Operations manager gives update on infrastructure projects
BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
STARKE— City of Starke officials spoke to the Starke Rotary Club during the civic group’s Oct. 6 meeting as part of the city’s effort to secure $50,000 in state recreation grants.
Operations Director Scott Anaheim said the money will be used to obtain surveillance cameras at Edwards Road Park, in addition to adding a canopy, railing and other improvements to the splash park.
“We’re also going to look at what we can do with the concessions out there to improve on that,” he said. “And pickleball— apparently it’s become a big thing. We’ve got two tennis courts over there. I want to turn one into pickleball.”
Anaheim also said the city is applying for a grant for its Thomas Street Park. Those improvements include converting an unused baseball field into a football field and improving drainage at the park’s soccer field.
He also said he hopes to improve the concessions area at the park, bring in exercise equipment and continue to develop a butterfly trail, now in its early stages.
Wastewater treatment
Anaheim also told the club he is making progress on the city’s grant and loan request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for rebuilding Starke’s wastewater treatment plant.
“We started out requesting roughly $16 million,” he said. “I think we’re at 20-something million now. We’re at 90% on the design.”
Anaheim said the city will submit paperwork to the USDA in around a month to get final approval for the funding.
“We actually will go to more of a Class A plant,” he said, adding that the city’s current facility is Class B. “We’ll have a lot more capacity. The most important thing is that’ll get us out of one consent order that we have,” he said. “We have another consent order for overflows at a sewer collection system.”
Anaheim also said the city is using a state revolving credit facility to finance $4.8 million in pipe upgrades that will begin next year on Call Street and other downtown areas.
He said part of the project involves relocating a lift station on Call Street from the Alligator Creek floodplain to a higher location west.
Orange Street paving
Anaheim said the Madison Street railroad overpass project is on schedule, despite rain delays.
He also said the paving project on Orange Street is on schedule.
“We anticipate that we’ll be able to get paving started Thanksgiving week when school’s out,” he said, adding that some sewer work at the south end of the project, near Madison Street also needs to be completed.
“We’re on an extremely tight deadline with DOT because we have a million-dollar grant that runs out in December,” he said. “I have some rain days that I can request, but everything has to be done by the end of this year.”
Anaheim said he is looking at using CARES Act funds to improve water lines on Debra and Randall Streets, off Raiford Road. He said looping the water lines in that area will improve water pressure.
“What’s really good about that is when we do flow tests on hydrants, we get better flow tests and our ISO rate improves which helps with everyone’s insurance,” he said.
Anaheim said commercial developers are increasingly showing more interest in Starke.
“I think what we’re really going to have to push for is to get the infrastructure out to the bypass,” he said. “That seems to be where the need is, but not neglect the city.”
Electric and internet upgrades
Anaheim said the city is also looking to its power supplier: the Florida Municipal Power Association for help in improving Starke’s electric infrastructure.
“We’re going to borrow a couple million dollars from them to improve the electrical system,” he said. “I want to eliminate a circuit and I want to put in some inline breakers to reduce outages.”
He also said poles and transformers need replacement.
Anaheim said improved tree trimming and the installation of animal barriers will reduce the risks of future outages.
“A lot of your outages are due to limbs and squirrels,” he said. “Squirrels are the suicide bombers of electricity.”
When asked about internet services, Anaheim said he could not directly answer, because the city does not provide internet services. However, he did say that Comcast and AT&T are spending a lot of money within the city, upgrading their systems.
Anaheim introduced new City Manager Drew Mullins to the Rotarians, in addition to Doug Sanders, a grant writer for the Tallahassee firm of Andy Easton and Associates.
Sanders told the club that he and city officials are hurrying to put together the recreation grant application and requested a support letter from the Rotary Club.
