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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Boca Raton City Council Workshop: Budget, Campus Redevelopment, and Board Interviews - July 14, 2025

Boca Raton Public Meetings — Monday, July 14, 2025

BodyBoca Raton, Florida

SessionBoca Raton Public Meetings

DateMonday, July 14, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:18:41

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

All right.

0:02

Good afternoon and welcome to a workshop meeting of the Boca Raton City Council.

0:06

It is Monday, July 14th, 2025.

0:09

The time is 340.

0:10

Our first item of business today is proclamations and presentations.

0:14

We have none.

0:15

So our next item of business is board interviews.

0:17

And I don't see many of our applicants here, but we'll start with our applicants for the Financial Advisory Board.

0:22

Anyone present?

0:24

Doesn't look it.

0:25

Then we'll turn to the Historic Preservation Board.

0:28

We have no applications currently.

0:30

The Library Board.

0:31

Any members of the public wishing to interview for the Library Board?

0:36

Parks and Recreation Board.

0:37

I do see at least one applicant here.

0:39

Welcome, Ms.

0:39

Vianali.

0:40

Please come forward and give your name and address, and you'll have up to three minutes to tell us why you want to continue serving.

0:45

And thank you for your patience.

0:46

Oh, thank you.

0:47

Oh, it's been very interesting.

0:48

My name is Julie the Anali.

0:50

I have lived for 26 years at 4501 Northwest 26th Avenue in Boca Raton.

0:58

I am currently a member of the Parks and Rack Advisory Board.

1:01

I was appointed by counsel in 2023.

1:04

I've served for the last two years.

1:07

I'm a retired attorney.

1:09

I am also a very active volunteer at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, one of the educators there, and it is one of my favorite locations.

1:18

I am always happy to tell the guests, not to tell them, but to share with the guests who visit Gumbo Limbo how remarkable it is that a city funds a park with live animals with all of those educational offerings and that it is a city park.

1:39

So I'm very dedicated to keep our parks at the amazing level that they still have.

1:50

And I think that as the demographics in the city change and as the city grows, I as a member of the Parks and Rec Advisory Board want to help council keep our parks wonderful and respond to, as I say, the changing demographics, because the city is getting younger in addition to getting bigger.

2:11

And so we're going to have to keep those amenities and expand the amenities for young people, more fields.

2:18

We absolutely are going to need more fields, and fields take space.

2:23

So I uh I'm excited about my active my uh work on the board.

2:28

I am anxious to remain on the board for another term, and I ask that my application be approved.

2:34

Thank you.

2:35

Any questions?

2:36

All right, thank you.

2:37

We will make the appointments tomorrow night for you and anyone else who interviews today.

2:40

You do not need to be present tomorrow night to be considered.

2:43

We will consider you and thank you for your interest.

2:45

Thank you.

2:45

Any other applicants for parks and recreation?

2:49

Then we will turn to the next board, which is permitting and construction review board.

2:52

We are still looking for an electrical engine.

2:54

No, excuse me, it's a structural engineer now.

2:55

We're looking for a structural engineer.

2:57

So if any of you know anyone who wants to serve or are that person, please apply.

3:00

And finally, sustainability advisory board.

3:03

Any members of the public are here?

3:05

All right.

3:05

We will make the appointments tomorrow night.

3:07

Anyone who didn't interview, we might see them tomorrow.

3:09

We do have, I think, all incumbents coming back.

3:11

So at this point, we'll open the floor to public requests.

3:14

I do have three cards.

3:16

Um, and two of them seem to relate to the downtown campus.

3:19

You're free to speak now, but we will have a presentation from city staff and CBRE momentarily, and then a public comment there.

3:25

You may wish to speak after they present.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Real Estate Acquisition██████████████████████22%

Fiscal Sustainability██████████████████████22%

Capital Improvement Planning████████████12%

Parks and Recreation█████████9%

Government Operations████████8%

Procedural███████7%

Budget Equity Analysis██████6%

Economic Development████4%

Board Appointments███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Boca Raton City Council Workshop: Budget, Campus Redevelopment, and Board Interviews - July 14, 2025

The Boca Raton City Council held a workshop on Monday, July 14, 2025, from 3:40 PM to 5:00 PM. The meeting covered board interviews, public requests, a presentation on the government campus redevelopment partnership opportunity (focusing on the purchase of 6551 Park of Commerce Boulevard), and a preview of the FY 2025-26 budget. Council will make board appointments at the regular meeting on July 15, 2025.

Board Interviews

Only one applicant (Julie Vianali, a current member) interviewed for the Parks and Recreation Board. She expressed a desire to continue serving, emphasizing the need to adapt parks to changing demographics and expand amenities for youth.
No applicants were present for the Financial Advisory Board, Library Board, or Sustainability Advisory Board. The Historic Preservation Board had no current applications. The Permitting and Construction Review Board is seeking a structural engineer.

Public Comments & Testimony

Craig Ernst (Boca Raton resident and Beach and Park District Commissioner) expressed full support for the city's transparency and flexibility on the downtown campus. He advocated for a collaborative approach to Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, suggesting RFPing the turtle rehabilitation to increase competition and urging a new interlocal agreement. He also supported the city's downtown building purchase decision.
Jonathan Ungjian (6501 Congress Avenue) criticized the city for not focusing enough on transit-oriented development outside downtown, stating that property owners are forced to involve entire blocks to achieve density. He argued that the state's Live Local Act preempts local restrictions and urged the city to increase units per acre and property rights. He also questioned the CBRE consultant's dual role in the purchase negotiation.
Judy Morrow (1305 NE 5th Avenue) expressed confusion about the planned relocation of the tennis center and the $4.2 million cost to move the children's museum. She asked when the children's museum move was originally proposed and why, and insisted that the tennis center remain at its current site (with additional courts at Meadows Park).
Reita Head indicated she would speak at the regular meeting, not during the workshop.
John Perlman (498 NE A Street) supported Mr. Ungjian's concerns, stating the city paid a premium for a landlocked lot compared to a nearby corner lot that sold for less. He questioned the lack of transparency in negotiations and alleged a high level of incompetence in staff's handling of large financial deals.

Discussion Items

Government Campus Redevelopment Partnership Opportunity:
- Deputy City Manager Andy Lukasick and CBRE Vice President Will Portfolio presented an update on the purchase option for 6551 Park of Commerce Boulevard. The city plans to buy the building for $17.4 million ($247/sq. ft.) to consolidate city services during the downtown campus redevelopment, then house internal and some public-facing services after a new 30,000 sq. ft. city hall is built. This hybrid approach is half the cost of rebuilding everything downtown (estimated $114 million).
- Staff noted that negotiations began at $19 million and were reduced to $17.4 million. The property has 70,000 sq. ft. (two 35,000 sq. ft. floors) and requires the least amount of improvements among options toured (estimated $75/sq. ft. for fit-out, $50/sq. ft. for furniture). The adjacent property (6601 Park of Commerce) sold for $14 million (10,000 sq. ft. smaller, with a data center limiting buyer pool).
- City Attorney clarified that the parcel subdivision condition is part of due diligence.
- Public comments raised concerns about CBRE representing both sides (seller and buyer) and the price being higher than the corner lot sale. CBRE's Portfolio responded that his role is tenant-only, representation is separate from CBRE's agency team, and the adjacent building's data center made it less desirable for office use.
- Councilmember Wigder noted that the purchase plus smaller city hall is half the cost of a full downtown rebuild ($114 million).
FY 2025-26 Budget Workshop:
- CFO Jim Zervis and Budget Director Sharon McGuire presented a balanced budget with a total millage rate of 3.6649 (down 0.0085 mills from previous year). For an average home valued at $450,000, the tax would be $1,649.21. The fire assessment fee remains $155 per residential property.
- Total assessed valuation increased 7.51% to over $40 billion, with $729 million in net new construction (highest in Palm Beach County).
- General fund revenues are projected at $254.8 million, with no use of fund balance (compared to $14.6 million in FY 24-25). Expenditures decreased $2 million citywide due to cost-cutting ($9.5 million trimmed) while maintaining service levels.
- New positions: 15 full-time employees (total 1,717), including a traffic enforcement program (speed cameras), a planner for Live Local Act compliance, a customer service rep for beach parking, a recreation superintendent, and a CRA-funded police officer and cultural arts administrator.
- Capital Improvement Program (CIP) totals $1.3 billion over five years, with $282 million budgeted for FY 25-26. Major projects: $26 million for city services building (purchase + improvements), $24 million for transit-oriented community redevelopment downtown (CRA-funded), $10 million for police HQ engineering/design, and various utility upgrades.
- Council questions focused on activity-based costing (cost allocation plan completed), the $18 million decrease in administrative and shared revenue (due to reduced CRA repayments), and assurance that no critical services were cut.

Key Outcomes

Council will make board appointments (including Julie Vianali for Parks and Rec) at the regular meeting on July 15, 2025.
Staff will continue due diligence on the purchase of 6551 Park of Commerce Boulevard, with a purchase authorization vote scheduled for the July 15 regular meeting.
Next budget steps: CRA budget workshop in August, tentative and final budget hearings in September.
Councilmember Nackles requested a future presentation on activating Wildflower Park.
Council discussed a special meeting on August 12 to interview city manager candidates, with possibility of moving to morning.

Note: The regular city council meeting is scheduled for July 15, 2025, at 6:00 PM.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Good afternoon and welcome to a workshop meeting of the Boca Raton City Council. It is Monday, July 14th, 2025. The time is 340. Our first item of business today is proclamations and presentations. We have none. So our next item of business is board interviews. And I don't see many of our applicants here, but we'll start with our applicants for the Financial Advisory Board. Anyone present? Doesn't look it. Then we'll turn to the Historic Preservation Board. We have no applications currently. The Library Board. Any members of the public wishing to interview for the Library Board? Parks and Recreation Board. I do see at least one applicant here. Welcome, Ms. Vianali. Please come forward and give your name and address, and you'll have up to three minutes to tell us why you want to continue serving. And thank you for your patience. Oh, thank you. Oh, it's been very interesting. My name is Julie the Anali. I have lived for 26 years at 4501 Northwest 26th Avenue in Boca Raton. I am currently a member of the Parks and Rack Advisory Board. I was appointed by counsel in 2023. I've served for the last two years. I'm a retired attorney. I am also a very active volunteer at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, one of the educators there, and it is one of my favorite locations. I am always happy to tell the guests, not to tell them, but to share with the guests who visit Gumbo Limbo how remarkable it is that a city funds a park with live animals with all of those educational offerings and that it is a city park. So I'm very dedicated to keep our parks at the amazing level that they still have. And I think that as the demographics in the city change and as the city grows, I as a member of the Parks and Rec Advisory Board want to help council keep our parks wonderful and respond to, as I say, the changing demographics, because the city is getting younger in addition to getting bigger. And so we're going to have to keep those amenities and expand the amenities for young people, more fields. We absolutely are going to need more fields, and fields take space. So I uh I'm excited about my active my uh work on the board. I am anxious to remain on the board for another term, and I ask that my application be approved. Thank you. Any questions? All right, thank you. We will make the appointments tomorrow night for you and anyone else who interviews today. You do not need to be present tomorrow night to be considered. We will consider you and thank you for your interest. Thank you. Any other applicants for parks and recreation? Then we will turn to the next board, which is permitting and construction review board. We are still looking for an electrical engine. No, excuse me, it's a structural engineer now. We're looking for a structural engineer. So if any of you know anyone who wants to serve or are that person, please apply. And finally, sustainability advisory board.

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