Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency Regular Meeting – April 21, 2025

The Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) held its regular meeting on Monday, April 21, 2025, at 1:30 PM. The meeting lasted approximately 37 minutes, adjourning at 2:07 PM. The board heard public comments, received a downtown appearance update, unanimously approved the audited annual financial statements for fiscal year 2024, and discussed future infrastructure projects. All five commissioners were present: Chair Marc Wigder, Vice Chair Andy Thomson, Commissioner Yvette Drucker, Commissioner Fran Nachlas, and Commissioner Scott Singer.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of April 7, 2025 Regular Meeting: Approved unanimously without correction.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Judy Morrow (1305 Northeast Fifth Avenue) spoke about the Patch Reef pickleball court awning, requested updates on the Tierra Frisbee drawings regarding tennis court replacement at the Boca Raton Tennis Center, and advocated for more advertising and programming for seniors and children at the tennis center. She also noted the rising cost of private lessons (from $60 to $70 per hour). Chair Wigder responded that staff would provide a recreation master plan update later in the afternoon workshop; staff are awaiting an updated interim plan from Tierra Frisbee within a few weeks.

Director's Report

Downtown Appearance Update (Ruby Riley, Downtown Manager)

• Meisner Park: ADA-compliant paper pads installed around café tables; fountain restoration began with north and south small fountains, with completion expected by end of June 2025 (pausing for centennial events before the main fountain); water meters installed for drinking fountains with doggy bowls, awaiting a second meter; Cultural Arts Center repainting to finish by end of May; recycling bins placed; benches and trash bins repainted black; resodding nearly complete with a new grass type (south end done).
• Downtown Wide: DowntownBoca.org website refreshed with a cleaner, more user-friendly look; interactive map project still underway; review of trash bin locations ongoing, one new bin added in the metered lot east of the post office.
• Commissioner Discussion: Commissioner Thomson referenced Walt Disney’s 30-step trash can rule; Commissioner Nachlas asked about recycling bin usage (reported as working well). Commissioner Singer noted contrasting examples (Japan and retailers removing cans). Discussion also confirmed dog waste stations are present.

CRA Annual Financial Statements & Compliance Report (Carly Sha Jenkins, Deputy CFO; Hermes Garzon, CBI CPAs)

• Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2024: Total assets of $143.0 million, including $47.3 million in capital assets; net position of $83.9 million (increase of $16.7 million over prior year), of which $36.7 million is restricted. Tax increment revenues totaled $21.4 million, plus $4.6 million in charges for services. The CRA ended with a positive fund balance variance of approximately $17.5 million between the final adopted budget and actual results (revenues exceeded budget by $2.5 million; expenditures were $14.9 million below budget, largely due to delayed capital outlay and elimination of a refund). The general fund ending fund balance stood at approximately $35.2 million.
• Audit Opinion: CBI CPAs issued an unmodified (“clean”) opinion. No material weaknesses or deficiencies in internal control were reported, and no compliance issues were identified. The management letter and compliance reports for investments and statutory provisions showed no findings.
• Commissioner Questions: Commissioner Nachlas asked about the treatment of Meisner Park ground leases under new accounting standards. Mr. Zervis explained that lease assets and liabilities are now included on the balance sheet for transparency, based on base rent; percentage rent (currently exceeding base rent) is excluded due to uncertainty. The lease has approximately 60 years remaining. Commissioner Nachlas also asked about the significant budget-to-actual variance; Mr. Zervis attributed it to the timing of capital projects, noting that the $35.2 million fund balance is earmarked for downtown redevelopment campus infrastructure (e.g., drainage, water, sewer, streets).

Compliance Report

• No issues were noted in the compliance report; the CRA is in full compliance with applicable Florida statutes and investment policies.

Chair’s Report & Other Business

• Chair Wigder reported on a Leadership Boca tour of downtown, including Meisner Park and the Brightline station. He highlighted upcoming infrastructure projects: Palmetto Park Road, the government campus, and a planned rewrite of the downtown zoning ordinance (4035). He noted that Brightline-related projects (northbound platform, pedestrian bridge) are moving forward. He encouraged exploring free Wi-Fi via fiber optic utility partnerships during the new campus infrastructure work and praised the Meisner Park public-private partnership model. The revised downtown website includes parking and EV charger locations. Upcoming events include the Night Market on May 1, 2025.

Key Outcomes

• Approved minutes of the April 7, 2025 CRA regular meeting (unanimous).
• Accepted the audited annual financial statements for FY 2024 and the compliance report (no specific motion recorded, but presentation received with unanimous approval implied).
• Directed staff to continue downtown appearance projects and monitor infrastructure planning; no formal votes taken on these items.
• Adjourned at 2:07 PM to reconvene for a City Council Workshop.

Note: The meeting agenda listed no quasi-judicial hearings, resolutions, or other business; the only action taken was approval of consent minutes.