Update from Commissioner McVoy on Town of Palm Beach Sand Project--NOT GOOD NEWS

Update regarding Town of Palm Beach trucks on our beach

"Unfortunately, the threat continues. I was told by staff that *within hours* of our staff informing Palm Beach that our city charter prohibited use of our beach, the Town responded by asserting that a strip of the beach does not in fact belong to us, a 10-foot wide strip above the high water mark.

The Town of Palm Beach reportedly further asserted that they intend to drive their trucks down this strip, that is, down the full length of our beach. And that shortly they would be putting in the wooden marker stakes.

The rapidity of the Town of Palm Beach’s “Plan B” response would seem to suggest that they knew all along that our charter prohibited use of our beach for any “beach nourishment” projects.

Our legal has asked for a meeting with the Town’s legal. I will be curious to see if the Town’s permit with the state’s Dept. of Environmental Protection includes a map of the Town’s planned truck route. Stay tuned."

Commissioner McVoy has requested information from the City of Lake Worth Beach:

From: Christopher W. McVoy
Sent: Monday, December 16, 2024 8:25 AM
To: Jamie Brown ; Troy Perry ; Glen@ Torcivialaw ; Christy Goddeau ; Elizabeth Lenihan

Subject: Town of PB - DEP Permit

Good morning Jamie, Troy and our legal team,

Could one of you please email me copies of all of the Town of PB’s permits and applications for their South Palm Beach dredging project? This request includes but is not be limited to FL DEP permits, any federal permits relating to endangered species, their FEMA application, any FDOT applications/permits, etc.

Please let me know how quickly these can be emailed to me.

Thank you,

Christopher

Christopher McVoy
Commissioner, District 2
City of Lake Worth Beach, FL
cmcvoy@lakeworthbeachfl.gov
561.398.6115 (C)

You're not going to believe this!

LWB cancels controversial sand agreement with Palm Beach because it violates city charter

"LAKE WORTH BEACH city officials are canceling an agreement, approved eight days ago, that would have let the town of Palm Beach use the city’s public beach as a staging area for a town beach re-nourishment project.

When the City Commission voted 4-1 on Dec. 3 to grant the town access to the city beach, they did so illegally because they violated — unknowingly apparently — a city charter provision, approved by voters in 2009, prohibiting the pumping of sand onto Lake Worth Beach from off-shore borrow sites. The provision also prohibits the beach from being used as a staging area for dredge and fill projects.

Town dump trucks were supposed to start dumping sand on the south end of the city beach on Jan. 1, a project that would have lasted up to 45 days. But that’s not going to happen, Lake Worth Beach’s city attorneys said Dec. 11."

Read more about it...

Now don't you think the Commission would have had the city lawyer check this all out BEFORE they agreed to allowing this beach sand re-nourishment project?

"What happened? The 2009 charter change was never codified into the city charter, an apparent error by the city clerk at the time.

And when commissioners considered the agreement with Palm Beach on Dec. 3, no one at City Hall remembered the 2009 referendum, which was approved by 70 percent of the voters.

Commissioner Chris McVoy, who cast the lone “no” vote on Dec. 3, forwarded Jennings’ letter to the city attorneys, who confirmed the interlocal agreement violates the city charter and has to be canceled." So all of you who like to call McVoy a disrupter, get off his back...and the Lake Worth Herald should give him some credit.

And Cara Jennings is still on top of it!

25 feet of beach re-nourishment -- will be tied up for 45 days from 8 to 5

Palm Beachers don’t want the hassle, so LWB’s public beach will accept trucks for town sand project

THE SOUTH END of Lake Worth Beach’s popular public beach is about to be invaded by a fleet of dump trucks for a Palm Beach town renourishment project.

Starting Jan. 1, the sand-hauling trucks will access a 25-foot section in the busy city beach’s southern boundary for up to 45 days from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The town requested the new access spot on their neighboring municipality’s turf because Palm Beach condo owners don’t want to deal with the truck noise, congestion and vibrations.

In return, the town will donate $80,000 to Lake Worth Beach, money the city plans to spend on beach improvements, including repairs to wooden stairs to the beach north and south of the Lake Worth pier.

The project starts in the heart of tourist season, when the beaches are busiest, a necessary time-frame, officials said, because work is prohibited during sea turtle nesting season, which usually starts in March and lasts through October. Most of the beach south of the pier, closest to the access site, will remain open to the public.

It passed on a 4/1 vote with Christopher McVoy voting "no." “There’s a fleeting feeling like, geez, if your own community doesn't want to deal with it, why on earth should we get bought off for $80,000?’’

Read the article

Office Building north of Lake Worth Beach sells for $15 mil

Office building on Palm Beach's South End sells for $15 million

A real estate investment company headed by Los Angeles-based businessman Jim Randall bought the building at 2875 S. Ocean Blvd. near the Lake Worth Beach Casino. In fact, it's right to the north of our  Casino.

Read about it...

Quote of the Day - South Palm Beach

"Are we killing a spider with an elephant?"

~ South Palm Beach resident
Questioning the decision for South Palm Beach to go with PBSO.

1,309 people live in South Palm Beach. They have 8 police officers on payroll and the council's argument is "they will save money" of approximately one million over 5 years.

 They have little crime

Should South Palm Beach even be a city?

“If we want to view the town as more than a wintertime retreat, then the governing body should look at investing in amenities that make it a year-round community,” said the town manager of South Palm Beach. Some of the questions he has posed have been asked by some living across the bridge regarding our own city.

Read this article...