Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/96141
Sarasota News Leader November 30, 2012 Page 35 north bridge, the contractor could pile the dredge material on barges, send them up the ICW to the bridge, offload the material and truck it away. ter Management District for funding of the project called for the work to be completed by Dec. 31, 2011. However, the memo says, "when it became apparent that construction … would not be completed by the expiration FDOT did end up granting the permit, he date, county staff requested a reallocation of pointed out to the County Commission on funds." Nov. 13, but the contractor also had to develop a sediment management plan, which need- SWFWMD staff amended the agreement, the ed approval of the Florida Department of En- memo continues, to apply $89,201.62 to the vironmental Management. design and engineering costs of the completed Bird Colony Island project, which involved Because of the delay in working out a plan cleaning up that island just off Siesta Key. to remove the dredge material, Semenec continued, the contractor ended up submitting a Altogether, SWFWMD provided $631,490.56 claim to the county for an extra $189,945 for of the $950,000 the county had budgeted for the project, along with a request for a 90-day spoil islands restoration. With the park restoextension. "That claim was rejected, as was a ration incomplete, the memo points out, only revised claim for $95,000 and 90 days," he add- $43,806.98 of the SWFWMD funding had been ed. "That claim remains an unresolved issue." applied to the project. Semenec pointed out that the agreement Tampa Contracting Services signed with the county made it the company's responsibility to identify a site to which it could transport the vegetation removed from the park, and it had to obtain the necessary permits for whatever plan it chose. The Nov. 13 memo adds, "At this time, the [Palmer Point Park] project is being evaluated to ascertain the potential for use as mitigation for impacts that will occur during construction of the future Siesta Beach Improvements project. Should it be determined that [it] is acceptable as mitigation, the county will reimburse $43,806.98 to SWFWD." "The schedule change also remains a major unresolved cost issue with the contractor," MOVING FORWARD Semenec told the commissioners. During his presentation, Semenec sought After staff met with the contractor recently, board authorization to re-advertise the Palmhe added, the parties agreed to a mutual ter- er Point Park project, with the FDOT right of mination of the contract. However, the coun- way by the north Siesta bridge identified as an ty owed the contractor a final payment of available transfer site for the dredge material. $32,818.76, Semenec said. FDOT's staff in Sarasota had agreed to use of the right of way, he added. THE SWFWMD FACTOR Commissioner Nora Patterson asked SemeThe Nov. 13 memo points out that a county nec to make certain he notified the president agreement with the Southwest Florida Waof the Bay Island Association — which rep-