[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6226961,"mediaKeyId","3497338-6ad55f3b505513ba543b10b12f43e667","parentId",3497338,"title","Council presses FDOT for pedestrian-activated crosswalk near southern town limits; A1A rumble-strip installation draws safety complaints","audioSeconds",1293,"startMs",837000,"endMs",2130000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3497338-6ad55f3b505513ba543b10b12f43e667&start=837&end=2130","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3497338-6ad55f3b505513ba543b10b12f43e667/thumbnail_837000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6226961/Florida/Council-presses-FDOT-for-pedestrian-activated-crosswalk-near-southern-town-limits-A1A-rumble-strip-installation-draws-safety-complaints","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226961-7e03967a98b7f687a62efffa12bad45c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147981&Signature=Xa1qfrINZGSiEvGaOkwkFmdwpq9rgMZJtPAkFCDeCe7LdhvzCf9b0MBXUA84rS46QkvOi8DPtUJmEmqjo~w6rj-6uEvjJYHpN4nB2WDgXV8nHidoAnGsVhxVoJY0WJMGLByeqPubLio9I1CY2zNXS~PBXml4NEAeay8Fgzga4CkvG6N62QLF5ZY-8gXVWpEnFx9XfGnjWnrk9tuvhIUjWOUqibcH9j~zxx6j9YEETkZBolsPFB0dR8bfK87wk4uKbJfcxDvi~L0j-WCW4Y4vVw4dXvCPtguoIdRrIgelFc7xEc8WjzV-zRyNhC4j6-Ml9VtIaDpEuGwfOEeR8XrmLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Indian River Shores, FL","date","2025-05-24T20:58:49.643Z","article","Vice Mayor Atwater told the Town Council May 22 she is restarting efforts with the Florida Department of Transportation for a pedestrian-activated crosswalk at the southern end of Indian River Shores, near the CVS/7-Eleven area. Atwater said FDOT recently hired a new bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for District 4, Martha Morales, and that she has resent annotated maps and analysis to reinitiate the project with the county MPO and FDOT.

\"I put an analysis together with Google satellite maps, annotated maps, description, and so forth. So, I don't give up on these things,\" Atwater said, adding that she had first pursued the crossing in February and that work had stalled when a consultant was handling the file.

During the same meeting, council members discussed a separate FDOT roadway issue on State Road A1A: a test installation of audio-vibratory (AVT) rumble strips that contractors placed in the wrong location. Public works representatives said the strips were laid outside the intended position, effectively narrowing the bike lane, and were inconsistent in placement so that bicyclists experienced strong vibrations that in some cases caused falls. FDOT contractors began filling and smoothing the affected areas with asphalt to remove the hazard.

Public works staff described the project as an FDOT test that was not correctly sited: \"They put them in the wrong spot ... it actually had the effect of narrowing the bike lane,\" a staff member said. Council members noted that FDOT decided not to continue the AVT installation in the area and that remedial paving is underway.

No formal votes were taken on the crosswalk request or the A1A rumble-strip remediation. Councilmembers said they will continue pressing FDOT and the MPO for the crosswalk review and will monitor the A1A repairs to ensure the bike lane is restored.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","05/22/2025 Regular Town Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Vice Mayor Atwater said she is reinitiating a request for a pedestrian-activated crosswalk near the southern end of town and spoke with county MPO staff about restarting the effort. Separately, council members discussed a problematic FDOT installation of audio-vibratory rumble strips on A1A that narrowed bike lanes and prompted removal work.","taxTitle","Town of Indian River Shores, Indian River County, Florida","taxId",75680,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6226966,"Council raises questions about Vero Beach water-reclamation GMP, contingency and escalating costs",438,990000,1428000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3497338-6ad55f3b505513ba543b10b12f43e667&start=990&end=1428","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3497338-6ad55f3b505513ba543b10b12f43e667/thumbnail_990000.jpg","/articles/6226966/Florida/Council-raises-questions-about-Vero-Beach-water-reclamation-GMP-contingency-and-escalating-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226966-ba34ed3ba35f8ac8c174cafbaab96042/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147981&Signature=i3gO2RJmHdr9BZPI8SLPYGh3izDht31sTseecuO9gB~bmEKpy6EnNTq-Xl2z~vNR4lnChSddGmyXpYoVOZ~aLhOYaQVDAkaaUZzv1MTp9mMk9e333tMsKPj~AgUOfN-8HuD8r1v3DoH~1XtEX6Ek2cT6yfWbdvtJS9gAKcnq2v01Ik4HDdlhqSQloEvCwa87qxTpoGI43WvXgwlrSHX0cP1LWF~TpkMyKV0kFgFAF7sntqS8uyJSGZIpVXZJt5uHwiDiOwoTzbkQ6i-qRcGQj8EixQMZPtjJNNi~N5ha3aQIF90GUJl7CB7jXLtv5Aizxme1UHlhlFlAdaBA2M2zXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Vice Mayor Atwater raised concerns at the May 22 Town Council meeting about a guaranteed maximum price award for a water-reclamation facility being undertaken by the City of Vero Beach, telling colleagues the contract documents show a large contingency and shifting escalation figures that make it unclear whether the GMP truly caps town costs.

Atwater described the GMP contract type for the project and read language into the record: \"A guaranteed maximum price, GMP, is a construction manager at risk delivery contract means the highest amount an owner will be required to pay a contractor for a project regardless [of] the actual cost incurred during construction. Essentially, it sets a ceiling price beyond which the contractor absorbs any additional cost, effectively transferring the risk of cost overruns to [the] construction manager.\" He said his chief concern was that the documents also include a contingency line that \"will be reevaluated at different milestones of the project and adjusted accordingly,\" which, he said, undermines the concept of a firm ceiling.

Atwater read figures from the materials he reviewed, stating that the project had been discussed at around $52,000,000 when first proposed in 02/2021 but that recent materials referenced amounts expressed as \"$1.77\" and later \"approximately $1.64,\" as well as approximately $38,000,000 in grants and \"a total of a hundred and $26,000,000.\" He said he believes the project is now \"probably gonna be well north of a hundred and $63,000,000.\" Atwater also pointed to a contingency amount listed in the documents as $11,400,000 and noted an earlier escalator figure of $5,500,000 that had been zeroed in the most recent materials.

Town Attorney Sweeney commented on the legal framework, calling the area \"very sophisticated\" and saying project contracts and bonding attempts try to limit municipal exposure but that exceptions and risks remain: \"You could write a thousand page contract, and there's always gonna be an exception. So the reality is this is the best it sounds like they can do.\"

Mayor Foley echoed concerns about the town's exposure as a ratepayer and recommended watching the utilities commission meeting where the contract will be considered and seeking clarifications from Vero Beach staff. Council members did not take formal action at the meeting, but several said they intended to follow the utilities commission process and ask detailed questions about contingency use, bonding and what happens if a contractor becomes insolvent during construction.

No vote or formal direction to staff was recorded; the discussion was presented as a cautionary review of the contract documents and an intent to seek additional information at the utilities commission prior to any town-level commitments.","Vice Mayor Atwater and other council members pressed for clarity on a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) award for a Vero Beach water-reclamation project, citing a large contingency line, shifting escalators, and multi-year cost escalation from initial estimates.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6226970,"Indian River Shores council adopts first reading to comply with new state condominium inspection law",554,1425000,1979000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3497338-6ad55f3b505513ba543b10b12f43e667&start=1425&end=1979","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3497338-6ad55f3b505513ba543b10b12f43e667/thumbnail_1425000.jpg","/articles/6226970/Florida/Indian-River-Shores-council-adopts-first-reading-to-comply-with-new-state-condominium-inspection-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226970-90b53c27c719151c36359dec7d041b3c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147981&Signature=c53L~XFevclTxWHPnPPkgP8mY7aMfPTf-ELD2lm7B2Mbaaidb9VpY9YuR7MEBqD~x8XVr3ARReA~kzSwwlXPX-uUt2bwIKiF9lEn4jP3wHlKFt0E5fm6raurxtF3L1TFRbjrtMorreHIRKcAdiTtpq2x4RlutD~G0oHuV0qT21yzFzKLcX8VO0~erIwjLjvKxBAZzhXLDOOemu~9vjupdQM9D-drSggYWuOJH4uSM1GQxWladvUDokZTpEWFkXjVM1U9PCwdL1mS9LZPjxjX0shQnOUj1GwliL6vJYyH0-Zs5yVkPWDnLgAvsjgA6jiFdcUVpoSnqLXAlsgkvexY1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Indian River Shores Town Council voted unanimously on first reading May 22 to adopt Ordinance 579, a local implementing ordinance that would require milestone structural inspections for condominium and cooperative buildings if the state law (HB 913) takes effect.

The ordinance is intended to implement a state statutory requirement with an effective date of July 1, according to town staff. Mayor Foley described the state requirement as an \"unfunded mandate\" that would obligate local building departments to administer inspection and compliance duties without additional state funding.

Town Building Official Mr. Held told the council that two condominium associations have submitted phase 2 milestone inspection reports to the town, and that 46 buildings in Indian River Shores exceed three stories and therefore fall under the condominium statute's size threshold. Mr. Held said the two reports did not indicate life-safety failures but that the professional engineers who performed the inspections \"felt that there's substantial evidence that they need to go ahead and fix the issues that exist.\"

Council members debated the administrative burden the statute could impose. \"We need to be prepared to do this just for compliance,\" Mayor Foley said, while adding concern that successive legislative changes could add further workload without funding. Councilmember Atwater noted the statute's change from permissive to mandatory language and asked staff about the bill's current status.

Town Attorney Sweeney summarized the legal mechanics: the ordinance is drafted to take effect only if the governor signs HB 913 into law; if the governor does not sign it before the town's second reading, the council can omit adoption. \"This is based on the statute becoming effective, but it also says the saving language subject to the governor signing HB 913 into law,\" Sweeney said.

The council approved the ordinance on first reading by roll call vote. If HB 913 is signed and becomes effective, the ordinance would require the town's building department to track milestone inspections for qualifying condominiums and cooperatives and to verify that associations undertake required repairs. Council members emphasized that, because most local condominiums do not currently show structural integrity issues, the town does not expect an immediate heavy administrative load but warned the situation could change if additional requirements are layered on.

The town will return the measure for a second reading if and when the enabling state statute is enacted and presented to the governor.

For now, the council's action was procedural: a first reading to ensure local code is in place if the state law takes effect.","The Town Council approved a first reading of Ordinance 579 to implement state-mandated milestone structural inspections for condominium and cooperative buildings if HB 913 becomes law; council members described the measure as an unfunded mandate and noted the town has 46 buildings that meet the statute's size threshold.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council presses FDOT for pedestrian-activated crosswalk near southern town limits; A1A rumble-strip installation draws safety complaints

Council raises questions about Vero Beach water-reclamation GMP, contingency and escalating costs

Indian River Shores council adopts first reading to comply with new state condominium inspection law