Longboat Key electorate approves undergrounding project

Say goodbye to power lines and poles on Gulf of Mexico Drive.

The town’s electorate officially buried the debate over whether to approve a referendum that asked if the town can issue bonds not to exceed $25.25 million to bury the road’s utilities.

Voters approved the referendum Tuesday night by 562 votes. Town Clerk Trish Granger reported that 1,399 voters, or 62.6%, voted in favor of the referendum, and 835 voters, or 37.4%, voted against the referendum.

A simple majority of 50% plus one of the returned ballots was needed for the referendum to pass. The referendum was needed because a town charter amendment requires the town to obtain voter approval via a public referendum to issue bonds of more than $800,000.

The vote also approves a fiber optic network and enhanced street lighting along Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Overall, 37.34% of the town’s electorate participated in the election. (See “A Fine Line” for a breakdown of votes.)

Approximately 98% of the island’s property owners will pay less than $3,000 over 30 years as part of their tax bill. The average annual extra cost to taxpayers is between $153 and $182.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” said Country Club Shores resident and undergrounding supporter Bob Gault. “It’s the right thing to do to improve electrical service, make our real estate market competitive and keep our island a top place to live.”

Mayor Jack Duncan said the voters have spoken.

“It’s very good news, and it’s a bold move for Longboat Key,” Duncan said. “It’s a huge step forward for enhancing the aesthetics of the island.”

The approval officially derails Florida Power & Light Co.’s plans to install larger, heavier concrete poles along the island’s main thoroughfare. FPL, though, is responsible for ongoing repair and maintenance of the underground system once it’s installed.

Debates about burying the Key’s utilities have switched on and off for years. The Longboat Key Town Commission decided to put the issue to the voters, though, when FPL announced plans to install larger poles that withstand hurricane force winds as part of its Storm Secure program.

The Gulf of Mexico Drive project, though, was met with skepticism from some who believe a townwide undergrounding project should have been put before the voters.

The commission considered an islandwide project but opted to separate the GMD project from a potential neighborhood/side street project.

The split was due in part to concerns about fairness: A majority of the Key’s utilities are already underground. Commissioners worried the $42.2 million price tag of an islandwide project would cause voters, many of whom already paid for their underground utilities, to reject it.

Town Manager Dave Bullock told the commission at its regular meeting Monday that referendum approval would mean scheduling of surveys and design work will begin immediately, and the Nov. 9 workshop will include an ordinance to review for the funding assessment framework.

Construction for the project will begin in 2017 and take three years to complete.

Residents worried about how the town will craft a second referendum to bury the rest of the town’s overhead utilities won’t have to wait long.

The commission wants to hold  public meetings to discuss the fairest funding method for a referendum to bury the rest of the island’s utilities as soon as possible.

“Now, we have to take a strong look at the neighborhoods and we will do that with a lot of public input,” Duncan said.

The commission previously discussed a neighborhoods project once estimated at $18.8 million that would only be voted on and funded by residents of above-ground communities. But commissioners want to find a fairer, more equitable way to fund that project.

Bay Isles resident Lenny Landau, who has been skeptical of the way the undergrounding process has unfolded, says it’s time to focus closely on how remaining utilities will be buried.

Landau has always believed it makes more sense to bury the neighborhoods instead of Gulf of Mexico Drive.

“When people come on the island, they’ll notice the big electrical boxes at eye level and not the power lines up in the air,” Landau said “My motive turns to how we manage this and how we address the rest of the island because this is a bigger deal, I think, for the neighborhoods.”

Commissioner Jack Daly said Tuesday’s results only propel him and the commission to keep the momentum moving.

“It’s a good first step,” Daly said. “Undergrounding all the utilities Keywide is the ultimate goal.”

Gault is glad to hear the commission will move quickly to address the neighborhoods.

“From a Country Club Shores standpoint, we want to get our neighborhoods done next as expeditiously as possible to reduce the cost if it’s done with along with the GMD project,” Gault said. “If it’s not addressed quickly, we’re ready to do it ourselves.”