Commission reviews capital plan: sidewalks, Morningside Drive and multi‑million wastewater plant design/construction

Dade City staff presented a multi‑year capital improvement program that includes funds for sidewalks, street paving, the Morningside Drive extension, design and construction of a new wastewater treatment plant, and a proposed James Urban Civic Center.

Staff proposed budgeting $300,000 annually for curb and sidewalk replacement and $250,000 for a street‑paving management program. The Morningside Drive extension was shown with a $4 million allocation in the immediate fiscal year and about $9.14 million in the subsequent year. Design and permitting for a new wastewater treatment plant were shown as $3.2 million in the coming fiscal year; construction was shown at $38,140,000 in the following fiscal year, with a separate transmission/force‑main construction line item.

Staff also asked commissioners to carry forward $250,000 budgeted this year for the Seventh Street streetscape and proposed $600,000 for initial design work on the James Urban Civic Center with a $1,000,000 construction placeholder in a later year. Other items in the capital list included a community park parking expansion ($300,000), lead service line replacement ($250,000 in the upcoming year), and a manhole replacement program ($65,000 annually).

Commissioners questioned some figures and asked staff to refine construction estimates for the Seventh Street work and other projects. Staff noted partial grant funding for certain projects — for example, a $400,000 FDOT contribution toward Seventh Street — and said detailed construction bids and grant awards would influence final budgets.

The capital program was informational at the workshop; staff will provide more detailed project budgets and funding sources as the commission moves toward budget adoption.