County starts public comment on $210M disaster plan, earmarks major funds for waterways and Phillippi Creek dredging

Sarasota County commissioners on Feb. 25 voted to publish a draft action plan for the county's $210,094,000 allocation of Community Development Block Grant—Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR) funds and begin a 30‑day public comment period. County staff proposed and the board approved an initial set of allocations that front‑load infrastructure and homeowner assistance while reserving a large pot for dredging and waterway repairs, with commissioners directing staff to prioritize Phillippi Creek.

Steve Hyatt, division manager for the county’s Program Management Division, told the board federal rules require 70% of the dollars to benefit low‑ and moderate‑income households and that some money is statutorily set aside for mitigation. "Seventy percent of these funds must benefit low to moderate income households," Hyatt said, explaining constraints and eligible program categories such as housing repair, infrastructure, and mitigation.

Public commenters, many of them Gulf Gate and Phillippi Creek residents, urged immediate funding for dredging. "Please fund Phillippi Creek dredging and approve the sediment removal plan," resident David Oakes told commissioners, describing repeated storm damage last summer and large sandbars blocking tidal discharge.

After extended discussion about program design and priorities, the board adopted staff's draft allocations and directed staff to publish the plan for public review and to return with responses to comments and a final action plan to submit to HUD. Staff proposed — and the board endorsed — a portfolio that concentrates funds on housing, public infrastructure, and a dedicated waterways/dredging program. During debate commissioners increased the recommended dredging/infrastructure pot from the staff’s initial $60 million estimate to $75 million to cover "dredging of major county waterways," with Phillippi Creek explicitly prioritized.

Hyatt said the mitigation set‑aside could also support home hardening measures targeted at lower‑income homeowners. The draft plan includes homeowner rehabilitation and reimbursement programs, new multifamily affordable housing incentives, a single‑family mitigation program tied to the mitigation set‑aside, and an infrastructure track that will run competitive application cycles for public entities and nonprofits.

The board voted unanimously to publish the draft action plan and begin the public comment period; staff will return to the board after the comment period with a revised plan and formal approval request. The public comment window will last 30 days and the county will respond to submitted comments before finalizing the action plan and forwarding it to HUD for approval.

What’s next: The county will accept public feedback on the draft allocations during the 30‑day comment period, then present a revised plan to the board (staff indicated an April return date) before HUD review. The board also asked staff to provide clearer definitions of program eligibility and to outline how dredging and other large infrastructure projects would be evaluated for grant eligibility and cost reasonableness.