Underground utilities referenda nixed for March

A referenda asking residents to bury Gulf of Mexico Drive power lines in March fizzled out at a special meeting today at Longboat Key Town Hall.

Four out of six Longboat Key commissioners in attendance voted against an ordinance on second reading that sought a March 10 referenda vote for a bond of no more than $19 million to bury utilities along Gulf of Mexico Drive.

While more than 40 residents in attendance all agreed that undergrounding utilities was the right decision, they expressed a desire to hold off on the GMD referenda until it can be combined with another referenda that allows utilities to be buried in other neighborhoods as well.

“This should be an island-wide referendum,” said north end resident Pete Cohen. “It’s not fair everyone pays for GMD but then we pay again for undergrounding on Broadway later.”

The majority of the commission cited a need to get it done right the first time and a need to know what that the cost would be island-wide to bury utilities. The town will save money if it lumps the entire project together but the savings are unknown at this time. Mayor Jim Brown also stressed an equitable cost-sharing formula needs to be crafted to allow those that live in neighborhoods that already have underground utilities to pay less for the future island-wide project.

Brown, Vice Mayor Jack Duncan and Commissioners Phill Younger and Pat Zunz voted to nix the March 10 referenda.

Commissioners Terry Gans and Lynn Larson voted for the March 10 referenda. Commissioner Irwin Pastor was absent from the meeting.

All six commissioners voted in favor of a motion made by Duncan to allow staff to bring back options to the commission by February for GMD and neighborhood financing, both combined and separately. As part of the motion, a timeline was set in place to get a referenda on the ballot next year on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Larson and Gans were adamant that if a GMD project wasn’t approved in March, none of the undergrounding was ever going to happen.

“If we don’t walk out of here with a March referenda for GMD undergrounding, it’s dead,” Larson said.

The majority disagreed.

“We’re not putting a nail in any coffin,” Duncan said. “We’re taking the time to make an informed decision. It’s about getting it right for the whole town.”

Some commissioners expressed a concern that many residents would vote down the GMD undergrounding project if the entire island wasn’t included in the project.

While Younger disagreed and believed the GMD project should move forward, he agreed to vote against the March referenda.

“We’re running a high risk by not moving forward, but I understand what you all want and I’m listening to you,” Younger said.

For more information, pick up a copy of next week’s Longboat Observer.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].