[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6542082,"mediaKeyId","3795624-f4c84bf5344f11f9333f97b7070e824f","parentId",3795624,"title","Palm Beach Gardens council approves technical amendment for Plant Drive athletic facility but denies timing extension","audioSeconds",4125,"startMs",835000,"endMs",4960000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3795624-f4c84bf5344f11f9333f97b7070e824f&start=835&end=4960","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3795624-f4c84bf5344f11f9333f97b7070e824f/thumbnail_835000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6542082/Palm-Beach-Gardens/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Palm-Beach-Gardens-council-approves-technical-amendment-for-Plant-Drive-athletic-facility-but-denies-timing-extension","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542082-4114c068a8d2228daf32c57a32a29ba1/orig.mp4?Expires=1775086809&Signature=DPG6up5ip8rH9D96reZWsJj~EATZebFEbBsd9TmAMsN9Fbe1VcNWUopBWLCuYRKKM5f0TcvEn0rR-~oFjaAyVwmjGSpY5tK9tsphJtlFM-gNd~ICQ6bgaUKRHrM5CZjrAiMWxr4X~6TL3u5A4fw8Mpdwg~v~~vVH37iEFvZjA2gCAFwJ9-mvln3oKJd~voTCqGyk33otk-jmIZi2xR2lbMgZ9DemnpblVvxvnLQenhjij~v~BcSuHtX3arAbQAfT4rT1LuQPAB1XLCURpV9u6SiXyVul69K1TJw7a-9eE79AuSTKxgusTpf-AlJm79gUkgUboJpqtwBwX7pPWPDj7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Palm Beach Gardens","date","2025-06-11T09:44:57.443Z","article","The Palm Beach Gardens City Council on June 11 approved a narrow amendment to Section 14 of Exhibit B of the public‑private partnership agreement with the Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation (PBNAF) while declining to grant the foundation a requested extension of time to meet financing and construction milestones for an indoor recreational facility at Plant Drive Park.

City Attorney Max Lohman told the council the amendment “has to do with the carrying term of the required surety post construction” and that the only question before the council that evening was whether to grant “the request for a 90 day extension of time to the financial and construction milestones.”

The council vote approved only the revision to Section 14 — language tied to post‑construction surety — and did not extend the schedule for the foundation’s financing or construction deadlines. Mayor Maria Tinsley recused herself from participating in the item and passed the gavel after disclosing a potential conflict related to her husband’s employment and buy‑out payments from a firm that had performed survey and site work for the project.

Why it matters: Residents of Plant Drive and surrounding neighborhoods spoke for nearly an hour during public comment and urged council members not to give another extension to PBNAF. Speakers said the group has received prior extensions on an earlier site and that the city should enforce contract deadlines rather than repeatedly amending schedules. PBNAF representatives said the foundation has secured a term sheet and additional pledged funds but needs more time to close financing and proceed to construction.

What PBNAF told the council
Jason McCarty, identified in the record as a member of the PBNAF board and a Palm Beach Gardens resident, told council members the project team had spent about $2,600,000 on land‑use design, building design, preconstruction services, consultants and legal fees and had authorized $18,000,000 in construction contracts. He said the foundation had procured about $534,000 in materials to mitigate long lead times and that building permits had been obtained and “are sitting waiting to go.”

Investment banker John Bolzano of Ziegler presented financing terms in outline. He said the team had secured a tax‑exempt bank term sheet for a $29,000,000 credit facility with a quoted rate of 5.59% (a taxable equivalent of 7.03%). Bolzano described the tax‑exempt route as the preferred financing path for nonprofits and said the foundation had started the conduit issuer process with the Florida Local Government Finance Commission.

What residents said
Dozens of residents, including multiple speakers from the Plant Drive neighborhood, urged the council not to extend the deadlines. Heather Deichman Levy, who said she lives on Gardens East Drive, told council members the Burns Road Community Center succeeded because the city surveyed residents before funding and “that should be standard practice. Check with the public before making big changes to public spaces.” She asked the council to “stick to that contract that was signed.”

Helen Brown, who lives on Plant Drive, told the council she opposed another extension, citing PBNAF’s record of missed milestones at a prior North County site and the council’s prior terminations. “Are we really going to reward poor planning and broken promises with more time and the community’s trust?” she asked.

Concerns raised by other speakers included late‑stage financing, the timing of PBNAF’s application to a conduit issuer, the absence of audited financial statements that were due under the agreement, the project’s commercial scale in a residential area, and the potential public‑safety and environmental risks of development at the site.

Council deliberations and motion
Council members pressed the applicants on timing and whether a taxable conventional loan could bridge the schedule until the tax‑exempt conduit closing. PBNAF representatives said doing so would increase project cost and add complexity; they also said they had waited to market financing until site plan approvals and construction budgets were sufficiently defined.

City Attorney Lohman presented a narrowly framed motion to approve only the amendment to Section 14 (post‑construction surety language) of Exhibit B and not to grant the requested time extension. The motion carried; the clerk announced that Resolution 52‑2025 was approved “as it relates to the amendment to the agreement for section 14 of x exhibit b, and not as it relates to the time extension.”

What the council did not decide
The council did not vote to extend the foundation’s financing or construction milestones. The transcript and the motion record the council’s approval of the Section 14 amendment only; the financing term sheet, donor pledges and closing timeline remain the responsibility of PBNAF and its lenders and are not altered by the amendment the council approved.

Next steps
PBNAF leaders said they remained committed to advancing the project and that they have ongoing work with lenders, material suppliers and contractors. Council members said they would expect the foundation to meet its remaining obligations on the original schedule or to return to the council with verified evidence of financing if the foundation seeks any further modification.

Votes at a glance related to the item
The council approved the narrow amendment to Section 14 of Exhibit B of the PBNAF public‑private partnership agreement; the time extension request was not approved. Mayor Maria Tinsley recused herself from the item.

Ending note
The item surfaced long‑running tensions over public land use, deadlines in public‑private agreements and how the council balances community objections with outside fundraising and nonprofit financing timelines. PBNAF said it had secured key financing documents and pledged support; residents pressed for enforcement of contract deadlines and more direct public engagement before major changes to neighborhood parks.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting - June 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Palm Beach Gardens City Council on June 11 approved a narrow amendment to Section 14 of Exhibit B of the public‑private partnership agreement with the Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation tied to post‑construction surety, but denied the foundation’s request for a time extension to meet financing and construction milestones for a proposed indoor recreational facility at Plant Drive Park.","taxTitle","Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach County, Florida","taxId",4129,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6542072,"Votes at a glance: rezoning, site plans and public art approvals at June 11 Palm Beach Gardens council meeting",2438,5967000,8405000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3795624-f4c84bf5344f11f9333f97b7070e824f&start=5967&end=8405","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3795624-f4c84bf5344f11f9333f97b7070e824f/thumbnail_5967000.jpg","/articles/6542072/Palm-Beach-Gardens/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Votes-at-a-glance-rezoning-site-plans-and-public-art-approvals-at-June-11-Palm-Beach-Gardens-council-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542072-b5fdb18f82dcce8f60f31b28f095a10b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775086809&Signature=R0fARt2Z4kXDuZFpKMdOoC9f0rSRqQoeRtG5xCnvlqQ7pdx-HZ3iGxTxeoOfEtTbVVcT6ceuuCRjG1OZ-8sFM5TsxGiYtSA003wWcisKz-5Tv-skoCtX89Lto2snmDGkl0YoydM3xBw7kNYRVTiySZhH3vRcpqRptZOWHfna2zoWrFqIqwVGLlr8JyDny-b8DwmhJ1wZaqiYpS4lRCxiDwlH0Hec-kUJg4AC9yMTJJ-3BuucX5ZPC8X3NKpZCeFrYxnriyz7jMFyKt7EcZ01WpX~A3RMMlMUtBNxBBiz8-COyB953rSEq1Pf8hKQhgj4Nb6tX0zX-PN5VK5GsGkZ-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its June 11 meeting the Palm Beach Gardens City Council approved several ordinances and resolutions covering rezonings, site plans, major conditional uses, and public art. These items received staff recommendation and, in most cases, little extended debate at the council dais.

Key outcomes (votes listed as recorded in the meeting):
- Ordinance 5‑2025 (rezoning for Colony Plaza, 4265 North Lake Boulevard): Reading and adoption approved (motion carried 5‑0). A companion Resolution 31‑2025 approving the PUD master site plan and demolition/reconstruction of a 3,009‑square‑foot retail building also passed (5‑0).

- Resolution 40‑2025: Site plan and major conditional use approval for a community garden and dog park on Parcels H and J within the Avenir PCD (approved 5‑0). The project includes orchards, crop fields, 16 rentable garden beds, a pavilion and a fenced dog park; staff recommended restrictions on motorized equipment and that a farmer/caretaker operate heavy equipment off‑site.

- Art in Public Places approvals: Resolutions 38‑2025 (Port 32 pelican sculpture), 39‑2025 (Alton Town Center replacement installation “The Gathering”), and 42‑2025 (mosaic mural “Equal Justice for All” at Donald Ross Village) were approved with staff and AIPP board recommendations (each motion carried 5‑0).

- Avenir infrastructure/time‑limit items: Council approved Resolution 48‑2025 to modify condition of approval 31 for the Avenir Connector Road (Coconut Boulevard) to establish a firm completion target (permit issued and clearing/compaction under way); staff recommended approval and the motion carried 5‑0. Resolution 49‑2025 was approved to set a new date for completion of the Paseos in the Avenir Town Center (approved 5‑0).

What happened procedurally
Most of these items were presented by applicants and staff, and planning or AIPP boards had previously recommended approval. Council opened public hearings where required; no contested public hearings with standing opposition were recorded on these items at the time they were taken up. Each action taken was recorded in the meeting minutes, and the clerk read titles before votes.

Why this matters
The approvals move forward a mix of private and public projects across the city — from a small‑scale retail redevelopment to public green‑space features in Avenir and public art installations that will be visible to pedestrians and motorists. Several Avenir items also change or clarify development timelines and required road construction tied to future phases of that large master plan.

Ending
All items in this roundup were approved by unanimous votes of the council members present unless otherwise noted. For details, applicants’ site plans, AIPP proposals and staff conditions are available in the official city files and on the city website.","Council approved a package of land‑use and public‑art items on consent or after brief hearings, including a rezoning and PUD master plan for Colony Plaza, site plan and major conditional use for an Avenir community garden and dog park, several Art in Public Places installations, and time extensions tied to Avenir infrastructure items.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6542077,"City of Palm Beach Gardens receives clean audit for FY2024; general fund balance reported near $95 million",398,318000,716000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3795624-f4c84bf5344f11f9333f97b7070e824f&start=318&end=716","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3795624-f4c84bf5344f11f9333f97b7070e824f/thumbnail_318000.jpg","/articles/6542077/Palm-Beach-Gardens/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/City-of-Palm-Beach-Gardens-receives-clean-audit-for-FY2024-general-fund-balance-reported-near-95-million","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542077-6ff9caffc48aace4c48ec0eaa50e15e3/orig.mp4?Expires=1775086809&Signature=ZtoHGgTZj94tUknf9pr5RhVNNnOwPu8iQbvdDppaDz09C3WJ2MEiuEWKQQtZOY32HVnpsNKrvRjFs6SvNG8DM5X0MUFEh6d58WyrrIh1RNfUUg2Rj9iZQ05YjGXP8eyWuQ3KSKcfaXh1n-g8k3eiOj90dFmHGWl~lCJs92kpM60o7OpkuNVAT97J-UhUGLtlDTXyYS14PosnOeAoyNQUYD5phe9-VyndezWCa0ZHPHdyZclqSUwCmFa1hASJhsylUaEEKYRHQRtQ3ieERHO47xKLtuIMJQo00wYcmeiLT32a0ebknTbOk-uPN8ivVh-ppwaVAYb~o5ZxouJotcnVTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Palm Beach Gardens officials on June 11 presented the fiscal year 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), and the city’s independent auditors issued an unqualified (clean) opinion on the financial statements for the year ended Sept. 30, 2024.

Deputy Finance Administrator Kadeem Ramirez introduced Nicholas Martin, audit senior manager with CBIZ CPAs, who summarized the audit and highlighted the clean auditor’s opinion. “In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements ... present fairly in all material respects,” Martin told the council, calling that result the “only opinion that the city would like to be associated with.”

Key figures and findings
The auditors’ presentation noted the city’s government‑wide statements and its governmental fund reports. Martin highlighted the general fund’s reported fund balance at approximately $95,000,000, of which roughly $60,000,000 was classified as unassigned and available for future use. The auditors also presented the notes to the financial statements, which include details on cash and investments, capital assets, debt, pensions and other post‑employment benefits.

Single audit and federal awards
Because the city expended more than $750,000 in federal awards during FY2024, the audit included a federal single audit. The schedule of expenditures of federal awards recorded about $5,500,000 in federal grant expenditures for the year. The auditors reported no findings related to the single audit and no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal control that had to be reported to the council.

Context and commentary
Council members and staff noted that the city has historically published its audits online and praised the finance team for the clean result. Council member comments emphasized the importance of a diversified tax base — noting that approximately 80% of the city’s tax base remains residential while recent management‑discussion projects were more commercially oriented — and congratulated staff for their work producing a lengthy and detailed report.

What happens next
City staff said the ACFR and supporting documents are available online for public review. The report’s notes and management’s discussion and analysis section are intended to provide qualitative and comparative context for the fiscal year performance; staff recommended that council members and the public review those sections for a fuller understanding of revenue, expenditure and capital asset trends.

Ending
Officials described the clean opinion and the absence of audit findings as a sign of strong internal controls and financial stewardship; the council and staff acknowledged the finance team’s work in preparing the city for the audit and thanked auditors for their presentation.

","Independent auditors delivered a clean opinion on the City of Palm Beach Gardens’ fiscal year 2024 financial statements and reported a general fund balance of approximately $95 million, of which about $60 million is unassigned and available for future use, officials said.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Palm Beach Gardens council approves technical amendment for Plant Drive athletic facility but denies timing extension

Votes at a glance: rezoning, site plans and public art approvals at June 11 Palm Beach Gardens council meeting

City of Palm Beach Gardens receives clean audit for FY2024; general fund balance reported near $95 million