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City-funded dredging progressing; board endorses federal cost-share application and county coordination
Summary
Staff reported rapid progress on Turnbull Creek dredging funded largely by a USDA grant; the board voted to recommend applying for FHWA aquatic organism passage funds (80/20 cost-share) and to coordinate with the county to improve drainage at Turnbull Bay Bridge.
Kyle Fig updated the board on ongoing dredging on the south side of Turnbull Creek, reporting that crews have cleared roughly 1,800–2,000 linear feet of the project's ~6,000-foot reach from Old Mission to State Road 44. Kyle said the contractor mobilized a second hydraulic dredge, the work is on schedule, and there have been no change orders or requests for additional time or funds. He emphasized that a USDA grant covers the majority of construction and administrative costs and noted the grant sunsets March 21; he set a practical completion deadline of March 1 to ensure compliance.
Board members asked whether dredging would benefit stormwater capacity. Kyle said removing thick muck, silt and debris will improve conveyance and assist flow from upstream subdivisions. He flagged additional environmental controls for the North Side — turbidity barriers and manatee protections — and said North Side dredging would begin after South Side completion, likely in late March.
Chair Atherton raised an FHWA-administered aquatic organism passage (fish opening) opportunity with an 80/20 federal cost-share and confirmed the board had application materials in its packet. The board voted to recommend the city apply for that funding and to coordinate with local regulatory bodies to clear the Turnbull Bay Bridge. Separately, the board approved a motion to coordinate with county authorities specifically to improve drainage flow at the Turnbull Bay Bridge.
Kyle and staff said the cleared material is being disposed of at an approved industrial discharge site and that, where feasible, dredged material may be reused for shoulder stabilization. Members asked staff to follow up about jurisdictional responsibility for trestles and the railroad-owned bridge areas near Turnbull Bay Bridge.
The board instructed staff to include the dredging status and grant application recommendations in the packet for the March presentation to the city commission.
