Placement: Consent Agenda
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Approve Contract #20260247 for the Treatment of Sawgrass Lakes Stormwater Tract.
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Submitted By: Kevin Eggleston, Procurement Contracting Officer I, Procurement Management Division (PMD).
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of high-quality infrastructure and facilities.
Summary Brief (Agreements/Contracts only)
1. Prepared by: Kevin Eggleston, Procurement Contracting Officer I.
2. Parties: City of Port St. Lucie and SOLitude Lake Management, LLC.
3. Purpose: Significantly improve the health and appearance of the stormwater tract adjacent to Sawgrass Lakes. The treatment specifically is intended to address the sediment build up and muck at the bottom of the shallow stormwater tract.
4. New/Renewal/Modified: New.
5. Duration: Three years from execution.
6. Benefits to Port St. Lucie: This treatment is intended to improve the water quality conditions within a City-owned body of water that has a history of occurrences of water quality concerns, including blue-green algae blooms and fish kill events. This will be an improvement for stormwater infrastructure as outlined in Goal 5 of the Strategic Plan Link.
7. Cost to Port St. Lucie (Annual and Potential): Not to exceed $1,347,175.00 for the term of Contract.
Presentation Information: N/A.
Staff Recommendation: Move that Council waive the bidding, per City Code of Ordinances, Sections 35.08(c) (good cause shown) and 35.08(a)(25)(a)(1) (sole source where the compatibility of equipment, accessories, or replacement parts is of paramount consideration), as there are no commercially available substitutes for these components and/or replacement parts, which can only be purchased from the manufacture or distributor, and approve Contract #20260247 for the Treatment of Sawgrass Lakes Stormwater Tract with SOLitude Lake Management, LLC.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that Council amend the recommendation and approve Contract #20260247.
2. Move that Council not approve Contract #20260247 and provide staff with direction.
Background: Sawgrass Lakes stormwater tract is a City-owned 121-acre tract that is surrounded by residential properties, and the Westport Wastewater Treatment Facility. In recent years, the tract has started showing degraded water quality conditions. At the request of the residents, the City began investigating the tract and its change in conditions. To date, the tract has experienced blue-green algae blooms, and fish kill events. The City hired a third-party environmental consultant, Terracon Consultants Inc., who after conducting their own water quality testing, has recommended a treatment plan utilizing TryMarine to improve the tract’s condition.
Additionally, staff carefully evaluated several treatment options to address ongoing water-quality concerns within the Sawgrass Lakes Stormwater Tract. On February 17, 2026, staff met with HOA representatives from Sawgrass Lakes, and shared an update on the stormwater tract including two treatment options, and notified them that the City would be hosting a Town Hall. On March 4, 2026, both AVC (existing vendor) and Terracon (third-party consultant) presented their respective treatment options, Metafloc and TryMarine, to Sawgrass residents. After the presentations, residents were given the opportunity to vote, and the majority chose TryMarine as the preferred approach for addressing tract conditions.
Following the Town Hall, staff interviewed other users of the TryMarine product to gain further insight. These other users confirmed their approval of the TryMarine product. This agenda item now brings the Contract forward for Council approval, reflecting the resident-driven preference and the recommendation from the independent consultant. The summary is intended to serve as a brief reminder of the decision history, community engagement process, and the rationale behind presenting the Contract for Council action.
Issues/Analysis: Staff is requesting that Council approve the Contract and waive formal bidding under Sections 35.08(c) (good cause shown); 35.08(a)(25)(a)(1) (sole source where compatibility of equipment, accessories, or replacement parts is the parament consideration); and 35.08(a)(25)(a)(6) (sole source where the item is a component for which there is no commercially available substitute, and which can be purchased only from the manufacturer or distributor).
Under Section 35.08(c), as described in the Background section, both the City’s third-party environmental consultant and residents have recommended/chosen TryMarine as the best option for treatment. Additionally, staff independently evaluated treatment options and interviewed other users of the TryMarine product. These steps, recommendations, and evaluations all support Council approving the Contract for good cause shown and deciding to use the TryMarine product.
Under Sections 35.08(a)(25)(a)(1) and (6), TryMarine is a proprietary product only offered/applied by SOLitude Lake Management, LLC. Notably, however, price points were comparable to previous treatments for Sawgrass Lakes Stormwater Tract, and through additional water quality testing the City negotiated a lower cost than initially presented.
Financial Information: Funds appropriated in Stormwater CIP / Drainage / Other Contractual services (Account 401-4126-534000).
Special Consideration: N/A.
Location of Project: Sawgrass Lakes.
Attachments:
1. Signed Contract.
2. Sole Source Approval.
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: 26153-04.
Legal Sufficiency Review:
Reviewed by Alyssa Lunin, Senior Deputy City Attorney. Approved as to Legal form and sufficiency by Richard Berrios, City Attorney.