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Votes at a glance: Highland Beach approves home-based business rule, marine facility limits and permanent records retention
Summary
On Jan. 21 the Highland Beach Town Commission unanimously approved two ordinances — on home-based businesses and accessory marine facilities/seawalls — and three resolutions on mitigation planning, records retention and canvassing for the March 2025 municipal election.
The Town Commission of the Town of Highland Beach voted unanimously on Jan. 21 to approve a package of ordinances and resolutions affecting zoning, accessory marine facilities, municipal records and emergency planning.
Key outcomes
Ordinance 2025-001 — Home-based businesses (second reading): Approved unanimously. The ordinance renames the town's "home occupation" rules to "home-based businesses" and updates local regulation to conform with state law, relaxing some previous employee and equipment restrictions while preserving rules meant to keep residential character. Vote: Commissioners David, Goldberg, Peters, Vice Mayor Stern and Mayor Moore — all "yes."
Ordinance 2025-002 — Accessory marine facilities and seawall regulations (second reading): Approved unanimously. The ordinance amends Chapter 6 (buildings and structures) and Chapter 30 (zoning) to add maximum heights for boat lifts, limits on extensions into canals and lakes, maximum seawall cap and dock width, and ladder regulations; ladders were discussed but not made mandatory. Vote: Commissioners David, Goldberg, Peters, Vice Mayor Stern and Mayor Moore — all "yes."
Consent agenda: Approved unanimously (items not separately discussed in meeting packet).
Resolution 2025-001 — Adoption of Palm Beach County Local Mitigation Strategy plan (2024 revised): Approved unanimously. The change aligns Highland Beach with the county plan and keeps the town eligible for state and federal mitigation grants. Vote: unanimous.
Resolution 2025-002 — Permanent retention of building and land development public records: Approved unanimously. The resolution directs the town to permanently retain public records related to building permits and land development applications and approvals (including issued, expired, abandoned or withdrawn permit files) in digital archives to preserve historical as-built and permitting records. Vote: unanimous.
Resolution 2025-003 — Designating Palm Beach County canvassing board for March 2025 general municipal election: Approved unanimously. Vote: unanimous.
How the votes were taken
Each ordinance and resolution was introduced in a public hearing or regular agenda item. Commissioners made motions on the floor and votes were recorded by roll call. Where the roll call was recorded, Commissioners David, Goldberg, Peters, Vice Mayor Stern and Mayor Moore each voted "yes" on the recorded items. No "no," abstain or recused votes were recorded for the listed measures.
What's next
- The home-based business ordinance is now codified in town code and will be enforced consistent with state law and local sign and residential-character provisions. - The accessory marine facilities amendments set new maxima for lifts, dock widths and seawall caps; the commission adopted planning board recommendations including ladder permissibility but did not mandate ladders. - The records-retention change will require town staff to maintain digital archives of building and development files and to include withdrawn/abandoned application materials.
