By Margie Plunkett
The booming no-see-um population is apparently happy — and that means Ocean Ridge residents are not.
Despite the budgeted spraying to control the nearly invisible, biting pests, residents donned their “Don’t Bug Me” T-shirts and came out to tell the Town Commission the pests are rampant and driving residents indoors.
Town Manager Ken Schenck told commissioners at their Nov. 1 meeting that he is talking with the pest control provider about why the treatment is failing and giving the company a week to turn around the problem.
Commissioners and residents didn’t recall another time pest treatment was not effective against the maddening no-see-ums and the provider planned to use the same treatment as the former vendor.
Previously, grateful residents experience a decline in no-see-um activity immediately after spraying and would call town officials the next day to say how pleased they were, Commissioner Lynn Allison recalled.
Meanwhile, the town was faring better on getting its signage in place. By the end of October, Ocean Ridge had hoped to have the signs bearing its name under way with the concrete foundations poured.
One of the four signs, which together will cost the town about $16,000, will have to get Florida Department of Transportation approval before it could be put in place.
The sign in question is the southernmost of the four, and the town has decided to place it at the border with Briny Breezes — a concession to residents who didn’t want it placed further north feeling they were left outside of town boundaries.
The town will have to go to FDOT because the sign would be in a place where it needs 18 feet of clearance from the roadway. The proposed placement would give it 4 feet.
In addition to the town’s name, the signs also have a seal with a turtle on them, Schenk said.
Comments