State 'sprinkle list' could give Treasure Coast an extra $6 million. Where would it go?

Up to $6 million in extra state money could benefit a variety of projects and nonprofits on the Treasure Coast this year — if Gov. Ron DeSantis gives them the OK.

Together, the state House and Senate recommended about $670 million at the end of this year's budget negotiations for the "sprinkle list," or the list of unfunded state and local projects promoted by lawmakers. The list includes money for Indian River State College and Sebastian Inlet State Park as well as for the nonprofit Ocean Research & Conservation Association and LifeBuilders of the Treasure Coast.

"There's so many people that we are not able to help because we simply don't have the funds, but the need is there," said Diamond Litty, 19th Judicial Circuit Court public defender and president of LifeBuilders.

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The sprinkle list isn't new. For years, legislators have made last-minute funding requests using budget money set aside during the legislative session. And in the case of the sprinkle list, their funding recommendations are made privately, rather than in public hearings.

For instance, funding on this year's list includes $1 million marked by the Senate as "operational support" for DeSantis, and $3.8 million marked by the House to fund protective services for DeSantis and his family. About $40 million is listed for the Department of Corrections, and $10 million is listed for New College, the Sarasota institution overhauled by DeSantis' conservative board-member appointments.

But much of the sprinkle money is designated for nonprofits and local projects. The money — along with the rest of the state budget — is subject to approval by the Legislature, whose session ends Friday, and DeSantis' signature.

Here's where extra sprinkle money could land on the Treasure Coast:

Indian River State College

The majority of the sprinkle-list money coming here is for Indian River State College. The college would get $4 million for improvements at its main Fort Pierce campus science building, according to Suzanne Seldes, IRSC spokesperson.

Built in 1993, the science building needed HVAC repairs and ventilation improvements in its laboratories, Seldes said. The project was on the Division of Florida Colleges’ three-year priority list and was in DeSantis' budget recommendations, she said.

"Our legislative delegation has worked very hard to secure funding for this critical project," Seldes said in a statement. "As we expand our capacity to grow the nursing and allied-healthcare workforce, modernization of our physical science laboratories and learning spaces is paramount."

The project's timeline will be determined in the coming weeks, she said.

Sebastian Inlet State Park

The next-highest award here is $1.5 million for maintenance and improvement at Sebastian Inlet State Park, according to state records. The money would help maintain the north and south jetties, which have experienced typical wear and tear as well as damage from recent storms.

"The next phase would be replacing some of the rock that's been washed away, particularly on the north jetty," said Ed Garland, spokesman for the Sebastian Inlet District, which had requested the funding from the state.

In total, it's a $5 million project, and the district could get up to $2 million from the state, according to Garland. Surveying and design work has already started, Garland said, and other plans include concrete dock repairs and safety improvements to the railing and sidewalk.

"These improvements not only support the safe navigation throughout the inlet, but also public access for the roughly million people a year who visit the Sebastian Inlet," Garland said.

LifeBuilders of the Treasure Coast

LifeBuilders, a nonprofit that aids people affected by the criminal justice system — both victims and those convicted who are aiming to turn their lives around — would receive $250,000.

That boost would allow LifeBuilders to help hundreds more people this year by fulfilling their miscellaneous needs in order to get their lives back on track, Litty said.

"It can be housing, work boots, it can be drug counseling," she said.

Aid is granted on a case-by-case basis, and benefactors are vetted to ensure they're using the support effectively, she said. Last year, the group helped 527 people; this year, LifeBuilders could help an additional 200 with the extra funds.

"We were very blessed to have Sen. Gail Harrell, Rep. Dana Trabulsy and Sen. Erin Grall involved to sponsor this member project," Litty said.

Ocean Research & Conservation Association

ORCA would get $250,000 for Kilroy water-monitoring systems, which help researchers study the health of the Indian River Lagoon and track sources of pollution.

The Kilroys are like the lagoon's life-support monitors, explained Edie Widder, ORCA's CEO and senior scientist. The information they provide — levels of harmful nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, for example — is a critical part of working to improve the lagoon's water quality.

The lagoon is "an estuary that was once the most biologically diverse estuary in the United States," Widder said. "Being able to monitor what's coming into it, and how it's being impacted by all the things that humans are doing to it, is absolutely vital."

The money would help ORCA maintain its arsenal of 21 monitors and potentially allow it to deploy more, according Warren Falls, ORCA managing director. New monitors could be placed near Lake Okeechobee to help study its effects on the lagoon, Widder said.

"The money doesn't just benefit ORCA," Falls said. "It benefits the Indian River Lagoon, everyone who lives, works and plays out on the lagoon. We're looking at inputs and trying to find ways to curb the pollution coming in, to bring the waters back to a good, healthy ecosystem."

Thomas Weber is TCPalm's Indian River County government watchdog reporter. You can reach him at thomas.weber@tcpalm.com or 813-545-9113. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Treasure Coast getting extra funds from state budget 'sprinkle list'