BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — We are at The Soup Kitchen in Boynton Beach for our Let's Hear It community meet-up until 6:30 p.m. today listening to your concerns.
Harvey and Susan Kaufman told WPTV reporter Victor Jorges they want a dog park in their area. The Kaufmans said they found a perfect location for a dog park near Boynton Beach Middle School on Acme Dairy Road. They said they are disappointed there is not a dog park for people living in western Boynton Beach, which is in unincorporated Palm Beach County.
"We’ve had her for three years. She’s part of the family. Without the dog park, she’s a different dog," Harvey Kaufman said.
The couple is worried their rescue dog, Gucci, does not have a place nearby to exercise and have fun with other dogs. Jorges is reaching out to the county to see if a dog park is in the works in that area.
The meetup also brought to light several other concerns from residents.
Veteran Stephen McCoy shared his frustrations with WPTV Investigative Reporter Kate Hussey regarding the My Safe Florida Home program. McCoy said he qualified for the highest priority group, but struggled getting through the process.
"How am I gone come up with this money?" McCoy said. "They advertise they're going to help people but they're not even answering the phone or emails or returning voicemails, nothing. I got absolutely nowhere with them. Nowhere."
Meanwhile, Javis Sims is hoping to get answers about a home he has owned since 2009 but has not been able to live in. Sims told WPTV reporter Vannia Joseph he inherited his childhood home after his mother passed away.
He said cannot live there, because of code enforcement issues with the city, and fines have racked up to over $700,000. Sims said he is trying to be in compliance, but it is one issue after another.
"You tell me to put grass in the yard at a house that's not livable, no water. I do that. It's just an ongoing process. I just need help," Sims said.
Residents at a 55 and older community in Boynton Beach are struggling with failing plumbing. HOA leaders Ron Colcer and Jeffrey Roach shared with Jorges that their community has to pay $16,000 every time one of their cast iron pipes bursts.
“We need to replace these pipes and it’s quite expensive. They’re breaking under the building; the stacks are breaking," Roach said. "The stacks inside are causing sewage to go out into the units. It’s a very very slow process, and we’re in trouble now."
Since it is a 55 and older community, many residents live on a fixed income, or Social Security, and cannot afford the cost of replacing the plumbing. Colcer and Roach said the pipes were installed in the 1960s and are no longer safe.
WPTV is working to get answers on all of these issues and .
We want to be your voice and help you find solutions.
While we hold our monthly Let's Hear It meet-ups, we know many are not able to attend, but we still want to hear from you and start taking action to get you answers. You can e-mail us at LetsHearIt@wptv.com.
