BEACH RESTORATION: County Has A Plan to Restore Beaches South of Deerfield Beach... Using "Our" Sand.

Most of our readers are aware of the controversial plan by Broward County to widen beaches to the south of Deerfield. They intend to take sand from offshore burrows for this project. One of the burrows is located off Deerfield Beach.

Our beach is protected by a unique groin system which uses the reserves of sand located in the burrow. City officials fear that the project will jeopardize the process of self-restoration that has worked so well for Deerfield Beach for decades.

One of the reasons why we have this wide beach now in Deerfield Beach are the groins which were put into place 40 years ago. Huge piles of coral rock (mostly buried now under sand), anchor the groin networks located about 100 feet apart along the whole length of the beach front. The sand practically takes care of itself. But a lot of this sand comes from the offshore burrow.

Environmentalists also oppose the project because they say new sand will cover and endanger some of the delicate coral reef systems that run parallel to the South Florida coast. The federal agency that oversees marine fisheries has expressed similar concerns and has delayed the project at the federal level.

Readers who want to learn more about the environmental issues associated with the beach restoration project should check out the informative Cry of the Water Web site, which has everything you ever wanted to know about the county plan and some good pictures of the coral reefs just off our coast.

[ CRY OF THE WATER ]


FIRE SERVICES: Deerfield Beach Should Keep an Open Mind about Consolidation of Fire Services on a County-Wide Basis

The city has settled its long-standing contract dispute with the firefighters union and has authorized a $30 per year fire assessment fee. Now what?

The County Commission recently requested a comprehensive study of fire services in Broward County with an eye to the future. The county currently has 24 separate fire service providers including Deerfield Beach, which is one of the largest. And we would venture to guess, one of the most expensive. Given the present state of the department, operational costs and capital expenditures are very likely to increase substantially in the next few years.

The Deerfield Beach Fire Department handles between 18 and 19,000 calls annually. EMS accounts for more than 70 per cent of these calls. On the basis of the number of calls, we are the third largest municipal fire service provider in Broward County. Only Hollywood (#2) and Fort Lauderdale (#1) maintain larger operations.

Tri-Data Corp. conducted the research and presented a number of options for consideration. One option is to consolidate all the separate operations into a single county-wide department. The consultant favored this approach as the most sensible but conceded that full consolidation is not politically feasible at this time. Firefighter unions and some local cities would likely oppose a sweeping reorganization.

However, Local 3333, which represents county firefighters, has recently proposed the creation of a county public safety department under Sheriff Ken Jenne, consolidating the county fire services unit and the Broward Sheriff's Office. The sheriff would be expected then to take over local fire departments much as he has assumed control of many local law enforcement agencies, including Deerfield Beach's police department.

The county's fire advisory board also favors full consolidation of fire services in Broward County. Consolidation could save as much as $50 million a year according to a recent study.

The County Commission is scheduled to review the recommendations and may propose a special fire district with taxing powers that would provide fire services to smaller communities. This would require voter approval. This is far short of the full consolidation idea, but is a step in creating a more cost-effective fire and rescue service in Broward County.

Which brings us back to Deerfield Beach. The escalating costs of operating a separate fire department makes consolidation of our operation with other cities worthy of consideration. We think that city officials should take a serious look at this idea and keep an open mind about a county-wide fire department. It's nice to have our own people, of course, but rescuing this city from financial ruin should take precedence over protecting the turf.


THE POWER PLANT CONTROVERSY: The View from the Beach.

What should city officials do about the proposed plant sites in Deerfield Beach? Should they fight El Paso-Enron? Or should they embrace and promote these projects?

By their very nature power plants raise environmental questions. This is especially true when such industrial sites are built near residential areas. Regardless of the merits of the proposed El Paso-Enron power plants on other grounds, west side residents have every right to be concerned about the impact of these facilities on their neighborhoods.

They also have a right to expect their elected representatives and city officials who are supposed to serve them to take every possible step either to prevent such projects which are deemed to be inconsistent with the landscape of the community, or to insure that the impact of such projects will be mitigated to the greatest possible extent.

We share the concern expressed by some west side residents that the city administration, which bears the greatest responsibility in this case, is not pursuing their cause, but is once again promoting development because of the supposed economic benefit -- without regard to how these projects impact on the quality of life in Deerfield Beach. For beachside residents, this is deja vu all over again.

City officials claim that their hands are tied and they can do nothing to stop construction of merchant power plants. Others say these plants should not be built until a new state-wide energy policy is formulated. They propose legislative measures to delay construction or insure safer facilities. Check out the informative Web site created by Citizens for a Rational Energy Policy.

The Deerfield projects are now in stasis because of the Enron collapse and because the Broward County Board of County Commissioners adopted a moratorium on July 26th sponsored by District 2 commissioner Kristin D. Jacobs, which delayed the issuance of permits for merchant power plants in Broward County and give city and county officials a chance to evaluate the Governor's 2020 Energy Study.

[AERIAL VIEW OF PROPOSED POWER PLANT SITES]