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