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Minutes 06-11-97 MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD MEETING HELD AT THE TREASURE CHEST EARLY LEARNING CENTER, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1997, AT 7:30 P.M. PRESENT Ron Washam, Chairman Wilfred Hawkins, Assistant to the Elizabeth Jenkins, Vice Chairperson City Manager Ronald Bair Off. David Egnor Joy Currier Blanche Girtman Jill Verderosa Brenda Lee Williams Dee Zibelli Arthur Berman, Alternate ABSENT Belky Cruz Mary Jo McVey, Alternate I. OPENING, PLEDGE, PRAYER Chairman Washam called the meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was led by Ms. Blanche Girtman. A moment of silent prayer was observed. II. ROLL CALL The Recording Secretary called the roll. Ms. Williams and Mr. Hawkins were not yet present. III. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS Officer David Egnor of the Boynton Beach Police Department was present, along with several citizens, all of whom introduced themselves. Chairman Washam thanked Blanche and Angela Girtman for allowing the board to meet at the Treasure Chest Early Learning Center. He advised that this year, the board will be holding its meetings at different facilities in various communities. He also advised that this board is an advisory board to the City Commission of Boynton Beach. The board tries to obtain information from the community and advise the City MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 11, 1997 Commission on what is happening in the City. This is a people oriented board which tries to bridge the gap between the local government and the people who live in the community. If there is a problem, the people can come to the Community Relations Board for assistance. The members of this board are very plugged into different areas of the City. Also, throughout the year, the board sponsors events that will promote positive interaction between the City government and the citizens, such as the Multi- Cultural Festival. At this time, Ms. Williams arrived. In addition, once a year the board sponsors Youth In Government Day which encompasses all of the middle and high schools in the area. We bring students in from all those schools to learn about the City government. Chairman Washam pointed out that the City government is the form of government that the citizens have the most control over. People can go to their leaders and affect change very quickly. If we all stand together, things can change. If we come together as a group, we will be heard at the City level. Chairman Washam advised that the members of the board are from different geographical sectors of the City. IV. AGENDA APPROVAL No additions, deletions, or corrections were made to the agenda. Motion Ms. Blanche Girtman moved to approve the agenda as presented. Ms. Zibelli seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. V. MINUTES APPROVAL No additions, deletions, or corrections were made to the minutes of the last meeting. Ms. Currier announced that since the last meeting, $7,000 was raised by the Jail and Bail Program to combat cancer. Motion Ms. Zibelli moved to approve the minutes of the May 14, 1997 meeting. Ms. Currier seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. 2 MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 11, 1997 VI. CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Chairman Washam announced that Ms. Currier has been honored by the Lantana Kiwanis Club as Humanitarian Community Activist of the Year. He advised that Ms. Currier does quite a lot of work that goes unheeded many times. Ms. Zibelli announced that this board was well represented Monday evening at the City Commission workshop regarding the Visions 20/20 Quick Victory Projects. Chairman Washam advised that this board was represented at the Lottery Accountability Forum that was sponsored by the Education Advisory Board on June 5, 1997. Nellie Denahan, Chairperson of the Education Advisory Board, advised that for the past couple of years, the EAB has been working on lottery accountability in conjunction with Rep. John C. Rayson, author of the Lottery Accountability Bill. The City Commission of Boynton Beach passed a resolution in support of lottery accountability. The Lottery Accountability Forum was held to celebrate a victory, which is that all children across the State of Florida are now eligible for a $2,000 scholarship. Rep. Rayson was the guest speaker at this forum. Chairman Washam stated that over the past few months, there has been discussion about consolidating city boards and communication between boards. He pointed out that the EAB and CRB have had an excellent working relationship for the last two years. He thanked Ms. Denahan and the EAB for their participation. In response to Ms. Zibelli, Ms. Denahan advised that there are several different scholarships available to students, including a scholarship for economically disadvantaged students; however, a certain grade point average is required. Mr. Bair thanked Chairman Washam for being the guest speaker at his home on May st 21 in his attempt to kick off a homeowners’ association in his neighborhood. He also thanked Ms. Zibelli for attending that meeting, and Vice Mayor Jamie Titcomb, Code Enforcement Inspector Bob Wandelt, and Hank Ackermann, the Neighborhood Specialist for the City of Boynton Beach, for providing an excellent program for his neighbors and getting them off to an excellent start. Ms. Zibelli pointed out that a lot of the complaints were exactly the same as the complaints in her neighborhood, namely, a lack of sidewalks, speeding in the streets where there are children, and noise from loud cars and boom boxes. Mr. Bair advised that since Mr. Ackermann has been on the job, he has identified the following as the top three complaints that are common throughout the City: 3 MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 11, 1997 (1) Loud boom boxes in cars; (2) Speeding on the roads; and (3) Lack of property upkeep in certain neighborhoods. Chairman Washam advised that on May 29, 1997, the City Commission held a Town Meeting at City Hall in the Mall to hear the citizens’ concerns. There was discussion about the high school, speeding, etc. Some of the items the City can take care of; however, some were out of the City’s control. He would like to see more town meetings throughout the City, not just at City Hall or City Hall in the Mall. Ms. Currier felt all the boards should stick together so that consolidation of the boards is not brought up again. Chairman Washam stated that there was concern about communication. He hopes that wherever this board meets throughout the year, the people will attend and tell the board what is on their minds. He pointed out that by working together, we can affect change. Ms. Zibelli felt there should be one person on the board who makes sure that the public is notified of where our meetings are going to be held. Ms. Denahan stated that the boards need to attend each other’s meetings. She advised that Mr. Washam at one of the EAB meetings which Mr. Washam attended, he made a suggestion to change the day of the EAB meetings. As a result, Dr. Kowal was a guest speaker at one of the EAB meetings and Bob Hayes has been able to attend our EAB meetings. Ms. Denahan stated that good things result from us attending one another’s meetings and not just reading the minutes. She pointed out that since Beth Bailey has left, the City does not have a Public Relations Officer. Therefore, the boards need to ensure that press releases get out. Ms. Blanche Girtman pointed out that the CRB meeting this evening was not advertised in the Post. Neither was the Visions 20/20 meeting advertised. Ms. Williams stated that sometimes people are not aware of a meeting until the day of the meeting. She pointed out that people need advance notice to arrange their schedules if they want to attend meetings. VII. PUBLIC AUDIENCE 4 MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 11, 1997 Angela Girtman, Vice Chairperson of the Advisory Board on Children and Youth, advised the board of a dangerous new fad. High school age students and young adults have big, powerful water guns and are shooting them at the people and traffic along Seacrest Boulevard. In addition, they dart across the street in front of traffic. Some of the water guns have bleach in them instead of water. Officer Egnor stated that this situation is different to handle because kids do not usually stay in one place for long, especially when they are doing something like that. Technically, this is simple battery and is an arrestable offense. If they are using bleach, ammonia, or paint in the guns, it would be a felony offense. He advised the citizens to call the Police Department when they see this happening. If the citizens want to, they can remain anonymous. He pointed out that the Police could be patrolling and see kids playing with water guns and think everything is all right. Chairman Washam advised the citizens in the audience to tell their neighbors to call the Police Department when they see this happening. He also advise them not to think that somebody else is going to report it. He advised them to keep calling the Police Department because they are there to serve the people. Ms. Williams advised that Coach Gibson runs a basketball camp. She offered to speak to him about this situation and ask him to speak to the kids at his camp about this. Officer Egnor will send a letter to Police Chief Marshall Gage about this situation. Chairman Washam advised the citizens to return to let this board know if this situation is not addressed, and the board will follow up on it. A lady in the audience advised that vehicles are speeding through the crosswalk at Poinciana Elementary School. She also advised that cars are passing school buses when they are loading and unloading children. Office Egnor stated that by the time the Police respond to this type of a call, the suspect vehicle could be miles away. Even if the citizens got the tag number, the law does not allow the Police to do anything about a traffic incident unless they actually witness it. He advised the citizens to send Chief Gage a letter if this is happening on a regular basis. Ms. Blanche Girtman felt more officers should be assigned to these larger schools on Seacrest Boulevard. Officer Egnor stated that unfortunately, it is a matter of manpower. However, if the citizens write a letter to Chief Gage regarding their fears about the children’s safety, Chief Gage has the authority to do something about it. Chairman Washam pointed out that we cannot do too much individually; however, as a community we can tell our leaders what we want done. 5 MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 11, 1997 Vice Chairperson Jenkins stated that she has seen four police cars on MLK and Seacrest in the mornings. She said perhaps one of those cars could be assigned to Poinciana Elementary School. Chairman Washam suggested that this neighborhood ban together, put some signatures together, and present it to City. If the people do not want to present it themselves, this board will be their voice. Ms. Denahan urged the citizens and the CRB to lobby Chief Gage. She pointed out that one voice is not going to do it, but together we can make a difference. Ms. Angela Girtman noticed this year that there is not a lot of employment available for young people within the City. She felt this was poor planning on the part of the City to have all these young people hanging around this summer with nothing to do. There used to be positions for young people throughout the City through the Private Industrial Council. She felt the City should investigate how to get the Private Industry Council to get positions for young people throughout the City so that they can earn a little extra money during the summer, stay out of trouble, and learn a little responsibility. Chairman Washam agreed that we need to do something about this. If PIC cannot do anything, we need to contact others who can help, such as the Chamber of Commerce. He advised that in his vocation, his job is to develop jobs for mentally handicapped students. This year has been the hardest year to develop jobs and training sites. He felt we need viable ways to bring business, government, and schools together. He suggested that this board and the EAB work together on a job fair geared to our community and bring people into our community to talk to our kids about different jobs that would benefit the students of the community and the people who are living in the community. He also suggested helping to prepare students for the interview process and volunteered to assist in this endeavor. Ms. Angela Girtman suggested encouraging the City to look for grants that they can apply for to get summer jobs for kids. A lady in the audience inquired about magnet schools. Ms. Denahan advised that there are no funds to make Congress Middle School a magnet school; however, it will have a math/science/technology curriculum. A lady in the audience advised the board that drug dealers are always standing under a th tree in a median on N.W. 17. Officer Egnor stated that there is no law that prohibits people from hanging out on a street corner or under a tree. A vast majority of the kids nowadays know not to hold any drugs on their person. They usually hide them close to 6 MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 11, 1997 them on the ground or in the trees. If they are under age, they know that nothing is going to happen to them. The Police can talk to anybody, but the people do not have to answer them. However, if a citizen observes what appears to be drug dealing and calls the Police, the suspects must answer the questions posed by the Police. If the Police continually go there, the drug dealers’ business will be interrupted and hopefully they will move to another location. Therefore, citizen calls are very important and give the Police greater power. Mr. Bair advised that the median in question is going to be landscaped in such a way that nobody will be able to walk around in that median. In conjunction with the City, volunteers from the neighborhood are going to assist in the planting and care of the plants. This is a good of example of how the City and the citizens will be working together to solve problems. Ms. Blanche Girtman stated that City Hall runs the City, but the people run City Hall. The Police Department is here to do what we ask them to do. She urged the citizens to get involved. Ms. Blanche Girtman asked for an update on recruiting African American police officers. Officer Egnor is not involved in the hiring process; however, he will have an answer for Ms. Blanche Girtman before the next meeting. Ms. Blanche Girtman advised that there is a flooding problem on N. Seacrest when it rains. Chairman Washam advised that the Public Works Department needs to be informed of this. Officer Egnor left his business cards for the citizens and advised them to contact him if they have any problems. At this time, Mr. Hawkins arrived. VIII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. New High School 7 MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 11, 1997 Chairman Washam advised that the high school was a priority at the Town Meeting on th May 29. He stated that we need to get the people involved in this and keep them involved. Ms. Angela Girtman asked if anyone has investigated starting a charter school in Boynton Beach. She advised that if we establish a charter high school and pull all our high school students out of the surrounding schools in Palm Beach County, the money for the students will follow them. If we decide to do this, the School Board will start taking Boynton Beach a little more seriously. This will also give Boynton Beach control over its own local school. In addition, a charter school will present us with lots of opportunities that we will not have if it is left up to the County. She felt we should act on this before there is a turnover in administration and before there is no such thing as charter schools anymore. Mr. Hawkins advised that the City is considering this. He also advised that at the last City Commission meeting, Mayor Taylor suggested looking at the legal implications since the School Board did not keep their promise with regard to the 1988 bond issue. Chairman Washam said we need to keep this issue in the forefront and keep working on this as a group. Ms. Blanche Girtman believes that Boynton Beach will not get a high school because the children in Boynton Beach are being used to racially balance Lake Worth, Santaluces, and Atlantic High Schools. B. Multi-Cultural Festival th A subcommittee meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, at the Library at 6:00 p.m. to plan the Multi-Cultural Festival. Ms. Zibelli suggested that we invite other boards to participate in the planning of this festival. She advised that Ginny Shea of the Recreation and Park Department suggested holding the festival on the west side of th Federal Highway between Ocean and 4. IX. NEW BUSINESS A. Selection of site and preparation for next month’s meeting The July 9, 1997 CRB meeting will be held at City Hall in the Mall. 8 MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA JUNE 11, 1997 B. Update on Visions 20/20 Phase I Projects Mr. Hawkins distributed a report, dated June 9, 1997, regarding the Visions 20/20 Phase I Quick Victory Projects. X. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the board, the meeting was adjourned at 9:13 p.m. Eve Eubanks Recording Secretary (Two Tapes) 9