Palm Beach is passing the new temporary 7:30 a.m. start time for landscaping

With traffic flooding Palm Beach’s roads, the City Council unanimously approved a temporary change that will allow landscapers and public works to begin 90 minutes earlier.

The Nov. 12 ruling will move the hours offered to landscapers on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. to start and end at 3:30 p.m., instead of 5 p.m. City Manager Kirk Blouin will have the authority to end the new program if it doesn’t ease traffic or increase complaints.

“We are heading into a very busy time of year; Thanksgiving weekend is upon us. That’s why I would like to send a message to residents,” said Councilor Ted Cooney.

It comes after members of the Palm Beach Gardeners’ and Landscapers’ Association, a group of landscaping companies that say they maintain the gardens of about 40% of the city’s single-family homes, met with city staff and Palm Beach Police Department officials to discuss to conclude an agreement. call launched by one of the leading members of the groupaccording to a Nov. 4 memo sent to the council by the group.

As a result of that discussion, the group would create an overview of policies the city could adopt to give city staff greater oversight of landscaping businesses while normalizing regulations for gardeners under a new “lawn maintenance” section in the city’s zoning ordinance. city.

Scott Lewis of Scott Lewis Gardening told the council that the best short-term solution would be to give landscapers an earlier start and end time, while the rest of the draft could be sent to the city’s Ordinance and Rules Committee.

Colin Goldsmith of Botanica Landscaping said the council could limit the schedule change to one month, allowing the council to extend or end the temporary change depending on its impact and residents’ response.

Police Chief Nicholas Caristo noted that when the city enforced an earlier end time for landscapers during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term, it did alleviate some traffic.

“Not hugely, but it did take the pressure off getting on and off the island,” he said.

Councilwoman Julie Araskog and Mayor Danielle Moore wondered if it wouldn’t be better to set a later start and end time.

‘Would it be better… if it was later? I mean, is it better if we say 10pm to 6pm? Moore asked.

Public Works Director Paul Brazil said a later date could worsen the situation.

“If you go later in the day, you’ll be stuck in traffic because you’re bouncing from one location to another,” Brazil said. “You’re going to have more people in rush hour trying to get from this house to this house.”

Like the private gardeners, Public Works crews are caught during the morning rush hour because they have to wait until 8 a.m. to get onto the island, he told the council.

“The best way … is to move as early as possible and get them off the island as early as possible,” Brazil said.

However, Araskog argued that residents would also disagree with a 7 a.m. start time.

She also said the 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. schedule favored by Brazil and GALA representatives would not go far enough to ease afternoon traffic.

“Is traffic still bad after 3 p.m.? Absolutely, but at 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. it’s even worse,” Blouin said.

Goldsmith emphasized that GALA members would be on the island by 7:15 a.m. and preparing to leave the workplace at 3:15 p.m., so their trucks would avoid most of the island’s morning and afternoon rush hours.

Councilman Lew Crampton was skeptical about taking immediate strong action.

He argued that the gardener’s draft should be addressed through the city’s normal policymaking process, with the draft sent to the Business Administration Committee or the Ordinances and Rules Committee so they could come up with solutions that the council could then vote on.

“With all due respect, we don’t have time for a lawsuit, as messy as this is, everyone is at a boiling point,” Cooney said. selling their house because they no longer enjoy living here.”

Blouin said that implementing the temporary planned change would at least be a notable improvement compared to the current situation.

The council voted 5-0 at a Dec. 10 meeting to adjust the hours on a temporary, emergency basis for one month. These will be extended or terminated.

During that time, Goldsmith said, GALA members will collect data about their practices, which will then be sent to city staff. He also noted that he will expand the news to non-GALA affiliated landscapers.

After the meeting, Araskog told the Daily News that while she is skeptical about the impact of the change, “something had to be done.” She also noted that Blouin was able to end the project if the setback would give her the comfort to continue with the experimental change.

Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach daily newspart of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at [email protected].