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Town staff reports progress on renourishment; trucking used, permits updated and canal debris funding limited
Summary
Town staff told the advisory committee that the south renourishment segment is active, trucking sand is being used when dredge material is unavailable, permits are being extended based on wildlife protections, and canal debris removal may not be FEMA-eligible without separate appropriations.
Town staff updated the Advisory Committee of the Marine and Environmental Resource Task Force on the ongoing beach renourishment and waterway debris work and provided timeline and cost details for operations across Fort Myers Beach.
Chad (staff member) said the south segment of the renourishment project is active and that the contractor has resorted to trucking sand where dredge material is not available. He told the committee the “effective rate for the dredge sand is around $25 per cubic yard” while trucking runs “anywhere from $70 to a hundred dollars a cubic yard” depending on bid and logistics, and that the contractor has absorbed significant extra costs to keep work moving.
Chad said the town has secured positive feedback from FDP and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and expects an updated permit to extend work time on the south segment; contractors have added bird monitors to meet permit conditions. He said the project will move next to the central segment and estimated about 200,000 cubic yards remain to be pumped in the central segment, working from the Red Coconut area south toward Lenark. He estimated mid‑May for the shift to the central segment depending on production, weather and mechanical conditions.
The committee was cautioned to avoid closed work areas: staff warned residents and visitors to “stay out of the caution tape area” near pipes and heavy equipment because wet sand around pumping operations can be a safety hazard.
On waterways, Chad said the town’s waterway debris contractor finished scheduled work but that staff will ask town council for additional days to continue removing navigational debris within budgeted funds. Chad said the harbor master is preparing a canal-by-canal status for FEMA review; he described the project mission as restoring navigation to the FEMA standard (navigable channel to within three feet of deepest-draft vessels at mean low water), and said further removals will be tied to FEMA feedback and council approval.
A public commenter, Michael Thornton (resident), relayed that a congressional staff response said canal dredging was “not eligible for FEMA funding” and that the district office will flag future infrastructure opportunities; Thornton said the information came from Mercedes Price Harry, district director for Congressman Donald. The committee discussed pursuing other funding options and preparing a status report for FEMA.
Staff also said an Invitation to Bid for planting work should be issued the week of May 8 and reiterated that planting and final restoration work follows beach building.
