Okeechobee delegation hears multimillion-dollar requests for public safety, water and sewer projects

Mayor Dowling Wofford of Okeechobee asked the Okeechobee County Legislative Delegation on Wednesday for state funding to complete a public safety building and pressed for support on historic preservation, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and relief from state-mandated exemptions and local business taxes.

The request matters because county and municipal officials said the projects address immediate safety, emergency-response and infrastructure shortfalls that officials say affect emergency response times, resident safety and environmental protection.

Mayor Dowling Wofford said the city had already received partial funding and was "seeking funds for the remainder to continue that project." County Commission Chairman David Hazelleaf urged funding for a design and study for a new fire station to serve an area where new development is expected and for a special-needs shelter, asking the delegation to consider a $1,000,000 design allocation so the county can better serve residents and evacuees during hurricanes.

"We want to do a design and study for our new fire station," Chairman David Hazelleaf said, describing cross-jurisdictional ambulance and fire coverage with neighboring counties. On the shelter request he told the delegation Okeechobee often becomes a routing point for evacuees and "we'd like to have a million dollars to work on the design for that one."

Sheriff Stephen (last name not specified) thanked the delegation for past support on a jail expansion and asked legislators to back bills that would classify communications staff as first responders. "These men and women do all the communication. They keep us alive based on the information that they get," the sheriff said, saying recognition would improve access to PTSD treatment, retirement options and retention.

John Hayford, representing the Okeechobee Utility Authority, outlined water and wastewater priorities, including construction funding for the Southwest Fifth Avenue sewer project (about 90% designed) and a separate request to fund household connections that would complete a septic-to-sewer conversion. "We provide the water and wastewater service for Okeechobee County as well as Glades County," Hayford said, urging the delegation to consider both system construction and the downstream household-connection costs.

Indiantown Mayor dePaolo asked for $60,000,000 to replace an aging water plant, saying the village has wastewater funding but lacks the water-plant investment the growth plans will require. "A pretty big ask from the village of Indiantown of $60,000,000 — we're in desperate need of a new water plant," the mayor said, noting Sedron's planned waste-processing facility nearby and developers planning thousands of new homes.

Delegation members did not take votes on the requests during the meeting. Senator Grol (as introduced at the start of the session) and Representative Tuck asked presenters to follow up with staff for details and to provide documentation that would help the offices evaluate requests during the legislative session.

Meeting materials supplied to the delegation included project lists, cost estimates and design status information; presenters offered to meet with legislative staff to supply additional engineering, environmental and match funding details. Next steps for the requests are staff follow-up and potential inclusion in delegation priorities or budget requests submitted during the legislative session.