I had the pleasure of attending the 15-year planning event for Royal Palm Beach recently. It was so informative as to what other residents are thinking, striving for and hoping for, but it was also a lot of fun!
This event was supposed to enable the village to find out what the residents would like to see happen in the next few years, as well as find out what their concerns were. Some of the suggestions from our table were for a community pool, free Wi-Fi, bringing back events to Veterans Park and maintaining parks to the current standard.
However, that was only the tip of the iceberg. Traffic concerns, crime rate and contract negotiations with the sheriff’s department, as well as the current contracts with the village, were also discussed. Hopefully, the elected officials and village manager will listen to what the residents have suggested. They are, after all, your elected officials, and they should listen to the residents who voted them in.
However, in all fairness, out of the 37,000+ residents, less than 40 people showed up, and they showed up due to an invite from the councilmen and the mayor. I encourage each and every resident to get involved and participate in these events, for how else will the village know what you want? Don’t whine when things don’t go the way you expected, yet you did not participate. Watch for events listed in the paper and get involved! It’s free, and it’s up to you to become actively involved in the community and have a say in the potential decision making. It was really a good event.
Laurel Bennett, Royal Palm Beach
