Sanibel subcommittee backs capital plan review, urges study of Bailey Road flooding

The Capital Improvements Review Subcommittee on July 14 voted to find the City of Sanibel’s draft five-year capital improvement plan consistent with the Sanibel plan and recommended the plan be revised to include a study of Bailey Road and other transportation arteries prone to flooding.

Chair Cher Steiner opened the meeting by asking the panel to review the proposed $67,600,000 capital plan and hear a presentation from public works staff. Director McMichael outlined the subcommittee’s statutory charge to assess the plan’s consistency with level-of-service standards and fiscal feasibility, saying there were no current deficiencies in potable water, sewer, solid waste or drainage standards.

Scott Krawczyk of Public Works described the plan’s stormwater program, telling the subcommittee that most work tied to a prior $10 million stormwater grant is complete and roughly $6 million in additional stormwater repairs are budgeted for 2027. “Four million of that is a replacement of the Clam Bayou, Dinkins Bayou box culvert,” Krawczyk said, explaining the Sandcap Road culvert has structural issues and needs replacement. He said the budget also includes a $500,000 line for general stormwater improvements and feasibility work to evaluate pumps and automated weir gates.

Commissioners pressed staff on how the city is financing the plan. One member asked whether it is normal that “over 80%” of the plan is grant-funded; Krawczyk said the high share reflects post-hurricane recovery grants and is not typical in ordinary years. The subcommittee repeatedly flagged the long-term implications of relying heavily on grant funding for multi-year projects.

The panel also discussed flap gates and weir automation. Krawczyk said flap gate work at Beach Road is finished and that a Tarpon Bay weir flap gate design is budgeted at about $600,000. “We think with that $600,000, we can even get preventive maintenance repairs at Tarpon Bay similar to what we did at Beach Road,” he said.

Public works and Director Fred Mittel outlined a multi-phase lift-station replacement program. Mittel said the city has procured control-panel packages for about 40 lift stations and expects the first batch of fabricated panels to arrive this month; 10 full structure packages were bid and initial construction is scheduled for this summer. He estimated per-site costs at roughly $300,000 and said the total program cost could exceed $30 million. Mittel added that FEMA has so far provided minimal funding for the lift-station repairs, and city officials are pursuing the issue in Washington. “We’re looking at cost of this project over $30,000,000 and that’s what they’re pursuing up in D.C.,” Mittel said.

The subcommittee also discussed road resurfacing and the potential for selective elevation work under a $12 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). Staff said council has prioritized resurfacing but acknowledged some sections could benefit from elevation to improve evacuation routes, noting design trade-offs and drainage impacts would need study.

Bailey Road — identified in the surface water master plan as a short-term improvement — became a focal point after commissioners noted it was not explicitly itemized in the requested CIP. Staff said the Bailey project could be funded through the long-range $2 million-per-year placeholder or be brought forward for near-term design depending on council direction.

Commissioner (speaker 10) moved to find the draft capital improvement plan consistent with the Sanibel plan and to recommend adding a study of Bailey Road and similarly situated transportation corridors that experience flooding; the motion was seconded and adopted by voice vote. Chair Steiner adjourned the meeting at 10:09 a.m.

What’s next: The subcommittee’s recommendation will be forwarded to city council for consideration as staff refines design work and funding allocations for stormwater, lift-station replacements and targeted road studies.