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Shoreline Task Force recommends engineering for four beach accesses and construction funding for Blue Water Circle
Summary
At a special meeting the Shoreline Task Force voted to recommend that City Council pursue CMP Cycle 31 applications to fund engineering for four beach access projects and seek construction funding for Blue Water Circle, plus a land-acquisition project of special merit.
At a special meeting, the Shoreline Task Force recommended that the city submit Coastal Management Program (CMP) Cycle 31 funding applications to pay for engineering on four beach accesses and to pursue full construction funding for Blue Water Circle, along with a project of special merit for land acquisition.
City staff member Christina told the task force that CMP Cycle 31 proposals are due June 6 and described two funding “pockets”: NOAA-funded CMP grants and state GOMESA-funded projects. Christina said NOAA-funded rounds typically have about $1,800,000 available; construction requests can be up to $400,000 with a local match requirement (staff cited a minimum match in the discussion), and non-construction research requests are limited to smaller amounts and different match levels.
The staff recommendation focused on phasing work so designs are ready when construction funding becomes available. Christina outlined recently completed and in-progress accesses (Whitecap, Sea Island and Fantasy completed; Neptune Circle under construction) and proposed engineering for Surf Circle (access No. 7), Bougainvillea Circle and Poinsettia Circle. She singled out Blue Water Circle as the most straightforward candidate for full construction funding and recommended pursuing land acquisition as a project of special merit.
Shoreline Task Force member John made the motion: to proceed with engineering for Gulf (Gulf Circle), Surf Circle, Treasure Island and Poincietta (Poinsettia) Circle; to pursue full construction funding for Blue Water Circle; and to include a land-acquisition project. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
Task force members asked staff about timing and design readiness. Christina said engineering and preliminary plans for Blue Water Circle should be near final and would make it the best candidate for construction funding; other accesses have more complex site constraints that staff prefer to resolve before seeking construction dollars. The group discussed phasing and fiscal prudence: applying for engineering funds to create stamped plans that can then be used to apply for larger construction grants.
The task force voted to forward the recommendation to City Council for submission under CMP Cycle 31.
The task force also handled routine business earlier in the meeting, approving a five-item consent agenda by motion (mover: Abby; second: Todd).
