Boca Raton CRA Regular Meeting - May 26, 2026: Public Requests on Public Lands and Ballot Timing
Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency Regular Meeting – May 26, 2026
The Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) held a brief regular meeting on May 26, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 10:10 AM. The meeting included roll call, approval of minutes from the May 11, 2026 meeting, and public requests focused on public lands, a charter amendment, a downtown civic task force, and the police services complex. No other substantive business was conducted.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of the Regular Meeting of May 11, 2026: Approved unanimously by voice vote (all five commissioners voting aye).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Robert Starkov (address not stated): Requested that the City Council (meeting in a subsequent workshop) direct staff to present options, deadlines, and costs for placing a Charter Amendment to protect public lands on the August 2026 primary, November 2026 general election, or March 2027 municipal election ballot. He urged a decision at the same day's council meeting. He also urged the Council to decide whether to proceed with a downtown civic task force, suggesting its mission area should include lands bounded by NW 24th Diagonal, the library, parking garage, Dixie Highway, Palmetto Park Road, and Crawford Boulevard. Additionally, he asked that the police services complex RFP include an interim report recommending whether the long-term police headquarters remain downtown or be located to best serve the city’s five square miles, with a satellite presence downtown.
- Mike Liebelson (398 Northeast Third Court): Expressed confusion about the status of the downtown civic task force, noting a resolution to overturn its approval was not on the agenda. He stated that the 2026 election sent a clear message against the $190 million police station relocation from downtown and against public-private partnerships on public land. He advocated for an RFQ for an urban planning specialist to evaluate the 31-acre city campus, referencing a plan by Les Wilson (BocaFirst.org) that retains City Hall and the police station on the existing site, includes recreational opportunities, and reuses existing buildings (e.g., renovating City Hall into a community center). He requested the plan be given to a consultant for rapid review with public comment.
Discussion Items
- Ballot Timing for Charter Amendment: In response to Mr. Starkov’s public request, City Attorney Kalar explained that the City Council previously adopted a resolution directing that the matter be placed on the next available ballot or no later than the March 2027 municipal election. He noted that the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections has consistently refused to place municipal referenda on the primary or general election ballots, despite multiple inquiries. A mail-in-only ballot election is being explored but carries significant costs. The attorney reported that a follow-up message to the Supervisor had not yet received a response.
Key Outcomes
- No votes or decisions were taken on public requests; these were directed to the subsequent City Council workshop and regular meeting.
- The meeting adjourned at 10:10 AM, with the City Council workshop scheduled to follow immediately.
Meeting Transcript
It is my pleasure to call to order. The regular meeting of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Oka Ratone. The date is May 26, 2026. It's high as 10 a.m. If everybody can please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge of allegiance. And so we call public. Undergone indivisible liberty and justice. Madam Clerk, could you please call a roll? Chair Thompson. Thankful to be here. Vice Chair Drucker here. Commissioner Grow here. Commissioner Sippel. Present. Commissioner Perlman. Here. All present. Thank you, Ms. Siddons. Mr. Director, do we have any amendments to the agenda? Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are no amendments to the agenda. Very good. We can move on then to the minutes. I believe we have one set, the regular meeting of May 11, 2026. Members, are there any revisions or corrections to the minutes? If not, I will entertain a motion and a second to approve those minutes as presented. So moved. Second. Very good. All in favor of approval of those minutes, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Very good. The ayes have it. We have no presentations. We have no quasi judicial related public hearings today, so I can open the door now for public requests. If you want to speak regarding the community redevelopment agency, please step forward, state your name and address, and you will have up to three minutes. Mr. Starkov, take it away. My public requests today are regarding the public lands and civic facilities within the CRA. Because today's CRA meeting and workshop and council meeting are all being held consecutively. First, I ask Council to direct staff during today's workshops to present the options, deadlines, and costs for placing the Charter Amendment to protect public lands on either the August 2026 primary ballot, the November 2026 General Election Ballot, or the March 2027 Municipal Election Ballot. I am asking Council to ask its final questions, have the cost-benefit discussion, and prepare the motion to make its final choice at today's council meeting. Second, I hope Council will decide today whether to proceed with with this downtown civic task force or not. If so, the mission area, I believe, should include the area generally bound by Northwest 24th Diagonal, the library, the parking garage, Dixie Highway, Palmetto Park Road, and Crawford Boulevard. So adjacent buildings, public land, and civic uses are evaluated together.
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