HOLMES BEACH – The city commission has delayed the previously authorized purchase of an aquatic harvester that would remove floating algae, seagrass and dead marine life from residential canals and Sarasota Bay.
On Nov. 14, commissioners continued their previous discussion on the harvester purchase and agreed that more information and research are needed before the $137,000 purchase is finalized.
During the Nov . 14 meeting, Commission Chair Terry Schaefer noted the harvester purchase has been included in the city budget for two years, but that a purchase order won’t be issued until the city knows for sure whether a permit or permission is needed from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to conduct the desired skimming and water cleaning activities.
Public Works Superintendent Sage Kamiya hopes to provide clarity on the FDEP permit ting requirements when the commission meets again on Wednesday, Dec. 13.
Schaefer said the $137,000 price includes the trailer that would be used to transport the harvester to its launch points and to store the harvester on the public works department property when not in use.
In September, the city’s Clean Water Ad Hoc Committee provided the mayor and commissioners with a comparison of two different makes and models of aquatic harvesters: the Aquamarine H5-200 and the Eco Harvester. The Committee, chaired by Ron Huibers, recommended the Aquamarine H5-200 over the Eco Harvester.
When addressing the commission on Nov. 14, Huibers referenced a more familiar construction vehicle and said an aquatic harvester is basically “a Bobcat that floats.”
Huibers said the harvester would skim the top foot-and-a-half of the water and would not disturb the submerged lands below. He said removing dead marine life from city waterways would reduce the harmful nitrogen and phosphorus that discharges into the water during decomposition.
“With fish kills, the problem we’ve had in the past is when we leave it sit around, it starts to rot,” Huibers said. “We have to get that stuff collected before it gets in that rotting stage.”
Commissioner Carol Soustek asked about the removal of dead marine life, algae, seagrass and other debris from the water. Schaefer said the city’s existing solid waste contractor, Waste Pro, could be contracted at an additional cost to haul away the debris removed by the aquatic harvester.
Kamiya said public works personnel would operate the harvester, but a new full-time position would not be created to do so.
Mayor Judy Titsworth wants assurance that there’s enough money in the budget to cover the ongoing operational, maintenance and debris removal costs. She requested a cost estimate on those projected expenses.
Commissioner Dan Diggins compared the harvester’s ongo ing operational and maintenance costs to a city-owned street sweeper. He doesn’t question the need for the harvester, but he feels there are still unanswered questions that need to be answered before the purchase is finalized.
Schaefer said due to the cooler weather and cooling water, it’s unlikely there will be another significant algae bloom this fall and winter. He noted the first algae blooms of 2013 occurred in April and he’d like to have the harvester in place, if possible, before the first algae blooms and/or fish kills occur in 2024.
The commission will continue the discussion this month.
