As he continues to make the rounds with AI presentations throughout the county, Gregg visited the Tivoli Lakes, Baywinds, and Century Village communities. Be sure to let us know if you’d like him to visit a group you’re involved with.

To draw attention to the importance of flood protection, Gregg presented the county’s Building Division staff with a proclamation on March 4th. Palm Beach County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, meaning it sets higher standards to reduce flood risks and damage. For county residents, this means you can buy flood insurance at reduced rates. With the wet season just around the corner, it’s worth knowing your flood risks and deciding on whether you need flood insurance.

At the March 5th Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting, commissioners approved a new Animal Care and Control (ACC) Facility. The current facility on Belvedere Road has been in operation for more than 30 years, and it is worn out. The new facility, which will be built on the existing site, will be close to 90,000 square feet, better designed, and have air-conditioned kennels. Work on the facility will start later this year. Savings alert: during the month of March ACC is waiving adoption fees, so these furry friends could be yours!

In a March 5th special meeting with the League of Cities board, county commissioners rejected continuation of the Infrastructure Sales Tax (IST). This penny sales tax went into effect in 2017, and it's set to expire next year. The rejection was a blow to League of Cities members, who had expressed a desire to continue the tax for another decade. Several commissioners indicated that they are considering asking voters to approve a transportation tax in the future.

Here is Gregg’s take on allowing the IST to expire: “We promised voters that the IST would sunset after 10 years or collecting $2.7 Billion. We will hit that $2.7 Billion threshold next year, and it’s time for a pause. Looking towards the future, with growth continuing, I see an ever-increasing need for us to address transportation issues. Our focus should be on identifying projects that residents and businesses can support, like having smart signalization that improves the flow of traffic throughout the county, and coastal link commuter rail that connects the downtowns of our cities from Boca to Jupiter. Once we have a list of projects that we can all get behind, we can go to the voters in the future and ask them if they are willing to provide a dedicated funding source through a transportation sales tax. We should be able to leverage these local funds with federal matches, stretching our dollars and maximizing the bang for our buck. I look forward to working with our cities and towns on this.”

We are pleased to report that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) responded favorably to Gregg’s request to install pedestrian safety enhancements on Dixie Highway near The Greene School. The Greene School is growing. It recently added a high school. Many of the kids walk or bike to school. Work on the safety enhancements is expected to start in December 2025. In the meantime, FDOT will look at the signal timing. It will install a No Turn On Red sign on the northeast corner of Flamingo Road and Dixie Highway.

Just a block north of The Greene School sits a county storage facility abutting the tracks on Park Place. It is surrounded by historical buildings that have been spruced up and are now owned by Hive. Hive runs a bakery and several upscale design and gift stores in the area, and its owners, as well as another party, have indicated that they’re interested in acquiring the county-owned building. At the March 12th meeting, the BCC gave staff direction to explore disposing of the property, provided that the county gets a similar facility in return, and that there are no costs to the county. Gregg directed staff that they explore these options, but to make sure to get input from the adjoining Flamingo Park and Grandview Heights neighborhoods,   

That’s a wrap.

Thanks for being a valued reader.

Happy Women’s History Month!

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