Hello Friends & Jupiter Island Residents:
We hope everyone had an excellent Memorial Day Weekend. All of us at Jupiter Island Forever are very grateful for all of the men and women of our armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice for this great nation. For those of you who have a loved one who laid down their life for our freedom, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Before we highlight some upcoming decisions in front of our Town Council for your awareness, we want to express our appreciation for the recent increase in information provided by Town leaders around their decision making. Having the same analysis they are able to access is incredibly helpful to ensuring citizens are fully aware of both the consequences and the benefits of decisions shaping our future. In the same patriotic spirit of our Memorial Day reflections, we believe that everyone wins when the people are empowered by their government with information. We are, after all, a great free democratic republic.
Hurricane Season & Beach Investments
We recently received several documents concerning the upcoming Jupiter Island 2023 budget that will be voted on in July. Of interest, especially as we officially entered the 2022 hurricane season on June 1st, is the information they provided on funding our beach programs. We have included the current 2022 budget and the proposed 2023 budget for beach renourishment, turtle monitoring and dune restoration efforts below for your review:
As you know, each hurricane season is especially important to our Island because we are prone to beach erosion and we already support several programs that provide renourishment and protect our unique sea turtle population and other fragile wildlife. This year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, we have a “65% chance of experiencing an above-average 2022 Atlantic hurricane season,” as stated in news reports. This further underscores the importance of evaluating any potential effects to our ecosystem when considering new development of the beachfront. Compensation Increases ProposedAlso of interest is a proposed 8% cost of living adjustment for Town employees. This would be an increase over the 5% cost of living adjustment from the 2021-2022 budget year. We are so appreciative of all that our hardworking employees do to keep our Island operating safe and efficiently. We included details of that budget item below:
Golf Carts After Sunset
Lastly, we want to make you aware of an upcoming ordinance that would allow for the operation of golf carts after sunset under certain conditions, which is set to be voted on in July. As you can see in the proposed language below, golf carts operating after dark would be required to have headlights, brake lights and turn signals for the safety of other motorists and Island residents – if the item is approved.
Thank you again for your continued support of Jupiter Island Forever. As you know, our mission continues to be the protection of our uniquely beautiful Island by providing as many people as possible with information from our elected leaders. The more we are empowered with information at the citizen level, the better we can hold our leaders accountable and ensure we are on the best path forward as a community.
Sincerely,
Jupiter Island Forever Leaders