SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve the Second Amendment to Cooperative Funding Agreement (CFA) No. 15C00000115 with Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) for the Clearwater Groundwater Replenishment Project, Phase 3 (N665) and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same. (consent)
Body
SUMMARY:
City Council approved in December 2015 and February 2017 respectively, the original CFA between SWFWMD and the City for the for the Groundwater Replenishment Project (15-0010-UT, providing 50% reimbursement of the project cost up to $14,340,000 and the First Amendment, which increased the reimbursement by $2,018,000 for a new maximum reimbursement up to $16,358,000 or $32,716,000 total project cost.
The City started a Water System Master Plan that will be completed in approximately 1.5 years. This plan reviews and analyzes the entire existing water system and proposed additions such as the Groundwater Replenishment Facility (GRF) to ensure that maximum system operation effectiveness and cost efficiency is maintained. The construction of the GRF is delayed until completion of the Water System Master Plan. This delay allows time to identify and implement any necessary modifications to the GRF design resulting from the Water Systems Master Plan effort to optimize the overall operation and management of the water system.
The delay in construction of the Groundwater Replenishment Facility requires that SWFWMD make changes to the funding provisions of the existing cooperative funding agreement. This Second Amendment decreases SWFWMD funding to a $2,989,819 total project cost with 50% reimbursement once construction commences, up to $1,494,909 in accordance with the latest change in the Project Plan. This will allow SWFWMD to utilize available cooperative funding resources while the City completes its Water System Master Plan.
Once the Water System Master Plan is complete, the City will make any changes to the Groundwater Replenishment Project and then re-apply to SWFWMD for funding toward the construction of the facility.