Lakeland to seek $550,000 FDEP grant for East Bay Street stormwater retrofit
Summary
City staff recommended the commission accept a $550,000 Florida DEP stormwater-quality grant to retrofit a dry retention pond on East Bay Street with biosorption activated media (BAM) to reduce nutrient discharges to Lake Parker; total project cost $715,000 with a $165,000 local match.
City staff presented a recommendation to accept a $550,000 Florida Department of Environmental Protection stormwater quality assistance grant to retrofit an existing dry retention stormwater pond on the south side of East Bay Street.
Staff said the retrofit will include installation of biosorption activated media (BAM) and an underdrain system, which staff said will remove nutrients from stormwater before discharge to Lake Parker. Staff estimated the total project cost at $715,000, with FDEP reimbursing an estimated $550,000 for construction and the city providing a $165,000 local match for engineering and oversight.
Laurie Smith, manager of Lakes and Stormwater, told commissioners the technology will reduce nutrient concentrations by roughly 45 percent and provide localized drainage improvements by reducing street flooding on East Bay Street. Staff recommended executing the grant agreement and appropriating the grant funds.
Commissioners asked for clarification about how this approach differs from other lake sediment-capture systems; staff replied that this retrofit is focused on nutrient removal and flood reduction and functions differently from projects that primarily capture sediment before it reaches a lake’s basin.
The transcript records staff presentation and a request for grant execution; no formal commission vote on the grant appeared in the excerpt provided.
