By Dan Moffett
Dozens of South Palm Beach residents seem to have disappeared over the past decade — gone missing with scarcely a trace or a clue.
Whole buildings appear to have been wiped off the town’s map, erased as if by some cosmic delete key.
What sounds like the script for a low-budget science fiction movie has been reality for Robert Kellogg, the town manager, who has spent much of the past year trying to unravel the enigma.
During the Town Council’s Dec. 10 meeting, Kellogg announced he has done just that.
“The mystery has been solved,” he said, “and what we discovered is what we suspected from the very beginning.”
Blame the U.S. Census Bureau.
It turns out the federal government’s people-counting agency made an unfortunate error when it conducted the 2010 census. The town’s two southernmost condo buildings — Imperial House and South Palm Villas — were counted as part of Lantana.
No one is quite sure how the error happened. But it cost the town about 130 condo units and perhaps as many as 200 residents in population. This helps explain why the 1990 census found 1,480 people in the town and the 2010 count came in at 1,171.
In between, there were major problems with the 2000 census, which first put the town’s population at 699 and then months later corrected it to 1,455. For some reason, the government has trouble counting South Palm Beachers.
The consequences of an inaccurate count can be far-reaching. Mail service to the two buildings has been affected. The Florida League of Cities says each person is worth about $1,600 when the state goes after some $700 billion in federal funds each year. Municipal population is also a factor in state and county decision-making.
Mayor Bonnie Fischer said she noticed the error when looking at FEMA flood zone maps that excluded the two condo buildings. This was especially alarming to Fischer, who lives in Imperial House and doesn’t want to go down in history as the first Lantana resident to be elected mayor of South Palm Beach.
Kellogg said he is working with the Census Bureau to correct the mapping mistakes, and the town is hopeful the agency will perform better for the coming 2020 count.
In other business:
• Council members say they are looking at internet alert systems or other ways to get emergency information to residents after a water main break Thanksgiving weekend exposed communication shortcomings.
The break occurred the evening of Nov. 29 outside The Mayfair condos, and part of the town lost water service for hours. Palmsea Condominiums reported damage to its pumps because of the interruption.
A boil-water advisory went into effect soon after the break, but officials were hard-pressed to get the word to residents. Officials resorted to posting fliers in condo lobbies.
“What good is it to put notices up at 11 o’clock at night?” Fischer said.
The city of West Palm Beach supplies the town’s water, and Kellogg said the utility department insists on controlling messaging. Vice Mayor Robert Gottlieb said the council has to look at better use of the internet and social media to transmit essential information to residents.
• Three candidates have qualified for two open council seats in the March 17 election.
Gottlieb is seeking another term. Former Councilwoman Elvadianne Culbertson, who ran unsuccessfully last March, and Ray McMillan, who ran unsuccessfully in 2018, also have filed.
Incumbent Councilwoman Stella Gaddy Jordan has decided not to seek another term. Ú
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