Boca Raton City Council Meeting – February 10, 2026

The Boca Raton City Council met on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included a proclamation for 211 Awareness Week, a detailed presentation on the proposed police facilities bond, approval of board appointments, adoption of several ordinances, and extensive public comment on a range of topics including the downtown campus project, freestanding emergency facilities, and park protections. All votes were unanimous (5-0) unless otherwise noted.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes from January 5, 6, 20, and 27, 2026 meetings.
• Approved consent agenda items including intergovernmental agreements for tires, aerial bucket truck, resolutions for City Mobility Plan, Sidewalks Upgrade Program, election services, emergency seawall repair, economic incentives, water treatment upgrades, and certification of firefighter trustee election.
• Accepted a board resignation from Eliot Popper.

Public Comments & Testimony

• 211 Awareness Week Proclamation: Elizabeth Burroughs of 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast reported that the organization responds to over 120,000 requests for help annually (77,000 from Palm Beach County), including about 4,000 suicide-related requests (1,200 from Palm Beach County). They also provide daily calls to 600 isolated seniors, 2,000 developmental screenings, and serve 700 seniors through the Elder Crisis Outreach Program.
• Police Facilities Bond Presentation: Deputy City Manager and CFO Zervis, Police Chief Muccio, and Public Works Director Beer presented the $190 million project, noting 27 community workshops held with 9 more scheduled. The bond would cost the average homeowner $123.74 per year. Chief Muccio explained the current police department is spread across seven facilities, with the main building from 1986 not hurricane-rated. The new site at Spanish River and Technology Way is 16.4 acres and designed for hurricane resilience. The project timeline is 48 months with move-in expected in 2029.
• Board Appointments: Barry Apple appointed to Citizens Pedestrian and Bikeway Advisory Board; James Dixon and Gene Folden reappointed to Marine Advisory Board; Ian Berkowitz, Hipler, Sacher, and Wagner appointed as Special Magistrates.
• Public Comments on Ordinance 5768 (Park Use Limitation):
  • John Perlman argued that a charter amendment is needed to truly protect parks, as an ordinance can be repealed by the council. He claimed the council voted to bulldoze Memorial Park, which Mayor Singer and Councilmember Wigder denied, stating the banyan trees were never to be removed and that the Save Boca ordinance was ruled unconstitutional three times.
  • Richard Warner criticized the ordinance as vague and stated that the judge's ruling on the charter amendment was based on poor wording, not unconstitutionality.
  • Martin Bell proposed turning the city's base building into a pocket park if the downtown campus lease fails, and suggested selling the old police station instead of leasing.
  • Pam Pashkey expressed support for the ordinance but objected to what she saw as dismissive remarks toward John Perlman.
  • Jonathan Unjin defended the council's efforts to protect parks and criticized the Save Boca movement as a political coup.
  • Mike Liebelson urged the council to propose a charter amendment giving the public a vote on selling or leasing public land, similar to the failed Save Boca petition.
  • Judy Morrow focused on tennis court improvements at Boca Raton Tennis Center.
• Public Comments on Ordinance 5770 (Comprehensive Plan Amendments):
  • Donna Bloomberg questioned the sustainability plan's drainage provisions and suggested studying international examples.
  • Mike Liebelson called for actionable steps from the comprehensive plan, with costs and timelines.
  • Pam Pashkey asked about building heights; staff clarified that heights are not in the comp plan but in the zoning code.
  • Richard Warner expressed concern that the plan might not be followed.
• Public Comments on Ordinance 5771 (Downtown Zoning District):
  • Donna Bloomberg criticized the reduction of parking and lack of pedestrian protection from rain.
  • Jonathan Unjin advocated for required ground-floor retail in downtown and lower building heights.
  • Meredith Madsen suggested resident parking permits and opposed 140-foot heights, calling for a comprehensive traffic analysis during season.
  • Richard Warner questioned whether the P3 project is a done deal.
  • John Perlman claimed the new zoning gives Miami developers free reign to build as they wish, superseding existing codes.
  • Pam Pashkey expressed concern about building heights and parking.
• Public Comments on Ordinance 5772 (Conditional Repeal): No public speakers.
• Public Requests (General):
  • Multiple speakers (Danny Hernandez, Allie Scholes, Chase Umbenhauer, Amit Segel, Rob Tanner, Rebecca Nelson, Isaac Newman, Gila Brand, Robert Bader, Ty Hart, Kimberly Hershey) spoke in support of allowing freestanding emergency facilities, citing personal experiences and the need for emergency care access. They expressed concern that the earlier reversal of an approved ER created uncertainty.
  • Pam Pashkey criticized the city's mailers for the downtown campus referendum as misleading and claimed the judge only ruled the charter amendment unconstitutional, not the other ordinance, and that the city council violated the charter.
  • John Perlman reiterated that Save Boca's laws are constitutional and cited other Florida cities with similar charter amendments.
  • Meredith Madsen highlighted the city's achievements (LEED Gold, Blue Flag beaches, centennial) and opposed the high-density downtown project, advocating for comprehensive traffic analysis.
  • Michelle Grau questioned the P3 agreement, stating that the developer should build public components first, and noted that the city has spent over $1 million on negotiations.
  • Brianna Hayquist lamented the removal of banyan trees and called for more parks.
  • Jonathan Unjin urged transparency on the ER discussion and noted that the council does listen to reason.
  • Martha Parker demanded transparency and accountability, pointing to the city's website as lacking clear information.
  • Richard Warner accused the council of being disingenuous about the downtown project and criticized the ballot language.
  • Mike Liebelson credited Save Boca for forcing the referendum.
  • Sunid Reed and Judy Morrow urged the city to avoid overdevelopment and preserve Boca Raton's character.
  • Jim Wolfe expressed frustration with downtown parking and overdevelopment.
  • David Clayman requested support for a drone survival kit initiative.

Discussion Items

• Postponement of Ordinance 5767 (Freestanding Emergency Facilities): Councilmember Wigder moved to postpone the item to the February 24, 2026 meeting to allow inclusion of the Light Industrial Research Park (LERP) zoning district. The motion passed unanimously.
• Ordinance 5768 – Public and Recreational Use Limitation for City-Owned Parks: Councilmember Wigder introduced the ordinance to add an additional layer of protection for all city parks. Staff noted it is similar to the Wildflower Park ordinance. After public comment and council discussion, the ordinance was adopted 5-0.
• Ordinance 5770 – Comprehensive Plan Evaluation and Appraisal (EA) Amendments: Staff presented the state-mandated updates to the comprehensive plan, including new 10-year (2035) and 20-year (2045) planning horizons, updated population projections, and policy updates. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval. The council voted 5-0 to transmit the amendments to the Florida Department of Commerce.
• Ordinance 5771 – Downtown Zoning District (First Reading): Staff presented the new downtown zoning district to replace the existing DDRI Development Order. Features include form-based components, reduced parking requirements, open space standards, and a maximum height of 140 feet. The government center subdistrict will be automatically repealed if the March 10 referendum on the downtown campus fails. The ordinance will have a second public hearing on February 24. Council discussed the relationship to the referendum and the need for future capacity studies.
• Ordinance 5772 – Conditional Repeal of Ordinance 5769 (Downtown Campus): The ordinance makes explicit that if voters reject the downtown campus transaction in the March 10 referendum, the related ordinance will be repealed. Adopted 5-0.
• Introduction of Ordinances: The following ordinances were introduced (first reading) for future consideration:
  • Ordinance 5757: Updating City Council meeting procedures.
  • Ordinance 5773: Clarifying retail requirements in Commercial Industrial Multifamily Developments (CIMDs).
  • Ordinance 5774: Amending the Future Land Use Map for the downtown library and Brightline station area.
  • Ordinance 5775: Establishing a policy directive for downtown land development regulations.
  • Ordinance 5776: Amending the DDRI Development Order to add properties and reallocate office equivalent development rights.
  • Ordinance 5777: Increasing candidate residency document requirements.

Key Outcomes

• Postponed: Ordinance 5767 (Freestanding Emergency Facilities) to February 24, 2026.
• Adopted Unanimously (5-0):
  • Minutes of previous meetings.
  • Consent agenda.
  • Board appointments.
  • Ordinance 5768 (Park Use Limitation).
  • Ordinance 5770 (Comprehensive Plan EA) transmitted to the state.
  • Ordinance 5772 (Conditional Repeal).
• First Reading Held: Ordinance 5771 (Downtown Zoning District) with second reading scheduled for February 24.
• Introduced: Six ordinances for future public hearings.
• Next Steps: The council will hold a workshop on February 17 and a regular meeting on February 24, where the freestanding emergency facilities ordinance and the second reading of the downtown zoning district will be considered.