Fort Myers Beach officials on Sept. 4 interviewed engineering firm Tetra Tech as the sole complete respondent to RFQ 2509AD for design, permitting and construction oversight of the North Island water tower complex, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Ian.

Deb Lavin, the town's contract procurement specialist, opened the interview and said, "The town needs a Florida licensed professional engineering firm to provide engineering design, permitting, and construction oversight, services for the rehabilitation of the water tower." The project is funded in part or in whole by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR), Lavin added.

The interview focused on how a replacement or rehabilitation would meet federal, state and local regulations and make the facility resilient to future storms. Danny Nelson, vice president and operations manager for Southwest Florida infrastructure at Tetra Tech, described the firm’s experience in disaster recovery and utilities design and said, "I'm a vice president with the company and operations manager for Southwest Florida operations for infrastructure," noting long-term local presence and work on more than 20 storage tanks and pump stations.

Tetra Tech told the town it would address multiple technical constraints at the North Island site: FEMA flood elevations, the Coastal Construction Control Line, and ASCE 24-14 anchoring requirements for storage tanks in flood zones. Nelson explained that the site’s existing ground elevation is about 4 feet, FEMA flood elevation is about 12 feet, and that critical equipment typically would be required at roughly elevation 14 (flood elevation plus freeboard), meaning roughly 10 feet of additional elevation relative to existing grade for some components. Nelson said the anchoring requirement for tanks — to prevent flotation in flood surge — can be met either by elevating the tank or by anchoring/ballasting the tank foundation, and cited nearby local examples where teams used ballast concrete or full replacement strategies.

The firm outlined technical tradeoffs for pumps and standby power. Tetra Tech advised the town that vertical turbine pumps are commonly used where suction issues arise from elevating equipment, while split-case horizontal pumps may be less suitable if suction conditions change. The firm recommended a permanent generator for standby power and warned that lead times for a custom-enclosure generator could exceed 50 weeks, with pumps on the order of six months lead time. Nelson estimated design could take close to a year after contract negotiations and that construction could be about 18 months or longer, depending on long‑lead items and procurement.

Tetra Tech also described CDBG‑DR procurement and compliance requirements the town must meet during design and construction, including Davis‑Bacon prevailing wage, Buy American/Build America considerations, quarterly reporting and FEMA’s multi-step project evaluation process. The firm said it would rely on experienced subconsultants for HUD/CDBG compliance and public involvement, naming Angie Brewer and Associates for CDBG compliance and (transcript) Stella/Sala Molnar for public involvement.

Town staff and the selection advisory members asked procedural and technical questions about licensing, prior work in the town and on FEMA/CDBG‑DR projects, and the firm’s local team. Tetra Tech listed key personnel and subcontractors it would use, including local project engineers and geotechnical partners, and described QA/QC and constructability review steps it would apply to the project.

No formal selection or contract award occurred at the interview. Deb Lavin said the selection committee would meet to discuss the interview, and if the town deems Tetra Tech a fit, the town would notify the firm and return for negotiations. The committee’s review and any ensuing negotiations were described as the next steps.

Town officials said they view the North Island tower work as time sensitive because the town is currently dependent on a single remaining portable potable water tower while permanent capacity is limited. The firm and staff discussed options to use phased work and early procurement of long‑lead items under CDBG‑DR if allowable, to shorten time to restored service.

The interview closed after roughly 34 minutes; the selection committee will meet publicly to review the interview and determine whether to move to negotiations.