Pahokee sewers get $300,000 more

Published June 16th, 2008

By John Johnston
Managing Editor

As part of a 2004 interlocal agreement, the City of Pahokee has received an additional $300,00 from Palm Beach County commissioners toward the ongoing installation of the Canal Point sanitary sewer system.

When added, the most recent sum now brings the county’s total to $1.25 million, said commissioners, for construction and other related costs of the sanitary sewer expansion serving the unincorporated Canal Point area from Pahokee to the West Palm Beach Canal. 

Because unincorporated Canal Point is a targeted area of the Countywide Community Revitalization Team (CCRT) and is located in the "acute" area (35 percent or higher poverty) of the county’s development regions, commissioners said revitalization of Canal Point's Scenic Trail/Downtown and the Southwest Commercial Area is a key component in the Glades Strategic Business Development Initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2002 and 2003.

Commissioners said, “septic tanks in these areas have tremendous limitations, and the lack of municipal sewer has impeded business growth and redevelopment.”

Accordingly, the county Engineering and Public Works Department has participated in monitoring expenditures in the municipal sewer development program, working in concert with the county Economic Development Office which in turn has helped Pahokee obtain additional grant funding from other sources.

In addition to the county’s $1.25 million, commissioners said Pahokee has also received a USDA Rural Development grant of $400,000, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding of $105,395, and state funding of $700,000 for the municipal sewer system development.

Unless otherwise extended, the interlocal agreement between the county and the city expires March 1, 2010, said commissioners.

In other recent business commissioners:

• Amended a contract for consulting/professional services with Langton Associates, Inc. related to Palm Beach County’s grant development program.  The amendment extends the current term an additional three months, said commissioners, while staff finalizes a request for proposals for a new general grant development program contract. The extension will cost $21,537, said commissioners.

• Received and filed a report of county official bonds. Statutes set various bond amounts for specified county officers and provides for examination of the sufficiency of all the bonds at a regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, in January and June of each year.

Approved a $97,650 contract with Joe Schmidt Construction, Inc. for replacement of windows and doors on each of the four  tender houses located on bridges over the Intracoastal Waterway.  These include the CR 707 Bridge in Tequesta, the Ocean Avenue Bridge in Lantana, the Woolbright Road Bridge in Boynton Beach, and the George Bush Boulevard Bridge in Delray Beach, commissioners said.