BOCA RATON, Fla. — We’re tracking a recent move from city commissioners in Boca Raton to put a new rule in the books dealing with the sale of public land.
Sorting through the city meeting’s agenda, WPTV reporter Victor Jorges found that city leaders discussed at the Dec. 16 meeting a new ordinance that would change the framework for selling or leasing city-owned lands.
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Ordinance No. 5766, titled Public Purpose Safeguards for the Sale, Lease, or Disposition of City-Owned Lands Greater than One-Half Acre, would require two duly noticed public hearings and written findings about the benefits of the project, based on the Council’s own findings, rather than outside studies.
This comes after weeks of discussions to get similar rules passed through a referendum vote in January. Last month, a Palm Beach County judge blocked the question from appearing in Boca Raton's January special election.
The ruling represents a setback for the "Save Boca" group, which gathered thousands of signatures to force the ballot questions aimed at stopping the controversial Boca Raton Government Campus redevelopment plan.
The mayor told WPTV that this proposed ordinance alleviates the need for a ballot vote because the proposed referendum language was "unconstitutional and violated state law."
Within the text of the new proposed ordinance is a mention of the project that’s sparked extensive controversy— the Government Campus Redevelopment Project.
"Importantly, Ordinance No. 5766 reflects-and now formalizes—the enhanced notice and transparency measures the City has already implemented and exceeded in connection with the potential Downtown Campus project," the proposed ordinance states.
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Even with this new proposal, residents like Richard Warner are fighting back against the project are still pushing to stop the redevelopment.
“The simple fact is, the Save Boca solution you should be not just dodging, but promoting,” Warner said. "If you believe in democracy, that’s the way to go.
The ordinance will be further discussed at a future commission meeting.
Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer sent WPTV this statement:
“The ordinance furthers transparency and accountability by requiring more public hearings and specific findings before any future land sales. The court found that a committee’s proposed referendum language was unconstitutional and violated state law, so this measure addresses some underlying concerns without those problems.”
