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Council authorizes advocacy for federal funding as Humphreys Park awaits Army Corps repairs
Summary
City staff warned that jetty and bulkhead damage at Humphreys Park is extensive and that the Army Corps of Engineers owns and will repair the federal bulkhead; the council unanimously authorized the mayor to communicate in support of federal funding and coordination rather than fund a risky temporary reconstruction locally.
City staff told the Venice City Council that Hurricanes Helene and Milton left the South Jetty and bulkhead severely damaged and that large portions of the rock revetment and bulkhead are gone. City Engineer John Kramer said the Army Corps of Engineers holds an easement and has accepted responsibility for structural repairs, estimating that the Corps' bulkhead work will exceed $10 million; staff said the Corps' full assessment could put the four-part project in the tens of millions of dollars.
Ricky Simpson, director of Public Works and Asset Management, described damage to the concession stand, lift station, utilities and asphalt walkways and said temporary fixes would require Corps consent and a Section 408 permit. Kramer and Simpson warned that a city-funded temporary rebuild would be high cost and high risk — expensive to design and construct, likely to require specialized beach-compatible fill, and potentially subject to removal once Corps reconstruction begins.
Council members expressed concern about public safety, liability and prudent use of local funds. Vice Mayor Bolt and others said local work that must later be removed would be poor stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Mayor Nick Pashoda moved that the council authorize the mayor to communicate — by letters, emails or other means — in support of federal funding and Corps action; the motion passed unanimously. City Manager James Clinch told the council that the West Coast Inland Navigation District (WCIND) is coordinating with the congressional office on a proposed $15 million federal appropriation and that the Corps' major maintenance report for the project is expected later this year.
