HomeMy Public PortalAbout20110915BeachTaskForceMinutesCorrected.pdf20110915BeachTaskMinutes Page 1 of 4
Beach Task Force Meeting – September 15, 2011
Those in attendance: Amy Lanier, Freda Rutherford, Harry Spirides, Harvey
Ferrelle, Jimmy Burke, Joe Richardson, John Wylly, Lou Off,
Mary McCracken, William Sprague, Diane Schleicher, Paul
Wolff, Bill Garbett
Ms. Lanier called the meeting to order at 11:30AM.
There were no minutes to approve. All minutes will be available prior to the October
meeting.
Old Business:
Ms. Lanier read an email from Brad Gane outlining the advantages of a federally
independent beach re-nourishment and the 2005 letter from the GADNR outlining ways
to fund an independent re-nourishment (attached). She then read the motion that was
presented to council requesting the following:
The Beach Task Force voted to recommend that council set aside no
less than $1 million a year in addition to SPLOST money for beach re -
nourishment.
Ms. Lanier read a memorandum to Mayor and City Council dated August 19, 2011
regarding Actions Items (attached). Mr. Wolff stated that council had voted to pu t
$350,000 in the general fund with a dedicated line item for beach re-nourishment and
in addition, the city is going to lobby the county to match that amount. In addition,
they will be putting the full $2 million that was received from SPLOST toward be ach re-
nourishment. Council will ask authorization of the state to raise the hotel/motel tax to
the maximum, which is 2 cents. Frieda Rutherford would like to know what the
chances are in asking for an amendment to allow the additional 2 cents to go to the
beach re-nourishment and not be split with the tourism council for their marketing plan.
Harry Spirides asked Diane Schleicher to check on a special purpose district, in this way
the city could levy a special purpose fee for any purpose, in that many more businesses
would be required to pay the tax not just hotels and motels.
Sub Committee Reports
State Funding Committee – no report
20110915BeachTaskMinutes Page 2 of 4
County Funding Committee – no report
2015 Re-nourishment Oversight Committee – Lou Off told Amy that if she
needed anything from the COE, he would be happy to write a letter.
Fort Screven – Joe Richardson. Letter was sent to the COE with supporting
paperwork.
Lou Off reported that after the last storm, a telephone pole broke off on the north side
of Gullick and asked Diane Schleicher to have it removed. She will call DPW and have it
removed. Dr. Richardson reported that there is another groin that is exposed. He also
reported that dunes are growing near 2nd Street and North Beach where the tilling did
not occur.
Frieda Rutherford asked Ms. Lanier if we could send Brad Gane’s letter to the Tybee
Tourism Council so we can share information regarding private funding for beach re-
nourishment.
Public Relations Progress – no report.
Frieda Rutherford made a motion to adjourn. Paul Wolff seconded. Vote was
unanimous.
Meeting adjourned at 12:30PM.
***
From: Brad Gane <Brad.Gane@dnr.state.ga.us>
Date: Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 3:27 PM
Subject: 2nd email with speaking points for Tybee's own beach nourishment program
To: Amy Lanier <amyelanier@gmail.com>
Cc: Brad Gane <Brad.Gane@dnr.state.ga.us>, Spud Woodward <Spud.Woodward@dnr.state.ga.us>
Tybee's beach is always eroding. It is the nature of the shoreline character and dynamics at Tybee that it
will erode. The authorized federal project places beach quality sand on the beach at time intervals,
hopefully sufficient to maintain a planned federal beach of a certain minimum width and beach height.
Placement of the sand does not stop the erosion from occurring, it merely moves the point of erosion
further seaward. By moving the shoreline seaward, recreational opportunity is provided and a buffer is
created to provide a much greater level of community hazard protection than if Tybee had to rely on its
seawall alone.
As Tybee's shoreline always erodes, it is imperative to make sure sand is delivered through
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implementation of a beach nourishment project on an as needed and timely basis. When nourished,
sufficient sand is brought to the beach face, in height and beach width, to provide some assurance that
the federal planned beach is maintained until the next re-nourishment project occurs. Considering
average circumstances to date, that should be about every 6 years.
Currently Tybee relies on the federal beach nourishment authorization and appropriation for its beach
to be nourished. The last nourishment occurred after a period of about 7 years, during which the beach
erosion placed the seawall and structures in some locations in an exposed and highly threatened
condition. Structures were in danger should there have occurred a high energy storm of magnitude and
duration. Recreational opportunity, one of Tybee's major financial lifelines, was adversely impacted.
It is recommended now, as it was in discussions held with the Tybee Beach Task Force back in 2005, that
Tybee initiate its own beach nourishment program. The purpose of the program is to plan for future
beach nourishment needs by having all necessary permits in hand, and to have an identified fund from
which the beach nourishment would be paid, for the first event and thereafter. So much the better if
federal appropriation occurs. Tybee would have the funds to cover the non-federal cost share of the
project. Unfortunately, federal dollars can be scarce, and delayed if they do come through.
The advantages of having a locally driven, non-federal, beach nourishment program are as follows:
The community takes into its own hands the need to take care of its own interests. The federal fiscal
climate may not generate the funding (appropriation) needed, either at all or in a timely manner, to
complete the authorized beach nourishment federal project. Even if it did come about, it may be
delayed, one year delayed like last time, or more.
A locally conducted nourishment project can obtain necessary approvals from State (Shore Protection
Act) and feds (Corps regulatory) and can be done at a considerable savings in time and money.
Therefore, non-federal dollars are put more to putting sand on the beach, not to the hugely expensive
federal partnership obligations that a federal project entails. After permitting is done, money buys sand,
not more studies.
A Tybee beach nourishment project becomes an "engineered beach" that then becomes eligible for
receipt of post disaster funding should the beach be adversely impacted by a storm sufficient to have a
disaster declaration. There are real life examples of how this has worked.
There are many fine points to this argument in support of the City of Tybee Island creating their own
beach nourishment program. The best argument, in my opinion, is the experience of many communities
throughout the coastal United States that have undertaken, successfully, exactly what we are talking
about here. They have successfully fortified their beaches and reduced hazard potential. They have
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provided greater assurance that the community will be able to maintain its character and tourism
potential. They have taken steps to determine their own future for less cost and in less time.
Hope this helps.
Brad