Now,\u00a0 the Council may \u2013 just maybe \u2013 be ready to finally greenlight Florida Power & Light putting shovels in the ground. \u201cSo today we would give you the intent of the Council is to proceed to underground the entire island,\u201d Council Member Ed London said at Thursday\u2019s workshop.<\/p>\n
The Council is expected to take formal steps on the project at its Feb. 10 meeting, moving to bury all utility lines in a project that Mayor Joe Rasco said at the workshop will cost up to $81 million, nearly double the 2019 estimated cost of $46 million. Residents approved a $100 million general obligation bond in November 2020 to accomplish \u2013- among other things \u2013- a hardening of the island, which includes undergrounding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The funding method is a sharp difference from the approach recommended in 2019, which would have created a new user fee system based on a calculated benefit, instead of using property taxes to pay off loans. The fee approach was pushed by condominium leaders, who argued they should pay less because most island condos already have underground utilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPending approval on February 10, we will underground all feeders, laterals, and telecom lines,\u201d Williamson told the Independent. Included in the undergrounding will be all transformers \u2013 though they may be elevated when necessary \u2013 switches, handholes, pedestals and other infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe project will also include all related paving restoration, swale repairs, landscaping refurbishment, and the branch connections from the new underground system to each customer\u2019s junction box or meter,\u201d Williamson said.<\/p>\n
During the workshop to discuss the island\u2019s aging infrastructure, Council members expressed a strong preference for a comprehensive undergrounding project rather than a partial \u201chardening\u201d of existing overhead equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll we\u2019ve talked about is fully undergrounding today,\u201d Rasco said. \u201cIf we\u2019re serious about doing projects like this, if we\u2019re serious about infrastructure, you\u2019ve got to start them, and you\u2019ve got to bite the bullet and go through.\u201d<\/p>\n
The workshop focused on whether the Village should pursue a traditional undergrounding of all lines or a hybrid model involving hardened overhead \u201cfeeders\u201d and underground \u201claterals.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Never miss a story! Sign up for our FREE newsletter<\/p>\n
Council members voiced frustration with the power giant over a lack of comparative data regarding the reliability of underground versus overhead systems \u2013 something they had asked FPL previously.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow what I\u2019m understanding is that you don\u2019t have that data at all, so you can\u2019t compare what an underground reliability is of a feeder versus overground hardening,\u201d Vice Mayor Oscar Sardinas said. \u201cI thought that\u2019s what we waited for.\u201d<\/p>\n
The financial scope of the project has come into sharper focus, with estimates for the entire village\u2014divided into several zones\u2014ranging between $60 million and $80 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under current formulas, FPL provides an equipment credit of roughly 50% for electrical conversion, while the Village remains responsible for all labor costs. For the completed design of Zone 1 alone, the FPL cost-share was cited at approximately $6 million, Williamson said.<\/p>\n
Unlike the electrical portion, telecommunications providers do not offer credits, meaning the Village will fund 100% of the equipment and labor to move those lines underground, he said.<\/p>\n
Williamson presented primary recommendations for the program\u2019s execution:<\/p>\n
Finalizing design and moving toward construction on Zone 8 (the southernmost residential neighborhoods) as a fully underground project.<\/p>\n
Advancing design work for Zones 2-7 (central and northern neighborhoods)\u00a0 to preserve momentum.<\/p>\n
Pausing work on Zone 1 (neighborhoods around the K-8 elementary school) until a final decision is made regarding the Village\u2019s stormwater system to ensure the two projects are coordinated.<\/p>\n
Formal recommendations and funding plans will be presented to Council at its Feb. 10 meeting.<\/p>\n
Residents at the workshop voiced concerns over the visual and physical impact of the work, specifically regarding transformer pads that may need to be elevated due to the island\u2019s low elevation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s going to be elevated, show us what it\u2019s going to look like,\u201d said resident Luis de la Cruz, a former council member. \u201cPeople want to see what it\u2019s going to look like in front of their house\u201d.<\/p>\n
Council Member Nancy Stoner said she was \u201ctickled\u201d about some of the pushback. \u201cIf we want to underground, if we want to improve, we\u2019re going to have to suffer a little bit,\u201d she said. \u201cIt can\u2019t be seamless.\u201d<\/p>\n
Invest in Local News for Your Town. Your Gift is tax-deductible<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pacenti-1-e1682355459700-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n