Boca Raton City Council Workshop: Board Interviews, Skate Park, Homelessness Response, and Police Complex – July 27, 2026

The Boca Raton City Council held a workshop on July 27, 2026, beginning at 2:00 PM. The meeting included interviews for several advisory board vacancies, presentations on a proposed skate park at North Park, a homelessness response update, and a police services complex project update. The council also received public comments on multiple topics and provided direction on next steps. No formal votes were taken; appointments and further actions are scheduled for subsequent meetings.

Board Interviews

• Affordable Housing Advisory Committee: Applicants not present; will be considered at the next meeting.
• Citizens’ Pedestrian and Bikeway Advisory Board: No interviews conducted.
• Community Appearance Board: No interviews conducted.
• Financial Advisory Board: No interviews conducted.
• Library Board: Two applicants unable to interview; will be considered at the next meeting.
• Marine Advisory Board: No interviews conducted.
• Parks and Recreation Board: Seven applicants interviewed, including incumbents Jim Sumoslowski, Ryan Luring, Joel Raska, Keith Nelson, and new applicants Brianna Hadquist (with tortoises), Judy Morrow. All expressed commitment to parks and recreation. Appointments to be made at the July 28 meeting.
• Sustainability Advisory Board: One applicant not present; may interview at a later date.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Skate Park (North Park): Multiple speakers expressed strong support for building a 45,000-square-foot modern skate park with a pump track, citing community needs for youth recreation, safety, and inclusivity. Speakers included Fabiana Delfino (professional skater), Todd and Miles Adle, Stephanie Donovan, Austin and Colby Wright, Mary Alice Kindred, Brianna Kish, Danielle Minch, Daniel London (nonprofit Planet Park), and others. They noted the existing Tim Huxhold Skate Park (10,000 sq ft, built 1998) is outdated, deteriorated, not ADA accessible, and requires paid entry, driving skaters to other cities. Some speakers opposed the location, including Michael Schneider (representing five condominiums with about 400 voters) and Harold Chaffee (Keep Boca Tika president, representing over 1,000 people), who argued the park should be moved to Spanish River Park to preserve green space and avoid residential incompatibility. Chaffee also criticized the community engagement process as insufficient. Ms. Hadquist and others supported the park's design and location.
• Homelessness Response: No public comments recorded during this item.
• Police Services Complex: No public comments recorded during this item.
• Public Requests (End of Meeting): Dr. Lorraine Blank criticized the city for lacking an overall vision and making decisions in silos. Harold Chaffee reiterated opposition to closing 28th Street and questioned the railroad crossing project. Jonathan Ungee supported moving police headquarters to Spanish River but stressed need for fiscal responsibility and strategic planning. Judy Morrow emphasized recreation needs and urged a city vision for 2028. Michael Schneider presented materials arguing surveys show higher public priority for golf, open space, and community center over skate park and boys & girls club.

Discussion Items

• Skate Park Presentation (Briann Harms, Executive Director, Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District): The district proposed adding a 45,000-square-foot skate park and pump track to the North Park site. The existing 10,000-sq-ft skate park (built 1998) is inadequate, not ADA compliant, and costly to expand downtown due to utility infrastructure. The project is community-driven with two public workshops and a survey funded by a $32,600 Planet Park grant. Construction documents are in progress; bid awarded to American Ramp Construction. No city council action requested at this time. Council members expressed general support, with Councilmember Drucker thanking the public and Councilmember Perlman suggesting the city might consider rebuilding the downtown skate park as part of Memorial Park planning.

• Homelessness Response Update (City Manager and Acting Police Chief Dubenski): Staff presented current conditions, including a hot team from Palm Beach County handling outreach, a trespass ordinance (expected implementation October 1), and park rangers reorganized under police. Recommendations included: 1) Establish a quality-of-life working group, 2) Add four CRA officers focused on downtown quality-of-life issues, and 3) Create a community resource coordinator position to improve coordination among service providers. Data showed steady contacts but declining reactive calls for service. Council discussion: Councilmember Trecker and Mayor Thompson favored immediate implementation of all recommendations; Councilmember Sippel agreed; Councilmember Prolman preferred to delay new hiring until recent changes (trespass ordinance, park ranger transition) are evaluated. The city manager offered a phasing plan but council consensus (4-1) was to proceed with the plan as presented ASAP.

• Police Services Complex (City Manager, Acting Chief, Public Works Director Zach Beer): Staff reviewed two options: 1) Central Complex (16 acres at Spanish River) with a 9,000-sq-ft downtown substation, and 2) Downtown Complex (1.94 acres near existing base building) requiring vertical construction (90,000 sq ft on two acres). Staff recommended the central location due to better operational unification, lower cost (horizontal construction 10-12% cheaper), ability to hurricane-harden the main building only, and future expansion capacity. Both options include a firing range, evidence storage, and rolling asset garage. Council discussion: Mayor Thompson, Deputy Mayor Ground, Councilmember Trecker, and Councilmember Sippel supported moving forward with the central location plus downtown substation, citing cost savings, safety (downtown site is in an evacuation zone), and trust in staff's due diligence. Councilmember Prolman disagreed, wanting a third option (rebuild on the current 4-acre downtown site with potential expansion to adjacent parcels) and requesting additional data (crime maps, response times, population projections). The majority (4-1) directed staff to proceed with community outreach and polling based on the two options presented; staff will meet with HOAs and conduct community advisory panel sessions in August and September, returning to council on September 22. Councilmember Prolman's data requests will be provided outside of a formal meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Board Appointments: Appointments for all advisory boards will be made at the City Council meeting on July 28, 2026.
• Skate Park: No action required; project to proceed through site plan and permitting with community engagement already completed.
• Homelessness Response: Council approved the plan as presented (quality-of-life working group, four CRA officers, community resource coordinator) with immediate implementation directed.
• Police Services Complex: Council gave direction to proceed with community outreach on the two options (central complex with downtown substation vs. downtown complex), with polling and advisory panel input over the next two months. A bond referendum could be on the March 2027 ballot if council chooses that funding method.
• Future Agenda Matters: Agenda item 13A (Ordinance 5790) postponed to allow staff additional review.
• E-Bikes: Councilmember Drucker noted the governor vetoed the e-bike bill; the county MPO will host a training seminar on September 3 to explore local ordinances.
• Public Comments: No formal decisions; input noted for future consideration.