The city of Holmes Beach has found an algae harvester vessel that matches its specifications.
However, finding money to fund the vessel’s price tag is another matter.
City commissioners reached a consensus May 14, directing city engineer and public works superintendent Sage Kamiya to bring back a finalized version of a proposed contract with Wisconsin-based Aquarius Systems to purchase a $308,000 algae harvester vessel.
The city’s clean water committee has pushed since shortly after its creation in 2021 for the purchase of a harvester vessel that can dispose of algal mats and fish kills in the municipality’s waterways. Removing decaying material can reduce foul odors and the water’s nitrogen load.
The city in March 2023 issued a request for proposals for a skimmer vessel.
Aquarius was the only contractor to respond, with a $587,060 proposal to sell and deliver such a vessel.
The city decided no premanufactured vessel suited its needs, so it rejected Aquarius’ proposal and issued an invitation to bid earlier this year to seek a vessel that meets its needs.
The ITB established that the vessel must be made of stainless-steel grade 304 or better with no galvanized parts, as well as feature epoxy and powder steel coatings for anti-corrosion protection.
The ITB also required a vessel with the maneuverability to work in canals and dimensions no larger than 35 feet long and 12 feet wide.
Aquarius again was the only contractor to respond, this time with a vessel matching the city’s specifications that would cost about $308,000.
Kamiya said such a purchase might need to wait until fiscal 2024-25, which begins Oct. 1, as the city did not have funds in the fiscal 2023-24 budget.
Mayor Judy Titsworth said the other two island cities would consider an interlocal agreement with Holmes Beach to help fund the algae harvester in exchange for its services.
However, Titsworth said such an operation would require additional staffing and any shared costs would be covered via reimbursement, so the city would have to cover initial costs.
She said the city could be in store for several more years of seasonal algae breakouts following the Piney Point disaster in 2021, when more than 200 million gallons of wastewater was pumped into Tampa Bay.
The wastewater contained elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, nutrients that can fuel algal blooms like Karenia brevis, the red tide organism, and Lyngbya wollei, otherwise known as brown gumbo.
Titsworth added that an algae harvester could also be used to clean up red tide fish kills.
Nevertheless, she said there were other options for addressing algae and red tide issues, such as hiring local anglers and boat captains for spot cleanups.
Commission Chair Terry Schaefer expressed support for the purchase of a vessel. He said the city had been searching for such a vessel for a couple of years as algae has continued to pose an issue.
There was no public comment.
The commission will meet next at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive.
The meeting can be viewed on the city’s website, holmesbeachfl.org.