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Aransas County to apply for CAPRA funds to reduce match on Lamar Beach Road FEMA project; county to raise roadway by one foot
Summary
County staff will apply for a Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act grant to reduce Aransas County’s matching obligation on a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program project to improve drainage at Lamar Beach Road. County staff said CAPRA will not cover the road-raising portion; other awarded funds and authorized debt would cover that work.
Aransas County announced it will apply for a Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (CAPRA) grant to help cover the county’s match for a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) project to address drainage and shoreline work at Lamar Beach Road.
County staff described the scope as a drainage project that discharges back into the Lamar area near the golf course; the project components include raising the roadway and installing coastal protections. Staff said the CAPRA grant would be used to reduce the county’s non-federal match share for portions of the project tied to shoreline and drainage improvements, but that CAPRA will not cover the cost to raise the roadway by one foot.
Why it matters: The combined funding plan — FEMA HMGP award plus CAPRA assistance — makes the multimillion-dollar project more financially feasible for the county by narrowing the county’s match requirement. The road-raising work requires other funding sources, and staff pointed to a previously received TIDA award letter and the county’s prior authorization to issue debt for part of the match.
Key details from the meeting: - The county will apply for CAPRA funds before the May 1 deadline. Staff and commissioners instructed engineering and grants staff to prepare the application. - The full project budget discussed in staff remarks included roadwork and shoreline/drainage components; staff said they will not request CAPRA funds for roadway raising costs. - Staff said the county previously received a TIDA award letter that is expected to cover the road-raising portion and that the commissioners previously authorized selling debt to provide a match if needed (staff cited an approximate $1.2 million figure for possible debt authorization). The court did not vote on selling debt at this meeting; it only authorized submitting the CAPRA application. - The motion to authorize the CAPRA application passed by roll call with all present members voting in favor.
What remains: County staff will finalize the CAPRA application with a detailed budget that separates roadway work (not eligible for CAPRA, per staff) from drainage and shoreline elements. The application deadline for the CAPRA program was stated as May 1. The court asked staff to identify available local funds and use TIDA or other sources to cover the road-raising work not eligible for CAPRA.
