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Minutes 07-11-07 MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD REGULAR MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2007, AT 7:00 P.M. HELD IN THE CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA PRESENT: Brian Miller, Chair Eddie Mitchell, Vice Chair Belky Cruz Joyce Mura Victor Norfus Stanley Sorgman Phyllis Stern Brenda Lee Williams Regenia Scott, Manager, Neighborhood Services ABSENT: Blanche Hearst-Girtman I. Call Meeting to Order - Pledge of Allegiance Chair Miller called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mr. Sorgman. IV. Approval of Agenda (taken out of order) Motion Ms. Stern moved to approve the agenda as presented. Ms. Mura seconded the motion that passed unanimously. V. Approval of Minutes from June 13, 2007 Meeting Mr. Mitchell requested "Chief' Miller be corrected to "Chair" Miller in the second paragraph on page 8. Motion Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the minutes with the change. Mr. Sorgman seconded the motion that passed unanimously. 1 Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida July 11, 2007 VI. Announcements Ms. Williams announced St. John Missionary Baptist Church would be hosting the District Congress of Christian Education for the ensuing week, and many of the City Officials would be attending. Local programs were scheduled for Monday evening. Classes would be conducted during the day, and services would be conducted each evening. The festivities would culminate on Friday night with a youth pageant at the Church, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Anyone interested in attending should contact either Ms. Williams or Mr. Mitchell. The cost of the pageant tickets would be $10. Ms. Stern announced the September 12, 2007 board meeting would fall on Rosh Hashanah, a High Holy Day of Observance for the Jewish community. She advised she would be in New York for the holiday and would appreciate the board's consideration to postpone the September meeting for one week, if possible. Chair Miller advised the meeting would be rescheduled for a convenient date in September, after conferring with the City Clerk. Mr. Sorgman thanked Ms. Stern for reminding the board of the holiday. II. Roll Call (taken out of order) The Recording Secretary called the roll and determined a quorum was present. III. Recognition of Visitors. Not addressed. VII. Reports a) Boynton Beach Mall Hurricane Expo Report - Chair Miller Chair Miller advised he had the pleasure of coordinating the Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT) booth at the Expo. Mr. Sorgman and Ms. Mura participated as well. Ms. Mura advised quite a few people meandering through the mall stopped by the booth and picked up applications as well as other material. The County also had a CERT table and vendors. Material was available for everyone. Ms. Mura commented on the impressive turnout for the event. There were a number of CERT members in attendance, and a presentation was conducted from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 2 Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida July 11, 2007 Mr. Sorgman also commented on the success of the outing. The event was well attended and weather conditions were favorable. The CERT program received a good deal of recognition. Chair Miller thanked Ms. Mura and Mr. Sorgman for their assistance and their comments. b) Pride in Boynton: Street Lighting (FPL) Update - Chair Miller (Mr. Norfus arrived) Chair Miller announced, through the board's subcommittee on street lighting, additional lighting had been requested in several areas. The first three were in the Inlet Cove Association (INCA) area, at NE 15th Place. The first light on the street was to be upgraded from 70 watts to 150 watts. The last light on the street was to be upgraded from 100 to 150 watts. Residents had requested an additional light bulb be placed at the bend in the road, as the area was completely dark in the evenings. Chair Miller and Mr. Sorgman had visited the site and met with several residents. Additional upgrades from 70 to 150 watts were requested for the following areas: NW 10th Avenue 532 NW 10th Avenue 544 NW 10th Avenue NW 10th Avenue and the intersection of 4th Street 411 NW 10th Avenue Street NW 10th Avenue and the corner of 3rd Street NW 9th Avenue 427 NW 9th Avenue 512 NW 9th Avenue 542 NW 9th Avenue 558 NW 9th Avenue NW 9th Ave and NW 3rd Street Chair Miller conferred with residents in the above areas, and they were agreeable to the upgrades. 3 Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida July 11, 2007 Mr. Norfus commented, in following up on his street lighting petition, he believed there was a miscommunication between the City's contact person and Florida Power and Light (FPL). A City employee contacted Mr. Norfus, who appeared to be unaware of the manner in which this board addressed the lighting issues. Mr. Norfus could not recall the name of the employee, but pointed out it was not Jeff Livergood. The employee advised Mr. Norfus he was charged with the task of ensuring the lighting upgrades were implemented. Chair Miller pointed out Mr. Livergood received copies of the board's minutes, and upon his receipt thereof, Mr. Livergood would implement the actions called for in the minutes. He added Mr. Livergood might designate a staff member to handle this. However, Mr. Livergood was the person with whom the board worked on these matters. Chair Miller advised he would be meeting with Mr. Livergood and would provide the board with a complete update. He added the City had followed an implementation process, and this would be verified with Mr. Livergood at their meeting. Ms. Stern pointed out she was not aware of the lighting update requests as she did not attend last month's board meeting. She requested clarification with respect thereto. Chair Miller advised, pursuant to continuing efforts to ensure the safety of the City's neighborhoods, the board recommended improving the appearance and upgrading street lighting for certain locations. Ms. Stern believed this was positive action on the part of the board and applauded the board's efforts. Ms. Cruz requested an explanation of the board's function within the community. Ms. Stern believed the board served as an emissary on behalf of the community. Mr. Mitchell believed the lighting upgrades were an enormous responsibility and wondered whether improvements of this nature were a component of the mission established for the board. Mr. Sorgman was of the opinion that well-lighted areas were instrumental in reducing crime. If a community requested assistance with lights, stop signs or crosswalks, he believed it would be well worth the effort for the board to act upon these requests. Mr. Mitchell reminded the board of the question raised by Ms. Cruz as to the mission and purpose of the board. Chair Miller advised the response would be forthcoming. 4 Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida July 11, 2007 c) Golf outing for the youth - Phyllis Stern Ms. Stern reported on the success of the outing at Hunter's Run. Everyone appeared to be pleased with the refreshments, gifts, prizes, lessons and awards. Ms. Stern opined she hoped the event would be repeated next year. She expressed high praise for the proficiency of the golf pros. Chair Miller commented on a job well done and agreed the event should be continued next year. VIII. Old Business Chair Miller reported on the September 20, 2007 beautification cleanup in Poinciana Heights. President Doris Jackson, and her son and daughter led the event. Chair Miller and Mrs. Miller worked alongside Ms. Jackson and were joined by Steve Myott, former CRA Board Member, his daughter and several residents of the Poinciana Heights area. On the beautification side were Mr. Sorgman and Dan DeCarlo, who planted a new garden around the Poinciana Heights sign on Martin Luther King Boulevard (MLK) West. Area resident John Adams grew plants at his home, which he donated for the beautification effort. One of the City's bucket trucks collected debris. Two-thirds of the project was completed that day. Chair Miller expressed his appreciation for the spirit demonstrated by the community. Chair Miller and Ms. Jackson met with City Officials Friday afternoon prior to the event, and they agreed the two vacant lots at the intersection near the Poinciana Heights sign should be beautified. The grass had been attended to, and an arborator would take care of the trees within two weeks. Additionally, Chair Miller advised trash receptacles would be requested from the City and CRA to be distributed in the area. Chair Miller commented on the success of the event and hoped to see more volunteers in the future. IX. New Business b) Holiday Parade Subcommittee (taken out of order) Chair Miller called for volunteers for the hOliday parade subcommittee. He commented on the board's presence at last year's holiday parade and felt this should be continued. He believed the volunteers should be assembled at this time in order to provide the members with ample time to plan the event. 5 Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida July 11, 2007 Mr. Mitchell inquired as to the manner in which the event would be financed. Additionally, he noted from a newspaper article, the Neighborhood Services Department was going to be cut from the City's budget and as such, could no longer be relied upon for assistance. Chair Miller replied, as in the past, volunteer donations assisted in financing the event. Last year, residents donated signs, lights, microphones and decorations. A subcommittee established in July would facilitate enhancement of the event by providing more time to solicit donations. Ms. Williams noted she observed from a newspaper article that special events projects were also going to be cut from the City's budget. She wondered whether the holiday parade would be considered a special event and therefore removed from the budget. She suggested a committee be formed and put on hold until a final determination is made with regard to the budget. Chair Miller agreed the committee should be put on hold until it is determined whether the holiday parade would go forward. He then called for volunteers. Chair Miller and Messrs. Sorgman and Norfus volunteered to serve. It was noted for the record the holiday parade subcommittee consisted of Brian Miller, Stanley Sorgman and Victor Norfus. a) Pride in Boynton: Beautification Citywide Cleanup (October 13, 2007) - Chair Miller. Chair Miller advised, after conferring with presidents of the Heart of Boynton organizations and key City personnel, it was determined it would not be feasible to have another cleanup during the summer months, because of the heat. A consensus was reached to hold the event on October 13, 2007. To date, participants would include Galaxy Elementary School, Poinciana Elementary School, St. John Missionary Baptist Church, and St. Paul AME Church. Participating City employees included Jeff Livergood, Norman Turner, Tia Dobard, Assistant Fire Chief Jim Ness, several firefighters, and Recreation and Parks staff. Board members were encouraged to participate, and to invite residents from all districts of the City. Mr. Sorgman advised he was growing a number of plants at the nursery at Village Royal on the Green to be donated by his committee for various beautification projects in the City. 6 Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida July 11, 2007 Chair Miller commented both Galaxy and Poinciana Elementary Schools would be developing their own gardens, and the students would join the teachers in planting flowers and growing vegetables as part of the educational process. Non-Agenda Item Ms. Stern wished to address the creation of the Boynton Beach Assembly and the Community Relations subcommittee. Community Relations was one of five subcommittees established by the Boynton Beach Assembly as part of the implementation process. It appeared to Ms. Stern the Community Relations subcommittee focused on many of the issues addressed by the Community Relations Board (CRB). As such, Ms. Stern requested clarification with respect thereto. City Board Representative, Regenia Scott, advised she and two other staff members were assigned to the subcommittee, and would be reviewing the tasks mandated. This would also be addressed at the next meeting of the subcommittee in July 2007. In response to the request of Ms. Cruz, Chair Miller read into the record the mission and role of the CRB, as reflected in the CRB's brochure. Mr. Norfus commented on the lighting and believed this to be a Community Relations issue. He viewed this as a means of assisting in providing security to the community, as well as improving the implementation process and relationship between the residents and the City's Public Works Department. Chair Miller agreed with Mr. Norfus, adding all residents should be able to feel secure in their neighborhoods. He commended this board for stepping up to the plate and assisting in the lighting upgrades. Ms. Cruz thanked Chair Miller for providing clarification as to the board's function and responsi bi I ities. Chair Miller commented it appeared one of the Commissioners was putting a hold on the Gang Task Force presentation, as the program was successfully presented in many venues by the City's Police Department. Ms. Scott contended Vice Mayor Rodriguez was not putting a hold on the program. She referred to the creation of a Youth Violence Prevention Project (YVPP), comprised of an Executive and Steering Committee. One of the initiatives to be addressed was the prevention of youth violence. She advised Vice Mayor Rodriguez wanted to ensure uniformity, and the purpose and objectives of the YVPP before proceeding forward with 7 Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida July 11, 2007 other programs. She added Vice Mayor Rodriguez was not aware of the Police Depa rtment's presentation. Ms. Scott advised Ms. Cruz served on the Steering Committee of the YVPP and could serve as the liaison between the CRB and YVPP. The next meeting of the Steering Committee would be held July 12, 2007, while the next Executive Committee meeting was scheduled for July 18, 2007. Chair Miller inquired whether there were any other comments from the board. Mr. Sorgman advised he wished to announce the CERT program scheduled for Saturday, July 13, 2007. The briefing would begin at 7:30 a.m., and the actual exercise at 8:30 a.m. The program would last for approximately two hours and would include a drill, firefighting exercise, staged auto accident, helicopter rescue mission and terrorist attack. The event was not open to the public. Four CRB board members were also members of the CERT team. Ms. Williams requested the board follow the agenda. If an item were to be added, it should be added at IV. Approval of Agenda. x. Adjournment Ms. Stern moved to adjourn. Ms. Norfus seconded the motion that passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:08 p.m. ~k~ R- Stephanie D. Kahn Recording Secretary 8