City manager: lidar pilot cut survey time and helped secure county recommendation for $6.5 million drainage funding; Marsh Road weight restriction to start May

In an update to the City Commission, the city manager described a pilot program using lidar and drone survey technology that staff said cost about $57,000 compared with a projected $80,000 for a traditional survey and produced results in days rather than weeks. Staff said the quicker survey produced a drainage‑pattern map used in a county grant application; the county is making a recommendation to award slightly more than $6,500,000 to address drainage issues in the East Winter Garden area around the Bethune/Edgeway basin.

The city manager credited staff members, including a named point person, for the work and described the outcome as a strong return on a modest investment.

Separately, the city manager told the commission staff would move forward with an amendment related to Marsh Road traffic and seek to place a weight restriction on Marsh Road for trucks over 10 tons between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., with variable message boards to be deployed that the staff said would advertise the restriction and an effective date of May 30. The manager said the city attorney had reviewed the restriction and staff believes the city is in legal standing; the purpose is to reduce early‑morning truck noise and impacts while allowing daytime truck movements.

Ending: Staff said the lidar pilot materially reduced cost and time for surveying and that county funding recommendation and the Marsh Road nightly weight restriction will proceed to implementation steps (signage and public notice) as described in the meeting.