Commission approves stormwater grants and demonstration projects for nutrient removal and sediment treatment
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Summary
Commissioners approved multiple grant‑funded stormwater projects, including inlet retrofits, a Lake Morton phosphorus elimination demonstration and a Lake Hollingsworth sediment‑treatment task authorization.
The City Commission approved multiple stormwater and lake‑health projects designed to reduce nutrient loads and demonstrate innovative treatments.
Staff recommended and the commission approved: a negotiation and contract authorization with Ferguson Waterworks for a sole‑source inlet retrofit project funded by a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) water‑quality grant (award $368,852) that will custom‑retrofit six stormwater inlets; a grant agreement with FDEP for an innovative technology phosphorus elimination project at Lake Morton funded at $994,401 with proposed sole‑source procurement with Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group (SWIG); and a task authorization with WSP for an UtroZorb sediment treatment in Lake Hollingsworth in a not‑to‑exceed amount of $911,230 (funded in FY2025 stormwater capital plan).
Staff described each vendor as a sole‑source provider for the specialized equipment and technology required by the grants; the Lake Morton project will operate through November 2028 with final reporting in 2029, staff said. The inlet retrofit grant requires a one percent match that can be satisfied with in‑kind public‑education activities. The Lake Hollingsworth task authorization follows a feasibility study that identified UtroZorb as an effective sediment treatment for that water body.
Commissioners stressed the importance of a planned workshop to explain nutrient‑removal work, demonstration projects and how the projects fit into a larger lake‑management strategy. Commissioner Madden said pilot projects funded by grants are a cost‑effective way to evaluate treatments before wider deployment.
Each project was approved by voice vote and will proceed under grant terms and negotiated contracts; anticipated completion dates vary by project (Lake Morton operations through Nov. 2028; inlet retrofit completion estimated January 2027).