The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority board on Feb. 18 approved Amendment 2 to a progressive design‑build agreement with contractor TLC Diversified, authorizing a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) of $5,443,398.98 for capital improvement project 2.1 — the installation of a 30‑inch conveyance main along Jenkins Road from Okeechobee Road to Edwards Road — and a separate FPUA contingency of $150,000.

Shane Ostrander, environmental engineer, told the board the amendment signifies the start of the construction phase for the conveyance system that will redirect wastewater flows from the island reclamation facility to the mainland treatment plant. “Amendment 2 signifies the start of phase 2, the construction phase of the contract,” Ostrander said. He described the 30‑inch trunk as the pipe that “will take the majority of the flow from the plant existing plant south to the new plant.”

Ostrander and staff explained that the 30‑inch pipeline for this segment will deliver roughly three‑quarters of a million gallons per day to the new plant at start‑up and that additional conveyance projects will extend the 30‑inch capacity as the system is phased into full operation. The board heard that some existing sections of the system are 24‑inch and may be upgraded later if flows require it.

Board members asked for cost context. Staff said earlier design and permitting work and the preconstruction phases total roughly $2.4 million previously approved; the $5.443 million construction GMP plus those earlier amounts bring the progressive design contract to about $7.8 million to date. Staff also confirmed the project is bond‑funded.

Mrs. Davis pressed for clarity on the packet figures and approval history; staff responded that earlier amendments covering design services and preconstruction work were previously approved in 2023 and 2024 and that the current action is approval of the construction GMP and the $150,000 internal contingency and authorization to issue written notice to proceed for phase 2.

The board voted unanimously to approve Amendment 2 and the contingency. Roll call votes recorded “yes” from Mrs. Bennett, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Gibbons, Mayor Hudson and Chairman Fee.

Contract and project details in the presentation: contractor TLC Diversified; GMP $5,443,398.98; separate FPUA contingency $150,000; scope: Jenkin(s) Row/Jenkins Road trunk from Okeechobee Road to Edwards Road; 30‑inch diameter pipe; initial capacity for start‑up ~0.75 million gallons per day. Staff said additional CIP phases will be brought to the board in future amendments for remaining conveyance segments.