Beach and Dune Update 10/12/2021

Federal Beach Project
​On Sep 29 the CORPs announced the construction contract was awarded in the amount of $11.3m. Part of the evaluation in the awarding of the contract is scheduling considerations that may provide for a start date after November 2021, but still in time for its completion before the 2022 Hurricane Season.  More details to follow.

The CORPs and county have postponed their planned Oct 19th presentation about the project until a future date ideally 2-4 weeks before the actual start of construction pending finalization as above. 
 
The county's Sep. 27th Final Budget Hearing confirmed a millage rate of 0.6613 for the SHI Erosion Control MSTU instead of the previously recommended 0.7445. A reduction of approx. 11.16%. It is still more than 3x last year’s rate of 0.2131 and much more than 1/8 
of any ultimate, genuinely expected real or "local share" (absent a highly unlikely significant erosion event) laying the foundation for significant decreases in keeping with the county's "remember this is worse-case and it can, should only go down from here." 
 
Further the awarded contract confirms a much-anticipated substantial savings.  It fulfills the county’s long-held preference to know the “real” or “actual” costs to make any meaningful commitment of county-wide funding sources.  This sets the stage to resolve the still outstanding and remaining issues to fund the projects “local share”, cost after state and federal funding over the remaining 2-8 or more years. 
 
A “blueprint” and timeline to advocate and advance a fair and reasonable funding plan for the “local share”, including county-wide funding sources, will be forthcoming. More to follow.