Port St. Joe approves Long Avenue final payment, state-contract vehicle purchases and meter replacements

Port St. Joe commissioners approved a series of public-works actions April 1, including a final pay request for Long Avenue and purchases for public-works vehicles and water-meter replacements, with recorded votes of 5-0.

The commission moved and seconded approval of the consent agenda and then separately approved a final pay request for Long Avenue; the motion on the final pay request was made by Mister Kerrigan and seconded by Mister Langston, and the clerk recorded a 5-0 vote. The public-works update presented by a staff member said resurfacing and several downtown utility projects are under construction and that work on Monument Avenue and Allen Memorial is complete.

Public-works items requiring commission approval included a vehicle purchase on state contract and a request to purchase additional vehicles that exceeded budget by $900. The commission approved the state-contract vehicle purchases by motion and recorded a 5-0 vote. The board then approved a separate water-meter replacement contract for $48,160 to replace aging meters in a portion of the system; Mister Gary made the motion to approve the meter replacement and Commissioner Hart seconded it. The meter-replacement vote was recorded 5-0.

Staff also reported the spray-field project is 99% complete and that utility-phase work downtown is ongoing; staff said some elements remain to secure the FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) permit for full operation of the spray field.

Why it matters: the approvals move multiple infrastructure projects toward completion, free up vehicle replacements that staff said were under state contract, and authorize meter replacements to help accurate billing and system operation.

What’s next: staff will process vendor contracts and final pay paperwork, monitor remaining downtown utility work, and pursue required environmental permits for the spray field prior to full operation.