Orange City approves FDEM grant agreement, budget amendment for East Graves Avenue flood project

The City of Orange City council on Oct. 14 authorized the mayor to sign a Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) subrecipient agreement for project number 4673-324-R and adopted budget amendment Resolution 405-25 to fund the city's share of Phase 1 design for the East Graves Avenue flood-risk reduction project.

Engineering Services Director John Peters told the council the project would elevate the roadway adjacent to No Name Lake by approximately 3 feet, bringing the new elevation roughly 2 feet above the 100-year flood level, and add drainage improvements for the adjoining John Knox Village. Peters said post-storm data materially changed the project's cost-benefit analysis: “based on the new information, the cost-benefit ratio went from less than 1... to over 3 after Milton,” enabling FDEM approval under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, he said.

Phase 1 is currently budgeted at $561,878, of which $421,408.50 would come from FDEM and $140,469.50 from the city for Phase 1 design services. Peters said a later Phase 2 construction estimate is approximately $2,949,859 total, with roughly $2,212,394 expected from FDEM and a local share near $737,464 if the project proceeds.

Peters described how earlier applications lacked post-storm documentation of traffic delay and public-safety impacts; after Hurricane Milton staff documented an approximate 45-minute reroute delay used to support the revised economic analysis. Council asked no substantive questions during the presentation and moved to approve the authorizing motion.

The motion to "approve the budget amendment Resolution 405-25 and authorize the mayor to execute the FDEM subrecipient agreement for project number 4673-324-R East Graves Avenue flood risk reduction" carried unanimously on a roll-call vote. The clerk recorded yes votes from Council member Tomsen, Vice Mayor Graham, Council member Stafford, Council member Richardson, Council member Darmes, and Mayor Kelly Marks.

Council approved the Phase 1 design authorization and funding allocation; staff said if the city advances to Phase 2 a reevaluation of the cost-benefit ratio will follow and construction funding would be pursued under the grant program.