Dear Neighbors,
I hope this email finds you and your loved ones well. I want to thank everyone who is doing their part to keep our community safe as we work to flatten the curve.
Last week we held virtual town halls with Congressman Ted Deutch, who provided updates on the CARES Act and the Federal response to COVID-19. We also heard updates on virtual learning in Palm Beach County schools from School Board Chair Frank Barbieri. Thanks to everyone who submitted their questions and to the thousands of you who joined in! If you were unable to tune in live, you can still watch them on my Facebook page here.
As the situation changes day by day, my goal is to provide residents with relevant and up-to-date information from our elected leaders at all levels of government. We invite you to tune in on Facebook to our upcoming Coronavirus Community Forum Facebook live streams with Nikki Fried and Dave Aronberg.
Residents are encouraged to participate and submit questions during our live Q&A period. If you are unable to watch live, you are welcome to email me a question in advance at athomson@myboca.us.
Every level of government (federal, state, county, and municipal) is coming up with plans to reopen things safely and in a measured way. This week, the Boca Raton City Council will be discussing a plan to safely reopen some areas that are unique to our Boca brand: our passive parks, beaches, tennis courts, and golf courses. The plan, as drafted, does NOT suggest that parks and beaches should be opened right now; instead, it contemplates that they can be opened only when it’s prudent and when it will not unnecessarily expose our residents to an increased risk of infection from COVID-19. Our City Council will discuss and define the applicable scientific and measurable benchmarks that must be satisfied before such re-openings can occur (and, in the case of beaches, those benchmarks will likely need to be more stringent given the evidence we observed in North Florida over the weekend). Since the beginning of this pandemic, Boca Raton has been a leader in our region in planning and executing a response. Our neighboring jurisdictions and even Palm Beach County look to us. It’s never too early to discuss and put together a plan that establishes a scientific and measured reopening process. We will continue to coordinate that process with our counterparts at the State, County, and in other cities. If you’d like to listen to or participate in the City Council’s discussion, our virtual meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. today and can be accessed here.
Even though we’re practicing social distancing, please do not hesitate to reach out. Now more than ever, it is important that we check in on one another and come together as a community to help our neighbors. If I can help you in any way, please let me know at 561-334-6471 or athomson@myboca.us.
Stay well,
Andy Thomson
Boca Raton City Councilman
