SEBASTIAN — The Sebastian City Council Sept. 24 said “No” to immediately approving an interlocal agreement with Indian River County that would have required the city to pony up $62,088 for its share of the $155,220 design cost for the long-awaited North Sebastian Sewer and Water Main project.
In its recommendation that Council approve the agreement, city staff explained the city has been working with the county utilities department on a “possible sewer system for the North Sebastian Area within the city’s commercial area, between U.S. 1 and Indian River Drive. In October 2012, the city entered into an interlocal agreement for the Davis Street and Central Avenue sewer system design,” the document continued, but “since then, the County has identified a broader regional area for a sewer and water main system.”
The County Commission has already approved the new agreement, as of Sept. 16, which would replace the 2012 agreement. It is the Davis Street project that has some of the Council members saying, “Hey, hold on here.”
Council member Andrea Coy was not happy with the outcome of the Davis Street sewer project, which seemed to just go away.
“I don’t mind helping,” she said, “But we’ve had a project that was put on the back burner” and never happened – the County never installed the sewer system on the Davis Project while the street was “torn up” for the City’s resurfacing, as originally planned.
Project engineer Earl Masteller assured the Council that the County never had the Davis Street project on the back burner and that it had simply been a matter of cost.
“This project,” he told them, “is the least expensive alternative, and it is a quality, gravity system.”
Coy suggested agreeing only if there were a caveat: Reimburse the $62,088 if the project did not get under way within a specifically set start time.
Councilmember Richard Gillmor agreed, stating that he, too, felt there should be a “time certain” clause.
Masteller told Council that, in his experience, there would be a far greater chance of obtaining a grant for the $2.1 million project if the application includes a project design, instead of simply a study.
“Why are you asking us to pay for this?” Coy inquired.
Masteller said that in the bigger picture, including Davis Street in an expanded project will mean reducing the cost for every property owner, and well as rendering the entire expanded project more cost efficient, since the same equipment and manpower is required either way.
Vice Mayor Jim Hill argued that the request is reasonable, the project will benefit Sebastian and that the city is simply applying for a grant, which it does on an ongoing basis, including the attached fees.
City Manager Joe Griffin reminded Council that, although the sewer system didn’t go in on the Davis project, the city did accomplish the street improvements and drainage.
Council also wondered why the County was requesting that the City pay 40 percent of the design cost although it has only 25 percent of the ERU’s (Equivalent Residential Units) in the project.
Coy suggested waiting until “some money person, maybe (County Administrator) Joe Baird” could come to the next Council meeting and “give us a presentation, or some assurances that we are not going to be hit up for 40 percent of the construction costs.”
Hill exclaimed, “We talk and talk and talk about getting sewer. It’s incredibly necessary! But then we hesitate to partner with ‘the Evil County.’ We should approve this. Now we have an opportunity to help the river. I move to approve.”
There was no second.
“We need to know any hidden costs, and the time frame,” said Mayor Bob McPartlan. “Is it 60-40? Or 25 percent like the ERU’s? We need someone who can talk dollars and cents.”
Staff will explore the issue further.