The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council agreed at a workshop session earlier this month that while town officials are dedicated to serving the community, communication breakdowns, reactive leadership and a lack of unified priorities hinder their effectiveness.
The council discussed analysis reports that detailed the town’s operational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) related to its governance at the workshop Tuesday, Nov. 18. The item was originally on the agenda for the council’s regular Nov. 4 meeting but was moved to the workshop due to time constraints.
Town Manager Francine Ramaglia, along with town staff, conducted an internal analysis. The town also hired Actuate Consulting to create an external one.
The reports explained that one of the town officials’ greatest strengths is their commitment to Loxahatchee Groves. However, both reports found multiple strategic and organizational shortcomings that impact the town as a whole.
Councilwoman Lisa El-Ramey agreed with the findings. She gave examples of agenda items often being changed last minute, and how other items are not considered because of a lack of time and planning.
“It’s not anything that wasn’t known to most people. I think the degree to some of it is probably the more clarifying aspect of this,” El-Ramey said. “It still behooves the council to actually, effectively serve as the executive board.”
Actuate’s report explained how leadership is currently putting the town in a “continual mode of crisis management” because of conflicting short-term goals and weak cooperation that prevents them from creating a common long-term strategic plan. These issues are compounded by communication gaps among officials that further inefficiencies. Such problems have created a tense and difficult work environment that has slowed down and disrupted town operations.
“This report clearly says that leadership has issues with communication and with working in harmony, and we are the leadership,” Mayor Anita Kane said.
While the town is currently experiencing these challenges, the report included ways it could improve. Developing clear strategic goals and improving communication could lead to mitigating prolonged meetings and high turnover. Actuate included a proposal that offered the council two different programs to help with some of these problems, which cost $5,000 and $7,500 per month. The programs would offer coaching and training to town officials. However, the council decided to come up with more cost-effective solutions.
The council brainstormed ways they could address some of the issues. They supported greater usage of various tools of communication and project management tools, such as the already-used platform Asana, to keep things on track.
Kane suggested implementing ways to measure customer satisfaction and whether they are solving the community complaints. Other solutions were to improve training for town staff and to have council members participate in the Institute for Elected Municipal Officials program given by the Florida League of Cities.
In other business:
- The council unanimously passed an ordinance to call a referendum to amend the town charter, allowing council members to remove charter officers by a simple majority vote instead of a supermajority. The ordinance is intended to make hiring and firing consistent because charter officers, such as the town manager and town attorney, can be appointed with only a regular majority. The referendum will appear on the ballot at the town’s upcoming municipal election in March.
- Kane requested the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation’s support for a recently passed town bill at their Local Bill Public Hearing on Thursday, Nov. 13.
The bill would give the Town of Loxahatchee Groves some authority over the use of fireworks. Restrictions on fireworks would only be placed in the town’s agricultural-residential zoning district during certain holidays to protect residents, animals and wooded landscapes.
The delegation unanimously passed a motion to approve the bill for consideration during the upcoming 2026 state legislative session in Tallahassee.
