BOCC defers $21M CIP Solutions deal pending County Attorney review

BRADENTON — Manatee County Commissioners on Tuesday deferred consideration of a proposed $21 million wastewater treatment agreement with CIP Solutions after confirming that the County Attorney’s Office had not reviewed the project documents for legal sufficiency.

Deputy County Administrator Stephanie Garrison and Mark Stout, President of CIP Solutions, presented Project Wolf to commissioners and answered questions about the proposed facility.

Following the presentation, Commissioner Bob McCann asked Utilities Director Patrick Shea about the current level of concern surrounding PFAS, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals.”

Shea described PFAS as an emerging contaminant of concern nationally and globally, but highlighted that the proposed project was geared toward wastewater rather than the county’s drinking-water supply.

Project Wolf would treat landfill leachate, Shea said. He characterized Manatee County’s drinking water supply as high-quality and well protected from PFAS.

“The jury is still out as to how critical PFAS is” in wastewater, Shea said, while explaining that PFAS compounds are widespread in everyday products and can be encountered through items including microwave popcorn, furniture, rugs, vehicles and clothing, among other items.

McCann then asked whether Project Wolf represented an urgent need of the county.

Shea answered that there are currently no federal requirements requiring PFAS treatment of landfill leachate. He said he did not anticipate such requirements until at least 2035, if at all, while acknowledging that 2035 was his “best guess.”

McCann then shifted to directing his questions to Garrison, inquiring why the project had been brought before the board for approval without the additional legal review previously requested by the County Attorney’s Office.

Garrison stated that staff “made the decision not to send it back.”

McCann then asked County Attorney Pam D'Agostino whether her office was satisfied that the documents before the board were legally sufficient.

“We performed no legal review of the documents before the board today,” D'Agostino said.

McCann then motioned to defer consideration of the project until the associated documents could be reviewed by the County Attorney’s Office for legal sufficiency. Following additional discussion and questions, commissioners determined that there was no need to expedite the attorney’s review.

The board voted 5-1 to defer the item, with Commissioner Mike Rahn voting against the motion. No specific date was set for the item to return to the board, although staff indicated it was expected to come back before the end of the year.

Project Wolf proposes a wastewater treatment facility on Manatee County-owned property at the Lena Road Landfill. Under the proposed agreement, CIP Solutions would lease the property for $1 per year, while the county would enter into a five-year services contract with the company. Staff again confirmed during Tuesday’s meeting that the agreement could include a $2.75 fee for utility customers to help cover the cost of the company’s services.

Click the video below to replay the Project Wolf presentation, item discussion, and board vote.