High bacteria levels bring a swimming advisory at Midtown
High bacteria levels close in on Midtown Beach, Seaview shuts to through traffic, and the Town proposes a lower millage.
A saltwater sample taken at Midtown Beach on July 27 came back with an Enterococci level of 74, and the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County issued a swimming advisory, which the Town posted Wednesday. Enterococci indicates fecal pollution, which can come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, or human sewage, and exposure may cause disease, infections or rashes. The Florida Department of Health considers a result at that level a potential risk to bathers. New samples were scheduled for July 29. The advisory stays in place until levels return to normal and the Department issues an all-clear, so the water at Midtown is not a settled question yet this weekend.
Seaview closes to through traffic into mid-August
The 100 block of Seaview Avenue shut to through traffic Monday and stays that way into mid-August for road construction. Local access is maintained, so residents can still get home, but anyone who treats Seaview as a cut-through needs a new habit for a few weeks. On Cocoanut Row, water-main work has the southbound lane closed between Royal Poinciana Way and Pendleton Lane this week. Milling and paving are hitting the 100 and 200 blocks of Barton Avenue, the rear alley between Clarke and Barton, and Flagler Drive through Friday. One more for the calendar: westbound Royal Palm Way closes August 7 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for FDOT drainage work.
The Town wants beach furniture to start paying rent
Palm Beach wants a fee from businesses that place furniture on the beach. That's what The Palm Beach Post reported Sunday, and it's a short phrase with a lot packed inside it. Anyone who has walked down to a stretch of public sand and found it laid out like a hotel deck already knows the argument taking shape: the chairs and umbrellas belong to somebody, that somebody is running a business, and the sand underneath is the Town's. What the fee would be, which operators it would land on, and exactly where the idea stands are all still open.
The proposed tax rate goes down, the spending goes up
The Town posted its proposed FY 2026-27 budget this month with a millage rate of 2.5345, down 2.93% from the current 2.6110. That's possible because the preliminary tax roll puts taxable value on the island at $37.7 billion — so the lower rate still brings in a projected $90.8 million in property taxes, and the Town projects no Town tax increase per $1 million of value on homesteaded property. The General Fund would rise 5.57% to $134.4 million. Nothing here is adopted yet, but the shape is already clear: rate down, revenue up, the roll doing the work.
Pickleball keeps winning and keeps making enemies
The pickleball boom in Palm Beach County has sparked lawsuits and recall fights, The Palm Beach Post reported Wednesday. Read that again: a racquet game played with a plastic ball has put people in front of lawyers and put officials' seats on the line. Nothing about the sport suggests it should be the thing that escalates this far, which is exactly why it's the county story most likely to surface over dinner this week — everybody has an opinion, and now some of those opinions come with filings attached.
Town Council meets August 11
The Town Council holds a regular meeting on Tuesday, August 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Council Chambers, second floor, 360 South County Road. A block that long is its own kind of information: the Council sets aside a full working day, not an hour. What lands on the agenda is not yet spelled out on the calendar entry, but the date, the room, and the hours are fixed — and August 11 is a Tuesday worth marking if anything in front of the Town this summer touches your street.