Subject:
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Ratification of the County Administrator’s approval of the Water Quality Improvement grant applications with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Ratify, confirm, and enter into the minutes the approval by the County Administrator of the submission of two grant applications to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Water Quality Improvement grant program. Grant applications were due to FDEP on July 31st, 2024. Due to the grant submission deadline, the County Administrator’s approval was required for the timely submittal of the two grant applications.
Grant requests total $31,500,000.00 in Water Quality Improvement Funds, matched with $1.5M of County funds. Projects include:
• Manufactured Home Communities Wastewater Collection System Improvements (PID 005015A) - $30.0M with no matching funds.
• Pump Station Generator Improvements (PID 003762A) - $1.5M with $1.5M in matching funds provided by the Utilities’ Sewer Renewal & Replacement Fund.
• Both applications were submitted by the July 31st submittal deadline and accepted by FDEP. Body
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Strategic Plan:
Practice Superior Environmental Stewardship
3.3 Protect and improve the quality of our water, air, and other natural resources
3.5 Foster a sustainable and resilient community that is prepared for sea level rise and a changing climate
Foster Continual Economic Growth and Vitality
4.4 Invest in infrastructure to meet current and future needs
Deliver First-Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.3 Ensure effective and efficient delivery of county services and support
Summary:
Summary
The FDEP Water Quality Improvement grant program accepts applications to address wastewater (including septic to sewer), stormwater and agricultural sources of nutrients in waterbodies that are not attaining nutrient or nutrient-related standards, have an established maximum daily load or are located within a basin management action plan area. There are no matching funds required, but projects with a match receive priority. Based on the Florida Governor’s direction to spend $500.0M on sewer projects, on July 15, 2024, FDEP released an announcement extending the application deadline to accept project proposals through July 31, 2024. Due to the short turnaround time allotted, the County Administrator authorized approval of the grant applications via electronic mail (attached). This Board of County Commissioners action ratifies, confirms, and enters into the minutes the approval.
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Background Information:
Project 1: The Pinellas County Wastewater Collection System Improvements project is constructing critical wastewater infrastructure at various Manufactured Home Communities (MHC) located in the unincorporated areas of Pinellas County and the City of Largo. The project will cost-effectively reduce inflow and infiltration (I&I) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and lessen flood impacts to communities and local waterbodies. There is a total of 13 MHC included in the project. The County has already secured funding for the first seven (7) through multiple other funding sources including Resilient Florida, ARPA, and RESTORE Act dollars. Due to bids coming in approximately 50% higher than the engineer’s estimate, the County is unable to complete the remaining MHC without additional funding. The County also applied for additional funding in the amount of $23,987,745 through the original Resilient Florida programs’ grant award of $25,000,000 received by the County in 2022 (see 24-1317A). All available County matching dollars were applied to the Resilient Florida additional funding request.
Project 2: The County is planning to install additional power backup systems at critical sewer pump stations to provide sewer collection services during power outage events. These improvements will assist prevention of sanitary sewer overflows (SSO) throughout unincorporated Pinellas County.
Fiscal Impact:
These are both multi-year reimbursement grant projects that will impact Fiscal Years (FY) 2025 and FY2026.
County matching funds for the Pump Station Generator Improvements project are budgeted under PID 003762A, Pump Station Generator Improvements, included in the Capital Improvement Plan, funded by the Sewer Renewal and Replacement Fund in the amount of $1.5M for FY25, and $1.5M for FY26. Total project costs anticipated for each fiscal year is $3.0M. There are no matching funds available for the MHC project, and a budget amendment will be necessary should the funds be awarded.
Staff Member Responsible:
Jeremy Waugh, Director, Utilities
Partners:
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Attachments:
OMB Grants Review Forms (2)
Application Forms (2)
Approval emails - County Administration (2)
Project Location Maps