Serving Highland Beach and Coastal Boca Raton
June 2022
Volume 15 Issue 6
Along the Coast
Boca Raton
Condo reserve rules, inspections become law By Joel Engelhardt and Mary Hladky
members will review and potentially revise his plan. But based on council member comments, the review could include pedestrian safety, controlling vehicle speeds and avoiding changes that would make it more difficult for barrier island residents to get to and from downtown.
Florida condominiums will be required to retain reserves to pay for structural defects under a bill passed May 24 during the special legislative session in response to the Surfside building collapse that killed 98. The bill, added without notice in the session devoted to insurance reform and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis Advantages to on May 26, new insurance also requires rules may condos to be hard for undergo homeowners structural to see. inspections Page 8 as they age. But the reserve requirement appeared to be the sticking point in March, when legislators failed to pass a bill during the regular session. While cities and counties could have required inspections, as Boca Raton and Highland Beach did in the fallout from Surfside, they can’t order condominiums to keep enough money on hand to pay for them — or for subsequent repairs.
See PALMETTO on page 14
See CONDO on page 11
A FedEx driver leaves his truck along East Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton as he delivers a package to a business. The city plans to redesign the road from Federal Highway to Fifth Avenue for better function. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
City seeks consultant for East Palmetto Park design By Mary Hladky Boca Raton City Council members have voiced their support for Deputy Mayor Andrea O’Rourke’s campaign to improve a five-block section of East Palmetto Park Road. After O’Rourke made a presentation at a May 9 meeting, her fellow council members backed her request to hire an urban
planning consultant to evaluate the street span from Federal Highway to Northeast/ Southeast Fifth Avenue and create a new street design. But much remains up in the air. O’Rourke and other council members did not suggest specific changes and left it to City Manager Leif Ahnell to determine which consultant to hire and to specify the scope of the consultant’s work. Council
Along the Coast
Water safety not clear for everyone to see
Yellow output from tap may be OK to drink, but Delray residents are still concerned By Rich Pollack The video posted on Facebook by the city of Delray Beach on April 21 appeared simple enough. For what seemed like the umpteenth time, Delray leaders
set out to explain why the city’s water is often discolored, and to once again assure residents that the water is safe to drink. Instead of quieting down critics, however, the video unleashed a firestorm of negative comments, many
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taking on a political undertone and pointing fingers at current city leaders. “Water is supposed to be clear and that’s the bottom line,” says Tracy Caruso, a former mayoral candidate and an outspoken critic of how the city is dealing with water that at times comes out of the faucet with a green or yellow tint. “I’ve never been told to drink a glass of yellow water and been told it’s OK.” City leaders want to be clear,
RomaDrama Live! Convention brings together stars of made-for-TV movies. Page AT7
even if the water isn’t. They agree that there’s a problem with water color, but say they are disheartened by the steady drumbeat from people who are fostering distrust in the safety of the city’s water. The water, which is tested daily, meets or exceeds all government standards, they say. The only real solution to significantly reduce the yellow See WATER on page 23
Boat ramps to reopen Silver Palm Park ramps have been off-limits since September. Page 20
Boca’s water color is well within EPA drinking water standards. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Ukrainians find refuge on Hypoluxo Island. Page AT1