2011.03.11_TC_Minutes_Special TOWN OF HIGHLAND BEACH
MINUTES OF TOWN COMMISSION MEETING
SPECIAL MEETING
Friday, March 11, 2011 10:00 AM.
Mayor Jim Newill, CPA called the Special Meeting to order in Commission Chambers at 10:00
A.M.
CALL TO ORDER:
Roll Call: Members present: Mayor Jim Newill, CPA; Vice Mayor Miriam S. Zwick;
Commissioner Doris M. Trinley; Commissioner John J. Sorrelli; and Commissioner John J.
Pagliaro. Also present: Town Attorney Tom Sliney; Interim Town Manager Kathleen D.
Weiser; Town Clerk Beverly M. Brown; Chief of Police Craig Hartmann; Library Director
Maria Suarez; Public Works Director Jack Lee; Deputy Finance Director Cale Curtis; Assistant
to the Town Manager Zoie Burgess and members of the public.
Pledge of Allegiance: The Pledge of Allegiance was given followed by a minute of silence in
honor of members of the military, both living and deceased.
Civility Pledge: The Civility Pledge was recited by the Deputy Town Clerk.
1. CERTIFICATION OF RESULTS:
Town Clerk read the results of the March 8, 2011 Municipal Election into the record:
Eligible to Vote Number of Ballots Cast
Precinct 4086 78 8
Precinct 4094 2,322 573
Precinct 4095 1,171_ 278
TOTALS 3,571 859
Results — Mayor /Commissioner
Bernard Featherman - 440 votes
Jim Newill - 419 votes
MOTION: Vice Mayor Zwick moved to accept the results of the March 8, 2011 Municipal
Election; seconded by Commissioner Pagliaro.
A voice vote was taken with all in favor.
Town Commission Special Minutes
March 11, 2011 Page 2 of 5
2. PRESENTATIONS:
A) Acknowledgement of Service - Mayor Jim W. Newill, CPA
"In Grateful Appreciation for Your Many Years of Dedicated and Loyal Service On
Behalf of the Town of Highland Beach."
Mayor 2008 -2011; Commissioner 2005 -2008; Financial Advisory Board 2003 -2005
B) Acknowledgement of Service — Commissioner John J. Sorrelli
"In Grateful Appreciation for Your Many Years of Dedicated and Loyal Service On
Behalf of the Town of Highland Beach."
Commissioner 2008 -2011; Commissioner 2002 -2004; Commissioner 2000 -2002;
Commissioner 1998 -2000; Code Enforcement Board 1996 -1999
3. ADMINISTERING OATH OF OFFICE:
Town Clerk Brown administered the Oath of Office to the newly elected
Mayor /Commissioner and Commissioner.
Mayor /Commissioner — I, Bernard Featherman, do solemnly swear that I will support,
protect and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and of the State
of Florida against all enemies, domestic or foreign, and that I will bear true faith, loyalty and
allegiance to the same, and that I am entitled to hold office under the Constitution of the State
of Florida, and the I will faithfully perform all the duties of the office of
Mayor /Commissioner of the Town of Highland Beach, on which I am about to enter, so help
me God.
COMMISSIONER - I, Dennis J. Sheridan, do solemnly swear that I will support, protect
and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and of the State of Florida
against all enemies, domestic or foreign, and that I will bear true faith, loyalty and allegiance
to the same, and that I am entitled to hold office under the Constitution of the State of
Florida, and the I will faithfully perform all the duties of the office of Commissioner of the
Town of Highland Beach, on which I am about to enter, so help me God.
4. SEATING OF MAYORCOMMISSIONER AND COMMISSIONER:
Mayor /Commissioner Featherman and Commissioner Dennis J. Sheridan were seated at the
dais.
5. REPORTS — TOWN COMMISSION:
A) Commissioner Dennis J. Sheridan. - I would like to congratulate you our new
Mayor on your recent victory and wish you much success in the future. I would also like to
commend our former Mayor on his many accomplishments during his three year term and
his dedicated service to our Town. I further commend him on the most professional manner
Town Commission Special Minutes
March 11, 2011 Page 3 of 5
in which he conducted his recent campaign. We are most appreciative of his dedication to
serve the people of Highland Beach and we wish him much health and happiness in the
future. I would like to say a few words about a very dear friend and a man I have always
looked up to, the man I replace on this Commission today, John Sorrelli. I have been
involved with John in many civic and religious boards over the years and I know of no other
person more dedicated than John. We thank him for his nine years of service to the Town
and we wish him and his wife Phyllis many healthy and happy years. I can assure you John
that you will be sorely missed but never forgotten. Finally, since I was unopposed for this
Commissioner seat, I cannot thank all the people for the vote they cast for me, however, I
appreciate your trust and confidence in me and I assure you that I will work tirelessly to
preserve, protect and improve this little, "our little paradise" which we call home — Highland
Beach.
B) Commissioner John J. Pagliaro — I too would like to congratulate Mayor Featherman
and also thank him for running a great campaign. Looking forward to working with you over
the next year with the continued success of Highland Beach. I would like to congratulate
Commissioner Sheridan and thank John Sorrelli for the many years of service he has given
this Town.
C) Commissioner Doris M. Trinley — I want to congratulate Mayor Featherman and wish
him the success. I also want to give sincere thanks to my mentor and friend John Sorrelli.
Would also like to congratulate Dennis Sheridan, my buddy, glad to see you sitting there.
D) Vice Mayor Miriam S. Zwick — I have enjoyed this game of musical chairs for a
number of years. This is the fourth chair that I have occupied on this dais. It has been a
wonderful experience. I have enjoyed tremendously the work we have done and
accomplished. Would like to say thank you to John Sorrelli, for the time he has given the
Town. He has been both a mentor and a friend. Would like to thank Jim Newill, it was an
honor serving with him. He has been a dedicated individual and an absolutely superb Mayor.
Congratulations to our new Mayor Bernard Featherman and new Commissioner Dennis
Sheridan. Wish you both the best of luck.
E) Mayor Bernard Featherman - First of all I want to say it is a great honor and
privilege and an opportunity to serve the people of Highland Beach. This is a wonderful
community in which we live. We are very fortunate to live here. A lot of people have
worked hard over the many years to make this Town a great place. I would especially like to
thank all the Mayors who have preceded me, and for the past service that they have given. I
would like any Mayor in the room to stand and be recognized. During my campaign, I talked
a lot about commitment and volunteerism. One of the first things that I hope to be able to
work on is to get our past volunteer boards going, and perhaps even adding a few new ones.
I hope my fellow Commissioners will support that effort because so many people in
Highland Beach have expressed to me their wish to serve on these boards. My wife and I
have been deeply involved in civic and community service throughout our lives. I intend not
only to be a dedicated Mayor, and serve you well on community affairs, but also to be an
Ambassador to the wider community on behalf of Highland Beach. I hope to bring
creativity, commitment, and compassion on behalf of Highland Beach for the common good.
Town Commission Special Minutes
March 11, 2011 Page 4 of 5
To be your government and to bring you into the government. In the prep school that I
attended as a young man, three signs stood above the door of our study hall. The main sign
said: "Others." "Others" is just a six letter word, but I was raised to understand that a
meaningful life is about serving "others." In closing, I would like to thank my campaign
committee members: Judge Joe Colby and Carl Feldman who worked so hard and with such
dedication to elect me. I want to thank those of you who invited me into your buildings and
your neighborhoods to talk to your friends. I want to thank everyone who came out to vote,
no matter which candidate that you supported. You honored our democracy by coming to the
polls. I want to also thank my wife Sandra for agreeing to share me once more with the
community. She is my best friend, and she will be yours too. Finally, let me say that I know
of no person that can satisfy everyone all the time. I will work with all my heart and effort
to be the best Mayor ever for this great Town of Highland Beach.
6. REPORTS — TOWN ATTORNEY:
Mr. Mayor, I want to congratulate you and Mr. Sheridan. I look forward to working with
you both on the Commission. I also would like to thank John Sorrelli and Jim Newill for their
many years of friendship and support. I really appreciate it. John I will miss you. I know
that Jim has already left. I would also like to report on something different. I just finished
the annual audit report which I just turned into the Deputy Finance Director. One of the
things I noticed on this report compared to other years, was the fact that we use to have pages
of litigation. We have no significant litigation in this Town. In the past year, we have settled
the County Park litigation, and I want to announce to you that the Hoffman case is almost
settled in principal. The documents are being drawn, with the lawsuit being withdrawn with
prejudice. This means there will be no high -rise and the property is subject to present
zoning. Wanted to give you that good report.
7. REPORTS — ACTING TOWN MANAGER:
First of all, I would like to say thank you to Commissioner Sorrelli and Mayor Newill. I did
not get a chance to work with you for very long, but you have been more than welcoming.
From listening to the years of service that both these gentleman have committed to this
Town, whether you are on their side or not, is admirable. They have donated all that time to
make Highland Beach what it is today. Thank you for that. I also want to congratulate
Mayor Featherman and Commissioner Sheridan. Looking forward to working with both of
you. It is such an honor to be serving in this Town where everyone is excited about where
we are going. Thank you.
8. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND REQUESTS RELATED TO ITEMS DISCUSSED AT
MEETING
Mike Ferrara — Boca Highlands
I have been a resident for over thirty years, and want to thank John Sorrelli who has been the
back bone of this community. He has always been ready to serve the community in many
capacities. Did not know Jim Newill before he served as Mayor, but with his financial back
ground he has kept the Town on steady ground. Congratulations to Dennis Sheridan for
Town Commission Special Minutes
March 11, 2011 Page 5 of 5
taking on the additional responsibility as Commissioner in addition to everything else he
does in the community. Mayor Featherman, I know nothing about your background, but
congratulate you and give condolences to your wife and family. Mayor Featherman, after
reading your resume, you have led an active life. What you previously thought of retirement
will no longer exist. Miriam Zwick and I live in the same building in Boca Highlands. We
have worked on many projects over the year. God Bless all of you for taking on this
responsibility.
9. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Commission, Mayor Featherman
adjourned the Special Meeting at 10:22 AM upon a MOTION by Commissioner Pagliaro;
seconded by Vice Mayor Zwick.
APPROVE:
,
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Bernard Featherman, Mayor
Mi ' - S. Zwi / c � k, Vi ayor
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D M. Tri .4L, , Commiss : - _
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:. Jo i Pagli. 1 Commiss e
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Dennis J. Sheri , Commissioner
ATTEST.
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Beverly M. B - • wn, MMC, Town Clerk
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