As I sit at the computer keyboard trying to figure out how to start this month's Newsletter, the words to the ABBA song "Ring Ring" come to mind:

"I stare at the phone on the wall.

Oh, ring ring, why won't you give me a call"

Only my thoughts are words, words. Why don't they come to me at all? I can't come up with any clever way to lead into this month's Newsletter, so I will jump right into the report's substance.

Storm Clean Up: As you all know, hurricane and to us tropical storm Nicole did considerable damage to our Inlet Park and Inlet property. Since the storm, we have been working on the cleanup. In some areas, we had up to five and a half feet of sand build up on the walkway and the adjacent regions. Also, there was an immense amount of seaweed and trash mixed with the sand. Cleaning this up has been a long and expensive process. However, our contractor reports that the work should be completed by early next week. However, our public works team will continue to work on lights, benches, and irrigation repairs until 12/9. The Parkway will remain closed until the cleanup is completed, probably Tuesday,12/6.

The Water Main Replacement: This project and related traffic chaos will continue for another two or three months. In the next week, the work will turn east on Inlet Way. When that happens, folks who live on Inlet will have to use either Atlantic or Ocean to leave Town.

We have been promised that within the next ten days, the cuts on Lake Drive will be patched paved further south. We are pushing to get the paving down to at least Edwards Lane, but this may be stretched; Cascade Lane is more likely (To do the paving, the contractor has to complete a pressure test of the new pipes to ensure there are no leaks and a compression test of the filled in rock and dirt to ensure it can support the traffic load. Paving can take place only when these tests are complete.)

Once all the new pipes are in the ground, they will be filled with water and tested for leaks. After this, the contractor will return to Beach Road and begin the process of connecting the new lines to the existing water lines servicing the houses. Each street connection will take a couple of days. To do this, the contractor will have to cut across Lake Drive again at each street, lay the connecting pipe, shut the water service off and make the connection and then turn the service back on. When that happens, there will be a boil water requirement for the affected living units.

So, as you can see, there is still a ways to go before this project is completed. And unfortunately, with each step along the way, there will be disruptions to town traffic flow. However, when it is all over, the Town will have much better water service, with increased water pressure.

Also, Riviera Beach is replacing seven (7) fire hydrants that are broken, four (3) on Atlantic and three (4) on Ocean. So, this will be another source of traffic disruption, albeit short term, and only partial blockage of one lane.

Road Repaving Project: At the conclusion of the water main project, Lake Drive, Inlet Way, Bamboo Lane; and assuming funds are available, Edwards Lane and Cascade Lane will be regraded and repaved. The regrading will improve storm water runoff to the storm sewer catch basins and reduce water puddling on the streets. Planning for this project is already underway, with the completed surveys of Bamboo, Edwards, and Cascade. (We were able to use the main water surveys for Lake and Inlet.) The plan is to start the paving in May, but this could slip into June, depending on scheduling.

To reiterate, as we work through these projects, our traffic patterns will be significantly disrupted, but the bright side, when they are completed, along with the undergrounding project, the Town infrastructure will be renewed and should not require major work for a number of years. 

Summary of November Commission Meeting:

Seaspray (125 Ocean Ave) Redevelopment

The first half of the two-and-a-half-hour meeting dealt with agreements and variances requested by the developers of a new six-story condominium to be built on the site of the old Seaspray building. This site is in zoning district D (Ocean front lots on the east side of Ocean Ave). All of the lots in the District, except the old Seaspray site, run from the Street's ten-foot strip to the water's edge. This makes the lots very deep, and the code was written with these lots in mind. However, the Seapary lot is only about 2/5^th the depth of the other district D lots. This was the driving factor for three of the variances, front setback relief, rear yard setback relief, and lot coverage relief. A fourth variance was requested to provide relief from an additional three-foot setback for stories above the second floor. All of these setbacks were approved by a 5-0 vote. 

The fifth variance was requested to provide relief from a requirement that the height of the top floor tie beam not exceed 63 feet and the height of the roof not exceed 68 feet. This requirement envisioned buildings using an architecture similar to the Marriot buildings, specifically, a pitched roof façade.  This proposed building will be a flat roof structure that will be 68 feet high, maintaining the code requirement. In light of the architecture being used in the applicant building, this variance was also approved by a 5-0 vote.

The building developers requested an easement to allow the new building to use a stormwater retaining tank, and the Town and the Commission granted it by a 5-0 vote. The tank will be built under the beach parking lot along the north boundary. It will be underground and covered by the parking lot pavers to be put in place by the developer. The Town will use the stormwater to water the vegetation in the Beach parking lot and Community Center, thereby reducing our water bill. The holding tank will not be visible except for a small access manhole.

In conjunction with this redevelopment project, the developers are going to repave the town beach parking lot with an open style of brick paver and grass. They will also rebuild the sheds and bathroom, making them more attractive, and will ring the parking lot with palm trees and vegetation. I have attached a rendering showing how the parking lot will look after its makeover.  

If you have any questions about this redevelopment project, you can call the P&Z Chair, Jerry Cohn, or me to discuss. And, of course, you can also speak with any of the Commissioners.

The Remainder Of The Meeting:

• The year-end financial report was given and summarized early in my write-up. The October report was also given and contained no special item of note.
• Two budget amendments, one closing out fiscal 2022 and the other carrying over funding for a project not completed in FY22 to FY23 were passed by a 5-0 vote. These are housekeeping resolutions making sure our accounting is in order for the auditors. 
• Ordinance O-4-22 was passed on a 5-0. This ordinance corrects a void in our existing landscaping code for District A. It requires palm trees to be planted every 15 feet along longer expanses of walls. And each tree planted must be 75% the height of the building beam and have eight feet of wood. 
• A new lawn maintenance contract was approved by the Commission. The current company is seriously underperforming, and its contract was terminated for poor performance. If you want more details, contact Alan welch.
• An Engineering services contract was approved. This contract is related to the road paving project and was for the surveying work that is required prior to making the final paving engineering plan.

 And after two and a half hours of intense focus and discussion, the meeting ended.

Special Commission Meeting Held On 11/14/2022

This special meeting was called to approve three Town engineering agreements. 

• Simmons and White was selected as the general Town engineering firm. Rob Rennebaum will continue as the Town Engineer.
• Engenuity will be the Engineering firm doing the road-related survey and planning, and bid package preparation work.
• Florida Technical Consultants is handling the long-range town vulnerability study and grant applications.

As you can see, the town staff and the elected officials have been very busy.

Final Figures for FY2022

The Town had a strong year financially. Revenue exceeded expenditures by $562k. Revenue was $430k (7%) more than budgeted. This was largely due to American Rescue Plan Act funds ($316k) and more building permit fees ($238k). Although construction was busy throughout Town, the big bump was due to the new condominiums being built on the inlet. Property taxes, sales taxes, and electricity taxes were all greater than expected, of course, due to the increased cost of nearly everything. Fortunately, Town Staff was able to keep expenditures under control even with unexpected maintenance costs. The Town also saved money by self-performing some projects rather than contracting them out. The big purchase of the year was the new fire engine. Over half of its cost came from the generous bequest from Mr. & Mrs. Fanning. Overall, expenditures were underbudget by $350k (5.7%).

This strong performance provides a healthy fund balance of nearly $4 million. Included in that balance is $1.15 million for the roads project and $200k for the community center renovations. The Town has nearly $2.2 million in unassigned fund balance, some of which will be used for the roads project. This exceeds the recommendation of maintaining 25% of the budget in unassigned fund balance. The Town is financially sound.

OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT:

Hurricane Season: We survived the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season relatively unscathed. Hurricane Nicole created some havoc on our inlet area, but otherwise, we were very fortunate. Remember to keep that emergency kit updated, as unpredicted events are always a possibility.

Community Risk Reduction:

Home Fire Extinguisher Selection, Use, and Maintenance - As part of our ongoing Community Risk Reduction initiatives, the PBSFD will again be coordinating with the P.O.A. to provide a presentation and hands-on training opportunity for our residents this winter.

Holiday Safety –We encourage everyone to practice safety and prevention as they enjoy the festivities of the Holiday Season. In addition to the increased prevalence of cooking-related fires, the top three days of the year for home candle fires are Christmas, New Year's Day, and New Year's Eve. Some useful tips from the U.S. Fire Administration and National Fire Protection Association are shown below:

• Only use decorations that are flame-retardant or not flammable.
• Check holiday lights each year for frayed wires or excessive wear.
• Don't link more than three strands of holiday lights.
• Never leave a burning candle unattended. Consider using battery-operated flameless candles.
• Keep your live Christmas tree away from heat / flame sources and room exits.
• Water your live Christmas tree daily to keep it from becoming dry.
• As always, make sure to have working smoke alarms – check and replace those batteries!

FIRE DEPARTMENT

Professional Development: Five of your PBSFD members recently completed the Florida State requirements for Fire Apparatus Driver / Engineer certification. The two-part, 80-hour program included the Fire Protection Hydraulics and Water Supply and Apparatus Operations courses. These courses are pre-requisites for the PBSFD Fire Apparatus Driver Operator (FADO) program. The PBSFD FADO program establishes initial and continuing proficiencies to be qualified to drive and operate the fire engines. Pictured among the 15 course graduates from around the State are PBSFD's Rob Villagomez, Sanders Bello, Edward Leggett, Nelson Lopez, and Joaquin Barbara.

Water Rescue / Beach Incident Response/ Special Events Equipment Donated: The Fleming Family Foundation donated funds to purchase a replacement water rescue/ beach incident response / special events equipment. The current platform replaced an old PBS Police Can-Am that was re-purposed by the Fire Department and served for a few more years. Unfortunately, COVID-related supply chain issues severely limited the availability of Utility Task Vehicles (U.T.V.s) and the associated equipment to complete this initiative until recently. The Kubota side-by-side U.T.V. (pictured below) is outfitted with a medical skid unit to transport patients safely and efficiently off the beach or from crowded special events locations out to an awaiting ambulance. The U.T.V. has been transformed into a multi-functional service platform in that is utilized for water-related rescue incidents, beach emergencies, medical personnel deployment at special events, serves as a back-up rescue vehicle for the Ocean Rescue Lifeguards, and is outfitted to pull a trailer containing the portable fire pump (previously donated by the Fleming Family Foundation) that is primarily designated for marine-based firefighting operations such as large vessels, waterfront structures, and marinas. Thank you to the Fleming Family Foundation for providing us with these amazing enhancements to our service for the citizens and visitors of Palm Beach Shores!

Above and Beyond: The American Fire Service prides itself on being the "9-1-1 Toolbox" for the communities they serve. When a unique need arises in a community, especially a circumstance that doesn't exactly "fit" one specific entity's capabilities or mission, the Fire Service is traditionally relied upon to find a solution. In 1736, Benjamin Franklin started the first organized fire company (Union Fire Company) in Philadelphia. We have come a long way since those early days. However, some things remain constant; our desire to serve by putting our skills and talents to work. Mr. Franklin may not have envisioned the tools and technologies of the modern Fire Service, although his many of his inventions and innovations persist in the industry today (Yes, I still wear a leather fire helmet). In the not-so-distant past, most Firefighters came from the "trades"…They were carpenters, mechanics, welders, plumbers, machine operators, etc., before being appointed to the Fire Department. In today's Fire Service, those entering this profession tend to have more of technology-based skill sets. We are fortunate to have a great mix of these people serving in the PBSFD, with these traits often being found in the same individual. There are many examples. We will highlight them in upcoming newsletters, but here's a recent example: Firefighter/Paramedic Lance Castro can often be found waist-deep in a fire engine, hands full of grease as he makes repairs or rebuilding and maintaining small engines on saws and generators – Definitely possesses mechanical ability. Prior to and following Hurricane Nicole, Lance, who is also an F.A.A registered drone operator, brought his Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to the Fire Station. He flew pre-and-post-storm coastline damage assessments of our Town, capturing still photos and video. This invaluable data is submitted for cost recovery following these types of storm events. To contract these mechanical and technology services would be at a significant expense to the Town. We are fortunate to have the personnel, like Lance, with multiple skill sets serving with the PBSFD!

Beach Wheelchair: The Beach Wheelchair is a wonderful mobility asset that helps more people enjoy our beautiful beach. Please see the Lifeguard to sign out the beach wheelchair during guarded beach hours (10 am – 5 pm.)

Save The Dates:

• Annual PBSFD Volunteer Firefighters Association Cookout – February 26, 2023
• St. Patrick's Day Parade – March 11, 2023

As always, please reach out with questions or if we can be of any assistance. tsteedman@pbsfire.org or (561) 296-3380  

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and will enjoy the upcoming holidays.

I wanted to thank all of you for working with us through the traffic issues in town. Between home renovations, new construction, main water lines, undergrounding, regular home maintenance, and the recent storm damage to the Inlet walkway, it’s been a heck of a time.

And we still have the completion of 150 Inlet Way, possible new construction on the old Seaspray, and not to mention the final paving of the streets.

With all that, it can get pretty frustrating for all of us, so please watch for town newsletters and bulletins on the website of the town for any updates on construction. Also, be kind to your neighbor, who, in your opinion, is the worst driver in all 50 states and one other country.

In November, our deputies had to make one arrest, and a subject was dancing and having fun by himself at the main Gazebo on the Towns inlet walkway. 

While we would never get in the way of such fun, we do request that you be free of warrants for your arrest. The subject was arrested for outstanding warrants out of Arkansas. He was transported to the detention facility on Gun Club road awaiting transport home, or in his case, a new home for a fixed period of time.

Your deputies were able to locate a few folks in need of holiday assistance, and thanks to the Sheriff, we were able to give them each a turkey and items to go along with it.

Our Conversation with a deputy (coffee with a cop) had to be postponed due to Hurricane Nicole. We will find a new date in January after the holidays.

Speaking of the Hurricane, thanks to all of you for working with us on that. In a short period of time, the major resorts were evacuated on orders of Palm Beach County. The Marriott’s five (5) buildings were 95% full, and even so, they were evacuated in a very short period of time.

 Before the Marriott closed, they gave us three (3) rooms so any off-duty deputies could rest before returning on shift. Luckily the storm passed quickly. Also, the Sailfish Marina sent over 20 dinners for our deputies for the 48-hour period. This is nothing new, our businesses and residents have always been there for us, and we hope you know you can expect the same of us.

Sergeant Steven Langevin

Commander District 20, Town of Palm Beach Shores

Palm Beach County Sheriffs office

TOWN HALL MEETINGS - 2022

(Visit our Town of Palm Beach Shores Website and connect to our virtual meetings.

PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING

DECEMBER 21, 2022 @ 6:30 P.M.

DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING

DECEMBER 7, 2022 @ 2:00 P.M 

COMMISSION BOARD MEETING

DECEMBER 12, 2022 @ 7:00 P.M.

Click Here To Read The Schedule For October - December

Palm Beach Shores Community Center's 2nd floor will not be available for rental starting May 1, 2022. This is due to the renovation of the kitchen for a few months. We will update you when it is available for events.

2022-2023

Beach Parking Passes are available for purchase in Town Hall.

Read more

Environmental Committee Highlights

Committee members placed flowers with seasonal colors in the town hall planters. Enjoy them as you walk along the parkway!

The committee went ahead with the planned garden party after Hurricane Nicole. We performed parkway maintenance, picked up trash at the town beach and helped clean up the inlet sidewalk.

Committee members placed flowers with seasonal colors in the town hall planters. Enjoy them as you walk along the parkway!

We reworked the firehouse annex landscape with a few more plants and larger red penta flowers.  

We had a great beach cleanup day! In addition, we added a few coastal plants at the beach entrance and boardwalk.   

Have you renewed your membership? Membership was due October 1^st. for the 2022-2023 “season”. If you are not returning to town until after the Holidays, we kindly ask that you mail your dues before your return. Payment is used to sponsor our different events already planned and underway and to fund publication of the POA Directory. your check, (along with your membership renewal form attached), payable to PBSPOA should be mailed to: PBSPOA 247 Edwards Lane, Palm Beach Shores, FL. 33404.

If you are in town, you may “hand deliver” your check & form to a Board Member or place in an envelope and place in the PBSPOA mailbox at Town Hall.

New property owner in town and interested in becoming a member? Please contact us at pbspoa@gmail.com. Include your contact information.

Upcoming Events

• December 2^nd, 5:45 PM, Holiday Tree Lighting, Town Hall, (rain date 12/3).
• December 11^th, Holiday Party - 6 PM-9 PM at Sailfish Marina. Seating is limited - Purchase your tickets now. December - Light Up the Shores Home Decoration Contest and Golf Cart parade
• December 18^th, Christmas Carols, 7 PM Town Hall
• December 19^th, sundown, Menorah Lighting, Town Hall
• January 9^th, 6:30 PM – 9 PM, General Membership Meeting/State of the Town Address, Community Center upstairs
• January 14^th, 7;30 AM – 12 Noon, POA/Rotary Pancake Breakfast, Community Center, Volunteers needed to help serve

Your Association has a lot of events planned, but we need your help.