Islamorada officials are initiating discussions with the Florida Keys’ sole water service provider over a potential takeover of the village’s wastewater services.
At a May 4 meeting, Mayor Buddy Pinder and Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney shared concerns over the millions of dollars the village is footing to a local contractor to replace valves, vacuum pit concrete rings and other wastewater equipment. Pinder told fellow council members that the village’s wastewater system would benefit from FKAA’s workforce, equipment and its pool of subcontractors.
With nearshore waters deteriorating around the Keys, the state of Florida in 1999 mandated an advanced wastewater treatment system to eliminate leaky septic tanks and illegal cesspits. Final installation of a new system had to be complete by Dec. 31, 2015.
In Islamorada, design and construction of the wastewater collection system began in August 2012. The project was completed by July 2016. The village’s wastewater department is overseen by Public Works Director A.J. Engelmeyer. Joaquin Miranda serves as wastewater operations manager.
Last March, the dais approved a series of resolutions to address wear on the village’s sewer system. It came on the heels of the discovery in fiscal year 2020-2021 that many poly check valves were malfunctioning within the wastewater low pressure force main. Rubber seals on the flappers were deteriorating and losing their seals — allowing effluent to flow back into the grinder pumps. A report by village staff stated that such failures were increasing and had the potential to cause extensive and costly damage to homes and businesses.
In March, the dais approved payments for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to Page Excavating to replace 500 malfunctioning poly check valves throughout the system. The council also approved payments for work involving concrete ring replacement around vacuum pit lids that were considered hazardous, new mulch bed and odor control at the North Plantation Key transfer station, as well as other repair and maintenance work. The work totaled $1.7 million.
In addition, the council approved work for the 2022-23 fiscal year for a total cost that wouldn’t exceed $2.2 million. The work included installing poly check valves in the low pressure force main, removing and replacing concrete rings and conducting repairs around vacuum pit lids.
Pinder and Mahoney weren’t pleased with the nearly $4 million in approved work by Page Excavating that they believe should have gone out to competitive bid. Pinder did excavating work for FKAA.
“I know what I got paid to put grinders in. I never got paid near the money,” he said. “It’s time we look at doing something different here.”
Pinder brought Greg Veliz, FKAA executive director, to kick off talks on a potential transfer of wastewater services from the village to the state agency composed of a five-person board. Veliz said the aqueduct handles a majority of wastewater services for the Lower Keys excluding Key West.
“We’re not here asking to take over your system,” Veliz said, noting discussions between Pinder and him over the possibility. “I know if we increase our service area and increase our number, it should bring the overall cost down.”
Besides the issue of cost to the village customers, Veliz added that FKAA would need to assess the overall condition of the village’s wastewater system. But Veliz said FKAA’s board has interest in talking about the idea, so long as the village is interested in proceeding with the possibility.
“We think it might be beneficial to both parties,” Veliz said.
Councilman Mark Gregg inquired as to what would happen to Islamorada’s wastewater assets, which taxpayers heavily invested in from the project’s early beginnings. Veliz stated that FKAA would need to check out the system, overall customers and other figures to better report what would happen if the takeover proceeded.
As for issues surrounding the millions doled out to Page Excavating, Village Manager Ted Yates said the village would look to issue a request for proposals and bond for future work.
“Moving forward, that will be our standard practice,” he said.
In other matters, the council approved CPH Inc. to conduct construction engineering and inspection of the village-owned Green Turtle Hammock Preserve improvements. Pete Frezza, environmental resources manager, said design and permitting for improvements, which included ADA-compliant kayak launch, a restroom, a two-story pavilion with an observation tower, access to the basin and improved parking, is nearing completion.
Pete Frezza, village environmental resources manager, said the project came up over the council the previous three years, with a conceptual design and permitting approved by other councils. Costs for construction engineering and inspection services wouldn’t exceed $45,135.
“It more than doubled in about two years. That’s kind of the way it’s going with projects, not to say that it would cost that much. But it could cost more,” Frezza said, adding that the village secured a $200,000 grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection and a $200,000 local match. Frezza said the village also recently applied for TDC brick and mortar funds for the remaining construction costs, $1.1 million.
Improvements to the playground at Library Beach Park are on the way following council’s approval of a contractor and design for an all inclusive playground. The village received $246,960 in grant money from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council for the project. A village evaluation committee recommended the firm Playmore West Inc., of Fort Myers, to handle the playground project. The committee believed Playmore’s second design, with a $481,305 price tag, was best for the park as it included more inclusive features than the other designs.
Councilman Henry Rosenthal acknowledged concerns regarding the speed of the water behind the park.
“The speed of the water is outrageous. Any child who puts his foot in the water who could not swim would be in the bay 30 seconds (to a) minute. It’s that fast. To me it’s a dangerous situation,” he said.
The dais also approved supplemental inspection services for the building department due to vacancy of positions. Sheila Denoncourt, chief building official for the village, said there’s a need for multi-discipline inspectors. She said the current contractor hasn’t been able to fill the position.
“We’re reaching out to a local inspection firm that has multi disciplined inspectors,” she said, adding that there wouldn’t be any budget impacts.
