TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the Joint Project Agreement with Sarasota County for the Design, Engineering, Permitting, and Construction of the Approximately 1.7-mile Warm Mineral Springs Park Connector Trail Connecting Warm Mineral Springs Park to the North Port Connector Trail / Legacy Trail System, Including a Sarasota County Allocation of $250,000 and the City's Responsibility for the Balance of the Bid and Applicable Contract Change Orders, Field orders, or Addenda.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve the Joint Project Agreement with Sarasota County for the design, engineering, permitting, and construction of the approximately 1.7-mile Warm Mineral Springs Park Connector Trail connecting Warm Mineral Springs Park to the North Port Connector Trail / Legacy Trail system, including a Sarasota County allocation of $250,000 and the City's responsibility for the balance of the bid and applicable contract change orders, field orders, or addenda
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve the Joint Project Agreement with Sarasota County for the design, engineering, permitting, and construction of the approximately 1.7-mile Warm Mineral Springs Park Connector Trail connecting Warm Mineral Springs Park to the North Port Connector Trail / Legacy Trail system, including a Sarasota County allocation of $250,000 and the City's responsibility for the balance of the bid and applicable contract change orders, field orders, or addenda
• Pros:
o Establishes City and County responsibilities for a public multi-use trail connection between Warm Mineral Springs Park and the North Port Connector Trail / Legacy Trail system.
o Provides a Sarasota County allocation of $250,000 toward engineering and construction costs.
o Authorizes the City to use, adapt, and incorporate the Kimley-Horn & Associates preliminary engineering/design documents dated December 11, 2020, for final design, permitting, and construction.
o Continues prior Commission-supported project actions, including grant applications, design/construction document services, Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization priority-list inclusion, and related budget amendments.
o Advances a multi-use connection intended to serve bicycles, scooters, wheelchairs, strollers, pedestrians, and other nonmotorized users.
• Cons:
o Approval commits the City to procure and manage the design, engineering, permitting, and construction contracts, with the County not serving as a party to those contracts.
o The City will be responsible for the balance of the bid plus any applicable change orders, field orders, or addenda after the County’s $250,000 allocation.
o The City will be solely responsible for capital improvements and capital repairs, and for routine maintenance of portions of the trail located on City-owned properties.
Option 2: Do not approve the Joint Project Agreement with Sarasota County for the design, engineering, permitting, and construction of the approximately 1.7-mile Warm Mineral Springs Park Connector Trail connecting Warm Mineral Springs Park to the North Port Connector Trail / Legacy Trail system, including a Sarasota County allocation of $250,000 and the City's responsibility for the balance of the bid and applicable contract change orders, field orders, or addenda
• Pros:
o The City would not assume the Joint Project Agreement obligations at this time.
• Cons:
o The City would not secure the County's $250,000 allocation under the proposed agreement.
o The intergovernmental framework for design, engineering, permitting, construction, and maintenance responsibilities would not be established at this time.
o The project could be delayed despite prior Commission actions related to grant applications, design services, Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization priority-list inclusion, and budget amendments.
Background Information
The proposed Joint Project Agreement provides the framework for the design, engineering, permitting, and construction of the Warm Mineral Springs Park Connector Trail, an approximately 1.7-mile trail connecting Warm Mineral Springs Park to the North Port Connector Trail / Legacy Trail system for pedestrian and bicycling purposes. Warm Mineral Springs Park is a City-owned, 81.6-acre historically significant park, and the North Port Connector Trail is a County-owned, three-mile paved multi-use recreational trail connecting Forbes Trail with Price Boulevard in the City of North Port.
The trail would be constructed over Sarasota County/Southwest Florida Water Management District SWFWMD-owned parcels Property Identification (PID) numbers 0767001000 and 0766080001, SWFWMD-owned PID number 0745001000, and City-owned PID numbers 0974001593, 0995001631, and 0769070014 to connect Warm Mineral Springs Park to the North Port Connector Trail / Legacy Trail system. The City and County find that the trail will serve a public purpose and desire to establish their respective rights and responsibilities for construction and maintenance. The North Port Connector Map identifies the North Port Connector Trail, Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, Schewe Tract lands owned by Southwest Florida Water Management District, and the broader connection to the Legacy Trail system.
Ø January 28, 2025: The City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 2025-01, amending the FY 2024-25 Non-District Budget and Capital Improvement Budget for several park projects, including P24LTC Legacy Trail Connection to Warm Mineral Springs.
Ø February 11, 2025: The City Commission approved applying to the SUN Trail Grant Program in the amount of $3,730,000 for the Warm Mineral Springs Connector and authorized execution of funding documents if awarded after legal review.
Ø April 8, 2025: The City Commission approved the Third Amendment to Agreement No. 2017-40 with Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc. in the amount of $692,800 to provide construction plans and documents for the trail connection from Warm Mineral Springs Park to the North Port Connector of the Legacy Trail.
Ø April 22, 2025: The City Commission approved a Recreational Trails Program grant application in the amount of $450,000 for the Warm Mineral Springs Connector and authorized execution of funding documents if awarded.
Ø March 10, 2026: The City Commission approved the Legacy Trail Warm Mineral Springs Park Connector Project for inclusion on the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization prioritized list of project funding applications.
Ø May 5, 2026: The City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 2026-14, increasing Park Impact Fee-funded project P24LTC Legacy Trail Connection to Warm Mineral Springs by $125,000 for additional services outside the then-current scope of work to meet permit requirements and complete engineering and design.
The project extends the Legacy Trail/SUN Trail network from the Price Boulevard Trailhead approximately 1.7 miles south and west to Warm Mineral Springs Park. The project includes a 12-foot-wide paved surface suitable for bicycles, scooters, wheelchairs, and strollers, with a formal trailhead facility including bathrooms, drinking fountains, parking, and other amenities. The 1.7-mile trail extension is part of the regional SUN Trail network and the broader Florida Gulf Coast Trail, which, when fully realized, would traverse seven counties from Tampa to Naples.
Under the Joint Project Agreement, the City will procure design, engineering, permitting, and construction services for the trail, with input from the County, and the County will not be a party to the contracts. The County will appoint a staff liaison to work with the City during design, engineering, and construction, and the County has provided the 90% engineered design plans and granted the City access and permission to use, adapt, and incorporate those plans for final design, permitting, and construction.
The City will be solely responsible for capital improvements and capital repairs. The County will be responsible for routine maintenance of portions of the trail within Deer Prairie Creek Preserve and SWFWMD - Schewe Tract, while the City will be responsible for routine maintenance of portions located within City-owned properties. The agreement term commences on the date of last signature and continues for 20 years from the date of last signature. The agreement includes non-appropriation language, recognizing that both parties' financial obligations are subject to annual appropriation by the City and County Commissions, and the agreement may be changed only by written instrument signed by all parties.
The Joint Project Agreement has been reviewed by the City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
The Joint Project Agreement was submitted to the City Clerk’s Office on XXXX, for signature, subject to City Commission approval.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Quality of Life
Good Governance
Financial Impact
Under the Joint Project Agreement, Sarasota County's allocation is $250,000, payable within 60 days of receipt of an invoice from the City, and the City allocation is the balance of the bid to design, engineer, and construct the Warm Mineral Springs Park Connector Trail plus any applicable contract change orders, field orders, or addenda. If the bid to engineer and construct the trail exceeds the available project budget, the parties may terminate the agreement before commencement of the project or negotiate an amendment. Currently project P24LTC for design and permitting is funded using $800,000 from Park Impact Fees and $33,500 from a donation from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Construction is initially estimated at $4,000,000. A commitment for construction was received from the Friends of the Legacy Trail for $100,000, Sarasota County has committed $250,000, and a grant application was submitted to the SUN Trail Grant Program for the balance of the construction funding.
Procurement
Professional design & engineering, services for Project No. P24LTC, Legacy Trail Connection to Warm Mineral Springs, were procured through Agreement No. 2017-40 with Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc., under Request for Proposal No. 2017-40 for Professional Design and Engineering Services for the Warm Mineral Springs Park Master Plan, pursuant to Section 2-406 of the City of North Port Procurement Code and Section 287.055, Florida Statutes, the Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act. Construction services have not yet been procured and will be brought forward under a separate City procurement process after completion of design and engineering, as applicable.
Attachments:
1. Joint Project Agreement
2. North Port Connector Map
3. January 28, 2025 Meeting Minutes
4. February 11, 2025 Meeting Minutes
5. April 8, 2025 Meeting Minutes
6. April 22, 2025 Meeting Minutes
7. March 10, 2026 Meeting Minutes
8. May 5, 2026 Meeting Minutes
Prepared by: Trish Sturgess, Parks & Recreation Assistant Director
Department Director: Sandy Pfundheller, Parks & Recreation Director