Loxahatchee Groves spars with PBSO over police services

LOXAHATCHEE GROVES — The town once billed as “Florida’s Last Frontier,” incorporated in 2006 as Palm Beach County’s 38th municipality on its western side, now wrestles with budget challenges ranging from how to fix eroding unpaved roads to a looming cop quandary.

Following friction over budget issues, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw sent a letter saying PBSO will cut off police protection to this town of about 3,500 souls next fall.

The latest development: Loxahatchee Groves council members decided 4-0 Tuesday evening to let residents vote in March on whether to slice out a part of the town charter that deals with PBSO and public safety.

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“It gives us the freedom to do whatever we need to do,” Mayor David Browning said.

The charter says the town will contract with PBSO or hold a referendum on forming its own police force. The proposed change would remove that chunk of the charter.

Not everyone in town thinks it’s a great idea.

“We can't beat PBSO" for providing police protection, resident Ronald Jarriel said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I'll do everything in my power to urge people to vote this down.”

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For his part, the mayor made clear he hopes there will be a happy ending with the sheriff.

“My heart and wishes is still to resolve it with the sheriff's office,” Browning said.

Browning said he called Bradshaw but did not get a return call. He told The Palm Beach Post he thinks they will talk eventually.

In the latest fiscal year, PBSO requested a 2 percent increase in its bill, Browning said. The total tab was about $660,000, the mayor said.

The town initially declined to pay the increase because PBSO’s filing was a day late, Browning said. Later the town approved the increase as well, he said.

But all of it put a strain on the relationship.

“Loxahatchee Groves has indicated that they are not satisfied with the level of service they are receiving from the Sheriff’s Office, and that the cost of the service is too expensive,” PBSO spokeswoman Teri Barbera said in October. “Given that position by Loxahatchee Groves, the Sheriff’s Office has decided to give them the opportunity to form their own Law Enforcement Agency during the next year and will assist them in doing so.”

In the meantime, she said, “there is no change in any level of service, the present contract remains in effect, but the Sheriff’s Office will not renew the contract with them as of Oct. 1, 2019. The Sheriff’s Office will always be available to assist the residents of Loxahatchee Groves, even after the formation of their own agency. “

The money to pay the sheriff represents a big ticket for a town with a total annual budget the mayor said amounted to about $5 million.

It would take perhaps $10 million to fix all the road, canal and other infrastructure issues Loxahatchee Groves would like to address, town officials heard.

But that kind of money isn’t jangling in the town’s pockets at the moment.

Last month town council member Joyce Batcheler resigned, saying in a letter she regretted what she saw as a lack of civility in town meetings and expressing a desire to see the town “become fiscally responsible and healthy.”

She voiced concern the town was considering “not only removing the Palm Beach County Sheriff, but removing all forms of police services from the town charter.”

A long-term replacement for her seat will be elected in March. In the interim, council members voted 3-0 Tuesday to appoint a replacement: Anita Kane, who has served as chair of the board of supervisors at Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District. She was selected from four nominations that were considered.

Kane was sworn in and immediately joined the council to vote on other issues, while one member of the five-member group was out of town. By a 4-0 vote, council members approved a 60-square-foot sign and generator pads for Big Dog Ranch animal rescue.

Members voted 3-1 to allow the Wendy’s restaurant within town limits to put up a larger exterior drive-through menu board, from a 12-square-foot sign allowed under town rules to about 14 square feet. This was consistent with larger signs allowed at other businesses in the same plaza, proponents said, though still smaller than a drive-through menu at Wendy’s in Royal Palm Beach’s Crestwood area, for example.

Additional agenda items were set to be considered at a continuation of the meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

celmore@pbpost.com

@Elmorepbp