Boca Raton council appoints three to Affordable Housing Advisory Committee amid conflict concerns and public criticism

The Boca Raton City Council on June 11 appointed three members to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee after a contentious exchange over whether to include an applicant who has threatened litigation against the city.

Mayor Singer moved to amend nominations and to appoint Krinsky, Kristen Ritchie and John Scannell to the committee, while holding several other vacancies for later interviews. The amendment and subsequent appointment were approved by voice vote. The council said it would revisit remaining vacancies when more applicants can be interviewed.

The mayor explained his opposition to including one applicant in the initial slate, citing what he described as a potential conflict of interest: “Given the repeated threats of litigation and the fact his only activity in this space would be potentially doing something for his own property, I see an inherent conflict of interest,” he said. That concern prompted an amendment to remove the applicant's name from immediate appointment.

During public request, residents also pressed the council on enforcement and state law. George Myers, a resident who said his family has been waiting for enforcement action for years, urged immediate city action on alleged municipal-code violations and demanded a written response from the city attorney: “Please stop passing us around, delaying,” he said. The city manager told the council staff was reviewing submitted information and will provide written evaluation.

Another speaker, Jonathan Nungi, criticized the council's handling of affordable housing and invoked the state law SB 102 in arguing local ordinances cannot supersede state statutes. Nungi said he would withdraw his name for the advisory committee and indicated he may pursue action before July 1 if the city does not align with state requirements; he also noted personal assessments and past zoning disputes as part of his remarks.

Council members said they were trying to balance expedient appointments so boards can form quorum while ensuring fairness and avoiding conflicts. The council decided to appoint the three candidates now and continue the process for remaining vacancies at a later meeting.

Votes at a glance - Motion to appoint Krinsky, Kristen Ritchie and John Scannell to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee: approved by voice vote (motion and amendment recorded in discussion).

Next steps: Remaining AHAC vacancies will be held open for further interviews and considered at a later meeting when more applicants are available.