NEWS & DATES
Upcoming Meetings
April 17, 2008
May 15, 2008
June 19, 2008
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July 17, 2008
August 21, 2008
September 18, 2008**
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** Annual Meeting (Jupiter High School Cafeteria)
Pursuant to Section 189.417 Florida Statutes, this is a list of the regularly scheduled meetings of the South Indian River Water Control District. The meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30pm at Jupiter High School, 500 N. Military Trail, Jupiter Florida for the fiscal year October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008.
Notices for any additional meetings or workshops will be published in accordance with Florida Statutes. Those notices will also appear here. When possible, notices of meeting cancellations will also be noted above. Call the District office (561-747-0550) for updates.
All meetings are open to the public. As a convenience to landowners, they are given an opportunity to address the Board of Supervisors at the beginning of each meeting. In this way, they do not have to remain for the entire business meeting unless they prefer to do so.
Notice is given that if a person decides to appeal any decision with respect to any matter considered at a meeting, a record of the proceedings will be needed for such purpose, and said person will need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record shall include the testimony and evidence upon which any appeal is to be made.
Pursuant to the provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in the Board of Supervisors meetings and the Annual Landowners Meeting because of a disability or physical impairment should contact the District at (561)747-0550.
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SIRWCD Annual Resports Presented at Landowners' Annual Meeting
November 19, 2007
District Engineer Lennart E. Lindahl and District Manager Gale English presented their annual reports for the period October 2006-September 2007 at South Indian River Water Control District's (SIRWCD) annual landowners meeting held on September 20.
Lindahl presented a PowerPoint presentation detailing ongoing projects in the District, which include landowner initiated roadway improvement projects in Jupiter Farms and Palm Beach Country Estates and the potable water project in Palm Beach Country Estates. In addition, he discussed the $3.6 million in grants awarded to the District from 2005 through 2007 by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for hurricane-damaged systems restoration and repair.
English reviewed road and swale maintenance throughout the District and provided an overview of the District's ongoing programs. He noted that the NRCS and FEMA grants represented nearly three years worth of the District's maintenance budget, resulting in substantial savings for the District's landowners who would have otherwise been responsible for the cost of repairs.
The Board of Supervisors presented Lindahl with an engraved crystal sculpture honoring his 30 years of exceptional service and dedication as District Engineer.
In other news, Robert Berman and Michael Danchuk have been re-elected to a three-year term on the Board of Supervisors of SIRWCD. Berman has served on the board since 1999 and Danchuk since 2001. Berman and Danchuk ran unopposed.
Certified totals from the Supervisor of Elections office show that Berman received 966 votes, while Danchuck received 1,040 votes.
The Board of Supervisors congratulate District Engineer Lennart Lindahl on 30 years of service to the District.
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SIRWCD Supervisors Approve 2007/2008 Budget
November 19, 2007
The Board of Directors of South Indian River Water Control District approved the 2007/2008 budget at their monthly meeting on Thursday, August 16, which was held immediately after the required public hearing on the budget. The board approved a resolution adopting the budget and the levying of special assessments for 2007 on all lands within the District, pursuant to Section 197.3632, Florida Statutes.
District Treasurer Charles Haas stated that the District's annual budget will increase from $4,605,000 in 2006/2007 to $5,069,000 for the 2007/2008 budget year. Haas noted that most of the increase was a result of a Jupiter Farms landowner-approved plan of improvement for the application of open-graded emulsified mix (OGEM) to roadways.
In other business, the board scheduled a public hearing for 5:00 pm on September 10 at the District's work center, 15600 Jupiter Farms Road, on the District's intention to elect the uniform method of collection of non ad-valorem assessments, pursuant to Chapter 197, Florida Statutes, for the purpose of the Jupiter Farms Roadway Improvement Project, 14th Plan of Improvements, as requested by benefited landowners. The proposed schedule of assessment includes an initial assessment of $515.00 or less per parcel and then a variable amount annually per parcel for a period not to exceed 20 years.
Following the public hearing, the Board of Supervisors will hold a Special Meeting for the purpose of transacting any business pertaining to the affairs of the District.
District Engineer Lennart J. Lindahl reported to the Board that the Palm Beach Country Estates potable water project was on schedule and that Phase 1B had been certified and placed into service and that final steps were being completed to place Phase 1A into service. Landowners are to be notified by mail as each phase is placed into service. In addition, he noted that the contract for the application of OGEM to approximately 13 miles of roadway in Jupiter Farms had been awarded to North Florida Emulsions and construction had begun on this project.
District Manager Gale English recommended to the board that the Aquagenix contract for weed control in the District be extended, and the board voted to extend the contract by one year. The board also approved the purchase of a new Ford tractor, at the lowest bid price, to replace a 15-year old tractor.
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SIRWCD Celebrates 16th Annual Landowners' Family Day
South Indian River Water Control District (SIRWCD) celebrated their 16th annual Landowners' Family Day at the District Work Center on Saturday, March 17, 2007. Over 650 residents from Jupiter Farms, Palm Beach Country Estates, and Egret Landing enjoyed a barbeque lunch, live music, and displays by local and state community and service organizations on a gorgeous St. Patrick's Day.
District Supervisors Tom Powell, Tom Rice, Dave Beane, Mike Danchuk and Bob Berman, as well as District General Manager Gale English, were on hand to welcome landowners to the event.
This year, residents enjoyed chicken, pulled pork, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad and coleslaw prepared and served by Park Avenue BBQ & Grille, which will be opening a new restaurant in Jupiter Farms. Entertainment was provided by a new bluegrass band, The Untold Riches, who were warmly received by the crowd.
For the children, Cock-A-Doodle-Doo provided a petting zoo and bounce house, and as always, the kids loved getting their faces painted by Cookie the Clown.
A number of exhibitors offered visitors information on local and state organizations, governmental agencies, services, and fire safety and prevention, with free give-a-ways that included plants, pens and pencils, hats, pins, coloring books, and more. Exhibitors this year included Jupiter Farms Residents and the Jupiter Farmer, Florida Blood Centers, Community Connections, the Drowning Coalition of Palm Beach County, Florida Division of Forestry, Jupiter Farms Citizens on Patrol, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, the Safety Council of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County, Equine Rescue and Adoption Foundation, Jupiter Farms CERT, and Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resource Management.
In addition, Gale English presented a crystal award to Jesse Wilson, a state conservation engineer with the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in appreciation of the institutional and financial support provided to the District during their 2004-2005 hurricane recovery projects. Wilson is with the Florida office of the Eastern Region of the NRCS and came down from their Gainesville office to receive the award and attend Family Day.
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SIRWCD Potable Water Project in Palm Beach Country Estates on Track
January 24, 2007
District Engineer Lennart J. Lindahl presented an update on the Palm Beach Country Estates (PBCE) potable water project to the Board of Supervisors at South Indian River Water Control District's (SIRWCD) monthly meeting held on January 18.
Lindahl reported that the project is on schedule and approximately 15 miles of pipe have been installed to date. He noted that in October, a water service location form had been sent to all landowners requesting their preference for the location of the water service hookup for their property and said that they had received a good response, with nearly 75% returning the forms to the District Engineer. He added that staff is going door-to-door to obtain location forms from those who have not turned in their forms. Upon completion of the first phase of the project, the contractor, Felix Associates, LLC, will request water be provided from the Town of Jupiter for flushing and pre-testing of the lines.
Lindahl also notified the board that the plan for the proposed 14th Plan of Improvements for the application of open-graded emulsified mix (OGEM) to nearly 14 miles of roadway in Jupiter Farms has been submitted to South Florida Water Control District. In addition, he said that the Engineer's Report has been filed at the District's office for public review and comment and the Notice of Filing of the Engineer's Report was published in the Palm Beach Post and Jupiter Courier. A final public hearing to consider approval of the report and proposed plan will be held in conjunction with the monthly Board of Supervisors meeting on February 15.
District Manager Gale English and Lindahl reported that Murray Logan Construction, Inc., had completed canal clearing and installation of rip-rap at 25 different site locations within the District with funding from the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Emergency Watershed Protection Program. The NRCS has reviewed another 12 locations within the District for rip-rap installation in an extension of this $1.126 million program and is considering funding the project pending availability of funds.
English also said that the Verizon cell phone tower has been constructed and is operational and that the old tower will be removed and new landscaping will be installed.
Lennart E. Lindahl also made a presentation to the board on preliminary estimates for paving all roadways in PBCE to Palm Beach County standards, as petitioned by landowners. Approximately 33.5 miles of roadway would be included in the project at an estimated cost of nearly $20 million (approximately $1300.00-$1450.00 annually for 20 years). Lindahl cited greatly increased costs for both bitumen products and aggregate over the last few years that rapidly escalated the cost of road construction in Florida. The Supervisors expressed concern about the increased costs, given the recent increases in taxes and insurance for many landowners. As a result, they asked Supervisor Bob Berman to conduct a poll of PBCE landowners to gauge their interest in moving forward with a referendum on the project and also asked the District Engineer to be prepared to offer alternative options.
In other business, District Attorney William Capko swore in David Beane who was re-elected to a three-year term on the Board of Supervisors of SIRWCD. Beane has served on the board since 1988.
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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for SIRWCD SR706
Outfall Canal Revetment Project
March 20, 2006
 SIRWCD held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, March 17 at the SR 706 outfall canal, east of I-95 and south of Indiantown Road. The drainage canal provides stormwater outfall for Palm Beach Country Estates, Egret Landing, and Jupiter Park of Commerce. Additionally, it provides stormwater outfall for the Town of Jupiter and Palm Beach County's Kennedy Estates, as well as a recharge source for Jupiter's well fields.
SIRWCD's Board of Supervisors, Thomas Powell, Thomas Rice, David Beane, Robert Berman, and Michael Danchuk, and District General Manager Gale English welcomed 30 invited guests to the event and barbeque luncheon.
The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a division of the federal Department of Agriculture, was the principal funding source for the canal bank revetment project with two grants of $400,000 and $440,000, of which 25% was a matching share by SIRWCD. The grants covered repair and restoration work of the SR 706 outfall canal banks that were eroded by excessive rainfall and water levels generated by Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004.
The NRCS (originally called the Soil Conservation Service) was established in 1935 to manage natural resource conservation programs that provide environmental, societal, financial, and technical benefits. NRCS primary mission goals are high quality, productive soils; clean and abundant water; healthy plant and animal communities; clean air; an adequate energy supply; and working farms and ranchlands. They work with conservation districts; local, state and federal agencies; agricultural and environmental groups; and educational institutions.
The outfall canal embankments were reinforced with a concrete block matting system that provides stabilization of the soils. Openings in the block allow for infiltration of rainwater into the ground and for the growth of vegetation. The blocks interlock to form a durable surface layer that can easily conform to changes in grade and help to solve a variety of erosion problems. Murray Logan Construction, Inc., of West Palm Beach was the contractor for the project. LBFH, Inc., the District's engineering firm, provided construction plans and project inspection.
Gale English noted that the revetment installation is designed to eliminate future major maintenance issues and provide uninterrupted flood protection to several agencies and landowners that are served by the project.
SIRWCD has received a total of approximately $1,940,000 in grants from NRCS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for hurricane restoration efforts resulting from the 2004 storms. Additionally, NRCS has signed an agreement to provide $1,102,000 for repairs of Hurricane Wilma damages. FEMA is funding approximately $150,000 for Wilma-related repairs as well.
"These grants covered a majority of the cost of hurricane repairs that would otherwise have been the responsibility of the District and its landowners," said Tom Powell, president of the Board of Supervisors. "I want to thank our general manager, Gale English and his staff for their hard work and dedication in securing the grant funding."
In Photo Above (from left to right): SIRWCD Supervisors Tom Rice, Dave Beane, Mike Danchuk, and Tom Powell, SIRWCD General Manager Gale English, Supervisor Bob Berman, Elwyn Cooper of NRCS, and District Engineers Len Lindahl, Jr. and Amy Eason.
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SIRWCD General Manager Presented with Award for 25 Years of Service at 15th Annual Landowners' Family Day
March 10, 2006
Tom Powell, president of the Board of Supervisors of South Indian River Water Control District (SIRWCD) presented an award for 25 years of service to Gale English, general manager, at the 15th Annual Landowners Family Day held Saturday, March 4.
Supervisors Tom Rice and David Beane, District Engineer Len Lindahl, Jr., District Attorneys William Capko and Terry Lewis, and District Treasurer Charles Haas were in attendance, as well as Congressman Clay Shaw and his wife Emily.
Powell congratulated English on his dedication and commitment to the District and its landowners over the past 25 years and presented him with an engraved plaque commemorating the occasion.
English addressed the crowd of landowners from Jupiter Farms, Palm Beach Country Estates, and Egret Landing that were enjoying a barbeque lunch and thanked the Supervisors for the acknowledgement of his achievements. He also thanked his staff for their hard work on behalf of the District.
"I have enjoyed working for the landowners over these last 25 years and look forward to many more years of service," said English.
In addition, two other employees of the District, Michael Dillon, operations superintendent and Ronald Curboy, equipment operator are celebrating 10-year anniversaries with SIRWCD.
The District serves Jupiter Farms, Palm Beach Country Estates, Egret Landing, and Jupiter Commerce Park in northern Palm Beach County. For additional information contact the District Office at 747-0550.
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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony For Jupiter Farms
Water Quality Improvement Project
The South Indian River Water Control District (SIRWCD), in conjunction with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the Loxahatchee River Preservation Initiative, held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, March 3 at a new water control structure south of Indiantown Road in Jupiter Farms.
LEFT:District Engineer Len Lindalh and Supervisor Tom Powell present a plaque to David Logan of Murray Logan Construction.
RIGHT:From left to right: Supervisor Tom Rice, Supervisor David Bean, Patricia Walker, Lead Planner Coastal Ecosystems Division of SFWMD, Supervisor Tom Powell, Supervisor Mike Danchuk, Supervisor Bob Berman and District Engineer Lennart Lindahl.
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SIRWCD's Board of Supervisors, Thomas Powell, Thomas Rice, David Beane, Robert Berman, and Michael Danchuk, District general manager Gale English, as well as David Brown, chairman of the Loxahatchee River Preservation Society and Patricia Walker, Lead Planner, Coastal Ecosystems Division, SFWMD, welcomed over 50 invited guests to the event and barbeque luncheon.
In addition, Thomas Powell and Lennart Lindahl, District Engineer, presented a plaque to David Logan of Murray Logan Construction, Inc. in appreciation for their work as contractor for the project.
LEFT:The water control structure.
RIGHT:From left to right: General Manager Gale English, Operations Superintendent Michael Dillion, Equipment Operators Dustin Brown and Tiffany Ponton.
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The project, known as the Ninth Plan of Improvements, provided for the construction, operation and maintenance of five water control structures within SIRWCD canals. These new structures affect 45 miles of the canal system and are intended to improve groundwater recharge and reduce over-drainage during dry periods, as well as improve the quality of runoff eventually discharged into the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River.
ABOVE:David Brown, chairman of the Loxahatchee River Preservation Society addresses the audience at the ribbon cutting event
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The plan also includes a nonstructural component that establishes a definitive protocol between South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and SIRWCD for the operation of SFWMD structure G-92 for the purposes of improved flood control for SIRWCD and the delivery of freshwater flows to the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River.
The $1.6 million cost of the project is being paid for through grants from SFWMD, the Loxahatchee River Preservation Initiative, and SIRWCD.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Regarding District Road Improvements
Recently there have been a number of questions regarding roadway improvements within the District, so we thought that we would try to answer some of them in this edition of the District Newsletter.
Some of the most frequently asked questions are:
(Q): What are the District plans for additional road paving?
(A): There is no District initiative for additional paving. Roadway improvements are limited to those initiated by landowners.
(Q): How do landowners initiate road improvements?
(A): The first step is a petition. If 25% of the affected landowners request that their road(s) be considered for upgrade, the District may initiate an Engineering Road Improvement Study.
(Q): What does the Engineering Study consider?
(A): Many things are evaluated in an Engineering Road Improvement Study. The conditions of the current dirt road, the traffic situation, structural considerations of the roadway base, drainage considerations, cost, impact on the community, and many other issues may be considered in the study.
(Q): How is the Engineering Road Improvement Study used?
(A): The study creates an Engineering Plan that defines the project. It will define the specific road (or roads) recommended for paving and it will define the benefited area (those landowners that will benefit from the improvements). The plan also defines the technical details of the proposed project such as base and sub-base requirements, road surface material specification, roadway elevation, and so forth. And, most importantly, the plan will define the cost.
(Q): Then what happens with the Engineering Plan?
(A): If the Board of Supervisors accepts the Engineerís Plan, it can be put to the landowners for a vote in the form of a referendum. If the referendum passes, then the District may construct the improvements as defined in the plan and levy a special assessment against the benefited landowners.
(Q): Can the cost of these improvements be financed?
(A): Yes, and the cost per parcel per year would be presented in the referendum.
(Q): What roadway surfacing materials are currently available to landowners and what about other roadway surfacing or stabilization materials?
(A): The District is constantly searching for and evaluating alternative road surfacing materials that can provide an improved surface at an affordable cost. The Open Graded Emulsified Mix (OGEM) material has been evaluated and approved by the District as an alternative to hard-surface asphalt (built to Palm Beach County road standards) at a significant cost savings to the landowners. Other surfacing and stabilization materials are currently being evaluated as alternatives. However, the OGEM material is becoming very popular because it provides a very good, durable surface at significant savings. It is currently being successfully used by Palm Beach County and other counties in the state, as well as this District, at a cost of approximately half that of conventional paving.
(Q): Will the soil stabilization product known as PX-300 be considered as an alternative road surface material for the District?
(A): Based on initial engineering testing, it has been determined that this product is not suitable for use by the District and no further evaluation is warranted.
(Q): How frequently are the unsurfaced roads graded?
(A): A detailed work schedule is available at the District Office. On average, the major roads on the east side are maintained twice a week and on the west side, two or three times per week. Traffic volume, weather conditions, mechanical failure, priority emergencies, or personnel availability may alter the schedule without notice.
(Q): What about "Safe-Zones" or other improvement projects?
(A): As a "Special District" (Water Control District) that is limited to surface water management and road maintenance, SIRWCD would need to determine whether certain projects fall under our jurisdiction. If they do, îSafe-Zonesî or other improvement projects would follow the same process as described for a road improvement program. First, the landowners would need to petition the District. If more than 25% of the affected landowners request the ìSafe-Zoneî improvement project, an Engineering Plan and cost could be developed, and a referendum could be held.
(Q): What if there is an obstruction in a swale or major canal?
(A): Contact the District Office and report the location and problem as soon as possible.
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