City manager reports progress on Koncha Dam refurbishment, Gardania Ditch and other projects

City Manager Brian Benton updated the Sebastian Budget Review Advisory Committee on multiple capital projects at the May 11 meeting, describing the status of several older and ongoing projects and identifying one matter with legal complications.

Benton said the FY2022 Koncha Dam replacement was replaced in scope by a refurbishment; the design and bidding are complete and the project has been awarded and is awaiting contractor mobilization. He said Gardania Ditch is roughly 80% complete and the Schuman Drive box culvert design is nearly finished, although staff do not plan to move that project forward immediately.

Benton also said an item labeled 'stone crop drainage' remains an open project that staff are addressing 'from a legal standpoint.' He told the committee that FY2024 projects are active and advancing and that staff continue to work daily to move projects forward.

“The Koncha Dam replacement project that has been replaced with kind of a refurbishment of the dam. That project is currently underway. It’s been designed. It’s been bid and the award has happened. So we’re just waiting for them to start construction,” Benton said on the record.

Committee members asked whether older projects remain at risk because of timelines or deadlines. Benton noted the FY2020 item is tied to a recurring CDBG grant and is not expected to go away. The committee did not take formal action on any single capital project at the meeting; members received the status report as part of the quarter review.

The city manager’s update provided project-level context for the capital-expenditure items reflected in the quarter financials.