A conversation with Alaina Ray

After 4 1/2 years with Longboat Key, Planning, Zoning and Building Director Alaina Ray is leaving for a similar role in Loudoun County, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C. Beginning with the 2013 Urban Land Institute Study that studied the island’s planning future, Ray oversaw several major projects on the island including the redevelopment of the former Hilton into the Zota Beach Resort, changes to Bayfront Park and a rewrite of the town’s comprehensive plan. As she prepares for her final day on the job in early October, Ray talked about the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead of her and Longboat Key.

What motivated you to take the new job in Loudoun County?

From a professional standpoint, it offered a really unique opportunity. From a personal standpoint it was a good time to do it with my husband being flexible with where he works and our son being three-and-a-half hours away from where we’ll be living up there. It just seemed to make sense. We hate to leave Florida. We love warm weather and the beach. I’m not a fan of cold and snow, but I think for us at this point in time, it’s the right decision. It doesn’t mean sometime we won’t end up back in Florida. But for now, for the foreseeable future, it’s the best place for us.

What are some of the biggest challenges Longboat faces now?

Traffic will continue to be a problem for Longboat. I don’t know if there is an easy solution. I don’t think another bridge will ever get built. It’s too environmentally complicated and expensive. Also the Colony redevelopment, whether this most recent proposal solves the issues or not, I would hope at some point in the not too distant future the Colony can be resolved. It’s not doing anybody any good the way it is. In fact it’s detrimental to the community. It’s a crying shame that it’s still standing out there, sort of a monument to what not to do. Some other things that are going to be challenges in the long term are sea-level rise, how that impacts the extreme high tides, how the impacts from storms change. We could see an increased intensity of storms and/or an increased frequency of storms. Our infrastructure system is limited as to how it can handle extreme high tides, especially in the lower areas of the island. That’s only going to get worse.

What are some obstacles the Longboat government faces?

From an organizational standpoint, I think it’s going to be increasingly difficult to attract and maintain a quality work staff. One reason is traffic during the season. Another is the pay and benefits. We’re the only jurisdiction in the state that does not participate in the Florida Retirement Pension System. It was to address the climbing pension rate and unfunded balances. No one else followed the example. We’re the only ones who aren’t part of FRS. Some of our salaries are not extremely competitive from the standpoint of making it worth their while to drive out here.

Going forward, how could Longboat better plan for the future?

From a planning perspective, we have to look 30 years out. It can be very difficult to get any motivation or traction to want to spend time and resources on those long-term objectives. That is a problem. The only way to resolve that is to get people in the current age group who are forward thinking. Or we do have some younger people out there on Longboat, so we need to find them and drag them into the process.

What advice would you give to your successor?

They’re going to need to learn as much as they can about the history of the various things Longboat has been working on for a long time, like the Colony to a proposed cell tower to the charter referendum, to understanding non-conforming properties to the downzoning of the island. As a planner, you want to respect the past, but you don’t want the past to hold you back from being able to plan for the future. I think sometimes the past gets in the way of planning for the future on Longboat. My advice to them is they’re going to have to find a way forward rather than being dragged backwards. The history of Longboat will always be important to the people who live here, and rightfully so, but it is a challenge to have that meaningful conversation about the future if too many people are looking in the past. My advice is to look for that path forward. I know it’s going to be hard to find it. I’ve struggled with it for  4 1/2  years. Be patient, but be persistent. I’ve seen a lot of good projects happen out here. Look for those opening you can take advantage of.

As you prepare to head to Virginia, what are your thoughts about your time on Longboat?

Leaving Longboat is bittersweet. I have really enjoyed working here. There’s been a lot of great times and great moments. I enjoyed working with this community. It really is neat to work for a community where everyone here wants to be here. It was bittersweet and it wasn’t an easy decision. It’s been wonderful working here and working with the staff and the community