Hardee County advances water, road and lighting projects; approves capital amendments and vendor purchases

Hardee County commissioners heard a series of routine infrastructure and planning updates at their March 6 workshop, including a deadline extension request for a FDEP local partnership agreement, multiple capital amendments and vendor purchases, and new sidewalk grant applications for Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Altman Road.

FDEP agreement amendment — Huachula Hills water/wastewater: General Services Director Lori Ayers presented Amendment 1 to Local Partnership Agreement LPA‑0300 for the Huachula Hills wastewater and water expansion project. Ayers said staff needs to extend project completion dates because the scope and cost have expanded since the contracts were first approved. “...we are pursuing additional dollars to be able to complete the entire work schedule. So that's why this particular 1 is timing out and we need to ask for an extension on the completion date,” a county staff member said. The board raised no substantive objections at the workshop; staff recommended approval and will pursue the extension.

Ratification of county expenditures: Budget Manager Diane Moore presented three purchases for ratification, all procured on state contract: Amerasco (listed as AmeriRescu in the report) for $42,537 to upgrade Civic Center air‑handling controls after an AC failure; Johnson Lancaster for $30,329.15 for a commercial dishwasher and installation at the jail; and Fonracci Lighting for $34,680 for a pilot solar street‑lighting installation. Moore said the dishwasher installation was completed and the Civic Center controls were urgently replaced to keep the facility operational.

Solar lighting pilot and safety planning: Commissioners discussed expanding solar lighting to dark corridors and bus stops. Staff noted a solar installation at SR 663/664 in Ona is already operational and that the county received notice of a Federal Highway Administration award for a local road safety plan grant; that planning effort will identify crash hotspots and consider lighting as part of countermeasures. Assistant County Manager Christopher Sempron said the lighting rollout is a pilot and that the vendor has trained county staff in installation to reduce future costs.

Capital budget amendment: Diane Moore presented a capital budget amendment to carry forward disaster fund cash from FY 23‑24 into FY 24‑25. The amendment increases cash forward by $382,903, with $344,002.55 added to buildings and $38,006.48 to infrastructure. Staff recommended approval.

Mosaic debris storage agreement: Emergency Management Director Lane Schneider told the board the county annually renews an access, use and indemnity agreement with Mosaic for temporary debris storage on land near the airport; the practice is routine for disaster response and the county executes the agreement annually.

Subdivisions and land development: Community Development Director Todd Miller brought two minor subdivision applications for staff recommendation. Tropical Unity Subdivision would split about 48.8 acres on the south side of Steve Roberts Special into four parcels of roughly 10–13 acres; Rhine Road Subdivision proposes dividing a roughly 25‑acre parcel into five 5‑acre lots. Miller said both parcels are zoned A‑1 agricultural, were reviewed under Section 9.11.05 of the Hardee County Land Development Code and met staff criteria; staff recommended approval.

Sidewalk grant applications: Assistant County Manager Christopher Sempron presented two Transportation Alternatives/HR TPO grant submittals. A Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue sidewalk project has a conceptual cost estimate of $1,300,000; the east side of MLK is funded for construction in FY 2030, and the county is pursuing funding for the west side. Sempron said FDOT would administer a federally funded project. Sempron also presented a new submittal for sidewalks along Altman Road to improve student safety near Altman High School; the project would connect neighborhoods to South Florida Avenue and Carlton Street. Commissioners asked whether sidewalk projects include lighting; staff said the MLK sidewalk grant did not include lighting in the current application but that lighting could be pursued in later rounds or with other grant funds.

10‑Mile corridor and FDOT accounting correction: Sempron described a bookkeeping correction by FDOT related to the 10‑Mile project. The board had previously approved shifting funds between segments so the east‑west segment could proceed with design. FDOT moved funds on its end inconsistently and will issue an additional supplemental agreement after July (FDOT’s fiscal year) to correct the transfer; Sempron said design is underway and the county hopes to advertise construction by the end of this year.

Bridge repairs: Sempron told commissioners a bridge repair was completed and the bridge reopened about an hour before the workshop. Commissioners asked for a countywide list of bridges and National Bridge Inventory ratings; staff agreed to provide an update.

Where it goes from here: Most items on the workshop were presented for board awareness and routine action; staff recommended approvals and will return with final documents where required. Commissioners asked staff to continue pursuing grants, pilot lighting installations and to provide follow‑up reports on bridge conditions and capital project timelines.

Ending: No controversial votes were taken at the workshop; staff will bring ordinances, agreements and resolutions requiring formal approval to future regular meetings as needed.