Clay County commissioners on Oct. 14 heard a countywide stormwater master plan prepared by Jones Edmunds and directed staff to bring a proposal to develop and evaluate a stormwater utility and funding alternatives.

The consultant presentation, led by Brian Eisman of Jones Edmunds with modeling work described by Justin Gregory, identified a prioritized list of capital projects and maintenance needs countywide. The study estimated roughly $30 million in capital projects to address level-of-service and capacity gaps; staff also identified approximately 75 known underfunded maintenance items totaling about $20 million, and consultant modeling suggested a proactive annual maintenance program of about $5 million per year would be required to maintain the system and limit emergency repairs.

Eisman emphasized changing environmental baselines as a reason to plan now: “The tides are getting higher,” he told the board, noting that rising tidal trends and updated rainfall intensity data will increase future stormwater loads and influence long-range design and adaptation choices.

The master plan used a two-part modelling approach: a countywide, high-resolution 2.5-foot grid hydrologic model for large-scale prioritization, and targeted StormWise-level analysis for denser corridors where permitting or local projects require more detailed modeling. The countywide approach limited the cost of modeling while producing a ranked list of candidate capital improvements.

The consultants recommended a set of 10 illustrative capital projects drawn from a larger list of needs; they said a formal funding program would require a financial alternatives analysis and ordinance drafting. Jones Edmunds gave board members a budget estimate for the next study phase: $100,000–$150,000 to prepare a utility-feasibility and ordinance alternatives analysis, run parcel-level financial scenarios, and present options such as a flat parcel fee, impervious-area-based rate, or hybrid approaches with credits and exemptions.

Commissioners sought clarity about impacts on residents. The consultant said examples from neighboring jurisdictions indicate a wide range of outcomes: converting Duval County’s method to Clay would yield roughly $5 million annually; other local structures produce $15 million–$17 million annually when scaled to the county. The consultants advised that policy choices (exemptions, credit rules, and whether to phase-in a fee) materially change the per-household cost.

After the presentation the board provided consensus direction: staff should return on Nov. 10 with a contract to perform the utility alternatives analysis and a final printed master plan binder for each commissioner. County staff said the stormwater master plan will be finalized as a draft-final document and that the utility alternatives scope would be presented for approval in November. The consultants said they would run parcel-level scenarios and policy options if authorized.

No ordinance or fee was enacted; commissioners instructed staff to bring back options and detailed modeling and legal analysis before any adoption vote.

Commissioners and staff also discussed grant opportunities, including the Florida Resilience Grant Program, which can provide 50/50 construction funding for qualified resilience projects. Consultants recommended pairing capital work with grant-seeking efforts where projects meet resilience and water-quality criteria.

Next steps: staff will present a draft scope and cost estimate for a stormwater-utility alternatives study at the Nov. 10 meeting, produce the final master plan document for commissioners to review, and initiate stakeholder workshops if the board approves the utility study contract.