Political pushback is building against the state law requiring inspections of older condominiums.
In her last newsletter, Palm Beach County Commissioner Marci Woodward—whose District 4 includes Boca Raton and Delray Beach—urged constituents to sign a petition being circulated by her fellow Republican commissioner, Michael Barnett. His District 3 includes many large condo communities in the Lake Worth Beach area.
Barnett’s petition calls for the Legislature to hold a special session to change that 2022 law. Barnett—who is running for a new term—claims that it is causing “significant stress on condo ownership and affordability.”
Under the law, all residential buildings 30 years old on or before July 1, 2022, must undergo a visual inspection by an architect or engineer by the end of this year. If the building is fewer than three miles from the coast, the age drops to 25 years.
If that inspection finds “substantial structural deterioration,” a second inspection must identify necessary repairs. That work must be done within one year of the second inspection. Buildings must be re-inspected every 10 years.
Boca Raton was even quicker to respond after the June 2021 collapse of a condo in Surfside, north of Miami. Two months later, the city council approved a recertification schedule for all 30-year-old “threshold” buildings, which the state defines as at least 50 feet or three stories with an occupancy of 500.
The schedule created four zones, starting on the coast and moving to the west. Under that schedule, all recertifications are to be completed next spring. A spokeswoman said the work is progressing and that the city has received few complaints.
If so, that could be due to Boca Raton’s relative affluence. Elsewhere, elected officials are hearing lots of opposition. The double whammy of long-deferred repair assessments and higher insurance costs are costing some condo owners more than their mortgage payments.
The implications of the crisis are broad. Roughly 1 million buildings in Florida—or roughly 40% of the state’s housing stock—fall under the new law. Like so many other aspects of Florida life, condo ownership no longer is cheap. One owner said his dream home has become “an albatross” that he can’t afford and can’t sell. One woman refers to her unit as “a bad marriage.”
Yet Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, has made clear that the Legislature won’t take up condo safety during the organizational session after the election. Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami Beach, whose district includes Surfside, reinforced that point. He blames condo associations that for decades put off hard decisions about maintenance. Until this law, Tallahassee allowed HOAs to opt out of holding reserves.
Passidomo did acknowledge that the Legislature would “likely refine” the law during the regular session that starts in March. Meanwhile, investors likely are circling, waiting to pick off condos as cheaply as possible.
Boca council grants extension to TCAI
The Boca Raton City Council gave a reprieve Monday to the Center for Arts & Innovation (TCAI).
Because TCAI failed last month to meet its second fundraising goal, the council could have terminated the lease agreement for land at Mizner Park that would be home to a performing arts center. The group then advised the council that it would not agree to the council’s extension until Jan. 7 to report better fundraising numbers. TCAI wants to return in March with proposals for a new deal. TCAI’s action nullified the council’s preliminary approval of plans for the center.
Yet the council declined, as Mayor Scott Singer put it, to exercise its right to end the agreement—for now. Instead, the council ducked away from a confrontation and stuck with asking TCAI for an update at the Jan. 13 meeting.
Quoting John 1:16, Councilman Andy Thomson said the council was granting “grace upon grace.” The agreement goes into what he called “suspended space”—city staff will not spend more time on the center until TCAI provides an update.
Normally, President Andrea Virgin speaks for TCAI. This time, the group sent a lawyer. “Let us propose these terms,” he said, “and try to come together to ensure success.”
Vice Mayor Yvette Drucker advised the group to “come with something that works” for the city, not just for TCAI. Councilman Marc Wigder said any proposal might need to require audited financial statements and a seat for the city on TCAI’s board. Councilwoman Fran Nachlas said, “This can’t be a one-sided discussion.”
I’ll have more as developments warrant.
Boca double murder suspect pleads not guilty
The man accused of killing two people in Boca Raton and trying to kill a third has pleaded not guilty.
Last week, DeVante Lashawn Moss waived arraignment as he entered that plea. The shooting occurred Sept. 20 at an extended-stay hotel on South Ocean Boulevard. According to investigators, a woman chased Moss as he ran from a room, demanding that he return her purse. She was shot and killed. Two men who tried to intervene also were shot, one fatally.
Case disposition is set for Dec. 5. The public defender’s office is seeking “an enlargement of time to file motions to dismiss and other motions directed to the charging documents.”
Trial set for alleged Boca Bash strangler
Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge Caroline Shepherd set trial next Tuesday for the man accused of strangling his girlfriend at Boca Bash 2022.
Cole Preston Goldberg faces one count of attempted second-degree murder and one count of battery by strangulation. On Monday, Shepherd denied Goldberg’s motion for a continuance and his latest motion to have the case dismissed.
Delray hires new CFO
Delray Beach has a new chief financial officer.
Henry Dachowitz most recently held a similar position in Norwalk, a city of roughly 90,000 in southwestern Connecticut. According to the memo from City Manager Terrence Moore, Dachowitz is a licensed accountant in New York and Maryland and has a master’s from Harvard Business School.
Dachowitz succeeds Hugh Dunkley. He resigned to become CFO of the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County.
Delray city manager and fire chief working out details of new fire-rescue contract
Speaking of Delray Beach’s finances, Moore and new Fire Chief Ronald Martin have started working on how the city will implement the fire-rescue contract.
Under that agreement, in October 2025 firefighters will switch from working 24 hours on and 48 hours off to 24 hours on and 72 hours off. Mayor Tom Carney and Commissioners Juli Casale and Thomas Markert, who were not in office when the contract was approved, have criticized the agreement as too expensive because it will require more staff. Commissioners Angela Burns and Rob Long, who voted to approve it, and the union have said the change will keep the city competitive with other agencies.
Moore said the contract could be “significantly more expensive.” But he and Martin have discovered that the city might be able to staff rescue units—as opposed to ladder or pumper trucks—with two people and still meet national standards for emergency response.
“In the coming months,” Moore told me, he hopes to present as many options as possible. “This is one such discussion as we educate ourselves.”
Groundbreaking for new Patch Reef Park
Groundbreaking will take place at 3 p.m. Thursday for the new, more inclusive playground at Patch Reef Park.
The idea came from the Ogmans, a local family whose son’s disabilities make it hard for him to enjoy many features of the existing playground. The new facility will replace Pirates Cove, which will close Wednesday during the renovation. The new playground, with many interactive features, is scheduled to open next summer.
