At this week’s Delray Beach City Commission meeting, City Manager Terrence Moore delivered a presentation addressing criticisms made by Commissioner Juli Casale.
During the city commission’s April 21 regular meeting, Casale, who has been the commission’s most vocal critic of Moore’s performance, alleged “deficiencies in financial oversight” by city management that have amounted to “millions of dollars” in cost burdens to taxpayers. The most costly examples that Casale cited included the City having yet to reclaim funds from Highland Beach over the two cities’ dispute over fire rescue services; the City of Delray Beach’s lack of impact fees for development; and the inability of the City to negotiate a favorable contract with Waste Management.
In 2022, Waste Management wanted out of its contract with the City of Delray Beach. Residents were paying about $11 per residence for trash pick-up, a rate that Waste Management considered to be unprofitable for the company due to rising costs and inflation. The City Commission at the time was able to briefly extend the contract, but at a much higher rate of nearly $20 per residence. While it’s true that residents were burdened with higher costs for trash pick-up, the circumstances were outside the control of the city manager; a new franchise agreement with Waste Management was signed February 2023, which will run through September 2030.
It’s worth noting that Delray Beach residents pay less in garbage than surrounding cities. In Boca Raton, the rate is $27.90 per month for single-family residence. In Boynton Beach, it’s $23.45. In Delray Beach, it’s $19.54.
Casale raises a valid point about impact fees. These fees are paid by developers for their projects to offset the cost burden on residents. Impact fees in Delray Beach are administered by the county, with most of the funds going to Palm Beach County. In January this year, a consultant provided a roadmap for the city implementing impact fees and the commission asked for an ordinance.
“We’ve actually started the process of an impact fee ordinance consideration that will be brought before [the commission] soon for adoption,” Moore told me.
As for reclaiming funds from Highland Beach over the two cities’ fire dispute—which total about $3.9 million—Moore says that efforts thus far to engage with Highland Beach to claim the payments have fallen flat.
“This is not a simple case of the Office of the City Manager reaching out to their leadership … or the department of finance issuing a bill to their accounts receivable … we’re above and beyond that,” Moore said during his presentation.
Casale’s allegations of financial mismanagement were not echoed by any other members on the commission.
A proposal for Delray Beach’s remaining opioid settlement funds
The Delray Beach Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee proposes using the remaining funds from Delray Beach’s opioid settlement payments—roughly $175,000—toward a “mobile integrated health program.” The city is expected to receive up to $1.5 million in additional funds over the next 18 years. Delray Beach’s opioid settlement funds have previously been used for making Narcan—the lifesaving drug that halts opioid overdose—more available.
Mobile programs like this operate outside the usual emergency response system and specialize in providing immediate, on-site care and treatment resources for those suffering from opioid addiction. The city commission will hear a full presentation on May 19.
The city is expected to receive up to $1.5 million in additional funds over the next 18 years. Delray Beach’s opioid settlement funds have previously been used for increasing the availability of Narcan—the lifesaving drug that halts opioid overdose.
Brightline in trouble
Brightline, the private, high-speed rail service that was once touted by former Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer as a “game changer” for the city, could soon be facing bankruptcy.
That’s because Brightline’s revenues are being far outpaced by its debts. The company has more than $2 billion in debts and is late on its interest payments for the year. Late last year, Brightline sold its Fort Lauderdale station to increase its liquidity.
Boca Raton’s Brightline station opened in 2022. The City paid $10 million toward the station’s parking garage. It’s unclear if investment was worthwhile because Brightline doesn’t track ridership by station. Plans for the City’s former proposed downtown campus were made with the assumption that Brightline would still be around. Any future plan for a new downtown campus may have to factor in Brightline’s absence.
Three Boca Raton swatting incidents
In just one week, three locations in Boca Raton have been the victims of “swatting”—calling in a fake emergency situation that results in armed first responders being called to the scene.
Fake calls were made stating that there were armed suspects at both Spanish River High School and Boca Raton Middle School. Another fake call was made of a bomb threat at Town Center mall. In each case, no credible threat was found.
In 2021, Florida passed H.B. 371, a bill which reclassified swatting from a first degree misdemeanor to third degree felony when a false report “results in a public safety agency response that exceeds $2,000,” a second degree felony when a false report results in injury, or a first degree felony when resulting in an individual’s death.
Prosecuting these cases often proves challenging, however, due to techniques used by swatters to mask their identities and locations.
