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Council reviews $89.6 million utilities budget; major water storage, meter automation and wastewater upgrades discussed
Summary
Panama City Beach utilities staff briefed the council on an $89.6 million utilities budget featuring a Melby ground storage/pumping station project (two 7‑million‑gallon tanks), automated meter reading rollout and multi‑year wastewater treatment and lift station upgrades; staff warned some projects depend on grant awards and permitting.
Utilities Director Mark Schaer told the council the utility fund covers the island‑wide water and wastewater systems and presented a mix of operating and capital investments intended to sustain service to a growing island population.
Among the largest near‑term items are the Melby ground storage and pumping station additions on the east end: staff said two tanks of about 7 million gallons each are planned and that construction could be bid with alternates to allow sequencing. "When they finish those two 7 million...you will have 18 million gallons [of storage] at that one site," Mark Schaer said, noting the work addresses hydraulic limits on the eastern wholesale supply.
The water side also includes a $2 million estimate for automated meter reading (AMR) to gather remote meter reads, provide customers with a portal and reduce drive‑time and manual meter reads; staff said prior meter upgrades already make much of the system AMR‑compatible. Mark explained the AMR rollout will use new antennas sited to cover previously weak zones and will allow real‑time consumption data for customers.
On wastewater, staff described a multi‑phase plant rehabilitation and capacity program ($6.9M programmed for repairs and a 1‑million gallon capacity addition in the first phase) and a $6.7M lift‑station upgrade line item that will touch roughly a dozen aging stations. The work is a mix of obsolescence replacement and capacity increases to serve projected growth on the west end of the island.
Mark and councilmembers stressed interdependencies: several pipeline relocations and water main upsizings are tied to CRA and DOT roadway projects, and large projects require final permit approvals and grant reimbursements. Staff said for the largest stormwater and outfall projects the city has grant funding but might face shortfalls if bids exceed estimates; they committed to returning if gaps appear.
The workshop produced council direction to continue work on design, permitting and financing options; none of the utility capital projects were fully approved for construction at the workshop stage — staff will return with contract recommendations and bid results.
