Mayor Scott Singer discusses building recertification and future city plans

On July 13, Mayor Scott Singer hosted a town hall at the Downtown Library in Boca Raton to address city wide concerns and answer questions about building recertification and transportation.

The event was the first in-person town hall since the beginning of the pandemic. Residents of the city were eager to discuss how the city plans to address building recertifications.

Mayor Singer informed attendees that the city will vote on an ordinance that will add more recertification measures for high-rise buildings. Discussions on the potential law will take place on July 26 and 27.

“This new ordinance will have a shorter time period for recertification and will have better reporting requirements,” said Mayor Singer. “Instead of a 40 year requirement, buildings will need to be recertified within 30 years or fewer.”

If passed, the new law may take effect as soon as August and would make Boca Raton the first in Palm Beach County with such a law. The city council will vote on the new law at the end of the month.

While building recertification requirements are being reevaluated in nearby cities, the state legislature is also discussing potential solutions. Mike Caruso, who represents the 89th House District in the Florida Legislature, attended the town hall to share what the state is doing for building recertification.

“Even though our legislature will not meet until next year, we are not waiting until the next session to act,” said Representative Caruso. “I volunteered to be on a committee for condominium restoration and I am working with the Speaker of the House and the Governor to provide a state-wide solution.”

Other concerns that residents discussed included speeding and accessibility to public transportation. With the new Brightline location opening in 2022, the mayor discussed other transportation opportunities.

“The City is currently discussing a potential underground transportation connector at the new Brightline station,” said Mayor Singer. “This would help decrease the traffic and would provide faster transportation to the station.”

The plan is similar to what Elon Musk is developing in Las Vegas. The underground tunnel is being built for self-driving cars which will decrease traffic congestion. Musk also recently discussed building an underground tunnel in Fort Lauderdale. 

Based on the town hall meeting, Boca Raton residents can expect transparency and innovative solutions for years to come.