Loxahatchee Groves mayor urges action on infrastructure, cites rural designation and grants

Mayor Anita Kane outlined a list of projects, funding requests and next steps she wants the Town of Loxahatchee Groves to convert from plans into action during the March 18 council meeting.

Kane said the town’s rural designation, adopted in 2023, protects agricultural uses and exempts the town from some state funding matches; she said officials recently asked the Florida Department of Commerce for a five-year extension and that the department plans a town visit. Kane said the designation helps the town be competitive for grants and urged a small, in-house strategic session by June to turn prior visioning into measurable goals tied to the budget.

Why it matters: Kane framed the proposals as necessary to preserve the town’s rural character while funding a list of deferred infrastructure projects. She listed several large capital estimates the council is using for planning and grant-seeking.

Key details cited by Kane included a $350,000 no-match Resilient Florida vulnerability assessment grant, a $7,500 forestry/art grant, and multiple grant applications the town has filed. She summarized the town’s capital-improvement estimates as: canal bank restoration $80,000,000; drainage system upgrades $7,000,000; interior drainage expansion $2,000,000; pump station modernization $2,500,000; retrofit of existing control structures $500,000; new control structures $2,100,000; North pump station $1,000,000; SCADA/system improvements $1,300,000; public works building $2,000,000; and road paving projects estimated at $5,000,000. Kane told the council staff currently has five grant applications totaling $15,000,000 in and seven additional submissions totaling nearly $93,000,000.

Kane also reported progress on other priorities: the town compiled a revised water-control plan to support future funding, updated drainage-related sections of the ULDC, advanced rural roadway standards and adopted a capital improvement plan (CIP). She said trails along Druber Lane and East Citrus opened the prior week, and the town has applied for a $1,000,000 TPA grant and a $350,000 state grant to connect F Road trails to county trails at North Road.

Kane acknowledged the town’s new RV program is “not perfect,” but said it provides a starting point for enforcement while encouraging community feedback. She proposed a June strategic meeting with citizens and council to produce timelines, dollar estimates and accountability measures tied to the upcoming budget cycle.

Council and staff responses: Town manager Francine Romagna and Public Works Director Gallant were referenced repeatedly as working on grant applications and engineering assessments; Romagna confirmed staff would prepare schedules and timelines for the council and the town’s advisory committees to prioritize the items Kane described.

Next steps: Kane asked the council to consider scheduling the proposed in-house strategic session by June, with measurable deliverables tied to budgeting calendars. Staff will continue grant pursuit and return with timelines and draft implementation steps at future meetings.

Ending: Kane closed by urging action rather than more plans on paper, saying the town now has the comp plan, rural designation and partnerships to translate past commitments into funded projects.