Town Council Corner : Recent Policy Actions

Below is a summary of some of the approvals and decisions made by the Town Council during recent meetings . To see items coming up on agendas for future meetings , visit www . jupiter . fl . us / Agendas . To watch meetings live , or to watch recorded meetings on-demand , visit www . jupiter . fl . us / LIVE .

Town Council

• Adopted the millage ( property tax ) rate , operating budget and 5-year community investment program ( CIP ) for Fiscal Year 2018 , which began on October 1 , 2017 and ends on September 30 , 2018 . The millage rate stayed consistent with the FY 2017 rate at 2.4633 mills excluding voter-approved debt , and 2.6815 including voter-approved debt ( stated in terms of dollars per $ 1,000 of taxable property value ). The operating budget and pay plan for all funds for FY 2018 totals $ 88.7 million , which is an increase of approximately $ 4.7 million from FY 2017 . The 5-year CIP for fiscal years 2018 through 2021 includes a 5-year total capital investment of $ 151,159,038 , which is an increase of approximately $ 72.0 million from the plan for FY 2016 through FY 2020 . The substantial increase can be attributed to large projects such as the future replacement of Police Department / Town Hall buildings , improvements to the Indiantown Road western corridor , the need for additional Floridan Aquifer Wells , improvements to the Reverse Osmosis water treatment plant , and a future parking garage in Abacoa .

• Due to Hurricane Irma , Council declared a State of Local Emergency for the Town of Jupiter , which , among other things , enabled the Town to be eligible for federal funding to assist with clean-up efforts .

• Council also permitted the Town to implement a six-month period where permit fees associated with expediting and issuing permits necessary to rebuild and repair homes and businesses damaged by Hurricane Irma were waived for Jupiter residents .

• Approved a zoning text amendment the Town ' s private dock regulations to allow boat mooring and boat lifts on canals less than 50 feet in width .

• Approved the purchase of up to four properties , each not to exceed $ 60,000 in the Cinquez Park Community for the purpose of workforce housing .

• Approved an amendment to the Love Street Development proposal resulting in a scaled-down version of the plan that would maintain the Town ' s ownership of the public parking lot .

• Approved a site plan amendment to remove and replace a nonconforming fast food restaurant use at 626 West Indiantown Road ( Wendy ’ s ).

• Formalized the name for the Cinquez Park open space property as " Cinquez Park ," and approved the future naming of sections of the park .

• Approved the use of Federal Forfeiture Funds for the initial purchase of the Axon Body Worn Camera system for the Jupiter Police Department in the amount of $ 228,927.60 .

• Council held many meeting and workshops to discuss and deliberate regarding the selection of a Town Manager , ultimately ( unanimously ) approving an employment offer to Mr . Matt Benoit .

• Approved an additional $ 25,000 Homestead Exemption for persons 65 years and older meeting certain maximum income requirements in accordance with Florida State Statue 196.075 . Community Redevelopment Agency

• Approved the Community Redevelopment Agency operating budget of $ 4,054,901 for FY 2018 , which began on October 1 , 2017 and ends September 30 , 2018 .

• Approved the 5-year community investment program ( CIP ) at $ 9,345,512 running from 2018 - 2022 .

Since March of 2017 , the Town of Jupiter was engaged in an executive recruitment process for its next Town Manager - a position that was vacated by Andy Lukasik after 17 years with the Town . Upon conclusion of a Request for Proposal process , the Town hired the Strategic Government Resources ( SGR ) group in May to conduct the executive search . SGR was able to produce a pool of well-qualified candidates that were further vetted by Town Council . A number of workshops were held to review the candidates ' history and qualifications , and thorough discussion was conducted in order to best match candidates with the needs of the Town . Through various methods , the candidate pool was narrowed , and a clear choice was presented for Council ' s consideration . At its meeting on November 16 , Council unanimously agreed to offer the position of Town Manager to Mr . Matt Benoit . He accepted the offer , and we look forward to welcoming him and his family to Jupiter in the beginning of 2018 . Matt comes to the Town of Jupiter from Huntsville , Texas , where he most recently served as City Manager for the past six years .

Throughout the entire recruitment and selection process , transparency , public awareness , and resident involvement were guiding principals for the Town . Our intent was to ensure that our residents ' voices and opinions were heard and considered , and we hope you feel that we achieved that goal .

CALLING ALL JUPITER RESIDENTS Get Involved : Apply to Serve on a Town Board or Committee

Would you like to volunteer your time and talents in service to the Town ? If you ' re interested in getting involved in your community , there are several advisory boards and committees with positions that will be opening in 2018 . The Town Council makes yearly appointments to the following boards and committees :

Art Committee • Audit Committee • Beach Committee • Construction Board of Adjustment & Appeals Historic Resources Board • Planning and Zoning Commission • Police Pension Board

If you would like to participate , please complete the online application at www . jupiter . fl . us / committees . You can also print and mail a copy to the Town Clerk ' s Office at 210 Military Trail , Jupiter , Florida 33458-5784 .

The deadline for applications to be considered for the April 2018 appointments is February 6 , 2018 . Any applications received after February 6 will be kept on file and considered for next year ' s appointments . Appointments are tenatively scheduled for the first Town Council meeting in April .

Please note there is a mandatory Palm Beach County Code of Ethics Training required prior to serving on any boards . For more information , please contact Sally M . Boylan , Town Clerk , at 561-741-2352 .

" Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful , committed citizens can change the world ; indeed , it is the only thing that ever has ." - Margaret Mead

INSIDE THIS ISSUE ...

TOWN TIMES ..................................... 1-2

Town Manager Search Update Cinquez Park & Dog Park - 2018 Grand Opening Jupiter Leash Law Revision Amendment to the Love Street Project Approved

NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTION ............ 3

Public Meeting Notice Association Officer and Director Certification Matching Grant Program Little Free Libraries

IN THE KNOW ....................................... 4

Jupiter Designated a Tree City 2018 Sponsorship Opportunities Jupiter University Town Calendar

JUPITER ' S BIGGEST HOMETOWN CELEBRATION !

FREE FAMILY FUN

Saturday , February 3 , 2018

11am - 4 pm

Jupiter Community Center at the corner of Indiantown Road & Military Trail

Join your neighbors for food , fun , entertainment , and of course , community pride at this year ’ s Jubilee !

Thank you to our 2018 Sponsors :

Jupiter Citizen Survey : We Want to Hear from You !

Recently , you may have received in your mailbox an invitation to participate in Jupiter ’ s annual citizen survey . Since 2009 , the Town of Jupiter has used the National Citizen Survey ( NCS ) tool to conduct an annual survey of its residents to assess their views on services , programs and policies . The results are used to benchmark and compare Jupiter ’ s performance against other towns and cities in Florida and across the nation .

The NCS is a survey tool offered by the National Research Center and the International City Manager ' s Association . By using this tool consistently for several years , Jupiter has been able to monitor its performance over time , and make adjustments as the community experienced growth . Surveys are mailed to a random , anonymous sample of 2,600 households across four geographic areas of the Town in November and December . An online version is also available for residents who did not receive a mailed survey but wish to participate . Results are analyzed in a number of different ways ( by geography , by demographic groups and by subject area ). The final report is presented at a Town Council meeting in February , and published on the Town ’ s website at www . jupiter . fl . us / citizensurvey . Past survey results are also available on this webpage . Each year , survey results are considered by the Town Council and Staff as it prepares updates to the annual Strategic Plan and budget .

So if you have received a survey invitation in the mail , please don ’ t recycle it – provide your input ! If you did not receive a paper copy , you can still visit www . jupiter . fl . us / citizensurvey to participate . It ’ s an easy way to get involved in your community ’ s future !

Jupiter Town Times | www . jupiter . fl . us | 210 Military Trail , Jupiter , FL 33458 | 561.746.5134