Brevard natural resources officials outline $50 million program for stormwater, beaches and remediation

Amanda Elmore, deputy director of natural resources, told the Board of County Commissioners during the April 15 budget workshop that the department’s programs are covered by a roughly $50 million budget and that almost all of that funding is restricted. “Good afternoon commissioners. I'm Amanda Elmore, deputy director of natural resources,” she said as she began the presentation.

The budget covers five programs including environmental resources management (permitting and enforcement), remediation and compliance, beaches/boating and waterways, stormwater management and support services. Elmore said about $10 million of the budget comes from grants and about $8 million was encumbered ARPA money for stormwater projects. She said the division has 75 positions and six vacancies and that nearly 99% of program funding is restricted to fees, stormwater assessments and project reserves.

Why it matters: Natural Resources manages permits and reviews for wetlands, coastal dunes and aquifer recharge areas, runs remediation inspections and cleanup work under a state contract, and delivers the county’s stormwater capital program that funds flood mitigation and water-quality projects. Those activities affect development review, water resources and flood resilience across Brevard County.

Key program details

- Environmental resources management: Elmore said the program’s $2 million budget is “mostly permitting revenue” and that the department’s environmental regulations are often more stringent than municipalities’, including tree and canopy preservation and additional coastal setback requirements. She said the section that handles environmental code enforcement receives the largest portion of the county general fund allocation ($541,000).

- Remediation and compliance: The remediation program’s budget is $3.6 million, she said, entirely funded through a state contract and charges for services. Elmore said the county expanded petroleum remediation oversight last year at the request of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), adding Volusia County and now managing oversight across the Indian River Lagoon and Okeechobee regions. Local staff now manage multi-year cleanup plans for more than 500 sites and perform fuel tank compliance inspections for roughly 350 sites in Indian River and Brevard counties. Elmore noted the work is an unfunded state mandate but that the county collects a hazardous-waste assessment fee tied to business tax receipts.

- Beaches, boating and waterways: Elmore said that program employs three staff and that about $146,000 in general-fund support is included in a $771,000 budget. She described grant-funded reef creation and derelict-vessel removal work, and said the county receives a TDC (tourist development council) transfer of about $280,000 and $227,000 in grants for reef and vessel work. On derelict vessels she explained the legal limit: county crews cannot remove vessels until law enforcement has designated them as derelict and afforded owners due process. Once the county receives permission to remove a vessel, small boats typically take one to three weeks and larger vessels one to three months to remove, Elmore said.

- Stormwater management: Elmore described stormwater as the department’s largest program because of the capital-improvement portfolio. She said the county collects about $6.3 million per year in stormwater assessments and leveraged about $10 million this year in grants; many projects are multi-year and funds are carried forward for those CIP projects. She highlighted district-specific retrofit and culvert projects and flagged the Titusville Multitrophic Wave Attenuation Device project (near the Max Brewer Bridge) as nearly complete and a statewide innovation for dissipating wave energy while renovating beach and seagrass habitat.

- Vegetation harvesting: Elmore said the county has dramatically increased mechanical aquatic vegetation harvesting, adding grant-funded equipment and a second crew. She reported 3,000,000 pounds harvested year-to-date in 2025 and said the county is on track to exceed last year’s total of more than 7,400,000 pounds.

Constraints and partnerships

Elmore emphasized the department’s reliance on restricted revenues and interagency partnerships. She cited DEP for permitting and mitigation approvals, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for storm-related derelict-vessel programs, and the Army Corps of Engineers for the federal beach renourishment project under a 50-year cooperative agreement in which Brevard is the local sponsor and pays an approximately 8% cost share after reimbursement.

She said derelict-vessel removal timelines are driven by law-enforcement designations and owner due process; that process commonly takes three to six months before removal can begin. Elmore also described a $890,000 grant to reconstruct a storm-damaged site at Griffiths Landing funded through the Stan Mayfield Working Waterfront program.

What commissioners asked and follow-up

Commissioners asked about staffing, the county’s role in regional petroleum remediation, and whether Natural Resources participated in reviews for the Parish Park renovation. Elmore said remediation costs are covered by contracting counties and that Natural Resources performs permitting reviews for park projects when a permit is required; she offered to get specific information about Parish Park at commissioners’ request.

Ending note

Elmore concluded by thanking the board and offering to provide additional information if commissioners needed more detail on any item.