By DOTTY NIST
Letters to beachfront property owners in areas envisioned for nourishment in the Walton County Hurricane & Storm Damage Reduction (WCH&SDR) Project are expected to be sent out by the end of April, according to Jim Bagby, Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) executive director.
Included with the letters are to be easements that the owners may opt to sign if they wish their property to be included in the WCH&SDR Project.
Bagby reported on this and other matters at the TDC Beach Management Committee’s April 6 meeting at the TDC office.
The sending out of the letters and easements will be subject to the letter, currently a draft, being approved by the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) and a contract with Government Services Group (GSG) being approved by the BCC on April 14 so that GSG can be tasked with sending out the material.
GSG was also the company enlisted to research ownership of beachfront parcels in the project area.
Bagby said the company’s initial proposal was to charge $50 per letter/easement but that there had been negotiation to reduce this to $50 per owner, which will help since some parties own multiple beachfront parcels. He indicated that there are in the neighborhood of 980 parcels in the project area.
Bagby said that the county had ended up doing several mailings to beachfront property owners prior to Walton County’s first large-scale beach nourishment project and that he would expect the same with this project. He said that by August it should be ascertained whether beachfront sections can be “pieced together” for a feasible project.
Walton County’s first large-scale beach nourishment project was completed in 2007 along approximately five miles on the west end of the county. This area or portions of it would be included in the current project area if sufficient property owners sign easements, although much less sand is expected to be needed along this section. The WCH&SDR Project is proposed to include most of the county’s non-state park beachfront.
Regarding project funding, Bagby reminded committee members that Gov. Rick Scott had put $10.5 million in state funding in his budget for the WCH&SDR Project. This allocation does require approval of the Florida Legislature. Bagby reported that the Florida House had “zeroed out” the expenditure and that the Senate had left it in their version of the budget “as is.” His expectation was that the funding would be at the level of $4 to $5 million divided up into this year’s and next year’s state budget.
Bagby noted that legislators do read media reports from the local area of the “hue and cry that has been raised,” and that this has caused lawmakers to believe “that the project will not happen.”
Asked if negative views on the project being expressed in the community could also impact federal funding for the project, Bagby said there could well be an impact. If a U.S senator or representative gets 20 letters about the project, all in opposition, they may conclude that the beachfront property owners in general are against the project, he said.
Bagby said there are pockets of beachfront owners who want the project and have written to the BCC and U.S. Congressman Jeff Miller. He mentioned Gulf Trace as one of these areas, although noting that some owners there are also opposed.
“There is no sense of urgency right now,” Bagby said. He noted that many people have moved to the county since 2004 and 2005 when the last hurricanes hit. He recalled watching dune walkovers being ripped apart and carried off into the gulf during storms at that time.
Committee member Jack Slattery said he had recently seen a plane flying over the beach carrying a banner reading “stopbadsand.com.”
This internet address is connected with a web site, www.waltonbeachnourishment.com, which was launched by a recently-announced coalition opposing the beach nourishment project. The group is arguing that the project would eliminate private property rights, use taxpayer funds irresponsibly, and mar the beaches with off-color, shell-laden sand, claims that proponents of the project reject as spurious.
Bagby noted that anyone concerned about sand in connection with the project should visit the previously-nourished west end and take a look. “That project is our best promotion for this project,” he said.
Also on the topic of web sites, Bagby commented that the official web site for the WCH&SDR Project, www.protectwaltoncountybeaches.com, has been revised to make it more convenient to pull up information on pertinent aspects of the project, among those the application for the state permit, the project areas or “reaches,” information on funding, FAQs, etc.
In other discussion Bagby reported that two firms had responded to a request for qualifications (RFQ) for coastal management consultant. Brad Pickel of Seahaven Consulting, former coastal management consultant for the county and TDC, had opted to conclude his contract a couple of months early, finishing his services on March 31.
Bagby said the two firms responding to the RFQ had been Taylor Engineering and Tetra Tech, both of which have a local presence. He explained that a screening committee composed of himself, TCD Director of Beach Operations, and the chairman would evaluate the two companies, using a point system in conjunction with the RFQ requirements to come up with numerical ratings. He said a recommendation would be taken before the BCC to negotiate a contract with the higher-ranked company.
The bi-monthly beach nourishment workshops previously held for some time by the TDC have been suspended for the time being. Bagby said the workshops would likely be started back up upon sufficient interest in the project being demonstrated by property owners to warrant updates on a feasible project.
The next Beach Management Committee meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. on June 1 at the TDC office. These meeting are open to public attendance and participation.
