GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A contractor employed by the city to complete the Harbor Road Wastewater Treatment Plant suddenly disappeared last year before the work was finished. The staff struggled to get a hold of the contractor, a Williams Industrial Service Group provider and grappled with what to do with the half-finished, half-funded construction site.  

“The contractor walked off the site,” said City Attorney L.J. Arnold. “Never in my 50 years of experience have I seen a contractor go belly up like that. It’s really unheard of. So far, (the project) has been a slow process. It’s been pulling teeth slowly.” 

Williams Industrial Services Group filed for bankruptcy and sold the remainder of its assets to EnergySolutions for $60 million.  

However, EnergySolutions opted not to acquire the operations connected to Williams’ water contracts in Florida and Texas. This put the city council in an awkward position. Should the city hold out hope that operations will resume? Should the city start from scratch?  

Last Tuesday, the city council voted in favor of a takeover agreement between Green Cove Springs and Sompo International Companies, the surety of the wastewater treatment plant’s expansion project. As the surety for the project, Sompo has pledged assets to financially reimburse any damages or disrepair due to the expansion project’s unexpected hiatus. 

The takeover agreement funded by the surety has two phases. First, a contractor will be hired to assess the construction site and discern what is salvageable and what steps need to be taken to finish the expansion project. Next, a contractor will be hired to follow those steps to finish the job.  

Councilmember Ed Gaw expressed concern the city would be paying more than it needed to through this agreement. City Attorney Jim Arnold said the city is as legally protected as possible. With the approval of the takeover Agreement, Sompo can begin the process of hiring a contractor to assess the construction site. 

This marks the city’s first concrete steps to getting the Harbor Road plant expansion project back on track, and not a moment too soon. Millions of dollars of grant funding are on the line. 

The city has until the end of the year, Dec. 31, to finish the expansion projects and all relevant renovations to qualify for a multimillion-dollar grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.  

“The plant needs to be online. DEP is looking for us to have the project completely closed by then,” said Mayor Connie Butler. “We need to get moving.” 

In other news, the city is preparing to construct a boat ramp on the St. Johns River for the Green Cove Springs Police Department’s marine unit. The ramp’s completion in the coming weeks would be a first for law enforcement agencies in Clay County. Police Chief E.J. Guzman was enthused about the project and the opportunity to cooperate with the sheriff’s office.  

The city council expressed optimism for the new year.  

“As we turn the calendar over to a new year, let’s take action. I am excited and anticipated for the upcoming and much-needed changes,” said Vice Mayor Steven Kelley.  

“This year, we will be celebrating our 150th anniversary as a municipality, and we are very excited about that. We encourage you to watch and see what will be taking place. It is going to be an epic year. It is going to be over the top,” said Butler.