TARPON SPRINGS — Vice Mayor Michael Eisner warned that a prolonged construction timeline for the Sponge Docks Flood Abatement Project could “devastate” businesses in one of the city’s signature tourist areas.
Commissioners recently approved an agreement with the Florida Department of Emergency Management, acting on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to accept grant funding for the first phase of the flood risk reduction project.
City Grant Project Specialist P.J. Harbert said the agreement allocates $31,718 in federal funds for the design phase of the two-phase project, which aims to reduce flood risk in the Sponge Docks area. The cost-reimbursement grant requires a $15,263 city match…