The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors approved several items Monday that will lead to the repair and maintenance of roads and canals by the town, as well as the long-planned construction of equestrian trails.
LGWCD Administrator Steve Yohe reported that the town and district’s Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee recommended approval of the agreements, including a fill disposition policy for sludge removed from canals and more quit-claim deeds to enable the town to repair deteriorating roads paved with open-graded emulsified mix (OGEM).
Yohe reported that the committee recommended board approval of a proposed canal dredging and fill policy, which was approved later in the meeting.
The committee also discussed quit claim deeds for gaps on North Road; South F Road, which was paved by the county; and South B Road, which was recently paved with asphalt from Southern Blvd. to south of Collecting Canal Road.
Yohe said that town representatives at the committee meeting brought up that OGEM on areas of Collecting Canal Road east of South F Road near the new medical center, which was paved less than two years ago, had deteriorated and should have had a drainage culvert.
“We have agreed that it does deserve a drainage catch basin and a culvert to discharge into Collecting Canal,” Yohe said, adding that Town Manager Bill Underwood had indicated that the town might reimburse the cost to the district for the improvement.
Yohe said that the town also offered to potentially have its engineer assess the condition of all the OGEM roads to see if any other catch basins are needed. He added that the district has some money from a loan it had taken out to construct catch basins and culverts if they are deemed necessary. As of now, he said, three areas have been identified.
“It’s in the town’s court to get back to us on that,” Yohe said.
The committee also discussed a proposed pilot program for dust control, Yohe said, explaining that presentations were made to both the town and the district by a representative of GelTech Solutions. Supervisor John Ryan asked about the status of a similar test with the Indian Trail Improvement District, and Yohe said he understood that ITID had contracted with GelTech for six months.
Supervisor Laura Danowski, who was recently appointed to the Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee, said she had been impressed by the effectiveness of the committee in resolving issues between the town and the district.
“The committee has been an eye-opener for me,” Danowski said. “I feel like we have made tremendous inroads.”
Ryan agreed that the committee has proven productive.
“Given an agenda of items and having a dialogue with the town and deciding what should go to the board and the council, I think is very effective,” he said. “I’m glad we’re using them.”
Supervisor Don Widing thanked Danowski for her work on the committee. “You’re right, it is an eye-opener,” Widing said. “There are a lot of pieces there.”
The board approved the proposed fill management policy recommended by the committee that will give the adjacent landowner right of first refusal of silt dredged from district canals that is deemed surplus, before it is offered to other entities, including the town.
Yohe said that fill removed from the canals raised to the prescribed height would be graded and seeded, and in many cases for use as equestrian trails.
Ryan asked about the condition of canal banks seeded so far, and Yohe said that the total time between dredging and seeding is about two months, with about a month for it to dry and another month to grade, remove unwanted debris and then seed.
Yohe said the district removes and then replaces fences where necessary, adding that landowners have been very cooperative with the process.
He explained that the fill does not leave the bank until the district’s engineer determines that it is excess fill, whereupon the adjacent landowner is given the opportunity to take it. If not, the fill can be determined surplus. The landowner or accepting entity must sign an agreement holding the district harmless if the fill is found to contain contaminants or if any other issues should arise.
Yohe said the next canal will be along South F Road, which he said is probably the most challenging.
Widing made a motion to approve the policy, which carried 4-0 with Supervisor Frank Schiola absent.
The board also approved a related canal restoration notification policy, also recommended by the Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee.
Yohe explained that the policy is basically what the district has been doing, but that it was being put in place as formal policy, which becomes sensitive when it relates to equestrian trail policy.
Widing made a motion to approve the policy, which carried 4-0.
The board also approved a permit validating an interlocal agreement with the town for recreational trails, allowing the town to connect recreational trails to district trails.
Widing made a motion to execute the permit, which carried 4-0.
Ryan said he thought it was important to recognize that the permit approval represented the culmination of years of work to turn over maintenance maps to the town, enabling it to not only go forward with recreational trails but also to qualify for grants underwriting the work to improve the trails, which may include gates, culverts and signage.
“We’ve had a lot of people who never fully understood the necessity of the exact steps necessary,” Ryan said. “We are done with it. Now, it’s up to the town to do its part in coordination with RETGAC [the Roadway, Equestrian Trails & Greenway Advisory Committee].”
