Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Shoreline Erosion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff proposes $30,000 scoping study to address shoreline erosion draining to Lake Champlain
Summary
Staff presented a proposal to fund a scoping study to identify conceptual designs that would reduce erosion where a loop of roads drains to Lake Champlain; members raised questions about homeowner cooperation, eligibility for funding on private roads and long-term maintenance.
Staff presented a project-development proposal to identify and conceptually design interventions for shoreline erosion along a loop of roads that drain directly to Lake Champlain, estimating roughly $30,000 for the scoping phase and five conceptual designs. Speaker 3 described the area as "a road that makes a loop" where runoff "captures multiple rows of housing" and said the scoping work would hire a consultant to "assess the area and come back to us with, you know, a number of projects and conceptual designs."
The group’s technical discussion focused on whether the request-for-proposals should prioritize softer, lake-wise shoreline practices or more engineered infiltration features. Speaker 4 asked specifically whether the RFP would examine "things like lake wise best management practices or some of the softer techniques" instead of constructed stormwater basins. Speaker 3 replied that the RFP language would determine scope and that staff would compile a broad project list, then select which items get conceptual designs.
Several members emphasized landowner cooperation and long-term maintenance. Speaker 5 noted the difficulty of negotiating access agreements across many homeowners, asking who owns Bridal Road and whether a homeowners association exists. Speaker 2 and others warned that operations and maintenance costs may ultimately fall to homeowners or associations and urged clarity in proposals so private parties understand their responsibilities. Speaker 3 said identifying willing landowners and resolving access will be part of the scoping stage.
Members also questioned how to score a scoping study when technical outcomes such as phosphorus reduction are unknown. Speaker 3 described scoring the item as "hard to score" at this phase and recommended treating the estimate as a provisional, average cost until a consultant yields more precise data.
Next steps: staff will proceed with project development planning and include ownership, maintenance and eligibility questions in the RFP language; no formal approvals occurred at this meeting because the group could not vote. The committee agreed to poll members for a short special meeting to vote once legal notice requirements are met.
