The commission approved an amendment May 22 to increase the city's purchase order with Crowder Gulf Joint Ventures Inc. by $939,926.30 to a total not-to-exceed amount of $5,250,776.30 for disaster debris collection and removal tied to Hurricane Milton.

Public Works Director Sue Bartlett said the additional funds reflect final reconciliations after multiple storm events this season and the time required to complete removal. She told commissioners the Crowder team fulfilled an urgent need after the city changed vendors during the response and that the contractor's work has been reviewed by the city's debris-monitoring consultant, Tetra Tech.

"They did a great job," Bartlett said of the contractor, and added the work is expected to be reimbursable by FEMA and the state. Staff noted some expedited debris-removal payments were received earlier in the recovery and that the remaining invoiced costs will be submitted for FEMA/state reimbursement under the applicable program rules.

The motion to increase the purchase order passed unanimously during the meeting. Staff said that debris operations were largely direct-haul and that the city's quick lay-down and removal operations limited putrescible contamination and accelerated cleanup in neighborhoods.

Commissioners thanked public works and the contracted crews for the speed and thoroughness of the cleanup; staff said reimbursements could take several months to materialize based on federal and state processing timelines.