Edgewater advances sewer‑lining plan, opens CDBG application process

Edgewater officials approved moving forward with a sewer‑lining project and the first public hearing for a Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application during the March 17 city council meeting.

Staff described the sewer work as lining approximately 78 manholes and sewer segments near the Park Avenue booster station, targeting areas with high infiltration and inflow. A staff speaker said the project would benefit a low‑income area and the municipal water plant by reducing I&I, and estimated the full grant would be in the range of $750,000 with a recommended $50,000 city match to improve competitiveness.

Jeffrey Winter of Cornerstone Community Partners, the consultant presenting the hearing, summarized the CDBG program’s four funding categories — commercial revitalization, economic development, neighborhood revitalization and housing rehabilitation — and said the program had waived the prior $750,000 cap for this cycle. "For this cycle alone, they've waived the $750,000 maximum," Winter said, adding that the cycle is expected to be competitive and that staff had identified projects around $1.5 million that could be packaged with local leverage.

Council moved and approved the public notice and household income verification survey needed to begin the application process and separately approved the consent agenda item to proceed with the sewer‑lining engineering and project scope. Councilmembers also approved a blanket purchase for routine water/wastewater parts (meters, pipes and fittings) while requesting follow‑up on resident complaints about specific meters.

Next steps: staff will prepare the grant application and the household income survey results; council asked staff to pursue a workshop to address meter performance complaints and to provide project design and bidding materials for the CDBG application.