Manager makes switch from hills to beaches (Ed Green) (PBP) 6-17-12Q &A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION: ED GREEN, VILLAGE MANAGER, NORTH PALM BEACH
Manager makes switch from hills to beaches
By Bill DIPaolo &// � // -
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
NORTH PALM BEACH – Adapt-
ing to a smaller budget and flat-
ter environment are some of the
adjustments being made by Ed
Green, who just finished his first
week as village manager of North
Palm Beach.
Green, 63, was manager of Gar-
field County, Colo., for 14 years.
An avid bicycle rider and hiker,
Green oversaw a county of 3,000
square miles of rolling hills and
about 57,000 residents. The coun-
ty had 490 employees and an an-
nual budget of $118 million.
North Palm Beach has about
13,000 residents on 6 square
miles of flat, urban coastal land
and has an annual budget of
about $18 million. The village
has about 170 employees.
Green and his wife Linda,
who worked with a youth diver-
sion program in Garfield County,
have been married 41 years. The
couple have three grown chil-
dren and six grandchildren.
Question: How would you de-
scribe your management style?
Answer: I'm a strong believer
in strategic planning. You must
look at current conditions sur-
rounding an issue. Then develop
a team to set milestones and ac-
ALLEN EYESTONE /THE PALM BEACH POST
Ed Green, former manager of Garfield County, Colo., brings to his new job
as North Palm Beach's manager a well- tested belief in strategic planning.
complish the goals. Then deter-
mine how you want to translate
that into improvement. In Gar-
field County, we used that ap-
proach to develop senior pro-
grams, do a $47 million airport
improvement project and work
with other government agencies
to build an interchange at the In-
terstate 70 corridor.
Q: How do you see the future
of the North Palm Beach Coun-
try Club?
A: The country club is the epi-
center of the village. Expansion
of the restaurant is one thing
that should be considered. We
need to develop a conceptual
plan and look at the options be-
fore making a final decision.
Q: Frigate's, a waterfront res-
taurant, is scheduled to open
soon off U.S. 1. Two 18 -story con-
dominium towers on the Intra-
coastal are planned. How will
the village handle development?
A: The village is built out. So all
new projects will be in -fill devel-
opment. That means we must take
into consideration the needs of
the surrounding property owners.
Q: What about improving pub-
lic access for boaters in North
Palm Beach?
A: There is always a waiting
list for residents to store their
boats at Anchorage Park. We
need to look at future expansion
for boat storage at the park.
Q: Palm Beach Gardens, Lake
Park and North Palm Beach have
often been at odds over issues
such as annexation and projects
along Northlake Boulevard. How
will you deal with that?
A: The art of negotiation is con-
veying what all sides really need.
I want to develop a positive rap-
port with these neighboring com-
munities so we can reach an out-
come that benefits us all. My ex-
perience negotiating contracts .
with the National Renewable En-
ergy Laboratory and Hughes Air-
craft will help.
Q: Will riding your bicycle be
easier on Palm Beach County's
flatter roads than in the hills in
Colorado?
A: Yes. The Blue Heron Bridge
is pretty low compared to some of
the mountain trails I've ridden.
bill_dipaolo @pk ,post.com