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Council member recommends delaying Agot Beach Road culvert repairs pending FEMA funding; single lane to remain open this winter
Summary
A council member advised stalling Agot Beach Road culvert work until FEMA grant decisions are final, citing a possible award that could cover up to 75% of costs; staff say the road can operate on a single lane through winter while temporary measures are explored.
A council member told colleagues that the town should delay full repairs to the Agot Beach Road culvert until the status of FEMA funding is clear, while staff maintain the road can be kept open as a single lane through the coming winter.
The council member told the council the FEMA application period has been extended until October and that a FEMA representative warned any construction started now could make the project ineligible for the grant. "Do not expect to break ground until spring of 2025," the council member said the FEMA representative told her, according to her account to the council. The speaker also said the town's prior decision to pause work was prudent: "Good job everybody — we made the right decision; we did not move forward on that."
Staff provided preliminary estimates that put the box culvert bids around $300,000 and indicated that, if the grant is awarded, up to 75% of the project could be covered. The council member said she spoke with Barry, the lead superintendent of streets, who told her staff believe they can keep a single lane open for the winter and will use temporary measures to allow residents to pass through the area. The council member described one possible short-term mitigation: bringing in a large steel plate to cover the damaged section to help maintain traffic flow.
The council member recommended the council again postpone formal construction and clarify culvert sizing with engineers and the Department of Natural Resources before seeking to proceed, and suggested using town reserves to pay the local share if FEMA covers approximately three-quarters of the cost. She asked that Barry coordinate with staff and inform Bobby about next steps. No formal motion or vote on the recommendation is recorded in the transcript.
Next steps described in the meeting: staff will continue coordination with engineers and the grant administrator, refine the bid and cost estimate, and report back to council; the council must decide whether to formally authorize moving forward or to continue to wait for grant resolution.
