Planning and Zoning Board - Regular Meeting

All right, welcome everyone in attendance and at home. This is the River Beach Planning and Zoning Board meeting. Today is March 26, 2026. The time is approximately 6:35 p.m. If anyone wish to speak on agenda item, please complete the public comment card and give it to the planning and zoning board staff prior to the board discussion and before the public comment section is announced. In no event will anyone be allowed to submit a comment card to speak on the agenda item after the item has been read or considered. The total time allowed for each member of the public to comment on each item is 3 minutes. Please be reminded that the planning and zoning board is committed to civility and decorum by members of the public who attend this meeting. We're going to start off with a moment of silence. and the board will lead with the pledge of allegiance.

We don't have a flag in this room. So, I pledge allegiance 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. All right. May we do a roll call, please? Board member Joseph present. Board member Marie Davis. Board member James Gallon here. Board member Anthony Brown present.

Board member Refer Williams. Board member Shandra Stringer present. Board member Renee Burgess. Vice Chair Frank Fernandez present. Chair William Wy present. We have a quorum. We have a quorum with the voting members tonight. Chair will be board member Joseph, board member Shander Stringer, board member Frank Fernandez, yourself and board member Anthony Brown. Thank you. Do we have any acknowledgement of any board member absence notification?

We have one chair. Mr. Refer Williams did call in about 5:30 and he's under the weather. He's not feeling good. Okay. In acknowledgement of any board member vacant positions. Yes, Mr. Chair. We have the alternate for district two that is vacant. On to number three. Any additions or deletions to the agenda?

No, Mr. Chair. On to number four. Disclosure by any board members. And can we have an adoption of the agenda? Motion to adopt the agenda. Second. Chair, it has been properly moved and second. Are we ready for the vote? Yes. Board member Joseph? Yes. Board member Brown. Yes. Board member Stringer. Yes. Vice Chair Fernandez. Yes. Chair Wally. Yes. Unanimous vote. The vote passes. Chair. All right. Let's have an approval of minutes. Chair. I believe Miss Weather stated that we have no minutes for this meeting. That is correct, Vice Chair.

Thank you. Unfinished business.

We have no unfinished business, Mr. Chair. And on to new business. An ordinance of the city council of the city of River Beach, Florida, amending the comprehensive plan of the city of River Beach to implement its evaluation appraisal report amending the city's long range plan long range planning horizon from five to 10 years and from 10 to from 10 to 20 years for consistency with the Florida Community Planning Act, chapter 163, part two, Florida statues statues stating providing for transmitt conflict servability on an effective date. The presenter will be long range planner sened Simon. Good evening, chair. Good evening, members of the board. Good evening staff and the members of our community. My name is Sened Simon, principal planner here at development services and this evening I'll be talking about our ear amendment for the city um and the proposed text amendments for this. Before I begin, I want to give a little bit of overview on our comprehensive plan. Um just a reminder, as you all know, we are going through this process. Um the our comprehensive plan is our is our guiding document that we use at the city and uh it is helping us with our land use decisions, how we invest in infrastructure and our long-term um development as a community. It's required by Florida state statute and it ensures and it ensures that we we align with stat state statutes um and state statutes here in the city also the local conditions that's happening here in the

city and then the priorities that we have as a city and that is our plan. As you all know we are in the midst of um that update. Hopefully within the next month or so we'll see it. Um but today we'll be talking about our evaluation and appraisal report. Um our according to Florida statutes 16330 3 dot point 3191 um we are to be evaluating our comprehensive plan about every seven years. At that time we decide if we're going to do if we're going to be doing some different updates or if we're going to do a grand update or we say yes it's good to go. Okay. Um within this within this um what happens is we identify different statutes that are h that have been that have been brought upon within that seven years and we look does our comp plan align with these recent statutes. Also we talk about um are there some needed updates that need to happen. So we identify things that really need to be done within our plan and then we address evolving community needs. for example, there was a hurricane and now we know that we need to look at different ways to protect ourselves and so we'd probably add it in at that time, right? Just these are just things that we'd look at um when we're doing the ear. Um our last one we responded to back in 2021. We responded to an ear that we re um that we did in 2017 and within that we were looking at the objections, recommendations and the comments that were given in this report back from the state and they had a list of things that they said that we needed to make sure that we were aligning with and that we were doing within that time frame. Um, back in 2021, we were able to put on our checklist that yes, we we uh did our parallel floods. Yes, we um we looked at the different text amendments that they wanted us to look at. And parts of that in it was a recommendation for us to look at our comprehensive plan, consider updating your plan. And so that's what

we've been doing has been considering updating our plan. And you all have been a part of that process to do that. So, back in 2024, we sent um we sent a response to the state saying that we'll be updating our comp plan and but our comp plan has been taking a little bit longer than we expected and so we're going to be doing a different update to them where we'll be doing what's required of us. Uh oh, I guess I can keep showing our slides. What's required of us? And um so this interim approach that we're utilizing is what's required of us. What are the statutories? what's the statutes that we need to ensure that we are addressing within our plan currently be right before we go into our major update that we should be doing within the next month or two. So what we found we found that our current planning horizon needs to be updated. It was it was required of us to go from a fiveyear and 10-year 5year being our short-term analyses that we do 10 year being our learner analyses where it now turns back in 2023 they require that we do it from 10year to 20year. Okay. Our current comp plan does not discuss that 10-year 20-year and so that'll be what we will be updating here. Um we hope to update here within with this um plan amendment. The issue is that number one I told you it's not consistent and it's been extended for us to do it. So what does that mean? It means that we look further um we look further in the future. Right? When we've been saying 2000, we've been saying the 2040 it's the 2050 now. Right? We're looking into our future and we'll be amending that. What does that help us do? It helps us really look at how is our community going to be looking. Are we preparing for this? Because we know that things happen, changes happen, people more people come in than we expected, maybe less people come in than we expected, but what are the trends that are happening so we can

prepare more long term? Also, how are we utilizing our land? Is are do we have enough? Do we have space? the traffic that we talk about, the homes that do we have enough homes for this and our infrastructure needs. Do we have enough um water and other utility needs um for our future and how are we preparing for this? And this also leads us into our current comp plan. So, this adjustes what we're forecasting for within our current comp plan update that we're doing. Are we ensuring that we will have enough for the people that the population that we should be planning for within the next 10 to 20 years? Um, another important information is that this is uh this is all administrative in nature. We will not be changing any land use designation tonight. We will not be changing any densities or intensities with this. Um, and we will not be adding any development entitlements or removing development entitles. The purpose of this is purely statutory compliance and it's to improve our long planning our long-term planning framework. So the amendments that we'll be looking at adjusting for tonight in are within our current comprehensive plan in the short term we will we'll be looking at goal one or goal the only goal that is in our comprehens our future land use is says in the short term so we'll be striking out five years turning that to 10 years the long and the long-term striking out 10 years making that 20 year planning horizons of this comprehensive plan it will be the city's initiative to protect protect and enhance the residential, commercial, industrial, and natural resource areas of Riviera Beach. We'll also be striking language within our housing element where we'll look at policy 1.1.2 two. Well, we'll be well, it would now read, "The city shall utilize its vacant

lot acquisition program in conjunction with its single family infill housing program to provide for the city's workforce to improve neighborhoods, increase the city's tax base, reduce crime, and assist with the construction of 40 single family detached homes. Strikeout between 2008 and 2015, which meet the tenure, type, and affordability needs identified in this element. This is still a policy that we will need um as we haven't reached those. Objective 1.3 continuing through the year and we strike out 2015 and make that 46 20 years from now in order to improve the housing opportunities for the very low low and moderate income persons. The city shall continue to reduce the number of substandard units in the city utilizing its unsafe building abatement ordinance and comm community and community response team activities through systematic rehabilitation or demolition and replacement. This is important for us as we look at ways to look at substandard homes and instead of demolishing them all looking at ways to improve them so that way we still have within our housing stock. Um, so this is still a a goal that we have for our city. And policy 1.3.3 under the CRT and the city's unsafe building abatement ordinance of the city shall continue its demolition program resulting in the reduction of 25 unsafe units, both single family and multif family annually. To this end, the city shall demolish at a minimum 50 to 100 unsafe units by 2046. So those that we cannot rehabilitate, those who need to um Sir,

another aspect, another part that we're doing is removing old dates within the plan. Um, throughout our plan, it says by 2010, and I'm not sure if we all noticed, we're in 2026. And so, we went through the plan to remove all of those um antiquated dates and remove policies that um are no longer necessary. So this evening, staff recommends a motion to recommend approval of the ordinance 4312 to the city council. And that is our presentation. Any questions? Yes.

Thank you so very much. Um, principal planner Simon, you always do just a phenomenal job. Um, in regards to the houses that will be demolished, how would that would be determined? Is there a a checklist or an evaluation tool that will be used to for those houses that um have the demolition?

It's not so much I'm sorry. I'll go back to it. Yeah. So, with this one, this is something that's currently in existence. These are policies that we currently have. So, it's based off of if it's found a place that is not livable. And so our building official goes in and they do inspections and ensure are there ways to salvage this and if there is not um it and it's considered is it condemned or I forget the word and that that's how that happens. We do our New York City is very we really try our best to figure out ways to not do that just because our housing stock and we're just trying to ensure that homes are still affordable for all. Um but if it does get into that state then yes or and sometimes it becomes like we have some properties that have burned and they've just been sitting there and nothing has happened with it. We need to demolish those. So those are parts of the ones that um are considered for those situations.

Follow up chair if I may. Yes. And so do we have like a a running list currently and you may or may be able to answer that. Do we have a running list currently of what I know they've started and he's gone. I I know they've started u not started I know they they work on this I Mr. knows does this work, but go ahead. I don't know how it works.

The city has uh a number of vacant lots that they've identified for infill housing. Um also the CDC um they have about I believe nine lots something like in that range. Uh and then along with the CRA, so sort of uh all of those three different agencies are all doing infill housing. Um and also the cities uh they will ramp up their housing activities as we receive money in the housing trust fund. Um they're scheduled to receive uh Oculina uh their development agreement will contribute I believe about $4.9 million and we will get half of that when they apply for their building permit and then the remaining portion when they com when they get their CO. Um so that uh when that two $2.5 million um is received by the city, you'll see more housing related activities.

Thank you so very much. Yes. So we are currently demolishing properties that are substandard. Am I correct? We're it's an ongoing process. Correct. the building, if I may. Yes. The building department uh has an unsafe structures program. And so, yes, if there's there's a building and the roof is caving in or there's serious structural safety concerns, uh then we we do uh demolish those. Yes.

You mentioned funding from Oculina, which is coming who knows when. What about the funding that was already there? What happened to that money? I don't believe the housing trust fund has any dollars in it right now. So we had no from any other developer over the years. We had nobody contributing. I don't believe so sir. Okay. And the housing trust fund was developed when Mihop was developed and for to be obtaining funds from Miho and we haven't um I think we're on our first one. We're working on our first case. Okay. Um with it. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes. Um, yes, in the in the last 10 years. There may have been money before that, but I'm I'm not aware of. Yes, there was. Anybody here find out where that money went?

That's just a question because for the years I've been on this board and I hear the same thing and I ask the same questions. There's money. What happened to that money and I get this deer in the headlights there and nobody is able to find out? That would be an interesting question because we had money. Now, whether or not when the monies were placed there, because I remember when I was since I've been on the board, the board has always agreed to make sure that as an advisory committee to the city council, when they set up like an arts contribution, make sure it goes to arts, not some other entity within the city. And we said the same thing about the monies that were there. Where are those monies? So, that would be nice. Maybe next meeting or the meeting after I'll ask the same question. Maybe you have some answers. I I would love to see where those monies went. I'm sure our citizens would love to see it because we definitely need housing.

Thank you.

Sorry, chair. I do have another additional question. So when these when the building officials have this list um are we required to purchase the land because it may be from an uh a absentee l um resident owner or how does that happen? Um the unsafe structures program um just provides the the building official certifies that it that it's a danger. Um and then there's funding through that program uh to demolish the home. Um but that process itself doesn't transfer ownership to the city. It still remains. Um, so I'm not sure what happens after that, but I know that the the unsafe building process does not uh change, you know, purchase the property, for example.

Okay. So, I guess that's something we can follow up with later because I mean, I would be curious to know, especially when people are watching, we don't want to leave them hanging and then absent enough information, individuals plug their own in. So, I would want to know how that process work and maybe that's something we can do offline. Thank you, Mr. chair. Yeah. I just wanted for the record to let everybody know that um board member Burgess did send an email just now that she had a family emergency. Got it. Thank you. Yeah. A motion, sir.

Yes. I a motion for the approval of ordinance 4312 implement evaluation and appraisal report as read into the record by Miss Weathers and explained by uh principal planner Sen Simon second chair chair has been properly moved and seconded. Are we ready for the vote? Yes. Board member Stringer. Yes. Board member Brown, yes. Board member Joseph, yes. Vice Chair Fernandez, yes. Chair Wy, yes. Unanimous vote. Chair, vote passes.

I do have a question. I apologize. Um, Chair, um, I'm writing down my notes just to have a response back. We're looking at the unsafe building um abatement program to we'll send that information to the board of um for information. And then I know about the housing trust fund, but do you know what the the other fund was called? I don't recall what it was called, whether it was a housing fund, but I know we mentioned it years ago when it came up. There were monies that were allotted to the city from other development, other um other funding. Okay?

So, you might want to look at it. It might have been uh developers that provided a certain funding uh to allow for their building. I do not know what it was called, but this this popped up a couple years ago and we asked questions and Okay. Well, all right. We can have numbers for you if we find I would say I'll probably check with CRA because I think some kind of way the city of Riviera Beach had like a pot of money for first-time home buyers when the other municipalities did not. Mhm. And I'm not saying that that's the case, but I'm saying maybe that's a a little line to start with that it's probably connected to that. Cool. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Swman.

Okay. So, are we on to workshop items? Uh, we have no workshop items, Mr. Chair. All right. And do we have any public comments? No, sir, Mr. Chair. No public comment cards at this time. All right. So, we on to general discussion. Any staff updates? Uh, just that our next planning and zoning board meeting will be April the 9th. Any correspondence? No, sir. Yes.

I have a comment. Um, we all know how bad a traffic is impacting our citizens. I hear it when they I'm met with individuals at different locations. Believe it or not, folks, a lot of people watch this and they keep saying the same thing. Traffic, traffic, traffic. So now I've I've always mentioned that lot, those two lots on Broadway and Blue Heron. Mhm.

The old bank lot and the one across the street where it was a nice little park area setting. I was told that those the CRA is has entered into agreements with a developer to develop that those areas. Now, our previous comp plan calls for open space. Maybe when you're reviewing any proposed developments for those two sites, you will look at maybe leaving some of that area open with a nice artistic something in the center of it instead of building that whole area up. And now we come on Broadway and Blue Heron and we get this block building going up. Forget the traffic. Today took me four traffic lights before I could make a left. last meeting three traffic lines before I can make a left. Now imagine adding additional traffic when you build up those two areas. Again I am not I don't have the specific of what is planned there but I really hope that maybe I personally feel that when the developer is going to build something they should stay there for eight hours wherever the heck they're building so they can see the traffic. If we're up to me I throw that in an ordinance. you want to build in my town, you're going to stand in that area here where you want to build so you can see the existing traffic before you build. Now, ponder what you're building and how much more impact this is going to have on the community cuz remember most of us live here. So, we would like to make sure that if we're going to have smart growth, smart development, we start here. So when when you review that those two planned developments, can you please consider the traffic impact on us and maybe leave some green on those two lots of a little park setting, some open space that's called for in our comp plan. So think about that. Thank you, sir.

Yes. Anyone else? Yes. Question. Um this is just a question you guys can response. Have you received any proposals or projects as it relates to the live local the new live local law? Mr. Chair. Yes. Um we've Yeah, we haven't we don't have any um that have made it all the way uh through the process. Uh we've had multiple discussions with developers who are thinking about doing it. Mhm. Um and we have a couple um that have been submitted that we're looking at um but none of the projects have have advanced all the way through the process.

Awesome. Thank you so much. Thank you, Jay. is uh I've requested a map

of uh commercial and industrial properties that's west of Bahama Highway to Congress Avenue. All I want is the vacant properties that are listed as commercial and industrial. I've asked for this numerous times. U and I'm asking for it again. And the reason is the community do not want to see any more anymore warehouses. I know there's quite a few vacant properties on MLK. I don't know what they're listed as. So, I'm trying to get ahead of the game before anybody else wants to come and purchase those properties or already have those properties and wants to build another commercial or industrial in that area. They don't want to see it. I don't want to see it. The last one that was built was on MLK right there next to the apartment complex. Arzur, we don't want to see anymore. So, I know we've made changes to the zoning on Obama Highway. Why is it taking so long for me to get the information that I requested and to have those commercial and industrial properties that are vacant changed? This is something that the community

wants and I want to see it and I would like to see it in the future land use and hopefully in the comprehensive plan that we're going to receive shortly. So, this is something that, you know, I've been requesting since I've been on this board and I want to see it happen. Thank you, chair.

Yes, sir. Can I piggy back on that? Just to refresh some recollections here. Um, we've also requested that those empty lots were commercial and industrial where we've been told, well, there's not much we can do. The owner has a right. Have we ever approached those owners and give them the opportunity to change the zoning? We've said that in the past and like we just mentioned, it just keeps going around and around and we don't get answers. And and the question was impact fees. Just remember that impact fees in the past for the monies that are that are somewhere. Mhm. Just that's what you're looking for. I'm so sorry. So that's that's what we've been looking at. Appreciate it.

Thank you, sir. Can I just ask a follow-up question? Yeah. Um, so we're looking for um a listing of the vacant properties um west of Barack Obama Highway and then uh indication of what the zoning is. And then you'd like to talk about um at a meeting or workshop um what those zoning allows in relation to warehouses and how we might make changes to um uh make it more difficult for warehouses to uh be built on our remaining vacant property.

Yes. And uh as far as I'm concerned, I would just like to see it from Bahama Highway to uh Congress Avenue. Mhm.

Cuz anything west of that, you know, is I don't think there's too much vacant property out there. And if it is, it's not too much you can do with it. So my main concern is we don't want to see any more warehouses next to a residential area. I don't want to see a a warehouse next to my house. So this is something that needs to be done and it needs to be done soon. I would like to see it in the new uh the comprehensive plan. Mr. Chair. Yes.

Um Mr. Mr. Gallon. Yes. We had a conversation earlier and said that it would be a wonderful time to bring that when we come up with the land use map um for our next and within our next meetings. Um I actually cuz I don't come to all the meetings so I don't remember um the industrial aspect to it all outside of our conversation that we had a couple days ago. However, we do have a we worked with our team based off of everyone's conversation. That was a very big thing for everyone was about the industrial areas and we came up with some we came up with some potential changes that we could do to ma to make it like a light industrial or just not here type of thing. Maybe and this would be for um staff and the board's pleasure on how you'd like to do that. we can discuss that and you can review the board can review to see if that is something that we believe that the community would be interested in. Um but that is for maybe our a future a future workshop within the next month or so.

Mr. Chair, Kurt Townson, um from what I understand I hear Mr. All is saying is that you wanted a a map. You wanted this a map to show what vacant properties exist that are either commercial or industrial zoning between Obama Highway on the east and Congress on the west with Blue Heron at the south and of course Silver Beach Road out the north. That whole area correct. Well, MLK,

uh, also, uh, MLK, you can't leave that out because I know there's I know there's lots empty on MLK. I just don't know what they are. Okay. Oh, I can pull up a a map right here. I just that I don't have the connection, you know, to um we can we could we not pull up the map right here on that on this computer. Sony Sony, I I would rather we we do a comprehensive that's just a workshop,

but I can show you later on after the meeting just but I understand what it is that you want. I understand that. I can tell you because I did take a look at that a little bit along Blue Heron B, excuse me, along Blue Heron Boulevard adjacent to Obama Highway is a lot of commercial general commercial zoning uh properties. Okay. But it's but there is a strip right on Blue Heron. I think you know where the area I'm speaking of where it is vacant and there's been construction work. that is commercial zone property there. Um I I do not know what they're proposing, but I can tell you is that um we can as Scott has said as their assistant director said, we can look at a map to try to u bring that up some kind of way so you can so you can be able to see well for the whole board to see that.

Right. and and and and a workshop will be fine long as we, you know, be able to tell what's where that vacant property is, what it is, and then we can say, "Okay, well, this property here, can we change it or uh or talk to whoever the owners are to persuade them to do something else with it or what have you. Long as we have that opportunity to do that before they come to us and say, "Oh, we want to build another warehouse here." Now, we're too late. You know, I've been asking for this ever since I've been on this board, and we still asking for it. Thank you, sir.

Okay. I have um something I want to mention also. Um over the past week, um I got a chance to um befriend someone who actually um works higher up at uh Tropical. And I know we all complain about the train that kind of deters traffic here, but here's the deal. It's going to it's going to get worse. It's about to get worse because um from what was stated by this person, I don't definitely don't want to um state their name, but they stated that um of course with increased contracts, this is going to become worse and more frequent. So, as me having a conversation with them was trying to find out, well, what kind of solutions we can come up with. We're going to actually meet and talk about um what can be done. I don't know what can be done cuz as a business they're allowed to grow, but it's definitely going to hurt uh the city of River Beach. And if there's anything that we can do to be able to um alleviate this problem, I don't know what we can do. Maybe we need to bring this to the board to find out what we can do and what options we have. But from what was told, it is going to get considerably worse um in the next couple next couple months up to the next year. And it's um and hopefully we can um speak to someone um my heart have Mr. Evans to speak with someone at Tropical and try to find out um what we can do as a city to prepare for this because it's going to get worse. And of course with the increased buildings going up, the traffic coming down 13th Street and coming down Blue Heron again, it's going to be catastrophic if um those trains are coming through four or five times a day and then doing their doing their little dance. So does anybody have any uh suggestions on especially from the board any suggestion that we can have or we can do to be able to alleviate this because with the growing city with the growing buildings the growing population and now this

becoming a problem also and that's the only way we can go from east to west. Is there any solutions or anybody have any ideas? Chair. Yes. The only thing that could be done if if you meet with Tropical and you could do a 10 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. try and see if they can move their traffic between those time periods, but definitely avoid during the day when everybody's trying to get across town or in the morning going to work. Absolutely. Because that's when you mo now again it's just hypothetical. We just we just got to negotiate with them and talk with them. Mr. Chair.

Yes. Um so the city administration has on is very concerned about that. They have ongoing discussions uh with the port. Um our focus really has been not on the number of trains like if a train comes um it's closed for a few minutes which we really don't see um as impediment. But what the problem is is when they build the trains then that's when they're like backing up and they could be there like we've seen like 15 20 minutes,

right? Uh so we have been working with the port to try to reduce you know the blocking uh of those intersections for such extended periods of time when they're building those long trains and I know the port has actually been doing some additional uh rail uh installation um on site. Um but it is something the administration uh has has been work trying to work with them uh on a regular basis to to try to reduce those impacts because they certainly are significant. Mr. De, can I ask a question? Um, and like I said, I don't know um if this is a good idea or not, but at some point when we have a company coming in as tropical and you know, of course, we approve them to be there and it becomes a detriment to our community. Like you said, we don't have a problem with the trains that pass through, we understand that Bright Line and everybody who comes through, but like you say, when they're building the trains, that becomes a detriment. we have to sit there for 30 minutes and wait for a train especially on a Saturday or when people getting off at 5:00 or every day when I get ready to come um here today just luckily the train was so small that it actually passed by and went to Blue Heron and luckily I got to the meeting on time. Is there anything in place to where there are any penalties? Because if the city is going to be um if the city is going to be hindered by this and we know it's going to get worse, is there something that we can do to be able to let the city actually be um I'm not going to say rewarded, but compensated for this issue or for this problem? Because like I said, it's stated from what was explained to me that, oh, this is going to get worse substantially. So now, how does the city avoid this impact or is there something that can be done or penalties put in place if this happens?

Uh, Mr. Chair. Yes. Yeah. I I'm no expert on it, but we don't have any regulatory authority over them. Uh so um all that we really can do is just have ongoing dialogue um because they're their own they have their own rules with the with the statutes. Um so it's that's part of the challenge,

right? And I mean, I understand completely they're the business they're a business trying to make money of course and and have progress, but it's just that now this is getting to the point to where it's hurting the city, especially for traffic coming from Singer Island coming over to the west side or the west side coming over to the beach or, you know, just local traffic coming home and people want to get home after hard days worth of work and um like I say, it's it's it's tough, but thank you. I I appreciate it, Chair. Yes.

And I know I mentioned this early on when I first joined the board. It would be nice if we did some sort of transportation study, whether it's in partnership with the county, um, you know, the Metrop Metropolitan, um, organization, um, that reviews, you know, transportation topics throughout the county. But I think we're to the I think we're getting to that point where it's worth looking into, you know, the impacts of the development that's coming to the city. um 20 years from now or five years from now or next week. Um I just think we're to that point where it's worth um diving into that. So Mr. Chair,

we can have that, you know, have that dialogue and have the data to back it up so when we do speak to Tropical, we can say, "Hey, you know, this is what the stud is saying and we need you guys to do ABC." Um, it's going to be amazing cuz Miss Lucy Joseph will be joining the steering committee for the mobility plan that we are starting as a city. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you very much for cheering myself. Got it.

Um, our our city has city was awarded the safe streets um grant um that will be start that we have begun and today we we've been in we've been in talks over our scope of work for that. Um, we have a walk audit that we'll be participating in with the MO on Monday at Washington Elementary School at 9:00 a.m. And we're inviting everyone here as well as within the community in order to do the walk audit. As we all know, one of our elementary schools will be closing for the next school year. And so, we want to see um how will that be, what the impacts will be as our students have new routes to take in order to go to school next year. So, we do invite the community to join us at 9:00 a.m. at Washington Elementary School. Um, in addition, on the 7th of April, the CRA, this is I was going to go to your um to your question, the CRA will be having a mobility workshop here. Um, I think it's between 6:00 and 8 on the 7th of April. We'll begin their mobility workshop. We are working alongside of them um to to do this. Um but it they are leading and we are just assisting in different ways but it is um but we are trying to align our plans um that our our community is doing. We are currently also working with the county on the county's um long-term plan um for the region for our region. Um we so we do that and we actually our next one is in May that we'll be participating but we review different documents that are different documents that are set up from as we grow. So they ask for information. They've have they have workshops. We go to each each of those workshops each month and then it builds from that. And if it's if it if it's a favor of the board, um we can send out those so that way everyone else can comment if you're not already doing that. Everyone has the opportunity to do that. Um go ahead and Google Palm Beach County's um long range

transportation plan. Um and so that way everyone ensures that their their opinions are found within that plan. But our city does actively participate. Um, in addition, our our department participates in the vision zero uh uh in the vision zero work that is happening countywide. Um, because we as a city are going towards vision zero ourselves if it is passed when our comp plan is passed. And so, but to set that up, we have been setting up the structures for our own mobility plan as a city. So, yes, we are working on transportation and thank you, Miss Lucy Joseph, for being my first steering committee member. So, I'll volunteer. Got it.

You're welcome. I was about to talk about it and then you said that. So, it's perfect. All right. And, um, I know we want to get out of here. Um but I just want to mention one thing but first um I know during our last meeting I spoke of um the college tour that the students were going on for spring break and we actually did um just a b a quick synopsis of what happened and how great it actually turned out to be. Um we get down to Fort Lauderdale and guess what flights got cancelled. Oh man.

Right. So some of the kids who never been on the airplane didn't get opportunity to be on airplane but we came up with a idea that wasn't beneficial for me but it was that we rented a 15 passenger uh van

and we had to drive to Miami excuse me drive to um drive to Atlanta. Um we tried to get transfer flights to um to Miami. They only had two seats available. So, we came up with the idea that, okay, so I'm figuring the kids were going to say, well, no, we don't want to drive or whatever, but they were ecstatic about the road trip, right? So, I knew I was going to have to drive the way. So, that Monday, we unfortunately, we got a chance to miss the Georgia Tech and we had tickets to the Atlanta Hawks game that someone had donated. So, we missed that cuz we didn't get into about 9:30 that night. But the next day, we got opportunity to cram a bunch of stuff in. They got a chance to go to Morehouse. They got a chance to go to Spellelman. They got a chance to go to Tyler Perry Studios. They got a chance to um eat at a lot of nice restaurants. We went to the roller of Coca-Cola. Um and we did a lot of exciting things. And on the last day, I had a family member that's um that's pretty much well off. Um he threw like a barbecue um type thing at the house for him. And one of my friends that are there, one of my family members that are there has a radio station in Atlanta called K00 where it's a YouTube radio station and it's advertised there, plenty of followers. And what he did was, and I thought was such a great thing, was he ever he um interviewed each and every one of the kids and had it broadcast over the radio. So, if you ever get a chance, please go to my um Facebook page to where I had to break it down into like a five section for each day of what we did and everything. And it was really really great to hear some of these kids' story about where they were coming from and how you know the school they were at was a last chance school and they went from these low various these low scores to where now they're collegebound and they just got an opportunity and one kid right then wanted to fill out paperwork to try to go to Morehouse

and not only educational for them was educational for myself also because I got a chance to see how important Morehouse was, how important Spellelman was for the young ladies and again I mean the kids just had a great time. And like I said, please go to my page, look at the interviews, look at the pictures. That's a thousand pictures I posted for what they did. And they bought the shirts for Spellelman and they got the shirts for the and the guy. I mean, and to see six kids who never interacted with one another and just how they all bonded for this whole trip and everything. Now, one thing I must say on the way coming back, Mr. Waller did get a ticket. Okay.

Right. I did get a ticket. But I think that's a curse and a blessing. And I'm going to tell you why. Because even being stopped, the kids were, you know, they were looking like, "Oh, Mr. W, you know, you Hey, what's going on, calm down?" I spoke to the police officer, whatever like that. He he gave me a ticket, right? But I got a chance, the opportunity to explain to him, "Hey, he's doing his job." And I wanted to teach them how to interact with law enforcement. And I think that was the biggest thing there. So, even though I'm trying to find a pot of gold, send a letter.

Yeah. So, and hopefully I don't have to go back up to Cook County. But, um, but I I had and I had that conversation. That was a conversation we had for about an hour coming back of how to handle certain situations and, you know, people doing their jobs. And of course, if I was speeding, I'm wrong. So, you know, you have to accept being wrong sometime and accept the punishment that comes with it and everything. So, they kind of got it. And like I said, we sometimes when you the kids live a certain lifestyle and now they get to see something different, their attitudes and their behavior change and they're just like, I didn't know this was this is what you were supposed to do. And sometimes they just need that um exposure to be able to do it. So again, I wanted to thank um I know Marie Davis isn't here today um but my man Anthony Brown down there is um is down there and I really appreciate um cuz they actually um made a couple donations that kind of helped out because in renting this van cost a lot of money for the next couple days, but again to see the smile on the kids' faces were were worth it and everything. So, like I said, I want to thank everybody all um involved. And um oh, and by the way, while we were there, we got a call from one of the donors that was there that actually want us to take uh 30 kids to Washington DC next month. So, we'll see how that turns out and everything like that. They want us to pick dates out for it. Um I don't know whether we'll be able to take 30 or not, but possibly 15 just dealing with housing and everything. But um again, I want to thank everybody who contributed and like I say, please go to my page and be able to just look at some of the interviews and just see how everything that we did and how it all turned out. Thank you,

chair. Before we close, um just two announcements for the city. The um on Saturday at 7, let me get my little At 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. there's a spring cleanup and amnesty day. that's going to be at the uh CRA ambassador center. I know they're doing shredding and you can bring um items that you would normally have to pay to discard or whatever. Um go to the city's um Facebook page and I I'm sure it may be on the website as well. And then on that same day in the a um later the morning from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. they have the free Easter egg extravaganza funday at Dan Callaway Park. What was the date? What was the date on the

Saturday? Saturday. This Saturday. Yeah, this Saturday. And there's actually another event um for fathers that's going to be at Washington Elementary if I'm not mistaken, but I forgot the time. Tomorrow, the Saturday. Yeah. Oh, that's going on, too. So, a whole heap of stuff. Yeah. Okay. We also stated that the next meeting was going to be April 9th. Um, are there any other comments by the board? Can we get a motion for adjournment? 7:26 p.m. Motion to adjurnn. Second. Thank you.