By Larry Barszewski
Ocean Ridge commissioners on Oct. 2 approved applying to the Florida Legislature for a $250,000 grant to find, fix or replace the buried water valves in town. The grant would cover half the estimated $500,000 cost of the work.
“If you have matching funds … if you have some money put aside to help that project, whatever that may be, it always helps. It looks good on the application. You have some skin in the game,” said state Rep. Joe Casello, D-Boynton Beach, who attended the meeting and has assisted the town with information on the grant process. “As far as appropriations go, they’re big on water projects.”
According to an application included in the commission agenda packet, “The project will verify the accuracy of GIS maps for shutoff valves, place valve can extensions & concrete collars at buried valve locations.”
“We are talking about potentially raising the valves in the water distribution system by putting a valve can extender and then a concrete collar” around each valve, Town Manager Lynne Ladner said. “It doesn’t raise the actual valve off the water line. What it does is it puts an extension onto the can that surrounds the valves … to make them more easily accessible. And then the concrete collar keeps them from being overgrown by people’s grass and different things like that as they mow.”
In addition, the application says the town “will strategically place new valves on existing pipes to enable public works staff to check existing old pipes, reducing emergency repairs & emergency shutdowns. Installation of insertion valves would reduce disruption to residents.”
In other news:
• The owner of a home under construction for more than eight years at 6273 N. Ocean Blvd. has until Feb. 15 to complete the work or face a $5,000 daily fine up to a maximum fine of $150,000. In addition, if the work isn’t finished even earlier — by the end of the year — including receiving a certificate of occupancy, owner Andrew Rivkin has agreed to pay the town $50,000 to make up for missed property taxes the town would be entitled to if the home were finished in 2023.
• New regulations are still on the way concerning where and how big oceanfront property owners in town can build. Final approvals have been delayed as commissioners continued to tinker with the wording of the proposed ordinances in recent months. Final approvals are now expected at the commission’s Nov. 6 meeting.
• The commission voted to end its contract with Blue Iguana for iguana removal services “without cause.” The company had removed more than 1,800 iguanas from town property over the past year, officials said, but at a recent meeting commissioners questioned if those numbers could be verified.
• Ladner has been appointed to serve on the Florida League of Cities 2023-2024 finance, taxation and personnel committee, one of the league’s five legislative policy committees. Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy was appointed to the league’s utilities, natural resources and public works committee.
• The town has decided to continue posting notices about lost pets on its Civic Ready site.
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