Town approves $1.95 million contract to pave Beach Comr. and Pebble Lane and coordinate septic‑to‑sewer work

Mayor Foley and town staff pushed ahead with a coordinated road‑paving and sewer conversion plan on Thursday, approving the award of ITB 26‑01 for Beach Comr. Lane and Pebble Lane to the lowest responsible bidder for $1,945,338.

Town Manager Mr. Harping told the council the work responds to Florida House Bill 1379, which requires conversion of septic systems to sanitary sewer in portions of the Indian River Lagoon basin. "As soon as that [HB 1379] was passed, I began discussions with Mr. Bolton and the city about the implementation," he said, describing a two‑year operational effort to align road paving with the mandated sewer connections to reduce costs and disruption for homeowners.

Rob Bolton, the City of Vero Beach representative who worked with town staff on the project, said bids opened April 15 and four firms showed interest; three submitted conforming proposals. "The total bid is 1,945,338," Bolton said. Staff recommended awarding the contract to the lowest responsible bidder and noted a pre‑construction meeting was scheduled for April 30 with a hoped‑for mobilization this summer.

Council members emphasized homeowner protections and payment options. The town and the city negotiated procedures to allow eligible work to be placed on the property tax roll as an assessment over a 10‑year period; property owners may pay early to avoid the assessment schedule. Bolton explained the mechanics of the assessment option and an associated prepayment/collection discount that affects the effective interest rate assessed through the tax collector.

Public commenters from Beach Comr. and Pebble Lane urged clearer, parcel‑level estimates. "We had a meeting about 19 months ago where we sort of got an idea of what the costs of the sewer portion would be," Teresa Morgan told council, asking for updated numbers before the contract was approved. Town staff acknowledged the need for property‑specific figures and said the contractor pre‑construction meeting would refine costs and that direct mail and another public meeting would follow.

Council moved to award the contract after discussion and asked staff to publish parcel‑level assessments once they are finalized; the motion passed on a unanimous roll call (Mayor Foley: yes; Vice Mayor Alwater: yes; Council member Carroll: yes; Council member Alieri: yes; Council member Tedesco: yes). Staff said the partnership with Vero Beach should prevent homeowners from bearing separate road paving bills that would have been required if the town had not coordinated the work.

Next steps: staff will complete the construction services agreement, hold the April 30 pre‑construction meeting, issue direct mail to affected addresses, and schedule a follow‑up public meeting to present property‑specific cost breakdowns and the detailed construction timeline.