InfoCentral: Talking with Truex

InfoCentral: Talking with Truex
Sept 13th 2025, 2pm
Hosted by Palm Island Estates

Intro: Bill Truex has been our Commissioner for 4 terms and has been an advocate for us and helps us the best he can.

Bill Truex: It’s been 5 years since he’s been to the island. It’s been a wild ride with all the storms. He’s open to any questions we want to ask and he has some lead in questions that he knows we are interested in. He also has fact sheets.

Beach Renourishment:

On July 22, the board unanimously moved forward with a plan to go to bid before or by August 2026. Since 2020, when we did the last renourishment, we’ve had 14 storms that have dramatically affected us. New funding categories were created for the major storms. They are making sure to hit every funding category before they ask the residents for funding.

$29M – storm impact only
$43M – full template which will be the longest lasting. It will include the dunes, vegetation to be restored to most likely to what they were before.

Q. Is this just us or Manasota Key too?
A. This is the full area. He didn’t have a breakdown of just us.

Q. When can we expect this to be completed?
A. They would like to start by November 2026. Likely a 6-9 months process. Ideally to be finished by May before turtle season

Q. Why can’t we move this along faster?
A. We need the money. We are at 14% of our fiscal reserves ($40M+). From IAN we are still out of pocket $113000 and don’t even have all the damage assessment for more recent storms. It’s too much of a risk until we have more money.

Truex -”I know how people got hit financially with these storms. We are trying to get the state to give the money rather than putting everything on the residents”. If they get all the funding, they hope to drop the cost to resident taxpayers to $1.34M. They are also trying to get the state to see that a big portion of the projects are for State land (such as Stump Pass).

Bocilla Lagoon:

They are working on getting a dredge plan as soon as possible. They need to get the documents and then get it out to bid. They are trying to get funding for it. The sand that comes out of Bocilla Lagoon will go back onto the beach after it is sifted.

Q. When you dredge there is so much debris, not just sand. That will be pulled out as well?
A. Yes. The channel and the lagoon will all be cleaned out.

Q. Timeline for this?
A. Before the end of the year, hopefully.

Q. The state can fast track dredge and fill permits for the emergency order but what about the federal permits (Army Corps of Engineers)?
A. I thought it was a man-made lagoon. Maybe we can work with Jacksonville to get that fast tracked.

Q. Would it be returned to the way it was?
A. Yes. We want to put it back as it was.

State Bill 4077: The Bocilla Islands Conservancy Act:

It won’t be able to be moved forward right now because it’s a violation of Senate Bill 180. For two years following a major hurricane you can’t make anything more restrictive within a hurricane zone. But there are other things we can do.

Q. It’s my understanding that this bill didn’t have anything that was more restrictive. It was an attempt to lock in at the state level what we already have in place. So why would this be an issue?
A. It’s not my recollection of the bill. I’ll have to reread it.

Q. Ask that he revisit this bill with Danny Nix because the intention was to keep it as is and not make it more restrictive.
A. When the county met with Danny they tried to make it so it could go through. He doesn’t know what happened after that.

Q. How can we push this forward? Can we set up a meeting with your office?
A. Absolutely. And you don’t even have to drive to Port Charlotte, I’ll come down to Englewood.

Boca Grande Parking

Q. What’s going on with Boca Grande parking?
A. We’re trying to get the votes to fight this. He’s trying to file an injunction until it can be looked at more closely.

Q. My concern is that the same thing is starting to happen here now?
A. We can enforce the right of ways or not. We might be able to work with the WCIND to see if we can use their space for soft parking.

Q. Can you enforce the maintenance of the predetermined beach parking spots without applying island-wide right-of-way regulations?
A. You’d need to change the rules. He was unclear.

Q. We live on Thornton Key, but we are blocked from entering public roads even though our taxes pay for the maintenance. Sabal Palm Point HOA (3 homes) has blocked access. I’d like to connect on how to fight this.
A. Sabal Palm and Thornton Key have been by boat access only the whole time I’ve been here. I don’t think it’s fair. I’m happy to speak with you on this.

Q. I live on S. Gulf. There’s a lot of encroachments, but we want to restore the beach. 250 parking spots on our road would have no place to turn around, trash, facilities, and damage to the vegetation. What’s the future plan?
A. The goal is to have public access to the beach. I don’t think we should strip everything out. We have to figure out a simpler way by working with WCIND so we aren’t having to change the island.

Central Sewer

Q. What is the chance that we’ll have to deal with this again?
A. It’s not my area.

Q. Didn’t you support it?
A. We need central sewer on our barrier islands. But that doesn’t mean I supported it. It’s just part of the master sewer plan.

Q. But we’ve spent a quarter million dollars fighting this?
A1. Comment: When the second go-round on the sewer came up, we were asked how to prevent this from happening again. This is why we created the Bocilla Islands Conservation District Act to help address this.
A2. Truex: suggested we try to do it on the state level instead of local. But when he talks to his utility companies, we need to address water quality. My County doesn’t want to have anything to do with sewer out on the Island.

Q. Is there anything you can do to help us avoid going through this again?
A. I can talk to people at the state level and maybe push the State Bill 4077 forward. And there may be other avenues we can put in place.

Q. If the County installs the system, will they maintain it?
A. Yes

Q. When you work with the County, you have to have a performance bond. Why can’t the County require the private companies to have these bonds?
A. It’s at the state level.

Q. If the sewer comes up again, will you be an advocate for helping us fight another private company?
A. Yes. “I will be a voice for the Island.”

Q. Why not mandate that when a new septic system goes in or an old one gets replaced, it is required that you put in an on-site advanced wastewater treatment system?
A. I believe it’s a change to the master comp plan, but I can look into it.

Q. Comm. Truex asked Phil Flood if the County has approved the new advanced wastewater septic systems? (cluster systems) Individual on-site advanced wastewater systems are being approved.
A. There’s a pilot project in Desoto County that would allow an easy way to transition a standard septic into an advanced treatment system.

Q. Does the resort have plans to connect to the mainland sewer?
A. I haven’t talked to anyone about that in years.

Alternative Ferry System

Q. Does the County have involvement or roll in approval of this alternate ferry?
A. We have an agreement that allows them to access the road. So, only in so far as whether we allow easement access. There’s no limit as long as there’s safety.

Q. Will the County be involved in permitting? For a landing area on the mainland?
A. I’m not aware of that. Light bulb! But it’s really important we hear from people on this. We definitely will hear from people that don’t want it. It’s equally important to hear from people who do want it.

Land

Truex: If you see property you think we should acquire, let us know.

Phil Flood thanked the Commissioner and the County for getting a 25% reduction in flood insurance. Comm. Truex said they are working on getting an additional discount.