LOX COUNCIL RECONSIDERS PBSO RAISE SEE STORY, PAGE 3
SR 7 EXTENSION HEADS BACK TO COURT SEE STORY, PAGE 4
THE
TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE Royal Palm Beach Writers Group Like Family To Local Writers
Volume 39, Number 35 September 14 - September 20, 2018
Serving Palms West Since 1980
KCF HOSTS OPEN HOUSE IN RPB
The Royal Palm Beach Writers Group was founded in 2003 by Gloria Ferrara of Royal Palm Beach and Margie Bonner of West Palm Beach. Today, the group serves as an outlet where kindred spirits hone their craft. Page 3
Wellington Rotary Hosts Race For Red & Blue First Responders 5K
The Rotary Club of Wellington held its Race for the Red and Blue First Responders 5K on Saturday, Sept. 8. Proceeds from the race will benefit Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the Rotary Club of Wellington Charitable Foundation. The competitors started from and finished at the Wellington Amphitheater. The field drew a range of 550 athletes. Page 5
Royal Palm Council Approves Budget And Hears PBSO Report
A short, first budget hearing breezed by without comment before the Thursday, Sept. 6 meeting of the Royal Palm Beach Village Council, which discussed several previously contentious items that passed unanimously. The council also received its semi-annual update from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Page 7
The Kids Cancer Foundation held an open house on Saturday, Sept. 8 to celebrate National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Guests came to see the newly expanded and renovated facility in Royal Palm Beach. Shown above are Johnny Resnick, Darren Marotta, Amanda Apfel, Kelly Wiener, Michelle O’Boyle and Frank Dowling. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 10 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Lox Council Supports Budget Of $13.39 Million With Tax Increase
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council gave preliminary approval to a $13.39 million budget for fiscal year 2018-19 on Thursday, Sept. 6 with a tax rate of 3.0 mills, up from 2.15 mills, as well as an increased Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District assessment and solid waste collection fee. The per acre LGWCD assessment will go from $145 to $200, and the solid waste assessment with go from $256 to $450, $20 below the recommended rate of $470. In a meeting that went more than five hours Thursday, and continued for four hours on Friday, frequently interrupted by outbursts from the many people attending,
Town Manager Bill Underwood said that the council had a lot of decisions to make — three assessment rates, the millage rate and the budget, which goes to its final hearing Tuesday, Sept. 18. “We’re calling this the rebuilding year, because as you’re all aware, we’ve depleted all of our reserves in the solid waste fund, transportation and the general fund, and we have the new Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District, but their funds were also very limited,” Underwood said. The proposed tax rate of 3.0 mills produces 40 percent of the revenue in the general fund. Public service taxes, such as franchise fees, produce 18 percent, permits 17 percent, intergovernmental $351,000, charges for services
$194,000, and fines and forfeitures $22,000. Underwood said that in 2008, the town had $362 million of taxable value, and it still remains 12 percent behind that pre-recession high. He added that the millage rates in the past have been held very low, starting at 1.5 mills when the town incorporated in 2006. Underwood said the rollback rate is 2.035 mills, and the 3.0 rate will generate 50 percent more revenue, from $600,000 to $907,000. “I will tell you that all of that money is going into the cookie jar,” Underwood said. “All of the excess funds are going into reserves. They’re not being used for anything except to build an emergency fund, because it was See LOX BUDGET, page 4
Wellington Passes Trimmed Down Budget With Money For Lake Wellington
By Chris Levy Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 11 was devoted in large part to the adoption of the budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year. The meeting was at times contentious, with sharp disagreements between Mayor Anne Gerwig and the other members of the council. The council voted in favor of passing the $97 million budget 4-1, with Gerwig the lone dissenting vote. Her opposition was based on a desire not to raise taxes on village residents, particularly when there were items in the budget she strongly opposed. Among these were funds to move forward with the redevelopment of the Lake Wellington area and money to redesign signage throughout the village. The tax rate was raised from last year’s 2.43 mills to 2.50 mills, but still short of the 2.55 mills proposed by village staff. Several cuts to the proposed budget were designed to keep the tax rate down. The village will eliminate three additional full-time positions. This brings the staff reduction down 10 full-time positions, two supplemental positions and 2,413 part-time hours. No village employees will be terminated or laid off, but rather these are positions that will be eliminated through attrition and will not be filled. The budget calls for 303 full-time village employees in the new fiscal year. The legal department will have $50,000 cut from its outside services budget. Village Attorney Laurie Cohen said that she did not expect the cut to negatively impact her department. An additional $50,000 will be cut from the strategic planning outside services budget. The proposed consumer price
index (CPI) wage increase for full-time village employees will be set at 2 percent rather than the originally proposed 3 percent. The tax rate increase will result in a small property tax increase for homeowners within Wellington based on their property values. Councilman John McGovern said that most residents would only be paying a few dollars more per month, and the benefits received from the new village projects and programs were worthwhile. McGovern also revealed how the members of the council would be personally affected by the rate increase. His family would pay approximately $8 more per month in taxes over the course of the year. The key budget topic of the night was the inclusion of $1.2 million toward the activation of the Lake Wellington waterfront. While no money will be spent as a result of the budget vote, the money will be set aside for preliminary designs of the Lake Wellington waterfront, permitting and the possible demolition of the Lake Wellington Professional Centre. Discussion of the Lake Wellington waterfront dominated a sometimes-intense debate between Gerwig — who is staunchly opposed to the project — and Vice Mayor Michael Drahos and McGovern — who are in favor of proceeding with gathering public opinion and commissioning new designs. The project — which has not yet been approved and does not have a final design — could be a 10-year, $25 million project that would dramatically transform the villageowned Lake Wellington waterfront property. If the project is approved, $8 million would be spent during phase one of construction. Standing in the way of that See WELLINGTON, page 18
Developer Presents Plan For Polo Club North Homes
Wolverines Recapture Lead In Dramatic 14-8 Win Over Park Vista
Two touchdowns from Wellington High School running back Jadien Durant were the difference in last Friday night’s game at Park Vista High School, as the Wolverines defeated the Cobras 14-8 before a capacity crowd. Page 19 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 15 LETTERS.................................. 4 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 PEOPLE................................... 8 SCHOOLS................................ 9 COLUMNS............................. 16 BUSINESS............................. 17 CALENDAR............................ 18 SPORTS......................... 19 - 20 CLASSIFIEDS................ 21 - 22 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
By Chris Levy Town-Crier Staff Report Representatives from 13th Floor Homes were on hand at the Wellington Community Center on Thursday, Sept. 6 to discuss their proposed Polo Club North development off Forest Hill Blvd. at a site once occupied by Palm Beach Polo’s nine-hole executive golf course. The presentation was led by Division President Michael Nunziata and corporate counsel Dan Daley. Also making comments and answering questions was Dr. Juan Ortega, a traffic engineer with JFO Group Inc. of Wellington. More than 120 residents attended the meeting to learn more about the proposal, including Vice Mayor Michael Drahos and councilmen John McGovern and Michael Napoleone. Most of the residents speaking at the meeting were strongly opposed to the proposed residential development. Palm Beach Polo developed
the site in the 1970s as an executive nine-hole golf course. Access was provided via a tunnel that runs beneath Forest Hill Blvd., which causes the street to noticeably elevate. The golf course, controlled by Palm Beach Polo’s Glenn Straub, was abandoned in 2002. Polo Club North is the latest in a series of attempts to develop the property. Past attempts have included a mixed-use venue similar to City Place, medical usage, a hotel and a tennis camp. None have come to fruition, and the current proposal faces stiff opposition from property owners adjoining the site. 13th Floor Homes outlined the steps it takes during the development phase: data gathering, planning and design, concept introduction, plan approval and plan implementation. “We are currently between concept introduction and plan approval,” Nunziata said. The development concept currently includes a mix of 225 single-
family homes and townhomes. The single-family home prices would begin at $500,000, with the townhomes starting at $400,000. It would be a community with a homeowners’ association and an unmanned, electronic gate. The concept includes 27 acres of open space — approximately 50 percent of the property — fragmented on the perimeter to comply with village code. The plan also calls for increasing the tree canopy and removing toxic chemicals that were sprayed on the course in the 1970s and 1980s. There would be one access point to the property off Forest Hill Blvd. The traffic plan, which would also need the approval of Palm Beach County, calls for the addition of a 125-foot turning lane capable of handling 18 cars. A U-turn lane would also be constructed on Forest Hill Blvd., prior to the rise in elevation over the tunnel. “The project doesn’t work withSee POLO NORTH, page 18
The current Polo Club North proposal from 13th Floor Homes calls for 225 homes.
Young Owner Helps Senior Horse Age With Dignity
Morgan Hamilton with her 42-year-old horse, Pippin.
PHOTO BY CHRIS LEVY/TOWN-CRIER
By Chris Levy Town-Crier Staff Report At 42, Pippin MacDuff doesn’t sound like a particularly old resident of Loxahatchee Groves. However, as a paint Paso Fino horse, that age can be translated into human years — making Pippin an astonishing 118 years old, with many of the geriatric issues associated with advanced age. Pippin’s current owner is 20-year-old Morgan Hamilton. She graduated from Seminole Ridge High School and is currently a junior at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Hamilton originally wanted to become a veterinarian, but after trying a high school Spanish course, she turned to American Sign Language. “It is much easier than Spanish,” Hamilton said. “I fell in love with the culture, the people and the language.” She credits her ASL teacher with recommending UNF to her, where she is studying sign language interpretation.
Hamilton is also a trophy winner for the equestrian club’s western team. She is currently taking a semester off from school to spend more time with her ailing horse, also working at Broward Motorsports alongside her sister to earn income to provide food and veterinary care for Pippin. Hamilton visits Pippin at least twice a day to spend time with him and place ice packs upon his hooves to provide some comfort. She is no longer able to ride him, but she does enjoy the moments they share, including feeding him watermelon — his favorite. Hamilton started her equestrian career at the age of 12 as a trail guide at Equestrian First Place. At 14, she was a volunteer at Dana Caplan’s Tiki Kiti & Poni Rescue. That was where she first met Pippin, which would turn into a life-changing experience for them both. She later purchased the horse from the rescue for $1. “I had no idea what I was getting into,” Hamilton recalled. “I didn’t know
[anything] about horses. I didn’t know the extent of ownership.” For the past three-and-a-half years, Pippin has lived on the 2.5acre equestrian property of Darcy Dean Murray in a well-kept stable with other horses. Murray has nearly three decades of experience in the equestrian community. “I don’t know where I’d be without Darcy and [her husband] Mike,” Hamilton said. At the farm, Pippin is living out his golden years in comfort. “This is the oldest horse I’ve been involved with,” Murray said. “He has staff here. He is treated like royalty. He has quite the personality.” The story of Pippin is one that has become all too familiar for horse rescues. A father purchased the horse for his daughter, who gradually lost interest. At that point, money stopped being spent on the horse, including quality feed and veterinary care. “He was just left in the back to See PIPPIN, page 4