Advisory Boards Enable You To Be Involved in the Community

A community’s greatest resource is its citizens, and Boynton Beach offers a wide variety of voluntary citizen Advisory Boards that enable you to get involved. By serving on an advisory board, you can help the City Commission can gain valuable information and insights that enable commissioners to make better decisions.

At the December 7 Commission meeting, commissioners will be making appointments to the City’s boards. These include the Arts Commission, Building Board of Adjustments & Appeals, Cemetery Board, Code Compliance Board, Community Relations Board, Education and Youth Advisory Board, Library Board, Planning and Development Board, Recreation and Parks Board, Senior Advisory Board and Veterans Advisory Commission. In naming citizens to these boards, commissioners look for people who have an interest or experience in the area of service and the necessary expertise to help accomplish the goals and objectives of the specific advisory group.

Regular and alternate members for the boards are appointed to terms of five years or less. Applicants must be registered voters to be eligible for appointment; most boards require residency within the City limits. Applications are accepted continuously and vacancies are filled as needed. However, the application deadline for the December 7 meeting is December 2. Most boards meet monthly and a recording secretary from the City Clerk’s office attends each meeting to create minutes that accurately reflect the discussions and actions of the individual boards.

A short explanation of each board and the meeting dates for each board, plus an application, may be found in the City Clerk’s office in City Hall or by visiting the City’s web page.

Citizen Advisory Boards are a vital part of the governmental process in Boynton Beach. By serving on an Advisory Board, you can make a meaningful contribution to the quality of life we all enjoy in Boynton Beach. For more information, contact the City Clerk’s office, (561) 742-6060.

Technorati Tags: Boynton Beach,advisory board,volunteer

Posted by Wayne at 1:39 PM 0 comments

Have You Seen the Flower Power Sphere?

It was vandalized and taken over the Halloween weekend from the Avenue of the Arts. Call it a prank or a theft, it was apparently done by amateurs; the metal its made of is not readily taken for resale and no tools were used to remove the sphere. Brut strength was used to take the sphere off of its “petal” base, which scraped up the base.

The sphere is so distinctive, bright and colorful, that the only way someone could enjoy it is to conceal it. And this is the “real” crime, that person or persons unknown have taken the “public” out of public art and have deprived citizens and visitors to Boynton Beach the pleasure of experiencing this addition to the urban landscape.

If you have any information as to its whereabouts, or who may have taken it, you can report it anonymously by either calling 9-1-1 or online at www.bbpd.org.

Technorati Tags: sculpture,vandalism,Avenue of the Arts,Boynton Beach,Boynton Beach Arts,crime,Halloween,public art,prank,theft

Posted by Wayne at 11:37 AM 0 comments

Community Pride Is the New Black

Community pride is the new black; it never goes out of style. I saw this statement recently on the Internet and thought how well it helps to describe our new Take Pride in Boynton initiative, a photo project designed to showcase everything that makes Boynton Beach a unique community through the eyes of its residents and visitors. Using the social media website Flickr, we have created several “groups” to which we are asking you to upload your original photos of Boynton Beach. The photos will be displayed on the City’s website; social media sites, including this blog; and be used in City publications. Although we’re unable to compensate you, you will be given credit where possible.

Take Pride in Boynton is a tremendous opportunity for us to show a worldwide audience the quality of life that we enjoy in Boynton Beach through photography. A similar project is being carried out in the borough of Walsall, near Birmingham, in the UK, where the group now has more than 100 members and a vibrant collection of 5,000 images. The inspiration to do this in Boynton Beach came from a friend at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission, which has also established a number of Flickr groups to call attention to some of that agency’s programs and projects.

We’ve established two groups for Boynton. The first, Boynton Around Town, is for general themes and topics. The second group, Go Green! Boynton, is meant to show what you, businesses and organizations in the City are doing to conserve resources and demonstrate environmental sustainability.

To take part, you’ll need to already have or create a free Flickr account. You’ll then upload your photos to your own account where you’ll be able to control them and the comments they receive. Next, you’ll join the City’s groups where you’ll also place a copy of the photo. We ask that you share where the photo was taken and to provide a description of the content. Finally, we have created some tags for each of the categories so that it’s easy for people to find pictures other than looking at the group pools. There are also special tags if you want your photo considered for use by the City.

Photo guidelines and other information are available on the City’s website.

Technorati Tags: Boynton Beach,social media,community pride,photo

Posted by Wayne at 5:33 PM 0 comments

Throw Open the Doors of City Hall

With the City’s budget much in the news recently, the Fall semester of Boynton’s City Services Institute comes at an ideal time for residents and business owners. It’s an opportunity for you to become acquainted with the structure of City government and enable you to become more fully involved in the community. Each of the classes in this eight-week series covers a wealth of information that can make you a real authority and resource for your neighbors, organizations and clubs. By enrolling in the City Services Institute, you will gain a better understanding of how the City operates and establish relationships with department directors and their staffs that will enable you to more easily conduct your business with the City.

People have different reasons for participating, of course. While they use city services every day, they rarely see what happens “behind the scenes” or have access to information regarding why and how things happen. The City Services Institute is a great way to find out more about how the City of Boynton Beach is working for you. In addition, citizens who are considering or may consider applying for an appointment to one of the City’s advisory boards, or even a future run for City Commission, will gain insight into City departments and functions. The City of Boynton Beach encourages all citizens to be engaged in the process of government. Many times, the structure of government is not as clear as we would like; CSI offers residents a chance to look at their city from a different perspective.

Classes begin on Monday, Oct. 4, at 6:30 P.M. and are held on successive Mondays through Nov. 22. The first session is “City Commissioner/City Manager/City Clerk” in which City Manager Kurt Bressner will explain the Commission-Manager form of government. Interestingly, we have found in past classes that many of our newer residents, especially those who have come to Boynton Beach from other parts of the country, are not familiar with the Commission-Manager form of government, so this class is a good starting point for learning how the city operates. Other classes cover public safety, Police and Fire; Public Art, Finance; Public Works; Utilities; the Library and Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Learning Center; Recreation & Parks; and Development, Code Compliance and Communications (911). The final class is held at the City’s golf course, The Links at Boynton Beach, where participants will enjoy a graduation ceremony and sumptuous dinner. The other classes will be held in a variety of City facilities and locations, which is an opportunity to go beyond City Hall.

There is a registration fee of $25, which includes all materials and the graduation dinner. We have a limit of 25 students. To download a brochure and application, click here, or call 742-6025.

Technorati Tags: citizen academy,government,Boynton Beach

Posted by Wayne at 11:59 AM 0 comments

Property Appraiser Explains New TRIM Notice

The look of the Truth in Millage Notice ("TRIM Notice") has changed and understanding it can be hard. In this video provided by the Property Appraiser's Office, Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits explains in clear language the information that is provided on the notice.

Posted by Wayne at 1:21 PM 0 comments

Things You Already Knew

Water Is Nature's Appetite Supressor

Doesn’t it make you just go “hmm” when scientists waste time and money studying something you already know to be true or just makes common sense? That happened again last week when the Sun Sentinel reported the results of a study done by researchers at Virginia Tech that concluded that people who drank water before meals ate less during the meal and so lost more weight than other dieters. The lead author of the study said that water probably makes people feel fuller before they eat, limiting food intake.

Huh? We already know water as nature’s appetite suppressant. It contains no calories, fat or cholesterol; is low in sodium; and helps the body to metabolize fat. Other, more meaningful research shows that high water intake reduces the amount of fat deposits in the body.

Water is plentiful, available and cheap and the good news is that it’s as close and convenient as your kitchen sink … or your water-and-ice-in-the-door refrigerator. And, when it comes to long term weight loss and health, the quality of water is just as important as the quantity.

Customers of the City of Boynton Beach water utility enjoy some of the highest quality water in the state of Florida. Last September, the Sun Sentinel ran an article in which it stated Florida is among the 10 worst states for tap water. The article went on to cite high levels of mineral barium and other pollutants, including radium-226, in tap water.

In 1996, the federal government re-enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which sets the minimum quality standards for municipal drinking water throughout the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the responsibility to set the minimum standards on a national level. Boynton Beach water regularly exceeds those standards in quality and purity. And if you thought bottled water is better, despite the millions of dollars spent annually for advertising by bottled way companies, bottled water, used for drinking for the most part, is considered a food product in this country and is subject to the regulations guiding food stuffs. These regulations are not as stringent as the SDWA requirements for drinking water.

So while you didn’t need a study to tell you what you already knew about the role of water in your diet program, it was good to be reminded about the quality of water we enjoy in Boynton Beach. A dieting tip: For best results on the scale, don’t drink water before your weigh-in. Just a cup of water translates into an extra pound of temporary weight.

Posted by Wayne at 6:09 PM 0 comments

Who You Gonna Call? 9-1-1 or Twitter

A new American Red Cross survey out yesterday shows many web users would turn to social media to seek help for themselves or others during emergencies—and they expect first responders to be listening. The online survey asked 1,058 adults about their use of social media sites in emergency situations. Results showed that 69 percent believe that emergency responders should be monitoring social media sites in order to quickly send help—and nearly half said a response agency is probably already responding to any urgent request they might see. Also, the survey respondents expected quick response to an online appeal for help—74 percent expected help to come less than an hour after their tweet or Facebook post.

As I read the survey, I couldn’t help but wonder if these expectations are mirrored in Boynton Beach. The survey comes at a time when the City is working to ensure that its emergency operations are both Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency compliant.

Earlier this week, I received the standard operating procedures guidelines for the Public Information Officer during an emergency for review. They were very complete and very thorough … with the exception of social media. I pointed this out to the Emergency Operations Center manager and sent a copy of the survey to her.

When I say social media, I mean Internet media that people have the ability to interact with in some way. Some people have gone further and specifically define social media as tools designed for the interaction of three or more people. I think social media is especially effective in government because it helps to facilitate two-way communication and transparency and allows government to reach out to people who don’t receive their news from traditional sources.

But to rely on social media to seek help during an emergency, I don’t know about that? Even Red Cross president and CEO Gail McGovern says, “The first and best choice for anyone in an emergency situation is to call 9-1-1. But,” she continues, “when phone lines are down or the 9-1-1 system is overwhelmed, we know that people will be persistent in their quest for help and use social media for that purpose.”

Boynton Beach was the first city in Palm Beach County to adopt social media for municipal government. Its use has been recognized as a “Best Practice” by the prestigious Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania and the Learning Resources Network. The City’s social media policy has been requested by governmental and other agencies throughout the country.

Ironically, my thought in establishing the City’s presence on Twitter was to use it as another tool for communication during an emergency. I didn’t think of it in terms of receiving calls for help, though, but more as a nice addition to the City’s website, television and other communications tools that has the ability to be updated instantaneously, on the fly, from almost anywhere with an Internet connection.

While the City will use its social media tools during an emergency, the Red Cross survey has given us pause – indeed, I think, all emergency planners – to reevaluate the place of social media in emergency response. My question to you is: Would you turn to social media to summon help during an emergency? We’d like to know what you would do. Please feel free to leave your comments.

Posted by Wayne at 4:07 PM 0 comments