Bradenton council clears plan B for failing Lift Station 13 project; approves consent items after staff pulls two items

The Bradenton City Council on July 23 approved a motion that advances a temporary solution for failing sewer infrastructure in Ward 4 and established a public‑purpose route to pursue eminent domain if a planned purchase of the temporary site cannot close.

Councilmember Tiffany Moore, who moved the consent‑agenda item, summarized staff work to expand Lift Station 3 and install a temporary pack lift station to bypass a deteriorating Lift Station 13 that currently serves about 170 homes. Moore said the temporary pack lift would allow staff to take Lift Station 13 offline for replacement without leaving residents at risk during hurricane season and that grant funding to pay for the work is in place but expires next year.

Public Works Director Jeremy Perry described the structural failure risk: the station was built in the 1950s and its 16‑inch concrete structure has deteriorated to an estimated 4 inches in places, raising the possibility of collapse and service interruptions. City staff said the likely temporary response would include overland piping and bypass pumps if the station fails. The administration also reported it has completed an appraisal and attempted, but not always successful, good‑faith negotiations for a purchase of a blighted property that would host the temporary station.

Because title defects and out‑of‑state litigation affecting the parcel have frustrated closing attempts, the council approved language that the city could pursue eminent domain as a ‘‘plan B’’ to secure a temporary site and obtain a judicial order of entry if negotiations fail. City counsel said state law requires a public‑purpose resolution and payment of appraised fair market value as steps to seek judicial action.

The council, noting the urgency tied to the grant deadline and the potential impact on hundreds of residents, approved the consent action on a voice vote (approved 4–0 for the consent bundle, with staff pulling two items for later discussion). Mayor Gene Brown and multiple councilmembers emphasized the city’s intent to minimize disruption and return the temporary property to its prior condition once permanent infrastructure is complete.

Council members and staff said they would continue community engagement about construction logistics and timing. The city noted that any use of eminent domain would follow state law and judicial review, and that temporary facilities would be removed and the land returned or sold after work concludes.