Highland Beach blasts Delray’s planned fee hike for fire-rescue

HIGHLAND BEACH — Town commissioners, angered by the Delray Beach City Commission’s plan to increase the cost of its firerescue contract, agreed on Thursday to look elsewhere for fire services or start their own department.

Commissioners said they were taken aback by comments made by Delray Beach city staff and commissioners this week that accused Highland Beach of getting a free ride on the 15-year contract, which requires Delray Beach to keep eight firefighters and a paramedicrescuevehicledailyat HighlandBeachFireStation at 3612 S. Ocean Blvd.

The contract, which expires next year, is worth about $3.2 million a year.

Delray Beach wants to add a 20 percent administrative fee to the proposed new agreement, saying the city has lost money. The city had already sent a new contract to Highland Beach, agreed to by town commissioners in December, without such a clause.

“We signed the contract they gave us,” Commissioner Carl Feldman said. “Weweren’t the bad guys.”

Highland Beach is a three-mile narrow strip between Boca Raton and Delray Beach along State Road A1A with about 4,000 residents. Three-fourths live in condominiumbuildingsand the rest in private homes.

Town commissioners said theywere especially offendedby a publiccomment madeat a meeting by Delray Beach Commissioner Shelly Petrolia. She said Highland Beach could afford the 20 percent increase because the town consists of “primarilywealthy people.”

“We’re not that wealthy,” Mayor BernardFeatherman said. “It’s not befitting of a commissioner to say that. It makes me feel sad. We’re a commission that wanted to work with them.”

Petrolia, who wasn’t present at the Highland Beach meeting, said Thursday that she is not seeing the benefit “of having Highland Beach” when she has “seen a deficit for decades.”

“I understand their feelings, but I amnot upset that they would consider going elsewhere,” Petrolia said. “That is their prerogative. If they can find a better deal that’s the best thing they can do for themselves. You have to look out for your own city and that is what I amtrying to do.”

HighlandBeachcommissioners asked their staff to research alternatives to the Delray Beach contract, including working with Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, contracting with a private company or starting their own department.

“It dismaysme to see the town of Delray put a gun to our head,” ViceMayorWilliamWeitz said.

Staff writerMarisa Gottesman contributed to this report.

Lsolomon@tribpub.com