The Destin City Council voted 7-0 Monday to approve a Joint Participation Agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation that provides up to $600,000 in reimbursement funding for landscape and median improvements along Highway 98/State Road 30 from the Marler Bridge to the Walton County line.

• The agreement targets two primary projects: installation of concrete ribbon curbing around existing planted median islands between Airport Road and the Walton County line, and replacement of a failed irrigation well near Big Kahuna’s with a reclaim water line from Destin Water Users.

City Manager Larry Jones told the council the ribbon curbing was part of the original project design intent for an earlier FDOT contract but was left out of the contractor bid item schedule.

“DOT’s asking that we facilitate getting that work done, and they will certainly reimburse us up to $600,000 for the reclaim line and the ribbon curbing,” Jones said.

Jones estimated the reclaim line at about $60,000 and the ribbon curbing at roughly $300,000-plus, putting combined costs between $350,000 and $400,000. 

According to the city, irrigation and groundwater well deficiencies have affected sod and plant materials in the corridor between The Donut Hole restaurant and Airport Road, requiring temporary maintenance by city Public Works staff to preserve existing landscaping.

Jones said the remaining funds, potentially a couple hundred thousand dollars, could be directed toward enhanced vegetation, new plants and trees. He noted the city will first need to discuss any additional plantings with the contractor that maintains those areas to determine whether the work would add cost to the existing maintenance contract.

• “If that were to cost us any additional in the contract, we’d bring that back [to council] for a modification,” Jones said.

Eligible project costs under the agreement may include replacement sod, replacement plant materials, irrigation-related improvements and other installation-related work tied to restoring affected landscaped areas. Any costs determined ineligible for reimbursement remain the city’s responsibility.

Upon completion of the installation phase, the city will assume ongoing maintenance responsibilities for the project improvements in accordance with FDOT standards and the terms of the agreement.