2009 State of the City Address
Presented by: Mayor Jerry Taylor
April 8, 2009

Cities across the country are grappling with unprecedented budget shortfalls as the nation struggles to overcome the worst economy since the Great Depression, according to the World Bank. Or, to be more concise, to paraphrase the words of Warren Buffett, the world's richest man, the economy has fallen off a cliff.

Recently, the City Manager and Finance Director presented a somber economic forecast to the City Commission during an early presentation on the FY 2009/10 General Fund Budget. It was also an opportunity to address a projected $5 million shortfall in the current year's budget based on revenues received February 19, 2009. Much of this is in development based revenue and state revenues received by the City.

While City staff work on the difficult task of bringing this year's budget back into balance, the Finance Director told the Commission that next year appears to worsen. He estimates the December 2008 assessed valuation of property - the data used for the upcoming FY 2009/10 budget - to decline another 5-10 percent. This would result in a deficit of from $10.5-$16.0 million with much of the shortfall coming from declining property taxes, public service taxes, building permits and state shared revenue.

While we are in uncertain times now, we know that the economy will recover and should not lose sight of what we have accomplished as a city working together. Today, Boynton Beach is a center of commerce with a diverse employment base. It has become a destination in southern Palm Beach County for businesses, visitors and residents. We have become a premier city with many attractive amenities and features. Even though the economy is tough, Boynton Beach will emerge a stronger city because of the work done at ground level. Boynton Beach will continue to be a place where people want to live, work and invest. To maintain this edge over other areas, we must work together to attract people for homes to be occupied, jobs to be filled and purchases of goods and services provided by your companies.

Our fundamental financial soundness rests upon the strong economic development that has occurred over the past several years. With shopping opportunities along the Congress Avenue corridor, we are drawing people here from other cities to spend their money at Boynton Beach stores and restaurants, providing revenues needed to support our community. These locations have been helped by several large-format retailers as well as other small businesses throughout the city.

When the economy was better in previous years, we took the initiative to catch up on infrastructure investment such as utility repair, a new library and fire stations, and park improvements.

UTILITIES
The Utilities Department has nearly completed a Capital Improvement project to construct a reclaimed water distribution water main. We will have installed 18,000 linear feet of pipe ranging in size from a 24 inch main line to 6 inch distribution lines. The reclaimed water main will convey reclaimed water from the regional wastewater treatment plant to large users along our coastal areas for irrigation. In conjunction with the recent commissioning of the new high level disinfection plant and injection well at the Regional Wastewater Plant, none of our treated wastewater is now discharged to the ocean, and is increasingly being used for irrigation uses.

LIBRARY
In March, we marked the grand reopening of the library. With the new addition and the renovation of the original structure, the library has grown from 28,000 square feet to 63,000 square feet and gives us the ability to grow our collection from 150,00 items to over 200,000. It helps us meet our goal for the library to become a lifelong learning center.

The expanded library also comes at a time when a down economy is reminding people that libraries are there for them. It's one place where business is booming despite the recession because people know that they can count on getting the information, services and assistance they need there. Last year, circulation increased by 20 percent, with an average of 25-30,000 items a month and in the coming year, we expect over 300,000 visitors to the library. There are now 76 public computers available for e-government services, online job applications, job searches, resume preparation, homework, genealogy research and more. That's up from 20. Also last year, the Palm Beach Post job kiosk was used over 6,500 times by individuals searching for employment. We anticipate that the kiosk will get even heavier usage this year.

PUBLIC SAFETY - FIRE
New Fire Station No. 5, located at the intersection of Gateway Boulevard and High Ridge Road, is scheduled to open in mid-August. It will eventually house three firefighter and paramedic crews, the Fire Administration and Fire and Life Safety offices, a state of the art Emergency Operations Center, and a secondary Police and Fire Communication Center.

The station includes a fire training tower, and is also designed to carry on essential City Hall functions in the event of a catastrophic emergency that damages City Hall. This is the only building in the City hardened to Category 5 Hurricane Wind Standards and will withstand winds of 197 miles per hour. This station will provide primary fire and rescue services to the northeast section of the City.

This project is the culmination of a multi-year initiative to reduce response times citywide. Today, Boynton Beach Firefighters and Paramedics have an average response time of 4 minutes 35 seconds - one of the best response times in Palm Beach County - compared to over eight minutes in 2004. The opening of Fire Station No. 5 will further reduce response times down to four minutes; a remarkable accomplishment.

PUBLIC SAFETY - Police
In 2008, violent crime in the City of Boynton Beach decreased by three percent and, as of April 1, the overall index crime is down by just over two percent.  Overall our city is a safer place and our crime rate is lower now than it was in 2004.  This is due in part to the efforts of our citizens working with our police department to identify and address crime problems as they emerge in our neighborhoods.

No where was this more evident than in the Heart of Boynton where our police department's Community Action Team was deployed on foot and bicycle patrol in order to more readily communicate with the citizens.  The CAT team learned that a large drug distribution organization had been operating in the community for over 20 years and with the assistance of more than 450 law enforcement officers from throughout the region the Boynton Beach Police Department was able to dismantle the operation in the largest drug bust ever in Palm Beach County.

Our Citizens on Patrol Program added another neighborhood group in Golfview Harbor this year and boasts participation in excess of 1100 citizen patrollers.  These volunteers, mostly senior citizens who care about the community and the police department, act as the eyes and ears of our police officers and have accounted for drops in criminal activity where ever they patrol.

ART IN PUBLIC PLACES
Even in this downturned economy, art can help by lifting our spirits and inspiring our dreams. This past year the Art in Public Places program, which is funded by impact fees collected from development and redevelopment projects, hosted a number of free public programs, including the Art Connection, which connects artists, their artwork and the public, and the Avenue of the Arts, an outdoor display of sculptures that attract visitors to the downtown. Boynton Beach High School students participate in the program as guides who give free tours of the artwork.

RECREATION & PARKS
The goal of the Recreation & Parks Department is to make life fun. And that's important at all stages of life. Through the National League of Cities' Mayors Action Challenge for Children and Families, I have set a goal to help children and families thrive through participation in high quality kids' club after-school sports, nutrition and fitness activities. The program aims to expand out-of-school time fitness to fight childhood obesity and keep children involved and healthy.

For the Boynton Beach community seeking quality facilities and recreational opportunities, the Boynton Beach Recreation & Parks Department offers value and convenience in your own back yard. There are a number of projects underway that bolster that claim.

First, the extension of the Greenways System will tie together Palmetto Green Park, Wilson Park, Barton Park and Galaxy Park and Elementary School. Funded entirely by the Florida Department of Transportation, this $570,000 project will create a safe transportation route for adults and children without the need to traverse city streets.

With $375,000 from Palm Beach County, and an investment of $35,000, we are replacing the restrooms, picnic pavilions and constructing a new play area at Boat Club Park.

At Jaycee Park, we are creating a boardwalk to the Intracoastal along the mangrove conservation area that will enable the public to interact with the waterway. Half of the $400,000 construction cost comes from a state grant.

At Oceanfront we will be renovating the boardwalk, replacing the plastic with Ipe (pronounced ee-pay) Wood. The wood naturally resists rot, decay, insects, and mold and weather has little to no effect upon its structural integrity. We expect $2.4 million dollar project to begin this summer.

Finally, public discussions will be underway soon for Meadows/Nautica Sound Park. We are looking to create an environmentally sustainable landscape within the park.

GRANTS
You heard me say that several of the park projects were helped out by grants. In the last fiscal year, the City of Boynton Beach's Grants Team was able to raise over $3.9 million in funding to help underwrite a variety of projects ranging from the Youth Violence Prevention Program to the Category 5 hardening of Fire Station No. 5.

During the same period, 28 federal, state and local grants totaling nearly $1.8 million were closed out as projects were completed. In addition, the City received $2.9 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for use in its Neighborhood Stabilization Program. That money will be used to enable the City to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight within the community. This year, the Team will focus on legislative changes and sustainability.

While we are focused on fiscal prudence, we must also consider economic stimulus. As you've heard nationally, creating jobs is vital to getting our economy moving again. Increasingly, economists are promoting green jobs as key to the country's economic recovery and long-term growth. Local government can play a key role in stimulating the economy through the creation of green jobs, if there is adequate federal support.

Utilizing the high-tech expertise that's available in our area makes us well-suited to increase the number of smart tech green jobs. These are jobs that develop and test green technologies. They typically pay 25 percent more than the average job. We are currently identifying opportunities where a demand for green business exists and targeting an economic incentive program to attract green business to Boynton.

The city has taken a commanding lead in "going green" through its Green Task Force. At the October 7, 2008, City Commission meeting the final recommendations of the Commission appointed Green Task Force were accepted and City staff has continued to work on the development of a long-term environmental improvement and sustainability plan.

The city-staffed Sustainability Team, working in concert with numerous City departments, has made great strides toward implementing the recommendations of the original Green Task Force.

Building permitting, business tax payments, job applications, development records and utility payments can all be done on-line, reducing vehicle miles traveled and reducing the overall carbon footprint for the area. Eventually, the City Commission agenda and agenda process will all be done electronically, reducing paper consumption and affording improved access of the agenda to citizens.

Phase 1 of a reclaimed water system is currently under construction in the eastern part of the City. Reclaimed water will be provided to large water consumers to reduce the usage of potable water and groundwater for irrigation.

Land Development Regulations are being reviewed and updated to directly or indirectly further water conservation efforts throughout the city.

And, the Sustainability Team is in the final phase of the formation of the Green Community Alliance, which will incorporate public participation and the inclusion of key professionals from the community to assist in the research, development, implementation and prioritization of Climate Action Programs for the City of Boynton Beach.

This is just a small sampling of some of the "green" projects the City has been working on. In this economic climate, many of the recommendations are stalled due to lack of available dollars. However, the City is diligently pursuing Stimulus Funding opportunities.

The City Manager has created a staff committee tasked with the research and application for grant funding being made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and being funneled down through the numerous federal agencies. The objectives of the Act are job creation, preservation and economic recovery. The focus of the staff committee is to identify funding to implement projects and programs that will create jobs in the city, stimulate economic development and assist in energy efficiency efforts that will create cost savings for the city, business community and residents. To date, the city has received $2.9 million for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, as I mentioned earlier, and has been awarded an allocation of $1.9 million for a streetscape project in the CRA district, and just recently $658,900 from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant for a project or projects yet to be determined.

CONCLUSION
2008 was a challenging year for Boynton Beach, and the City's budget has been a primary focus. Despite the economic downturn, the state of our city is strong and, if we continue to work together and stay focused on creating more opportunities for our community, Boynton Beach will be stronger and better than ever when recovery comes.