The Punta Gorda City Council discussed a Florida Department of Transportation design grant for the South Fork Alligator Creek corridor and whether the city should take the lead after the county declined the project.

A representative from the MPO/FDOT (first recorded at SEG 556) said the grant covers design work and the amount shown is $821,000. He advised staff to move the project into the bidding phase to produce revised cost estimates and to avoid potential overruns: "The amount for this project, as you've seen, is $821,000," he said. He described the grant as funding design only and said construction funding would be a separate phase.

Council members asked why the county declined the project and whether taking the lead would shift staff burden and financial risk to the city. The MPO/FDOT representative said the county turned the project down on Oct. 14 and added that local buy-in is typical for lab projects; staff involvement is standard during design and bidding phases, but construction funding is not necessarily a city obligation.

Council did not make a formal decision at the meeting; staff were directed to consider the fiscal implications and seek additional cost-estimate details before committing to lead the project.