Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Marsh Pilot topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Environmental stewardship panel backs marsh pilot, vows placeholder budget while grant decision is pending
Summary
The Environmental Stewardship Committee voted to recommend the City Commission support a marsh pilot restoration project and to include a TBD placeholder in next year’s budget while the city awaits a South Atlantic salt‑marsh initiative grant decision expected in 30–60 days.
The Atlantic Beach Environmental Stewardship Committee voted March 25 to recommend that the City Commission support and fund staff’s marsh pilot proposal, with a to‑be‑determined budget entry while the city awaits a regional grant decision.
City engineer Steve Swan, introduced by the chair as the committee’s special guest, told the committee he has submitted a proposal and a scaled budget to the South Atlantic Salt Marsh initiative and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and that the city can scale the local implementation up or down depending on funding. "So you've got you all got a proposal I sent you," Swan said, noting his budget figures were increased to fit program expectations but can be reduced for city implementation.
Committee members pressed staff on whether a local match was required; Swan said no, and recommended using a placeholder (“TBD”) in the municipal budget so staff and the manager can fill in numbers once grant confirmations arrive. Sarah Bourne moved that the committee recommend the City Commission "support and fund staff's Marsh pilot proposal for fiscal year 26–27," and Dan Giovannucci seconded; the motion passed by voice vote after members indicated support.
The proposed pilot would begin with three visible project areas near the kayak launch and dock so residents can see progress at low tide, Swan said, and could include a mix of living‑shoreline techniques. Committee members and staff discussed coordinating with regional partners, including university researchers and the St. Johns River Water Management District, for site design and public outreach.
Swan told the committee he expects a response from the grant program in roughly 30 to 60 days and asked that the committee remain involved to help galvanize public participation if the grant is awarded. The committee instructed staff to bring a recommendation and placeholder budget language forward to the commission, rather than a fixed appropriation, pending final grant decisions.
