News

By Rich Pollack

    After months of back-and-forth — and sometimes contentious — discussions, Highland Beach and Delray Beach have finally reached agreement on a nearly $3.8 million annual contract that will allow the larger community to continue providing fire protection to its smaller neighboring town.
    “I think this agreement is definitely good for Highland Beach residents and it’s even better for Delray residents,” Highland Beach Commissioner Carl Feldman said.
    Under the 10-year agreement, Delray Beach Fire Rescue will continue to provide staffing for the town-owned fire station on State Road A1A.
    In addition, Delray Beach will buy a new ladder truck and a new rescue wagon to lease to Highland Beach as part of the contract. After 10 years, Highland Beach would purchase the two vehicles from Delray Beach for $1 each.  
    “We now have a very advantageous agreement while maintaining a healthy relationship with a neighboring community,” Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein said. “I am convinced categorically that this is a great opportunity.”
    The relationship between the two communities was strained earlier this year when Delray Beach city commissioners rejected a proposed contract, previously approved by Highland Beach, with some commissioners claiming Highland Beach was benefiting more from the agreement than Delray Beach.
    Delray Beach commissioners then sent a counterproposal that included a 20 percent administrative fee. Highland Beach responded by pointing out that a large percentage of the calls handled by the crew and apparatus for which Highland Beach was paying were actually in Delray Beach.
    During a City Commission meeting in early July, Delray Beach’s new fire chief, Neal de Jesus, said that without the Highland Beach station, the city would have to purchase additional land in Delray Beach — if it could find it — and build and staff a new station to adequately protect residents in the southeast section of the city.
    “This relationship makes sense,” he said.
    Glickstein, who supported the proposal, agrees.
    He pointed out that about 75 percent of the 911 rescue calls handled by the Highland Beach station are in Delray Beach.
    “Delray Beach taxpayers will save millions over the life of the contract while enjoying the same level of service they would have with a far more expensive stand-alone station in that part of the city, assuming we could even find another suitable location,” he said. “Highland Beach benefits by having the full complement of our entire fire-rescue personnel and apparatus resources available to their residents.”
    As part of the contract, Delray Beach will charge Highland Beach a 5 percent administrative fee. That may be offset in part, however, by an arrangement in which Highland Beach will receive all transport fee revenues for patients from Highland Beach who are taken to the hospital by the rescue unit stationed in Highland Beach.
    Under the current $3.3 million contract that would have expired in September 2017, Delray Beach receives payment from patients in Highland Beach or their insurance companies whenever patients are transported to the hospital by the rescue truck.
    Another key element of the agreement is a “true-up” clause that allows both Delray Beach and Highland Beach to examine the actual cost of services provided and then adjust them accordingly.
    “We make up the accounting differences at the end of the year,” said Highland Beach’s Feldman, whom the Town Commission appointed to be part of the negotiating team.
    Prior to reaching the agreement with Delray Beach, Highland Beach also met with fire-rescue representatives from Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County and proponents of a possible coastal fire district, but found all three alternatives too expensive, impractical or both.
    “Having this agreement benefits residents of both Highland Beach and Delray Beach,” Feldman said.