ARCADIA, Fla. — Mayor Judy Wertz Strickland said she almost fell out of her chair - twice - after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced more than $20 million in state state funding for Arcadia on Thursday.
"I was shocked," Strickland told FOX 4 on Friday. "I was really shocked."
WATCH: Arcadia's mayor reacts to surprise announcement:
The announcement means Arcadia finally has enough money to replace its 50-year-old sewage treatment facility, which doesn't meet state regulations. Records show Arcadia entered a consent agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to improve the site.
DEP told Arcadia it needed to replace the plant about five years ago, City Administrator Beth Carsten previously told FOX 4. The new facility will cost $60 million, Carsten said, funded almost entirely through state grants.
DeSantis said Arcadia will get a little more than $22.7 million on Thursday. The money is part of $311 million worth of infrastructure funding the Florida Department of Commerce awarded to communities across the state.
DeSantis announced some of the projects during a Thursday news conference in Sebring.
"Some of this stuff honestly isn't sexy," DeSantis said. "But it's important, right?"
Strickland said Arcadia will use the money for two projects:
- $14.2 million for the sewage treatment plant.
- Around $8 million to repave Mills Avenue between Oak Street and the
entrance to DeSoto Memorial Hospital.
"I'm really delighted this has happened and I could not be more thankful," Strickland said.
The state also awarded DeSoto County $8 million to install wells and a pumping system for it's wastewater treatment plant, which is separate from the city. The governor's office said it will provide a more secure, underground disposal method for treated wastewater.
One Collier County town will also get some money. DeSantis announced $10.8 million to improve Immokalee's wastewater treatment plant.
The money will address hydraulic imbalances, enhance treatment reliability and provide surge capacity necessary to manage extreme weather, the governor's office said.
This isn't the first time DeSantis awarded money to Arcadia. The governor visited Arcadia in August to announce $6.4 million in funding for the sewage plant.
The aging plant has created serious health and environmental issues for Arcadia, according to the governor. City leaders say the outdated facility also stopped new development because the facility can't accept new sewer hookups.
The plant's limitations have kept investment away from the city, realtor Erin Gant told FOX 4 in August. 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."
Strickland told FOX 4 the city should start replacing the current plant next year. It will take several years to complete the project, Strickland said.
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