News

By Dan Moffett

    It could take at least another month before six barrier island communities learn the results of a feasibility study on a plan to create a special fire district.
    Robert Finn, a consultant with Matrix Consulting Group, told members of the towns’ exploratory group in March that he was still gathering information. After Matrix collects the data it needs, Finn says, he can go forward with an analysis and then make recommendations.
    “It could take another month or two” to get the completed report, said Manalapan Town Manager Linda Stumpf.
    Along with Manalapan, Gulf Stream, Briny Breezes, Ocean Ridge, South Palm Beach and Highland Beach are trying to determine whether it makes sense to create their own tax district to provide fire-rescue services for themselves, rather than relying on mainland providers — Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Palm Beach County.
    The Group of Six had hoped to have the findings by now, but town schedules and problems getting data from the county have delayed progress.
    Finn sent the group a preliminary draft that reflects how the towns currently obtain services for their residents and what the costs are.
    “This serves as our factual understanding and assumptions as we move forward with developing the alternatives for providing fire/EMS services on the barrier island,” Finn said. “There are no findings or recommendations at this point in the process, just facts as we understand them.”
    Among the many things the group hopes to learn from the study are what it would cost to start the proposed district, how much it would cost to run it and what the impact might be on response times.
    William Thrasher, the Gulf Stream town manager who organized the group, says the study results will go to the towns’ commissions and councils to determine whether the plan moves forward.