- December 31, 2024
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The city of Ormond Beach is planning $10.08 million worth of water and wastewater projects in its Five-Year Capital Improvement Program for fiscal years 2022-2023 through 2026-2027, a figure which includes significant rehabilitations to its water reclamation facility and increase in reclaim water storage.
The commission reviewed the proposed CIP projects during a workshop on Tuesday, June 7. Mayor Bill Partington said the city has dealt with water issues for about two decades.
“I told our staff I want to have the absolute best water program, whether it’s potable water, reclaim water, sewer, stormwater,” he said. “I think our residents expect to have the absolute best water all the way around.”
One of the most expensive water projects in the CIP plan is a $2.4 million rehabilitation of several process components of the Water Reclamation Facility, including its master lift station pump and controls. This was identified as a need by the city’s consultant, Mead Hunt, in 2020.
To comply with the recently-adopted Senate Bill 64, which mandates a full reduction of effluent discharged into water bodies by 2032, the city has also proposed a $700,000 project to purchase a site for a reclaimed water storage reservoir, tank and pumping facilities. During a workshop on May 17, commissioners directed city staff to proceed with the acquisition of a 147-acre site within Ormond Crossings. The city estimates the site could give them about 100 million gallons of reclaim water storage; it currently only has a capacity of 10 million gallons.
“We’re taking that whole approach so that we can take the steps to being able to store the water that we aren’t using on a day like you may have later this summer where you have a lot of rain,” Public Works Director Shawn Finley said.
Finley said this one project will likely get the city to a position where they aren’t discharging any effluent into the Halifax River.
Additionally, a $2.85 million project to replace lime softening filters at the city’s wastewater treatment plant was included. According to the CIP plan, the old filter structures, pipe gallery and clearwell were abandoned in 2008 and could become a safety hazard if ignored.
Other big ticket items in the city’s CIP plan include a $1.63 million renovation project for the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center — to be funded by county ECHO grant dollars, city general fund reserves and donations from the Friends of the PAC — as well as $1.1 million construction of a secondary access road from Pineland Trail to the city’s Airport Business Park.
The city is also looking to add electric vehicle charging stations, likely at city hall and at The Casements, as part of its Community Redevelopment Agency improvements. The charging stations, to cost $70,000, would be paid for using CRA dollars.
Commissioners expressed an interest in implementing a fee for users to charge their vehicles.
Ormond Beach will be receiving over $2 million in state funds as part of the recently signed Florida budget for two projects.
The first is $1.5 million for the city’s Water Reclamation Facility Ultraviolet Disinfection Conversion project, which is budgeted to cost a total of $2.7 million, according to the city. The installation of an ultraviolet light treatment system will help with reducing the use of chemicals to treat effluent that will be distributed as reclaimed water.
The second project is a $1.6 million septic tank conversion project for Magnolia Drive, Oak Drive and Bonita Avenue. The state budget allocated $532,000 toward this project, which seeks to convert 76 homes from septic tanks to city sewer. The city states this will benefit the water quality of Misner’s Branch, which is a tributary of the Tomoka River.
“We were so fortunate to receive those grants by the governor and certainly Rep. Tom Leek carried the ball on this one and brought us to the finish line,” City Manager Joyce Shanahan said.
The Ormond Beach City Commission unanimously approved a final plat for Tiger Oaks, Phase 1A of Plantation Oaks.
The plat consists of 121 single-family homes on 100.91 acres, according to a city memo. The final plat is the last step of the city’s subdivision approval process.
The City Commission also approved the adoption of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update.
The plan outlines improvements to the city’s parks and recreation assets to meet the needs of current and future residents, according to a city memo.
Among the top priority actions are providing safe bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and acquiring land for preservation.
