FELLSMERE — The Fellsmere City Council Thursday unanimously approved submitting grant proposals to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for much-needed infrastructure and recreational enhancements.
These grants — especially the one to pay to extend the natural gas line — have been discussed for many months, but Thursday’s vote was the final okay during a second and final public hearing on the issue. No members of the public showed up to speak for or against the proposals.
In recent years, Fellsmere has effectively leveraged its limited local funding to bring millions of grant dollars into the city for utilities, road paving, drainage, stormwater management, disaster preparedness and historical building restoration.
The two latest grant applications heading to Tallahassee total nearly $1.8 million being sought from the state’s Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program.
The first pitch is twofold, with a goal of improving paving and drainage alongside Wyoming Avenue, Hickory Street, Pine Street and Willow Street and to construct a pavilion and a picnic table in a passive park. Through that application, the city is seeking $700,000. The city has pledged $125,000 in local dollars to fund the project, which would help alleviate flooding in residential neighborhoods.
Grant writer and administrator Kathy Baker of Jordan and Associates municipal consultants out of Jacksonville summarized the proposals for council members. She said Department of Economic Opportunity officials would most likely schedule site visits this fall, probably in November.
“Too bad they can’t come visit during the rainy season,” said Mayor Susan Adams. “Then they would really see that there was a dire need.”
The natural gas line proposal is a scaled-back version of one which angered Indian River County officials when it was rolled out in May. County staff said it encroached into unincorporated county land and that Fellsmere officials had no right to devise a plan to form a natural gas service territory outside its city limits.
Should the grant be fully funded at the $1,090,000 as requested, Fellsmere would have the cash to extend a natural gas line from Fellsmere City Hall out to the planned Florida Organic Aquaculture site.
The Jupiter-based Florida Organic Aquaculture has committed to hiring 52 people once the facility expands, and 29 of those jobs will be given to people of low to moderate income and only a high school diploma.
The company has recently been recommended by the county Economic Development County for a Jobs Grant to help offset the cost of those salaries.
With the aid of the natural gas to reduce utility bills and increase profits, the facility will produce sushi-grade colossal shrimp, oysters and a savory green bean-type vegetable called Samphire, which is often served alongside fish or seafood dishes.
“It will provide the gas they need to keep the tanks the temperature they should be,” Baker said.
“I’m very excited myself to see what it’s going to be like whenever it gets doing,” said Baker. “We have every idea that it will be funded. It’s a very good, solid application.”
Councilwoman Sara Savage reminded her fellow council members that the city had been burned before when the city built infrastructure with grant dollars and then a business did not follow through on its promises of making strides toward economic development. She cautioned her colleagues and City Manager Jason Nunemaker to assure residents that the same thing won’t happen again with the shrimp farm, as it’s commonly called.
Nunemaker said the aquaculture company has allayed any skepticism might have had when its leaders agreed to put up the $40,000 required to pay for grant administration.
“They are already funding the grant administration, so they already have some skin in the game,” Nunemaker said. “Because they’ve already stepped up to do that shows that they’re serious.”
“As much as you can vet something like this that is somewhat speculative, it’s been pretty well vetted,” he said.
Other businesses could tap into the natural gas line, Nunemaker said, and he expected someone apart from the aquaculture farm to come forward to help make the project even more beneficial to the Fellsmere community.
Nunemaker also encouraged the council to invest more in vehicles that run on Compressed Natural Gas – or CNG – as the fuel supply will be readily and conveniently available on the grounds of city buildings.
Now the environmental reviews can be conducted and final touches can be put on the grant applications so they are ready for submission on Oct. 1.
