Nueces County approves $31M project slate, including $4M breakwater allocation for USS Lexington; court orders new RFP for grant administration

NUECES COUNTY — The Nueces County Commissioner's Court approved a $31 million package of prioritized drainage and resiliency projects and confirmed a $4,000,000 allocation for a North Beach breakwater intended to protect the USS Lexington and nearby shoreline infrastructure.

County staff presented a list of projects covering all four precincts, including drainage and water-system rehabilitations, and said the total aligned with the funds allocated to the region. During public comment, local residents and stakeholders urged the court to support the breakwater; Peter Davidson outlined matching contributions and in-kind offers, saying, “The Ed Rochelle Foundation has offered concrete blocks worth 1,300,000, [and] transportation of those concrete blocks with $200,000.” Steve Banta, executive director of the USS Lexington Museum, told the court there is “significant erosion annually at North Beach” and urged action to protect the ship and tourism economy.

Why it matters: Commissioners said assembling the package now is intended to position the county competitively for state disaster‑recovery funding and to leverage local matches from foundations, the port and the city. Staff and a Coastal Bend Council of Governments representative warned that the Texas General Land Office (GLO) application process has a February 21 filing window for certain CDBG‑MIT processing steps; Emily Martinez of the COG advised the county to submit applications promptly to “save your place in line” even if some application details remain to be finalized.

Key details and funding offers presented in open session included engineering and in‑kind commitments: engineering contributions of roughly $179,700 and $150,000 were reported, a local foundation reported $776,000 in in‑kind support, and the Port of Corpus Christi offered up to 980,000 cubic yards of sediment as material match. Staff cited a $16 per cubic‑yard moving cost estimate from an engineering study that would imply tens of millions in sediment‑transport costs for the full scope.

Court action and next steps: The court moved to adopt the staff’s project list (with minor tweaks allowed), and the motion passed with all members voting in favor. The court also approved a contingency measure to file a CDBG‑MIT extension only as a last resort; staff explained that filing an extension moves an application lower in the GLO processing order but does not alter the region’s allocation. Commissioners directed staff to pursue the timely application while retaining the extension option if needed.

Separately, after an executive session to consult attorneys, the court authorized the county attorney to give notice of termination to the current CDBG‑MIT grant administrator contract (Title Basin Government Consulting LLC, RFP 3125‑20) as permitted under the contract’s notice provisions. Commissioner Chesney moved that the county publish a new request for proposals for grant administration and project management on a fee basis rather than a percentage fee, with the selection committee to return recommendations by Feb. 15 or sooner; that motion also passed without opposition.

What remains open: Staff said the county will continue to seek matching funds from the city and port and pursue additional GLO special‑merit grant rounds (staff noted a potential $5,000,000 cap on a special‑merit award in an April round). The breakwater project proponents and staff emphasized the work is still contingent on securing those additional matches and completing permitting and engineering.

The court adjourned after completing the regular agenda; staff will publish the RFP for grant administration and continue work to finalize the GLO/CDBG‑MIT application.