Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dredging Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Subcommittee moves maintenance‑dredging fund administration from port authority to VMRC to speed smaller waterway projects
Summary
House Bill 1834 would transfer administration of a state fund for small‑scale maintenance dredging from the Port Authority to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC); the subcommittee reported the bill 10‑0.
Delegate Bloxham told the subcommittee that when the maintenance dredging fund was created the Port Authority was assigned administration responsibility, but smaller, locally important maintenance dredging projects have not been able to use the fund efficiently through the Port. HB 1834 would move administration and direction for these maintenance projects to VMRC, which issues the permits and exercises technical review.
Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission representatives and local stakeholders said the change would streamline access to funding for smaller creeks, harbors and docks that serve local navigation and economic activity. The sponsor said VMRC already processes the permits and VMRC’s expertise makes it a natural administrator for maintenance dredging projects that are not large commercial port dredges.
No opposition witnesses were recorded, and the subcommittee voted to report the measure by a roll‑call vote of 10‑0.
Provenance: Sponsor presentation at block starting 6187.635; committee reporting at block starting 6542.17.
