The Town-Crier
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January 14 - January 20, 2011
Page 7
NEWS
One Year Down, Chamber Task Force Remains A Work In Progress By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report One year after the Palms West Chamber of Commerce launched its Economic Development Task Force, chamber officials and task force leaders updated members on their progress at a luncheon Monday, Jan. 10 at the Wellington Community Center. The task force is an intensive, multi-pronged effort involving municipalities, businesses and other stakeholders in the western communities. Palms West Chamber Chairman Carmine Priore III, who is also chairing the task force, led a discussion showing how the task force is “Working Toward Economic Recovery.” It all began with a series of visioning sessions last year. “Through the help of all of you and with the involvement of the chamber and all the communities we represent, we came away with a vision of where we want to see the Palms West Chamber of Commerce,” Priore said. Susan Giddings, the chamber’s vice chair for economic development, described the formation of the regional task force and its role, which is to position the Palms West area for potential new business. “A little over a year ago, our Economic Development Committee launched a program which we believed would have the potential to bring major improvements to our business community and help our long-term economic sustainability,” Giddings said. “With the approval of the chamber board and the encouragement from you and the membership, we launched the regional Economic Development Task Force.” Giddings described the task force as a consortium of business leaders, government leaders and technical experts. “We knew from the start in positioning our central western communities, the heart of Palm Beach County, that attracting new business was a major undertaking,” she said. “We have completed many of the steps necessary to
begin to make that happen. One of our biggest accomplishments was the creation of a GIS [Geographic Information Systems] map of our entire area.” The GIS map serves as an inventory of properties available for business in the area, with information about the stages of planning that the properties are in, infrastructure, traffic and available government incentives for business development. Dr. Juan Ortega of Land Design South explained the GIS mapping process, which included site planning, conceptual architecture, traffic concurrency, environmental permitting, final engineering and platting. Having an inventory of properties, he said, makes it easier for when businesses want to come to the western communities and set up shop. The map gives this area a leg up in the very competitive market in attracting new business. “As to who made it to the map,” he said, “they included most shovel-ready properties within municipalities, some properties in the process of obtaining land use or zoning changes, most properties partially built, and most vacant nonresidential properties. In short, we have come across about 100 properties within the western communities, and about 80 percent of them should be ready for some kind of development within the next 24 months.” The task force is currently working on expanding the map to include unincorporated areas. Greenacres Mayor Sam Ferreri explained how the task force is helping create a “regional alliance” allowing the western communities to work together and not against each other as they had in the past. “This county has come a long way in 20-plus years,” Ferreri said. “As far as the objectives of this task force, they would include creating a regional economic development zone, and the next part would be forming these interlocal agreements among the government entities to really build the structure for the stakeholders and
create a process where we can attract businesses. That is the stage where we are now.” Ferreri cited several examples of how the communities are working together. “Wellington is developing its medical arts district. Royal Palm Beach is looking at doing something with its old utility plant. In Greenacres, we have changed a portion of Lake Worth Road to allow it to be redeveloped. We have taken a residential land use from 1926 and incorporated it into parcels to create four-acre and five-acre tracts,” he said. “We need to look at incentives, and how to create and implement a comprehensive marketing program strategy for the heart of Palm Beach County.” Ferreri also said that during this process, the cities need to be proactive in educating residents so they understand what the goals are: creating a place where people will have a productive work environment closer to their homes while attracting people from outside the community to come and live here. “One of the key elements is to look at strategies to modify existing traffic performance standards and to look at ways to create employment centers. This gets back to the fear of the unknown,” he said. “People are afraid of traffic. In communicating that, we have to tell them what the opportunities and the drawbacks are. We have a lot of work to do with that effort.” Ferreri concurred that it is important that the western communities be proactive or that the businesses will go elsewhere. “We have to work together,” he said. Kelly Smallridge, president of the Business Development Board, wrapped up the presentation by commenting about how the western communities should do their best in positioning the region to be competitive at bringing business into the area or it would go elsewhere. “It’s not just about property, and it’s not just about incentives,” she said, “but what we need to be fo-
cused on positioning this region to be. Sometimes it comes down to incentives. I don’t mean cash, but I mean making that welcome mat very warm by waiving some fees and offering to do some analysis free of charge. It’s important to know that the county and the state have incentives.” Smallridge noted that local incentives are also important. “The elected officials have to create these incentives, and you have to support them,” she said. “Boca Raton has a $5 million incentive program. That’s just that one city. The city’s incentive program exceeds the county’s. Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens also have incentive programs. We are working collectively to come up with something similar. Our goal is not to demolish the green space that makes this area so beautiful, but to bring high-quality jobs and a very strategic format of going after key industries.” While the task force has yet to reach its full potential, Smallridge urged the chamber to stay the course. “I commend the members of the task force for doing what they can to make this area more competitive,” she said. “We are on the right track. We will continue working together.” The luncheon sponsor was Alane Riccardi, sales manager of Buca di Beppo, and the program sponsor was Marcus Nisbett of Ncognito Fitness & Massage. During his presentation, Nisbett said that everyone’s path to fitness is different and explained how his company works with clients to find the path right for them. “What works for one person won’t work for someone else. We are not like most gyms. It’s not about quantity, but it’s about quality,” he said, adding that people need to get more in touch with their bodies. “We have a team of personal trainers, licensed massage therapists and registered dieticians to teach your bodies how they are supposed to work.” For more information about the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 790-6200 or visit www.palmswest.com.
Task Force speakers Dr. Juan Ortega, Kelly Smallridge, Susan Giddings and Greenacres Mayor Sam Ferreri.
Sponsors Alane Riccardi of Buca di Beppo and Marcus Nisbett of Ncognito Fitness with Chamber Chairman Carmine Priore III.
The chamber honors the SalsaFest committee and volunteers. PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER
LGWCD Local Bill Returning To Legislative Delegation On Feb. 2 By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report A local bill designed to give the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District more authority over road paving was at least temporarily preserved when the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation last week agreed to discuss the matter again Feb. 2. The LGWCD is also looking for a bill sponsor since State Rep. Joseph Abruzzo (D-District 85), the delegation chairman, said he would not sponsor the bill after the Palm Beach County League of Cities voiced opposition to it out of concern that the municipal powers of the Town of Loxahatchee Groves could be compromised. In recent referendums, landowners on North A Road, North C Road, North B Road and South C Road voted to go ahead with road paving projects. However, paving has been complicated by properties that are tied up in divorces, foreclosures and a lack of response from property owners. The local bill is designed to give the district easement rights enjoyed by municipalities for the specific purpose of the four roadpaving projects. “This bill is in my district,” Abruzzo said at a Jan. 6 meeting of the legislative delegation in Wellington. “I have decided not to sponsor this bill. However, I
have committed to the parties involved that I would give them a fair hearing.” Attorney David Ramba, a lobbyist hired by the LGWCD, said he has met with representatives from the League of Cities to try to alleviate their objections. “We’re trying to do two things: narrow the bill so it only impacts four roads that were voted on by a referendum by the people to tax themselves to pave these roads, and assure that it is not some sort of broad impairment of home rule powers on the Town of Loxahatchee Groves or sets some sort of precedent that can be used in other areas of the county,” Ramba said. “I believe the latest draft meets those requirements.” Ramba said there are still some details to be straightened out, but both sides are near agreement. “We think if we had a couple more days, we could have moved this forward,” he said. “It is a large safety issue. We have constant problems with these roads being not wide enough, and people wind up in canals. Frankly, people die there.” Ramba noted that town officials support the effort but that the town’s legal staff does not believe it has the authority to intervene on behalf of the paving projects, and getting clear title to the easements is necessary to obtain financing. In June, the LGWCD received
an unfavorable opinion from Florida’s attorney general as to whether the district has the right of “statutorily presumptive dedication” enjoyed by municipal entities to maintain roads. Under the Florida Statutes, when a road has been maintained or repaired continuously for four years by a county, municipality or the state, the road is deemed to be dedicated to the public. The town has not been incorporated that long, and the attorney general’s opinion did not extend that power to special districts. Palm Beach County League of Cities Executive Director Jamie Titcomb said his organization has concerns about compromising the home rule powers of a municipality, as well as the possible forfeiture of local gas tax money that is only available to municipalities. “We were there to help incorporate the Town of Loxahatchee Groves,” Titcomb said, “and we understand there is a very unique relationship between the water control district and the town. They’re going through all types of negotiations to get that worked out.” Trela White, attorney for the League of Cities, said a framework has been worked out, but negotiations are not complete. “It is important to the league that the home rule powers not be eroded,” she said. “The Town of Loxahat-
chee Groves is concerned about that as well.” White noted that the district, as well as the town, has eminent domain power. “If they want to take roadways and build roads that are necessary for the health, safety and welfare of the residents, either the district or the town can do that right now,” she said. “It’s just that this way is easier and they don’t have to pay for it.” LGWCD Supervisor John Ryan said the district has prescriptive easements on the roads from edge to edge. “What we’re seeking to do is to perfect our rights to do the improvements without going through unnecessary, expensive and time-consuming court proceedings,” Ryan said, pointing out that since the county paved F Road, no more cars have gone into the canal there. “We believe this bill is a safety issue.” Loxahatchee Groves Town Attorney Michael Cirullo said the town passed a resolution to support the district’s effort. At its last meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 4, the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council authorized Cirullo and the town manager to help revise language in a way to address the concerns of the league and accomplish the district’s goals but not jeopardize the home rule authority of the town or its power to collect gas tax money. Loxahatchee Groves Landown-
ers’ Association President Marge Herzog, a former member of the town council, is one of the residents opposing the LGWCD local bill. “I’m disappointed the district did not try to do an interlocal agreement,” Herzog said. “I don’t see that the urgency in coming forward with legislation is necessary.” Herzog went on to say that she thinks the district needs to become a dependent entity of the town, similar to what happened to the Acme Improvement District when Wellington incorporated. “It made life so much simpler,” she said. “We have an attorney for the wa-
ter control district that we’re paying, and we have an attorney for the town that we’re paying, and now we have a lobbyist that we’re paying. When does this end?” Abruzzo made a motion to bring the finished bill back to the delegation’s Feb. 2 meeting with a sponsor. “If they do not have a sponsor by that time, the bill will not be heard,” he said. The motion carried unanimously. The Feb. 2 meeting will be from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Palm Beach County School District’s FultonHolland Educational Services Center at 3300 Forest Hill Blvd. in West Palm Beach.
Groves District Keeps Aquatic Weed Vendor By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District renewed its contract Monday with aquatic weed control provider Aquagenix/ DeAngelo Brothers Inc. District Administrator Clete Saunier said Aquagenix has been cooperative, although there was a period when the provider of the herbicide discontinued its formula nationwide and the contractor had to experiment in order to find an effective replacement mix. This resulted in an aquatic weed incur-
sion for a few months until a new chemical blend was found. Aquagenix has agreed to provide the same services without increasing its fees for one year beginning Feb. 1. The contractor has not increased its fees from the original contract executed on Feb. 1, 1998, Saunier said. The annual cost is $23,700. Supervisor John Ryan asked if there is any regulatory agency that oversees the provider, and Saunier said permits are no longer required by the Department of Environmental Protection.