ORANGE PARK – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Septic To Sewer project highlighted Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting because it affects several residents and impacts the future of the infrastructure.

The council said it was concerned that 50 properties in Orange Park are not connected to the town’s sewer services.

According to town manager Sarah Campbell, the project will be completed in two phases. Work is currently underway in the right-of-ways owned by the town to extend the sewer mains to those homes. Water mains will also be added if needed.

The second part of that process would be going onto private properties to connect those pieces of land.

The reason behind this is to improve water quality and stormwater runoff concerns for lakes and streams.

However, the measure was not put to a vote, as mayor Randy Anderson determined it would be best to have an education workshop within the next few weeks to receive feedback from residents. Then, the item would move to Orange Park’s agenda for next month’s meeting.

Three potential options would be available for residents. If their home required a grinder pump, a town electrical bill rebate could be offered for an extended period, allowing residents to cover the cost at a low rate.

Campbell suggested a cost of $36 annually for 10 years, which would be part of the user’s utility bill.

The second option would be for the town to cover the pump installation cost with grant monies. The pumps have a life expectancy of 10 years, and the town would foot the $600 bill if the pipe were to fail the first time around.

The third potential option is for homes that are in clusters. A town-owned and operated small-package lift station could use gravity from residences, which would then pump from there to the main. Final costs for this have not been determined.

In a historic movement for the town, the council unanimously approved plans to open Rob Bradley Conservation Park at The Point, 4-0. The park would provide free waterfront access to town residents for the first time.

When the park opens, the town public works department will unlock the gates each morning, while the town police department will lock them at night. Tasks still remaining to be completed include grading ruts, cleaning up remaining concrete and metal debris and some other small projects.

With Orange Park celebrating its 146th anniversary on Sat, Feb. 18, the town will host a cleanup session for the park in honor of the monumental date to remove vegetative debris.

In her presentation, Campbell set a target for a tentative opening date of March 1. However, the entirety of the project, which would include a nature trail, kayak launch, and canoe launch, wouldn’t be completed until an estimated date of Spring or Summer 2024.

An authorization to approve an interlocal agreement with Clay County for the collection of county-wide impact fees passed unanimously, 4-0.

Finally, two golf-cart related ordinances passed unanimously, one allowing golf carts within town limits, and the next creating signage for those golf carts. A little more than 100 signs would be posted, and streets that would allow for the usage of the vehicles would be marked.