Minutes 08-28-01GREENWAYS INITIATIVE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
BOYNTON BEACH CITY LIBRARY PROGRAM ROOM
BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA
AUGUST 28, 2001, 9:30 A.M.
Attendees:
Mayor Gerald Broening
Commissioner Mike Ferguson
Commissioner Mack McCray
Commissioner Ronald Weiland
City Manager, Kurt Bressner
Mayor Ken Kaleel, Ocean Ridge
City Manager Greg Dunham, Ocean Ridge
Commissioner Jori Levinson, Delray Beach
Lewis Doctor, President of the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations
(COBWRA)
Welcome
Commissioner Ferguson opened the meeting at 9:30 a.m. and welcomed the visitors
from the public, the officials from other areas, and his fellow Boynton Beach
Commissioners. Commissioner Ferguson explained that the objective of this meeting
was to generate interest and explore means of cooperation for a Greenways Initiative. It
was hoped that a referendum vote could be put before the citizens in November 2002 for
the creation of an Independent, Multi-municipal Greenways and Parks Taxing District
with a one mil cap, modeled after the very successful Greater Boca Raton Parks &
Recreation District. Funds generated by this District would make the purchase of
undeveloped land for Greenways more feasible. The undeveloped land would connect
adjacent cities at various spokes and hubs while preserving wildlife habitat and providing
citizens with recreational green space close to their homes.
Greenways Presentation
Commissioner Ferguson introduced Michael Fitzpatrick, Boynton Beach firefighter and
member of the Sierra Club, who related the history of the Greenways movement and
gave a presentation demonstrating the benefits of adopting a multi-city Greenways
program and the cost of ignoring it. A complete copy of this presentation is on file with
the minutes at the City Clerk's office.
Mr. Fitzpatrick thanked Commissioner Ferguson for arranging this meeting. Some of the
highlights from Mr. Fitzpatrick's presentation are as follows:
Meeting Minutes
Greenways Initiative Organizational Meeting
Boynton Beach, Florida
August28,2001
"Imagine walking out your front door, getting on a bicycle, a horse, or trail bike, or
simply donning your backpack and, within minutes of your home, setting off along
a continuous network of recreation corridors which could lead across the
country."
Why is it necessary? In a Comprehensive Plan from 1998, some 40 sites were
listed as natural resource sites for the City. Most of those sites have now been
developed for commercial or residential purposes.
Mr. Fitzpatrick's presentation outlined the benefits of undertaking the Greenways
program for each of the individual communities in South Palm Beach County. The
benefits to ALL included:
all money spent within a half hour bike ride of your residence;
an integrated system with synergetic properties that would increase the
quality of life for all;
bring home tax dollars by capturing matching funds which are being spent
in other communities;
reduced water use and pesticide run-off through the increased use of
native plants,
Potential View of South Palm Beach County in 50 years:
A native forest visible from nearly every residence
Quality, interesting, high-density architecture surrounded by zero density forest;
Imaginative recreational destinations;
Fun and interesting mass transit such as people movers and monorails
An ambience which attracts hordes of free-spending tourists.
Mr. Fitzpatrick spoke of the drought and how the large-scale development of land had
interfered with the natural "rain-making" cycle by covering so much of the permeable
earth with concrete and asphalt.
Sources of Funds
Combined tax base of $9-10B potentially available from cities adjacent to
Boynton Beach (Delray Beach, Hypoluxo, Lantana, Ocean Ridge, Village
of Golf, and COBWRA) that would generate $4-5M a year if billed at the
rate of .05 (non-ad-valorem taxes)
Normal annual allotment for parks and recreation from each city
Conservation Fund with $40M available for short-term lending for land
acquisition purposes
State Greenways program
Various national and federal grant programs
Federal highway trust fund (Transit Greenways)*
*If a "people-mover" were used to take people around on the Greenways routes, money
might be available from the Federal highway trust funds. These funds were originally
established to build Interstate highway systems but Florida was not likely to be adding to
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Meeting Minutes
Greenways Initiative Organizational Meeting
Boynton Beach, Florida
August 28, 2001
its Interstate system. Pedestrian trails might also qualify under the "transportation"
umbrella since walking was another form of transportation.
Potential Inter-Governmental Actions
Expand the trestles and bridges of Palm Beach County's 30 miles of
railway system to include space for a bike path.
Connect the waterways which exist out west to Lakes Ida and Osborne
with the canal system and link them up so there would be direct access
into the Intracoastal, possibly via the C-16 canal near Gateway
Boulevard.
Initiate a bikeway or trailway on the south side of the C-16 canal that
would run west out to the City border and could be extended all the way
out to the Everglades.
The access to these areas would be across area borders,
Political Considerations
A local County Commissioner in a recent meeting stated that this would be a good idea
and suggested that the tax could take the place of the tax for the Lake Worth Drainage
District, which had been legislated out of existence.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization would need to be part of any approval of a
Transit Greenways program. They have money and had been successful in getting
federal money through the MPO for a bike trail so the precedent for transportation
money has been set in Palm Beach County. They also have a 50K acre preserve out
west that would be important in the linkage system.
Commissioner McCray asked what the effect would be of various cities choosing not to
participate in the program. Commissioner Ferguson said they would just not be a part of
it and that participation was wholly voluntary. The pool of money available for land
acquisition would, however, shrink. Commissioner McCray referred to the requirement
for approximately 360 acres of park space for Boynton Beach's population base as
called for in the Land Development Regulations and asked what amount was now
available. Commissioner Ferguson believed it was about 240 acres but had not verified
this with the Parks Director.
Commissioner Jon Levinson noted that the political climate was difficult for a special
taxing district at this time. The governor had vetoed every piece of legislation that had
ever created another taxing district. The State politicians are all running for re-election
and are spending most of their time on re-districting. These factors combine to create a
challenging political climate, but Commissioner Levinson believed Greenways could be
pursued in spite of this. He expressed belief that there were many ways to achieve
Greenways goals and there was general agreement on this point. Mr. Bressner also
expressed a willingness to work with surrounding communities in ways that did not
necessarily involve special legislation.
Meeting Minutes
Greenways Initiative Organizational Meeting
Boynton Beach, Florida
August 28, 2001
Delray Beach Perspective
Commissioner Levinson reported that Delray Beach had just completed a Master Study
on Parks & Recreation and had been pleased with the results. Boynton Beach's City
Manager, Kurt Bressner, responded that Boynton Beach would be coming out with such
a study in about four months' time. Commissioner Levinson spoke of Delray Beach's
consideration of office parks that were not used in the afternoons, evenings, or
weekends and also about the large number of alleyways in Delray Beach that could form
access points to Greenways. Delray Beach would soon be considering its Downtown
Business Plan and when they began to discuss the sources of funding, would probably
be generating an item for their legislative agenda and could possibly work something
into that. Their lobbyist could pursue it at the State level.
COBWRA Perspective
Mr. Lewis Doctor, President of COBWRA, was well disposed to the Greenways
proposal. He spoke of a major deficiency of parks and recreation facilities in the western
part of Boynton Beach. He noted that the enclosed communities were self-sustaining as
to recreational facilities but those in rental units were shortchanged. They were not
interested in applying any pressure to the County since they were just about to dedicate
a 35-acre County Park. He commented that redevelopment activities had to set land
aside as part of their building but that these became isolated civic parcels without water
that, if not maintained, became a detriment to the community. He stated that there was
practically no land left for Greenways in west Boynton. As a side note, Mr. Doctor
commended the City on its landscaping on Boynton Beach Boulevard and Congress
Avenue. Mr. Doctor wanted to work towards accomplishing some Greenways objectives
and suggested that a steering committee or workshops might be in order.
Boynton Beach Perspective
From a Boynton Beach point of view, various potential Greenways sites were discussed.
There seemed to be general agreement that the land available for Greenways was
rapidly diminishing.
Mayor Broening remarked that the public safety component comprised 70% of the City's
total budget and that the City was currently engaged in a potential assessment for fire
service to try to meet its public safety obligations. He was entirely in favor of Greenways
but believed that its major hope lay in rights-of-way that could be developed with the
cooperation and participation of the owners who were willing to support it. He thought a
special parks and recreation district would be most valuable in relieving the City of the
most onerous part of the Greenways program, the ongoing O & M (operation and
maintenance). That was where the bulk of the parks and recreation budget went now.
Mr. Fitzpatrick noted that every Mayor and every City Commission had felt the same
way: "Greenways is great - but there's no money for it." He questioned whether it was
really fiscally irresponsible, noting that in years gone by the rain soaked into the ground.
Now, due to the lack of open land, sewage lines have to be built all the way to the
Intracoastal to discharge the run-off, greatly increasing the cost to everyone.
Meeting Minutes
Greenways Initiative Organizational Meeting
Boynton Beach, Florida
August 28, 2001
Mayor Broening referred to his hometown of Baltimore as a model for the Greenways
program. Mr. Doctor referred to growing up across from the "Emerald Necklace" in
Boston, remarking on its beauty. Mr. Fitzpatrick distributed copies of a brochure from
Cleveland, Ohi° that displayed their Greenways achievements.
Legal Requirements to Set up Independent Taxing District
Mr. Bressner outlined the three different methods by which such a district could be
brought into being.
1)
Establishment of an entity like the Greater Boca Raton Parks and
Recreation District
This would require legislation by the State that would spell out the duties and
responsibilities of the District. Policy issues would have to be defined and agreed to
before going to the legislature. Would the scope of the unit of government be limited to
linear recreation corridors or would it include the acquisition of forests and properties?
Without these duties and responsibilities being spelled out specifically, the scope of
government could be expanded against the will of the people.
This would begin with the governing bodies of the interested cities, including the County,
adopting a Resolution or Statement of Interest in establishing a type of legislative entity.
The Palm Beach legislative delegation would be enlisted to sponsor a piece of legislation
to create that entity. Such a multi-governmental entity, one that cut across corporate
limit boundaries, would have to be created by special legislation that would require a
referendum to be voted on by the citizens living in the proposed boundaries of the entity.
2) Independent Special District
State Statute No. 189.404 specifically says that the only way that more than one
municipality can set up a district is if there were some specific functions that were
established, i.e. regional jail, regional water supplies, and regional transportation
authorities. This would require amendment of section 4 of the Statute, "Local
Government/Governor and Cabinet Creation Authorizations". It would not require a
referendum but getting the Statute amended might be a difficult task in itself.
Mr. Bressner also pointed out something called a Community Development District
under Section 190.005 that might be a slight possibility. This option requires going
before a Florida Land and Water Judicatory Commission to establish a special district.
3) Each Community and the County goes Separate Ways
Each would set up what is called a Dependent Special District, established and adopted
by Ordinance of the County or municipality having jurisdiction over the area. This is
allowed in the Statute. The downside is that the governing body is the City Commission
or the Board of County Commissioners for the County. Mr. Bressner did not think this
option would be desirable to the Greenways proponents, considering their point of view.
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Meeting Minutes
Greenways Initiative Organizational Meeting
Boynton Beach, Florida
August 28, 2001
Mr. Bressner agreed with Mr. Fitzpatrick that the first option would be the best but that it
would take a major investment of time and effort to lobby for it.
Summary
Commissioner Ferguson thought that there was a large demand for green space in the
area and that people would be willing to pay for it.
Mr. Fitzpatrick challenged the participants to create something that would have an effect
that would be more lasting than any other action they might take in their public careers.
A Greenways system would be around for a hundred or more years.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Collins
Recording Secretary
(one tape)
(08/29/01)
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