NEWS & DATES
Upcoming Meetings
Notice is hereby given that the regular monthly meetings of the Board of Supervisors of the South Indian River Water Control District will be held on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Jupiter High School, 500 N. Military Trail, Jupiter, Florida for the fiscal year October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. The following is a schedule of meetings:
July 16, 2009
August 20, 2009
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September 17, 2009*
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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. 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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Final Public Hearing on Jupiter Farms Roadway Improvement Project
There will be a final public hearing held prior to the South Indian River Water Control District regular board meeting on June 18 regarding the Jupiter Farms Roadway Improvement Project.
The following roads are included in this Plan of Improvements:
- 158th Street N between 133rd Terrace N and East Perimeter Canal
- 152nd Street N between 111th Terrace N and 115th Avenue N
- 187th Place N between 126th Terrance N and 129th Terrance N
- 129th Terrace N between 186th Court N and 187th Place N
- Rocky Pines Road from Indiantown Rd south to the end, including 172nd Place N
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is given to all persons interested in the following described land and property in Palm Beach County, Florida, viz.: the Jupiter Farms subdivision included within the South Indian River Water Control District, that the engineer hereto appointed to determine benefits and damages to the property and lands situated in the District and to determine the estimated cost of construction required by the water control plan, within or without the limits of the District, under the proposed water control plan amendment, filed his report in the office of the secretary of the District, located at 15600 Jupiter Farms Road, Jupiter, Florida 33478, on the 1st day of May, 2009, and you may examine the report and file written objections with the secretary of the District to all, or any part thereof, on or before May 30, 2009. The report recommends adoption of a water control plan amendment to implement the 2008 Landowner Initiated Roadway Improvement Project. A final hearing to consider approval of the report and proposed water control plan amendment shall be held June 18, 2009, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Jupiter High School, Guidance Suite, 500 N. Military Trail, Jupiter, Florida.
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Results of Palm Beach Country Estates
Roadway Improvement Project Referendum
The South Indian River Water Control District has been notified by Susan Bucher, Supervisor of Elections for Palm Beach County that she has certified the following record of votes cast for the Palm Beach Country Estates Roadway Improvement Project Referendum:
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IN FAVOR OF THE PROJECT:
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351
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AGAINST THE PROJECT:
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488
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As a result, the referendum did not pass.
Of the 1269 ballots that were mailed out to landowners in the benefited project area, 839 ballots were cast, or about 66% of the total possible votes. Approximately 42% of votes cast were in favor of the project and 58% were against the roadway improvement project.
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2008 Landowner-Initiated OGEM Roadway Improvement Project
A referendum was held in October for the application of open-graded emulsified mix (OGEM) on 20 roadways (totaling approximately 8.6 miles) in Jupiter Farms and Palm Beach Country Estates. Certified results were received from the Supervisors of Elections Office on November 20 and the following roads passed with a majority of votes cast in favor of the project:
- 129th Ter. N between 186th Ct. N and 187th Pl. N (3 yes / 0 no)
- 158th St. N between 133rd Ter. N and East Perimeter Canal (Canal 13) (8 yes / 6 no)
- 152nd St. N between 111th Ter. N and 115th Ave. N (5 yes / 3 no)
For a complete list of the voting results, click here. Please watch for updates in upcoming issues of the newsletter or check the website for the latest information on the status of this project.
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Board Approves 2008/2009 Budget
The Board of Directors of South Indian River Water Control District approved the 2008/2009 budget at a rescheduled monthly meeting on Wednesday, September 3. The required public hearing on the budget was previously held on August 21. The board approved a resolution adopting the budget and the levying of special assessments for 2008 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 $5,069,000 in 2007/08 to $5,349,500 for the 2008/09 budget year. Haas noted that most of the increase was a result of the 2008 Palm Beach Country Estates Potable Water Hookup Financing Program.
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SIRWCD To Celebrate 18th Annual Landowners'
Family Day on Saturday, March 14
South Indian River Water Control District (SIRWCD) will celebrate their 18th annual Landowners Family Day at the District Work Center on Saturday, on March 14. Residents from Jupiter Farms, Palm Beach Country Estates, and Egret Landing are invited to enjoy a barbecue lunch, live music, and displays by local and state community and service organizations. District Supervisors, General Manager Gale English and Staff will be on hand to welcome residents to the event. This year the time has changed to 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.
A free barbecue lunch will be provided. Entertainment will be provided by The Untold Riches, a bluegrass band. For the children, Cock-A-Doodle-Doo will feature their popular petting zoo, a clown who provides face painting and guided pony rides.
A number of exhibitors offered visitors information on local and state organizations, governmental agencies, local 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 will include Jupiter Farms Residents and the Jupiter Farmer, Florida Blood Centers, Community Connection, Inc., Florida Division of Forestry, Jupiter Farms Citizens on Patrol, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, the Safety Council of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County, Jupiter Farms Environmental Council, and Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resource Management. New this year will be The Loxahatchee River Center, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, FAU/Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, NE Everglades Trails Association, and Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation.
If you haven't been to a Landowners Family Day yet, you're missing out on all the family fun. The event is free and open to all landowners in the District. It is a great way to meet your neighbors, discuss concerns with your Supervisors, and meet the District staff! Please RSVP to Greta at 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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Disclaimer
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