Friday, July 07, 2006

PB COUNTY CIVIC ASSOCIATION TARGETS LEGISLATURE

The South County Partnership, a 3-year old group, is an umbrella community association organization. It recently assessed its influence on legistlators during this year’s session and outlined a plan for 2007.

The partnership comprises the Alliance of Delray Residential Associations, the West Boca Community Council and the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations and plans to reach out and invite similar organizations in northwest Broward County to join. The group represents nearly 300 communities and about 500,000 residents. The West Boca council, which has 115 members, was formed in 1980, and a year later came the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations, which has 79 members representing about 100,000 people. In 1994, the areas west of Delray Beach organized into The Alliance of Delray Residential Associations, which represents communities that are home to 70,000 people.Community leaders hope those numbers, along with memberships to larger organizations such as the Florida Coalition of Community Associations, pull weight with legislators.

Rob Schulbaum, president of Alliance of Delray Residential Associations, said, “We had some influence in keeping the bills with punitive actions against condo and HOAs from being passed.”

Introductions of bills limiting the powers of condo and HOAs since 2004 included several restricting the power associations have to enforce many of their laws, including collecting past dues or fining homeowners for violations. Schulbaum said, “Our fear is that these bills will pass next year.” A big current issue is over insurance not being renewed for communities.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The West Boca Community Council, which has been fighting against a proposed extension of University Parkway, Coral Ridge Drive or Riverside Drive from Broward into Palm Beach County, worrying about bringing thousands of cars their way, are endorsing annexation of land into Broward for a large development of homes, and then, according to WBCC President, Sheri Scarborough, the road extensions won't be necessary. She requested that the roads will not be extended be put in writing. She wants a stipulation that the state will not make further efforts to build the roads, and suggested widening of County Line Road, Lox Road and 441 to alleviate the Broward-to-Palm Beach traffic problems.

The PB County Land use Advisory Committee has already recommended that the plat not be built on the Palm Beach County side of the line, and the full County Commission is to act on this at its July 20th meeting.

A representative of the developer told council members this week that the project will be put on hold for about a year, and re-examined, which could buy time to locate the housing complex in Broward County.