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Council asks Stantec for narrower, lower‑cost dredging permit scope after public and member concerns
Summary
Council reviewed Stantec’s Phase 2 dredging proposal, questioned an added $50,000 for extra study areas and directed staff to return with a revised price for a smaller, yellow‑circled area (dropping Harbor Pointe) and to confirm seagrass/permitting implications.
Port Richey City Council debated how much of the waterfront to include in Phase 2 of a dredging study and permit application from Stantec and directed staff to return with revised pricing and a narrowed study area.
Interim City Manager Sala Carey overviewed Phase 2 as “60% drawings, FDP and USACE permit applications” and said the current proposal increases the Phase 1 scope from roughly $105,000 to $149,610 to cover additional areas identified after a June workshop. Carey said the higher cost reflected added hydrographic and seagrass survey work and agency coordination.
Council members and several residents pressed to exclude portions of Harbor Pointe and to limit studies near Waterfront Park because of state park restrictions. Councilman Robert Hubbard and resident Bob (who testified from local waterways) urged focusing on the sandbar in front of Whiskey Joe’s and widening the Miller’s Bayou channel rather than dredging the park side. Hubbard said the black‑lined areas had already been studied and that many of the contested spots were “just sand” and could be handled with smaller, targeted work.
Members discussed trade‑offs between permitting broader areas now (to avoid repeating permit work later) and saving money today by limiting the permit footprint. City staff cautioned that the Phase 2 permit covers surveys and pre‑application filings only and does not obligate the city to construct beyond whatever is permitted later.
After extended discussion and public comment, council reached consensus to ask Stantec for two clarified prices: (1) the smaller, staff‑outlined yellow area under Miller’s Bayou and near Whiskey Joe’s, and (2) a price for the broader west‑of‑the‑red‑line area, with Harbor Pointe removed. Staff was asked to return the revised quote and a clear explanation of what the additional $50,000 covered so council could decide at a future meeting.
Next steps: staff will request updated costings from Stantec, confirm whether existing seagrass work covers the reduced study area, and return to council with exact figures and a recommendation.
