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Minutes 03-16-95 NINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CITY CONMISSION NEETING HELD IN COMMISSION CHANBERS, CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON THURSDAY, #ARCH 16, 1995, AT 5:00 PRESENT Edward Harmening, Mayor Lynne Matson, Vice Mayor Matthew Bradley, Mayor Pro Tem Jose Aguila, Commissioner David Katz, Commissioner Carrie Parker, City Manager James Cherof, City Attorney Sue Kruse, City Clerk OPENINGS Call to Order Mayor Harmening called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. B, Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was led by Commissioner Katz. II, ELECTION ISSUES A, Canvassing and declaration of certified election returns from General Election held on March 14, 1995 Notion Commissioner Aguila moved to accept the election returns from the General Election held on March 14, 1995, certified by Jackie Winchester. Commissioner Katz seconded the motion which carried 5-0. B, Proclamation - Rbnoff Election Narch 28, 1995 Mayor Harmening read a proclamation in full, proclaiming that a runoff election will be held in the City of Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, on March 28, 1995, to election a mayor to serve a two-year term. III, PUBLIC AUDIENCE Robert Walshak, 137 Executive Circle, congratulated Sidney Rosen and Shirley Jaskiewicz. He wished them success in leading the City in the next two years. He stated that Commissioner Aguila did a nice job for four years and he wished him much success. He stated that he will always remember with profound respect Commissioner Katz' courage in taking a stand on human rights in which cultural barriers and prejudices would have been transcended. He will remember Commissioner Katz for making a difference in the quality of life for all human beings and making it a top priority on everyone's agenda. He thanked Commissioner Katz for this and wished him a lot of success. On behalf of his wife Barbara, Betty Zolten, and Nello and Marianne Tineri, Mr. Walshak wished Commissioner Katz lots of success. -1- NINUTE$ - SPECIAL CITY CONNISSION NEETING BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA NARCH 16, 1995 Nornmfl Aaron, 3273 Grove Road, President of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, stated that a void and a voice that may not be heard again soon will be created by Commissioner Katz leaving the Commission. He stated that Commissioner Katz has always been the voice of human rights for all people, which he has demonstrated by his actions. He stated that the City is losing a progressive, fair human being. He hoped the Commission has heard Commissioner Katz' message and will continue to fight for the residents of the City who are not always fairly represented. He wished Commissioner Katz good luck. Jack Wolfe, 3 Fenwick Place, stated that the two homeowners' associations that he is president of would love to be annexed into the City. Mr. Wolfe stated that Commissioner Katz is a credit to the community, not just for his two years of dedicated service to and for the people of Boynton Beach, but for his first class demeanor under pressure, his love of his family and friends, his ability to see it as the average citizen sees it, his compassion for the needy, his willingness to lay it out and lay it on the line, and to call it as he sees it. He stated that Commissioner Katz is a true, compassionate gentleman and a friend, and he wished him well in what he undertakes in his future years. #arle Tr~ylor, 1249 Gondola Court, is a member of the Police Benevolent Association. She stated that she and the people she works with think Commissioner Katz has done a great job. She stated that Commissioner Katz is loved and is going to be missed. She wished him good luck. Nancy DeLand, President of the Optimist Club of Boynton Beach, stated that Commissioner Katz has done a lot of work for the Optimist Club and the com- munity. She said he has been a great asset and she was proud to know him. stated that he has done a wonderful job and has made a difference. She Frank Houston thanked Commissioner Katz for his unwavering support of the human rights ordinance. He said Commissioner Katz chose not to intellectualize this topic and simply recognized that each citizen in the community is equal and must be guaranteed basic rights, regardless of sex, race, religious affiliation, or sexual orientation. He was honored to know someone with Commissioner Katz' strength of character and will always appreciate the work he has done for the City. IV, PRESENTATIONIACKNOWLEDGENENT AND APPRECIATION OF SERVICE TO CITY COle~IS$IONER$ City Manager Parker stated that she has enjoyed working with each and everyone on the Commission during the past eleven months. She presented plaques to Vice Mayor Matson, Mayor Pro Tem Bradley, Commissioner Aguila, and Commissioner Katz in appreciation for their many hours of dedicated service to the City of Boynton Beach. -2- #ZNUTE$ - SPEG~AL CZTY COle4~'$$ZON NEET:lNG BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MARCH 16, 1995 A. Remrk$ by Vice l~yor I~tson Vice Mayor Matson stated that Commissioner Aguila has made the past four years a total joy for her. She stated that he has been a true friend to her, and his honesty and integrity have shown through. She stated that his professionalism and intelligence have meant much to her. She will miss him and wished him and his family success and happiness in the future. She was overjoyed that Mr. Rosen and Mrs. Jaskiewicz will have the opportunity to serve the City in a larger capacity than they already have. She said they both have done so much for the City. She looked forward to spending her last year serving the City with them. She believes the residents have made it clear that they want people sitting on the Commission who will truly represent them; grassroots people who run clean campaigns without negativity. She com- mended Mr. Rosen and Mrs. Jaskiewicz for dealing strictly with the issues and rising above everything they had to rise above. She wished them luck. She wished Commissioner Katz and his family Godspeed and good luck in their future endeavors. B. Remrk$ by #,tyor Pro Tern Bradley Mayor Pro Tem Bradley stated that he has enjoyed working with Commissioners Katz and Aguila during the first year of his tenure. He said he has learned a lot from both of them, and even though there have been times when they disagreed, he truly believes that these two'men have the best interests of the City of Boynton Beach in their hearts. He said he will miss working with them and wished them both good luck in the future. Mayor Pro Tem Bradley stated that he looks forward to working with Mr. Rosen and Mrs. Jaskiewicz in continuing to realize the dreams this Commission and previous Commissions have had for Boynton Beach. He believes great strides will be made towards accomplishing those dreams. C. Remrks by ComalsslonerAgutla Commissioner Aguila stated that after four year in office, he reviewed some of the issues he campaigned on to see if he has fulfilled his promises to the citi- zens. He found that he was generally able to stand behind those promises. He believes the City is a better place today than it was four years ago when he took office and he believes that he, in conjunction with his fellow commis- sioners, have accomplished a great deal. However, he felt that we still have a very long way to go before the City reaches its full potential. He believes a great deal of effort needs to be made in leadership. He stated that even though the City is now in less chaos and is generally better than it was four years ago, there just has not been the leadership required for a com- munity this size. He stated that the City Commission should not be in the -3- #INUTE$ - SPECIAL CITY CONNI$$ION #EETING BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA NARCH 16, 1995 micromanagement of adminstration. He felt that is the job of the City Manager. He stated that the Commission should devote its energies in galvanizing the com- munity so that as partners the City can prosper and develop that sorely lacking vision which would guide us into our second century. He stated that the citi- zens should not think they have done their part just because they voted. He said voting is not enough. He hopes the new Commission is able to provide this leadership in the future. He congratulated Mr. Rosen and Mrs. Jaskiewicz for their victory and wished them success during their terms of service. He said it has been a pleasure to serve the City and hopes those improvements made so far will continue to grow at a more rapid pace. He thanked his fellow commissioners and wished them the best in their future endeavors. He thanked City Manager Parker for her guidance and patience. He thanked City Attorney Cherof for his wisdom and advice. He thanked all the City staff who have made his job easier. He thanked the citizens of Boynton Beach for the privilege of serving and hopes they feel he has done a good job for them. O, Remrk$ by C~mlssloner Katz Commissioner Katz congratulated Mrs. Jaskiewicz and Mr. Rosen and hoped they will come to this Commission ready to ask the hard probing questions of staff and those'that come before this body so that the City's quality of life is not diminished or tax dollars wasted. He said it was a pleasure working with Vice Mayor Matson and Mayor Pro Tem Bradley. He appreciated the time and effort Commissioner Aguila has given to the City in public service. He stated that Mayor Harmening is a decent and honest man, and that he knew Mayor Harmening would never hurt the City or its residents. He thanked City Manager Parker and her staff, especially Joyce Costello, Susan Berman, and Jean Birdsall, for their help in his desire to help the City and its residents during the past two years. He thanked City Clerk Suzanne Kruse and her staff, Janet Prainito, Eve Eubanks, Mary Anne Sarka, Dorothy Koch, and Jason Dacci. He stated that the City Clerk's Office performs a herculean job and they all do it well. He saluted the Recreation and Parks Department, the Golf Course, Public Works, Code Enforcement, the Library, and all the other depart- ments. Commissioner Katz stated that the firefighters, paramedics, and police are on the front line for our residents. On behalf of his wife, his sons, and the City, he thanked them and considered every one of them a friend. He stated that the City's firefighters, paramedics and police are the most hard-working pro- fessional and dedicated public servants any City could ever hope for. He hopes the Commission sees the light and reinstates their pay plan so that the City does not lose these dedicated professionals to other agencies. -4- #IHUTES - SPECIAL CITY COlINI$SIOll #EETIHG BOYHTON BEACH, FLORIDA #ARCH 16, 1995 Commissioner Katz stated that he has had the opportunity to be actively involved with many good things as a commissioner during the past two years. He said the Commission has brought good, clean industry to the City, e.g., Motorola, Office Max, Sports Authority, and numberous other nationwide chains that would not have chosen Boynton Beach if it was not professionally run and not a good quality City. He stated that the City now has a local bus service for the residents. He stated that this Commission has not raised taxes in the past two years. Parks have been built where there were none before. This Commission has moved forward with sensible annexation which will bring an additional $300,000.00 into the City. A new water treatment plant on Boynton Beach Boulevard is on line, and the old sewer plant was finally torn down. Commissioner Katz was most proud of the following accomplishments of this Commission: (1) saving the Seacrest Scrub; (2) funding $25,000.00 towards the contruction of the Leathers playground; and {3) securing a traffic light at Citrus Cove Elementary School. With regard to the Seacrest Scrub, he stated that he was actively involved in its preservation prior to being on the Commission. With regard to the Leathers playground, he advised that it will be built on the existing park site next to the Civic Center in the fall of this year. He urged everyone to participate and contribute to this great community effort. He said he will stay involved with this playground until the final nail goes in. Commissioner Katz stated that he has met and gotten to know many good people over the past two years. He thanked all. E, Remarks by Mm, yor Harmenlng Mayor Harmening felt the City is a better place because of Commissioner Aguila's abilities and service during the past four years. He said it has been a pleasure working with him. Mayor Harmening hated to see Commissioner Katz leave. He said it has also been a pleasure working with him. He felt Commissioner Katz has done a fine job in serving the City and that the City is better than it was before his aqrival. m At this time, Commissioners Aguila and Katz left the dais. ~ V. ADMINISTRATION OF OATHS OF OFFICE ; A. Commissioner ShlrleyJasklewlcz ) City Clerk Kruse administered the Oath of Office and Oath of Loyalty to Mrs. Jaskiewicz. -5- IIINUTES - SPECIAL CITY C0t411I$SION IIEETING 80YltTOIt BEACH, FLORIDA IIARCH 16, 1995 Commissioner Jaskiewicz signed the Oaths and took her place at the dais. B, Co~mlssloner Sidney Rosen City Clerk Kruse administered the Oath of Office and Oath of Loyalty to Hr. Rosen. Commissioner Rosen signed the Oaths and took his place at the dais. VI, RENARKS BY Ct)HIIISSIONERS A, Commissioner Shirley &esktewlcz Commissioner Jaskiewicz expressed her gratitude for the outstanding support she received in this election, not only from her own community, but from the entire City. She congratulated Michael Lyons. She stated that she and Hr. Lyons had decided from the very beginning that it was going to be a very clean campaign and that they were only going to discuss the issues that affected them and their ideas. She hoped he continues his interest in the City. Commissioner Jaskiewicz stated that she has spoken many times, but she has also listened very carefully to the concerns that were expressed to her. She does not intend to forget those concerns. She said they will be on her agenda and she intends to work on them. Commissioner Jaskiewicz said she is not afraid of big business coming into the City. She welcomes it; however, she does not welcome it in anyone's backyard. She hopes to enlarge the tax base by getting some nice clean business in Quantum Park so that the City would have the money to expand the programs that need to be expanded in the City. Commissioner Jaskiewicz hopes the citizens will continue to offer her their cooperation. She would like to see a lot more citizen input. She prays to God to be able to serve the City during the next two years in a way that is pleasing to all. She prays that when those two years are up, the people will express the same pride in her that they have in her tonight. B, Comnlssloner Sidney Rosen Commissioner Rosen said he took this assignment knowing full well what his responsibilities and duties are and what the City expects of him. His goal is to do a lot better than anyone before him. He did not mean this as a reflection upon any person he has succeeded. He hopes to make a very important contribu- tion to the City. He looked forward to working with Vice Mayor Matson, Mayor Pro Tem Bradley, and whoever the new mayor will be. He stated that Commissioners Aguila and Katz have been an inspiration to him, and he wished them well. -6- #ZNUTES - SPECIAL CZTY COI~Z$S[ON #EETZNG BOYNTON BEACH, FLORZDA I~RCH 16, 1995 At this point in the meeting, Vice Mayor Matson took the opportunity to con- gratulate Mr. Taylor and Mr. Warnke and wished them both good luck. VIZ. AD~OURN#ENT There being no further business to come before the Commission, the meeting prop- erly adjourned at 5:36 p.m. THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH Mayor ATTEST: Cit~ Clerk (One Tape) Mayor Pro Tem -7-