Summer is gone; we are having our first cool fall days. The "Season" is coming. Summer drought and hot, burning sun are over for now. So, it is time to clean up and spruce up our yards. (See the Code Enforcement Officer's comment on this topic.)  

As you all are no doubt aware, the first hurricane of the season, Ian, was devastating for Southwest Florida and did significant damage across the center portion of the state. Palm Beach County was largely spared major damage. Several storm-generated tornados touched down in the Western part of the County and did significant damage, but our neck of the woods had only high winds and some rain. The only damage done (to our knowledge) was a few large limbs down and lots of palm prawns on the road. Our storm response team, Chief Steadman and the Fire Department, Alan Welch and the Public Works crew, Steve Langevin and the PBSO crew, did a great job. The Fire Department had a double shift on duty, and they made hourly runs around Town to ensure the storm drains were not clogged up, and they removed palm prawns and limbs from the roads. (They deserve a big THANK YOU, as they worked all night long.)

September 30, 2022, marks the end of the Town fiscal year. It will be a while until the books are closed on the fiscal year, and we get our final report card. But all indications are that the Town had another very solid financial year. I will do a yearend report in the October newsletter. 

The featured events for 2023 will be completing the water main replacement project and repaving Lake Drive, Inlet Way, and Bamboo Lane. We will also be installing a backflow valve on the Tacoma Lane storm sewer outfall pipe, placing a new equipment in the beach playground, and rebuilding the Community Center bathrooms and kitchen.  So, it will be another busy year for the Town staff.

The September Commission was a two-in-one event. The first meeting was the final formal budget hearing. The Town voted to approve the millage rates, both the operating and the debt service rates, 6.3500 and .4290, respectively, and to formally adopt the 2023 budget of $7,431,708. The Budget is high because it includes one-time expenses for the following Capital Projects:

• Repaving Lake, Inlet, and Bamboo: $1,660,000
• New Backflow valve for Tacoma outfall pipe: $75,000
• New Playground equipment: $90,000
• Note: Funding for the Community center projects was included in the 2022 budget.

The roads, backflow valve, and Community Center projects have life cycles in excess of 15 years. The playground equipment has a 10-year live cycle. Call us or stop by to meet in person if you have questions about the Budget.

The regular September Commission meeting dealt with the following items:

The Monthly Financial report; at the end of August, revenue is at %100.4 percent of the Budget. Expenses are at 87.3% of the Budget. Based on this report, it is likely that we will end up over Budget on Revenue and under Budget for expenses.  However, we can't count our chickens until the eggs are hatched.

• State Senator Bobby Powell reported on the 2022 session of the State Legislature.  He addressed a number of legislative issues which were addressed: two of the most important were the new laws dealing with inspections of waterfront buildings (a reaction to the Surfside catastrophe).  He noted that the legislation passed was done quickly and almost certainly will be refined in the 2023 session. Regarding HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE, he noted that he did not support the legislation that was passed and did not vote for it.   The redistricting shifted Senator’s district south, but he will still be representing our Town.

• A resolution was passed to update the Town Fee Schedule for service rendered.

• An ordinance adjusting the vegetation code for new construction was discussed at length.  This new ordinance would require screening trees to be placed at fifteen-foot intervals against longer expanses of building walls. If palm trees are used, they must have 8 feet of wood, and the prawns must reach 75% of the building height. However, there was some confusion as to which building zones the code applies, so it was return to the P&Z for clarification.

• An ordinance was passed on first reading to adjust the Town variance code to streamline the processing of variance requests and eliminating the referendum requirement for variances that exceed the current height and lot coverage code by more than 10%. (This ordinance was required to bring our current code into compliance with State Law.) The Vote was 4-0.

• As you may (or may not) recall, last month, the Commission passed on first reading an ordinance adopting the County Fire Code as the Town fire code. The County required this as a stipulation before the Town could continue contracting with the County Fire Marshal service for fire inspection and suppression plan reviews. The county Fire code is onerous and far more stringent than either State or Federal Fire code. If adopted by the Town, using this code would create a significant cost burden on the 125 buildings in Town requiring fire inspections. Moreover, the County doubled their inspection and plan review fees. Against this backdrop, the Commission agreed to search for an alternative fire inspection and plans review option. One was found, a south Florida company called CAP contracts with a large number of Florida municipalities for both fire and building inspections and plan review services.

• After interviewing the company management, it was decided that this is a better option to handle Town fire services. Accordingly, the Commission approved one year contract with CAP to conduct Town fire inspections and fire plan reviews. They will work under Chief Steedman's supervision. The contract with CAP was approved by a 4-0 vote. The aforementioned ordinance was then voted down 0-4.

• The Ad Hoc Committee on the Inlet encroachments (of land to the west o the walkway) reported its conclusions/recommendations. It was recommended that the major encroachments at the Anchorage (the hedges, the shed, the shuffleboard court, the fence, and the no trespassing signs should be removed. And, plans should be made for an addition to the Inlet Park incorporating the lands encroached upon. The Anchorage board has retained council, who has, in turn, sent the Town a Cease-and-Desist letter. This matter will be discussed at length in the October workshop.

• The last item was the reading of the 2023 Election Proclamation. The qualifying period begins at 12:00 noon on November 1, 2022, and runs until noon on November 18, 2022. Two Commission seats are up for election. If you are interested in running, contact the Town Clerk. The qualification package will be available beginning 12:00 noon on October 24.

That's all, folks (but that's enough. It was a long meeting.)

Alan

OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT / FIRE DEPARTMENT:

COVID-19 Update: The PBC Emergency Operations Center is maintaining COVID-19 operations at Activation Level III  (Enhanced Monitoring). COVID-19 information and more resources are available by visiting https://discover.pbcgov.org/coronavirus/Pages/Updates.aspx.

The Palm Beach Shores Office of Emergency Management continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates as they are received. The Florida Department of Health has  established a dedicated COVID-19 call center (866) ­779-­6121 for the public to call 24 hours a day. In addition, the  public can email COVID19@flhealth.gov for more information.

Hurricane Season: Hurricane Ian produced Tropical Storm conditions in Palm Beach Shores. Fortunately, we only experienced some minor debris and beach erosion. Please keep the folks on the Gulf Coast and Central Florida in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with the devastation and aftermath of the storm. Tropical activity remains prevalent, and there are a few systems in the Atlantic that have the potential for development over the next week. We are maintaining a watchful weather eye and continue coordinating with our State, County, and Local allied agencies. Stay prepared! 

FIRE DEPARTMENT: 

Storm Operations - Thank you to the Firefighters who came in to upstaff for the recent storm. In addition to being here to run emergency calls, the FD members performed regular damage and debris assessments and assisted in debris removal from roadways.

9/11 Stair Climb – Members of the PBSFD conducted a 9/11 Memorial stair climb in honor of the 343 Firefighters who lost their lives at the World Trade Center twenty-one years ago. PBSFD members climbed the equivalent of 110 stories (the height of the Twin Towers) in full gear… (Our members actually did 126 stories total!). Thank you to our dedicated Firefighters and the Marriott Ocean Pointe for the use of their building's stair towers for this event that assures we will never forget!

Graduation – On September 23, Chief Trevor Steedman graduated from the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA's) Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program at the National Fire Academy. This four-year graduate-level program is the pinnacle of the USFA's commitment to supporting the needs of the state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) fire and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies in preparing executive officers to meet the ever-changing demands of the dynamic communities in which they serve.

OCEAN RESCUE:  

Beach Safety: Our Lifeguards want to remind everyone of the dangers of rip currents. Please use extra caution if you choose to enter the ocean outside of the guarded beach or before/after guarded beach hours. "It's best to keep your feet in the sand until the lifeguard is in the stand." Please also use caution near the shoreline as recent beach erosion has created a drop-off, and debris can wash up following storm events.

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.)



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

That was one heck of a storm that luckily did not get to us, and our prayers go out to those who were/are caught in the middle of it. All your town departments worked very well to prepare and work through it. Thank you all for preparing with us.

As we all know, traffic has been a challenge as of late; between the Water Main Project and other ongoing development, it can test your patients.

Atlantic Avenue has had the worst of it as of late, and I have positioned patrol cars at the key construction times. Initially, we brought in the commercial vehicle inspection unit to concentrate on the semi-trucks and concrete truck deliveries. As reported last month, forty-four (44) inspections were done.

Since then, Atlantic Avenue has become a concern with stop sign runners and speeding. I added additional deputies to combat that and positioned three (3) just on Atlantic between Bamboo and Edwards Lane. 

Between August and September, your deputies made 97 traffic stops in town.

Unfortunately, we were required to make two (2) arrests this month. One individual is suspected of driving drunk and running into the side of a local restaurant. The DUI unit arrived and took custody of the individual.

Another arrest was made at an area hotel when they called to report the return of a person who had been trespassed the previous week. The subject was located on the property and arrested.

Sheriff Bradshaw shared additional funding with us, and we purchased two (2) new CCTV cameras, one on Lake and Tacoma and the other at Edwards and Ocean. While the costs of the cameras can be high, the licensing and data storage are where the real money comes into play.

As always, we are here for you each and every day.

Sergeant Steve Langevin

Commander PBSO District 20-Town of Palm Beach Shores

Code Enforcement

The Town will be focusing on our Landscaping Maintenance Code. Some homeowners may have received a friendly notice for the landscaping. Some of the most common occurrences that I have seen are the following: 

• hanging of dead/dying palm fronds and/or branches
• overgrowth of grass
• under-watered grass
• yard debris and dead plant material on the ground,
• non-trimming of landscaping (Hedges/bushes, etc.) so that it presents a neat and orderly appearance
• weeds/grass growing into paver stone/gravel walkways and driveway areas.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly. Thank you for doing your part to keep Palm Beach Shores looking like the "Best little Town in Florida!" 

Thank you, 

Orlando Rodriguez

Code Enforcement Officer

Building Department Clerk

CRS Coordinator

Grants Coordinator

Floodplain Coordinator

Phone: 561-844-3457 

https://www.palmbeachshoresfl.us/

Click Here To Read The Schedule For October - December

Hello, Palm Beach Shores POA Members and Associate Members!

A big THANK YOU to all who have mailed in their membership payment for the 2022-2023 season. Your Association is most appreciative of your timely remittance.

A reminder to members who have not remitted their payment that it is due Saturday, October 1, 2022. In order to ensure timely and accurate remittance of your dues, please do not “hand deliver” to a POA Board member. Rather, 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. You may also submit your membership renewal form with payment (check or cash) in an envelope to Town Hall. Place in the PBSPOA mailbox.

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

Upcoming Events – Mark Your calendars

• Fall Fiesta, (aka Welcome Back Party) will take place on Saturday, November 5^th, downstairs at the Community Center.
• POA November Membership Meeting, Monday, November 7^th, upstairs at the Community Center.
• Holiday Tree Lighting – Friday, December 3^rd. (Rain date December 4^th).

2022-2023

Beach Parking Passes are available for purchase in Town Hall.

Read more

TOWN HALL MEETINGS - 2022

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

PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING

OCTOBER 13, 2022 @ 5:30 P.M.

DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING

OCTOBER 6, 2022 @ 2:00 P.M 

COMMISSION MEETING WORKSHOP

OCTOBER 10, 2022 @ 7:00 P.M.

COMMISSION BOARD MEETING

OCTOBER 24, 2022 @ 7:00 P.M.