Loading...
Minutes 03-09-26MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING HELD ON MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2026, AT 6:00 PM IN CITY HALL COMMISSION CHAMBERS 100 E OCEAN AVENUE, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA PRESENT: Chair Rebecca Shelton Vice Chair Woodrow Hay Board Member Angela Cruz Board Member Thomas Turkin Board Member Aimee Kelley 1. Call to Order Chair Shelton called the meeting to order at 6 PM. 2. Invocation The Invocation was given by Vice Chair Hay. 3. Pledge of Allegiance Chris Brown, Executive Director Tim Tack, Assistant Director Kathryn Rossmell, Board Counsel Board Member Kelley led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. 4. Roll Call Roll call was taken. A quorum was present. 5. Agenda Approval A. Additions, Deletions, Corrections to the Agenda Board Member Turkin wanted to add a discussion on the CRA Plan because they are moving into the CRA plan and redistricting the boundaries and new districts. He noted some districts are not blighted, and others were. There was consensus to have a workshop. Chair Shelton stated there was a staff request to add, after Old Business, Item 14D, Consideration of a 120 -Day Extension for a Commercial Property Improvement Grant Program to Potiwa Pizza. B. Adoption of Agenda Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 Motion Board Member Kelley moved to approve the agenda with the additions. Vice Chair Hay seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 6. Legal None 7. Informational Items and Disclosures by Board Members and CRA Staff: A. Disclosure of Conflicts, Contacts, and Relationships for Items Presented to the CRA Board on Agenda There were no disclosures made; however, Vice Chair Hay noted the First Friday event had a good turnout and they had a small children's zoo which the children loved. 8. Information Only A. CRA Economic & Business Development Grant Program Update B. Social Media & Print Marketing Update C. Update on the Tax Deed Sale for the Property Located at 543 NW 11th Avenue 9. Announcements and Awards A. Appreciation Presentation for Outgoing Board Vice Chair Woodrow Hay Chris Brown, Executive Director, said Vice Chair Hay is known beyond the boundaries of Boynton Beach. Vice Chair Hay is a champion for affordable housing, and the master champion for the Heart of Boynton, and he caused the CRA to earn many awards. Mr. Brown announced it was a pleasure to honor Vice Chair Hay. Tim Tack, Assistant Director, commented that public service is a profound calling. He said that it is a commitment to the community, that is often to one's own detriment, personally, professionally and financially and it is one of the most significant personal sacrifices an individual can make. He said it was his great honor, on behalf of CRA and staff to acknowledge and award Vice Chair Hay with recognition of his redevelopment achievements, exemplary leadership, and his unwavering commitment to public service. Mr. Tack thanked Vice Chair Hay on behalf of the CRA, the community and all present. Board Member Cruz thanked Vice Chair Hay and said it was an honor to serve with him. She noted when she was elected he was already a seasoned elected official and he treated her and all kindly, having a vast knowledge of the City and CRA and a heart for RAI Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 his constituents. She thanked him for his service and commended his wife Mildred for attending all the meetings. She said they make a great team. Board Member Kelley agreed and said it was an honor to serve with him, fighting hard for his residents, getting to know him and Mildred, and attending conferences. She said they had lots of fun experiences at many events and she will have memories to cherish. Board Member Turkin said one thing he learned when he was elected was to go to as many conference as possible to learn as much as possible. He stated that he and Vice Chair Hay do not always agree, but he admired how he stays strong and does not waiver in his convictions and to his commitment to Jesus Christ. Chair Shelton thanked Vice Chair Hay for welcoming her when she was elected. She said after she was elected, he called her and said she should be proud. She commented that she learned a lot from him and will miss him. 10. Public Comments Chair Shelton read a statement that explained what the Public Comment section of the meeting is and the procedures and rules that apply as contained on the Agenda. Mark Karageorge echoed the Board's sentiments and said Reverend Woodrow Hay was a Board Member, Commissioner, and before that, served eight years on the Planning and Development Board and it was a pleasure to serve with him. He said if other public servants had half the integrity, discipline and thoughtfulness when he had to make tough decisions, the world would not have the problems it has and his decisions were made thoughtfully and prayerfully, Shanae Windborn stated that she and her family moved to Boynton four years ago because of the great development occurring in the City. She gave suggestions for the property on 480 Boynton Beach Boulevard and commented that she is a small business owner and there is a barrier for businesses trying to transition from home based to store fronts. She referenced a company named Boxyard that has grants to assist businesses to transition into a shop. She suggested the Board try to figure out a way to use that strategy. A woman named Kathy welcomed Chris Brown, the new Executive Director, and stated it is nice to see a broad vision, especially with changes and the demolition of the Inn at an entrance to Boynton. She said she feels like there is better collaboration with the City and CRA and that she sees dysfunction with the advisory boards and the Commission. She referenced Pence Park, noting plans were made and the CRA Advisory Board had plans for a splash pad. She liked the idea of the gateway and said something nice and big is warranted. She thought it was a great idea to celebrate where they want to live, work, and play and that the word Gulf Stream is two words and it is a bad reflection if the word is spelled incorrectly. She said the entryway sign would need a fish or something 3 Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 else on I and they do not want something like Atlantic Avenue. She stated the Board should institute a moratorium prohibiting demolition permits for historic properties and noted a grocery store in Miami has first floor parking and a grocery store on the second floor, which addresses the parking issue. She hoped Ocean Avenue would remain an open space for events. She did not support a coworking space and said she has an issue with residential improvement as she did not like what she saw. Mildred Hay thanked the Board for the members being so gracious and including her. She commented that she never intended to attend all the meetings, but Vice Chair Hay needed support, so she was by his side. She advised his commitment is strong in the things he volunteers to do and that they have had a commitment to each other for 60 years. She said she prays they carry on with the City, and she will attend sometimes as she loves the City and they need the City to care for its people. She thanked the Board for their time and kindness for him. With no one else coming forward, Public Comments was closed. 11. Consent Agenda A. CRA Financial Report Period Ending February 28, 2026 B. Approval of the Special CRA Board Meeting Minutes for January 20, 2026 C. Approval of the Special CRA Board Meeting Minutes for January 26, 2026 D. Approval of the CRA Board Meeting Minutes for February 10, 2026 E. Approval of the Commercial Rent Reimbursement Grant Program in the Amount of $24,000 to WhatSub Boynton LLC located in Riverwalk Plaza at 630 E. Woolbright Road, Suite G F. Approval of the Commercial Property Improvement Grant Program in the Amount of $60,000 to WhatSub Boynton LLC located in Riverwalk Plaza at 630 E Woolbright Road, Suite G G. Approval of the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) between the CRA and the City of Boynton Beach for a Contract Administrator for the Agreement with Redevelopment Management Associates, LLC (RMA) H. Approval of Third Amendment to the Purchase and Development Agreement with Maple Tree Investments, LLC for the USPS Project on the CRA -Owned Property Located at 401-411 E. Boynton Beach Boulevard for an Extension of Time for Site Plan Approval M Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 12. Pulled Consent Agenda Items None. Motion Vice Chair Hay moved to approve the Consent Agenda. Board Member Turkin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 13. CRA Advisory Board A. Pending Assignments - Assignments from the CRA Board Assigned at the January 14, 2025,and the February 10, 2026, CRA Monthly Board Meetings Mr. Brown stated that he attended the CRA Advisory Board and they ae energized and have good comments. He advised that at the last meeting, they looked at the presentation he had made to the Board and were excited about it. B. Reports on Pending Assignments 14. Old Business A. Discussion and Consideration of the Invitation to Negotiate for the Development of Affordable/Workforce Infill Housing Presentation Bonnie Nicklien, Grants and Project Manager, presented the item and stated they had published an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) on December 12th, using the FRA and CRA websites and sent it to 50 contractors registered with CRA. A voluntary pre -submission meeting was held and six people attended. They had a registration list and nine people signed up to submit. She advised the submittal deadline was on February 10th and there was one submittal from Lennar homes, LLC. A Sufficiency Review Team reviewed the submission, and they met all the qualifications. Anna Meyers for Lennar Homes reviewed her PowerPoint and stated that they are a national company, having 40 divisions and are a full service company. She commented that they give back to the communities they build in though their Focused Acts of Caring program and she reviewed previous activities. Ms. Meyers explained that she is with the Palm Atlantic Division, serving Palm Beach and Brevard County and she referenced a community in Cocoa where they acquired 32 infill homesites for affordable housing. Ms. Meyers stated with regard to the Boynton CRA's project, that there are five CRA - owned parcels and their plan is to subdivide two of the 100 foot -wide parcels to a minimum of 50 feet, creating a total of seven infill homesites. She announced the purchase price is $350K and they can close immediately after the two homesites are partitioned. She stated that Lennar is self-financing the project, and are using the Belmont model, which �1 Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 has a 30 -foot wide footprint, 1,504 square feet, three bedrooms, two baths, and a two car garage. She reviewed the proposed floorplans, images of the homes, and some of the elevations. She announced that the homes are deed restricted for 15 years and have the same amenities as all Lennar's market -rate homes, which she listed. She anticipated all of the homes would be constructed in 12 months, and would follow the County's Workforce Housing Program allowing for one of the seven homes to be purchased by a recipient that falls within the low-income category, which is 60% to 80% of the Average Median Income, (AMI), and the remaining six to be purchased at the moderate income level targeting 80% to 100% AMI. Ms. Meyers reviewed the sales process and envisioned a lottery system after income verification is conducted and she reviewed the timeline from contract. Board Member Turkin supported the project and asked about the PSL Next Gen model which has a home and a one bedroom, one bath attached unit for a mother-in-law suite, or if they will provide some of those models so that multi -generational housing could be provided. Ms. Meyers said she could not commit to it, but stated they can look at it and if it would fit on the lot size. Board Member Cruz said the CRA spent about $1.2M to assemble the land and Lennar was offering to purchase the property for $350K. She said there is value in affordable housing, but she wanted to direct staff to negotiate to see what they can get. She noted only one property would be in the low-income category. She said that the County's income category is always higher than the City's and she stated the project should be reflective of this community. She requested to have two homes at 60% of AMI if they move forward with that price. Ms. Meyers said she could look at that, but pointed out that they are not making money on the homes. Board Member Kelley said she was excited to get the product, but voiced concern that if they asked for additional funding, it would increase the price of the home. She said she would support this project as it is needed. The median income has increased significantly, but the homes were priced on the lower end of affordability. She said the project would help the community and she liked that Boynton Beach residents would be prioritized. Board Member Turkin noted the project will increase market values, contribute to receiving ad valorem taxes, and a lot of the future homeowners would have equity. He said it is a good deal. Motion n Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 Board Member Kelley moved to direct CRA staff to enter into negotiations with Lennar Homes LLC and bring back a Purchase and Development Agreement for review. Vice Chair Hay seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. B. Continued Discussion for a Future Co -Working Space located at 419 N. Seacrest Boulevard Ms. Nicklien stated staff wanted to bring this item back for reconsideration and reviewed it with Mr. Brown. She advised that staff conducted further research and worked with the Delray Beach CRA, reviewing costs, and using the 2021 contract prices they secured, it would cost $650K just for design and renovations. Staff revisited this project again with Mr. Brown and feel strongly it can be added to infill housing lots, if Lennar is interested in splitting this lot, she advised that it could accommodate larger homes, but it would be shifted west to provide a larger landscape buffer on Seacrest. She also announced that staff does not want to give up on a co -working space, but thought it may be better suited on Ocean Avenue. All supported infill housing. Vice Chair Hay supported it but suggested taking this item off the agenda until all due diligence is done. Ms. Nicklien stated she toured the Delray facility and they had a lot of trouble with its operations, as they could not find an operator and had to hire a full-time person. She was informed that the maintenance and utilities add up and it did not have the best return on investment. She was told by Delray that infill housing would be the better choice. Kathryn Rossmell, Board Counsel, said if the property was not advertised, staff will properly advertise it to anyone who is interested in it, as Lennar already indicated interest in additional infill, and return to the Board with the appropriate measures to take at the next meeting. C. Consideration of the Revision to "Exhibit A" to the Interlocal Agreement between the Boynton Beach CRA and the City of Boynton Beach for Funding Construction and Professional Services for Additional Funding for the Demolition of 480 W. Boynton Beach Blvd. Tim Tack, Assistant Director, reviewed that part of the demolition was funded under a Master ILA with the City, and there was an overrun on the quantity of disposal. He said that staff is requesting to increase the amount in Exhibit A to $657,217,16 to cover an $18K overrun in disposal and hauling costs and a $14,529 invoice from FPL for demolition of the vault that was attached to the building. Motion 7 Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 Board Member Kelley moved to approve the revision to "Exhibit A" to the Interlocal Agreement between the Boynton Beach CRA and the City of Boynton Beach for funding construction and professional services for additional funding for the demolition of 480 W. Boynton Beach Blvd. Board Member Cruz seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. D. Heart of Boynton Shops Project Update Ms. Nicklien provided an update and photographs for the HOB Shops and reported they have a Certificate of Occupancy for Unit 108, the Neighborhood Officer Program. She announced they moved in and are operating. Staff will coordinate with them for a Ribbon Cutting. Photographs and updates for each unit were viewed. There were no questions from the Board. D.1. Consideration of the 120 -day Extension for the Commercial Property Improvement grant program for Potiwa Pizza. Ms. Nicklien stated this item is before the Board because staff is only allowed to give one ninety -day extension. She explained that in November 2025, the Board approved a 120 - day extension and this would be their second request for another 120 -day extension, which is a total of three extensions. In January 2025, Potiwa Pizza signed a form to use a contractor of their own choice and still have access to the funding. RS Construction, for Centennial, completed the underground plumbing and concrete flooring in February/March 2025. In April 2025, the unit was turned over to Potiwa Pizza for their contractor to complete. As of today, there was no change of contractor, the permits expired in August, and were renewed in October, but then expired in January 2026. Board Member Turkin suggested a 60 -day extension with a progress report as his concern was there was no movement since October. All were comfortable with 60 days. A representative was present and commented they had a snafu with the architect as they received their plans back as there were comments and revisions were on hold for some time. She said they finally got the plans back which was the hold up for the permit which was applied for. Motion Vice Chair Hay moved to approve for 60 -day extension retroactively as it was technically expired as of March 1 st. Board Member Turkin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 E. Presentation Regarding the CRA Owned Property Located at 211 E. Ocean Avenue - TABLED 07/08/2025, TABLED ON 09/09/2025 TO A DATE CERTAIN ON 11/10/2025, TABLED ON 11/10/2025 TO A DATE CERTAIN ON 01/08/2026, TABLED ON 01/08/2026 TO A DATE CERTAIN ON 03/09/2026 Mr. Brown suggested this item be removed from the Agenda and then let him return to the Board at a workshop about this and surrounding properties and then they can make a decision. Motion Board Member Kelley moved to remove Item 14 E from the table. Vice Chair Hay seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Motion Board Member Cruz moved to move the discussion to the workshop. Board Member Turkin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 15. New Business A. Discussion and Consideration of the Residential Improvement Grant Program Ms. Nicklien stated this item came from the budget workshop and the City/CRA met to discuss the framework in October, which included discussions with Code Enforcement. She said this program was reviewed by Legal and underwent a second, further review by Legal and this item is for Board approval of the program's perimeters and will return to the Board for final approval. She reviewed the presentation. Chair Shelton supported the homeowner paying the 10% deposit. Board Member Cruz asked how much funding was available to provide the grants for the program and thought the average request would be $20K. Mr. Brown stated the CRA can provide $100K for the balance of this fiscal year as part of a pilot program. He suggested focusing first on Code Enforcement issues as it seems to be most necessary. Discussion followed that the average request would not be $20K per person. Board Member Kelley stated she wanted to be mindful it is a program to assist homeowners when there is a need and thought that they should reduce the cap. Board Member Turkin liked the pilot idea so when they have the 26/27 budget discussions, they can be prepared how to budget for it. He inquired if they would fluctuate 9 Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 between single family and multi family homes and thought it would probably be okay, but he noted many of the homes were built years ago and he thought they should be a priority. He suggested the Board allow Mr. Brown the authority to administer the program and that repairs would fluctuate between $5K to $20K. He thought there should be applications for both and the programs should be for homeowners and landlords with long-term tenants, but there be a focus is single family homeowners that occupies the house. He supported the CRA Director process the applications and have a contractor ready, that is a local vendor. He thought they should direct the contractor as opposed to the homeowner when they see what the deposit slip is. As for the liens, if they are being cited and qualify, they should be able to use the program to avoid a lien, but if there are a lot of liens prior, he wanted to reward good faith and be mindful that there are those that would not operate in good faith Vice Chair Hay agreed, but with the contractors and letting the applicants to obtain three quotes, he thought some contractors may not meet qualifications. He supported the CRA who has established those goals and requirements, whether it is via RFP. He did not want residents hiring their friends that may not have been qualified. Chair Shelton noted the list of most common code violations and said it may not be fair if one homeowner has several items they need receiving help as opposed to another homeowner who may just need a driveway. Board Member Cruz suggested minimizing the scope of what can be provided so the program can serve more residents. She favored the funds going to the contractor as opposed to the homeowner. As for issuing an RFP, she asked if they can have three to five preapproved contractors and she supported both code cases and voluntary improvements be funded, she supported a 50/50 or as close to it split of funds. Board Member Kelley explained that she wants to be able to pivot if they need to. She said if the allocation is split at 50/50 and they know there are a lot of code cases coming in, and there is a homeowner who voluntary needs to improve their property, the voluntary improvement could become a code case , but the program should be flexible to provide the greater needs Ms. Nicklien pointed out this is a pilot program that can be tweaked. Attorney Rossmell summarized the actions to be taken as the program will be a Pilot Program for $100K to run to the next fiscal year, the program will not pay deposits for contractors, staff would administer the grants with appropriate reporting to the Board, the program will split the funds 50/50 to start out between Code and voluntary improvements, eligible recipients are single-family homeowners and landlords with long-term tenants with a focus more on owner occupied homes. The CRA Board would like to secure local, qualified contractors to work on the structures and provide options, and the CRA could directly pay contractors. If a lien could be remediated by the grant or work under the program, the property is eligible, but if the liens can not be remedied by the grant, the 10 Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 property would not be eligible, and the program should require staff to research if the property has a long history of multiple violations, there should be a limit on the number of liens and be limited by the funding amounts. She inquired whether the Board wanted to drop the funding amount to $10K. Discussion followed that the items on the list do not cost more than $10K, and eligible improvements can be limited to driveway and fence repairs and paving, or the top three to five items. Painting could be done as a homeowner. Board Member Turkin noted some people may be disabled and can't paint their own house. He did not want to limit the scope too much, as the items were recommended by Code. Chair Shelton thought the Pilot Program should be for homeowners that are currently homesteaded. Mr. Tack sought clarification that the program should be for homeowner occupied. Attorney Rossmell explained that no landlords at all could apply, only homesteaded property owners and the limit is $10K. Ms. Nicklien stated this will come back to the Board and an RFP for general contractors will be prepared. Mr. Tack suggested adding criteria to the improvements, such as for driveway improvements, that can be limited to minimum criteria for standards. B. Finalizing the Agendas for the CRA Board Workshop and the CRA -City Joint Special Meeting The items for the workshop were discussed and it was agreed the Residential Improvement Grants, the CRA/City Special Events and the budget will be discussed. Mr. Tack stated they will need a date and time for a workshop to discuss the CRA Property Acquisition. After discussion, there was agreement to meet on a Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 9 a.m. and the discussion will include the 211 property and boundary adjustments that Board Member Turkin had previously discussed. C. Discussion and Consideration of Approval of Memorandum of Understanding for Ocean Breeze West Attorney Rossmell reviewed some property dispositions that happened in the past that occurred with Habitat for Humanity. One of the single family homes escaped the restrictive covenants that were in place. They reviewed all of the properties and the history of the existing properties, and they determined that technically one lot under the 11 Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 program no longer contains the restrictions the required number of lots is still there and Habitat agreed to maintain and increase that number. They are proposing to enter into a mou for this property to memorialize what happened, and Habitat has already executed the MOU. They have an agreement how to move forward, and they are ensuring the funds were spent as was intended. Motion Board Member Cruz moved to approve the MOU for Ocean Breeze West and allow the Board Chair to execute. Board Member Kelley seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. D. Discussion and Consideration of Buyback Purchase and Sale Agreement for the Boynton Beach Office Condominium, LLC Project Located at 1102-1110 N. Federal Highway Theresa Utterback, Development Services Manager, stated that this item was heard in January and they provided a status, but in the meanwhile, they were under agreement to pay back any in-kind services that the CRA did not use and they defaulted on that, which led to invoking the reverter Clause. Both CRA and the entities legal department came to agreement to do reverter. Attorney Rossmell explained they are effecting this action through a Purchase and Development Agreement rather than using the reverter Clause. That was the process agreed to, it is functionally the same as a reverter and the CRA got the property back at the same price. Motion Board Member Kelley moved to approve the Buyback Purchase and Sale Agreement for the Boynton Beach Office Condominium, LLC Project Located at 1102-1110 N. Federal Highway. Vice Chair Hay seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 16. Future Agenda Items A. Discussion and Consideration of Request for Proposals (RFP) for Professional Services 17. Adjournment Motion Board Member Turkin moved to adjourn. Vice Chair Hay seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 12 Meeting Minutes Community Redevelopment Agency Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 9, 2026 The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 PM. djt:x��qC44 Catherine Cherry Minutes Specialist 13