The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council got an update from engineering consultants Tuesday, Oct. 1 on a project designed to gather the data necessary to upgrade the town’s drainage system, and perhaps even help gather additional grant money to make the upgrades.
Engineers Randy Wertepny and Kevin VanArman with Keshavarz & Associates explained what has been done so far in the town’s Resilient Florida Vulnerability Assessment, a project that began in August 2023 after the town accepted a $350,000 Resilient Florida Planning Grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Up until now, most of the work has been done among town staff, along with engineers from the firms Keshavarz & Associates and Engenuity Group. However, a more public-facing part of the project kicked off this week with two public input meetings — one held Thursday, Oct. 17, with an additional meeting set for Saturday, Oct. 19 at 10 a.m. at Loxahatchee Groves Town Hall (155 F Road). Residents are invited to offer input on drainage concerns and learn more about the project thus far.
“We are happy to present to you an update on the Resilient Florida Vulnerability Assessment for the Town of Loxahatchee Groves,” Wertepny said. “The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate the impacts of both current and future storm events to the town.”
He said that it is a comprehensive program that began with data acquisition, including an impact analysis and exposure analysis to determine the flooding impacts to the town should it be hit with a historic rain event. The goal is to provide a better understanding of the local drainage system.
The engineers surveyed all the canals and any other conveyances that tie into the town’s drainage system, noting the condition of each drainage asset for maintenance and future capital projects.
Wertepny brought with him a detailed drainage basin map, a LiDAR topography map and node diagram. The data can be used to model storm events based on a set amount of rainfall over a set amount of time.
“We are looking for input from the public as far as any information that could be helpful, such as the history of flooding events,” Wertepny said.
Once the project is complete, the town will be better able to monitor the system, know which culverts are in poor condition and which canals most need improvements. It can also be used for permitting updates with the South Florida Water Management District when looking at the flood plain and updated regulations.
Wertepny said that additional uses include capital improvement planning and budgetary forecasting; an inventory for scheduling inspections, cleanings and replacements; area-specific improvements; and evaluating the performance of improvements.
Several residents were wary of the data being collected as part of the study.
Nina Corning was concerned that the maps put together as part of the survey are incorrect and list areas that are dry as water storage areas.
Town Manager Francine Ramaglia explained that the town would re-examine any area that residents thought were incorrect but the map intends to diagram what would happen during a 100-year storm event, not during everyday use.
“The purpose of public input is to take concerns about the map and investigate them further,” she said.
Virginia Standish wanted to make sure that the SFWMD doesn’t unfairly penalize the town for nutrients in stormwater.
Councilwoman Laura Danowski asked for a better definition for what Wertepny referred to as “nodes” on the maps. He explained that a “node” is a connection to a canal segment. He agreed with Danowski’s description of the map as “capillaries, arteries and veins in the town’s circulatory system.”
Councilman Robert Shorr noted that Loxahatchee Groves is one of many communities that got state grants to do this type of work to determine how drainage systems work with increased rainfall.
Councilwoman Phillis Maniglia said the project is necessary for the town to move forward. “We are all in the same boat, and it is sinking,” she said. “We are all in this together regarding water storage and water movement.”
Mayor Anita Kane said she was looking forward to being able to use the final report from the survey to acquire more grant money to do crucial drainage improvements. She added that the maps need a more detailed legend and explanation so as not to confuse people about what the engineers are trying to convey.
Vice Mayor Marge Herzog said that the maps included with the presentation were barely readable and need to be larger and more detailed.
“We will provide the detailed PDFs that were part of the presentation to the town so that residents can look at them and zoom in,” Wertepny said.
Also at the meeting, the council passed an ordinance amending election qualifying dates to make them in line with current state laws and policies of the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office.
Qualifying will open at noon on the second Tuesday of November and close at noon on the third Tuesday in November in the year before a municipal election. This year, that means that election qualifying will be held Nov. 12 to Nov. 19 for the municipal election on March 11, 2025, which will have two seats up for election, Seat 2 (currently held by Danowski) and Seat 4 (currently held by Shorr).
In a related matter, the council passed an ordinance calling for a referendum during the March election to amend the town charter to allow the Palm Beach County Canvassing Board to serve as the town’s canvassing board for municipal elections. This also is designed to bring the town in line with current state laws and policies of the Supervisor of Elections Office.
