GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Eliberto “Berto” Castro made $3.47 an hour when he was hired by the city in 1977.

“And I was happy,” he said Tuesday night after receiving a standing ovation by the city council during his retirement ceremony.

Among other things, Castro swept streets and worked in the warehouse and the city’s water department.

“Back when he started, they swept the streets with a broom, and he wore out a broom in one day,” said Water Utilities Director Scott Schultz. “He never had a bad thing to say about any employee, about anyone. He was always happy.”

With a light agenda, the council easily went through their other business, including:

• They awarded a $4,700,360 bid to Besch and Smith to construct a sidewalk and add stormwater protection on West Street. The award incorporated two sections of the 2020 Community Development Block Grant with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Besch and Smith originally bid nearly $4.964 million, but the company removed $263,413 in value engineering opportunities.

The project will be funded by CDBG grants, unspent funds from the 2023 budget and other stormwater proceeds.

• The council approved a request to include State Road 16 Trail Projects into the North Florida Transportation Organization list of priority projects. The plan calls for the SR 16 West trail to be connected to the Clay-Duval Trail for $642,975 and for the intersection of SR 16 and U.S. Highway 17 from Reynolds Park to Spring Park for $981,951.

• They approved the first reading of an ordinance that requires written permission to use the city’s seal for non-municipal purposes.

• Finally, the council approved dates for this year’s Food Truck Friday events at Spring Park, starting on March 1 and ending in November to coincide with the city’s 150-year celebration.