News
The securing of federal funds to rehabilitate the sand transfer plant on Singer Island [Florida] was the biggest town news of the year, Mayor Jack McDonald said during the annual state-of-the-town address on Monday.
After four years of effort, the town obtained a federal commitment of nearly $2 million to renovate the plant.
McDonald said the mission was accomplished through four lobbying trips to Washington, the help of a professional lobbyist and support from the town's congressional representatives.
"This accomplishment literally took an act of Congress," he told 260 people at the Flagler Museum, where the Palm Beach Civic Association held its annual meeting.
This year's federal budget includes $1.8 million to reimburse the town for the cost of rehabilitating the plant, built in 1958. The town will design and take construction bids this year, with construction expected in early 2009, he said.
"We know effective operation of an upgraded plant is essential to maintaining a stable Palm Beach shoreline," McDonald said.
The plant pumps sand beneath the inlet onto Palm Beach's shoreline to compensate for the loss of downdrift sand blocked by the inlet. It also is used to reduce shoaling in the port's navigation channel.
Much of the equipment at the plant is obsolete and prone to breakdowns. The renovation is not intended to increase the plant's pumping capacity but will make it perform more efficiently and reliably, the town has said.
The biggest disappointment of the year was also related to coastal protection, McDonald said. He cited the delay in plans to renourish the eroded Reach 8 beach, which the town had hoped to reconstruct this spring to protect oceanfront properties from storm damage.
The town proposes to dredge and place 639,500 cubic yards of sand to restore the 1.3 miles of eroded shoreline. Another 84,700 cubic yards would be used to restore the dune system in front of six condominiums on the beach immediately south of Reach 8.
Reach 8 extends between 2780 S. Ocean Blvd. and 3360 S. Ocean Blvd., excluding the Lake Worth Municipal Beach.
The town needs both state and federal environmental permits to rebuild the beach.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's plans to issue a permit were delayed when two environmental groups and three individuals filed a challenge claiming the beach project will harm marine life and nearshore reef.
The town has appealed and hopes to prevail in a hearing before an administrative judge. McDonald has said he hopes the beach can be rebuilt late this year or early next winter.
Other disappointments were the lack of an approved plan to renourish the southern end of the town's beach south of Reach 8, problems with the quality of water supplied by the City of West Palm Beach, and budget cuts mandated by "outsiders" in state government, he said.
McDonald said he and the mayors of Lantana, Lake Worth, Manalapan and South Palm Beach have formed a coastal community group to identify and pursue solutions to common coastal erosion problems.
"As a community, we need to be sensitive to and start planning now to avoid damage from the rising sea level," he said. "We will face increased vulnerability to flooding, storm damage, shore erosion, groundwater intrusion and damage to infrastructure. I urge the Town Council to commence planning now. Perhaps this is a task for a reconstituted Shore Protection Board."
Following a year in which bacterial contamination in the city's water supply forced a boil-water order and a drought resulted in once-a-week lawn-watering rules, McDonald said he has asked the council to begin discussions with the West Palm Beach City Commission "to remedy this situation."
Turning to the budget, he said the Town Council in the past eight months reviewed every aspect of town government, seeking ways to make it more efficient without reducing services.
The council and staff will continue to be fiscally responsible but "we will not let decisions made in Tallahassee dictate a reduction in the quantity or quality of municipal services that are both desired and appreciated by our residents," he said.
After four years of effort, the town obtained a federal commitment of nearly $2 million to renovate the plant.
McDonald said the mission was accomplished through four lobbying trips to Washington, the help of a professional lobbyist and support from the town's congressional representatives.
"This accomplishment literally took an act of Congress," he told 260 people at the Flagler Museum, where the Palm Beach Civic Association held its annual meeting.
This year's federal budget includes $1.8 million to reimburse the town for the cost of rehabilitating the plant, built in 1958. The town will design and take construction bids this year, with construction expected in early 2009, he said.
"We know effective operation of an upgraded plant is essential to maintaining a stable Palm Beach shoreline," McDonald said.
The plant pumps sand beneath the inlet onto Palm Beach's shoreline to compensate for the loss of downdrift sand blocked by the inlet. It also is used to reduce shoaling in the port's navigation channel.
Much of the equipment at the plant is obsolete and prone to breakdowns. The renovation is not intended to increase the plant's pumping capacity but will make it perform more efficiently and reliably, the town has said.
The biggest disappointment of the year was also related to coastal protection, McDonald said. He cited the delay in plans to renourish the eroded Reach 8 beach, which the town had hoped to reconstruct this spring to protect oceanfront properties from storm damage.
The town proposes to dredge and place 639,500 cubic yards of sand to restore the 1.3 miles of eroded shoreline. Another 84,700 cubic yards would be used to restore the dune system in front of six condominiums on the beach immediately south of Reach 8.
Reach 8 extends between 2780 S. Ocean Blvd. and 3360 S. Ocean Blvd., excluding the Lake Worth Municipal Beach.
The town needs both state and federal environmental permits to rebuild the beach.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's plans to issue a permit were delayed when two environmental groups and three individuals filed a challenge claiming the beach project will harm marine life and nearshore reef.
The town has appealed and hopes to prevail in a hearing before an administrative judge. McDonald has said he hopes the beach can be rebuilt late this year or early next winter.
Other disappointments were the lack of an approved plan to renourish the southern end of the town's beach south of Reach 8, problems with the quality of water supplied by the City of West Palm Beach, and budget cuts mandated by "outsiders" in state government, he said.
McDonald said he and the mayors of Lantana, Lake Worth, Manalapan and South Palm Beach have formed a coastal community group to identify and pursue solutions to common coastal erosion problems.
"As a community, we need to be sensitive to and start planning now to avoid damage from the rising sea level," he said. "We will face increased vulnerability to flooding, storm damage, shore erosion, groundwater intrusion and damage to infrastructure. I urge the Town Council to commence planning now. Perhaps this is a task for a reconstituted Shore Protection Board."
Following a year in which bacterial contamination in the city's water supply forced a boil-water order and a drought resulted in once-a-week lawn-watering rules, McDonald said he has asked the council to begin discussions with the West Palm Beach City Commission "to remedy this situation."
Turning to the budget, he said the Town Council in the past eight months reviewed every aspect of town government, seeking ways to make it more efficient without reducing services.
The council and staff will continue to be fiscally responsible but "we will not let decisions made in Tallahassee dictate a reduction in the quantity or quality of municipal services that are both desired and appreciated by our residents," he said.
