Stet News☔️ Good morning, Stetters, and welcome, rainy season! Lots of news, and we’ve boiled it down for you.
Today, what to know about a massive mining project that could affect South Florida’s water supply for generations, the latest on the search for a new county administrator, a new council member in Jupiter, kudos for FAU and Palm Beach County’s oldest chamber of commerce is new again.
🦩 Southland project wins county OK
Now that Palm Beach County commissioners have unanimously approved zoning to allow a giant mining and water reservoir south of Belle Glade, the focus shifts to state permits, federal oversight and a public hearing this week.
Why it’s important: The $200 million Southland Water Resource Project, on 13.5 square miles of sugarcane land, has divided the community. Commissioners were slammed with more than 7,000 emails.
- The plan has alarmed several Everglades-conservation groups, who objected verbally and in writing and could take the county to court.
- Glades leaders, including the mayors of South Bay and Belle Glade, expect it to drive growth and jobs. They have voiced unqualified support.
- U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Palm City, wrote to commissioners asking them to delay their decision until an Army Corps of Engineers review.
Catch up quick: Landowners Florida Crystals and U.S. Sugar and contractor Phillips & Jordan propose to mine 6,000 acres on the property for up to 44 years and engineer the holes left behind for public water storage.
- Under the conditions the county set, the partners have one year to obtain a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
- The mined rock, known as aggregate, can be used only for public roads or to support South Florida Water Management District projects.
Context: The last three county mining approvals were blocked after court challenges, said Lisa Interlandi, policy director of the Everglades Law Center. “This time, commissioners were unwilling to listen to any of the details or any of the concerns about the project.”
- She declined to say whether her organization will pursue legal action to block the zoning change.
In the weeds: Southland is an unsolicited proposal to the water district. Under an amendment to state law that passed last year with bipartisan support, governments that receive such pitches are no longer required to seek competing bids. (Though they can.)
- Last year’s changes also allow the developer to retain ownership of the project.
- The state changed the law to speed construction of projects for the public good, lower financial risk for private partners and lift development burden from government.
Of note: Phillips & Jordan submitted its Southland proposal July 1, 2024 — the day the amended law took effect.
What’s next: The first of two public hearings by the water district is set for 1 pm Thursday at the Lawrence E. Will Museum, 530 S. Main St., Belle Glade. The meeting is in-person only. More information is here.
Keep reading for why one Everglades advocate says water storage alone might not be enough to save it.
— Carolyn DiPaolo
⏱️ Commission: No need for first round interview
The question that proved the task force’s undoing: Can we just forward you six names instead of five?
Well, if you just forwarded us six names, what’s the point of putting the candidates vying for a $400,000-a-year job leading Palm Beach County through the travel and stress of a public interview, county commissioners wanted to know.
- Better yet, just send us the six names and you’re done. Goodbye, task force.
Catch up quick: With that, the Palm Beach County Commission ended the seven-member task force it created to narrow the field to replace County Administrator Verdenia Baker, who is leaving this week after nearly 10 years.
Why it’s important: The search has been rife with speculation that it is designed to favor County Clerk and Comptroller Joe Abruzzo. The commission’s action spares Abruzzo and his fellow finalists from overcoming one more hurdle, a public interview, before the final cut.
- Likewise, the leading insider, Deputy County Administrator Patrick Rutter, moves on to the final round. He faced criticism from task force members over his changing county roles, without an opportunity to explain that his job changes were promotions, taking him from the planning department, where he worked 15 years and ended up as director, to climbing the ranks of county executives to become Baker’s top deputy.
What they’re saying: “Why would we put these six applicants through interviews with the task force to then just come to us and do the interviews again?” Vice Mayor Sara Baxter asked. “It seems redundant and a huge waste of time for a lot of people.”
The other side: “I do believe we owe it to the public to put them in front of them (the public) as much as we can,” County Commissioner Gregg Weiss said. “I think by not doing that we’re doing a disservice.”
What’s next? Commissioners will interview the candidates privately on June 16. As no more than one elected official will attend, those interviews would not be subject to the state Sunshine Law’s open meeting requirements.
- Later that night, the county plans a yet-undefined forum in which members of the public can ask the candidates questions.
- The next day commissioners say they will conduct public interviews of the candidates before making a decision.
Of note: Commissioners decided that Assistant County Administrator Todd Bonlarronwill serve as interim administrator until the new administrator agrees to a contract and begins work.
Read more here of the commission debate and how it may impact the finalists for county administrator.
— Joel Engelhardt
🚀 From aerospace engineer to politician
Jupiter filled its open Town Council seat last week with retired aerospace engineer Dan Guisinger.
The Town Council selected Guisinger from 18 applicants to fill the remaining 10 months of Cameron May’s term. May resigned to run for mayor in March, a race he lost.
Why it’s important: The selection means for the first time the entire council backs the move to create a fire department, a decision championed by Mayor Jim Kuretski.
- After the selection, Kuretski told Guisinger, who was in the audience, “Welcome, get to work.”
Zoom out: Guisinger, 69, served as director of systems engineering and development at Aerojet Rocketdyne from 2013 through 2023. He was called out of retirement in 2024 to be chief engineer before retiring again this year.
- Aerojet emerged from Pratt & Whitney, where he began working in 1978.
Council members cited Guisinger’s technical expertise and town service. He is a two-year member of Jupiter’s Planning and Zoning Commission, appointed by Kuretksi.
- Among his degrees is a bachelor’s from Ohio State University in engineering physics with an emphasis in nuclear engineering.
Zoom in: The applicants included a family physician, a hospice nurse, business owners and real estate professionals. Only Guisinger, James Davis and Louis Coakley received council support.
Of note: Guisinger told The Palm Beach Post he would run for a full three-year term in March.
Read more: See the full story from Stet’s Laurie Mermet here.
- Guisinger’s application begins on Page 46 of the council’s May 20 agenda here.
— Laurie Mermet
🏆 🏆 A twin distinction for FAU
Florida Atlantic is one of 21 universities to earn a top designation for a commitment to research and ensuring student success.
Why it matters: FAU joins Temple University, the University of Chicago, Howard University and Florida International University in achieving both distinctions.
What’s happening: The Carnegie Classificationof Institutions of Higher Education has recognized FAU for the first time with a top rank as an R1 and an opportunity university.
A Research 1 or R1 is the highest possible research rank.
- The threshold for R1 is $50 million in total research-and-development spending and awarding of 70 doctorate degrees in a year.
- About 5% of the nation’s universities are R1s, which were announced in February.
An Opportunity College and University rank recognizes excellence in fostering student success.
- The distinction is based on access for underrepresented students and the earning power of graduates compared to peer universities.
- 16% of the nation’s universities have achieved this designation.
- Carnegie announced the opportunity rankings in April.
Gregg Fields, FAU’s vice president for research, visited last week’s Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce event at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott to spread the news.
It’s an important honor for the onetime commuter college, which now serves more than 30,000 students. Its most recent claim to fame was the basketball team’s NCAA Final Four appearance in 2023.
What’s next: Fields said the goal is to turn FAU’s research into business opportunities and build the workforce that goes along with it. “We have some very nice things going on at Florida Atlantic,” he said.
Read more: Thursday’s chamber meeting focused on Palm Beach County’s marine industry. Find out what they’re saying here.
— Carolyn DiPaolo
🍊 The Juice
🏌 Errant golf balls launched by duffers at the city-owned Lake Worth Beach Golf Club have been pelting dozens of homes along North Lakeside Drive and North Palmway in Lake Worth Beach. Sliced drives have smashed windshields and house windows, dented cars and front doors, splashed into swimming pools and ripped flower beds. Residents demand the city do something about it. (ByJoeCapozzi.com)
🚫 West Palm Beach has barred a private boat rental club, JetRide, from operating on the city’s downtown waterfront and required a water-recreation company, Visit Palm Beach, to end some services after a warning that their activities violated state rules. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
🇧🇸 A delegation from Freeport, The Bahamas, visited Riviera Beach last week to revive their sister city connection. (WPTV)
🎤 Lake Worth Beach is promoting a visit by “Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy, who launched his new project, “Morning Walk,” last week in the city. Fox anchor Bret Baier joined Doocy, 68, on a sunrise stroll on the city’s public pier. He praised the vibe, chatted with actor George Hamilton and gave a nod to Benny’s on the Beach. On Friday, Doocy’s morning walk was aboard a PonTiki boat on the intracoastal off Jupiter Inlet Colony. He and his wife Kathy own a home there. (Lake Worth Beach segment, PonTiki segment)
🐠 How the Children’s Services Council and West Palm Beach’s Small Fish Big Fish Swim School are helping reverse the higher-than-average drowning rate for children with autism. (The Associated Press)
Quote of the week: “One of the initiatives that (developer) Steve (Ross) asked me to become involved in is helping the city, as much as they will accept the help, to develop more of an enhanced aggressive development approach.” — Eric Silagy, former chief executive of FPL, who joined development company Related Ross last week as vice chair. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
561NSIDER: 💼 Changes at The Chamber
It’s not just a new logo and website for the formerly tradition-bound Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches.
- It’s a new name. Coffee, too.
Catch up quick: The Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches — or should we say The Chamber? — unveiled its new logo Friday at a Kravis Center breakfast as it honored Jeff Koons, a former county commissioner and West Palm Beach city commissioner, with the chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
- An alternative logo shortens the chamber’s mouthful of a name to two words, The Chamber, with the tagline: “est. 1913.”
- The main logo with The Chamber’s full name also has a new tagline: “Built for Business.”
Zoom in: The changes come as The Chamber transitions from longtime leader Dennis Grady, who retired in 2021, to his second successor as president and CEO, Michael Zeff.
- The logos were designed by the West Palm-based PATHOS Agency, based on focus groups, stakeholder interviews and a membership survey.
As for the coffee, a blend produced by Pumphouse Coffee Roasters, The Chamber is calling it “The Chamber: Built for Business.” It will be served exclusively at Chamber events and through June at The Pumphouse Pouratorium, 1016 Clare Ave., West Palm Beach.
Koons, a Democrat whose first foray in local politics dates to 1989, remains active and spoke about some of the areas he’s touched: childhood health, homelessness, food inequities.
What he’s saying: “I preached Wall Street South. I preached the largest increase in wealth of anyplace on the planet the last five or six years. Yet we’ve got 600 homeless kids in West Palm Beach schools. Sixty-nine percent of the kids are on free or reduced lunch. Most of these kids are going through a very traumatic situation called ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience),” Koons said.
Other Chamber award winners:
- Young Professional of the Year: Kirby Davis, NAMI Palm Beach County.
- Small Businessperson of the Year: Serge D’Haiti, certified public accountant.
- Health & Human Services Organization of the Year: Palm Beach County Food Bank.
- Hospitality and Tourism Organization of the Year: Kravis Center.
- Nonprofit of the Year: Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park.
- Business of the Year: Florida Power & Light.
Video: Click here to see The Palm Beach Post video of the event.
— Joel Engelhardt
