Bradenton authorizes loan applications for $35M/$19M drinking-water and wastewater resilience awards

Bradenton City Council on Dec. 10 authorized the mayor to execute loan applications and supporting documents to accept large federal/state resilience awards for drinking-water and wastewater infrastructure, after staff and consultants described the awards and next steps.

City administration and consultant Woodard & Curran outlined two awards allocated through EPA/DEP resilience programs: staff cited awards on the order of $35 million for one drinking-water application and roughly $19 million for wastewater-related projects. Scott Shannon of Woodard & Curran told council the city received the maximum possible allocations under the applicable caps and that the funds are structured as principal-forgiveness awards; the city must still file loan applications and a facilities plan to receive and allocate the funds.

"The money's already been awarded to you, and because it's principal forgiveness, there is a loan application that has to be filed," Shannon said, adding that the awards target resilience and response to natural disasters. Council voted to authorize the mayor to execute the loan applications and related documents (Res. 25-111 and Res. 25-112). Staff said specific projects and final prioritization would be identified during the required facilities planning process and that some flexibility exists within the categories included in the awards.

Council members praised staff and consultant work that secured the awards and said they expect project prioritization and procurement to follow promptly. Staff noted constraints on certain uses until necessary approvals are obtained, and said the city could see rapid deployment of projects once facilities plans and procurement steps are complete.