The Flagler Beach City Commission on Tuesday approved a package of contracts aimed at returning the city’s wastewater infrastructure to reliable service.

The commission voted unanimously to award US Submergent Technologies up to $52,500 to clear underground blockages in the plant’s north clarifier, a clarifier officials said has been out of service for years. “The north clarifier has been out of service for many years,” the city manager said in presenting the resolution, and staff recommended using a previously procured contract through another municipality to secure the specialized work.

In separate votes the commission also approved a $1,969,971 construction contract to rehabilitate four lift stations and a $1,991,460 engineering services agreement with CPH Consulting LLC to serve as engineer of record for the new wastewater treatment plant.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the work is part of a broader effort to modernize wastewater facilities and reduce ongoing service interruptions and neighborhood impacts. Commissioner Cunningham pressed staff on the limited number of bids on the lift- station work (one bid after two solicitations); staff said the grant coordinator confirmed the procurement was compliant and that prior value engineering reduced an earlier $4.4 million bid down to the approved contract amount.

Key details:
- North clarifier: staff reported multiple in-house attempts to clear the north clarifier had failed and recommended US Submergent under an existing city-of-Orlando contract mechanism; the resolution capped the award at $52,500. The commission approved Resolution 2025-59 on a 5–0 roll call.
- Lift stations: the commission approved Resolution 2025-62 to award lift- station rehabilitation to Ferrer Construction Company not to exceed $1,969,971. Staff said engineering plans exist for three additional lift stations that are “on the shelf” and will be bid separately next year; work on the contracted stations was projected to take roughly eight to nine months.
- Wastewater plant design: the Commission approved Resolution 2025-63, authorizing CPH Consulting LLC as engineer of record in an amount not to exceed $1,991,460; staff confirmed electrical specialty work will be subcontracted as part of that contract.

Votes and roll calls: each resolution passed on unanimous 5–0 roll calls. Commissioners voting yes were Bellheimer, Spradley, Cunningham, Cooley and Chair Sherman.

Commissioners emphasized speed and oversight. Commissioner Spradley said residents near ongoing work have endured prolonged construction impacts and urged staff to push contractors to finish as quickly as practical. Staff said other components of the wastewater program — including lift-station plans and future bids — are staged to fit the city’s adopted budget.

The motions authorizing the contracts were placed on the consent and general business dockets and carried by roll call votes during the meeting; work will proceed under the awarded contracts and related procurement documents.