Welcome to the Boynton City Blog, where City employees will keep you informed about the many programs, volunteer opportunities and special events and projects that make Boynton Beach a unique place to live, work, play and learn. After talking recently to the Sun Sentinel about taking advantage of technology by launching a blog and reaching out via social networking sites, we are excited to enter the blogosphere and welcome your comments, ideas and suggestions. Our blog policy is posted on the Blog Comment Policy tab; we look forward to ongoing conversations with the community.

Boynton Beach offers a wide variety of voluntary citizen Advisory Boards that enable you to get involved in the community. A community’s greatest resource is its citizens, and by serving on an advisory board, you can help the City Commission can gain valuable information and insights that enable commissioners to make better decisions.

At the December 1 Commission meeting, commissioners will make 54 appointments across 11 boards. These include Arts Commission, Building Board of Adjustments and Appeals, Cemetery Board, Code Compliance Board, Community Relations Board, Education and Youth Advisory Board, Library Board, Planning and Development Board, Recreation and Parks Board, Senior Advisory Board and Veterans Commission. In naming citizens to these boards, commissioners look for people who have an interest or experience in the area of service and the necessary expertise to help accomplish the goals and objectives of the specific advisory group.

Regular and alternate members for the boards are appointed to terms of five years or less. Applicants must be registered voters to be eligible for appointment; most boards require residency within the City limits. Applications are accepted continuously and vacancies are filled as needed. However, the application deadline for the December 1 meeting is November 16. Most boards meet monthly and a recording secretary from the City Clerk’s office attends each meeting to create minutes that accurately reflect the discussions and actions of the individual boards.

A short explanation of each board and the meeting dates for each board, plus an application, may be found in the City Clerk’s office in City Hall or by visiting the City’s web page at www.boynton-beach.org.

Citizen Advisory Boards are a vital part of the governmental process in Boynton Beach. By serving on an Advisory Board, you can make a meaningful contribution to the quality of life we all enjoy in Boynton Beach.

One man’s music can be another man’s noise, which sometimes results in a call to the police. In that instance, to paraphrase poet Robert Frost, good high fences make good neighbors because they probably help to dampen some of the noise. But unfortunately, this year so far, the police department has received 983 complaints for excessive noise. However, this is consistent with the department’s yearly average of about 1,450 excessive noise complaints.

Almost all of the complaints come from residents complaining of sound disturbances created by their neighbors and are resolved by officers who seek out the source of the noise disturbance and request that the offenders comply with the code provisions. Repeat offenders are given a Notice to Appear (NTA) in county court. Most repeat complaints stem from commercial establishments such as restaurants located on the waterfront and along the Congress Avenue corridor. These are handled by Code Compliance, and there are currently no open cases.

The City of Boynton Beach Noise Control Ordinance is found in the Code of Ordinances at Section 15-8. Essentially, the Code provides that no person shall unnecessarily make, continue or cause to be made any noise disturbance. A noise disturbance is any excessive noise that interferes with the enjoyment of life or property, including outdoor recreation, of a reasonable person with normal sensitivities.

The Code prohibits the creation of a noise disturbance across residential or commercial property lines, including the excessive noise caused by radios, televisions, phonographs, sound systems, machinery and animals such as dogs and birds. There are numerous exceptions such as construction and repair activity, airplanes, emergency activity, public speaking and assembly, domestic power tools and lawn maintenance equipment.

Violation of this section is a misdemeanor in the second degree and can be punished by fine and/or incarceration as provided by state statute.

The Noise Control Ordinance establishes permissible sound levels using a decibel rating as follows:

LAND USE CATEGORY	TIME FRAME	SOUND LEVEL LIMIT
Exterior Residential	7 A.M.-10 P.M. 10 P.M.-7 A.M.	60 dB 55 dB
Exterior Commercial	All times	65 dB
Interior Residential	7 A.M.-10 P.M. 10 P.M.-7 A.M.	50 dB 45 dB
Interior Commercial	All times	55 dB

Enforcement of this ordinance requires the City’s Code Compliance Officers to take sound measurements using equipment on which they have received training. Consequently, this ordinance is used mostly in response to complaints from citizens regarding excessive noise coming from bars, restaurants or other commercial establishments where noise levels are somewhat constant. If a code officer determines that the sound levels exceed what is permitted, a cease and desist order is sent to the owner after which the code officers will follow up with additional sound measurement. Failure to correct the violation can result in daily cumulative fines.

The City of Boynton Beach Sound Control Ordinance, found in the Code at Section 15-10, was passed by the City Commission in 2001 and provides additional controls on excessive sound. This ordinance defines a sound disturbance as any sound which is:

• Plainly audible beyond a distance of 25 feet or further from the property line in residential areas.
• Plainly audible beyond a distance of 100 feet or further from the apparent property line in a commercial zoning district, and is heard in a neighboring residential district.

The restrictions apply between the hours of 10 P.M. and 6 P.M on weekdays and between the hours of 12 A.M. and 7 A.M. on weekends.

This is the ordinance that police officers use when they are called for sound disturbances as there is no special equipment necessary in order to determine if in fact a violation is being committed.

By way of the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County comes word from the Palm Beach County Health Department that a voluntary seasonal and H1N1 swine flu vaccination program begins October 19 with the first doses being the Intranasal Spray (Live Attenuated Intranasal Vaccine – LAIV). This intranasal vaccine is for healthy children and adults. The H1N1 flu shots will be released by November. Weekly vaccine releases will be distributed to participating physicians, health department clinics, urgent care centers and walk-in health clinics in supermarkets and retail pharmacies, and other locations throughout the county.

Please go to the Palm Beach County Health Department web site at http://www.pbchd.com for a listing of vaccination sites or call 888 411 4flu (4358) to arrange for an appointment for the H1N1 flu shot at the health department clinic, if you qualify within the target population.

The target population for the H1N1 vaccine will initially be restricted to:

• Children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years of age
• Pregnant women
• Household contacts of babies under 6 months of age
• Healthcare workers and EMS with direct patient contact
• Persons ages 25 to 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions that would make them high risk for complications from flu – asthma, COPD, etc.

As vaccine supply and demand for target populations is met, programs and providers will offer vaccination to other people, including healthy adults over 25 and seniors over the age of 65.

What’s fun and frightening?  No, we are not talking about what certain people wear to the beach.  It’s October, and that means it’s time again for the Spooky Schoolhouse Carnival at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum.

Inspired by school and community Halloween carnivals in the 1950s and 1960s, this annual event consists of old-fashioned carnival games, a pumpkin patch, pony rides, bounce house, story times and a 20 foot slide. There will be prizes, concessions, and did I mention live, creepy creatures? Wholesome fun for the whole family!

Were you expecting something more ghoulish? If you dare, climb up the creaky 100-year-old steps of the school and enter the haunted house. Spooky, creepy surprises await! As this adventure may be a bit spine-chilling, the haunted house is limited to children 7 and up and the brave adults who accompany them.

The festivities take place in and on the grounds of the beautifully restored  96 year old schoolhouse. The Schoolhouse Children’s Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places and more than one person has claimed the building is haunted.

The Haunted House will be held on Friday, Oct. 16, from 4:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. The Spooky Carnival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17 and 18, from 11:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Admission is only $3 per person.  For more information:

Schoolhouse Children’s Museum

129 E. Ocean Avenue

742-6780

www.schoolhousemuseum.org

 

Learning the graffiti art techniques.

 

 

 

 

Artist paints while youth look on.

Most mural projects commission an artist(s) to paint a single wall for public art demonstration purposes. This project includes an educational and community component. Graffiti Art is a unique form of art which is challenging to master.  It is very appealing to the youth and a great way for them to positively express themselves. This art form will showcase Boynton youth’s participation in a positive outcome and will contribute to the transformation and enrichment of the community.

Saturday
September 26, 2009
3:00 – 6:00 P.M.
Graffiti Demonstration 

Artists and youth work both sides of the Graffiti board.

Youth learned about Graffiti Art taught by three professional and well-known Graffiti artists: Peter Agardy, Doug Hoekzema and “Griff” John Griffin. Their artwork is published in Miami Graffiti by James and Karla Murray. They also produced artwork on the sidelines and courts of the 2009 International Tennis Championship at the Delray Beach Tennis Center that was televised internationaly. the artists told the youth their experience with illegal “tagging” and how they transformed their lives through “Graffiti Art.” The images below are from this session.

Thursday, October 15 and 22, 2009, 5:00-8:00 P.M., Graffiti Painting Sessions

November 2-10, 2009, Graffiti Wall Painting (times to be determined)

Image created as practice.

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