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Pembroke Park commissioners press staff to accelerate sewer, stormwater repairs after years of delays
Summary
Commissioners and staff reviewed the town's stormwater and sanitary sewer priorities, highlighted an at-risk lift station serving Watkins Elementary and discussed a multi‑month repair timeline and funding priorities tied to federal and state grants.
Commissioners and town staff on Jan. 29 reviewed the town's stormwater and sanitary‑sewer priorities and said they will prioritize repairs after years of delays.
The discussion centered on Lift Station 17, near Watkins Elementary School, which Commissioner Jacobs described as “in a point of disrepair.” Jacobs said the town risks losing school services if that station fails and urged the commission to push projects already in the capital improvement plan.
The town manager and public‑works staff said Lift Station 17 is under active review and that engineering consultant CAS previously provided a design proposal. Public service staff estimated design and bidding could take roughly two months, with construction taking an additional three to four months — a total timeline of about five to six months to complete the work, depending on scope and pricing. Public works staff said the station currently operates with a single functioning pump and that design will target restoring two full pumps sized to handle debris and typical sanitary flow.
Vice Mayor Morissette and public‑works staff said the town now has three master plans and an “infrastructure team” in place — a group that includes recently hired staff and consultants — to coordinate projects, prioritize funding requests to Tallahassee and the federal government, and reduce procurement delays. The town manager said the administration will present the capital improvements project (CIP) list at an upcoming meeting to show priorities and funding paths.
Commissioners and staff discussed options to standardize pumps and spare parts to reduce emergency costs and downtime. Public works staff said procurement rules and the variety of existing station sizes complicate immediate standardization but that staff are seeking ways to limit the number of pump types for maintenance efficiency and spare availability.
Commissioners also noted the town has funds earmarked for stormwater and sewer projects and emphasized using those resources alongside grant opportunities. The town manager said the federal disbursement freeze announced earlier in the month was lifted and that staff are moving forward with legislative funding requests.
The conversation concluded with staff committing to accelerate design and procurement steps for Lift Station 17 and to include Stations 17 and 19 on the town’s legislative priority list for funding, while noting that final construction depends on completed designs and available grants.
