Destin council accepts flood vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan, directs staff to seek grants

The City of Destin council voted unanimously Monday to accept a vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan prepared for the city and directed staff to pursue state and federal funding to implement ranked projects.

The assessment, prepared by Dewberry Engineers with state Resilient Florida funding through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, maps current and projected flood exposure and ranks mitigation projects so Destin can apply for planning, design and construction grants, Rudy Moll, a Dewberry presenter, told the council. "We're gonna give a quick little overview on the vulnerability assessment that we did and as well as the adaptation," Moll said during the presentation.

City Manager Larry Jones told the council the item appeared on the agenda as informational but that he expected council action so the city could move quickly to seek funds. "While it was listed in your agenda as just informational, I think it would be appropriate for action to approve and accept their recommendations as we move forward seeking funding for some of them," Jones said. A council member moved to approve the plan and Councilwoman Naber seconded; the motion passed by voice vote, 6-0.

Why it matters: the assessment gives Destin an evidence-based list of projects and a funding narrative that staff can use to apply for competitive grants. Moll said the Resilient Florida-funded study also aligns with the county's Local Mitigation Strategy, which was adopted as part of the vulnerability assessment process.

Key details: Dewberry told the council the study evaluated multiple flood sources under current and future conditions, including tidal flooding, storm surge and rainfall. The firm identified and scored critical assets — examples cited during the presentation included Heritage Run stormwater pumps, the Harbour Boulevard community communications facility, Maddie M. Kelly Park outfall, Noriega Point beach access and the Four-Pronged Lake project — and produced a ranked list of adaptation actions intended to increase local resilience.

Dewberry staff said the plan creates a pathway to funding: Moll said there is roughly $20 million available in planning funds and about $200 million available for final design and construction in the state and federal funding pools the city could compete for, and that non-Department of Community Affairs (non-DCA) communities must provide about a 50 percent match on some grants. The presentation also noted that local adaptive-capacity metrics — developed with about 16 city staff participants — influenced project prioritization and that not all top-ranked projects are immediately "shovel ready." Moll said the Four-Pronged Lake project ranked highest overall but was not immediately ready for construction.

Council direction and next steps: by approving and accepting the recommendations, the council authorized staff to use the assessment in grant applications and to pursue permitting and project development work. The council did not appropriate construction funding at the meeting; implementation remains contingent on securing grants and required matches.

Context: the assessment was paid for with state Resilient Florida funds administered by the Florida DEP. Dewberry emphasized the plan's role in positioning Destin for state, federal and nonprofit funding streams and recommended follow-up design and permitting steps for prioritized projects.

The council vote completes acceptance of the report; staff will bring grant and permit-related items back to council as project-specific funding requests and approvals are required.