Nags Head board authorizes notice of intent to award 2026 beach nourishment contract after fall survey finds dune losses

The Nags Head Board of Commissioners voted on Dec. 17 to authorize the town manager to issue a notice of intent to award the 2026 beach nourishment contract to Weeks Marine, accepting a base bid of $34,934,100 and two additive alternates of $965,000 each.

The decision followed a technical presentation of a fall monitoring survey and project design by Moffett & Nickel coastal engineer Beth Shidone, and a financing review by Andrew Carter of DEEC Associates. Shidone told the board the fall survey documented “widespread dune scarping” and notable volumetric losses above the minus-14 foot NAVD88 elevation, reductions that she said limit the sand available to protect town infrastructure in future storms.

The board’s action is a notice of intent to award, not a final construction contract. Staff said a formal notice of award and the authorization to execute the construction contract would be completed in February after finalizing the interlocal agreement with Dare County and the town’s financing plan. Town staff and the town’s financial adviser presented modeling that used a conservative 5% borrowing assumption and showed the town could cover most of the project with a combination of the town’s beach fund cash (about $13–14 million projected year‑end) and an expected county contribution (approximately $13 million), leaving roughly $11–12.5 million to borrow under current scenarios.

Shidone reviewed monitoring methods and results: the town conducted 109 transects in the nourished oceanfront reaches and measured an average shoreline recession of roughly 27 feet between the summer and fall surveys, with larger recessions (about 50 feet) in the southern reaches. She summarized modeling that identified multiple transects at or nearing the town’s engineered protection triggers—particularly in reach three south and reach four—and said numerical runs of a late‑October coastal low (about 18‑foot waves) showed some localized transects could experience overtopping or undermining of structures if similar storms recur.

“We observed visible dune escarpments, loss of the dry beach and offshore migration of the bar,” Shidone said, adding that losses above the minus‑14 foot contour “indicate there’s less sand available to provide that appropriate level of protection to the town’s infrastructure.”

Andrew Carter advised the board on funding choices and bank expectations for special obligation financing. He explained that past projects used a combination of county contributions, municipal service district revenue and occupancy‑tax‑pledged special obligation bonds. Carter said the town’s current cash position—along with the county’s expected contribution—would limit required borrowing and improve the town’s ability to achieve favorable coverage (banks typically seek about 1.2 times annual debt service coverage on these pledges).

“To our great surprise, the 2026 project is the cheaper option,” Carter said, noting the apparent low bid for 2026 (Weeks Marine) was lower than the apparent low bid for the 2027 schedule (Great Lakes). He also warned the board that uncertainty over future FEMA public assistance rules and possible changes to how beaches are categorized in federal public‑assistance programs could affect future projects.

Board members discussed whether to delay for another year to preserve cash and wait for more information. Several members said rising costs argue against waiting; others stressed the importance of planning for the town’s next project and noted the risk that federal assistance could become harder to obtain. Staff recommended a notice of intent to award to secure contractor scheduling while allowing finalization of financing and the county interlocal agreement.

The board approved a motion to authorize the town manager to issue a notice of intent to award to Weeks Marine for the 2026 beach nourishment project (base bid $34,934,100; alternates 1A and 2A $965,000 each). The motion carried by voice vote; staff said the formal notice of award would be brought back in February for final authorization and contract execution.

Town attorney John asked that the board place a closed‑session item on the January agenda to discuss potential litigation connected with the beach nourishment project; the board agreed to add that item. Staff also reported tentative retreat dates of Feb. 26–27.

Next steps: staff will finalize the interlocal agreement with Dare County, complete pre‑construction surveys to identify localized hot‑spots for possible use of alternates, and return in February with a formal notice of award, financing ordinance and any required interlocal approvals.