Commission authorizes stormwater reserves to cover Avenida Menendez seawall shortfall

The St. Augustine City Commission on Oct. 13 authorized the use of stormwater reserves to cover a construction budget shortfall for the Avenida Menendez seawall project so that work can proceed and the city can meet federal grant deadlines.

Chief resilience officer Jessica Beach told the commission that the project—initially funded in part by FEMA after Hurricane Irma and by a Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) grant—reached the construction phase after design and permitting. Three bids were received and the lowest responsible bid plus administration and archaeological costs raised the construction estimate to just over $2,000,000, leaving a budget deficit of $476,937 between available grant funds and the construction cost. Beach said the city has roughly $668,000 in stormwater reserves available and requested commission authorization to apply reserves to float the construction gap while staff pursues additional reimbursement from FEMA and FIND.

Commissioners asked about the project’s timeline and funding history. Beach said the FEMA award and design work date to the post‑Irma recovery process and that closing the financing gap now would allow construction to proceed while staff pursues reimbursement; FEMA grant deadlines require completion steps by December 2026. The mayor and commissioners expressed support for completing the project and for staff’s plan…