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Minutes 02-13-08 MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2008, AT 7:00 P.M. IN CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA PRESENT: Brian Miller, Chair Blanche Hearst-Girtman, Vice Chair Bel ky Cruz Eddie Mitchell Joyce Mura Victor Norfus Stanley Sorgman Phyllis Stern Judy Immer, Alternate Thelma Lyons, Neighborhood Services ABSENT: Brenda Williams, Alternate I. Call Meeting to Order - Pledge of Allegiance to Flag Chair Miller called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Mr. Mitchell led the board and guests in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. II. Roll Call The Recording Secretary called the roll. A quorum was present. III. Recognition of Visitors Visitors in the audience were recognized. IV. Approval of Agenda This item was not addressed. V. Approval of Minutes from January 9, 2008 Meeting Motion Ms. Mura moved approval. Vice Chair Hearst-Girtman seconded the motion that passed unanimously. Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 13, 2008 VI. Announcements: Boynton Beach Heritage Celebration Ms. Immer was introduced to the board by Chair Miller. · Ezell Hester Center - February IS-17th, 2008 - All-day activities The Boynton Beach Heritage celebration would be held at the Hester Center from February 15-17, 2007, with activities taking place throughout the day. · Downtown Boynton - Free Concert February 23,2008,7:00 p.m.- The Commodores As part of the Heritage Celebration, a free concert would be held on Saturday night, February 23, 2008, featuring The Commodores. Chair Miller and several of the board members attended the February 9, 2008 opening of the Sarah Sims Center at Wilson Park. At least 200 people were in attendance, and the event was spectacular. Chair Miller encouraged everyone to visit the state of the art facilities, which were designed for children as well as adults. The center contained meeting rooms, outdoor basketball courts, and an aquatic center. Joint events would be held with the Sims Center and the Poinciana Magnet School. VII. Reports/Updates: a) Pride in Boynton Update - Brian Miller Chair Miller noted the board was continuing to work with Poinciana school students in planting flowers and vegetables, in the hopes the students would start their own gardens at home. This would be done with Boynton Beach High School students as well. Now that the Galaxy School would remain open, it had been painted and landscaped. The board's next project would be working with the students at Galaxy, and Chair Miller encouraged board members and those in the audience to participate. Ms. Stern reminded the board that Hunter's Run would be sponsoring the tennis carnival on April 26, 2008 between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. She requested the board encourage students they knew from elementary school through high school to participate. The program had proven successful every year. The event would be advertised in FunFare. Chair Miller noted the trash receptacles ordered several months ago for the Heart of Boynton area would be received within the next few weeks. Mrs. Sullivan and Mr. Aikens, City residents, and several board members selected specific locations in the 2 Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 13, 2008 Heart of Boynton for the placement of the receptacles. If additional receptacles were needed, locations could be expanded. The CRA was funding the cost of the receptacles, as the Heart of Boynton was situated in the CRA district. Sister Lorraine Ryan, The Women's Circle, 145 NE 4th Avenue, applauded the board's gardening efforts with the schools and advised her group maintained community gardens at Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (MLK) and Seacrest, and the triangle gardens off Seacrest. She understood there would be an item on the next City Commission agenda pertaining to the City's withdrawal from the program, and hoped the board would join her group in protesting this action. Her group had worked diligently to beautify the area. She questioned the City's impression that the sum of $16,000 was expended on water for the gardens. With regard to crime prevention, she had attempted to have lights placed at NE 1st Street. Chair Miller suggested Sister Ryan provide the location to Mr. Norfus, and the lighting subcommittee would include this information in the next request to the City for additional lights. Ms. Stern also suggested Sister Ryan contact the Sun Sentinel Neighborhood Watch. Mr. Sorgman noted a seminar was held the first two weeks of this month by the Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT) committee. Four board members were certified members of the CERT committee, and were an asset to the City Ms. Stern, a CERT member, advised she was not prepared to coordinate efforts during a recent pending tornado. Ms. Mura suggested issues pertaining to CERT be addressed at a CERT meeting. IX. New Business: Crime Watch - Officer Robert Kellman, Florida Crime Prevention Practitioner (taken out of order) Partnership between the City and Boynton Beach Police Department, in expanding the Crime Watch Program Chair Miller noted the board had received requests for this program over the last few years and had publicized this meeting through flyers, the radio, newspapers, churches and personal visits to homeowners and condominium complexes. He thanked everyone in attendance but also expressed disappointment that the meeting was not better attended. Officer Kellman advised he was assigned to the Crime Prevention Unit in the Police Department and dealt with many community-oriented programs to ensure all issues were heard and addressed. He thanked Chair Miller for inviting him to speak at the meeting, and hoped a Neighborhood Watch Program could be established. Neighborhood Watch encouraged citizens to become good neighbors and to serve as 3 Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 13, 2008 the "extra eyes and ears" for the Police Department. A Neighborhood Watch brochure and community concern cards were provided. Officer Kellman requested everyone review the information at home. The ultimate goal of the program was to reduce residential crime in the neighborhood. Officer Kellman discussed the significance of the cooperation and support of a Neighborhood Watch Program and the Citizens on Patrol (COP) program. He encouraged those in attendance to introduce their neighbors to the concept of Neighborhood Watch. Officer Kellman could be contacted with any questions. If a Neighborhood Watch Program were established, signage would be provided at no charge. While the police officers would appreciate the opportunity to contact a citizen reporting an incident, a citizen could remain anonymous if they chose to do so. A citizen's right to privacy would always be respected. Another manner of reporting an incident was through the community concern cards provided by Officer Kellman. Citizens would complete the cards, providing the specifics and location of an incident, and mail the cards to the Police Department. Upon receipt of the cards, the police would take the appropriate action. Officer Kellman explained Neighborhood Watch need not be comprised of homeowners' associations. It was a resident-based program. A captain was required for each block, and the greater the participation, the more effective the program would be. In order to establish the program, Officer Kellman suggested a minimum of 30 participants, covering a radius of five or six blocks. The group could set boundaries for the particular area to be covered. Chair Miller noted Mr. Norfus' interest in forming a Neighborhood Watch in his area. Officer Kellman agreed to provide assistance and stressed the significance of making initial contacts and maintaining recruitment. Officer Kellman addressed the issue of renters and the manner in which Neighborhood Watch could assist in ensuring the renters were complying with the City's Codes. In instances where renters were not in compliance, he suggested the violator be made aware of the situation and possible ramifications. In the alternative, Neighborhood Watch could contact the property owner. James McCray, resident of West Palm Beach, attended church services in Boynton Beach. He suggested churches and community organizations offer programs as to the manner in which Neighborhood Watch Programs could be established. 4 Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 13, 2008 Mark Karageorge, 240A Main Boulevard, Code Compliance board member, commended Officer Kellman for his support in educating youths in the prevention of crime. Officer Kellman had promoted the Gangbuster Cartoon Book, which encouraged youngsters to report incidents to their parents. Other cities admired Boynton's community-based policing effort. Mr. Karageorge also discussed Code violations and the manner in which they were addressed by staff and the Code Compliance Board. Officer Kellman requested Vice Chair Hearst-Girtman complete one of the community concern cards with regard to incidents which had occurred in her neighborhood. He noted there were four new police officers and a new sergeant assigned to the CRA district, and they would focus on the Heart of Boynton area. Officer Kellman pointed out Neighborhood Watch did not require participants to patrol in cars, and incidents could be reported by participants in areas other than their own neighborhoods. Crime prevention programs under the auspices of the Police Department included Neighborhood Watch, Parking Enforcement, and the Juvenile First Offender program. Code Compliance was a City department. Issues pertaining to trash and other violations were addressed by Code Compliance. There was no cost to participants in the Neighborhood Watch Program. Block captains were regularly notified of incidents occurring in the City and were provided with distribution lists and emails containing this information. A website was being created that would replace the distribution lists. Officer Kellman indicated there were more than 50 Neighborhood Watch groups in Boynton Beach. Sister Lorraine Ryan, The Women's Circle, 145 NE 4th Avenue, advised her organization taught Creole. She noted many of the renters in the areas of 6th Avenue and 4th Avenue were Haitian Americans. She believed the community would be amenable to the idea of a Neighborhood Watch program. Brenda Lynch, Village Royale, noted a good deal of vandalism had occurred in her area, and requested Officer Kellman speak to the residents. x. Adjournment (taken out of order) Motion Ms. Cruz moved to end the meeting. Ms. Stern seconded the motion that passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:28 p.m. 5 Meeting Minutes Community Relations Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 13, 2008 Officer Kellman provided his telephone number, 561, 742-6848 or 6849, and that of the Police Department, 561-742-6100, Community Action Team (CAT). VIII. Old Business: a) Board discussion of 2008 agenda: · Future items for 2008 suggestion - Board members This item was not discussed. ~...< V-- Stephanie D. Kahn Recording Secretary 022008 6