By Mary Thurwachter
Hypoluxo Island residents will be polled to see how many of them are interested in having a natural gas line extended onto the island. If at least 60 percent support the project by the end of January, the town of Lantana will create a special assessment to provide financing.
Spearheading the drive are island residents Rod Tennyson and Robert Barfknecht, who promoted the project during a recent Town Council meeting.
Tennyson said that a preliminary survey of residents in June 2012 showed that 71 percent of 84 respondents were in favor of converting to natural gas and were willing to pay for it. Another survey will be done in January, when more of the island’s 300 property owners are in Florida.
“I think this will be a great enhancement to our island,” Tennyson said. “There would be both energy and cost savings. Natural gas costs about half the price of LP gas.”
Barfknecht said that not only does natural gas represent a significant savings over LP gas, it’s also cheaper than electric.
If 60 percent vote in favor of natural gas, the town will create a special assessment to provide financing of running the lines to the property boundaries. Property owners would pay additional costs to complete the gas line connection to their properties. The estimated construction cost of the project is $534,396.
The town, according to Public Service Commission regulations, could be refunded for a portion of the aid to construction based on the number of users who connect to the system and their intensity of use. Any refund would be used to reduce the following year’s assessment.
Once the line is in place, Florida Public Utility would assume ownership, operation and maintenance.
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