Beginning in May, we will transition to one Council meeting a month based on the volume of agenda items we have recently seen on our monthly agendas.  Should the need arise for a second meeting we will advise as soon as possible but no later than during the first council meeting of the month unless due to an unforeseen emergency/need. 

As we further develop our budget submissions at the staff level, we continue to review operating, capital, and fixed asset needs for the upcoming budget.  A different approach this year is to budget looking ahead two years.  While we will only adopt a single fiscal year budget, looking ahead to two years allows us to forecast our needs better and to adapt accordingly in order to address projected budget challenges.  

We continue to monitor many issues equestrian as we wrap up this equestrian season.  On the polo front, we continue to work with USPA related to their efforts on the acquisition of Jan Pamela and Winsome properties.  Similarly, USPA is reportedly continuing to consider the acquisition of a portion of the IPC property.  Neither acquisition is confirmed as closed by the USPA.  Lastly, Mr. Bellissimo has contacted staff and continues to explore the development of Equestrian Village as a residential resort community, with dressage-related uses contemplated to be relocated to Wellington Country Place PUD, around the existing PBIEC facility.  No formal submission, pre-application, or conceptual plan has been submitted.  

Lastly, we have scheduled and look forward to our annual visioning session with Council.  The session is scheduled for May 23rd and May 24th.  We will be sending out information for use as part of the session by the end of the month.  

On Saturday, May 7th, there will be Reggae Tribute Night held at the Amphitheater beginning at 5:00 pm.

On Tuesday, May 10th, the Wellington High School and Wellington Landings Middle School Jazz Bands will perform at the Amphitheater beginning at 6:30 pm.

The Aquatics Complex will host a Long Course Swim Meet from Friday, May 13th through Sunday, May 15th.  The pool will close to the public beginning at 3:00pm on Friday, May 13th and will remain closed on Saturday and Sunday, May 14th and 15th. The pool will reopen for normal hours of operation at 9:00am on Tuesday, May 17th.

Palm Beach Central High School will hold their Project Graduation on Wednesday, May 18th at the Village Park gymnasium from 10:00pm to 6:00am.

The Village, in conjunction with Theatre Arts Production (TAP) will host The Addams Family, a musical comedy, on Saturday, May 21st at 1:00pm and 7:00pm, and Sunday, May 22nd, at 11:00am at the Amphitheater. Tickets are available in advance on Eventbrite and day of at the Amphitheater, prior to each performance.
 

The Community Services Department is working with our Community Partner the Crowned Pearls of Wellington to place our SWAG Students in work-site locations for their summer internships.  We currently have 10 work locations including Palm Beach County Commissioner Mckinlay's office, the State’s Attorneys Office, Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center and Wellington the Magazine. 

Staff met with teachers at New Horizons Elementary School to get them processed as independent contractors to work in our Summer Academic Recovery Program.  We had a lunch meeting with Jaene Miranda, President of the Palm Beach County Boys and Girls Club to discuss our partnership proposal for a Summer Academic Recovery Program to be held this summer at the Wellington Community Center. 

Preparing for our annual Great American Cleanup and Earth/Arbor Day event taking place on Saturday, April 23rd.  The CS Team will coordinate with resident volunteers to walk-through and clean up the neighborhoods of White Pine/12^th Fairway and Goldenrod.
 

Wellington will host the 2nd Annual Health and Wellness Fair from 5:00pm-7:00pm in combination with the final night of the Lakeside Market on Friday, April 22nd. This event will focus on health and wellness providers, as well as the Village’s Community Partners, who offer services ranging from senior care to mental health initiatives for youth. The Health Fair will also feature health screenings, Covid-19 vaccine information, fitness programs currently offered by the Village, and live demonstrations. PBSO and PBFR are also invited to give out information and interact with the residents.

The Annual Earth/Arbor Day and Great American Clean-Up will be held on Saturday, April 23rd. The Great American Clean-Up will kick off the day at 10:00am in several communities throughout Wellington. Volunteers will arrive at the Wellington Community Center between 9:30-10:00am to receive buckets, pickers, and gloves before they go to their assigned neighborhoods.
 
At 11:00am, all volunteers will return and enjoy Chick-Fil-A sandwiches in the Lakeview room. They will then join Council on the Promenade for the reading of the Earth/Arbor Day proclamation and presentation from the Wellington Tree Board of the F.L.O.W.E.R. awards. A ceremonial Cypress Tree will be planted in honor of Arbor Day. Earth/Arbor Day related vendors will be set- up along the boardwalk providing information and give-a-ways to those attending.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will host the “Wellington Chamber Community 5k” on Sunday, April 24th at Village Park beginning at 7:00am. This is a co-sponsored event and will feature finisher medals, age group trophies, a Joe DiMaggio Children’s Health Specialty Center “Kids Corner”, and finish line refreshments.
 
This year the race will add an un-timed, staggered start, “Hurdle Haul” obstacle course challenge for runners/walkers who want to participate. Children under 6 will not be permitted on the obstacles.
 

The Wellington Art Society will host their combined art reception for both City Hall and the Wellington Community Center on Tuesday, April 26th from 5:00pm-7:00pm. Along with over 94 pieces of artwork between both locations, there will be a short presentation of a donated piece of artwork from Gary Bradford. Gary donated the painting “It Starts in Parks” on behalf of his wife, Susan P. Bradford, for whom the Art in Public Places program was originally named. Susan passed away in 2008, but the rotating art program has continued and expanded to include City Hall and the Community Center and rotates every 4 months.  The community is also invited to peruse the artist’s tables where they will also be selling their artwork, jewelry, and prints. Light refreshments will be served in the lobby of City Hall.

Wellington will host “Take Your Child to Work Day” on Thursday, April 28th for Village Employees. Children (8yrs and older) wishing to participate will have a full day of activities including:

Staff will shuttle the children in the newly purchased Community Service bus and lunch will be provided. The day will conclude in Council Chambers from 4:30pm-5:00pm and, if available, Council are invited to interact with the participants. Children will be picked up at 5:00pm from the Council Chambers.  Employees are asked to RSVP by April 21st for this interactive day.

Saturday, May 21st is National “Kids To Parks Day”, which encourages families to play outdoors and is celebrated annually on the 3rd Saturday in May. This day connects kids and families with their local, state, and national parks and public lands through thousands of park events that promote discovery and exploration in the great outdoors. This year, Wellington will celebrate at Greenbriar Park (2975 Greenbriar Blvd) from 9:00am-12:00pm with bounce houses, face painting, lawn games, interactive contests and more! Kona Ice will be onsite for purchase as well as water for sale through the Crowned Pearls of Wellington.
 

The Annual Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony will be held on Monday, May 30^th. The parade will begin at 8:15am in the City Hall parking lot area and travel down Forest Hill to the Veterans Memorial. PBSO, PBFR, The American Legion, local Veterans, and the boy/girls scouts will participate in the parade. Once the parade concludes, the ceremony will begin (estimated to be 8:30am). Council will welcome and lead the ceremony. Tom Wenham will be the keynote speaker for the American Legion.

PUBLIC SAFETY
 
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office
Golf Cart enforcement continues.  11 incidents ranging from stolen carts to traffic stops were reported.  One of the two golf cart traffic stops included a verbal warning for the operator of the cart driving on a roadway not designed for Golf Carts per the Ordinance. On 4/14/22, deputies responded to golf cart accident with injuries.  A juvenile driver lost control causing all occupants to be scattered on the roadway near Monterey on the Lake.  Two juveniles were transported to St. Mary’s by ground, the others were turned over to their parents.

Community Policing
Community Policing deputies responded to a juvenile overdose near the 12^th Fairway.  The deputies met with family and set up a plan to keep the juvenile out of trouble. The CP team followed up the next day at Wellington High School and had a meeting with the Assistant Principal, Guidance Counselor, and juvenile to set up resources to assist.  PBSO is working on providing additional services.

Community Involvement
Palm Beach Central High School's Gail Marshall was an honorary guest speaker at the Community Services Quarterly Round Table meeting. She requested assistance from the community for their Annual Senior Breakfast as their fundraising efforts fell short of being able to completely cover the event.  Deputies met with Gail Marshall and PBCHS senior class president, Jessie Donath to discuss their needs. After PBSO was provided detailed information on the status of their fundraising efforts along with an estimate of total event costs, PBSO confirmed their ability to assist.  Updates will be provided as details are finalized.  

Gang Unit Operation
Street Team members assisted the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Gang Unit in conducting a proactive operation within Palm Beach County. Team members assisted with proactive patrol and targeted traffic stops on known gang members and associates within Palm Beach County. Agents assisted with multiple arrests and conducted field investigative reports on multiple individuals during the operation.
 
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue 
Over the past week, PBCFR Wellington Stations have been busy running calls, training, and hose testing. We had a few trauma alerts due to people falling from horses, a vehicle accident involving a motorcycle, and a golf cart incident. Fire Rescue is watching and tracking trends regarding golf cart incidents with injuries now that the new ordinance is in effect.
 
 
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
 
The official start of hurricane season is June 1st and now is the time to prepare.  Wellington has begun public messaging and will be providing daily informational highlights during Hurricane Preparedness Week May 1st through 7th that will include ways to prepare and recover from a natural disaster.  
 
Emergency Management is in the process of collecting Right of Entry agreements from our private gated communities.  Currently we have 94 ROEs collected.
 
The Village Emergency Management staff will host a webinar on Hurricane Preparedness on June 1^st at 6:00pm featuring a 2022 Hurricane Season Forecast update from the National Weather Service and Palm Beach County Emergency Management.
 
Emergency Management staff presented to the Senior Advisory committee on Hurricane Preparedness.  The following information will also be distributed through the Senior Club’s Monthly Publication the Golden Banner:
 
If you or a loved one has special needs, enroll now in Palm Beach County’s Special Needs Shelter program.   Some people have medical issues that cannot be accommodated in a regular public shelter. Questions to ask yourself:

• Do you depend on electric medical devices to stay well?
• Do you depend on supplemental oxygen at least part of the day?
• Do you have a chronic but stable illness that requires professional observation, or have a full-time caregiver?
• Do you have progressive Alzheimer’s or Dementia?

Residents should contact the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management to obtain an application. The fastest way to apply is to either fill out your application online at www.readypbc.com/spns or go to the website, print out an application, and mail it in. 
 
Those who wish to speak with a special needs coordinator can do so by calling 561-712-6400.  If you do not qualify for a special needs program and need transportation ONLY to a shelter, you must meet the criteria and be pre-registered with Palm Tran Connection.  To register call 561-649-9838.
 
 
COVID-19 Testing & Trends
 
Demand continues for testing with a slight increase in the testing positivity rate. Last week, the Curative Village Hall location conducted 546 (up from 396 the week prior) tests and reported a 14.64% positivity rate (up from 11.5% the week prior).  26 patients were uninsured and had a 0% positivity rate.  We continue to see a majority, 75% of patients, using the testing site from Wellington zip codes.
 
The Curative South Shore site is still averaging about 10 tests per day.  The Wellington Green Drive-Thru site saw an increase and averaged 34 (23 reported the week prior) tests last week and positivity rate of 20.6% (13% reported the week prior).  Curative sites are working on a contract extension to continue to provide testing services through the end of December 2022.
 
Last week it was reported on the CDC Covid Tracker that Palm Beach County saw a case rate of 75 per 100,000 population (up from 55 last reporting period).  New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 was 3.4 (up 0.4 from last reporting period) and the percent of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19 remains the same at 1.2%. While we have observed increases in both positivity and testing, the Covid-19 Community transmission level continues to remain low in Palm Beach County.
 
Training Spotlight
 
The Driver Safety Course required for those Village employees who drive a Village vehicle was completed last week.  A total of 177 employees were trained in the 4-hour Driver Safety Course.
 
 

Another restaurant at Lotis is scheduling a pre-application meeting. It’s the Lazy Dog restaurant consisting of 7,942 SF (2660 seats) with a 1,906 SF patio (88 seats). The chain caters to dog owners and provides food service for the canines in the patio dining area. The proposal will require a site plan amendment. The application submittal is pending.
 
Building and Code continue to address the lagging construction activity at 14699 Halter Rd. which began in April 2015. Once again the permit, recently extended to 4/14/22, has expired. The permit issues are returning to the Special Magistrate on 4/21/22. Building is recommending an extension for no more than 10 days.
 
Code Compliance received a complaint concerning early AM trailer parking within the Emerald Forest community.  Code Officers conducted early morning and evening inspections to address any parking issues found.  Officers issued 45 educational parking brochures. During subsequent inspections, 18 parking ticket warnings and 1 parking ticket were issued. 
 

The Town Center Phase II project commenced construction on April 4^th.  Site work continues on Phase 1 of the project and is scheduled to continue through early September.  Town Center Drive will remain closed for the duration of the project.  

Road and landscaping works on Aero Club Drive is scheduled to commence on May 2^nd and continue through early August.  Staff has provided notification to all POA’s and schools that will be affected by the project.  A variable message board was also installed on each side of Aero Club Drive to notify passer by traffic of the impending construction. 

Landscaping works are scheduled to commence on Big Blue Trace beginning in early June.  The same contractor for Aero Club is scheduled to continue the landscape works along Big Blue Trace, and under the same contract.  Notifications will be sent out to the affected POA’s within the next two weeks.   

The engineering department is currently managing the design of the following projects: 

We have reviewed the entrance to the Versailles community based on some inquiries from the community.  The signal warrant analysis provided by FDOT determined that a signal is not warranted at this intersection, based on vehicular volume at the approach (from Versailles), and collisions at the intersection.  Versailles may elect to have a traffic engineer review all the other possible warrants to determine if a signal is warranted at that location.  
 
We continue to address golf cart pathway issues as they present themselves.  We are currently awaiting the delivery of additional signs for installation around the Greenbriar Corridor in the Aero Club Subdivision.

Below is a summary of the department's permitting activity for the week of 04/11/2022 – 04/15/2022:

The permitting division continues to have one issue relating to Permit ENG22-0065 involving the installation of a tennis court.          

 PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Landscape Maintenance & Nuisance Abatement

• Cleaned up palm debris, Village wide.
• Completed preparing landscape beds for planting at the Margate neighborhood (entry wall), along Big Blue Trace, and Forest Hill Boulevard.
• Replaced sections of damaged sod in the medians along Forest Hill Boulevard.
• Completed delivering tree seedlings to schools for the annual Tree Seedling Giveaway.
• Began preparations for replacing annual flowers for summer annual flowers, Village wide.
• Completed irrigation repairs along Forest Hill Boulevard and at the Amphitheater.
• Continued preventative irrigation maintenance, Village wide.
• Continue to assist Code Compliance with nuisance abatement work orders as needed, Village wide.

 
Building Maintenance

• Completed A/C maintenance at PBSO Substation and Public Works.
• Replaced damaged flag pole top at Village Park.
• Replaced various lighting fixtures at the Amphitheater, Amesbury neighborhood (entry wall), Aquatics Center, Linton neighborhood (entry wall), and Olympia Park.
• Replaced filter in fountain at Patriot Memorial.
• Completed various building repairs at Village Park.
• Replaced filters in water fountain at Village Hall.
• Installed fire extinguisher box in the restrooms at the Aquatics Center.

 
Roads & Roadside Refuse

• Continue backfilling sidewalks along Amesbury Circle.
• Installed shell rock along 130^th Avenue.
• Wynn and Sons completed overlay of a section of the pathway along Stribling Way.
• Wynn and Sons completed milling and paving a section of pathway at Wellington Environmental Preserve (Section 24).
• Continue to keep roadways free from trash. 

Surface Water Management & Preserve Maintenance

• Clean debris from various canal ends and pump stations throughout the Village on a regular and continuing basis.
• Marcinkoski Gradall continue miscellaneous swale reconstruction work, Village wide.
• Hinterland Group continues installing liners in the C-13A canal.
• Installed sod in the swale along Suellen Circle.

 
Aquatics and Sport Facilities

• Continue rehabilitation to Fields 6, 7 and 21 at Village Park.
• The building and relocating of the benches for the Village Park Pavilions continue.
• Completed setup and breakdown for the 2022 Egg Hunt at Village Park.
• Completed fence/gate repairs at Village Park.
• Completed field maintenance at Village Park (Field 2, 3, 6, 7, and 21-24).

A cone of silence is in effect for all solicitations listed above.  All questions or concerns regarding any such solicitations should be directed to the Purchasing Department.

The Communications Department is working on filming and editing multiple Public Service Announcements, including Egg Hunt, Why Do I Serve, and Historical Society interview.
 
Recent Media Releases include the Announcement of Councilman Drahos’ appointment as Vice Mayor and the Wellington Community Health Fair.
 
Social Media promotion focuses on the Annual Egg Hunt Event, Parks & Rec events promotion, Amphitheater Concerts and Events on-going promotion, Celebrate Diversity Month, Hurricane Preparedness information, Distracted Driving Awareness month, Community Partners Roundtable meeting, Neighborhood Watch Seminar on Distracted Driving, Mayor’s Speeding Challenge Public Service Announcement with Mayor and Captain Silva, Offices Closed on Friday for Good Friday, Water Conservation Month, Recognition of Drop Savers Poster Contest Winners at Council Meeting, Council Meeting Presentations and Proclamations, Council Meeting Agenda Preview, GoWellington App, Save the Date for Annual Egg Hunt at Village Park, Palm Beach Central High School’s Civics 101: Meet the Council Session, Distracted Driving Awareness month, Weekly events highlights and information.      
 

Another challenging week in the Cyber Security World presented more vulnerabilities, patches, mitigations and breaches. IT staff has been busy researching and mitigating them, all while consistently changing and adapting our security stance to better protect the Village.

GoWellington App has gotten a decent release and use as we have found and fixed a few issues reported by Departments. IT will be starting the last phase for the App which includes the integration into our Tyler ERP this Fall.

Town Center Phase 2 is in full construction demolition mode as we work with the contractor on locating fiber and the installation of a new fiber network for the Quad here at City Hall.

IT and GIS have started this years Hurricane Season preparations with the damage reporting tools review, testing and training as well as other key essential yearly reviews for the start of the season in the next few months.

We are in the final rounds of the GIS Strategic Review and look forward to the findings and implementation and have been busy with a large scale project for the Utilities plant upgrades.