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Public commenters and petitioners press Boca Raton council on 99-year lease and public-land protections
Summary
During public comment on the proposed downtown government campus, speakers criticized a potential 99-year lease, questioned appraisal methods and asked the council to preserve public parks through ordinances or a charter amendment; petition signature counts and legal limits were disputed in the meeting.
Public commenters at Monday's Boca Raton City Council workshop pressed the council on the proposed downtown government campus and a related 99-year public-private lease structure, questioning appraisal assumptions and urging protections for public land.
Pam Paschke asked why condominium taxes appeared to be included in a recent PFM financial review and said she opposed a 99-year lease for public land. Mike Liebelson, a mayoral candidate who also spoke, sharply criticized the council's relationship with developers and said he stood with the Save Boca petitioners; Liebelson told the council the petition had gathered nearly 13,000 signatures, a figure others disputed at the meeting.
Mayor Singer and staff clarified that roughly 6,200 signature submissions were certified as Boca Raton residents by the supervisor of elections and that overlapping submissions accounted for higher totals reported by petition organizers. John Perlman and several other speakers reiterated residents' concerns that disposition of large public parcels should require stronger voter protections.
Councilmembers acknowledged existing protections—the Wildflower ordinance, comp-plan designations, grant covenants and code provisions—and previewed Ordinance 5,766, an item for introduction that would require two public hearings and mailed notice within 500 feet for disposals of land greater than a half acre. City Attorney Mr. Koehler said staff can aggregate and present the existing legal, regulatory and grant-related protections as part of the public hearing for Ordinance 5,766.
Speakers urged the council to ensure any new ordinance or charter proposal preserves necessary exceptions for utilities and infrastructure while adding a layer of public review for large disposals. The workshop concluded without votes; councilmembers agreed to continue the conversation in upcoming meetings and public hearings.
