Page 12 - Boca Club News - March '23

Page 12, Boca Club News

Government

Mayor’s Update: State of the City

Scott Singer is the 35th Mayor of As another anchor in our Waterfront Plan, we began the BocaTech movement; and global leaders and investors
Boca Raton and was re-elected expansion of amenities at Lake Wyman and Rutherford Parks, flocking here.
without opposition for a final term. on track to re-open next year. We continue proactive investments in infrastructure, above
A South Florida native, attorney, Successes like these are highlights of the daily hard work and below ground, including state-of-the-art technology to
mediator, and small business owner, of nearly 2,000 city employees, who provide outstanding move traffic, and saw the completion of several major
Scott and his wife Bella live in Broken services to Boca Raton’s 100,000 residents, 13,000 road improvements to reduce congestion. We’ve created
Sound with their two young children. businesses, and many students and visitors. new pedestrian-activated crosswalks along A1A, and are
In this issue, I’ll share some We are blessed to have the finest public safety professionals reimagining Palmetto Park Road in downtown. And Vision
highlights from the 2023 State of the anywhere. Our city continues to have low crime rates and has Zero, initiated locally by Council Member Yvette Drucker,
City Address. I am pleased to report that the state of the City seen rates fall, even as other cities have seen dramatic rises. will provide greater roadway safety for drivers, cyclists and
of Boca Raton is stronger than ever. Our fire rescue department maintains its Class 1 rating, a pedestrians.
In 2022, we achieved three milestones of lasting impact: benchmark putting us in the top one-half percent in the nation. We’ve increased our focus on the natural and built
In less than a year from its groundbreaking, Brightline We stand at the epicenter of a great migration of people, environment for which we are renowned, including new
opened our new high-speed rail station. Brightline is both an capital and culture–and each of us benefits. To meet this sustainability and resiliency efforts and greater recycling,
amenity for residents and a mobility, economic and cultural opportunity, we set the goal to make Boca Raton the best championed by Council Member Monica Mayotte.
drive for our businesses and arts community. We fought for place to do business–anywhere. We’ve launched new We are also expanding our art in public places program,
this game-changer, and we were right about the market: streamlining efforts, with 15 separate initiatives to cut red as advocated by outgoing Deputy Mayor Andrea Levine
Brightline is already planning more service for Boca Raton. tape and proactively plan for the future. O’Rourke. I’m excited by the fresh perspective of our newest
Blue Lake Elementary school opened, the third state-of- In February, we unveiled Boca eHUB, where residents city council member, Fran Nachlas, and look forward to
the-art school in our city in just three years. This leadership and businesses can handle all permitting and planning needs welcoming Council Member-Elect Marc Wigder to the dais
and partnership with the School District that created this new online at one website. Thousands of businesses have started in just a few weeks.
campus provides twelve hundred new student seats to meet or re-launched in Boca in the past three years because we I also look forward to sharing more about the recent
the demand of younger families. have the culture, climate and talent that breeds success. successes and our vision here in our next issue. In the
We also opened Wildflower Park and the expanded Silver More than half of the county’s corporate headquarters are meantime, please stay connected on social media at @
Palm Park, creating a six-acre urban green space connecting here, harnessing the talent from Florida Atlantic, Lynn and ScottSingerUSA. You can also reach out by email to ssinger@
our downtown to our beachside. Everglades Universities and Palm Beach State; the growing myboca.us with any thoughts or requests. Thank you.
Council Corner: Farewell and Time for Reflection

By Andrea Levine O’Rourke, Boca Innovation Center, wayfinding signs, enhanced and safer outstanding Police and Fire Departments, along with the large
Raton City Council Member, Deputy crosswalks, better street lighting, art in public places, murals and hard-working group of non-profit organizations that help
Mayor and CRA Chairperson. Ms. and sculptures. Have you seen the mural at Mizner Park provide for so many needs in our community.
O’Rourke is stepping down due to the Amphitheater? What is on everyone’s mind is the growth we are seeing.
regulations of term limits. I led a proposal for slower traffic and walkability along We can’t deny the growth that has hit us in Boca Raton and the
Time is swiftly moving toward Palmetto Park Road in Downtown with a focus on “building South Florida region in a big way, especially since COVID.
March 31st, my last official day streets for people.” I supported partnering with the Boca I started my years in service promising to be a watchdog for
serving Boca Raton as an elected Raton Museum of Art, the Boca Raton Historic Society responsible growth. I couldn’t stop growth as all landowners
official. Thank you for the opportunity on their growth goals, and the Mizner Park Amphitheater and developers have rights. However, I did my best to maintain
to share my thoughts with you and report happenings during offering our community wonderful entertainment. my intention of always pushing for more beautiful buildings.
the past six years. During my two terms there has been a focus on creating More innovative ideas for growth and less density. More open
I have often been addressed as a politician and I must share, and maintaining a robust economy. I have supported space. More green space and trees. Streets designed for people,
I never related to that title. Being elected to serve our great our Economic Development team in recruiting business where we can ride our bikes and walk safely.
city in a non-partisan position, I have truly and proudly seen headquarters, working to encourage co-op workspace and, And yet there is more work to be done.
myself as a community servant. And what an honor it has been most importantly, maintaining Boca’s low tax base. Although at times it has been a hard ride, it has been a
to represent the residents of Boca Raton! I step down with both As a Florida Atlantic University alumnus, supporting great ride. I thank everyone who supported my efforts, gave
happy and sad emotions. I look forward to joining my husband and partnering with our local universities has been a priority. me great ideas, engaged in meaningful discourse. I thank my
in (semi) retirement, and yet I will miss the privilege of steering For that matter, I have dedicated myself to working with our family and dear friends for their patience. However, it’s time
our city in a direction that I felt was important as it related to important city partners: The Boca Raton Airport Authority, the to say FAREWELL. At this juncture, there is a turn in the road
growth, safety, sound economics, recreation, education, not PB County Transportation Authority, the Greater Boca Raton and time for me to explore other avenues. I wish the current
to mention a pandemic. I believe preserving our history and Beach and Parks District, the PB County School Board, our City Council and my successor the best of luck.
quality of life as we inevitably move into the future has been
of the utmost importance to me.
My mission statement when I ran for office in 2016-17 was
“Encourage creative, open-minded and visionary leadership
that bridges the gap between citizens and government and to
protect our unique quality of life.” At the time I ran for office, our
community truly embraced the idea of a resident on City Council
who represented their point of view. That’s what encouraged me
to follow this path and hold to my purpose these past six years. I
have followed my mission… from the waterfront, to downtown,
to mid-town and beyond. It hasn’t always been easy. However,
I have kept my eye on the ball. I reminded myself often of why
I served and what attracted us to Boca Raton in the first place. It
was outstanding amenities, services, and top-level quality of life.
During my time in office, I have been proud of many
accomplishments. As I prepare to step down, I would like to
highlight a few…
The new Brightline station to West Palm, Miami, Ft.
Lauderdale and soon to be added Orlando. This service provides
an enhanced travel experience with the important goal of taking
cars off the road. I was part of our City Council lobbying the PB
County School Board for Boca Raton to land a brand new and
much needed elementary school. Along with that, two existing
school rebuilds, with additional middle school classes. I am
so proud of two new City parks with water access and more
pickleball courts (El Rio and Wildflower). We have recently
completed a redo of the public boat ramp. We are renovating
Rutherford/Lake Wyman parks, with more water access. We
have opened a new municipal golf course with more amenities
to follow on that campus. One only needs to walk or bike it to see
how busy the El Rio Trail is. I am also supporting the idea of more
trails to come on the Ocean Breeze property, thanks to the Beach
and Parks District. I was in complete support of my colleagues
on City Council initiating Race to Zero (sustainability goals) and
Vision Zero (less road fatalities) as important objectives.
I have led and supported many downtown initiatives,
which include approval for the new Cultural Art and