Flagler County adds $10M legislative ask after residents press for Plantation Bay wastewater fix

At its Feb. 4, 2019, meeting, the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to add a $10 million legislative appropriation request to replace the wastewater treatment system serving Plantation Bay, after multiple residents described persistent water-quality problems and staff outlined engineering and funding needs.

The community’s concerns were front and center during the meeting’s public comment period. “It’s been over 5 years since the county took over and yet we don’t feel that there’s been a great deal of progress,” resident Lisa Hill told the commission. Shelly Kennedy, another Plantation Bay homeowner, said she drinks bottled water because she does not trust the tap and said tests by the Environmental Protection Agency had nonetheless reported the system as meeting minimum federal limits. Jane Jones Hill and other residents criticized the bid process for large treatment projects and urged quicker action for customers with medical needs such as dialysis.

Why it matters: Plantation Bay’s utility has been under a Department of Environmental Protection consent order for years, and county staff and engineers say the short-term and long-term fixes will require substantial capital. Commissioners and staff said an immediate boost in the county’s legislative appropriations list would increase the chances of securing state help to fund a replacement or major rehabilitation of the wastewater infrastructure.

County engineering and operations staff told the commissioners the utility has multiple active projects and proposals. Faith Alkati, the county’s public works director and county engineer, said the county advertised replacement of the water-treatment system and received a bid for an RO (reverse osmosis) treatment option that came in about $6,100,000 and is under review. She said phase 1 of a planned multi-phase wastewater project is under construction with funding arranged through a FDEP loan and that a full phase 2 replacement of the wastewater system has an engineer’s estimate of roughly $9,700,000.

Alkati said the county has identified a temporary remedy to relieve pressure on an aging wastewater tank that residents and county staff described as “buckling.” The county has asked the contractor on the current phase to execute a change order for temporary mitigation while staff pursues funding and a permanent replacement. Alkati said design and construction of a permanent replacement could take roughly 18 months to two years after funding is secured.

Commissioner Joe Mullins, who has engaged with a residents’ focus group, described recent plant visits and citizen-led fact-finding. “Groups like this are very, very effective in controlling misinformation,” Mullins said, while urging the commission to accelerate funding efforts. Commissioner Hansen moved to add a new legislative priority — $10,000,000 for replacement of the Plantation Bay wastewater treatment plant — and Commissioner Mullins seconded. The motion passed unanimously; all five commissioners voted yes.

Officials outlined next steps. Staff said they would coordinate with the finance director to determine whether design work could begin using available funds while legislative requests proceed. County staff also said they would submit the required request paperwork to state legislative offices quickly; commissioners and residents referenced a near-term deadline to place requests before legislative appropriations staff.

Clarifying details noted at the meeting include: - Reverse osmosis bid received and under review: approximately $6,100,000 (staff: Faith Alkati). - Current construction for phase 1: roughly $5,000,000 (FDEP loan-funded; under construction). - Phase 2 engineer estimate to replace wastewater system: approximately $9,700,000. - Earlier county purchase debt/residual obligations discussed by residents: about $6,000,000 still owed from the utility purchase (residents’ remarks). - The new legislative ask approved by the board: $10,000,000 for wastewater replacement (motion passed unanimously).

The meeting record shows repeated calls from residents for transparency, an independent audit of past spending related to the utility purchase, and requests that staff, engineering and planning and zoning officials be included in follow-up workshops. Commissioners agreed to schedule further workshops and to pursue design work as funding and legal constraints allow.

The discussion was framed as a mix of public concern, staff briefings on technical and funding constraints, and a formal action to elevate the project in the county’s legislative priorities. The commission directed staff to pursue the follow-up steps discussed and to coordinate with the clerk’s office and finance staff on timing and required application materials for state funding.