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Beach district reviews 12‑year financial plan and flags higher turtle‑monitoring costs
Summary
At the June 22 Beach Protection District meeting staff presented a 12‑year financial plan that projects major nourishment projects at roughly $30–$35 million each, shows declining reserves through multi‑project scenarios, recommends holding millage flat and highlighted a recent contract amendment after monitoring counts exceeded original estimates.
District staff (Mister Duchak) presented a 12‑year financial planning forecast on June 22 intended to encompass two major beach nourishment projects and longer‑range operating costs. The plan is designed both as a planning tool for the board and to meet state grant application expectations, staff said.
Duchak told the board the plan assumes holding ad valorem millage flat and applies a conservative 3% annual rise in property values to project future revenue. He said state grant funds were modeled at roughly 19% of projected funding in the plan and that project‑specific sources such as FEMA or other disaster funds were excluded from the baseline because they are not reliably available year‑to‑year.
On costs, staff said major nourishment projects are currently estimated in the $30–$35 million range per project and that recurring smaller dune projects (e.g., a 600‑block dune) are budgeted around $500,000 every three years. Duchak told the board the District’s reserves were projected to decline under two major projects, and gave an example figure of reserves in the near term and how they would fall after a second project; the presentation did not finalize funding commitments.
Board members asked about sea‑turtle monitoring costs after staff earlier reported large nesting counts this season. Duchak explained the monitoring program has required a contract amendment because staff and the contractor documented many more nests than the original budget anticipated; he said the District’s eligible state grant support covers about 19% of monitoring costs and called for further discussions with state agencies (DEP and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) about funding responsibilities for required monitoring.
On the draft beach budget, staff recommended holding millage flat and noted a 100% projected increase in a professional engineering consulting line that reflects timing of geotechnical work; if the geotechnical work is pulled forward into the current fiscal year, staff said a budget amendment would be required. Duchak asked the board to raise detailed questions at the July meeting when additional budget discussions and potential geotechnical proposals will be on the agenda.
What’s next: staff expects to present more detailed budget numbers and potentially a geotechnical proposal at the July meeting; the board did not take final budget votes during the June 22 meeting.
