Port St. Joe engineer outlines paving candidates and utility projects; water report shows no violations

City engineers and public works staff updated the Port St. Joe City Commission on April 15 about ongoing construction, possible uses of remaining paving funds and the status of water and wastewater operations.

Engineer Baxley told commissioners the C Street project is under construction and that conversations with contractor Robertson Roberts and George Roberts indicate some quantities may remain when primary work finishes. He said staff is evaluating Long Avenue, from Madison Street to Highway 98, as a candidate for leftover paving: "Right now, the quantity is just guessing around 3,000 linear feet. We guess the road to be about 4,600, somewhere in that area," Baxley said. He added the contractor must evaluate final quantities before the commission commits to additional paving.

Commissioners and staff discussed traffic and pedestrian safety on Long Avenue. One commissioner noted the route has become a shortcut and recommended speed mitigation measures similar to recent work on Avenue A. The city reported a speed table has been ordered for Seventh Street as a pilot.

Baxley also provided brief status updates: the City Government Complex project is awaiting an architect; Monument Avenue and Allen Memorial payments are expected soon; Downtown Utilities Phase 2 is under construction with pressure tests passing; the Avenue C and Battle Street intersection project began on April 3; and Victoria Avenue bid results returned a low bid near $157,000, slightly higher than previous estimates. He advised that some projects require utility relocation per DOT requirements.

In the utilities report, water plant director Larry said the city's annual water report showed no contaminant violations and that annual averages were submitted on time. "We had another good year," he said.

Wastewater staff announced completion of field work except for a required monitoring well. Once the well is installed and inspected by regulators, staff expects FDEP (referred to in meeting as FTV/FTV inspection process) to grant approval to use the Zone 3 field. Longtime wastewater operator Kevin Perez was recognized for 13 years of service; the commission noted Joe (last name not specified in the transcript) will take over as wastewater treatment plant lead effective April 1.

Other business

- The commission approved the consent agenda, which included minutes from the prior regular meeting. The motion carried 5–0. - Public works asked to transfer a surplus 2016 Taurus and an F-150 to different departments. The commission approved the surplus-vehicle transfer request 5–0.

Why it matters

The engineer’s proposal to apply leftover paving quantities to Long Avenue could accelerate repairs on a heavily traveled residential link and generate follow-up work such as sidewalks and speed mitigation. Water and wastewater updates signaled no current regulatory violations but noted routine procurement and environmental steps remain before new infrastructure comes online.

Next steps

Staff said they will have a contractor evaluation of remaining quantities and return to the commission with a recommended scope and costs for Long Avenue. Staff will also pursue the final monitoring well inspection for the wastewater field and continue with pending payments and bids on the other projects.