Council approves Greenslope and Daughtry intersection improvements, asks staff about drainage and low bid

Council members discussed planned improvements to the Greenslope Drive and Daughtry Road intersection, including a new southbound left-turn lane, reconfiguration of existing pavement, and a stormwater solution for an adjacent pond. The project presenter described automating an existing manual valve so the pond would no longer require staff to manually close the valve during high-water events; "we are automating that system where it won't require Rob and his team to go out there and hand, you know, crank that valve," the engineer explained.

Questions from council focused on stacking length and drainage. One councilmember measured the proposed stacking at roughly 160 feet and asked whether that equates to sufficient stacking for traffic; the engineer said the final design lengthened the lane to “a little over 200 feet” and estimated it could hold about a dozen cars. Another member pressed whether the pond system would have an outlet for a portable generator during power outages; the public works director, Shane LeBlanc, said an outlet will be wired to allow a portable generator to provide backup power.

Councilmembers also expressed concern about the lowest bidder. A member said BRW was "by far the lowest bidder, which scares me a little bit because they're so low," and staff responded that BRW has completed multiple satisfactory city projects and that Pasco County had reinspected prior work. Staff said if everything proceeds, the council would award the contract in two weeks and planning and public works would coordinate a construction schedule with the contractor.

The council voted on related consent items and separately moved to approve the award process; the transcript records motions and a subsequent statement that the motion "passes," but does not include a detailed roll-call tally in the minutes provided.