Mark Sohaney wants to make one thing clear: He doesn’t believe that Boca Raton is way behind other cities.
We spoke Friday, three days after Sohaney learned that he would be the next city manager. During the interviews, some council members mentioned Sohaney’s observation that the city is “a little behind” and praised what they consider his potential to make projects move faster.
Sohaney, though, said he was referring primarily to City Hall and the police station. Those downtown facilities need to be “recapitalized” and made “more efficient,” Sohaney said. A new city hall is part of the controversial Terra/Frisbie redevelopment project. In March, voters will decide whether to approve a bond for the proposed police station on Spanish River Boulevard.
Elsewhere, Sohaney finds much to like. The city’s infrastructure is “incredible.” The Innovative Sustainable Infrastructure Program (ISIP)—using technology to prioritize underground work—is “a brilliant job.” The police and fire departments pay high salaries and have all the necessary resources. Speaking of Leif Ahnell and George Brown, Sohaney said, “The last two city managers are rock stars” on public safety. “They get an A-plus-plus-plus.”
But it’s worth pointing out that the four votes for Sohaney came from those who favor the Terra/Frisbie plan—Mayor Scott Singer and Councilmembers Yvette Drucker, Fran Nachlas and Mark Wigder. They want that project to move as quickly as possible. Councilmember Andy Thomson, who opposes the project, wanted to hire Deputy City Manager James Zervis.
And Sohaney does know projects. He comes to Boca Raton after a three-year hitch as CEO of Joint Base Pearl-Harbor Hickam in Hawaii. That three-year assignment, which ended last December, was the culmination of Sohaney’s three decades in the Navy. He began by flying P-3s and ended as a captain running the Navy’s second-largest base.
In his application, Sohaney said he led a “modernization” of the base that cost $30.8 billion. “Pearl Harbor,” he said, “was 20 years behind.”
Residents might wonder, however, whether a career running military operations can translate to running municipal operations. “Absolutely,” Sohaney said. The requirements for the two jobs are “meshed.”
Once past the obvious difference of national security, Sohaney said, the similarities begin. Bases have police and fire departments. Roughly three-fourths of the employees are civilians and members of unions. At Pearl Harbor, Sohaney was the contact point for neighbors of the base. He had to respond to water main breaks, which likely resulted from all that delayed infrastructure work. He did budgets.
“It’s actually very, very normal,” Sohaney said of his move, citing similar career paths of others. “Pearl Harbor is the same as a city, except on steroids.” The base is home to roughly 60,000 service members and their families. Given what’s required, “You’re almost like the manager and the mayor.”
In Boca Raton, though, Sohaney’s job will be to carry out the council’s priorities. So, he’s all-in on redevelopment of the 30 acres around City Hall.
“We’ve been very fortunate,” Sohaney—already using the possessive pronoun—said of Boca Raton, when it comes to money. The city’s tax base is the largest in Palm Beach County. Boca Raton has top ratings from all credit agencies.
And yet, “black swan” events like the 2008-2010 financial crash can happen. Gov. Ron DeSantis seems determined to cut or eliminate the property tax that finances local government.
Downtown redevelopment, Sohaney said, “will bring revenue to the city. If you don’t find ways to raise revenue, you have to raise the millage rate, and no one wants that. Planned right and done right, [the Terra/Frisbie project] will bring benefits overall to the citizens.”
Sohaney is very familiar with Florida. He was posted here several times. He has family near Jacksonville, Daytona Beach and Orlando. He hopes to start by the third week in September.
In passing over Zervis and Deputy City Manager Jorge Camejo, council members expressed the hope that both would remain part of the executive leadership team. Sohaney agrees. He spoke with Zervis and Camejo while they were sequestered Tuesday and after the vote. “They were 100% professional. They’re incredible. They love Boca Raton.”
Sohaney sees Zervis and Camejo as reflective of a very talented staff. Along with all Boca Raton’s other attributes, he says, “I’m blessed.”
Zervis raises issues during interview for city manager position
During his interview, Zervis raised two other issues that likely will be on Sohaney’s list.
Zervis noted the problem of homelessness. I wrote last week that the $17 million—give or take a million—Wildflower Park draws more homeless visitors than park goers. The problem also has presented itself around City Hall.
Zervis also referenced the golf and racquet club that The Boca Raton donated to the city almost five years ago. Though Boca Raton boasts of “world-class services,” Zervis said the property is “not world-class.”
Where the Boca City Council stands on the downtown campus project
The discussion about Sohaney was the latest evidence that the Terra/Frisbie project will define the mayor’s race between Nachlas and Thomson.
Singer, Drucker and Wigder believe that things can’t move fast enough. Nachlas hasn’t been as vocal on the timetable, but she has continued to express support for the project. Thomson believes that things are moving too fast toward a scheduled Oct. 28 vote on the final master plan.
Which brings us to the petition that seeks to block the downtown redevelopment plan. If they obtain enough signatures, organizers want a referendum on the March ballot—with the mayor’s race—that would prevent the sale or lease of almost all city land without a public vote.
So, where do Nachlas and Thomson stand on the petition?
In an interview Friday, Nachlas declined to address the question directly. “We have a process,” she said, “and we are following that process.” She means the due diligence period after approval in March of the interim master plan. “The petition is questioning that process.”
Of the petitioners, Nachlas said, “I’m happy that people are speaking up. They are advocating for their position.” Nachlas said she has met with opponents and responded to their emails.
Is the project being rushed? “I won’t say ‘rushed.'” She added, “I will make no decision [about the project] until I have all the information.” And should there be a public vote on the project? “I will do my homework.”
When I spoke with Thomson, he declined to comment on whether he supports the petition. In an email and text message, though, Thomson announced that he would hold four “listening sessions” between Aug. 21 and Sept. 4.
In those correspondences, Thomson said, “I also want to hear your thoughts on the pending plan to redevelop our government campus; I’ve opposed this plan from day one, but I know the community is fired up about it and I want to give you a chance to voice your opinion.”
Delray Beach City Manager Terrence Moore gets a raise
Delray Beach City Manager Terrence Moore got a 3.3% raise last week from the city commission in what was—by Delray Beach’s standards—a non-event.
Discussion lasted three minutes, and Moore’s overall score from the written evaluations was 3.3 out of a possible 5. The raise is tied to the cumulative score.
Commissioner Juli Casale gave Moore the lowest score—a collective 2. She says Moore should leave for a “less-complicated city,” where he will be “happier and more effective.” In her written evaluation, she blamed Moore for not finding “consensus” on the golf course renovation. At that same meeting, the commission approved a plan for the renovation.
Commissioner Rob Long was the outlier at the other end. He gave Moore a perfect score in all 16 categories.
Mayor Tom Carney and Commissioners Angela Burns and Thomas Markert were clustered, with scores of 2.8, 3 and 3.5, respectively. Carney wants more “forward-thinking in city leadership.” But Moore’s self-evaluation correctly noted progress across almost all areas of city government. Planning can be hard when the commission often has such trouble agreeing. Moore completed four years of service Aug. 1.
An update on Delray Beach’s public golf course
As noted, the commission approved a consultant’s approach for renovation of Delray Beach’s golf course. Moore reiterated to me what he told the commission: Staff will move the revenue bond quickly to finance the $27 million makeover of the course and clubhouse. They could open in October of next year.
Delray commissioners set deadline for applications to fill Long’s seat
With Long set to resign in December to run for the Florida House, the commission is determined not to let his interim replacement exploit that to win the seat.
During last week’s meeting, commissioners set a deadline of Nov. 8 for applications. That schedule will allow them to see whether any applicants to fill the seat until March have filed to run. Once Long leaves on Dec. 8, commissioners will appoint a fill-in for four months.
