Council introduces ordinance to require referendum before alienating city-owned land over 0.5 acre

The Boca Raton City Council read and introduced Ordinance 57-84 on April 28, a proposed amendment to the city code that would restrict the city's ability to sell or lease city-owned parcels larger than half an acre without voter approval.

City Clerk Miss Sittins read the ordinance title aloud: "Ordinance number 57 84, an ordinance of the city of Boca Raton providing for amendments to the city code of ordinances to create a new section 2-4, protection of city owned lands, providing that the city council shall not in any manner alienate from the public, lease, or sell any land that is owned by the city of Boca Raton greater than 0.5 acre, except upon approval of the proposed action at a referendum election, providing for limited exceptions, providing for severability, providing for appeal, providing for codification in the code of ordinances, providing effective dates."

Council member Perlman introduced the ordinance for consideration. The introduction puts the ordinance on the council’s legislative track; no final vote on the ordinance occurred at the meeting. Councilmembers did not adopt or reject the ordinance during the session; the item will return for further reading, public comment and action according to the council's schedule.

The ordinance text read at the meeting includes limited exceptions and procedural language about codification and effective dates but the transcript does not record details of those exceptions; those specifics will be available in the ordinance packet when the item returns for formal action.