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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Town Hall Meeting Agenda 033105City of Palm Beach Gardens- Town Hall Meeting March 31,2005 I I City of Palm Beach Gardens- Town Hall Meeting March 31,2005 I I City of Palm Beach Gardens- Town Hall Meeting March 31,2005 Phone number email address dame (I r City of Palm Beach Gardens- Town Hall Meeting March 31,2005 ’hone number 77r- 06c.l mall address con, ‘712 - 7361 I- Y n City of Palm Beach Gardens- Town Hall Meeting March 31,2005 !mail address Phone number 6 22 - if KJ'Y City of Palm Beach Gardens- Town Hall Meeting March 31,205 ,.-- City of Palm Beach Gardens- Town Hall Meeting March 31,2005 A City of Palm Beach Gardens- Town Hall Meeting March 31,2005 City of Palm Beach Gardens- Town Hall Meeting March 31,2005 City of Palm Beach Gardens- Town Hall Meeting March 31,2005 North Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce Position Paper For The City of Palm Beach Gardens Town Hall Meeting March 31, 2005 INTRODUCTION OF ALL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT The North Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce - represents the business community in eight different political jurisdictions in North Palm Beach County. The businesses we represent are as diverse as the communities in which they reside, including two cities, two Villages and four towns. But one thing we will all quickly agree on ... the importance of our community’s high quality of life. And in order to sustain this high quality of life for all the residents of North Palm Beach County, it is imperative that we focus on meaningful measures directing at accommodating the demands of our growing and diverse po pu I at i on. I am here to speak to you on behalf of this diverse business population. As different as we are, the issues of interest to the business community here in Palm Beach Gardens are not that different from all of Palm Beach County and southeast Florida for that matter. They include, by way of example, land use regulatory reforms, attainable workforce housing, traffic congestion, integrated inter-modal mass transit, transit oriented development for mixed uses, balancing the rights of property owners with reasonable environmental protection, future water supply, attaining a balanced portfolio of residential and business usage and tax burden, an educational system that produces a qualified workforce, an economic development strategy that incents value added employment and the removal of barriers that impede regional planning and collaboration to maximize scare resources. - A daunting list at first glance. But in reality, none of these are isolated issues. The interaction of each of these issues creates either a vibrant community or a stagnant one. Let me illustrate with an example. Within a couple block radius of this very building one of the City’s premier employers, Anspach employees over 200. They have been qualified by the City as a value added employer, providing an average salary required by the program in excess of $48,000 per year. But, even if their employees were lucky enough to have amassed at least $75,000 in their personal savings account towards a down payment on a house, their annual salary would have to be increased to one and half times what they are currently making in order to qualify, under normal and accepted financing practices, to purchase the average house that sold in Palm Beach Gardens last year. So, lets make the logical assumption that most won’t qualify. They are now seeking housing solutions in Martin and Saint Lucie County. And what has that done for us? It’s put more cars on the road for longer periods of time thereby contributing to the traffic congestion problem. It has put more children in Martin County recreation and parks programs rather than the ones the City has so proudly invested in. But let’s not stop there. We recently passed legislation in the city providing for fast track permitting for businesses that create value added jobs. Again, Anspach is our example. But as Anspach fast tracked through the permitting process in the City to add hundreds of additional good paying jobs to the community, it quickly got stopped dead in its track because the cities lack of available traffic capacity limited the companies ability to get permitting at the volume of jobs it needed to meet its expansion requirements. So the regulatory reform and the incentives to value added jobs were negated by traffic concurrency. - Now its not hard to see that businesses, like Anspach, will soon start saying, if I can’t get permitting for the jobs I need, if my employees have to live miles and miles away to be able to afford a house, and productivity starts to suffer from long morning traffic delays because there are no other integrated mass transit opportunities, maybe I need to look at relocating my business. Which only leads to a greater imbalance of the city’s land use portfolio, with greater tax burdens placed on remaining property owners. So with just one example we have illustrated the importance of most of the issues enumerated earlier, and their dependence upon each other for success. The recently adopted motto of the City of Palm Beach Gardens ... the place to live, play, learn an work ... needs to be more than a motto if it is indeed going to be successful. This is a unique time in the City’s life cycle. There are limited opportunities to affect vacant parcels of land. The development plans of these parcels must be viewed against their ability to effectively meet the City’s goal of live, play, learn and work. There are limited opportunities to address potential redevelopment areas of the City right now, well before they need to occur. These too must be viewed with these goals of the City in mind. - We continue to move forward in our development of the bioscience industry and Scripps here in North County. We must proactively engage ourselves in understanding all the ramifications of recruiting that industry segment. Does it bring with it special needs and challenges and if so, what have we done as a community to prepare for them? Many of these issues go beyond the borders of the City. How do we engage our neighboring communities to proactively participate in these conversations with us? So what really are we asking the Council to do? We are simply asking for two things. First and foremost that you support the concept that a healthy business environment is an equal partner in the creation of a vibrant community. Secondly, that you allow us to work together in a collaborative process to develop a wholistic and strategic approach to address these issues. Working with the North Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, the City’s Economic Development Department and the City’s Economic Development Advisory Board, a Community Development Workshop could be produced to further engage the business community. From this collective effort would come the development of a community and economic development strategy that would address and integrate these issues for the City of Palm Beach Gardens and its neighbors for the next ten years and beyond. We stand ready to help in that endeavor in whatever capacity Council should so deem appropriate. We recognize that the City of Palm Beach Gardens does NOT lie at the root of all the problems we have enumerated here this evening. Nor do they lie at the solution of all of them either. Where you do find yourselves however is in a very unique position to exemplify the leadership and visionary thinking necessary to LEAD North Palm Beach County and beyond to a very successful and enviable position .... that of long term - economic prosperity. We thank you for the opportunity to address you this evening. We commend you for reaching out to the business community and want you to know our goal was simply to raise the issues worthy of future discussion. We are committed to supporting you in your quest for solutions as we move forward from this eveni ng . PLANNER ON CALL DAY TIME STAFF MONDAY 8-1 "A 1-5 HEATHER TUESDAY 8- 1 JACKIE 1-5 "A WEDNESDAY 8- 1 JACKIE 1-5 HEATHER 8- 1 THURSDAY 1-5 HEATHER AUTUMN FRIDAY 8- 1 AUTUMN 1-5 "A EXTENSION 4218 4234 4237 4218 4237 4234 4234 4236 4236 4218 ~~ G: CL Planner on call schedule revised 050505 InterACT! Summer Theatre Camp 2005 You may enroll throughout the summer for one week or any combination of weeks. Grades 1-5 Premiere - Act I - Act II Grades 1 - 5 June 6 - July 29 (Except July 4th - 8th) One-week or Multi-week Sessions Monday - Friday, 8:OO a.m. to 500 p.m. “The Red Box Theatre” is the premiere program designed to introduce children to the world of theatre. Activities include Puppetry, Story Theatre, Creative Dramatics and Theatre Games and Exercises. Students in Premiere and Act One work together and perform for each other in our Red Box Theatre throughout the day. Premiere (Grades 1 & 2) & Act One (Grades 3 & 4) Puppetry, Story Theatre, Make-up, Mask Making, Costumes & Props are all a part of the Red Box experience. Students participate in a wide range of activities including creative dramatics and other theatre related exercises that allow children to explore their own creativity playing with the elements of theatre. Act Two (Grade 5) In addition to many of the activities that students in Act One enjoy, Act Two students also work on scene, monologue and audition techniques. There are also workshops in stagecraft, video production and acting for the camera. Showcase Students may choose to participate in a Showcase held in the Studio at Independence Middle School every Friday afternoon. The show begins promptly at 3:30 p.m. Parents, family and friends are welcome. For Middle and High School Students Grades 6-7 %i 8-12 Act 111 - Encore! June 6 - July 29 One-week or Multi-week Sessions Monday - Friday, 8:OO a.m. to 500 p.m. Act Three (Grades 6 & 7) students focus on studies and experiences including acting, improvisation, movement, stage speaking, monologues and audition preparation. Encore (Grades 8 - 12) students work in the acting studio on short plays, scenes, monologues, writing, improvisation, elements of theatre and video production. Students work with staff to design their own program after their first week. Showcase InterACT! offers students an even more intensive experience geared toward the dramatic product and performance. Each session culminates in a Friday evening showcase of students’ work beginning at 4:OO p.m. Parents, family and friends are welcome. (Except July 4th - 8th) ... more on page 2... Returning This Summer! Video Production InterACT! now has two editing suites with E-Mac’s featuring I-Movie! Students in each age group have the opportunity to create their own videos. Students in Acts Two and up can also choose to gain experience in editing. Musical Theatre Michael Yannette, a gifted vocal coach and musical director will be in residence through most of the summer at InterACT along with guest musical directors! For all age groups! Design & Technical Studio Puppetry, Make-up, Masks, Costuming, Stagecraft and other design and construction projects are back by popular demand. Independence Middle School 4001 Greenway Drive in Jupiter, Florida. Abacoa Development North of Donald Ross Rd. between Military Tr. & 1-95 Registration: Tuition is $140 per week if registered by June 6, 2005. Tuition is $160 per week if registered after June 6, 2005 (based on availability throughout the summer). There is a one-time registration fee of $25 for all new InterACT students. The camp is priced with careful consideration to the quality of instruction and commitment to the student-teacher ratios. Discounts are not available for multiple weeks or multiple family members. Weeks may be taken in any combination over the summer. Lunch Bring it or order Subs, Salads or Pizza by special arrangement on a weekly basis. Register at Open House 1455 Cades Bay Avenue (Abacoa) Between Parkside and Stadium Drive Saturday, May 14 Wednesday, May 26 Thursday, May 26 Saturday, June 4 1O:OO a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 4:OO p.m. to 6:OO p.m. 4:OO p.m. to 6:OO p.m. 1O:OO a.m. to 1:OO p.m.