ARCADIA, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $6.4 million in state funding to help replace Arcadia's nearly 50-year-old wastewater treatment plant, which has been hampering the city's growth and development.
WATCH: DeSantis visits Arcadia, presents city with money:
The aging sewage plant created serious health and environmental issues for the town, according to the governor. City leaders say the outdated facility has halted new development in Arcadia because it can't handle new sewer hookups.
"Being a rural community, our infrastructure is very poor, it's very old," said Beth Carsten, Arcadia's city administrator.
The plant's limitations have kept investment away from the city, according to realtor Erin Gant. Gant co-owns Riverside Realty, based in DeSoto County. She said limited sewer capacity made developers skittish.
"You can't invest those dollars," Gant said. "So this is allowing builders, developers to come in and not run into that roadblock."
Around five years ago, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) told Arcadia it needs to build a new plant, Carsten said. City leaders said the plant, nearly 50-years-old, is out of compliance with state regulations.
Arcadia is the only city in Florida that still has a trickling sewer plant, Stickland said. Trickling filters were first used in the early 20th Century, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. As time went on, more effective wastewater treatment systems were developed.
It's an issue that can feed on itself, Arcadia Mayor Judy Wertz Strickland said.
"That's how we pay for these sewer plants, with utilities," Strickland said. "And [when] we don't have utilities, then we don't have the income to pay for the sewer plants."
City faces $60 million project
The plant has become so problematic that Arcadia is operating under a consent agreement with the Florida DEP. Arcadia is working towards building a new plant, that will cost $60 million, Carsten said.
So far, the city raised about $51 million through grants. The governor's announcement helps Arcadia get closer to fully funding the project - though it still needs around $3 million, Carsten said. Arcadia is working to get that money through other grants.
Still, the governor's visit generated a lot of buzz around town on Thursday. City leaders told FOX 4 they are very grateful for the state's help. Florida Senate President Ben Albritton, who represents DeSoto County, attended the announcement. Albritton helped Arcadia secure funding for the project earlier this year, Strickland said.
"[Lawmakers] know that rural Florida exists," Albritton said during the announcement.
In 2008, Florida lawmakers created a program that distributes additional aid to "fiscally constrained counties." Those are counties where a 1 mill property tax levy wouldn't raise more than $5 million in annual revenue. DeSoto is one of 31 counties in the state with that designation, something Albritton acknowledged.
"Many times, in those 31 fiscally constrained counties, they don't have two pennies to rub together," Albritton said. "There is no choosing between the chicken and the egg. They don't have either."
The money for Arcadia is part of the Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program, DeSantis said. The governor announced more than $38 million in funding for small and rural communities around the state. That includes $900,000 for Hendry County.
"I know this is something people have wanted to see," DeSantis said during the announcement.
The mayor said Florida Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly was instrumental to secure the funding. Carsten spoke with Kelly about the plant, and Kelly helped bring it to the governor's attention.
Strickland expressed enthusiasm about the state funding. She said Arcadia probably couldn't finish the project without it.
"It's a big deal," Strickland said.
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