Dewey Beach committee backs funding recommendation for comprehensive resiliency study to address flooding

The Town of Dewey Beach Infrastructure Committee voted April 2 to recommend that the Town Council fund a comprehensive town resiliency study to update outdated flood assessments and help secure grants for future mitigation projects. The committee approved the recommendation by voice vote after hearing a presentation from the Resiliency and Sustainability Committee and staffing comments on grant competitiveness.

Deborah Goldenberg, chairperson of the Resiliency and Sustainability Committee, told the Infrastructure Committee that prior studies for Dewey Beach are out of date (the most recent was performed in 2016–2017) and that the committee recommends hiring a qualified engineering/environmental consulting firm to perform a 5–10 year comprehensive study. "We've determined that the town's flooding needs require that Dewey hire an engineering consulting company to assess what Dewey's flood risk require by performing an updated comprehensive study," Goldenberg said. She said the committee solicited bids, identified two firms able to perform the work, and recommended the lower-cost qualified firm.

Town Manager Mr. Zolper said having a recent, professional study strengthens the town's chances when applying for grants and noted some funding programs require an up-to-date study. "It always helps to have a study done when you put in for these grants," Mr. Zolper said, adding that Dewey's most recent study was about 10 years old.

Committee discussion covered scope and cost. Committee members rejected the idea of relying on student projects or piecemeal work as insufficient for grant applications and long-term planning, and emphasized that a comprehensive plan would identify priority projects and potential funding sources. Committee members stated the vendor ask was approximately $75,000 and that the study would take about 10 months to complete. The meeting record shows members repeatedly connected the study to improving grant competitiveness and informing the town's 2028 comprehensive development plan.

The committee also reviewed related infrastructure finances: discussion cited a federal appropriation of approximately $1 million for a Reed Street pump station that would require a local 25% match (about $300,000), and the committee discussed the infrastructure account balance (reported as $713,725, end-of-February figures) and ongoing reimbursement efforts for recent paving projects.

The committee made a motion to recommend funding the resiliency study and the motion passed by voice vote (recorded as "Aye" and unanimous). The recommendation now goes to the full Town Council for consideration.

The committee's endorsement does not by itself authorize contract awards or spending; it is a recommendation to the Town Council. The study's scope, final contract amount, and funding source (town infrastructure account, grants, or combination) will be determined in follow-up actions at the council level.