By Dan Moffett
Briny Breezes has fallen behind on maintenance for its sewage lift stations, and that means some unexpected costs for the Town Council.
Town Manager Dale Sugerman told council members during their meeting on Sept. 26 that Harvel Utility Construction, Briny’s infrastructure contractor, says cleaning and inspecting the town’s seven lift stations will cost about $5,000.
Repairs to two fire hydrants are expected to cost about $2,000 more. Ocean Ridge had a similar problem earlier this year with its fire hydrants and ended up spending around $100,000 to get dozens of units back in good working order.
Beyond those expenses, Sugerman said, it will cost another $4,000 to buy a new pump for one of the stations. The cost of installation has yet to be determined, he said.
The council unanimously approved spending the money to make the repairs. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
In other business:
• The Ocean Ridge Police Department officially took over as Briny’s law enforcement services provider on Oct. 1, replacing the Boynton Beach Police Department.
Ocean Ridge Police Chief Hal Hutchins told the council he is urging Brinyites to register with the CivicReady mass alert service. It allows residents to receive real-time emergency information by email, text or voice message.
Ocean Ridge joined the service this year, and Hutchins said it was invaluable in getting information out during Hurricane Dorian. The service is free and residents can sign up by using the link on Ocean Ridge’s website: oceanridgefl.regroup.com/signup.
• The council approved two new fees for the new fiscal year. One is a $25 administrative charge for checks to the town that are returned by the bank because of insufficient funds.
The other new fee is a penalty of $10 per business day for contractors or residents who are slow to turn in permit applications to the corporate office after receiving emergency approval for repairs.
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