President’s Council Minutes November 9, 2021
The meeting was called to order by Council Vice President Robert Pickard at 6:30PM.
It was noted by Robert Pickard that 10 buildings were represented and provided enough for a quorum. There was no representative from building 12. A motion was made to accept the minutes as written from our April 13, 2021 meeting. Motion was unanimously approved.
A motion was made by Peter Metzler to have our guests talk first and then have our meeting. Motion was approved.
The first guest was Captain Todd Baer, the Commander in district 14 of PBSO, which commands the City of Lake Worth Beach. Captain Baer has been in Law Enforcement for 27 years. He started with Lake Worth Police Department and transferred to PBSO in 2008. Captain Baer has served in several positions and picked up multiple tools in his tool box over the years. In 2015 he was appointed to be a Captain and was assigned back to Lake Worth Beach by Rick Bradshaw. He has put all his tools in good use and is happy to see that everything is going in the right direction. He understood that we wanted to talk about the traffic on Lake Osborne Drive. He is happy that complaints are about traffic and noise and not about shootings, overdoses, robberies and things like that, as it was 6.5 years since he arrived back at Lake Worth Beach. Those issues have gone down pretty well. The fact is that the traffic issue is not getting better in south Florida because we are getting more people out here. Unfortunately, traffic is an issue everywhere although he doesn’t want to minimize our concerns. Technically, Lake Osborne Drive is still in the county’s jurisdiction. A study was done recently and it indicated an issue, but not as serious as other areas. Some intersections in our county have some of the highest crash and fatality rates in the country. Traffic on Lake Osborne Drive is not at that level; however, he is aware that there is speeding going on. If we would grade the issue being between A (good) and F (bad) the issue would be considered a B minus. So, it is not something that can’t be controlled as some random enforcement and other measures are in place.
For the complaint about noise from speed boats on Lake Osborne, Captain Baer commented that this issue can get a little tricky. There are noise ordinances in place for different times of the day and different days of the week. Also, on the far side of the lake the noise ordinance is regulated by the county, while this side the noise ordinance is regulated by the city. The captain will make a special call on that issue.
To the question, about who’s jurisdiction controls the parking along Lake Osborne Drive, Captain Baer responded that it is Headquarters, District One. The Captain encouraged us to make a call and report the issues. This area is very well staffed by PBSO and even though they are busy, we can be the eyes and ears for them. You can use 911, but if it’s not an emergency use the non-emergency number. If you are not satisfied with results, you can ask to speak with the Sargent. If your request is reasonable the Sargent will try and do something about it. On occasions, when Deputies are making mistakes, don’t hesitate to call back and ask to speak with a supervisor and maybe they can fix the issue. You are also welcome to contact Captain Baer directly.
It was brought up that the residents of this area are mostly concerned about traffic. There is constant speeding out there and on some occasions speeding has cost high expenses for the Association. On one occasion the whole entrance wall was destroyed. Two large Palm Trees were also destroyed and that driver almost ended up hitting one of the buildings. Additionally, wildlife is frequently hit and killed by cars. It has been the understanding that one side of Lake Osborne belongs to District 14 and other side to District 1. However, several months ago The Association received an email from someone with the city, stating that PBC has abrogated the responsibility regarding the placement of speed bumps to the city. In response, Captain Baer stated that when there is a complaint, PBSO is working closely with the city. Typically, a study is done; a smart trailer is put out to measure the speeds and the data is analyzed together with the city. PBSO gives opinion and then the city will take necessary steps, based on the criteria. One attendant, at the meeting, stated that they wanted to speak against the need for speed bumps.
To the question about what the crime concepts of our area are, compared to the rest of the city, Captain Baer stated that this area is in good shape. He noted that this is one of the quietest areas of the city as well as in county. PBSO is deferring to zones or sectors as definitions for areas of control. Our neighborhood belongs to the same sector as east of I-95 from Dixie to 12th Avenue and up to 6th Avenue. This sector is still quite busy; however, it is also very quiet. There are occasionally some traffic issues or suspicious person cases. The Crime stats for the year in the city are down very dramatically. Commendations were given for the officers of PBSO, for their friendliness.
Our next guest was commissioner Sarah Malega, who represents District One of the City of Lake Worth Beach. There is a traffic calming policy coming forward and it will be presented at the Town Hall meeting this coming Tuesday. The city doesn’t have any policies regarding what steps are taken, when somebody calls. Some calls have been received regarding the cleanliness of the picnic tables and in general of John Prince Park, and those issues will be addressed. She also wants to be our voice and has an open-door policy. Sarah can be reached on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the City Hall.
Jamie Brown, our final guest, has been a Public Works Director in the city of Lake Worth Beach for ten years. He stated that he had drafted a traffic calming policy, for the entire city, in 2014 but for some reason, it never made it. Now steps will be taken and the traffic calming policy will be presented under “Unfinished Business” to the city council, coming Tuesday. It is a process, but hopefully everybody is on board and the traffic calming issue will be brought to a resolution and adopted in December. As far as Lake Osborne Drive, there is a traffic control jurisdiction agreement between PBC and city of Lake Worth Beach. Basically, it means that within city boundaries the city is responsible for traffic control. The county doesn’t do it, even if it is a county road. That being said, the traffic control on Lake Osborne Drive falls to the responsibility of the city of Lake Worth Beach. Most parts of the city are laid out in a way that doesn’t give opportunity for speeding. However, there will always be a few who are speeding.
There are Grants available through transportation agencies of PBC. Every year there is $250.000 to $5,000,000 for local initiatives Grants available. PBC is on board to join projects with the city of Lake Worth Beach for Lake Osborne Drive. The problem is that there are city allocations needed toward that project. There is an agreement that something needs to be done on the west side of the road. There are some things that are in the works. The whole point is that there should be free flowing traffic, and a nice scenic drive, without stops, on Lake Osborne Drive. For example, a traffic circle on 12th Avenue South, widening the pathways, separate parking by concrete curb barriers where you can put landscaping in and pavers; it gives the visual that the road appears to narrow even it doesn’t and that automatically slows people down. There are a lot of options, like this, instead of using speed bumps to control the traffic.
One extra problem is the commercial vehicles that are cutting through this area and the PBSO office is looking into that. The traffic enforcement unit was also out with motorcycles, which was done a while ago. They did not find to many speed violations at that time. There is a desperate need for CDP volunteers. They are really priceless eyes and ears on traffic, for PBSO. Think about joining to be a volunteer.
It was brought up that mostly senior citizens are living in this area. The 6th Avenue South bridge will also be raised in the near future. So, the fear is that we will see more big trucks using Lake Osborne Drive in the future. Are signs the answer? Mr. Brown said that people are not reading signs. The whole project needs to include the design that Lake Osborne Drive is not made for trucks and they should avoid this area for that reason.
The city was not involved in the installation of speed bumps on Lake Osborne Drive (over by Detroit), neither was the Director of Traffic Control for the County. That was something that was not supposed to happen, but it did. A reconstruction project on Lake Osborne Drive from High Ridge Road to Lantana Road is also a county project.
Pothole repairs are the responsibility of Public Works for the City. Potholes are a very frustrating issue because for decades the roads were not properly maintained, and there hasn’t been any infrastructure Master Plan and therefore one third of the roads now need attention. The city needs to get on track for these issues and get an infrastructure master plan in place. Sidewalks and ADA ramps will also be addressed in multiple locations. Anytime there is an issue of potholes you can report it to the City at 561-586-1720. If the city cannot repair the pothole on that day at least they can put a sign on it. If you damage your car due to a pothole, contact the Risk Department of the City.
The dock work on the other side of Lake Osborne is a county project and Mr. Brown doesn’t have any information regarding a timeline for that project.
A motion to continue the meeting was made and unanimously approved.
The Treasurer’s reports for the months of March to October were approved.
Clubhouse & Pool Report: Robert Pickard reported that painting of the Clubhouse is almost done. John Florio had to wait for solar system leak repairs to be completed before starting the painting. A new DVR and camera were also installed and hooked up with WiFi. Bill Taylor performed this work at a cost of $60.00.
Craft Club & Bingo: A Bingo start date hasn’t been decided yet. Some craft work was done during the summer months and activities will resume again after Thanksgiving.
Club 2180: No reports
Lawn & Landscaping Report: Lawn has been taken care of by new company and it looks pretty good.
Shuffleboard: Used only by a limited number of people.
Webmaster: Ed Campagnuolo would like the information for Building Annual Meetings, so they can be added to the web-calendar.
Community Comments: Ducks are a nuisance in this area. People are continuing to feed them. Signs are needed for that reason. Also, keep your eyes open for any kids throwing rocks from trailer park. Status of a building shed, by the shuffleboard courts, is also still open.
The next Presidents Council meeting is scheduled for December 14, 2021 at 6:30PM.
A motion to adjourn was made by Pat LaBarr and 2nd by Helen Marino. Motion was approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Jaana Kaarenoja, Secretary of the meeting