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FPRA approves amended interlocal for downtown Wi‑Fi, staff to seek boundary expansion
Summary
The Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency approved an amended interlocal agreement to extend a downtown “smart city” Wi‑Fi network and directed staff to seek a future amendment to include the Fort Pierce Yacht Club and other northern parcels.
The Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency on March 11 approved an amended interlocal agreement to install public Wi‑Fi in portions of downtown Fort Pierce as part of a smart‑city initiative, and commissioners asked staff to pursue a boundary extension to cover the Fort Pierce Yacht Club.
The move was approved from the consent agenda after discussion of the initiative's map and which parcels were included. Commissioner Johnson pulled the consent agenda item to ask why the system stopped short of the yacht club and asked whether the city could extend the service to the Riverwalk and Seaway areas.
Fort Pierce Utility Authority Chief Operating Officer Rutherford told the board that the decision to stop the mapped coverage where it did was simply where negotiations ended, not a technical constraint. “There is nothing operationally that prevents us from going to the yacht club,” Rutherford said, adding he had texted the project partner and was told including the yacht club posed no problem.
City staff said the interlocal agreement could be amended to expand the service area and that they would return to the board with a proposed modification. Chairwoman Hudson and commissioners voted in favor of the amended agreement during the consent roll call.
Why it matters: commissioners said that, because the yacht club is city property and hosts public events, including it in the Wi‑Fi footprint would better serve residents and visitors and improve public access during city activities. Staff indicated they will draft an additional amendment to expand the service area for future board approval.
No dollar amount for the amended interlocal was cited during the discussion; staff said additional boundary changes could be proposed later and would require a subsequent amendment to the agreement.
Staff and FPUA officials did not raise legal or operational barriers to extending coverage; the board did not set a timeline for when the amendment would return to the FPRA.
