Item N09BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMIM ARY
Meeting Date: May 20, 2015 Division: County Administrator
Bulk Item: X No Department: Sustainability/Projects
Staff Contact /Phone #: Rhonda Haag, 453-8774
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval to advertise a Request for Proposals for removing an existing
ineffective weed barrier system and installing a new air curtain system at the mouth of Canal #266
located between Baileys Lane and Witters Lane in Doctor's Arm Big Pine Key; demolishing portions
of an ineffective weed barrier and installing a new air curtain system at the mouth of Canal #287
located between Atlantis Drive and Hollerich Drive in Big Pine Key; and providing a 2-year period of
operations and maintenance of both systems.
ITEM BACKGROUND: These Canal #266 and #287 Air Curtain Installation projects are part of the
Canal Restoration Demonstration Program, and are designed to evaluate the cost and effectiveness of
installation of air curtains as weed barriers, to prevent seaweed from entering the canals where it
becomes trapped, drops to the canal bottoms and decays. The projects are being implemented to
improve the water quality by preventing these oxygen depleting materials from entering the canals
where they are contributing to the impairment of these canals for dissolved oxygen. The air curtain
installations are to be completed to prevent the migration of weed wrack into the canals and the
subsequent water quality degradation associated with the accumulation of weed wrack on the canal
bottoms. Operations and maintenance includes maintenance of the equipment and payment of the
monthly electrical costs to operate the equipment for a period of two years.
These projects are the fourth and fifth of the County's specified six demonstration canal projects to be
solicited. These canals are among the worst as to water quality in the entire County. AMEC has
completed the design and specifications, the County has applied for the environmental permit
applications and is ready to advertise for proposals.
The two projects are being issued under one solicitation for cost effectiveness.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
None.
BOCC Actions related to other related Canal Items:
1. 03-21-12: Approval and authorization of a Grant from FDEP to fund Phase 1 of the Canal Management
Master Plan and also authorized execution of a task order with AMEC under the on -call professional
engineering services contract to develop Phase 1.
2. 06-20-12: Approval of the grant application submitted to EPA, which requested $100,000 in grant funds and
specified a $10,000 match of in -kind services.
3. 09-19-12: Approval of a $100,000 EPA grant that funded Phase 2 of the Canal Master Plan.
4. 11-20-12: Approval of a Task Order with AMEC Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc. under the on -call
professional engineering services contract to develop Ph. 2 of a county -wide Canal Improvements Master
Plan.
5. 02-20-13: Approval of a FDEP Grant S0640 providing $100,000 of funding of work to perform bathymetric
surveys and also approved a $100,000 Task Order with AMEC to perform the bathymetric work.
6. 03-20-13: Approval of $5 million for the canal restoration demonstration projects.
7. 05-15-13: Approval of a $37,725 contract with AMEC to select the demonstration projects, as a result of a
request for quotes.
8. 08-21-13: Provided direction on the selection process for use in selecting the top 15 canal restoration
projects and the final 5 demonstration projects.
9. 09-17-13: Approval of a time extension to the AMEC contract for selection of the demo projects.
10. 10-16-13: Approval of the top 15 canals, selection of 6 canals for the demonstration projects, and a 90 day
limitation on the homeowner approval period.
11. 12-11-13: Approval of the 7d' demonstration canal.
12. 12-11-13: Approval to advertise an RFQ for the design and permitting of the canal demo projects
13. 02-19-14: Approval to negotiate a contract for the design and permitting of the canal demo projects.
14. 05-21-14: Approval of contract with AMEC to design the demonstration Canals.
15. 09-17-14: Approval of Amendment #1 to the AMEC design contract for additional construction support
services for the culvert at Canal #472 on Geiger Key, as funded by DER
16. 9-17-14: Approval to advertise a Request for Bids for the construction and installation of a culvert on Canal
#472 on Geiger Key, the 3`d ranked demonstration canal project for culvert installation per the Canal
Management Master Plan.
17. 11-18-14: Approval to advertise a Request for Proposals for removing organic muck material from Canal
#266 located between Baileys Lane and Witters Lane in Doctor's Arm Big Pine Key, and Canal #290
located between Avenues I and Avenue J in Big Pine Key, utilizing vacuum dredging.
18. 12-10-14: Approval to enter into a contract with Toppino for the installation of a culvert on Canal #472.
19. 04-15-15: Approval to enter into an agreement with JND Thomas for removing organic muck material from
Canals #266 and #290 on Big Pine Key.
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: Not applicable
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Approval
TOTAL COST: NTE $180,000 DIRECT COST: _ BUDGETED: Yes X No
DIFFERENTIAL OF LOCAL PREFERENCE: N/A
COST TO COUNTY: SOURCE OF FUNDS: Canal Funds
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes _ No X AMOUNT PER MONTH ` Year
APPROVED BY: County Atty OMB/Purchasing Risk Management
DOCUMENTATION: Included X Not Required
DISPOSITION: AGENDA ITEM No. CAD #
Cause of Impairment: Influx of seaweed
Prescribed Technology: Air Curtain
1 . Designed to prevent floating, wind -driven
seaweed from entering into man-made
canals
2. The Air Curtain is placed at a canal mouth
3. Benefits:
a) Ease of permitting
b) Versatility
C) Low Cost of Implementation
Engineered Air Curtain (with floating turbidity
barrier used only during construction)