County project manager reports near-completion of Public Works admin building and updates on parks and utilities projects

Bobby Keen, Hardee County's capital projects manager, told the Economic Development Authority that the Public Works Admin Building is close to completion, with five offices, break room, conference room and a new door-lock system tied to county IDs. Keen said closeout paperwork is underway and that the project was funded jointly by the Board of County Commissioners and the EDA with a combined allocation of about $760,000; he reported a gross remaining budget of roughly $59,000 excluding a $100,000 generator that is being ordered.

Keen provided updates on parks work funded through a parks infrastructure grant: at Hardy Lakes Park the county has installed a shoreline fishing pier, canoe rental launches and overnight mooring; the completed work to date used roughly $184,000 and left about $600,000 for construction-phase items in the park. Pioneer Park will receive a prefabricated (CTX) bathhouse and ADA-compliant restrooms in phased construction; Keen said the prefabricated bathhouse current estimate is about $230,000 while construction for the remaining restroom scope is estimated at roughly $600,000, though he told commissioners cost savings are expected and that some figures cover multiple sites and renovations.

On utilities, Keen said phases 5 and 6 of the utilities-expansion project are completed and in operation, tying water and sewer into areas including Old Bradenton and Rainey Boulevard; where elevations make gravity sewer infeasible, the county will add residential pump stations and force mains to connect remaining houses. Phase 7 has 100% design drawings and earlier bid openings in May 2023 produced widely varying bids (about $3.98 million to $5.1 million) amid pandemic-era supply-cost volatility. Keen said the county is working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Division of Water Resources staff to secure an estimated $3.385 million gap in wastewater funding; the water portion has funding remaining.

Keen also briefed the board on a utilities and facilities master plan that will recalibrate hydraulic models, consider well-field expansions and examine reuse-water planning in light of recent state legislation affecting reuse standards. He said a request for qualifications produced four responsive bidders for that master plan; Jacobs Engineering was shortlisted and the board previously authorized contract negotiations.

Keen described a Wi-Fi-for-parks initiative. A request for qualifications produced one responsive bidder (Cyberstone LLC); the county is negotiating with an internet service provider, Spectrum, to bring service to Hardy Lakes Park entrance so grant money can extend coverage into RV areas and campgrounds. Keen said limited broadband infrastructure at Hardy Lakes was a key constraint and that the county is coordinating pole and repeater placement to cover RV locations.

Completed infrastructure projects reported included multiple new lift stations in Pioneer Park, upgrades to RV-site electrical service (50-amp breakers), and a pavement-management survey system funded with EDA and VOC matching funds.