Sarasota signs contractor for hurricane-related paving repairs

In a consent agenda approval vote at its Sept. 15 meeting, the Sarasota City Commission authorized the mayor and the city auditor and clerk to execute a $7.5 million agreement between the city and Ajax Paving Industries of Florida for construction services related to infrastructure repairs and resiliency.

Multiple projects are proposed for completion under the Ajax agreement for possible FEMA reimbursement tied to the 2025 federal large project threshold of just more than $1 million per project. They include Whitaker Park, Whitaker Park Pier, Nora Patterson Bay Island Park, Sapphire Shores Park, west end of Cleveland Drive, Tangier Way, Eloise Werlin Park and Bayfront Park, as well as other projects meeting FEMA eligibility. 

Each eligible project is treated individually and must meet or fall below the 2025 federal ceiling of $1,062,900 to qualify for FEMA reimbursement when applied to a continuing contract, such as the pact with Ajax. The aggregate value of all the FEMA-eligible projects under the Ajax agreement may exceed $7.5 million, providing each individual project complies with the just more than $1 million FEMA cap.

The initial term of this agreement will be for a period three years, renewable for up to three one-year terms.

Drone replacement

In other business, the City Commission approved amending the current fiscal year budget to create a revenue and expense budget within the Special Revenue Grant Fund for $50,000 to replace two drones for the Sarasota Police Department. No local match is required.

The funding will provide for the replacement of aging drone equipment with new technology to enhance operational efficiency, improve safety and expand capabilities for public safety, according to city documents. The Drone Unit under the Support Services Division has been deployed 30 times so far this year for cases that involve locating missing persons and in support of the specialty units conducting high-risk investigations.

Also amended in the current fiscal year budget by the commission are supplemental appropriations to create a revenue and expense budget within the Special Revenue Grant Fund for $1 million to invest in the Smart City Initiative project.

On Oct. 20, 2023, the city manager approved the grant agreement between the city and Florida Department of Environmental Protection for Sarasota Bay Resiliency Initiative in the amount of $2.5 million. On Nov. 18, 2024, the city manager signed a first amendment to the agreement for an additional $1 million, raising the total of funding amount to $3.5 million. 

A required match of $2.6 million is currently budgeted in Penny Sales Tax 2010-2024 for $1.35 million for seawall rehab/reconstruction, $1.23 million for Ken Thompson Park shoreline stabilization and the $1 million for the Smart City Initiative.