Officials press for long-term plan as beach-nourishment funding mixes FEMA payments, state bills and local options

County and city officials said they will continue construction funding for beach nourishment while seeking a durable maintenance plan that draws on federal, state and local tools.

Speakers reported recent FEMA disbursements and a county construction allocation; county representatives said they had received roughly "4,700,000" in FEMA funds recently and noted a separate earlier $5,000,000 FEMA release tied to Hammock Dunes work. The county said this year’s construction funding approaches $9 million. Officials flagged SB636 — a state bill discussed during the meeting — as a potential source to help offset ongoing maintenance costs if it passes.

Officials emphasized that maintenance funding — not initial construction — is the critical unsolved issue. Participants outlined options including an MSBU (municipal service benefit unit) for affected reaches, use of TDT and capital allocations, and combinations of state, FEMA and toll or sales-tax-derived revenue. Amy Lukasik, tourism development director, summarized how the penny split of bed-tax revenue is currently allocated: she said the total is five pennies, with three pennies largely supporting operations/advertising and one penny (20% of total revenue) flagged for capital projects and another 20% for beach uses.

Speakers also raised practical barriers: easement acquisition remains incomplete for portions of the project, and county counsel identified more than a dozen private-interest easements to resolve. Commissioners asked staff to pursue MSBU and critical-erosion studies to develop precise obligations and to return with a clearer maintenance-cost plan before the next budget cycle.