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Residents press Daytona Beach commissioners for stronger action on Nova Canal flooding
Summary
Multiple residents and commissioners told the Nov. 6 meeting that recent storms exposed ongoing Nova Canal drainage failures, DOT's current work is a limited skim rather than full restoration, and the commission asked staff to pursue cost estimates and follow up with FDOT and the Army Corps.
Flooding and stormwater concerns dominated public comment and a large portion of the commission's discussion on Nov. 6. Commissioners and multiple residents described repeated home flooding since recent storms and urged more aggressive action to restore the Nova Canal and increase local stormwater capacity.
Commissioner (unnamed in transcript) asked whether the city could press FDOT to prioritize full restoration. David Waller, public works director, said FDOT has reengaged after earlier delays and is funding a corridor lighting project for the Beville Road Trail; regarding canal work he said the Army Corps-led study is reviewing broader watershed solutions and that drainage improvements will likely be a multi-jurisdictional effort.
Shannon Ponitz, the city's utilities director, told the commission that FDOT described the current Nova Canal contract as a cleaning project "to skim like 1 to 2 feet of muck off the bottom" and explicitly said that DOT's current work is not a full restoration back to original design elevation and that FDOT has not programmed a comprehensive restoration project due to cost. Ponitz said she toured the canal with Army Corps staff and observed debris at the Navy Canal inlet that DOT had cleared in portions.
Residents urged alternatives including dredging, check valves, retention ponds on vacant parcels and use of CRA funds. Speakers described dredged-out volumes lost over decades, homes repeatedly damaged, and the need to coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions because the watershed spans multiple cities. Commissioners asked staff to follow up with FDOT and the Army Corps, to obtain cost estimates and timelines, and to report back to the commission.
No commitment for a fully funded restoration was made during the meeting; staff indicated they would seek clarifying information and cost estimates from FDOT and the Army Corps and relay that information back to the commission.
