Council has questions about water plant cost

Members will review options for the heart of Riviera Beach’s $400 million water system rebuild.

Riviera Beach City Council members pushed back last week on the price of the city’s planned water plant.

Driving the news: During a presentation Dec. 17, council members sitting as the city’s utility board learned that the guaranteed maximum price of the water plant will be about $280 million. Council members Fercella Davis Panier and Glen Spiritis wanted a price closer to an early, lower estimate. 

• Council Chairperson Shirley Lanier appeared to agree.

Why it matters: The city is racing to replace its failing water plant, part of a $400 million project to upgrade the whole system. 

What they’re saying: “I think the city will be making a grave mistake if we don’t continue down this path and get this done,” Utility Director Joshua Niemann told the board.

The other side: “Not if we can save $100 million,” Spiritis said without elaborating.

The big picture: Riviera Beach leaders have adopted a team approach to building public works projects, City Manager Jonathan Evans told Community Voices.

• The design-bid-build process is meant to contain costs and assure accountability throughout the project.
• The city has used the approach to construct its new fire stations. The planned police station on the shuttered Barracuda Bay property also uses the model.

The city is at a key stage for its $400 million redesigned water system. Once the guaranteed maximum price is final, city leaders must approve it or seek new bids. In November, Council members asked the city manager to provide them with their options, including an off-ramp from the deal.

What’s next: Council members will meet one-on-one with the city manager about the off-ramp.

• The utility director said the guaranteed maximum price will be final by the next utility board meeting in January.   

Who wrote this story: This story was reported by the Community Voices team of Micaja Etienne, Mikala Graham, Abigail Guillaume, Kelvin Verhovlyak and Myles Whigham.

What is CV: Community Voices is a pilot program of Stet News with Inlet Grove Middle and High School to train and pay students to cover Riviera Beach. Stet News is underwriting the pilot.

Inlet Grove High School journalism teacher C.B. Hanif and Stet’s Carolyn DiPaolo and Liz Capozzi contributed to this story.