By John Pacenti
Ocean Ridge officials gathered Nov. 3 for a pivotal workshop setting the town’s course for capital projects and resiliency efforts, while tackling fiscal strategy in the face of legislative uncertainty.
Town Manager Michelle Heiser laid out the agenda, marking the start of the new fiscal year as the “appropriate time to say, ‘Hey, what’s going on and where are we going?’”
Commissioners in September passed a $14.8 million operating budget, a 9.6% increase over the fiscal year 2025 budget. It includes $4.36 million to address the aging water pipe system in the southern part of town and other capital improvements.
Heiser updated commissioners on the Harbour Drive North drainage initiative, telling them the Army Corps of Engineers has approved the town’s permit. “So that’s a big thumbs up,” Heiser said.
Finalizing easements and responding to feedback from the South Florida Water Management District are the next hurdles, with a resolution planned for December to address water accumulating on the street.
On the town sea wall project along Hudson Avenue, Heiser advised patience while awaiting a critical state grant. “If somebody’s going to give us half a million dollars to go towards it, we want that money, absolutely right,” she said. The project is ranked No. 12 for state funding in the current fiscal year, with a decision anticipated by spring, she said.
Officials outlined progress on other key initiatives as well. The Phase 2 modernization of water pipes in front of Town Hall is over 30% designed, and the permitting has been submitted, with late spring, early summer looking like when shovels will be in the ground.
Phase 4, from Ocean Avenue to Thompson Street, is also at 30% design. The project has been expedited because of long-standing issues with water pressure, which compromised fire protection capabilities there.
Resiliency was a repeated theme.
The workshop covered plans for tidal and retaining walls behind homes on Hudson Avenue — seen as crucial for managing persistent tidal issues. “At this point, we’re relying on a berm, and the berm continues to break, and we have to go back in and ask them to refill it. So it’s something to consider in the future,” Heiser said.
She also said the town should get back to property acquisition as part of its resiliency plan.
Commissioner Ainar Aijala Jr. said he is working on budget projections to determine whether future property tax collections would be sufficient to fund the capital expenses or if other revenue sources needed to be considered, such as a bond measure. “Should we be worried? Should we be concerned?” he said.
Officials discussed additional revenue sources, from municipal service taxing units for neighborhood stormwater projects to franchise and utility fees. “That’s user-fee-based, meaning the only ones that are paying for that area are the people that live there,” Heiser said.
State legislation’s impact on municipal budgets and tax structures loomed in the background. “Often, we’re just sitting and waiting, just waiting for them, because we can do exercises and math all day long, but it could be going nowhere until they actually pass something,” Heiser remarked.
Heiser also outlined maintenance priorities. “Repaving. We’ve had that in the list on your capital (improvements) in the past, and we just skipped that in the last couple of years. So, I’d like to get back to that,” she said.
The bidding process has also started for Town Hall and Police Department hardening. It includes re-roofing and replacing any windows or doors that need hurricane resistance to mitigate future damage claims, Heiser said.
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