South Padre panel forwards three coastal erosion projects to city council for KEPCRRA funding

The South Padre Island Coastal Advisory Committee voted to recommend that city council submit three grant applications under the Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (KEPCRRA) Cycle 14, a staff member said Thursday. The projects are beach renourishment, an enhanced monitoring and restoration study, and bayside structure relocations for erosion control; proposals are due by 5 p.m. on May 1.

The recommendation matters because KEPCRRA funding is one of the primary state sources for local beach and shoreline work. Committee members said beach renourishment remains the top priority and that the city can request an unrestricted grant amount; beach renourishment projects require a 25% local match, the committee was told.

Christine, a city staff member who presented the item, said the committee attended a Texas General Land Office (GLO) grant workshop that morning and that GLO staff indicated the submitted project concepts were eligible. “The proposals are due by 5 p.m. on May 1, so we need to figure out what we want to put in,” Christine said, adding the committee will return with final proposals for its review on April 8 and then to city council on April 16 for approval to submit.

Committee discussion summarized three project options: beach renourishment — adding sand to maintain sandy shoreline; a restoration study and expanded monitoring to build on the city’s annual beach survey; and a bayside structure relocation project to move concrete end structures to enable erosion-control work on the bay side. Christine said the GLO expressed interest in expanded monitoring and data collection to complement the city’s annual survey.

Members also discussed the possibility of using dredged material from channel deepening work as sand for renourishment. Christine said the material tested from the channel was a mixed clay and sand composition and was not suitable at this time for beach renourishment.

A board member moved to forward all three listed projects to city council for submission; Will seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote. The motion carried; the committee did not record individual roll-call votes.

Committee members noted the city submitted four applications in the previous KEPCRRA cycle and received funding for two projects, and staff said there is no stated maximum request amount for this cycle. Staff removed from consideration an update to the city’s erosion response plan after determining that particular work was not eligible for KEPCRRA funding.

The committee’s recommendation now goes to the City Council for approval of formal application submission. If council approves, staff will prepare the full grant applications for the May 1 deadline.