr. Barnes to kind of go over some ideas because if we're going to recommend lowering the millage rate, we should also be recommending what we're going to cut out of the budget to make that make sense. So, Ms. Quickle, you had mentioned a few things to me in the meeting. Would you like to share those again of things that we could make that make sense? And then I have o

Are these your suggestions or Ms. Quickle's suggestions?

That's cutting down the number of events we do?

Obviously, that's something that we could consider, and then we need to always keep an eye on what's going to happen with Amendment 3. But I would like us to make a plan that we're going to look at reducing it another 0.02, maybe for the next two to three years, because we could get this down by 2029 to about 2.39. If we stop at 2028 and we feel like we're good, we're at 2.41. So we are essentially saving our residents some money. As you see, it would go up. a small amount here per year. And then I know we like to say it'll be $8 a year, but it's really $38 a year because it's going to go up a

Ms. Quickle, what was a 10% budget increase for insurance expected to be? Because we saved $200,000 by not going up 10%. What if it goes up next year?

And if we don't realize that same savings next year, our insurance will be higher.

This was a surprising year to have it bump 4%.

Unusual in that we went back to market and so forth.

So first I want to thank you and applaud your team's effort for the diligence in sharpening the pencil and finding those changes. I know both Councilman Meyer and myself campaigned on reducing and saving and eliminating wherever possible. It seems like we're definitely getting better at grant writing, where we went from $9.6 million in active grants in 2026 from $17 million over the previous 12 years. So definitely getting better at that. I don't believe it's not an argument about millage not going down ever. I think it's a scary, scary, scary thing to think about millage going down now, espec

Yes, thank you. These are hard conversations. And I want to be very clear to the audience very clear that I'm a residents of Wellington and I'm I'm like everybody else if I can save a dollar I want it. But when I look at what we've done think about what we've already decreased to 7.8 million that's already shaped off the budget. Ms. Quigley, the budget, when you show the screen that you have now, that is not necessarily limited to this, is it? That's correct. So we have gone above and beyond what you've already disclosed here on this screen with budget cuts. I have very legitimate concerns com

Thank you. Mr. Barnes, can you explain in detail small words so everyone, including me, will understand, because sometimes you have a habit of making things more complicated than I think they need to be. Maybe I'm just simple. The cumulative impact of amyloid rate reduction over time and on an annual basis.

I think that was mostly clear. Thank you. I think this is my 11th budget, my 11th year. So I've done this 11 times. And I've seen this budget many times. And again, I appreciate the effort that goes into it. And I understand the push-pull on the millage rate. And we've held the millage rate at 247, because that's the number that is fair to our residents, and it provides us the revenue to provide the services that our residents enjoy. And that's why they live in Wellington. And I looked at what other municipalities in Palm Beach County do. Wellington has the second or third lowest millage rate

I can understand where you're coming from. I can. I think that we're not in that current climate. The current climate will be after Amendment 3 passes, and I think that this is something that we can do. I certainly would never do anything to be symbolic. This is just, in my opinion, an easier way to get to a number that makes sense. I don't see if Amendment 3 passes that next year we're coming in with some bigger millage rate cuts. I don't really think that that's happening. I think we're just going to, if we did, we would just be approving 2.47 and then we would move on with our lives and nex

Fireworks. Remember the fireworks conversation?

Please stop. No, we're not talking from the audience.

I wasn't saying get rid of the fireworks. I was saying reduce it considerably whenever we were discussing it before the Fourth of July. But I agree. Sorry to interrupt.

Right. I just think that there's things that we could look at. I think that our staff is treated wonderfully, and I don't think a single one of them would go anywhere, and I think that they would understand that we're looking at things that don't take away from our residents. That is not a necessity. That's a perk to the job. And I'm sure we could find a couple other things like that if we really needed to in order to make it make sense to cut the millage. So I would really like us to consider going down just because I think that we really need to show our residents that we're trying to go in

I agree with Amanda, or with Councilwoman Silvestri. Call me Amanda. Sorry. I agree with you. Call it symbolic. Call it whatever you want. It's going in the proper direction. I was voted to be here as a fiscal conservative, and by not doing what I can to be fiscally conservative, then I lied to everybody that voted for me, and that's not me. Even if it's saving a dollar, and it doesn't matter, it's a dollar, whatever, it's still showing that we're moving in that direction. And maybe it's $2 next year. Maybe it's $3 next year. But at least it's not the same thing, status quo, which I bless you

Let me just address, sorry, I'm not comfortable discussing cutting staff benefits at the 11th hour of a meeting when this is what they're going to rely on. That's something that should be a longer discussion and people should have brace for a glide path and possibly have their benefits cut. So that wouldn't be something I would want to cut today. Maybe we can discuss that as a going forward thing, but that would not be my solution to find the 0.01 millage rate savings by telling everyone suddenly we just cut your car allowances tonight. I think that requires a discussion with staff that might

Thank you. I do want to bring something up because I think that is to a certain extent. We had no problem raising the council salaries in March, and that raised it to $81,000 a month.

I understand. Okay. But that's... Please stop, Bruce.

You're not... You don't get to talk for the audience.

If we're going to compare apples to apples here, then we have to compare everything. And no one had a problem... Now, what we're trying to do here is to protect this village, to protect the unknown. And we're saying the 2728 budget, that is a hard look for us now that we're going through this exercise tonight. That is a very hard look for us for the 2728 budget. And when I see, there was no problem then. We weren't concerned about reducing the budget. But we're not going to get into that, to the mayor's point, because car allowances is standard. It happens in every municipality. They don't dri

I have to be done. You can tell me as long as you want.

I think the point, though, is that Councilwoman Silvestri was making is that we're going to have to find cuts somewhere. Supposedly. Maybe not. Maybe we just make more revenue in other places to fill those gaps. Because we can also do that. We can actually make money on things and charge for free under 65 years old. Put a fence around the amphitheater and charge non-Wellington residents to come in to our different events that we all stroke the check for them to enjoy. That they get the freeload off of. There's multiple other things. We can look at investments. I know we have some. We can look

Yes. It's an example that has been brought to the table. Okay. And now it's open. And I agree with you and I want to be very clear on this again. I am not against cutting the budget at all because it benefits me as a resident of Wellington. What I don't want to do is risk anything that could possibly hurt us this year. until we know what's going to happen with this amendment. If you don't know about Amendment 3, please go home tonight and read. Read it so you can see how it's going to affect.

Costs go up. We look at consent agenda items for mulch and chlorine pellets for the pool and so forth. It's not frivolous spending to make sure that our beautiful village maintains itself as a beautiful village. And those costs go up, whether we see a consent agenda purchase for a 3% increase that's contracted or a 5% increase. Those costs are rising. And that drives the property values. People want to come here to freeload on our events because we put on fabulous events. I spoke with some folks at the unbelievable 9-11 memorial this year, and there are fewer of those across the county because

When we get done making comments, we need to start making motions. So I'm not telling anyone what to do, but that's the next step after everyone's made their comments and said their piece and asked their questions.

I'll make a motion to make the millage rate 2.40.

Is there a second? Motion dies for lack of a second.

Well, then I'll make my motion, which I know I'm not getting a second, to lower it to 2.45.

Motion and second. All in favor of 2.45 say aye. Aye. All opposed? Aye. Aye. Fails 3-2. Okay. Getting closer.

Well, here's what I will say. We have a job to do here tonight. We have to approve this. We do. This has to happen. Obviously, you've heard my arguments. You know I want to go down. We are going to do the job tonight. I will vote for the 2.47, but I really do want in the next year for us not to just say it. I want us to look at a serious reduction, and next year I won't be the fourth if we don't.

And I will tell you, being here 11 years, we've never told staff to lower the millage rate the next year. We've never given you that charge. We've had a plan in place to hold it steady for five years at one point because we saw the cliff you had drawn for us on the charts and how we were going to have a problem with some things. So we budgeted for the 2.47. And then we've kept it there historically because we felt that was the right place to go. But we've never directed staff to find a way to cut the budget. So this has not been a we'll do it next year, we'll do it next year. We've never told

And based on our discussion, you guys don't like the idea of multiple reductions. So this would be a more significant reduction, not 0.02, because we're not doing it this year. So this is not a... What did you call it? Symbolic reduction for next year. If we go that route, I want to see a nicer reduction since we are not doing it this year. So it'll almost be the placeholder for what we didn't do this year.

And because we have so many budget meetings throughout the year, we should have more robust discussions in those meetings about what we would like to see cut and not do it when we get up to the dais for the first time. Because we have plenty of time to talk to staff all year long about things in the budget that we'd like to see cut. The budget is public. The staff, the... the residents can pull out the budget and look at it and tell us what you would like us to cut. You can send us emails. Everyone sends us emails all the time. Look at the budget. It's a public document. It's not a secret. Tel

I understand. And along with that, since the mayor brought up that you guys have never been asked to lower the budget. I would like to ask you to lower the budget. You did a great job this year already lowering the budget and continue to do that.

They've been asked to lower the budget, not the millage rate.

So with that being said, I'd like to make a motion to approve 2.47.

Second. All in favor? Aye. All opposed? Aye. Passes 4-1.

It's at tab B. You want to read them off? Do it one at a time. There are two motions, right? Right? Two motions. It's going? Okay.

Motion to approve resolution numbers R2026-49, millage rate 2.47.

Is there a second? Second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? Aye. Passes four to one. Same page. Roman numeral two.

Motion to approve resolution number R2026-50, Wellington budget.

Second. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Passed 5-0.

Thank you, Ms. Quickle. Thank you to your team. We appreciate all of your hard work this year, and we're going to make you work harder next year.

Do we have any cards in the consent agenda, Madam Vice Mayor? We do not. We do not. Oh, look at that. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? So moved. Second. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Hearing none, consent agenda passes 5-0.

I spoke to no one about this proposal for increasing the height. So that's easy. And I can be fair and impartial.

I have no disclosures. Actually, I did speak to Lauren Brody. Okay.

So she is my appointee on the PZAB. So she said that they were meeting with them about this particular proposal and that she was in favor of it.

I forgot about you. Sorry. She's staring right at you. I was wondering why she was here.

Before you roll on, are D1 and D2 three-story buildings? Yes, correct. And E1 and E2 are two-story buildings? Yes. Okay, just because the height is varied. I want to make sure that's a number of stories. Absolutely. Okay, go ahead.

So it's more of an architectural feature It's an architectural feature.

And you'll only see that height when you're on the site generally because you're driving by. You'll see the earlier stuff and you won't see.

This is a public hearing item. Is there a motion to open public hearing? All in favor? Aye. Public hearing is now open. Madam Vice Mayor, any cards on this item?

We do. If I may call Ms. Capone up, please. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other cards? No. Hey, well want to make a comment? Move to close public comment. Second. All in favor? Aye. Public comment is now closed. Any questions for staff or the applicant or a motion on the item?

Sorry. You sat down. No. We closed public comment.

Ms. Kramer, the staff report indicates that the height variance on one building is two feet and another one is 12 feet, that those are all well in excess of the setback requirements. They're buried inside the project and they're central to the project, not visible from Farmington to the south or Oakmont to the west. We are 500 feet from Farmington Estates and 1600 feet from Oakmont Estates and the applicant is Increasing the foliage and the trees and the height of those to further Obscure the height variance.

And I'll say to you, gentlemen, Mr. Ryan, the drawings have been, the artist's renderings have been replaced with what is now a conceptual drawing for that specific building, and they look fabulous. The lighting, the architectural style that went through ARB, that went through PZAB, I think we're building a great project that complements the village style, the walk, the pedestrian, the feel. and puts the traffic where it should be on State Highway 441. So thank you for that.

I just want to thank you for putting together such a beautiful project. I will say when this first came before me, I was, you know, we went through the motions on this one, but honestly, I'm very proud of this vote. I'm so excited to bring this to Wellington and I can't wait to see the finished product. I'm excited when you come back to us and you just want to make your buildings more beautiful. So thank you so much. I'll move to approve resolution number 2026-45. I have two questions.

the motion. You're going to be first if there's a motion or a second on the motion. Second for purposes of discussion.

I'll second the motion. Okay. For discussion, go ahead.

Mr. Ryan, do you anticipate any additional changes regarding any of the heights of the buildings?

Okay. Thank you. And Mr. Stillings, you are comfortable that they have met all the requirements that were necessary and were required?

Aye. Opposed? Hearing none, passes 5-0. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you. Was it groundbreaking?

I know. All right, Mr. Barnes, what else we got?

Who's in front? Mr. Tooman. Mr. Tooman, come on down. Three minutes. Oh, different podium. I was going to say, you switched spaces here.

Yeah, sure. You can speak first and turn your card in afterwards. I'm sorry. Go ahead and make your comment and turn your card in.

That will complete with public forum. Mr. Barnes, back to you.

Councilman Levin. I'm looking at you. Councilman Meyer, whoever you are. Guy in the green. You've changed.

Great meeting. And just happy to be a representative of this great village and our amazing residents.

Now, Councilman Levin. That's you, right? Thank you. That is me.

It's been a long day. I've said it a couple times. I've been so proud of the village and the staff and the infrastructure and how we've handled the six inches an hour plus of rainstorms during the last week and avoided flooding and having our water held in swales and roads and immediately pumped out, getting our water levels back to where they're supposed to be. been tremendous. Some of the neighboring communities have not been so fortunate. So kudos to the village. Proper planning breeds good preparation.

I'm going to say hi to Rick in the back. Hello, Mr. Fields.

Clearly there's no concert tonight. He'll be outside.

And his beautiful wife. Thank you guys for a more robust conversation tonight on the budget. It's always good to have these open conversations. So thank you. I'm so proud of us that we have different opinions, but just keep it classy. So thank you. And thank you to the residents that came out to listen and give their input. And that's it.

I will absolutely echo Councilwoman Silvestri. I commend my colleagues with what we accomplished tonight. And I do appreciate and respect that everybody's opinion, everybody has an opinion in that we accept those opinions and respect those opinions because I think it's very important with that being said I just want to say happy Hispanic Heritage Month and I would like to give thanks to the man back here Rick who is in charge of our amphitheater that does all of our events yay we had our Hispanic Heritage Forum It was very well attended, and it was very informal, but very, very well received.

Great. I'll echo the comments of my colleagues. And I do enjoy the robust discussions we have. If we all have the same opinion, we just need one of us up here. That's why there's five of us, because we all have different backgrounds, different thoughts, different beliefs, and different ideas. And it's nice that we can disagree but not be disagreeable and then get along and then go out and have a drink afterwards and talk about anything else except what we do here, because when we're done with this, we're done with this. I do want to commend the vice mayor on doing a great job moderating the Hi

The best part about it is how quickly we reacted. Mr. Barnes immediately put his picture up, and it was seamless, right? It was flawless. It was like you belonged there all along.

And you did a great job. And I do want to commend our staff on a fantastic commemoration of the 25th anniversary of 9-11. It was a hugely successful event. Nicole Coates worked her tail off to put together a really impressive ceremony. It was well attended. We had a lot of different fire departments here. We had PBSO here. We had military here. We had FDNY. Police Department of New York. It was just a great community event to commemorate a true tragedy in our country, and I think we should all focus more on, we've said it all, how we all felt on September 12th. We've lost a lot of that. We nee