Public commenters urge Boca Raton to promote citywide business hiring, protect historic neighborhoods and plan a shelter for people experiencing homelessness

Three members of the public told the council they want more active city engagement on local economic, historic‑preservation and homelessness issues.

Jonathan Njian (6501 Congress Avenue) said the city should highlight employers and hiring events across Boca Raton rather than concentrating visibility on downtown. Njian described a tenant hiring 20 workers with roles paying "anywhere between $100,000 and $300,000 a year" and called for a city channel or green market approach to promote such opportunities citywide, saying current practices risk the appearance of favoritism.

Marie Hester (135 Pearl Street), a member of the Historical Board, urged the council to expand education for homeowners about historic features and to preserve neighborhood character in places she named, including Dixie Manor. "Protecting historic areas is extremely important," Hester said, and described work to produce handbooks and neighborhood tours to help residents identify original features.

Colette McKenyon (2851 South Ocean Boulevard), a Changing Lives volunteer and former director, focused on homelessness and recent state action. She warned about a new statewide law referenced in her remarks and described a viral video in which a person experiencing homelessness was placed in a patrol vehicle and subsequently suffered catastrophic injuries; she said the case is before the U.S. Supreme Court. McKenyon urged Boca Raton to consider building "a state of the art shelter" with transportation, food, case managers and mental‑health supports and said a model facility in Boca Raton could serve as an example for other communities.

An Eagle Scout applicant, Rocco Pascarella, briefly described an improvement project for the dog‑wash station at Boca Raton Beach intended to reduce heat exposure on the deck and preserve pedestrian access; the item was noted as appearing on the regular meeting consent agenda.

Mayor and staff thanked the speakers and invited follow‑up by email for additional details and coordination. The council did not take immediate formal action during the workshop on these requests.