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Council approves $1.36 million contract to open-cut Fowler Avenue sewer line after months of failures
Summary
The City of Temple Terrace approved a $1,362,557.64 contract with Sun Civil LLC to open-cut East Fowler Avenue and replace a collapsed sanitary sewer crossing. The work is allowed by FDOT, must be substantially complete by June 30, and drew questions about earlier contractor performance and remaining work outside the travelway.
The City of Temple Terrace voted to award a $1,362,557.64 emergency contract to Sun Civil LLC to replace a collapsed sanitary sewer pipe under East Fowler Avenue, authorizing the city manager to execute the agreement and fund it from account 450-1931-535.63-34.
The contract covers an open-cut across Fowler Avenue — rather than a drilled bore under the roadway — and includes a performance bond and a June 30 completion requirement. City staff told council the work could begin as early as the coming Friday evening and would be staged across two weekends with traffic reconfigurations approved by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
The contract is limited to installing casing and the replacement pipe under the FDOT travelway; staff said remaining items such as manholes and service reconnections outside the travelway will continue afterward and will be completed by the existing general contractor. City Attorney (unnamed) summarized the urgency: “This is the critical piece. This is the part that has really held up this project is getting across this major state highway.”
The matter emerged after repeated failures and utility undermining since Hurricane Idalia, including a sanitary sewer collapse that began in October and intermittent potable water and sewage issues. A public speaker, Nick Perko, raised concerns about missed timelines and ongoing damage in neighborhoods near Fowler Avenue; Council directed Public Works to provide him follow-up information.
Council members pressed staff on why Sun Civil was not selected earlier, whether the new contract changes scope for the existing prime contractor, and the city's recourse against a problematic subcontractor used on prior work. Public Works and legal staff said they are still negotiating with the existing contractor (Southern States) and consulting the city attorney; those discussions would determine change orders or recovery options. Public Works Director Jason Morfelds clarified schedule expectations and that the “11 consecutive days” timeframe in the contract covers preparation, MOT (maintenance of traffic) setups and follow-up work, not only weekend trenching.
Council approved the resolution by voice vote with no recorded nays. City staff said the contract requires FDOT coordination and provides for liquidated-damages provisions if the June 30 deadline is missed. Staff also warned that additional non-travelway work will extend beyond that date.
The contract award followed extended debate about earlier contractor performance. Council members and staff described inconsistent performance by a drilling subcontractor that they believe contributed to the delay and secondary failures; staff are pursuing legal and enforcement avenues with the county environmental regulators and the contractor. Staff said they hope to recover costs but have not completed the legal review.
Council directed staff to continue negotiating details with the prime contractor, keep FDOT informed, and return with any necessary contract amendments or accounting of recoverable damages.
