by Gail Coppage, Communications Chair
Stormy Skies
This is your friendly reminder to have a plan in place for the potential of difficult weather during the summer months in South Florida. The PGA National POA Website (www.pga-poa.com) offers hurricane information and handy tips. You can find the hurricane handout in the left-hand column of the POA website homepage, under Docs and Forms. Being prepared and understanding what you need to do ahead of time will make dealing with summer storms less stressful.
Trimming and Removal of Landscaping Debris
If you own a single-family home, the summer months are an especially good time to walk through your yard and determine which landscaping plants and trees might need to be trimmed. Oftentimes just prior to a significant storm announcement, residents and landscapers spend significant time trimming shrubs, trees, etc. and suddenly you can see large mountains of landscaping debris along streets. Don’t wait until the last minute to take care of necessary trimming. And remember to check the weekly schedule for the Palm Beach Gardens Waste Removal, especially the days of the clam truck pick-up for large-scale landscaping debris removal. Residents of single-family homes must put out debris only one day before the scheduled clam truck pick-up. If you are a condo resident, take care to check the areas around your condo complex. Let your COA Property Manager know about any landscaping issues now, such as fallen tree branches, dead trees and broken tree limbs. If you see any other landscaping issues in PGA National while out and about enjoying our beautiful acreage, please notify Dawn at the PGA POA Office. Dawn can be reached at: (561) 627-2800 or by email at dawnl@langmanagement.com.
What is Ganoderma?
Speaking of landscaping, the photo below shows what happens when a Ganoderma infected tree is cut down and the stump is left in place. Ganoderma is an infectious disease that kills palms (and some other species of trees). Please note that POA ARC approval is required for any tree to be removed, even if infected, but the approval letter is clear that the stump must be removed or ground when the tree is cut down. One reason for removing/grinding stumps of diseased Ganoderma trees is that the disease remains in the stump and the spores released from the conch (mushroom looking disease growing in the middle of the stump) can become air borne and infect other trees. Check your property for any diseased trees and speak with your landscaper or a tree expert about next steps and remember to contact the ARC for approval before dealing with this issue.
TAKE NOTE! Northlake Road Closure to Repair Railroad Crossing
Palm Beach County Commissioners recently approved the work request of the CSX Railroad to repair the railroad crossing at Northlake and Beeline Highway this summer. It is expected that the closure will commence at the end of July and will take approximately eight full days into early August for work to be completed. Traffic going west of Beeline Highway on Northlake Blvd will need to take Okeechobee Blvd or Southern Blvd (south of Northlake) then use SR 7 and follow detour signs to get to Ibis, Avenir and other communities west of Beeline Highway. The PGA POA will notify residents with any other specific instructions, if needed. Please plan to avoid this intersection for the repair work period. We want our residents to remain safe as we all deal with the impact of a road closure adjacent to PGA National. Patience is a virtue, so please be alert, patient and prepared.
In the Neighborhood: An interview with Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Marcie Tinsley:
Did you always live in Florida? I have lived in Palm Beach County since 1983. I grew up in Wellington and rode horses down Forest Hill Blvd, before Wellington was an incorporated Town. I was in the first graduating class of Crestwood Middle School (Wellington didn’t have any schools back then) and graduated Forest Hill High, Palm Beach Community College and attended FAU, all local schools. I have lived in Palm Beach Gardens since 2003, and my husband and I raised our 3 children in our beautiful city. We also lived in North Palm Beach and West Palm Beach prior to settling in Palm Beach Gardens.
What is your current occupation? I am the Vice-President of a Property Management Company (Karl Corporation, Inc.) and Councilmember for the City of Palm Beach Gardens. My duties as Vice President include Property and Business Management, Land Planning, and Strategic Planning. I received an associate’s degree from Palm Beach State College, received a Horticulture Certification and attended Florida Atlantic University
Did you have any previous political experience or with public boards/committees? I served as an Evergrene Community POA Board Member, Palm Beach Gardens Recreation Advisory Board Liaison, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Councilmember, Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency Board Member, current and past Palm Beach Gardens City Councilmember, and current Mayor of Palm Beach Gardens.
What inspired you to run for this position and how does your experience prepare you for it? I began serving my community while in high school volunteering at Alamanda Elementary School, in Palm Beach Gardens. Those years taught me how to advocate for what I believe in. I continued my public service advocating for the 963 residents of my community where I personally solicited the help of the City to hold a one-million- dollar bond until the developer fulfilled all construction obligations stipulated in the approved development order. Years later, I solicited the help of our Police Chief, Mayor, and County Commissioner to help move a dangerously located bus stop, where 80+ elementary school children stood alongside a busy 6 lane highway, to a much safer location inside our community. While that seemed like an easy task, it took 2 + school years and a lot of persistence. Subsequently, the community and City leaders encouraged me to run for office.
How do you feel about serving as Mayor of Palm Beach Gardens?
It is an absolute honor and privilege being nominated Mayor of the City we all love. I was drawn to Palm Beach Gardens because of its lush landscape, vast preserve areas and “gardens” setting. Landscape and the arts are my passion and hobbies, so I guess that is why I was drawn to Palm Beach Gardens. We lived literally across the street from the PBG line in North Palm. Several years ago, I attended a United Land Institute Conference and saw the master plan for the Evergrene Community and was lucky enough to tour the community when under construction. A couple of years later, my husband surprised me by putting a down payment on a new house…and here we are 20+ years later and living in our second home in the Evergrene Community (downsizing to a house around the corner when the kids moved out).
What challenges do you see ahead for Palm Beach Gardens and this area? As a City Councilmember and current Mayor, I feel there are challenges facing the city I want to help address. I want to assure our city grows in a thoughtful manner inclusive of economic development and the best quality of life we can provide our residents. As a resident of Palm Beach County since 1983, the Vice-President and Land Planner for a local land management company, past POA board member, and my past 9 years of city council experience, I understand the challenges that our north county faces and how it affects our residents and businesses. I have learned to listen to all sides of an issue, to collaborate, and to sometimes think outside the box, for the best outcome for all. It takes strong and forward-thinking leadership to collaborate and create a prosperous and diverse economy. Once you have qualified regional leadership in place the other three outcomes can be more easily achieved. A prosperous economy and sound regional leadership will also help achieve a more resilient & connected region and thus a high quality of life becomes a reality.
In my opinion, the 5 most critical issues facing the PALM BEACH NORTH COMMUNITIES are:
- Growth and traffic concerns /congestion and mobility opportunities
- Affordable / Attainable housing
- Multi-jurisdictional and governmental coordination and communication
- Climate resiliency and infrastructure investment
- Maintaining and growing our Quality of life – such as a diverse park and recreational opportunities, achieving FEC quiet zones throughout the north county, and a supportive school system. Our City has over 50% greenspace and I want to make sure it stays that way!!
What are your thoughts about the tax rates? As the Vice President of a company and Councilmember during a recession, I learned to be very fiscally responsible. As a Palm Beach Gardens City Councilmember, I supported and voted to lower the city’s millage rate for the past three years. Prior to that, I lobbied and encouraged our Council to reduce the millage and instead of spending, give real dollars back to our residents and businesses. In fact, we lowered the millage rate 9 times in the past 10 years. As you know, council decisions are based on the majority. One person can’t accomplish much without the majority in agreement. I have been privileged to have similar minded colleagues when it comes to what’s in the best interest of our City.
What’s next? Fortunately, the City of Palm Beach Gardens is in a very well-funded fiscal position. To maintain this status, we will continue to monitor spending and taxes and grow our reserve funds when needed. We must keep a close eye on current legislation from the State and Federal Governments as it affects our budget as well. FEMA funding and disaster relief may not be covered in the future, and therefore, we will have to increase our reserve funds accordingly. Sales tax and property taxes are another legislative initiative we must closely monitor. Thank you for the opportunity to share my interest in Palm Beach Gardens with residents of PGA National! Please visit the Palm Beach Gardens website for lots of great information, updates, meeting schedules and contact information (https://www.pbgfl.gov).
Enjoy a happy, healthy, hot and humid August in South Florida! Stay safe