PLACEMENT: Consent
TITLE:
title
ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING FUTURE ACQUISITIONS OF INDIVIDUALLY OWNED ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE PARCELS, AND DIRECTION TO PURCHASE PARCELS THROUGH TAX DEED SALES WITHIN THE PALM BEACH HEIGHTS (PAL-MAR) AREA
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
executive summary
This request is for the adoption of a Resolution accepting future acquisitions of individually owned environmentally sensitive lands within Pal-Mar. Staff is also requesting approval to participate in online Martin County Clerk of Circuit Court Tax Deed Sales to acquire additional parcels within Pal-Mar. All acquisitions completed pursuant to the Resolution will be reviewed by the County Attorney’s Office. The funding for these parcels will utilize revenue from the one-half cent (0.5%) Local Government Infrastructure Surtax for properties recommended by the Environmental Lands Oversight Committee (ELOC) and approved by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
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DEPARTMENT: Public Works
PREPARED BY: Name: Carla T. Segura, F.R.P
Title: Real Property Manager
REQUESTED BY: John Maehl, Environmental Resource Administrator
PRESET:
PROCEDURES: None
BACKGROUND/RELATED STRATEGIC GOAL:
Pal-Mar, also known as Palm Beach Heights, is a roughly 28,000+ acre wetland dominated system of environmentally sensitive lands in southern Martin County and northern Palm Beach County. The Pal-Mar area is a mosaic of wetland-dominated habitats including cypress sloughs, open marshes, and hydric pine flatwoods. Pal-Mar has some of the highest quality wetland systems in Martin County and possibly the greater Everglades system. Pal-Mar is part of a very large Greenway system that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Okeechobee. A portion of Pal-Mar is within the headwaters to Cypress Creek, which is one of the most important tributaries to the Wild and Scenic Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River.
Martin County currently owns approximately 1,406 +/- acres individually and 3,370 +/- acres jointly with South Florida Water Management District within the Pal-Mar area.
Pursuant to County Ordinance 1221, in November 2024, the voters of Martin County approved a referendum authorizing the collection of a 0.5% Local Government Infrastructure Surtax to fund the acquisition of environmentally sensitive land within targeted geographic areas, and in January 2025, the County began collecting the surtax. As a part of the approval of the sales tax referendum, the ELOC was created to review potential acquisitions and provide recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) regarding use of the surtax revenues.
On September 5, 2025, the ELOC met and recommended the use of surtax funds to purchase environmentally sensitive lands within Pal-Mar from willing sellers, and on October 21, 2025, the BOCC approved the ELOC’s recommendation.
With the recent BOCC approval, staff will begin contacting willing sellers in Pal-Mar to acquire environmentally sensitive properties in the targeted area. Staff anticipates a large response from willing sellers, culminating in a high volume of acquisitions. Staff would also like to participate in the online Tax Deed Sales through the Martin County Clerk of the Circuit Court. In order to efficiently expediate the process of acquiring these environmentally sensitive properties, staff is seeking adoption of a resolution approving and accepting all future deeds, acceptable to the County Attorney’s office, at a price consistent with prior acquisitions within the designated sections of Pal-Mar. Title work and necessary due diligence will be reviewed by the Real Property Division.
Sec. 139.31 and 139.32, General Ordinances, Martin County Code, requires that any conveyance of an interest in land to Martin County for any public purpose shall be accepted and approved by Resolution from the Board of County Commissioners of Martin County.
ISSUES:
None
LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW:
This item has been reviewed for legal sufficiency to determine whether it is consistent with applicable law, and staff have identified and addressed legal risks and developed strategies for legal defensibility, as applicable.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECOMMENDATION
Move that the Board:
(i) adopt a Resolution approving and accepting all future deeds, acceptable to the County Attorney’s office, conveying individually owned environmentally sensitive lands and through Tax Deed Sales, within Pal-Mar for a price consistent with prior acquisitions within the designated sections of Pal-Mar, plus closing costs; and
(ii) authorize staff to participate in online Martin County Clerk of Court Tax Deed Sales to acquire environmentally sensitive lands within Pal-Mar for a price consistent with prior acquisitions within the designated sections of Pal-Mar, plus closing costs; and
(iii) authorize the Chair to execute all documents necessary to complete these transactions.
ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Pull this item from Consent and provide staff with alternative direction.
FISCAL IMPACT:
RECOMMENDATION
None
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Funding Source |
County Funds |
Non-County Funds |
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0.5% Local Government Infrastructure Surtax |
TBD |
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Subtotal |
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Project Total |
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ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
None
DOCUMENT(S) REQUIRING ACTION:
☐Budget Transfer / Amendment ☐ Chair Letter ☐Contract / Agreement
☐Grant / Application ☐Notice ☐Ordinance ☒Resolution
☐Other:
This document may be reproduced upon request in an alternative format by contacting the County ADA Coordinator (772) 320-3131, the County Administration Office (772) 288-5400, Florida Relay 711, or by completing our accessibility feedback form at www.martin.fl.us/accessibility-feedback <http://www.martin.fl.us/accessibility-feedback>.