Loading...
HomeMy Public PortalAboutFebruary 1996CURRENTS The Official Newsletter of the Town of Gulf Stream February 1996 TREE BILL STRATEGY: THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM For the third year in a row, the Town is seeking approval from the state legislature to replant Australian pine trees along State Road AlA. Due to a statewide ban on planting these trees, the Town must seek an exemption that only the legislature can authorize. Last year, our bill received full Senate approval but died on the House floor. However, we did receive support from two key House committees and believe we could have won approval from the full House had the issue come to a vote. Our bill sponsors, Sen. Tom Rosin and Rep. Bill Andrews, already are hard at work building support for our proposal this year. Although the 1996 legislative session does not begin until March, a lot of the groundwork must be laid now to ensure success. The 1996 session is scheduled to end in May. Our bill may come up for a vote at any time, although final action in the House is not expected until late in the session. Unfortunately, our bill is not without controversy. Citing problems in other areas of the state, environmentalists and the state Department of Transportation have labeled these trees as unfit for use anywhere in Florida. To overcome this opposition, it is important that we let our legislative sponsors and supporters, including Senate President Jim Scott and Rep. Ron Klein, know how important these trees are to us. All residents are encouraged to contact these legislators to express your support. With your help, victory may finally be at hand! Sen. Jim Scott Sen. Tom Rosin 2000 E. Oakland Park Blvd 505 S. Flagler Dr. Fl. Lauderdale, FL 33312 West Palm Beach, FL 33401 (407) 392-3710 (407) 837-5400 Rep. Bill Andrews Rep. Ron Klein 777 Atlantic Ave., #226 9070 Kimberly Blvd, #60 Delray Beach, FL 33484 Boca Raton, FL 33434 (407) 279-1616 (407)274-4690 TOWN ELECTIONS, PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 12 An election for Town Commissioners will be held on Tuesday, March 12, the same date as the presidential primary. Voting will take place at the Town Hall between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. for all residents registered to vote. The Town of Gulf ee tact Town Hall for 11. Dates and timesr Stream has five, at -large commissioners who serve concurrent, three-year terms. Commission elections are non-partisan. Because the positions are at -large, voters will choose five individuals from a list of candidates who have qualified with the Town Clerk. The five candidates who receive the most votes will be declared the winners. There is no run-off election. To vote in the election, residents must be registered no later than Feb. 13. To register, or to vote by absentee ballot, please contact the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections at 930-2650. Please note that if only five candidates qualify, the election may be canceled and the five qualifying individuals automatically declared the winners. For additional information regarding the election, please contact Rita Taylor, Town Clerk, at 276- 5116. RIGHT-OF-WAY REMINDER Please remember that all Town rights-of-way are to remain clear of fences, rocks and vegetation (other than sod). The right-of-way is that area February 1996 CURRENTS Page 2 DESIGN MANUAL MERITS NATIONAL AWARD AND RECOGNITION The American Society of Landscape Architects has bestowed an Award of Merit to the Town and our design consultant, Urban Design Studio, for the Gulf Stream Design Manual. Noting that the Manual "does an excellent job of providing flexible and understandable design standards," the judges selected the Manual from nearly 80 entries submitted from across the United States. The ASLA has more than 11,000 members practicing in the fields of landscape architecture, urban design. The Design Manual was developed by the Zoning Code Task Force, a group of five residents appointed by the Town Commission, with assistance from the consultant and Town staff. The final document was adopted by the Town Commission in January of 1995. The American Planning Association also has recognized our efforts. At APA's request, we will make a presentation on the Design Manual during their annual conference in April. The APA is a professional organization composed of public and private sector practitioners in city planning. This year's annual conference will be held in Orlando and is expected to draw more than 4,000 registrants from across the country and the Caribbean. On a related note, residents are reminded that the Town Code of Ordinances prohibits the use of residential properties as corporate retreats or similar transient uses. Residents with properties for sale should be sure that their real estate brokers are aware of this restriction. WATER USE TAKES SEVEN-YEAR PLUNGE With nearly a 30 percent decrease in use from 1988, water use in Gulf Stream in 1995 reached a seven-year low, putting us right on track in meeting our state -mandated water reduction goals. Even better, meter readings through the first part of this year indicate further reductions from the 1995 levels. Thanks to a consistent rainfall and increased awareness among residents, last year's water use was down 12 percent from our use in 1994. This one year difference alone of over 25.6 million gallons is enough to fill an average swimming pool 1,685 times! Much of the credit for increased resident awareness goes to our innovative rate system put into effect in October 1994. The system, which was the subject of an article in a recent issue of the Florida Water Resources Journal, provides a maximum water allocation to each residence based on the size of the property. If the allocation is RIGHTS-OF-WAY from page 1 between the edge of the road pavement and your property line. These areas vary in width from 5 feet to 15 feet, depending on the street. If you are unsure about the right-of-way width in front of your property, check your properly survey or call the Town Hall at 276-5116. It is important that rights-of-way remain free of improvements and vegetation, as these areas contain several utilities including underground water, sewer and drainage pipes, and above- or below- ground electrical, phone and cable wires. If you need to dig within a right-of-way, you must contact the Town Hall first for approval. exceeded, the price per gallon increases dramatically, providing an incentive to the customer to reduce his use to an appropriate level. The unique aspect of the system is that it focuses on wise consumption rather than total consumption. While several other water utilities in Florida charge progressively higher prices for higher levels of water use, none factor in the true irrigation needs of each property. As a result, owners of large properties tend to be penalized by such systems, while owners of small properties tend to have little or no incentive to keep their use in check. Gulf Stream's is the only system in the state to ensure equity and fairness between single- family properties of differing sizes. In fact, given the relatively large size of most lots in Gulf Stream, the vast majority of residents would be paying as much as 50 to 100 percent more for water if they were being served by the county or one of our neighboring cities.