Commission hears consent items: Trail Go grant, smart‑cover expansion, CIP adoption and administrative ordinances

City staff presented multiple consent‑agenda items the commission was asked to act on, including a $200,000 Trail Go grant, expansion of the city’s smart‑cover sanitary‑sewer monitoring program, a required five‑year capital improvements plan (CIP) adoption into the comprehensive plan, ordinance revisions to the city’s wastewater industrial pretreatment code, and budget roll‑forwards to account for prior encumbrances.

Trail Go grant: Staff said the Office of Greenways and Trails awarded the city a $200,000 Trail Go grant to improve a section of the Chain of Lakes Trail, from Motor Pool Road north toward the Lake Rochelle Bridge. The project requires a local match of $52,000, for a total project cost of $252,000. Staff said the work will include clearing underbrush to improve visibility and safety along the corridor and the acquisition of a tracked remote mower tool to maintain slopes and embankments. Staff noted coordination with the police and safe neighborhoods department on addressing homeless encampments in the area.

Smart‑cover expansion: Staff recommended purchasing 10 additional smart covers and enrolling them in the city’s smart‑cover maintenance program. The packet notes the city currently has 45 smart covers and six smart rain sensors; staff said the smart‑cover sensors help detect and prevent sanitary‑sewer overflows and provide system data.

Harbor at Lake Henry subdivision plat acceptance: Staff presented Resolution R‑2504 to accept water, wastewater, reuse utilities and public roadways (but not stormwater) for a 36.03‑acre subdivision at Old Lucerne Park Road and Lucerne Park Road. The homeowner association retains stormwater responsibility; staff reported the developer posted a performance bond for $313,258 for incomplete improvements and that inspections show the previously incomplete items are now complete, allowing acceptance of utilities and internal roads.

CIP adoption and pretreatment ordinance: Staff said state law requires adoption of the five‑year CIP into the city’s comprehensive plan; the CIP covers projects costing at least $25,000 and having a minimum service life of five years and incorporates Polk County, FDOT and school board five‑year programs. Staff also presented proposed amendments to the city’s Chapter 19 wastewater industrial pretreatment ordinance. The changes respond to a March 27, 2024 DEP audit of the pretreatment, fat, oil and grease program; staff said DEP provided preliminary approval of the amended ordinance on Jan. 3 of the current year and that most edits are typographical or clarifying language.

Budget roll‑forwards and travel approvals: Staff asked the commission to approve budget amendments to carry forward encumbrances from fiscal year 2023 into the fiscal 2024 budget. Staff identified roughly $250,482 in the general fund and approximately $238,440 in the airport fund that require accounting adjustments. The consent items also included retroactive and advance travel approvals for Commissioner Mercer to attend Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Partnership meetings and advance approval for a Polk County Day trip to Tallahassee for the commission, staff and others.

Appointments: Staff recommended appointing Dr. Barbara Jones to fill a vacancy on the grant and aid committee and reappointing Tina Summerlin, Abdul Al Khateeb, Alex Santiago and Melinda Calagridis to new three‑year terms beginning in January.

Staff asked the commission to approve the items; the transcript does not record a final vote on these consent items during the excerpt provided.