Loading...
MInutes 05-12-26MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026, AT 6:00 P.M. ONLINE AND IN-PERSON IN THE CITY HALL COMMISSION CHAMBERS 100 E. OCEAN AVENUE, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA PRESENT: Rebecca Shelton, Chair Thomas Turkin, Vice Chair Angela Cruz, Board Member Mack McCray, Board Member Aimee Kelley, Board Member 1. Call to Order Dan Dugger, Executive Director Amanda Radigan, Development Director Kathryn Rossmell, Board Counsel Chair Shelton called the meeting to order at 6 PM. 2. Invocation The Invocation was given by Commissioner McCray. 3. Pledge of Allegiance The members recited the Pledge to the Flag, led by Board Member Kelley. 4. Roll Call The Minutes Specialist called the Roll. A quorum was present. 5. Agenda Approval None. A. Additions, Deletions, Corrections to the Agenda B. Adoption of Agenda Motion Board Member Kelley moved to approve. Board Member McCray seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 6. Legal None. Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 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 Board Member McCray announced he attended Meet Your Neighbors at 7:05 PM and it was in full swing and all had a great time. Board Member Kelley said there is a resident from Boynton Beach competing on Chopped Castaways which was airing tonight. Hanna Flora is a world -renown Chef. 8. Information Only A. CRA Economic & Business Development Grant Program Update B. Heart of Boynton Shops Project Update C. Project Update on the Residential Improvement Grant Program Rules & Regulations D. Annual Reports as required by the Tax Increment Revenue Funding Agreements for CRA Development Projects E. Miscellaneous Quarterly Reports for January - March 2026 9. Announcements and Awards A. Rock the Plaza at Ocean Plaza on May 16, 2026, from 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM Mercedes Coppin, Business Development Manager, announced their first Rock the Plaza event of the season this Saturday from 2 PM to 6 PM to spotlight businesses at Ocean Plaza, at 640 E Ocan Avenue. This free event hosts live music, promotions, and complimentary samples to the restaurants and free family friendly activities. She advised free limited parking is available at 115 N Federal Highway Motion Board Member McCray moved to move item 15 G up on the agenda. Board Member Kelley seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Motion Board Member Turkin moved to also move up item 12 as they are related. Board Member McCray seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 4 Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 15 G. Discussion and presentation of the Four -Part CRA Assessment (Heard out of Order) Dan Dugger, Executive Director, said that anything regarding transitions and restructuring is not a great thing and it creates anxiety with staff. He advised that there were personnel changes that occurred and four staff positions were eliminated. He said that going forward, there will be some promotions and Interlocal Agreements that in the future, will be rolled into the City, but the CRA will remain an independent agency and its core mission will be preserved. Mr. Dugger reviewed four areas of the Summary, which were Governance, Finances, Operations & Staffing, and Legl Compliance, as contained in the meeting materials. He reviewed the CRA's past performance and leadership and advised staff was not looking for fraud, nor was any found, rather they found six issues as follows: • There is $39.8M sitting in a non-interest bearing account. The estimated loss of opportunistic revenue was between $8M and $12M. • There are no formal agreements for City services. • There are duplicated staff roles. • Legal fees were $405K a year. If the City takes over procurement, The CRA can save money and an ILA will come back to the Board. • Events program unauthorized, it is a gray area although the FRA issued an opinion. • Key support roles are unfunded. Mr. Dugger highlighted the total direct annual savings is about $532K to $608K a year. The estimated annual improvement from direct savings, debt retirement and investment policy implementation is $4.6M to $4.9M. Mr. Dugger advised that Ms. Coppin will have an expanded role, and the two positions held by Ms. Utterback and Ms. Nicklien will be elevated to director level positions. He said administrative functions are consolidated. City leadership was appointed, with Mr. Dugger being the Executive Oversight Officer, Assistant City Manager, Adam Temple, will serve as the CRA Executive Director and Amanada Radigan, the Development Director, as Deputy Executive Director. He commented that accountability systems were created and noted that if the CRA sunsets in 2044, the City between should see $30M in annual revenue. He commented that if the members wanted to discuss the key findings further, they could meet with him. Board Member Cruz wanted it on record that the CRA funds that will be invested will have the principal preserved and protected. Alan Lawson, City Finance Director, advised that Florida Statute 218.415 that governs investments by municipalities and CRAs commented the CRA missed out on earning Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 $1.8M by not holding the funds in an interest bearing account. He mentioned that the City Finance Department manages its cash balance and how it is being handled on a daily basis. He announced they use money-market account and it is a very low risk investment. Board Member Turkin thought there was a lot of redundancy between the City and CRA. Board Member McCray was glad it was going to remain a separate agency and cautioned not to comingle CRA and City funds. He announced he was glad there were promotions, but commented he was taken aback about a property on MLK. He stated when the CRA provides funding, entities need to be good stewards. Board Member Kelley said that they had lots of conversations with staff, and it is also their job to protect and bring in funds to further their jobs and acts. She thanked Mr. Lawson and looked forward to open communication and seeing what's next for the CRA. A. Item 12 Request for Authorization to Open Money Market Account - TABLED ON APRIL 14, 2026 TO A DATE CERTAIN ON MAY 12, 2026 Motion Board Member Turkin moved to remove Item 12 from the Table. Board Member McCray seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Lawson stated that TD Bank has three accounts and they are looking to move funds to a higher interest bearing account. He said that he is currently evaluating other banks to come into the portfolio, but he need permission to move the $36M to an account with three plus percent interest rate. Board Member Turkin was ok with it and said the Board was looking for a loan for land acquisition, and they can purchase property and decide what will be built. He said the former director was using a loan as leverage. He said that they should have that conversation with these banks and let them know they may be doing this and it may lead to a better interest rate. Board Member McCray inquired if Mr. Lawson overlooked any banks. Mr. Lawson said the word is getting out and the banks are contacting him. Board Member Kelley asked what changed in the policy that strengthened it. Attorney Rossmell explained that it was originally presented for excess funds and what is now being presented is more like a checking account. She said that CRA's do not have reserves, so it was a trickier question under the policy. She said they updated the language and because the CRA's financial policies are under consideration and right now E Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 requires Board action, this would allow the Executive Director and the Financial Team to treat these monies more as the City's monies are treated moving forward. She explained that it is a change in the purpose to be more like an active account and adapt the policies to be more like what is being presented. Motion Vice Chair Turkin moved to approve Item 12A. Board Member McCray seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Susan Oyer suggested the Board look at Chase Bank and stated that they have several accounts that pay significantly more and they have more protections than others over the $250K limit and they have ways to tack up accounts to have larger amounts insured. 10. Public Comments Chair Shelton read a statement. governing the Public Comment portion of the agenda. Ms. Oyer stated the Palm Beach County Historical Society is awarding the Fannie James Pioneer Achievement Award to a Boynton Beach resident, Jean Ann Bridgeman Thurber, on Wednesday, May 271h at 5:30 P.M. She stated it is a difficult award to get, and she is a descendant from four pioneer families and was fighting hard to save Woodlawn Cemetery. She was assistant Principal at Atlantic High School and was an art teacher for years. She said Ms. Thurber was a notable artist in the County and that she saved all of her family's items for generations and donated them to the Palm Beach County Historical Society for their permanent collection. She announced Ms. Thurber just turned 88. No one else coming forward, Public Comment was closed 11. Consent Agenda A. Approval of the Joint CRA Board/City of Boynton Beach Commission Meeting Minutes for April 14, 2026 B. Approval of the CRA Board Meeting Minutes for April 14, 2026 C. Approval of the Joint CRA Board/City of Boynton Beach Commission Meeting Minutes for April 21, 2026 D. CRA Financial Report Period Ending April 30, 2026 E. Approval of a Waiver for the Commercial Rent Reimbursement Grant Program to Bungalow at Boynton LLC d/b/a The Bungalow Bar & Grill located at 511 NE 4th Street 5 Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 Approval of Five Commercial Economic Development Grant Program Applications F. Approval of the Second One (1) Year Extension of Contract with Vincent and Sons Landscaping, Inc. for Lawn Maintenance of CRA Owned Properties G. Approval of 13131 Development, LLC's Request for Extension of Construction Commencement per the First Amendment to the Tax Increment Revenue Funding Agreement for the Ocean One Project located at 114-222 N. Federal Highway H. Approval of the First Amendment to the Tax Increment Revenue Funding Agreement with BB North LLC for The Villages located at 405 E. Ocean Avenue Motion Vice Chair Turkin moved to approve. Board Member McCray seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 12. Pulled Consent Agenda Items A. Request for Authorization to Open Money Market Account - TABLED ON APRIL 14, 2026, TO A DATE CERTAIN ON MAY 12, 2026 This item was heard earlier in the meeting. 13. CRA Advisory Board A. Honoring Boynton Beach Heisman Heroes Presentation Alexandria Lopresto, Chair of the CRA Advisory Board, along with George Feldman and Deborah Tarca were present. Chair Alexandria explained that they were tasked with developing recommendations for the above and the recommendations can be incorporated into the CRA District and/or City. She reviewed the presentation as contained in the meeting materials and commented the proposed location is the Ezell Hester Jr. Park, home of the Boynton Beach Bulldogs, and a park that many youth ride their bikes to, which is outside of the CRA District. She reviewed community engagement strategies including murals, street renaming concepts with memorial signs, and banners and a Walk of Fame. Board Member McCray said he appreciated the work and said years ago a member of the Butler family was the first African-American to play on the NFL, and he stated it is important to remember where you came from. He said he liked the presentation and liked Al Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 the stars. He also noted that years ago, Rick Rosen, was a baseball player from Boynton Beach. He thought it was a good branding tool. Board Member Kelley loved the Walk of Fame, and said its 100 yards of recognition. She thought they would want to recognize athletes from Boynton Beach. She noted Lamar Jackson plays football with the kids and gives back to the community. She supported recognition for Boynton athletes. Vice Chair Turkin thought the presentation had great content and asked if they can use CRA funds, and thought there was a lot of opportunity for the initiative, perhaps as an entryway feature. He wanted consensus to move this forward on the staff level. He thanked the CRA Advisory Board for their efforts. 14. Old Business A. Consideration of a Letter of Intent from Lennar Homes LLC as a Result of a Notice to Dispose 419 N. Seacrest Boulevard Bonnie Nicklien, Grants and Project Manager, stated after the March 9th meeting they issued a notice to dispose, which was issued on March 13th, was published in the Palm Beach Post, the CRA website published, posted in the City Hall Lobby and mailed it to their interested party list to get the word out. Interested parties had 30 days to respond and they received one response from Lennar Homes. She said Lennar Homes proposed to place the homes closer on the west side of the property and have the homes on Seacrest front on NE 3rd and 41h Avenues. She reviewed the home features and stated the homes are deed restricted for 15 years for affordability and provide a fencing and landscape buffer on the Seacrest side. She reviewed the home features commented that it requires a $10K deposit, a purchase price of $70K and a sales price of $370K. The sale of the homes would be through the County Affordable Housing program via a lottery. If approved, staff would draft the terms into the purchase and development agreement. Chair Shelton supported the item. Vice Chair Turkin supported the item and talked about the lottery system. He supported the homes go to Boynton Beach residents. He said that developers have requirements to meet for workforce housing. He noted that developers come and say what they want to do. In return for CRA tax dollars, he noted they may not always get the best product and the City is tied as to who is getting the homes. They are leveraging tax dollars from residents to provide subsidized housing for people outside of the City. He said there is a need, and he was looking how to change it. He wanted to contract with a General Contractor to do a self build, self lottery with Boynton residents. He favored putting Boynton residents first and have an internal workforce housing fund. Attorney Rossmell stated they are discussing items 14 A & B together. Irl Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 Board Member Kelley said in the past, there is a way to get the word out earlier to Boynton Beach residents than from reaching the market. Ms. Nicklien agreed and staff can share their experience with the Cottage District and their interested parties list to get the word out and ensure the residents have the back up to know what they need to produce. Board Member Kelley wanted Boynton Beach residents to have priority and help ensure they will qualify. Ms. Utterback said out of the 41 Cottage District homes, 13 Boynton residents obtained homes. Ms. Radigan agreed there are ways for the CRA to build affordable housing and market to Boynton Beach residents. She said she will bring something back. Ms. Utterback said about 40% of Boynton residents qualified. Board Member Kelley noted the program brings people in to the City, that may become employees in the City Board Member Cruz understood the reason they go with County workforce housing, is because the developer is adhering to the County's requirement to build affordable/workforce in the County on this property. She said the CRA is doing a similar thing by giving away land worth more than $70K for $70K to provide an affordable benefit for local residents. She commented the Board should try to hone in on Boynton Beach residents acquiring those properties. She thought they should continue to purchase land without it counting towards the County's program thereby serving Boynton Beach residents. Board Member McCray agreed and noted SHIP funding and the CDC's are available. He thanked Lennar and pointed out this project is across from the Cottage District. Motion Board Member McCray moved to approve item 14A. Board Member Kelley seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. B. Consideration of Terms for a Purchase and Development Agreement with Lennar Homes LLC for the Development of Affordable/Workforce Infill Housing Ms. Nicklien reviewed the item as the terms were different. She said she met with Lennar on March 25t", to discuss a few items, such as adding lanais and concrete driveways, landscaping and larger homes for larger sites as contained in the meeting materials. Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 Chair Shelton left the dais at 7:94 p.m. She reviewed the terms and said one Belmont home is for low income, five Belmont homes are for moderate 1 income and one Columbus home is for moderate 2. She announced all the homes would be ready in seven months from City building permit issuance. The homes mirror Palm Beach County Workforce Housing program on a lottery based selection and Lennar can build six foot PVC privacy fencing, and if so, Lennar would want a $61K credit. The Board reviewed the different housing facade and selected facade B Chair Shelton returned at 7.96 p.m. Vice Chair Turkin inquired why Lennar's top product, the Next Gen model, was not presented, and learned the lot size was not deep enough. The Board liked fagade B for the Columbus model. Vice Chair Turkin thought fences should be available if the resident wants it without the credit. A representative from Lennar agreed they can provide fences as optional and bear that expense. Motion Board Member Cruz moved to approve. Vice Chair Turkin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. C. Consideration of the Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement for On -Demand Transportation Service with Circuit Transit Inc. (REVISED 5/8/26) Vice Chair Turkin left the dais at 7:23 p.m. Ms. Nicklien presented the item and stated the request is for a 5% increase, and they have not had an increase since 2024. Staff felt the increase is reasonable. Chair Shelton said that she had an issue with the way it is currently operating and she would like to see a change or seek an alternate provider. She noted in other cities, other providers make money via advertising. Vice Chair Turken returned to the dais at 7:29 p.m. Vice Chair Turkin said that there are a lot of vendors that offer the same service and they leverage advertising from other businesses. He thought they should renegotiate costs and if they are not interested, the Board should look for another vendor for less. 9 Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 Attorney Rossmell clarified that the Board renewed the contracts last February so they are under contract until February 2027, but has exit options. Board Member Kelley thought staff should look at other options and noted this is a pilot program. Motion Board Member Kelley moved to approve the renewal letter to Amendment 2 with Circuit. Board Member McCray seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. D. Consideration of the Commercial Property Improvement Grant Program to Potiwa Pizza LLC located in the Heart of Boynton Shops at 137 NE 10th Avenue, Unit 104 Ms. Nicklien explained the CRA Board granted the applicant a 60 -day extension to make progress on construction and to report back by April 30th. She said on April 281h, they submitted a change of contractor to the Building Department, which was approved. She explained the unit was still a shell, and the unit was released to the applicants in April 2025 The owner and CEO of Potiwa Pizza, Jude Vaillant, was present and said that he is working hard to get things done. He explained that they had a problem with Atlantic Coast, who was hired for the build -out. They requested the plans be submitted and they did not receive them. He noted that they spent about $96K for 30% of the work on the mechanical alone and that he received an email from them, indicating that they cannot continue with build out process and that the company was sold to another entity. He said that they found another contractor who is working on a plan and the scope of work and they will provide documents this week and apply for the permits. Vice Chair Turkin noted that there was a lot of delay and other units had contractors. He commented that all the units used Centennial for their build -outs and asked why he didn't want to use Centennial. Ms. Nicklien explained the Developers Agreement said Centennial would do the build -out and then there was a delay, so they came before the Board with the issues, and Board allowed the tenants to use who they want. She noted only two tenants did not use Centennial. She said that RS Construction had to do underground plumbing and then poured the floor. Potiwa took control of the unit in April 2025. She noted they have two certificates of Occupancy for those eight units and two more would be received by the end of this month Vice Chair Turkin asked what the hold up was as others completed the build out. He wanted to consider if granting an extension would be a disservice to the residents as there are restaurants that want to come in. 10 Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 Lucika Suarez, the Project Manager, said the plans needed to be revised, which was another hold up. She said that the architect at the firm had an internal conflict with the engineers. The person who was supposed to deliver the equipment, went on vacation which caused a conflict. She said that she had been updating Ms. Nicklien and that the plans were signed, sealed and delivered and they were able to use the plan to obtain a permit and get under a contract. She said they are not avoiding anything and they are conducting due diligence. Chair Shelton asked if they are able to finish the project financially and learned they could. Motion Board Member McCray moved to approve a 60 -day extension, proof of financial viability, and to report back. If no positive movement is made, they drop the project. Vice Chair Turkin seconded for discussion There was brief discussion on how long to give. Motion Vice Chair Turkin amended the motion to add a 60 -day timeline to secure financing, provide a project timeline and address permits revisions, and provide an update in 30 days. Motion Board Member McCray amended his motion to the above. Vice Chair Turkin agreed to the amendment. The motion passed unanimously. 15. New Business A. Consideration of the Commercial Business Relocation Grant Program Guidelines and Application for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Mercedes Coppin, Business Development Manager, said staff is working to support businesses to relocate, which she reviewed as contained in the meeting materials She reviewed eligible and ineligible expenses and application eligibility requirements. She explained the program proposed two funding tiers; expenses moving into the City limits of Boynton Beach and $15K for businesses that remain in the CRA area. Staff proposed reallocating $75K within the Business Development Budget which could accommodate about five businesses. Board Member Kelley said she was concerned about multi-year leases with two years remaining. She said if someone is a long-time tenant, and the building is purchased by 11 Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 a new owner, the tenant may now be in a short-term lease. She requested staff look at - other language, for long-term tenants in this situation. Ms. Coppin said they -can change the language. Vice Chair Turkin inquired about ineligibility and marketing. Ms. Coppin explained the CRA already has rent programs in place. She said businesses can apply annually for rent reimbursement and commercial property improvement funds separately. Vice Chair Turken inquired if they could reuse the grants if they had received one. He thought they should help promote the transition and if they could add some type of mechanism to approve these on a case-by-case basis. He further thought they should open the program up and market outside of the City. Attorney Rossmell said that is in a gray area, and she would like to research it. Board Member Cruz supported Board Member Kelley's comments. Attorney Rossmell suggested they approve the program with the updated language to allow the alternate to history instead of a tiered lease and include additional market expenditures if moving outside the CRA area subject to final legal review. Motion Vice Chair Turkin moved to approve. Board Member McCray seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. B. Consideration of Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Reallocation for Commercial Business Relocation Grant Program Ms. Coppin presented the item and explained this is to approve the budget reallocation for the preceding item. Motion Board Member Kelley moved to approve the budget reallocation of $75K. Board Member Cruz seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. C. Consideration of the Purchase of 221 NE 9th Avenue Theresa Utterback, Development Services Manager, explained that this property is adjacent to property the CRA owns. At one point, they allocated properties to continue 2nd Street straight through, or to land bank, so anything on MILK would have sufficient fim Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 parking or whatever the Board decides. She said they will continue to purchase land on that corridor as it is one of the last big properties. The property was offered at appraised value and they accepted it. She noted the property is a double lot. Motion Board Member McCray moved to approve. Board Member Cruz seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. D. Consideration of Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Reallocation for Property Purchase of 221 NE 9th Avenue Ms. Utterback said she has a balance of $421 K in the Property Acquisition line item and the above purchase price was $628K. She noted there is $250K in a line item for a storm water program that was rolled over for two years and would likely not be used. Staff recommended to use those funds for the purchase. Motion Board Member McCray moved to approve. Board Member Kelley seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. E. Discussion Regarding CRA Strategic Planning Including Redistricting, Property Acquisition Plan / Loan & CRA Plan Update Ms. Radigan asked if the Board is interested in the above item and added that if the Board recommends all three, they should provide the order to implement, which would be the redistricting, then the CRA plan update and the property acquisition would be part of it and the two items would be consolidated. She noted that if they move forward with all three, the workshop could be cancelled. Vice Chair Turkin supported all three of these and supported postponing the workshop until such time as staff recommends. Motion Vice Chair Turkin moved to postpone the workshop. Board Member McCray seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. F. Approval of Amended Classification and Pay Plan including the Establishment of Four New Position Classifications and one updated classification (ADDED 5/8/26) Ms. Radigan stated this item was part of the transition and it creates a new job classification and associated pay rates. She announced Ms. Utterback would be promoted to CRA Development Services Director, and Bonnie Nicklien is promoted to 13 Meeting Minutes CRA Board Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2026 CRA Economic Development Director. She noted they updated other positions as contained in the meeting materials. Board Member McCray commented this was long overdue. Motion Board Member McCray moved to approve. Vice Chair Turkin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. G. Discussion and presentation of the Four -Part CRA Assessment This item was previously discussed. 16. Future Agenda Items Vice Chair Turkin asked to get consensus to look into developing a workforce housing project internally, or at least having a strong local presence, including family members of residents and discussing it as a future agenda item. Board Member Cruz also supported continuing to work with the private sector without the county workforce housing credits, and she would like information about liabilities and other associated issues with the item to be presented together when the item is heard. 17. Adjournment Motion Vice Chair Turkin moved to adjourn. Board Member McCray seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned 8:11 p.m. Ll a-twuwt C Catherine Cherry Minutes Specialist 14