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Sarasota County stormwater director: Belby Creek high-spot dredge ~20% complete; phase 2 contract delayed pending permits
Summary
Ben Quartermain told the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners that the Belby Creek phase 1 high-spot dredge is about 20% complete and on track for mid-June, and he recommended postponing a phase 2 contract until state and federal permitting (estimated 6–9 months) is complete.
Ben Quartermain, Sarasota County stormwater director, told the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners that the Belby Creek phase 1 high-spot dredge is about 20% complete and on track to finish in mid-June. He said the county will delay a contract for phase 2 until state and federal environmental permitting is resolved.
Quartermain opened his monthly update by saying, “We’re adding staff and and equipment to increase our maintenance level of service like requested.” He said the department has engaged contractor Steve Swaz to review capital projects and is actively planning the design and permitting for county ‘‘resilient SRQ’’ projects.
On construction progress, Quartermain said crews and contractors have dredged about 20% of the total work to date and that active sites employ roughly 25 local community members. “They've dredged about 20% of the total to date,” he said. He acknowledged Spencer Anderson and his team for getting phase 1 designed and permitted.
Quartermain said phase 2 raises additional environmental concerns. “The maximum allowable dredge, how we're proposing it, potentially impacts seagrasses and oysters,” he said, and added that permitting would be a six- to nine-month process. Because of those risks and the permitting timeline, Quartermain recommended waiting on a phase-2 contract until permits are secured; he said a contract is now more likely toward the end of the year rather than in early spring.
During questions, Commissioner Smith asked for a completion estimate for the phase 1 high-spot dredge. Quartermain said the construction work began in mid-December as a six-month project and is on track for a mid-June finish. Commissioner Masse thanked Quartermain and his crews for visible work in districts and constituent outreach, and Commissioner Knight asked whether the department needed any immediate action from the board; Quartermain replied no.
There were no formal motions or votes on the update. Quartermain said staff will continue design and permit coordination with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and will keep neighborhoods such as Forest Lakes informed as work continues.
