Clay County commissioners unanimously approved a major restoration project for Lake Geneva on Tuesday, February 10, moving forward with a plan that has been in development for several years.
The board voted to award a bid to C & S Site Prep, Inc. for the Lake Geneva Restoration Project after a 72-hour protest period expires. The project will remove trees from approximately 100 acres of the lakebed in preparation for water-level restoration.
Project Details and Funding
The restoration effort carries a total cost of approximately $695,000, drawing from multiple funding sources:
– $250,000 state legislative grant
– $404,467 from county budget reserves
– $41,000 from the City of Keystone Heights
– Additional funding is being sought from the Tourism Development Council.
Lake Geneva has not been at normal water levels since the mid-1970s, according to Scott Slater, president of the Save Our Lakes Organization, which has nearly 600 members. The Black Creek Water Resource Development Project is expected to restore lake levels to heights not seen in decades, with water rising approximately 10 feet from current levels.
“All of the trees that are harvested in that Geneva restoration are at 102.9 (feet elevation) and below,” Slater told commissioners. “If we do not do this restoration, those trees will all die, and we will have dead timber in the full body of water. So, this is a safety matter as well as a restoration matter.”
Commissioner Jim Renninger raised questions about the scope of work, noting that trees smaller than four inches in diameter will remain on-site and that volunteers will handle additional cleanup work.
County staff explained that the project is structured with task orders that can be issued individually or in combination, based on priority restoration areas and available funding. The contractor will remove marketable timber while leaving smaller vegetation, consistent with permit requirements from state environmental agencies.
Transportation Projects Face Scrutiny
The meeting saw a tense discussion over a $502,379 change order for the Bonded Transportation Program’s County Road 209 project, the fourth amendment to the construction agreement with Superior Construction Company Southeast, LLC.
Commissioner Betsy Condon, who represents the Lake Region, expressed frustration that the bonded program, originally budgeted at $130 million for five years, has now reached approximately $179 million over seven years.
She complained that the funding for widening County Road 218 has been cut because of ballooning costs associated with the bonded program. County Road 218 runs from U.S. 301, east through Middleburg and connects with State Road 16 in Penny Farms.
“If you commute on County Road 218, you say, why don’t you have the money, and why couldn’t you widen what you said you were going to do?” Condon said, noting that the County Road 218 widening project was cut in half while other projects moved forward. “District 4 citizens say it’s the stepchild… but so many of my constituency commutes on 218 and our employees do.”
Bonded Transportation Program Administrator Ed Dendor explained that the program faced multiple challenges, including COVID-19 delays, inflation that drove costs up approximately 72% since 2020, and design complications. He noted that approximately $112,982 of the current change order stems from Florida Department of Transportation requirements for connections with U.S. 17.
Commissioner Alexandra Compere acknowledged the staff’s efforts while expressing discomfort with the scale of changes.
“It is difficult to justify a $50 million (total increase) for me. For the sake of the public, constantly criticizing us…It’s not lost to one commissioner that these changes are very expensive.”
The change order passed 3-1, with Condon dissenting. Commissioner Kristen Burke did not attend the meeting.
Twin Lakes Park remains without water
Director of Parks and Recreation Justin Pierce reported that the January freeze caused significant infrastructure damage across county facilities, including 25 broken pipes. Twin Lakes Park, home to Keystone Heights Youth Soccer, remained without water service, with portable facilities being deployed. Three major breaks occurred at Rosemary Hill, Fire Station 15, and the courthouse, all of which were quickly repaired.
Fire Chief Lorin Mock warned commissioners that a burn ban may be necessary in the coming weeks due to extended drought conditions and wildfire risk. Neighboring counties to the west have already implemented burn bans.
“I fully expect… to ask for a local state of emergency at some point over the next few weeks to order a burn ban for the county,” the chief said, adding that coordination with the Florida Forest Service is essential.
