Satellite Beach approves $1.32 million DEP grant and $153,480 design contract for Westside Basin water‑quality work

The City Council voted Nov. 5 to accept a Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant of $1,320,768 for water‑quality improvements in the Westside Basin and approved a companion design and permitting agreement with Mead & Hunt for $153,480.

City staff said the reimbursable grant requires a 20% local match (about $330,000). Staff explained that $153,480 of the city’s required match can be satisfied by paying the Mead & Hunt design fee; the remainder of the match is expected to be city staff time and other eligible expenses. The project scope includes drainage and water‑quality improvements across the Westside Basin (west of South Patrick Drive), such as bioswales, tree wells and the basin‑wide installation of inlet baskets. Staff said the work is necessary to meet total maximum daily load (TMDL) requirements to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus discharges under the Banana River Lagoon Basin management action plan.

City engineer and consultants told council the design and permitting phase is expected to take about nine months, including data collection, survey and geotechnical work. Council members asked about oversight, hourly rates underlying the lump‑sum proposal and how the design fee proportionally relates to the overall project cost; staff said the Mead & Hunt agreement follows prior procurement practice and that a lump‑sum contract provides cost certainty for design. Council approved both the DEP grant agreement and the Mead & Hunt scope and fee.

No construction contract was approved at the meeting; staff said construction budgeting and quarterly reimbursement processes will follow design and permitting. Council did not identify additional funding sources beyond the 20% match required by the DEP grant.