The Saco City Council voted 7-0 Monday to appropriate $46,000 from unassigned fund balance to fund the inventory analysis and initial outreach phase of a proposed local comprehensive beach management plan.

Councilors said the plan’s goal is to consolidate short- and long-term strategies to maintain the shoreline while minimizing loss to private property, infrastructure and resources. Councilor Berman, who introduced the request, said, “The cost of this inventory analysis initial outreach step ... has been proposed at $46,000.”

The appropriation funds only the first phase; staff estimated the total plan cost at about $141,000 and said they would apply to the Community Resilience Partnership for grant support. Interim Administrator Emily Cole Prescott told the council that draft audited numbers show $12,388,388 in unassigned fund balance and that the finance director had concluded the city could allocate the $46,000 from that surplus.

During discussion, Councilor Johnston said she had reservations about using unassigned fund balance without fuller updates but supported the project if funding sources could be identified. Public Works staff said one of the first steps will be meeting with county staff and other regional partners to coordinate work already underway and avoid duplicating studies. Councilor Burman stressed the need to integrate the county’s existing work and to avoid paying outside firms to redo county studies.

The council asked staff to report back on the Community Resilience Partnership grant application and any matching requirements. The order to establish the appropriation passed unanimously on roll call.

Staff noted the inventory phase is intended to build toward partnerships with private property owners and county, state and federal agencies and that later phases will depend on grant outcomes and additional appropriations.