Town commissioners begin new terms — While voters in some towns were going to the polls March 11 to elect town officials, Manalapan Town Clerk Erika Petersen started the day swearing in Mayor John Deese and Commissioners Simone Bonutti, Cindy McMackin and David Knobel to new two-year terms.
Town voters didn’t need to have a say as the four were automatically elected during November’s qualifying period when no one else filed to run for their seats. The swearing-in took place at the regular Town Commission meeting. Commissioners then voted to keep Bonutti as vice mayor and Commissioner Elliot Bonner as mayor pro tem.
Electric lines going underground — Town Manager Eric Marmer announced that FPL plans to underground electric lines on Point Manalapan in about two years. Marmer said he plans to talk with AT&T to see if it could place fiber-optic cables at the same time for better internet access — and Bonutti said she’d like to see natural gas lines installed there as well.
Point Manalapan residents soundly rejected having natural gas lines in 2015, but Bonutti said she thinks current residents may be more amenable to the idea.
Police ATV gaining beach access through South Palm Beach — The absence of public access to the beach in Manalapan makes it challenging for police to use their beach ATV on the north end of town. They have to truck it about 2.5 miles south to near the Boynton Inlet and then head back north up the beach.
Police Chief Jeff Rasor told commissioners a better situation is starting. He said the town of South Palm Beach has agreed to let Manalapan police use a condominium association beach entry point in that town, a short way north of Manalapan.
“It gives us a little bit of extra time maybe to quickly deploy onto the beach. Certainly, it makes it a little bit faster and easier for us,” Rasor said.
Flooding problems to be investigated — The Florida Department of Transportation plans to start a feasibility study regarding perennial flooding problems on State Road A1A, Marmer said. He expects the town should hear something by September, with the state coming up with short-term, mid-term and long-term priorities. The flooding in town is most acute near the intersection of A1A and Ocean Avenue.
“They will present to us at some point their projects that they’re going to do to address all these issues over here, which might come down to fixing the sea wall along here where it floods, the back-flow preventers, raising the roads,” Marmer said.
No more town emails for emergencies — Residents will have to get on board Manalapan’s Code Red service if they want to be notified of emergencies, as the town will no longer be sending out that information through town emails, Marmer said.
Code Red started in the town last year, he said. Gas leaks, road closures and tornado warnings are among the items sent out via Code Red.
“It’s kind of a liability to have those emails go out,” Marmer said of the town’s notices, which will continue for non-emergency items. Residents who haven’t done so can register for Code Red alerts on the town website, www.manalapan.org.
July 8 chosen for crucial budget meeting — Commissioners have to approve a tentative budget and a maximum property tax rate in July, but getting a quorum that month can be difficult as board members flee the summer heat. Last year, McMackin resigned so that the three commissioners at the meeting would be enough for a quorum (instead of the four typically needed). She was then reappointed in August.
“We need a quorum in the room, otherwise Cindy has to resign again,” Town Attorney Keith Davis joked.
The commissioners settled on holding the budget/tax rate meeting on July 8 along with their regular meeting. Marmer had hoped to hold the meeting later in the month, giving him more time to make any needed adjustments based on the final property tax assessment totals. Those are not expected from the county property appraiser until July 1, but he assured commissioners he could meet the earlier deadline. The commission also scheduled a budget workshop for June 5.
— Larry Barszewski
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