Website: townofoceanbreeze.com
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The June 25, 2023 edition
COUNCIL MEETING JUNE 12, 2023
What is the town’s responsibility to protect homeowners from bad workmanship?
That is the question that is being asked by the people that bought homes in Seawalk. D.R. Horton, the builder, is not responsive to the defects claimed by the buyers of their homes. Not just defects but outright violations of the Florida building code.
In most cases, consumers are better protected because the town would send their building official to inspect and not issue a sign off or the final certificate of occupancy until everything was deemed according to the approved plans and the code. The legislature decided that they didn’t want to hold up “progress” while local government was supposedly dragging their feet and not expeditiously inspecting the work.
In the case of this project, D.R. Horton hired their own inspectors to certify their work. If the subcontractors and the inspectors performed their responsibilities as intended, the system could work. In this case, that hasn’t happened, and the individual homeowners are left holding the bag.
After one of the Seawalk owners spent much time at the microphone, the question was still unanswered. Are these warranty matters or does the town have an obligation to force the builder to do what is right? At this point, it seems the town staff doesn’t have the answer.
Staff can try to force the builder to make the corrections. If the builder’s work is not up to code as far as the infrastructure, which they put in, then the answer seems clear. The town is holding a performance bond and can at some point take corrective action.
If a roof leaks, an air conditioner is wrongly installed, or a vent cover was never installed in someone’s home, how much leverage does the town have and what is the remedy? There is a home warranty law that covers defects. The buyer of the home is the party that needs to act under that law to have the builder correct the defects.
The town really can’t be blamed because they were not allowed to do the inspections which are intended to help protect the unknowing home buyer from purchasing a home that is not up to code. The legislature, by allowing private inspectors paid for by the builder, has removed that safeguard in consumer protection. We are back to the buyer beware time before consumers were given an equal footing.
At some point this will be resolved. The town, the builder and the individual homeowners will come to a settlement. The legislature should revise self-inspection especially with developments of this size. There should be an easier pathway than the court system to achieve justice. D.R. Horton has not apparently been a good party in this case. And in Martin County there are other complaints about their developments.
I guess the adage Buyer Beware is back in vogue.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The June 11, 2023 edition
The next meeting will be June 12, 2023
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The May 28, 2023 edition
The next meeting will be June 12, 2023
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The May 14, 2023 edition
COUNCIL MEETING MAY 8, 2023
There didn’t seem to be a need for this meeting.
The only thing of any interest was a complaint from a Sea Walk homeowner regarding a disagreement with the builder, D. R. Horton, because his sprinkler system had two zones watering the common area adjacent to his property. According to Terry O’Neill, the town consultant, this is a town problem because there is a PUD agreement forbidding watering in the right of way and something about the final close out of the project.
The person was complaining because he was paying more money for water than his neighbors and he wants the town to do something. I would be angry if that happened but the first action I would take, is go to my sprinkler system controller and shut the two zones down.
If for some reason the zones in a yard overlapped with the common area, the owner would then have a sprinkler repair company do it. If the owner couldn’t be reimbursed by Horton, the dispute could be resolved in small claims court. O’Neill said he is working on it with other matters regarding this close out. The town has a $1 million bond that can be used.
Apparently instead of relying on the town’s building official for signoffs, the company paid private companies to do so. This is permissible under Florida Statutes. Another example of unintended consequences by the state interfering in a local responsibility.
Attached is a study that the town commissioned by local land architect, Mike Flaugh. This was done for the Sea Walk project to assist in pointing out some of the problems. You can find it here
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Apr 23, 2023 edition
OCEAN BREEZE COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 10, 2023
Ocean Breeze held its first nighttime regular council meeting.
It was a whopping success with 45 people attending. Usually there are a handful when meetings are held during the day. This proved to be vindication for Council Member Docherty who has brought this over the finish line. Mayor Ostrand also heavily lobbied for evening meetings.
There was only one piece of business on the agenda. It was an ordinance that changes the date of new council members’ swearing in after the election from the current November meeting until December. Given that this was the only business, it will be interesting to see whether there will be as many residents attending future evening meetings. Evening meetings will be held quarterly.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Apr 9, 2023 edition
The next meeting will be April 10th.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Mar 26, 2023 edition
COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 13, 2023
The council has officially changed the charter to have evening meetings quarterly at 6 pm with the other remaining monthly meetings at 10:30 am. The vote was 4-2 in favor with DeAngeles and Arnold voting no.
April 10th will be the first regular meeting to be held in the evening. The change is being done to accommodate the Sea Walk residents and store owners in the Plaza. It is an issue that has been brewing for some time.
Former Council Member David Wagner didn’t believe that attendance would be any better. And he went on to state that current Council Member Kevin Docherty had an ulterior motive for pushing the measure. Wagner claimed that it was because Docherty worked during the day. Docherty denied it.
The back and forth between Wagner and some of the council was unprofessional. Public comment is just that…for the public to have their time to speak. It isn’t to debate between an audience member and council. The way meetings are conducted in Ocean Breeze in no way follows Roberts or any other acceptable way of conducting a meeting.
Why would anyone come to Ocean Breeze meetings whether held in the morning or evening? This was the sole item discussed. There was a mention about the extra Sheriff’s Patrols and a Sea Walk HOA meeting to discuss it. Hardly riveting stuff.
There needs to be more to being incorporated than that. Maybe with the change of meeting schedules, more people will want to attend. But I am of Wagner’s opinion that probably not.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Mar 12, 2023 edition
The next meeting is March 13, 2023
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Feb 26, 2023 edition
OCEAN BREEZE COUNCIL MEETING FEBRUARY 13, 2023
Ocean Breeze passed an ordinance requiring 7 meetings per year to be held in the evening at 6 pm on first reading.
The evening meetings will be in January, April, July, and October plus three budget hearings that must happen after 5:05 pm by statute. The motion was made by Docherty and seconded by Reese. It passed 5-1 with DeAngeles dissenting. If all goes according to plan, then the second reading will be held at the March meeting and the first evening meeting will be held in April.
Past council members, Terry Locatis and Richard Gerold, spoke in opposition to the change in time. Locatis stated that people did not want to come out in the evening. Mr. Gerold said that he had spoken to the scheduler at the resort, and she felt there could be conflicts.
I think there will be more confusion than conflicts with the changing times. Nothing is written in stone. There can always be another ordinance adjusting times if it becomes necessary.
Apparently, there has been acts of vandalism and unruly kids loitering at the plaza and Seawalk. This has been going on for some time. The Publix manager has already trespassed the kids at the sheriff’s office. The ice cream store owner (who lives in Seawalk) has had many problems with the kids blocking her entrance and harassing employees and customers. Seawalk has experienced kids going onto the property and causing property damage.
Classic Hollywood
Years ago, I stopped at that Publix one evening on my way home and noticed kids loitering, riding their bikes creating a nuisance for cars, and a general sense of disorderliness. While my wife and I were not frightened, we were uneasy. I can see why others would be fearful and some may not want to shop there.
The mayor, Kelly, and the town consultant had a meeting with the sheriff’s representatives. Seawalk does have a trespass order in place with the sheriff’s department until the end of 2023. It also appears that Publix has one but unclear as to whether the entire center is part of it.
It kept coming up that the council wants a schedule of when the sheriff patrols the town. It is unlikely that the sheriff patrols in the manner the council may expect. Every street and every inch in the resort, Seawalk, and the plaza are private property. The sheriff’s department does, however, have an agreement to go onto the private property at the resort and Seawalk.
This is not a big city where law enforcement patrols up and down streets looking for problems. Rather, the sheriff’s department patrols on major roads and responds to calls.
Terry O’Neil, the management consultant, wants the town to spend up to $10,000 on hiring off-duty deputies for increased coverage. That seems to be a good idea. Another alternative would be private security that would patrol and call in the sheriff when needed.
The council voted 6-0 to approve hiring off duty deputies.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Feb 12, 2023 edition
The next meeting is February 13, 2023
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Jan. 29, 2023 edition
The next meeting will be February 13, 2023
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Jan. 15, 2023 edition
OCEAN BREEZE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 9, 2023
This was supposed to be the day that the council voted on whether to move their meetings from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Instead, it became a time for more discussion on the subject.
Council Member Docherty stated that moving the time was something that he has wanted to do for the past 2 years. This would give the newer residents of Sea Walk the opportunity to participate since most of those residents are still working. Mayor Ostrand also made an impassioned plea for the time change for the same reasons.
However, the 3 council members from Sea Walk (Kent, Kelley, and Reese) stated that people would like only the budget meetings moved to the evenings.
Ostrand also said the commercial folks from the shopping center could come and address the council if they had a complaint about the center owner if it were in the evening. Council Member Reese then made a motion to have 2 meetings a year (May and October) in the evening. After further discussion by Docherty and Ostrand who again provided the group with their perceived benefits of evening meetings, the decision was made to have 4 evening meetings (January, April, July, and September).
A survey of sorts was suggested by staff, but the council concluded that most people will ignore it. Staff will come back with a new draft ordinance.
This is going to be very confusing. The public will not know when the meeting is. It should be one time and be the same. Since the clear majority would prefer the time be in the morning, then it should stay there with the budget meetings in the evening. By statute, budget meetings must be after 5 pm.
As Mayor Ostrand said, the town has no roads or other services to maintain, so the least they can do is listen to their constituents. Mayor Ostrand also said that the town is continuing to grow. Unfortunately, Ocean Breeze is built out. This is as large as it will ever be unless unincorporated Jensen Beach requests to be annexed into the town.
Thanks to the council for making a real effort to speak into their mics. Now if only the attorney and town consultant would do the same, then perhaps a complete recorded meeting would be at town hall for people to listen to.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Dec. 18, 2022 edition
OCEAN BREEZE COUNCIL MEETING DECEMBER 12, 2022
After two years of trying to accomplish changing the meeting time, Kevin Docherty introduced a motion that was seconded by Elizabeth Reese to change the time of the meetings from 10:30 am to 6 pm.
When the subject was brought up, both Reese and Sandy Keblbeck said that the residents of the Sea Walk neighborhood thought having the budget meetings in the evening was important but that the existing time for the regular meeting was fine. However, when it came time to vote Reese, Keblbeck, and Gina Kent, all newly elected, voted with Docherty to begin the process to change the meeting times. Arnold and De Angeles voted no.
Since it is part of the charter, staff will bring back an ordinance for first reading in January changing the time. If it passes in January and again on 2nd reading in February, it will be part of the charter. The March meeting would be at 6 pm on the 2nd Monday.
There was also discussion about the Christmas golf cart parade going into Sea Walk. It was pointed out by former council member Gerold that the parade was a resort event and not Ocean Breeze’s. Deputy Sheriff Adams stated that if the parade travels on Jensen Beach Blvd, it becomes more complicated and county permits would be needed.
There are no roads within the town or, for that matter, any existing town infrastructure. There should be a discussion by council and perhaps a town meeting about why Ocean Breeze is an incorporated municipality. Do the residents and the shopping center derive any benefit from continuing to pay more taxes?
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Dec. 4, 2022 edition
The next meeting will be December 12, 2022
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Nov. 20, 2022 edition
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING NOVEMBER 14, 2022:
The new council members, Sandy Kelly (Keblbeck), Liz Reese, and Gina Kent, were sworn into office. The three are from the Seawalk PUD. They seemed a little hesitant but by January, I believe you will probably see a little more assertiveness. Karen Ostrand was sworn in for another term as mayor.
NEW MEMBERS RISING TO BE SWORN IN
New officers for the council were also chosen. Ken De Angeles was unanimously approved as president. However, there was a split between new and old members for VP. Bill Arnold had three votes and Kelly had three votes. The nominations were done again (a first!), and Arnold was elected unanimously.
When a council has 6 members, a tie vote can occasionally occur. It may be time for a charter change to bring the council to 5. It is something to be discussed.
Steve Nicolosi, the building official from Stuart, will now act for Ocean Breeze. Larry Massing was the building official until his untimely death a little over a month ago. Nicolosi certainly knows the codes.
Docherty wanted to discuss having the meetings in the evening instead of during the day when many people are at work. This is something he brought up a while ago, but it was shot down when the council was made up of members from the resort only. He urged that the new Seawalk members poll their homeowners.
I don’t know why staff can’t send out a letter to every voter in town to determine their preference. Reese stated that they had already discussed it and that the preferred time was 6:30 pm. It will be considered in the December meeting. The City of Stuart Commission meeting will be held at the same time. Perhaps the council will change to an alternate Monday so that there will be no conflicts.
Attorney Crary did a cursory talk about sunshine and public records law. The League of Treasure Coast Cities is doing a much more in-depth seminar next month that all members should attend.
These meetings are being recorded but microphones are only used about 25% of the time. President De Angeles conducts a very poor meeting. No one seems to have ever heard of Robert’s Rules on this council. The clerk continuously asked that people use their microphones. People were speaking from the audience and not the podium.
I certainly hope the new members don’t pick up the same habits as the others. There needs to be a training. If anyone ever asked to hear the meeting tapes, it would be atrocious. If Ocean Breeze wants to be taken seriously, it needs to conduct itself as a real council.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Nov. 13, 2022 edition
The Ocean Breeze Town Council held an election for three seats on Election Day. The results are:
Sandy Keblbeck 197 votes
Elizabeth Ann Reese 190 votes
Gina Kent 154 votes
Terry Locatis (incumbent) 135 votes
Dustin Lerew (he had withdrawn but too late to remove from ballot) 73 votes.
The top three candidates will be sworn in at the next meeting.
The Next Meeting Is November 14, 2022
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Oct. 16, 2022 edition
OCEAN BREEZE COUNCIL MEETING OCTOBER 10, 2022:
The Council Meeting was very brief.
Three of the four residents running for the council spoke briefly. Sandra Kebleck, Gina Kent, and Elizabeth Reese, Sea Walk residents, spoke during public comment. They are the first candidates from the new area.
Terry Locatis, who lives in the resort area and is a current council member, is running for re-election. He was not at the meeting. There are three seats up for re-election.
The meeting lasted about 30 minutes.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Oct. 9, 2022 edition
The next meeting will be October 10, 2022
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Sept 18, 2022 edition
The next meeting will be October 10, 2022
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Sept 4, 2022 edition
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE
Unlike Stuart and Indiantown, Ocean Breeze holds their election in November.
The following are running after qualifying by the deadline of Aug 23rd for town council; Sandra L. Keblbeck, Dustin E Lerew, Elizabeth Reese, Gina Kent, and Terry Locatis (incumbent). Current members Richard Gerold and David Wagner have chosen not to seek re-election. Ted Massinello filed but withdrew. Karen M. Ostrand the current mayor will be re-elected since she had no opposition.
There are three seats available. Locatis lives in Ocean Breeze Resort and the rest of the candidates are from Sea Wind. At a minimum there will be two council members from the new home development perhaps three. The three candidates with the highest vote total will be elected.
Town Council President Ken De Angeles, William Arnold, and Kevin Docherty will remain on the council until their terms expire. Docherty, Arnold, and De Angeles are both eligible to seek re-election. They live in the resort.
Will things begin to change? Perhaps the town could be more than just a homeowners’ association. More than just a place to discuss bocci or pickleball courts that belong to the resort and not the town.
If I were new coming into office, I would see if we could lower taxes substantially (I think you could) and try to entice downtown Jensen Beach to annex into Ocean Breeze. That would allow the business section of Jensen to plot their own course and be free of the county’s development rules. If structured correctly it could be a win-win for both.
Just a thought.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Aug. 21, 2022 edition
OCEAN BREEZE COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2022
Town Clerk Pam Orr has decided to retire after many years of service to the town. It was decided to hire Kim Stanton as the clerk and for her to continue as the bookkeeper. Shannon Rogers will become a part time administrative assistant.
Pam will continue with the town as an independent contractor handling permits. I am sure the people of Ocean Breeze will miss her. Good luck Pam!
The third pickle ball court at the resort is still being heatedly discussed. Normally, this would have nothing to do with the town. Although within the town, the resort would determine what should be done in relation to the amenities that are included for the residents of the resort. This additional court, or for that matter any of the amenities from the pool to the clubhouse, are owned and maintained by Sun Communities and would not be the concern of government.
However, the site plan for the resort does not have the third pickle ball court. The resort needs to file an amended site plan with the town to be legal. It isn’t a big deal, nor should it be turned into one as far as town business is concerned.
The controversy between pickle ball and bocci is strictly a resort problem. If Sun Communities does file an amended site plan, then I do not see how the town could deny it. Each council member should be looking at whether the amended plan (this is considered a minor plan amendment) is legal in the town code. If it is, then an individual council member’s preference of sport should have nothing to do with passage.
There are three council positions open for election in November. Filing is between August 1st and August 22nd. At this moment, both Gerold and Wagner will not be seeking re-election. Locatis has not filed yet but has also not stated he is stepping down.
Gina Kent has filed to run. She is from the newer section of town. It would be great to have others from Sea Walk take an interest since much of the tax money is coming from them.
Karen Ostrand has filed to run as mayor once again.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The Aug. 7, 2022 edition
The next Meeting will be August 8, 2022
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The July 24, 2022 edition
The next Meeting will be August 8, 2022
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The July 10, 2022 edition
Next Meeting July 11, 2022
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The June 26, 2022 edition
COUNCIL MEETING JUNE 13, 2022:
The audit report has an unmodified clean opinion. There is $330,000 as the fund balance. What else was there to do except unanimously approve its acceptance. You can find the entire report here
The town needs to renew the lease on its office. The office is outside the town’s boundaries but complies with Florida law. The new lease extension for five years will begin in February at $1101.31 per month and escalating to $1239.53 in 2027.
A member of the audience brought up that they should have a cancellation clause. This set up a chain of events that resulted in this item being tabled until staff and their attorney reach out to the landlord. I hope they do not blow it because they have a very good deal. The initial offer was given to them in January 2021. The owner must be a very nice guy.
Let me just say if Mr. Roberts, the author of Roberts Rules of Order, came back from the dead, he would not recognize even one of his rules at a meeting in Ocean Breeze. Everyone speaks out at any time. And the audience expects answers from the Council.
Today, everything came to a halt when a woman wanted to know who Tom was who writes this newsletter. She wanted to know why from the board under the Ocean Breeze Section I just give the meeting date and have not written anything recently. I did not answer her given there was an official meeting going on and I didn’t want to intrude on the town’s time. I told her I would get back to her later. She left before I could.
Then came the uproar over whether Sun Communities turning a bocci court into a pickle ball court needed an administrative variance or a minor PUD amendment. People were arguing as if they could dictate to a private property owner, Sun Community, as to a very minor use change. Here is the thing…individual tenants of Sun Community cannot. Sun owns the resort and if the company wants to put in tennis courts, splash pads or basketball courts, it is up to them. The council has no authority telling a business how to operate. The people who rent in the resort have no authority nor does staff.
An administrative amendment is what should happen because the footprint is not expanding nor is it a substantial change as far as the PUD is concerned. And this is a government. It isn’t an HOA, condo board, or tenants’
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The June 12, 2022 edition
The next meeting will be June 13, 2022
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The May 22, 2022 edition
The next meeting will be June 13, 2022
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The May 1, 2022 edition
The next meeting will be May 9, 2022
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The April 17, 2022 edition
The next meeting will be May 9, 2022
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The April 3, 2022 edition
The next meeting will be April 11, 2022
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The March 20, 2022 edition
COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 14, 2022:
It seems to the residents of Ocean Breeze that no one wants to take responsibility for the road reorientation that has happened because of Brightline’s double tracking.
The town wants West End Blvd to go north…oops that didn’t happen. Going back to 2020, the town has requested an informational meeting so that residents could have their input heard. According to the council, that did not happen.
As usual, the county said they have no control over the Brightline project. Brightline told the manager and council that they were working with what the county approved. And Maple Avenue is now one way and I think in the wrong direction.
The term public servant gets kicked around all the time. It is a misnomer. Anyone who works for government is not a servant but an employee. In this county, most government employees earn more than those in the private sector especially when you look at the benefits. Martin County employees are not public servants, and, in this incident, they are not serving their public, the residents of Ocean Breeze.
This is a clear case of “we do not give a damn.” Mayor Ostrand said she also brought it up with Senator Harrell and Representative Overdorf to no avail. These are all the reasons that people are fed up with government. No one even pretends to listen.
Remember that when you vote for the county commission or the state offices. Ignore the party designation and if the candidate ignored you vote someone else in.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The March 6, 2022 edition
The next meeting will be March 14, 2022.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The February 20, 2022 edition
Next meeting March 14, 2022
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The February 6, 2022 edition
Next meeting February 14, 2022
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The January 23, 2022 edition
What is the purpose of incorporation into a municipality?
It usually is to have municipal services provided that are greater than what the county provides, to be in control of development, and have an identity that brings together the residents in a common bond. Ocean Breeze has none of that.
Ocean Breeze was a trailer park when it incorporated. It was a time when Florida was a backwater. It was a way for the owners of the trailer park to really control things without pesky interference from county officials. Today, that area is known as a resort.
Over the years, it annexed in properties such as the Ocean Breeze shopping center and the new development, Seawalk was built on vacant land. The town was much more amenable than the county to getting those projects developed.
The town is right up against downtown Jensen Beach which is in unincorporated Martin County. The focal point of Ocean Breeze is the old trailer park that has been completely remodeled.
All seven elected town leaders reside in the park. And they are not very accommodating to the Seawalk folks. Their meetings are held during the day, which is fine for the mostly retired resort residents, but not so good for anyone else.
The town has the county sheriff and Martin County Fire/Rescue for public safety. Their building department and code enforcement rely on county staff who are moonlighting. Government is run out of a rented office and meetings are held at the resort’s clubhouse. There is no public works department, programs, or parks.
Ocean Breeze has no purpose as a town. It is a relic from another time often referred to as ”Old Florida” when a handshake and perhaps something else got a bill through the legislature. Their purpose to continue as a municipality should be questioned by the residents since they are the ones paying taxes to fund it.
There is one purpose that continued incorporation can have for Ocean Breeze. Ocean Breeze could work with downtown Jensen Beach to annex providing the community with a voice in its own development. Jensen was incorporated in 1926 but dis-incorporated during the 1930s Great Depression. Maybe it should be incorporated again. If old time Jensen were to be annexed into Ocean Breeze, then a viable municipality could be created.
That is highly unlikely to occur. What is more likely is that the new residents of Seawalk will eventually take over the town council and perhaps find a reason for the town to continue. Otherwise, they may move to disband.
There is nothing to report from the council meeting held on January 10th.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The January 9, 2022 edition
The next meeting will be January 10, 2021.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The December 19, 2021 edition
The next meeting will be January 10, 2021.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The December 5, 2021 edition
The next meeting will be December 13, 2021
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The November 21, 2021 edition
COUNCIL MEETING TOWN OF OCEAN BREEZE NOV 8, 2021:
Bill Arnold, Kenneth De Angeles, and Kevin Docherty were re-elected to the council with no opposition. Congratulations to the three on their new terms.
De Angeles was unanimously re-elected as president as was Gerold as vice-president.
Ann Kagdis made a report regarding the Chamber of Commerce, Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and Historical Society. A frightening fact she cited was that Martin County has the most deaths in Florida from Opioids.
Gerold brought up the fact that Sun Communities had begun a paving project without the proper paperwork being filed. That was due to a misunderstanding between staff and Sun. While they do not need a permit, they do need to file a PUD Amendment.
Gerold wants to waive the application fees. After discussion, a motion was made to do so, but there was some confusion about whether it was permissible or not. The town consultant was absent, so it was decided to wait until the next meeting for his input.
The low water pressure to parts of the park is due to pipes that are the responsibility of Sun and not Martin County Utilities. The resort has hired Joe Capra and MacKenzie Engineering to investigate the matter.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The November 7, 2021 edition
Next meeting will be November 8, 2021
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The October 24, 2021 edition
COUNCIL MEETING OCTOBER 11, 2021:
Council Member Docherty has now tried for the second time to have the meeting time moved to 5 pm. His reasoning is that the new town inhabitants in Sea Walk cannot participate at 10:30 am because they are working. This is also prohibiting them from running for office.
Docherty is not wrong in that sentiment. Mayor Ostrand is of the same mind. But never let it be said that the powers that be will give them up lightly. Other council members who may face election opposition had reasons why the morning time is fine with them.
Staff is not excited either about coming in the evening. Docherty made a motion that died for lack of a second. What happens now? Another six months will go by and then I believe Docherty should bring it up again and this time have as many people as possible at the meeting to speak in favor of his proposition.
He can also send out a survey to every voter and have them weigh in if he believes that it is the best way forward. At some point those that believe 100% elected representation from the resort is not fair and will put up candidates for election. If they win a majority of the 6 seats, then they will only have to come to one meeting in the morning to change the time. They will need only three others elected who want a more equitable meeting time.
The town’s allotment of ARPA is $190,000. What to spend it on?
Town Manager O’Neil doesn’t believe they can meet any of the thresholds for spending the money. If the county spends the money on the town’s behalf and administers it, the county will not be responsible if the state wants the money back. A suggestion was made to spend the money on a county project that would benefit Ocean Breeze. I do not see how the town would be eligible to spend ARPA dollars outside their borders.
It was decided not to take the money. When you have no infrastructure, it is difficult to do anything.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The October 10, 2021 edition
The next meeting will be October 11, 2021.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The September 5, 2021 Edition
The next meeting will be October 11, 2021.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The August 22, 2021 edition
OCEAN BREEZE COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 9, 2021
The meeting was called only to approve a resolution to an ordinance regarding the town not accepting a dedication of land. The time for the meeting on the sign was wrong which meant the vote could not be held.
At an earlier meeting, President De Angeles asked whether it was time to stop being an incorporated town. That is a good question and one that should be studied.
What is the reason to be a municipality? It is so the residents can have services. But this town provides no services…no public works, police, fire, water, or sewer. The three distinct parts of the town are the shopping center, the new residential development, and Sun Communities.
The town has no parks or recreation program. The current council members pay no taxes because their properties are owned by Sun Communities. There are no representatives from either the shopping center or the new community on the council.
This is not to denigrate the staff, but taxes are being collected only to pay their salaries rather than for the town to provide services. What would the residents lose by being unincorporated?
The area that should be incorporated is downtown Jensen Beach. The result would be a real municipality. The merchants and residents could benefit from having their own zoning and LDRs. If I were the council, I would reach out through the local chamber to see whether Ocean Breeze could “annex” Jensen and then change the town’s name. In my opinion, that would make some sense.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The August 8, 2021 Edition
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The July 25, 2021 edition
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING JULY 12, 2021
Election time is here again. There are three seats up this year. The terms of Ken De Angeles, Bill Arnold and Kevin Docherty are expiring. The qualifying period is August 2nd to August 23rd. Please contact the town office for more information if you are considering running.
Treasure Coast Regional League of Cities
Mayor Ostrand was honored as a Home Rule Hero. She was presented with the award by the Florida League of Cities. Jolien Caraballo, the President of the Regional League of the Treasure Coast and 2nd Vice President of the Florida League was there to represent the league.
Representative Oberdorf was invited to discuss the concept of Home Rule and to give a legislative update. His staff said he could not be there when the meeting began at 10:30 but could be there at approximately 11:30. Oberdorf had confirmed as late as last Friday that he would attend at 10:30.
In some ways, Oberdorf has not been a friend to local government. Many of his bills, such as allowing businesses to operate out of homes and not allowing anonymous code complaints, are just some of the things that he sponsored last session that are now law. Local governments are being stripped of their ability to react to local concerns about local issues.
I admit some of the things that local governments do are silly. Look no further than the Stuart straw ordinance. Yet, what is silly and ineffectual should be up to local residents to determine through local elections. It should not be the providence of the “Lords of Tallahassee,” a title Oberdorf has embraced over that of “Servant of the People.”
The meeting adjourned at 11 am.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The July 11, 2021 edition
The next meeting will be July 12, 2021.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The June 27, 2021 edition
The next meeting will be July 12, 2021.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The June 13, 2021 edition
The next meeting will be June 14, 2021.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The May 23, 2021 edition
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the May 10, 2021 meeting. If there was anything of substance, I will report it in the next newsletter.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The May 9, 2021 edition
The Next Council Meeting Will Be May 10, 2021
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The April 25, 2021 edition
COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 12, 2021
This was the proclamation meeting. It began with Habitat for Humanity receiving one. Then came the LifeLink Foundation. That was followed by The Inner Truth Project for “Sexual Awareness Month.”
After the proclamations came a resolution urging the legislature to stop usurping home rule authority. After about a decade of seeing these type proclamations at Ocean Breeze and elsewhere, I can write that unequivocally the Florida legislators (including our own) pay no attention to them.
The council extended the Federal Families First Corona Response Act regarding paid COVID sick leave policy.
Finally, during council comments, the RV problem was discussed. The RVs were supposed to be relegated to a small area by January of 2022. The catch is that because of the continued states of emergency that date is now a thing of the past. Every time there is one enacted by the governor, it stops any development timeline until after the emergency plus six months.
When the legislature enacted that law, it created havoc in local government’s enforcement of development orders (see how much legislators care above.) There is no court ruling as to whether two states of emergencies at the same time makes the six months run consecutively or concurrently. It sounds like a prison sentence.
At this point, no one knows once the Covid emergency declaration is lifted what will happen because there was another declaration enacted during a hurricane. This effects not only the RV placement but also other provisions of the development order with Sun Communities. As soon as someone figures it out, I will let you know.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The April 11, 2021 edition
The next meeting will be April 12, 2021
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The March 28, 2021 edition
The next meeting will be April 12th.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The March 14, 2021 edition
There was a meeting on March 8th, but I was unable to attend. The agenda had nothing of substance.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The February 28, 2021 edition
The next meeting will be March 8, 2021
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The February 14, 2021 edition
COUNCIL MEETING FEBRUARY 8, 2021
During the council meeting, a meeting of the zoning board was inserted. The zoning board is comprised of the council plus a non-voting school board representative. The school board assigned Li Roberts as their representative.
They met as the zoning board to recommend adoption of a series of comp plan changes to conform with current law. That went rather smoothly. Next came Mayor Ostrand once more pitching either buying or building a town hall.
There is a section of the plan where a feasibility study can be done as to whether the town hall idea should proceed. Ostrand continued to mention that the rental office they now have is just a room. There is no privacy for staff or to meet with people.
Vice President Gerold was the person most vocal about whether there was a need or not for such a place. Gerold said the new owners in the section of town known as Sea Walk being constructed by DR Horton pay or will pay about $1000 a year in taxes to the town. Probably next year, the rate will be reduced according to Gerold.
There is not a park or other amenity in the town. The people who live within the resort do not pay real estate taxes. It is part of their land lease cost to Sun Communities. Every elected official lives within the resort area. It is obvious that the entire government of the town needs to be looked at for viability.
President De Angelis kept asking about what services the town will provide that would require such a building Ostrand kept saying it is not about service but having a place to tie the town together. Government is all about providing service.
As the homes are sold, it is unlikely that homeowners will be anxious to pay the current $1000 a year for town taxes and increase it more so that a town hall can be built. The town would never be allowed to incorporate today. The only reason it did do so 60 years ago was because the owners of the then trailer park could exert more influence over what they did internally.
At some point those new homeowners need to be represented on the council and have at least an equal voice, if not a greater one, on how their tax dollars are spent. And it won’t be to have a place for three parttime employees to work and the council to meet once a month.
This will come back for second reading after the state approves of it. At that point, the council should place a dollar limit on the feasibility study. Otherwise, what appeared to be the council trying to appease the mayor in her desire could spend several thousand dollars on something that they have no intention of doing.
At the last meeting, the council would not allow a resident to remain that wouldn’t wear a mask. I agree with that decision for the welfare of the rest of the people who were at that meeting. In this meeting, the president wore his mask under his chin. No one said a word. Something wrong there.
It should also be noted that the photo of the council on the website still has Ann Kagdis as one of the members. She hasn’t been there for over a year. Her replacement, Bill Arnold, is nowhere to be found in the photo. No sense in having a website (though it is required by law) if it doesn’t have the right members being shown.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The January 24, 2021 edition
COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 11, 2021
The meeting was short and sweet. Nothing was passed or discussed that had relevance to the governing of Ocean Breeze.
One woman started yelling before the meeting began regarding the requirement that she wear a mask. The council was firm. She was given the opportunity to sit in the back far from the rest of us without the need to comply. That wasn’t good enough for her because she said she had a hearing difficulty. However, when different council members answered her using the same amplification system used during the meetings, she had no problem hearing.
Which got me to thinking about how much of a right does any one person have if it places society in danger? These meetings are held at the resort’s clubhouse which require masks. As the virus grows exponentially, why should one person’s discomfort endanger everyone else’s health?
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The January 10, 2021 edition
The next meeting will be January 11, 2021
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The December 13, 2020 edition
The next meeting will be December 14, 2020
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The November 22, 2020 edition
COUNCIL MEETING NOVEMBER 9, 2020
There was an uncontested election in Ocean Breeze. Three council members, Gerold, Locatis, and Wagner were sworn in for a new two-year term. Karen Ostrand was unopposed for Mayor.
Congratulations to all!
Yet it is a little sad that no residents from the new homes chose to run. Maybe at the next election they will. Once they settle in a bit, they may start to wonder what is the purpose of the Town of Ocean Breeze?
While the residents of Sun Community (all current elected officials live within the park) have their real estate taxes as part of their land rent, that is not true of these new homeowners. Each of them receives an individual tax bill outlining exactly what they pay to be a citizen of the town.
Council Member Docherty mentioned that one of the boards that he is a member of on behalf of the town meets at the same time as the monthly council meeting. That introduced the larger matter of whether the time for the council meeting should be changed. Docherty stated that he and most of the new home residents work full time which makes it harder to attend daytime meetings.
Docherty was not in favor of changing the meeting time now but would like it considered after the first quarter of next year. A couple of the council members said that the newer town residents could read about the meeting on the town’s website since they could not attend.
Locatis and Arnold were not in favor of changing the time. Gerold wants to study the matter more. The Town Clerk said that staff was hired with the understanding that meetings were held during the day.
Docherty made a motion that staff bring back what I believe would be a draft ordinance. Staff is to ascertain the pros and the cons of changing the meeting time. It was seconded by Gerold. Interestingly, President De Angeles did not have the clerk do a roll call vote. It appeared to me that the motion failed on the voice vote, but he said it passed.
At some point, there needs to be a serious discussion concerning the merits of Ocean Breeze’s designation as a town. What does it supply its residents…all the residents? There really is little infrastructure. Most roads are private. There is zoning but really it has only PUD agreements to enforce. Code enforcement is done by the same person that is responsible in the county.
Moving the time of the meeting is the least of the worries. An incorporated municipality is different from a homeowner’s association. Taxes are not association dues. If the town is going to survive having new residents, it needs to offer them something more than a name.
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Ocean Breeze Latest News From The November 8, 2020 edition
The Next Council Meeting will be November 9, 2020
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The October 18, 2020 edition
COUNCIL MEETING OCTOBER 12, 2020
It was a meeting that lasted less than a half hour.
Town Consultant Terry O’Neil spoke about how the County will be making West End Avenue one way. It is anticipated that it would be south bound. The Town asked for an analysis since that will impact traffic flow. According to Mayor Ostrand and O’Neil, the County has not been as cooperative as they could be.
That is too bad since Ocean Breeze constituents are part of the County. If West End becomes one way south, then all traffic leaving by that exit will need to turn onto Maple Avenue to get to Jensen Beach Blvd. That would include the RVs that primarily use that exit.
Mayor Ostrand mentioned a blood drive in partnership with Sun Communities on November 7th. It is by appointment only. There will also be a 60-year celebration of the founding of the Town on November 9th. There will be a cupcake tree and other things. Be on the lookout for flyers for both those events and you can contact the Town Office for more information.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The October 4, 2020 edition
The next meeting will occur on October 15, 2020
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The September 20, 2020 edition
The Town Council passed its annual budget.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The September 6, 2020 edition
The next meeting will be September 14, 2020
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The August 23, 2020 edition
COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 10, 2020
The meeting was about finalizing the docks for Sun Communities. For the past year or so, Sun Communities and the Town have been discussing placing the docks in the river. They have gone back and forth. For a moment, it seemed that another meeting would be needed because of confusion about the number of posts needed for the elevator lifts.
If you look at the diagram, you will see that there are no lift posts attached. Why the Council cares about this is another question. The two things that boards should be concerned about are how many docks will be permitted in total and whether they will be allowed to be rented to others besides residents. Everything else will be handled through permitting with the Town staff and DEP.
I wonder when the owners of the new homes will start to come in and want to know why their taxes are so high and why they have no representation on the Council. They are going to want to have amenities and they could not care less about Sun Communities. This Council needs to broaden its scope to look at things that all residents of the Town are concerned about. The diagram can be found here
A motion was made by Gerold and seconded by Docherty. It passed 5-0.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The August 9, 2020 edition
Next Meeting August 10th
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The July 26, 2020 edition
Next Meeting August 10th
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The June 28, 2020 edition
The next meeting is scheduled for July 13, 2020
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The June 14, 2020 edition
COUNCIL MEETING JUNE 8, 2020
The meeting was held at Riverside Park at the Francis Langford Pavilion. It was good to be back after a couple of months.
The County gave a COVID-19 update. There has been no one from the Town that tested positive. There was also a hurricane shelter presentation. Because of social distancing, the County is looking at opening 8 or 9 shelters instead of the usual 4.
John Maehl, the County person in charge of water issues, asked that the Town support the County’s position regarding the federal water savings clause that the County is against. Stuart already has signed a letter of support of that position. A motion was made by Arnold and seconded by Locatis to follow that lead. It passed 6-0.
Their audit report had a clean opinion. There was both income and expenses that were less than they previously were. It was pointed out that grant money had come to an end and all work was completed.
The entire report can be found here
MULTI-MODAL
Several months ago, the Council instructed its staff to engage Marcela Camblor to see whether it is feasible to have a multi-modal connection to the plaza where Publix is. That would mean going outside the Town onto Maple Street and Jensen Beach Blvd. Although doable, there are challenges.
Currently, it is illegal to use a golf cart on County roads unless the cart is street ready. While you could use sidewalks, the current ones are not wide enough to legally do so. There would need to be negotiations with property owners. Gerold also brought up that the railroad crossing will be reconfigured when the second track is added. This is complicated. Further state roads do not allow golf carts, and Jensen Beach Blvd becomes a state road after the tracks.
To read her report click here
10 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE
The Mayor has a vision. It did not look like that vision was shared by the Council.
It was interesting that this could have been the most important part of the meeting. Yet I and only one other resident stayed for what should have been noticed as a visioning session. The Council President called the items out, and the Mayor (whose show this was) led mostly a discussion with herself.
The first thing she wanted to discuss was paying the Council and officers a salary…not much of one but something so that people would understand their worth. Both the President and Vice-President flat out said no. The rest stood silent. In my opinion, the Town of Ocean Breeze should not have a paid Council. They were right to say no.
The second thing mentioned was regarding quorum and voting. The Town Attorney said that he can only remember once in 35 years where there was a problem with having quorum. The Council of 6 members, which is an even number, has not had very many tie votes. It is also unusual that there is an elected mayor that is not a member of the Council. Again, no member of the Council wanted to discuss any changes.
Mayor Ostrand then mentioned changing the meetings to perhaps later in the day to accommodate the residents from the new homes. The only Council Member that seemed interested was Docherty. He still works full time. The time of their meeting is set by ordinance and not by statute so no charter amendment would be needed. At some point if the new residents become involved, most will probably be working and then it may be necessary to change the time.
She wants Ocean Breeze to have its own Town Hall. The only problem is there is no place for the Town to do so within the Town boundaries. There was some confusion as to whether legislation had been passed in Tallahassee to allow a meeting place outside of the Village. Mr. Crary will have to investigate it. The building Ostrand found is the Wells Fargo building in downtown Jensen Beach for about a million dollars.
The Mayor said she could find grants for the purchase. Nothing was really mentioned about the costs of renovation. There is much due diligence needed before proceeding including an appraisal that can support the price. The Town is rather small and there are only a few employees, I cannot see going into debt for it. The Council recommended she gather more information including ongoing maintenance costs.
The idea of Town promotional events was raised…to silence.
Lastly, she wanted to speak about annexation. That would not be a bad idea if you pitched it to the businesses of Jensen Beach. The only reason they would want to begin paying higher taxes would be if they received a benefit. It would have to be to encourage heavier development, and ultimately, a loss of control for the current Council.
Also, the way annexation works is that the property owner comes to you and requests it. This fact will make it less likely to occur unless they begin negotiating with Jensen so that Jensen could use Ocean Breeze as a shell to have its own municipality free of Martin County.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The May 31, 2020 edition
At present there are no meetings scheduled.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The May 20, 2020 Edition
At present there are no meetings scheduled.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The May 3, 2020 Edition
At present there are no meetings scheduled.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The April 17, 2020 Edition
The April 13th Meeting was cancelled.
CORRECTIONS: In the last newsletter, I stated that the RV parking would end in January 2021. The correct date is January 2022.
The phone number for the office was listed incorrectly in what I was provided. It should be 772-334-6826.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The April 5, 2020 Edition
Until further notice the Town’s offices are closed to the public. They will continue to be manned Monday-Friday 9 AM to 2 PM. You can reach them at 772-334-6828 or the Clerks cell at 772-807-2557. The email is townclerk@townofoceanbreeze.org
All further Council meetings have been cancelled until further notice.
INVASION:
Sun Communities is continuing to allow RVs to park on its pads. As you can see from the emails below to some residents it is a concern:
From James Lynch who lives at Ocean Breeze:
Why is ocean breeze still bringing in RV rentals?
4 today 1 from NY (JL)
Do you live in Ocean Breeze? (TC)
Yes, I do. (JL)
OK I will see what I can find out for you. (TC)
Here is what I sent to Chris Walters (Resort Manager) below and his reply
RE: Keep us safe
Florida says no more rentals and for us at ocean breeze close the gates. They have been open for 3 days
Florida Gov. DeSantis suspends new vacation rentals amid COVID-19 concerns
Hi Jim,
Pursuant to our March 28th 2020 Face Book post we are aware of the Governors order to suspend Vacation Rentals and are in compliance. Our Main gate only is currently programmed to be open from 7am to 7pm at this time to accommodate the large volume of our at risk resident deliveries from Amazon, Fed Ex, UPS, Meals on Wheels, Home Health Care and other carriers in an effort to encourage Social Distancing and to ensure that the much needed supplies reach our residents . Ironically I found myself locked out of the coastal gate while making a quick trip to the grocery store this morning while forgetting my phone. Should you observe suspicious individuals it is my recommendation that you contact the Martin County Sheriff’s office at (772) 220 – 7000 while providing their office with a description to include the vehicle, plate number if available and description of the suspect to include details such as clothing. It has been my experience that the Sheriff’s office responds in a matter of minutes and this description is extremely helpful in their investigation. Hope that you, Dawn and family remain safe.
Best,
Chris Walters
After speaking with Terry O’Neil, the Town Consultant, I wrote back to Mr. Lynch:
James:
I spoke with Ocean Breeze Consultant Terry O’Neil today.
According to him and from what I understand the Governor’s Order states is that resorts are exempt.
Terry did tell me that Sun has stopped renting their units. As to the RVs headquarters hasn’t told them to stop them as of yet. Under the PUD Agreement they may have RV rentals until January 2021.
If there was enforcement because of the Governor’s Order, Mr. O’Neil stated it would be by the Sheriff’s purview.
Not very helpful I know.
He answered:
Thomas, thank you your quick response and hard work.
James Lynch
Mayor Ostrand spoke at the special BOCC meeting held on April 3rd. She was asking the County for help to stop this from happening. If Mr. O’Neil is correct, then the County could not do anything.
For two reasons it would not be possible. One is that the Governor’s order supersedes any local jurisdiction and it permits that use. Second, the County has no authority to do anything about the situation within the boundaries of Ocean Breeze.
Ocean Breeze has its own authority as a chartered municipality. As a municipality it gave Sun Communities the right in the PUD agreement to rent RV spaces until January 2021. The governor’s order notwithstanding, the Council now must live with the agreement until the end of the year even if the dreaded RVs are from New York and they are fleeing the pandemic.
Going to the County and thinking they can solve your problem because you changed your mind on the terms of a PUD goes against every principal, I have heard the Mayor express about home rule. The County is not in charge of any city. I am all for cooperation and teamwork, this is not that.
The Mayor’s letters to the County can be found at:
FROM MARCH 22, 2020 EDITION
COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 9, 2020
The Town did not receive very much input from Sun Communities at the long-awaited hurricane meeting.
And herein is the problem with the fundamental nature of Ocean Breeze. It became a municipality so that the Hoke family, which owned it all, could better control their trailer park. It wasn’t about home rule or local decision making. It was about control by one family. There is no way that the state would allow for incorporation today.
Sun Communities, the owner of the original Hoke trailer park, has really made a vast change to that area. No one could argue it isn’t better. Ocean Breeze remains a company town. Sun owns the land and, while they must conform to the PUD Agreement they have with the Town, they still hold the upper hand. It is a shame that when the residents had an opportunity to buy the park and then own the ground, they couldn’t pull it off.
The Town consists of three distinct areas. There is the Publix Center that is controlled by the owner of the center, there are the new homes in the rear of the Town that will be governed by their homeowners’ association and then the Sun portion. Once the homeowners begin paying Town taxes, the squawking by them will begin in earnest. The tax rate is way too high for the level of service.
Ocean Breeze has the highest combined millage rate in the County at 21.6038. It is higher than Stuart and Jupiter Island which have their own Public Safety Departments. Sewall’s Point has a Police Department and buys Fire/Rescue from Stuart. Ocean Breeze has a part time clerk, finance person, and Terry O’Neil, the Town Consultant, is part time as is the Attorney. There is very little infrastructure.
Sun Communities can ignore the Town because Sun Communities, along with Publix and the new home association, are the Town. There must be some value for the taxes paid. The government must be able to have ordinances that can be enforced. Ocean Breeze must serve all the people in Town including the new ones moving there.
Sun will continue to do the minimum. And at some point, the new folks will begin to revolt because of the high taxes, besides paying association dues for internal infrastructure. This Council and staff better get out in front before the revolution begins
FROM THE MARCH 8, 2020 EDITION
The next Meeting of Ocean Breeze will be March 9, 2020 at 10:30 am
February 23, 2020 Edition
One of the impressive things about Ocean Breeze is the large number of people that turn out for the meetings.
Both Kate Cotner from FPL and Robyn Cryer from the U.S. Census gave brief presentations.
There also was a presentation of the budget to date which can be found at this link:
WEST END AVENUE
At the last meeting, the Council decided to move forward with a professional services contract for improvements to West End Avenue. Staff recommended Marcela Camblor to do the work. The contract calls for two stages with a total of $5700.00. The second stage, in the amount of $2500 of the total, won’t proceed without Council approval. The money will come from Ocean Breeze’s portion of the gas tax receipts fund which is $81,000.
Camblor has and continues to do substantial work for Sun Communities. While this road belongs to the Town, most of the streets are the responsibility of Sun Communities. She has all the dimensions and conditions because of her association with the developer so that is a plus. It may seem like a conflict, but I guess it is not.
TOWN VERSUS DEVELOPER
During public comment there was a lot of complaining.
One resident was moving out of the park after having been born and raised there because of its changing nature. Apparently, she had a run-in with another resident because of the park’s rules or was it because of the Town’s ordinances. Hard to tell.
Several others were complaining because Sun had recommended contractors that were not properly licensed. Sun’s private building inspector had certified that work was done to code but hadn’t been. Larry Massing, acting as the Town’s Building Official, is in the process of documenting the problems.
Who is responsible for what? Sun owns the land and is in charge of the common elements of the park. Each house sits on someone else’s property. The Town government’s “territory” is essentially divided into three parts; the park, the shopping center, and the new homes that are being completed in the rear. The park is controlled by Sun, the homes by the builder (but will shortly be controlled by a homeowner’s association) and the shopping center by that owner.
The Town’s authority to regulate is through the PUD Agreements. This leaves residents with a feeling that things can fall through the cracks. For example, if a street within the park needs repair, it is Sun’s responsibility. Homeowners would complain to Sun, and if the road wasn’t repaired, the Town could code enforce Sun because of the PUD Agreement.
It is more complicated than in most municipalities. Incorporation of Ocean Breeze would not happen today. The Town government would more than likely be called a homeowner’s association.
Ocean Breeze Latest News
FROM THE FEBRUARY 9, 2020 EDITION
Next Meeting February 14, 2020 at 9:00 AM
Ocean Breeze Latest News
JANUARY 26, 2020 EDITION
COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 14, 2020
At the first meeting of the year, Former Council Member Ann Kagdis received an award from the Florida Municipal Trust. As an elected official she served on that board for many years. The Trust is the insurance arm of the Florida League of Cities. It was a good way for them to show their appreciation for Ann’s service.
Mayor Ostrand wanted the Council to approve going out to bid for a feasibility study regarding West End Avenue. The entire Council felt that the street was dangerous. Ostrand mentioned several times that this was only the beginning of the process. Council Member Gerold wants the study to be paid from the Town’s share of the gas receipts.
A motion was made by Docherty and seconded by Arnold to have the Town Consultant prepare the RFP.
SHORTCUTS NEVER ARE
Back in October the Council gave Sun Communities an agreement which, if signed, would have allowed the construction of docks to proceed without going through amending the PUD. That supposedly would have been quicker. The Town’s attorney and Sun’s attorney would easily come to an agreement.
As of this meeting there is no agreement. It seems that when government tries to circumvent their processes, it isn’t any faster. There are technical reasons why a meeting of the minds did not occur. This Council is composed of no experts on these matters.
Staff asked that this go through the PUD process. A motion was made by Wagner and seconded by Docherty to do just that. It passed 5-0.
THE BATTLE FOR FLC
For many years Ann Kagdis was the Council’s representative to the Treasure Coast Regional League of Cities, Florida League of Cities, and the different committees. Ostrand had been the alternate. She had been learning the ropes from Ann. When Ann was defeated in her reelection bid last year, Ostrand stood in as her alternate. She fully expected to become the representative of Ocean Breeze.
President De Angeles, though, believed it was his turn. He requested the appointment. A battle for FLC was joined. It was so hard for the Council to decide that Gerold motioned to put the item to the end of the meeting (which was 2 items hence). When they took it back up, Ann Kagdis spoke stating that Karen had forged relationships, walked the halls in Tallahassee, and made contacts throughout the region.
That turned the tide! Ostrand was appointed.
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The July 9, 2023 edition
Ocean Breeze Latest News From The October 10, 2021 edition
