Beach Marina reconstruction on schedule; council approves first round of rate increases, director reports grants secured

Mike McDonald, Marine and Aviation Director, told the advisory board Sept. 10 that the Beach Marina reconstruction remains on schedule and that staff have moved several project milestones forward. "We got a good news. We we're still on schedule, and we're still, for phase 1 to be finished at the October," McDonald said, adding that tenants will be moved into the Phase 2 area once Phase 1 finishes. McDonald said Duke Energy has set a transformer for the site and that concrete bulkhead work for Phase 1 is complete. He reported that Phase 1 dredging is finished and that the dredged material was removed off-site under the Army Corps permit after crews dredged about "8 to 10 feet" at the project site. McDonald said design work and permitting remain for the electrical room and a temporary kiosk needed for the Phase 2 switch-over. On financing and operations, McDonald said the city counsel approved a first round of harbor-rate increases that take effect Oct. 1. He provided the rates staff will implement: "Harbor Marina residence rates will be $17.46 and the nonresident rate at Harbor Marina will be $19.61. At Island Way Estates, the residential rate will be $16.16 and the nonresident rate will be $18.47." He also said the commercial fleet will switch from a passenger-count billing method to a per-foot rate after Phase 1, at "$23.65 per foot." McDonald said council asked staff for more information before implementing a second round of increases planned for April 1 and that staff is preparing a pro forma to estimate impacts to the general fund if rates remain below the market study's recommendations. McDonald told the board the city has secured multiple grants for the Beach Marina project. "To date, we have secured $13,500,000 in grants for the Beach Marina project," he said. He named specific awards in his report: a TDC grant of $7,850,000, a Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) Sport Fish Restoration grant of $1,700,000 and a $4,000,000 resiliency grant appropriated by the state; staff also plan to pursue a Clean Vessel Act grant for pump-out equipment estimated at about $300,000. McDonald said construction work on the Beach Marina building will begin with the lobby and public restrooms and that the Harbor Master's office will move back to the Beach Marina after renovations. He did not provide a firm construction start date. The advisory board received the report and asked no formal vote on project funding or rate-setting at the meeting; council action on the first-round rate increases had already occurred.