PSJ Commissioners amend plans for water improvements

Port St. Joe Commissioners voted to eliminate the North Port St. Joe area from city's phase one of water pipe replacement in hopes of securing a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to fund that portion of the project.

If secured, the CDBG would replace dollars from the State Revolving Fund, the project's original source of funding.

The phase one portion of the project is to replace roughly 10 miles of aged steel pipe, which is believed to a culprit in the city’s ongoing issues with water quality, particularly in the city proper.

The vote reduced the price of the phase one improvements by $440,000 and pushed the North Port St. Joe project back about a year, with construction planned for Feb. 2013.

City Manager Charlie Weston said he feels very positive about securing the grant money, but if the grant cannot be obtained, the city would go back to the State Revolving Fund.

County Commissioner Tan Smiley, whose district includes the neighborhood of North Port St. Joe, addressed the board at the meeting with concerns that shifting the CDBG dollars towards the water project would put other community development efforts on hold.

"You can not apply for (two grants) at the same time," Smiley said. "In certain parts of my district, I also have a problem with the housing." 

Smiley said they would have to wait until next year to apply for another CDBG grant for housing improvements. 

"Me being from that district, I've seen a lot of things overlooked, pushed to the side and even stepped on," Smiley said. "My main thing is the grants have been out there for the last 20 years. The city could have been applying for a long time. The people of my district have been left out on some of these grants."

Smiley said he doesn't want the people of the community to be left out like they have in the past.

"We've got a whole community that has been left out with a lot of stuff that's been going on," Smiley said. "I know we need the water grant, the only thing I'm saying is I don't want to be left out.

"We had planned on one thing, now we're being pushed back, and now the grant's for the water. I've got a good feeling we'll get (the grant), but it's not 100 percent sure. I just want to make sure the city is willing to take care of it no matter what."

Mayor Mel Magidson said the city is not abandoning the project, just changing the financing.  

"I don't feel real good about taking out any of it," said Commissioner Rex Buzzett. "But if we took something out in another area we wouldn't be able to get a CDBG grant."

The decision to reduce the scope was forced upon the city by the difference in the estimated cost of phase one and the loan/grant package the city is receiving from the State Revolving Fund.

The North Port St. Joe area was the only portion of phase one that would qualify under CDBG guidelines. If approved for the CDBG, the city would save more than half a million dollars in loan costs over the life of the loan should the North Port St. Joe improvements be funded by increasing the amount of money the city is seeking from the State Revolving Fund.

The city will know in by fall whether it is on the short list for CDBG funding and should have the dollars, if granted, by next spring, meaning a relatively short delay in progressing with work in North Port St. Joe.

City responds to energy center lawsuits

Port St. Joe Commissioners voted last week to rescind the development order for the Northwest Florida Renewable Energy Center after two lawsuits were filed by Gulf Citizens for Renewable Energy, Inc. requesting the abandonment of the project's development order. 

The city willl seek help with legal fees from Rentech, Inc., for the $2,250 worth of out-of-pocket costs the two lawsuits incurred, but if Rentech declines to assist the city will pay the fees.

"The question is do you want to spend $2,250 to make this thing go away, or what do you want to do?" city attorney Tom Gibson asked commissioners at the Jan. 17 meeting.

Commissioners agreed they should quit while they're ahead, but requested Gibson contact Rentech to see if the company would be willing to assist with legal fees.

Mayor Mel Magidson described the lawsuits as "nothing ventured, nothing gained."

The lawsuits were filed in mid December, two weeks after Rentech decided to abandon the project because of an inability to secure funding for the project.

Gibson said Rentech has no objection to the city rescinding the development order.

Commissioner Lorinda Gingell made the motion for the city to rescind the development order and pay the full legal fees if Rentech declined assistance. The motion passed 5-0.

Online ordinance database

City Manager Charlie Weston was given the go-ahead by commissioners to incorporate a municipal code database on the city's Web site. The system, provided by Municode, will cost the city $11,700, dollars that are incorporated into the budget. 

The Municode system will post all of the city's ordinances on the Web site and allow residents to search ordinances by key word.

"This will be extremely beneficial to the city," Weston said.

PSJRA observation tower project

Commissioners decided to halt plans for the construction of a 45-foot observation tower on the southeast corner of Highway 98 and Fourth Street.  

"You're still dead set on that tower?" Mayor Magidson asked Port St. Joe Redevelopment Agency executive director Gail Alsobrook. "I've been hearing concerns from a lot of people (regarding the project)."

 Magidson said he was disappointed by the bay view from the top of Daly's Dock and Dive Shop on Highway 98, next to the proposed site of the observation tower.

"It's not something to write home about," Magidson said.

Port St. Joe Police Chief David Barnes said the tower poses a huge safety issue.

Commissioner Gingell replied, "Then we don't need a tower."

The board agreed to revisit the tower plans and discuss other location options or other project options in general. Magidson suggested a memorial for veterans.

"I think we need to revisit this," Magidson said. "We're trying to see if we can talk about this as long as we talked about the sign ordinance."

Star News Editor Tim Croft contributed to this report