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Sarasota News Leader November 9, 2012 and appurtenant conveyance structures, in- stallation of an in-ground disk filtration vault, a stormwater pump station, an ultraviolet dis- infection unit and a stormwater outfall pipe- line terminating in the Gulf of Mexico. The outfall pipeline is to be installed by a com- bination of open trench cut through coastal uplands, jack and bore beneath coastal wet- lands, and horizontal directional drilling to the pipeline's terminus in the Gulf." The initiative has been proposed for a number of years as a means of preventing any future closures of the Siesta Public Beach to swim- ming as a result of unacceptably high bacterial counts. However, complaints by Gulf & Bay Club residents about the proposed location of the new stormwater retention pond necessi- tated county staff's redesigning the site plans for the project. That also necessitated county staff's re-sub- mitting permit applications to the Florida De- partment of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. While those applications were in the works, County Commissioner Nora Patterson — who represents Siesta Key on the county board — and SKA representatives fretted about the possibility the Southwest Florida Water Man- agement District would decide to withdraw a grant of up to $975,000 that it earlier had committed to the project. During the Sept. 6 SKA meeting, Smith as- sured members that county staff was keeping Page 23 SWFWMD representatives advised of progress on the stormwater permitting process. Coun- ty project team members felt comfortable, he said, that the water district would keep the funds available as long as its staff received regular updates on the status of the effort. Program Manager Carolyn Eastwood, of the county's Public Works Department, told the News Leader Nov. 6, "The grant funding is still secure at this point." She added that when county staff last met with SWFWMD representatives several weeks ago, the water district group had affirmed it would advocate that the SWFWMD board keep the grant funding in place if the County Commission stayed on track to award the bid in February. The grant is scheduled to expire in late March, Eastwood said. When the water district gave the county the grant, the understanding was that the county would be reimbursed for half its expenses on the project, up to $975,000, after the work was completed, Smith has explained to the News Leader. During the September SKA meeting, Smith also pointed out that the contractor would have plenty to do in terms of preparation for construction, if the bid were awarded by Feb- ruary as staff hoped. Therefore, the project would not interfere with seasonal visitors and parking at the beach in 2013. Take Your TimeYou Have All Week Enjoy The News Leader Anytime - Day or Night