Boca’s residential fire fee rises to $224
Temple Beth El’s service options, a new beach-history exhibit and plans for North Park and downtown.
Twelve firefighters and four lieutenants are part of Boca’s plan to fully staff Fire Station 8. A higher residential fire assessment will help pay for them starting October 1, even as most business properties see their charge fall.
City Council approved the assessment September 8 for the fiscal year beginning October 1. The residential rate moves from $155 to $224, an extra $69 a year, separate from property taxes.
Boca Post reports that the money will fund 12 firefighters and four lieutenants to fully staff Fire Station 8, four EMS captains for constant coverage of a second advanced life support division, and a vehicle technician.
Updated emergency-call data shifts a larger share of costs toward residential property. Business assessments are also moving from a parcel-based calculation to each structure’s square footage. City finance officials said 90% of commercial properties and 96% of industrial and warehouse properties will pay less.
North Park’s skate park clears its land-use vote
The facility is planned for 1.43 acres of North Park at 5800 NW Second Avenue. Planning and Zoning approved the site-plan amendment 7-0 on September 3, a final board action that does not require another City Council vote.
Plans include skate bowls, a snake run, a street course, a pump track and two shade structures. Beach and Park District Executive Director Briann Harms put the cost at $3 million. Construction timing was not set at the hearing. Staff said the facility would be free to use.
Boca Teeca representatives sought a delay for noise and traffic studies. Supporters described the existing downtown skate park as outdated. A project representative said the North Park layout preserves three large live oaks.
Rosh Hashanah services begin Friday evening
- When
- Friday, September 11, 2026 · 7:30–9:30 p.m.
- Where
- Temple Beth El, Schaefer Family Campus
- Address
- 333 SW 4th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL
- Price
- No ticket required for Friday evening service
Temple Beth El’s evening service requires no ticket for in-person attendance and will also stream on Virtual Beth El.
Saturday, September 12: Congregational worship runs 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and requires a ticket to attend in person; you can also watch online. The young children’s service runs 4 to 4:45 p.m., with no ticket required and registration requested.
Sunday, September 13: The second-day congregational service runs 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., without a ticket requirement. All of these services are at the Schaefer Family Campus.
A century of Boca beach life comes indoors
In Life’s a Beach, vintage swimwear, historic photomurals and keepsakes from the Historical Society’s collections trace the coast from the 1890s shoreline to the Cabana Club era. The exhibit opened September 9 and runs through February 27, 2027.
Visit Friday or Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum in Historic Town Hall, 71 N. Federal Highway.
Boca approves a planning contract for 17 downtown acres
City Council’s September 8 vote authorized a $519,925 contract with Chen Moore and Associates, plus up to $52,000 in contingency. The assignment covers roughly 17 city-owned acres, including Memorial Park, City Hall, the Community Center, Tennis Center and Singing Pines.
Over roughly six months, the work moves from interviews and community listening to a design workshop producing up to two conceptual alternatives. A community survey and small-group sessions are part of the listening phase. The firm must first bring its outreach plan back to Council; the final master plan will also return for adoption.