Underground utilities to be installed on Bee Ridge
Possible power outages ahead - Bee Ridge update for the coming week:
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Construction contracts awarded for Bee Ridge utilities project
The Sarasota County Commission on Tuesday, May 8, awarded contracts totaling nearly $1.8 million for construction of the Bee Ridge Road Force Main Replacement Project and the Pump Station No. 3 Improvement Project. The Bee Ridge force main will be replaced from Bent Tree Boulevard to Iona Road under terms of the $966,709 contract awarded to General Consulting Services Inc. of Port Charlotte. The current 18-inch force main along the Bee Ridge corridor has failed three times in six years. An independent laboratory analysis concluded the failures were a result of a manufacturing defect in the pipe. After the last failure in August 2011, the commission authorized staff to expedite the design and construction of this portion of the force main. The new, 20-inch force main will be located so it does not interfere with the upcoming widening and road improvements of Bee Ridge Road from Mauna Loa Boulevard to Iona Road. Construction is expected to begin in May. Funding...
Free Emergency Alert for Sarasotans
Free emergency alert notification system available for property owners Sarasota County Utilities is encouraging all property owners and occupants to submit their contact information into the CodeRED emergency alert notification system online at this site, keyword search CodeRED. Registering your contact information with the CodeRED system is free, and Sarasota County does not share the information with any private third party vendors. CodeRED uses the Sarasota County 911 system to issue an automated phone call to alert registered property owners and occupants in the event of an incident that could impact their daily activities. “The CodeRED reverse 911 system is the fastest way to let people know about incidents such as water main breaks, boil water notifications, sudden major road detours or evacuation alerts,” said Paula Parson Grubb, Sarasota County Utilities. “By registering your contact information, you are ensuring that you and your family will be notified of events that could im...
3% Financing for Lago/Jarvis Water Lines
Paperwork from the County indicates that Lake Sarasota residents have the option of choosing 3% financing to cover the "water capacity fee." If you do the math, that 3% figure may seem misleading. Essentially, it's 240 payments of $15.09 over 20 years. If one paid 0% interest, the payments would be $11.33. Over 20 years, the total paid is $3621.60. If paid in full up front, the total is $2720. So the cost of financing the bill in actual dollars is 33% more. Was this a misprint in the describing documents? No, it's the result as figured with the compound interest calculator used by the county utility. And according to the utility, it's accurate, the math is right. The point? Always do the math for yourself, so you know what's what. "3%" sounds pretty low - and financing might still be the way to go. But it seems wise to know how much it's costing in actual George Washingtons.
Sidewalk update
The sidewalk part of the Lake Sarasota project is 75-80% done, according to Pinky Pakalapati in Public Works. The sidewalk construction has been completed on many streets, including Friendship, Brentford, Middlesex, Wake and others, he said, adding that progress was "a little bit ahead of plans." Along with the sidewalks, the stormwater work is mostly done. A few sidewalks remain to be completed: Jarvis and Berkshire are almost done, Palau, part of Jarvis and Hina remain to be done. For information on the water connections, call Sarasota County Utilities at 861-0629 or 861-0623.
Sarasota water: Not Cheap
A resident of Lake Sarasota asks: I would like to know if anyone in Lake Sarasota is weary of the high priced water bills? As a single male, my water bill is never less than $50.00 per month. Water is not a luxury, it is a necessity. I have talked with someone else who has a family where their water bill is in the hundreds. After paying an enormous amount about 3 weeks ago, I have another bill nearly $60.00 I would like to know if we can organize a petition. I believe anything would help when finances are so strained with so many foreclosures here in our own neighborhood. The county liason replied to an email asking about the rates: I have not heard this from other groups (i.e. Nokomis water lines customers). A petition won't influence water rates. They are adopted by the BCC and are the same for everyone. In other words, there are uniform water rates throughout the county for all our customers. Conservation and efficient use of this precious resource is the only wa...