In his weekly newsletter to the Delray Beach City Commission last Friday, City Manager Terrence Moore didn’t list the most notable success under the headline “Leadership and Accomplishments.”
He’s still there.
Friday marked Moore’s third anniversary as Delray Beach’s CEO. He thus has lasted longer than the two supposedly permanent managers who preceded him. The previous commissions fired Mark Lauzier after 16 months and George Gretsas after six.
David Harden retired at the end of 2012 after serving as city manager for 22 years. Between that time and when Moore arrived, the city had gone through four “permanent” managers and four interims.
In contrast, Moore has brought stability and competence, and he has done so without a lot of messy turnover at the top. There’s been a new assistant city manager, and Moore fired Fire Chief Keith Tomey three months ago for policy violations. He named Russ Mager police chief after Javaro Sims retired.
Not surprisingly, for someone who’s generally low-key, Moore has listed many unglamorous but important milestones. Credit agencies upgraded Delray Beach’s bond ratings, making it less expensive for the city to borrow money. There’s more progress on a program to prepare the city’s drainage system for rising seas. The city emerged from a consent order related to water-quality problems. Officials have nearly fixed all problems related to inaccurate water meters—problems that began before Moore started.
Moore also notes the recognition Delray Beach received for its beach and St. Patrick’s Day parade. He cites progress on the Pompey Park renovation and improvements to Atlantic Dunes Park. He mentions the new special events policy.
Moore doesn’t mention his work on dealing with the huge problem he inherited about a week after starting: Old School Square. With no notice, the commission at the time canceled the lease with the group that had founded and operated the cultural complex since the late 1980s.
Having acted with no backup plan, that commission finally asked the Downtown Development Authority to reopen the Cornell Museum, then take over the Fieldhouse and amphitheater. Moore’s staff has worked with the agency, and the commission recently approved Moore’s plan to have the city operate arts classes in the renovated portion of Crest Theatre.
Moore compiled this list as the time looms for his annual evaluation. Last year, he got good reviews from everyone but then-Mayor Shelly Petrolia. Two commissioners who praised him, though, are gone. Among the three new members is Commissioner Juli Casale, who was part of the majority that ended the Old School Square lease and is a Petrolia ally.
The manager’s new challenge is crafting a budget to fit the rollback tax rate the new commission majority approved. Moore will present his ideas next week. Whenever the manager’s evaluation comes, one hopes that the new commission’s assessment of Moore doesn’t change much from a year ago.
Barbieri clarifies previous statement
Palm Beach County School Board member Frank Barbieri wanted to clarify a point in my item from last week about Barbieri endorsing Mindy Koch in the race to succeed him.
I quoted Barbieri as saying, “I don’t want a Republican to take my seat.” Barbieri said he wasn’t issuing a blanket criticism of all Republicans running for the board. Barbieri said he endorsed Matthew Lane, who is seeking the District 1 seat that includes the north end of the county. Barbieri’s District 5 includes the 21 schools in Boca Raton and West Boca.
Barbieri said Lane is a Republican but does not embrace some of the education policies that the GOP-led Legislature and Gov. DeSantis have enacted and with which Barbieri disagrees. Three Republicans and one other Democrat in addition to Koch are running in the Aug. 20 primary.
An update on TCAI’s development plan
Boca Raton and The Center for Arts & Innovation (TCAI) today will continue their exchange on the group’s plan for its proposed performing arts center in Mizner Park.
I wrote previously that the city sent back comments in response to TCAI’s initial design plans. TCAI responded early last month, and the city then issued another set of responses. All this is required under the lease the city approved that would allow TCAI to build on a vacant lot east of the amphitheater.
TCAI’s updated project narrative is lofty. Example: “The building’s mass, opaque where interior daylight is not required, levitates above the luminous and transparent ground floor. The mass appears to float as a ballerina would appear suspended between earth and sky.”
More than 100,000 solar panels would go on the roof. According to the narrative, “The center exterior space around which the plaza is oriented is known as the ‘Piazza.’” Facing glass facades would “enable the public to enjoy film screenings, family movie nights, live-streamed concerts and events and much more.” The project seeks to “redefine architectural excellence in Boca Raton.”
The city, though, is focusing on more practical issues. Example: Covering the Piazza would be an “innovative” shade system of “Tendidos.” Staffers want to know what would happen to the “Tendidos” in a hurricane? How much water could they hold without risk of damage? And how long would it take for the system to retract?
Another big issue is how many people the center would seat in its different locations. According to the city, TCAI has “separated” the minimum number of seats in the “Main Venue” and something called the “Flex Cube.” The agreement, city staffers say in a memo, does not allow separation. The city wants a minimum seating of 720 in the Main Venue.
As for outdoor performances, the city wants to know TCAI would manage a crowd of 5,000. Those plans, TCAI said in its response, will come later as part of a “more detailed analysis.”
In addition, there is no projected number of parking spaces. A letter from the project manager says specifics about parking, traffic and truck loading will come in “the next phase of design.”
All along, TCAI has promised something very ambitious and appears to be delivering. The city’s job is to decide whether the group’s plan would work in that corner of Mizner Park and fulfill the lease agreement. I’ll have more after today’s meeting.
Another attempt to fill vacant DDA board seat
For the fifth time, the Delray Beach City Commission will try to fill a vacancy on the board of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
The first attempt came 14 months ago, when the previous commission chose Rick Burgess. In April, though, the new commission removed him, based on an ethics commission report that he had lied about having a valid business address within the DDA boundaries.
The commission then picked Realtor Damara Cohn, only to find that she, too, didn’t have a valid address. A seeming attempt to pick Al Costilo, owner of Big Al’s Steaks, was delayed after the revelation that the restaurant faces a foreclosure suit over unpaid rent. After picking former board member Mavis Benson, the commission rescinded that choice. Benson also doesn’t have a valid lease and doesn’t appear to be the owner of the business that lists her as an owner. All that information came from Rick Burgess, who sued unsuccessfully for reinstatement.
Only three names are on the applicant list for today’s meeting. One is Costilo, even though the lawsuit remains unresolved. Foreclosure, of course, would mean that Costilo didn’t have a business within the DDA boundaries. Another is Daniel Rose, the lawyer who represented Burgess when the commission removed him.
That would leave Robert Dockerty, who state records show is the agent of a real estate investment firm with a downtown address. His name was on the list the first time and still seems the most sensible and least controversial. Carney has said he wants “new blood.” Costilo served previously on the board.
Perhaps this attempt will go better. If not, the commission may not fill the vacancy until the term expires in 2026.
Appointments to Delray Planning and Zoning Board
Also on today’s agenda are three choices for the Delray Beach Planning and Zoning Board. Fights over development can begin there before heading to the commission.
Three current members—Christina Morrison, Judy Mollica and Gregory Snyder—want to serve another term. Mayor Tom Carney and Commissioner Juli Casale, who campaigned in March against what they consider overdevelopment, will make two of the appointments. Angela Burns will get the third. I’ll have more after the meeting.
Second “Delray Defacer” case continues
Last month, the case against the man accused of defacing Delray Beach’s LGBTQ Pride streetscape was continued again—this time until Aug. 28.
Dylan Brewer faces one felony and one misdemeanor charge for allegedly burning his tires across the intersection three times on Feb. 4. It was the second such incident. The first happened two days after the city dedicated the streetscape, in Pineapple Grove, on June 12, 2021. That was five years after the massacre at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.
Richard Ozelie, one of Brewer’s attorneys, told me Monday that they are waiting to hear from the prosecutor who is handling the case. He declined to say whether Brewer’s team has offered a plea deal.
“The facts of the case are indisputable,” Ozelie said. “The balance of facts will have an impact” on the decision by the state attorney’s office.
On July 10, defense lawyer Gregg Lerman—who’s running for state attorney—entered the case on behalf of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. The group helped to pay for painting the intersection.
A spokesman said the state attorney’s office does not comment on pending cases.
More next week
My next post will be Aug. 13.
