A tropical wave located about 1000 miles east-southeast of Barbados in the Lesser Antilles Islands late Monday morning (Invest 97L) was headed west at 15 - 20 mph, and has the potential to become a dangerous storm in the Caribbean later this week.
The Zika Task Force in the Town of Palm Beach met this week at the Civic Association Community Room and progress is being made on public education and the treatment of mosquito breeding areas in town.
The Civic Association played an important role in the Town’s budget process this summer. Treasurer Pat Cooper analyzed the 2017 budget proposal in depth and met with town officials to discuss residents’ concerns about holding the line on taxes while providing the best possible services.
The battle of the bromeliads is underway in South Florida.
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Keeping an Eye on 97L: Likely to Become 'Matthew' This Week
Posted by R. Michael Brown
Published: Monday, 26 September 2016 12:15
A tropical wave located about 1000 miles east-southeast of Barbados in the Lesser Antilles Islands late Monday morning (Invest 97L) was headed west at 15 - 20 mph, and has the potential to become a dangerous storm in the Caribbean later this week.
Satellite loops on Monday morning showed 97L was growing considerably more organized, with more curvature to the cloud pattern, an increasing amount of heavy thunderstorm activity, low-level spiral bands that were getting more defined, and upper-level outflow that was becoming better established to 97L’s north.
The storm’s organization was being aided by low wind shear of 5 knots, a very moist atmosphere (relative humidities at mid-levels of the atmosphere near 70%) and warm ocean waters of 30°C (86°F).
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Beach Yacht Will be Removed at Government Expense - For Now
Posted by R. Michael Brown
Published: Friday, 23 September 2016 12:24
Florida Fish and Wildlife officers have been given the green light to remove a 72-foot yacht that ran aground along the shores of Palm Beach.
Carol Lyn Parrish, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, said the agency is working with the Town of Palm Beach and Palm Beach Police Department officers.
Taxpayers will pick up the tab to free a 72-foot yacht wedged in the sand along Palm Beach for nearly two weeks.
Debris continues to wash ashore, one day after the owner of yacht missed a deadline to get it off the beach.
The Zika Task Force in the Town of Palm Beach met this week at the Civic Association Community Room and progress is being made on public education and the treatment of mosquito breeding areas in town.
Maggie Zeidman, Town Council member, provided the latest updates on the virus, Jay Boodheshwar, Deputy Town Manager, presented status on the Zika Virus Response Plan, and Wendy Victor described a fund she has set up to help Zika researchers at the University of Washington with their ground-breaking discovery about how the virus is causing brain damage to the unborn.
See the Meeting Minutes below: Maggie Zeidman, Town Council Member
Wendy Victor
Zika Task Force Minutes
September 19, 2016
Attendance: Warren Belmar Jay Boodheshwar, Deputy Town Manager Pat Cooper Lew Crampton Michael Dennis Susan Gary Lee Goldstein Judy Goodman Karen Marcus Jerry Pearlman via phone Wendy Victor Margaret Ziedman, Palm Beach Town Council
==============================================
Ned Barnes, President, Civic Association Mike Brown, Communication Director, Civic Association
The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by Mr. Ned Barnes.
The CDC lifted its travel advisory urging pregnant women to avoid the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami. Governor Rick Scott there for the announcement
US senators have resolved a key issue that has stalled federal Zika funding, money that would go from Planned Parenthood to partner clinics in Puerto Rico, as Congress moved closer toward a budget agreement
Florida reported seven new cases of locally acquired Zika cases — six in Miami-Dade County, one in Palm Beach County. Governor Scott also tripled the Zika infection zone in Miami Beach.
Number of Zika infected pregnant women in the US is currently at 731.
Dr. David Dotson, tropical and infectious disease specialist presented to the Town Council last week and said , “The virus is here. The vector is here. And the conditions for spread are there. There’s no reason to expect we won’t be talking about millions of cases in the United States as time goes on.”
The CDC has spent $660 million on Zika so far and is almost out of money.
The group brought up a concern about the Naled insecticide that is reportedly harmful to humans and insects like bees.
Mrs. Zeidman and Mrs. Victor reported on important research happening in Seattle at the University of Washington. Mrs. Victor's daughter-in-law, Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf leads a team of 32 scientists at the Center of Innate Immunity and Immune Disease - at the forefront of Zika research. Last week the researchers reported in the Journal Nature Medicine that they studied the first case of Zika-caused brain damage in the fetus of a nonhuman primate: a single pigtail macaque.
It’s a key step toward understanding the impact of the mostly mosquito-borne virus that’s spreading in more than 50 countries causing severe birth defects and other problems. The study proves that Zika causes fetal brain injury. They are looking for other outcomes with this research that may impact humans.
Dr. Adams Waldorf is an obstetrician who has studied infections in pregnancy for 15 years.
Mrs. Victor said the researchers need donations to continue their work and a fund with a $300,000 goal has been set up.
Mr. Jay Boodheshwar gave an update from Town government:
The Town is not only doing education about Zika but they are taking proactive steps to prevent mosquito breeding.
Town is spending $7,200 on time release tablets Natular XRT that is a larvicide that will be placed in the 765 storm water catch basins in town in October. The tablets sink to the bottom so they won’t be washed away and they kill the mosquito larva that host’s the Zika virus.
Mr. Boodheshwar presented the Town Response Plan to the task force:
Completed
Updated Town Website
Developed preventive treatment plan for minimizing breeding.
Issued Zika text alerts town-wide.
Developed a contingency spraying plan to augment or replace the County responsibility for spraying. Contract is being prepared in case it is needed. This plan doesn’t include the Naled insecticide. The plan uses Duet, a dual-action mosquito adulticide that would be sprayed at night only if a mosquito outbreak is confirmed.
Provide repellants at outdoor public facilities for purchase at cost.
Planned and In-Progress
Informational tri-fold brochure for mailing town-wide
Informational poster
Letter from the mayor to be mailed town-wide
Educating Town field employees on how to identify mosquito breeding conditions (public and private property) and developed a reporting process.
Community organizations send informational materials via email to their mailing lists.
All Town property inspections for breeding conditions. – In progress
Develop reporting process for public to communicate potential breeding conditions. The task force recommended setting up a Zika Hotline phone number to call.
Reach out to schools. Mrs. Goodman is checking with the Palm Beach County School Board.
Coordinate and host 2nd educational forum in the Fall, sponsored by the Civic and Citizens Associations.
Finance Committee Chair Pat Cooper Leads Civic Association Analysis of Town Budget
Posted by R. Michael Brown
Published: Tuesday, 13 September 2016 16:43
The Civic Association played an important role in the Town’s budget process this summer. Treasurer Pat Cooper analyzed the 2017 budget proposal in depth and met with town officials to discuss residents’ concerns about holding the line on taxes while providing the best possible services.
During the Town budget workshop on September 13, Mr. Cooper addressed the council. Please see his comments below:
Oral Comments to Town of Palm Beach Town Council Budget Workshop
September 13, 2016
See back up for summary specifics of major initiatives contained herein
By Pat Cooper, Palm Beach Civic Association Treasurer
I have done quite a bit of work not only on this budget but also going back to previous budgets. With the help of Jane Struder, I was able to look back as far as the 1930's to see where we stood over time. What is clear is that we were left a legacy by earlier Councils and staff - a jewel of a resort that we are today enhancing and rebuilding literally from the underground up.
• 1973 - Town budget $6,104,791 (inclusive of debt service of $692,265) with a Town assessed valuation of $549,279,000. Issues $5,000,000 in bonds to acquire Par 3 Golf course. It looks like this was the last year bonds were issued to acquire property.
• 2000 - Town issued a ten year Revenue bond in the sum of $23,530,000 for coastal issues.
• 2001 - Total debt outstanding at 9/30/2001 $26,045,000
• 2010 - Town issued a multipurpose bond of $57,035,000 to refund debt to pay for Town Hall, new Central Fire Station and repay the Town for work on Par 3 golf course. The largest amount of $43,636,510 was the ftrst phase of the ACIP. Additionally a series "B" bond was issued for $14,770,000 for Worth Avenue Improvements
• 2013 - Town issued Revenue Bonds of $55,590,000 the largest amount of which went for the second phase of the ACIP ($44,997,957). Other uses were for coastal groin and sea wall replacement ($11,900,000) and the Town portion of 2003 building the Par 3 Clubhouse project ($1,250,000).
Basically, these bonds were issued to (at first) expand and then to rebuild the Town. Never before the start of the new millennium has the Town undertaken a Capital Improvement program at this pace. What came with that was basically the debt service we have today of about $8,000,000 against total gross debt of $116,145,000 and some of that is in the process of being refunded to take advantage of lower interest rates. ACIP was approximately $90,000,000 of that total.
Other major initiatives not included in that number include coastal recommendations totaling about the same number of $80,000,000 for the next seven years; Undergrounding of $90,000,000; retirement trust fund augmentation (2017 budget amount $2,500,000; and the projected cost of replacing the Town Docks $10,000,000.
These are very large numbers and will require a focused approach in budgeting. I believe it will require a different and more strategic approach to the budget process to ensure that everyone is on the same page. It will take both a disciplined thought process and communication plan with the citizens of the town to ensure everyone is "on board" with how the budget will move forward in the next few years.
For example:
• What is Plan "B" for shore protection other than sand?
• What is the level of funding that should be reached in retirement trust funds and at what pace? Is the recommended $2,500,000 for 2017 the correct amount?
• Are Town Docks simply being replaced or are more modern facilities required to ensure the current positive cash flow is kept intact? What about dredging? Who is our competition for the replacement docks we will build and will we be seen as destination, an alternative or a distant also ran once they are rebuilt?
• At what level should our debt service be relative to the overall budget? Rather than wait for the rating agencies to tell us, why don't we calculate that number ourselves as part of a disciplined process.
• Finally, are there other services that could be seen as critical to Town citizens that are not currently in the budget and how do we provide for that?
These are not questions that are negative or critical of where we are, they are examples of some strategic decisions that have to be made. Make no mistake about it - our reserves as they now stand are the envy of most municipalities. But the numbers are getting larger and it is time, perhaps not this year, but next year to have a strategic budget discussion to get everything on the table.
Thank you to the town staff for their assistance, Tom Bradford, Jane Struder, Paul Brazil and CES Consultants Vice President, Bud Goblisch for all of the assistance and time given to me during this budge year.
The battle of the bromeliads is underway in South Florida.
As the region tries to contain the Zika virus, government officials have taken particular aim at the plants that are popular for their vibrant colors but can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Their hard leaves grow in tight, cylindrical formations, which allows water to pool inside and provide a perfect mosquito incubator.
Miami-Dade County and Miami Beach have ordered bromeliads removed from all government property and are encouraging residents to do the same in their homes and businesses. The city of Miami has removed hundreds of plants along the central US-1 corridor. Those who fight mosquitoes every day have applauded those decisions to eliminate the plants that serve as incubators for mosquitoes that spread Zika.
"They're our arch-nemesis," said Yoel Gutierrez, co-owner of Mosquito Joe of South Miami, which has seen its workload triple since Zika began spreading locally in July. "You can walk up to any bromeliad and be about 99% sure that there’s going to be mosquito larvae in there."
Satellite loops on Monday morning showed 97L was growing considerably more organized, with more curvature to the cloud pattern, an increasing amount of heavy thunderstorm activity, low-level spiral bands that were getting more defined, and upper-level outflow that was becoming better established to 97L’s north.
Maggie Zeidman, Town Council member, provided the latest updates on the virus, Jay Boodheshwar, Deputy Town Manager, presented status on the Zika Virus Response Plan, and Wendy Victor described a fund she has set up to help Zika researchers at the University of Washington with their ground-breaking discovery about how the virus is causing brain damage to the unborn. 
Their hard leaves grow in tight, cylindrical formations, which allows water to pool inside and provide a perfect mosquito incubator.
"They're our arch-nemesis," said Yoel Gutierrez, co-owner of Mosquito Joe of South Miami, which has seen its workload triple since Zika began spreading locally in July. "You can walk up to any bromeliad and be about 99% sure that there’s going to be mosquito larvae in there."
