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Board funds preliminary engineering for Summer Haven dredging, seeks grants for construction
Summary
The Board approved $386,990.88 from General Fund reserves to fund planning, engineering and design (PED) for the Summer Haven dredging and resiliency projects and directed staff to issue an RFQ for construction planning, while urging pursuit of state and federal construction grants.
The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners voted 5-0 on March 3 to use $386,990.88 in General Fund reserves to fund planning, engineering and design (PED) for the first two phases of a citizen-proposed Summer Haven dredging and resiliency plan.
Emergency Management Director Joe Giammanco presented the three-phase plan, describing costs and permitting complexities and saying staff had broken the proposal into discrete projects to improve hydraulic function and shoreline resilience. Residents and civic groups urged the Board to proceed; Denise Cocrohan, chair of the Summer Haven Resiliency Coalition, said the river and beaches “were a huge asset to county residents and visitors,” and pledged the group’s assistance finding funding.
Commission discussion centered on funding sources and resident participation. A motion by Commissioner Murphy to direct staff to look for federal and state funding lacked a second; Whitehurst then moved, and the Board carried, to use General Fund reserves to fund PED for Projects 1 and 2 and to issue an RFQ for Project 3 while aiming to secure state and federal construction dollars. The action is explicitly for PED only; county leaders said construction will depend on grant awards or additional appropriations.
