West Palm Beach commission approves leases, licenses, grant and FDOT utility agreement

The West Palm Beach City Commission on Jan. 21 approved a package of resolutions, two ordinances, license agreements and a utility coordination agreement, including acceptance of a $600,000 U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office Technology and Equipment Program award for explosive‑ordinance equipment.

The actions included extension of an acceptance date in a conveyance and development agreement with Vanderbilt Education Florida LLC; authorization to assess city liens totaling $111,705.50 for unpaid water, sewer and stormwater charges for September 2024; the waiver of a potential conflict of interest involving Ackerman LLP; two ordinances relating to amendments of the West Palm Beach Marina lease; property and license approvals; two special-event alcohol permits; acceptance and appropriation of the federal COPS grant; and a utility‑work agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for work tied to the State Road 5 (U.S. 1) milling and resurfacing project.

The commission also approved a resolution honoring sponsors of the December African American Mayors Association fourth‑quarter board meeting, thanking Florida Power & Light, Related Ross, The Frisbee Group and Holland & Knight.

Why it matters: the decisions affect city property and leases, public‑safety equipment for the police department, city revenue collection by lien, and coordination of city utilities with a state road project.

Key approvals and details

- Conveyance and development agreement: The commission approved a resolution to amend the agreement with Vanderbilt Education Florida LLC to extend the agreement’s acceptance date to April 20, 2025 (as stated in the meeting). The resolution text was approved during the Jan. 21 meeting.

- Liens for unpaid utility charges: The commission authorized assessment of city liens totaling $111,705.50 for unpaid water service, sewer service and stormwater charges for September 2024.

- Conflict waiver: The commission approved a resolution waiving a potential conflict of interest related to Ackerman LLP’s representation of the Diocese of Southeast Florida, Inc. in a code‑enforcement matter and the firm’s representation of the city in unrelated matters.

- Marina lease ordinances: Two ordinances after a second public hearing were approved concerning the consolidated and amended lease with West Palm Beach Marina, Inc. One ordinance approved the third amendment to the consolidated and amended lease (including new rent terms and rent credits for the extended period). A second ordinance approved a fifth amendment for the extended submerged marina premises. The ordinance materials were adopted on second reading at the Jan. 21 meeting; the precise revised expiration date printed in the ordinance language was not specified in the audio summary beyond the commission’s action.

- Property, license and event approvals: The commission approved an ad valorem tax exemption (completed work application) for property at 213 Grayman Drive; a license agreement with PNC Bank National Association to use a portion of city property at 723 39th Street for a pop‑up retail bank branch; a special‑event license and alcoholic‑beverage permit for Annual Sportsman’s Duck Dinner LLC at Dreyer Park on Feb. 12, 2025; and a special‑event license and alcoholic‑beverage permit for the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association party at Howard Park on Feb. 21, 2025.

- DOJ COPS grant: Two resolutions were approved accepting and appropriating $600,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office Technology and Equipment Program to purchase two bomb robots and one x‑ray machine for city use.

- FDOT utility work agreement: The commission approved a resolution authorizing a utility‑work by highway contractor agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for city utility work related to the State Road 5 (U.S. 1) Dixie Highway milling and resurfacing project between Belvedere Road and State Road 704 (Okeechobee Boulevard).

The meeting summary was recorded on the City Center podcast. "The following items were approved during the meeting," said Jerry Marcello, host for the City of West Palm Beach communications department. For full texts of the resolutions, ordinances and meeting materials, the city posted documents at wpb.org.