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Meeting of the Utilities Infrastructure Advisory Board held in the Town Hall Chambers on Wednesday, March 15, 2000 at 6:00 PM.

The meeting was attended by Town Manager Dunham, Deputy Town Clerk Herrmann and the following members: Craig Baskin, Mike Dubose, Barry Essig and Peggy Smith.

The meeting was called to order by Town Manager Dunham.

2. The October 20, 1999, December 1, 1999 and January 26, 2000 minutes could not be approved due to the lack of a quorom.
3. Presentation by SFWMD Representatives Re: Potable Water Alternatives

Town Manager Dunham introduced Rick Bauer of SFWMD. Mr. Dunham stated that at the Focus 2000 meeting, there was consideration given to the issue of potable water which the Town is currently purchasing from Boynton Beach.

Mr. Bauer advised that he works in the permitting group for SFWMD and that the board may also want to invite someone knowledgeable about construction costs to speak to them. He explained that the Town has three options regarding potable water. The first would be to continue to purchase the water from Boynton Beach. The second option would be to change to a shallow water system from an aquifer. He explained that this would be a high cost option and would include serious permit issues as they discourage use of the Biscayne aquifer for cities near the coast. The third option would be a reverse osmosis plant and a deep well. He stated that this option would necessitate a water treatment plant and storage. He explained that this is different from the second option in that it would involve a more brackish water which would be treatable by reverse osmosis.

Mr. Essig questioned if option two or three would be less expensive. Mr. Bauer explained that option two would require transferring the water from the source which is very far away and would therefore be the more expensive option.

Mr. Bauer explained that the third option would require the disposal of some salinated water which the Town could possibly be able to pour into the Intracoastal or the Ocean. He stated that approximately 25% of the water would have to be disposed of this way.

Mr. DuBose questioned how much land would be needed for the treatment plant and storage to which Mr. Bauer advised that it is the water storage which would take up most of the space. He stated that in Sanibel, Florida, the storage and treatment plants currently take up about ten acres and their population is approximately 5,000. Mr. Dubose questioned how much storage would be necessary to which Mr. Bauer stated that DEP has certain requirements, but he believed it would be approximately 250,000 gallons.

Mr. Baskin questioned what the benefit would be to the Town to switch from purchasing water from Boynton Beach to which Mr. Bauer explained that it is always better to be independent, but that for some time it would be more expensive. He recommended that the Town conduct a benefits study.

Town Manager Dunham questioned if there would ever be any type of benefit to Boynton Beach to discontinue service to Ocean Ridge to which Mr. Bauer explained that there would be a reduction in Boynton Beach’s permit and they would lose revenue. He concluded that there would not be any advantage for Boynton Beach to discontinue water service.

Town Manager Dunham questioned if Boynton Beach would be able to cut off service to Ocean Ridge in an emergency and service their own residents first to which Mr. Bauer explained that he is only involved in permitting the water, but DEP would regulate the service. He stated that he felt Boynton Beach would be required to equally service all of their customers in an emergency.

Mr. Bauer advised that Riviera Beach and Boca Raton are the only utilities that may be in bad shape regarding salt water concerns adding that Boynton Beach is looking good.

Mr. Essig questioned how long the contract is with Boynton Beach to which Town Manager Dunham stated that he thought it was a twenty year contract which was recently renewed.

Mr. Essig stated that he felt a feasibility study would be a good idea, but that he did not think potable water would be an advantage for a Town as small as Ocean Ridge.

Mr. Bauer explained that the installation of a sewer system into the Town would be a very large expense. He stated that it may include tearing up all of the streets to hook into a sewage treatment plant. Town Manager Dunham stated that sewer pipes go down the center of the street and the roads would have to be torn up to place all of them.

Mr. Bauer stated that in terms of permitting, the duration of Boynton Beach’s ability to service the Town of Ocean Ridge is great.

Town Manager Dunham stated that he would like to contemplate the issue of a feasibility study when they next have a quorom. He advised that CH2MHill’s study for Highland Beach was between $7,000 and $15,000.

Mr. Bauer suggested that the board also speak with someone from DEP who would be able to give them more information on emergency situations, reject water and sewer lines.

The board members and Town Manager Dunham thanked Mr. Bauer for speaking at their meeting.

Regarding the previous Utilities Infrastructure Advisory Board meeting about noseeums, Town Manager Dunham stated that Air Liquide attended the meeting and Dr. Day who is responsible for all of their research was very happy to speak to the board. Town Manager Dunham stated that the board members had discussed taking an area of jurisdictional wetlands and using it as a test area. He commented that he had since spoken with Bob Jennings and discussed using the wetlands area around Town Hall without directly impacting the wetlands, so no permits would be needed. Mr. Essig stated that he felt it would be economically feasible to concentrate on the noseeum problem.

Victor Fowler, 11 Tropical Drive, stated that he felt drainage would be the number one concern for the Town to which Town Manager Dunham explained that the Town is already addressing the drainage and would be short listing engineering firms for the drainage study the next morning.

Mr. Dubose questioned who would decide how much the board could spend on the issue of the noseeums to which Town Manager Dunham explained that the Town Commission would decide.

Geoff Pugh, 35 Harbour Drive N, questioned if there would be any way to impact those properties containing wetland areas or mangroves which are causing the noseeum problems to which Town Manager Dunham explained that the individual property owners would have to seek DEP permitting for that.

Town Manager Dunham explained that appointments to the board should be discussed at the next Regular Town Commission Meeting so that there should be a quorom at the next Utilities Infrastructure Advisory Board meeting.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 7:20 PM.