City staff told the commission Aug. 8 they have started engineering for the North Shore culvert after securing a $200,000 state appropriation to cover half of the $400,000 engineering estimate, but they warned the project’s construction could cost millions and will likely require county or state assistance.

Tom (staff member) and Rick (public works staff) said the estimated construction scale could be “in the millions” and that the engineering step is intended to create a “shelf‑ready” plan that will make grant applications more competitive. Rick said preliminary engineering estimates for major culvert work have indicated a multi‑million dollar cost and that the city will aggressively pursue grants and appropriations once engineering is complete.

Staff described coordination with Florida Gas Transmission, which has a high‑pressure transmission main immediately west of the roadway and requires close coordination for any work in the area. Rick said staff will coordinate with the gas company and with Lake County and DOT; he told the commission that the gas line limits construction options and that the company’s line may require directional drilling coordination.

Stormwater funding: staff said the stormwater fund is not financially sustainable over the long term. Tom said the city’s stormwater fees have not been reviewed recently and that the city’s rate consultant, Raptellus, is examining the fee structure. Tom said the last stormwater rate increase occurred around 2014 and that staff expects to bring proposals for fee adjustments to support ongoing stormwater work.

On flooding at Orange Avenue and Bay Street near Lake Eustis, staff described recurring backups during high‑intensity storms and said DOT’s current surface‑level work will not fully solve submerged‑pipe backup issues. Rick said the pipe system is partially submerged at the lake and that higher intensity storms can “blow” manhole lids and that a longer‑term solution probably requires either upsizing outfall lines or diverting flows to other ponds.

Ending: staff asked for continued commission assistance pursuing state appropriations and grants and said they will return with firm engineering estimates and funding packages for construction once engineering is complete.