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Board accepts Merrell Bros. unsolicited biosolids proposal, directs competitive procurement
Summary
The St. Johns County Board accepted an unsolicited Merrell Bros. proposal for a biosolids facility and directed staff to solicit alternate proposals in a competitive procurement after public concerns about odor, traffic and transparency were raised; the motion passed 5-0.
The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners on June 2 accepted an unsolicited proposal from Merrell Bros., Inc. for the design, construction and operation of a biosolids facility and directed staff to conduct a competitive procurement to solicit alternate proposals.
The acceptance motion — moved by Commissioner Christian Whitehurst and seconded by Commissioner Sarah Arnold — carried 5-0. Purchasing Director Jamie Locklear and Merrell Bros. representatives Dustin Smith (CEO) and Blake Merrell (COO) presented details of the proposal, including the proposed facility scope, leasing options, and projected costs. Utilities Director Neal Shinkre answered technical questions about waste sources and operational size. The Board did not exercise the county’s option to forego competition at this time.
Multiple members of the public raised concerns during the meeting about potential odor, traffic impacts and transparency. Chuck Labonowski asked about the proposed site's location and cost; Joe McAnarney raised traffic concerns; Nicole Crosby urged consideration of alternatives and noted environmental concerns. Merrell Bros. representatives responded to questions about waste sources and mitigation steps.
The Board’s action directs staff to run a competitive solicitation; next steps include drafting a procurement timeline and evaluating alternate proposals. The vote was recorded as unanimous: Murphy, Taylor, Whitehurst, Arnold and Joseph voting yes.
