1) MILLAGE RATE – for 2027 was tentatively set tonight at 4.6 mils, the same as last year. This tentative rate can go DOWN; it cannot go UP between now and the August 4th final meetings. This table below shows the possible millage rate options and their financial implications for us.
2) ART IN PUBLIC PLACES BOARD – will finally be meeting again to tackle three projects with AIPP funds which stand at about $230,000. First, Councilman Erik Gleason would like to see renderings of artistic bike racks around town, to go near the neighborhood school bus stops. Second, Mayor J.P. O’Connor, in anticipation of possible GoWest public transportation coming to town thanks to State funding we received this year (!!!), would like to see some beautiful bus stop shelters. Third, ideas for a time capsule! Complete transparency, I gave Mayor O’Connor this idea. I’ll be honest though, when he mentioned it, the room looked confused??? No, maybe nonplussed. So we’ll see how this goes over. But basically, it would be a sealed container that we add current objects/art to to be opened by future Westlake generations in, say 50 years or 100… or sooner?! Whatever we want.
3) APARTMENTS – These apartments have come to light because of an ordinance correction providing for mass/bulk solid waste collection of apartment/hotel type places, which Westlake needs no matter what. Anywho, what I’ve gathered is that Eastwind Development will be coming forward with an apartment complex project proposal very soon, like maybe by the August 4th meetings. The complex would run north-to-south along Kingfisher Blvd creating the east edge of the future Town Center. These apartments have ALWAYS been in the plan; they are NOT replacing or taking up the Town Center space! Everything is okay, folks. Westlake can be a really fun, dynamic live-work-play city if we let it!
If you want to look further into Eastwind Development, their closest development to us is The District Flats in West Palm Beach.
4) EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD – got a new regular board member, Shelly Murray, a recently-retired 40 year Palm Beach County School District employee and gramma to two littles going to Golden Grove and All Star Kids VPK. Highly-qualified Diana Riviera with her own local public school kids was appointed as the alternate member. Thank you for your volunteerism, Shelly and Diana! Next EAB meeting is September 17th!
5) CRIME – we had some. There were actually four crimes reported in June, much more than usual for Westlake. Deputy Paul Heckler reported two construction burglaries (which we know can sometimes be confusion on the builders’ parts); a porch pirate; a vehicle burglary; and a Planet Fitness burglary. I think the last two are related as Deputy Heckler told of a terrible tale in which a perpetrator stole a fob from Planet Fitness, went out to beep the car, stole a credit card from said car and then tried to use it at Publix. But PBSO, hopefully, has a suspect…
Also 13 crashes again, similar to last month. Those parking lots are dangerous! Be careful!
6) LOBBYIST – Karl Rasmussen, of Metz, Husband & Daughton, P.A., gave us a candid and forward-looking picture of things in Tallahassee. Mr. Rasmussen serves as Westlake’s lobbyist and is the man who garnered Westlake its two big funding wins this year: $600,00 for Phase I of our future park; and $202,997 to support Westlake in the GoWest public transportation initiative. Mr. Rasmussen’s contract was renewed for $48,000. Mayor O’Connor pointed out he is well worth the money. Next year, our City Hall will be on the agenda…
7) SOLID WASTE ASSESSMENT – was raised, not quite 4%, from $324 to $336. This is to maintain our same trash, bulk and recycling pick-up with Waste Management.
8) 5K – honoring 9/11 first responders is tentatively scheduled for Saturday September 19th. It was hard to keep up with the details as there was a lot of back and forth. But it seems the run/walk would be in partnership with “9/11 Remembrance”, “First Responder Group” and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
I can’t tell if the first two groups are official organizations or not, and from what I heard no money would actually go to Tunnels to Towers. Bobby Farber, our neighbor, who is organizing the race says he would donate his earned proceeds to 9/11 and first responder causes.
This might be one of those things that needs to happen first to see hard and fast where the money came from (the City wants to front $22,000, in line with the costs of our two previous 5K races, and plan the event) and where the money went, who gets the tax deductions, recognition, etc. Look out for more details!
9) CITY EVENTS – speaking of City-sponsored events, here is a breakdown of the financials for four recent events below. We finally have a dedicated city staffer, Yla Flores, to coordinate these city events. But I think it’s also time for a resident-run board focused on events, and I mean more as a watch-dog board, not an event-planning board. These are some big bucks being spent! And for good reason, of course, we just need to make sure it stays that way.
10) PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE – had 67 calls, mostly medical as seen below, and 3 actual fires of all the false alarms. PBCFR has an average response time of 6:08, the required time is 7:30, and the county average is 6:48. So we’re lucky ya’ll! Still, be careful out there.
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