Beach Nourishment Program Hits a Major Snag

[John G]

Beach renourishment is D E A D.

 

[Misty]

That's ridiculous. While our white sand is a treasure, but people would still come here if it was darker. The western Walton beach project shows that it can be done without compromising sand quality. The problem is the 2nd or 3rd dredging down the road would likely be not as white, and less fine. Just look at Panama City Beach. They've done it a few times and it is now nothing near as nice as our sand. Although some say their sand will become our sand because of the western flow of water and sand down the coast.

Yeah Dawn, just look at Panama City Beach! Look at all the problems they have on their beaches too. You keep talking like this and you're going to have all your liberal buddies that don't want anyone north of the bay (including tourists or "rednecks") ready to barricade the bridge and secede. They sure the hell don't want "nothing near as nice as our sand" (your words) but they do want the County to follow its own LDC.

 

[BlueMtnBeachVagrant]

Beach renourishment is D E A D.

You're right - for now.

This article just adds a little color to the court's ruling that is linked in the first post of this thread:
Court: South Walton beach restoration cannot go forward

So the question now becomes how long can the TDC continue to collect and set aside bed tax money for beach nourishment that may not ever happen? And what happens to the collected money in the meantime? Anyone know?

 

[Matt J]

Might as well spend it on marketing.

 

[Danny Glidewell]

This is the 64 dollar question. The money IMHO should go directly to purchasing additional beach frontage for more access and/or purchasing land to be used for parking. With the millions in reserve already we could seriously improve access and parking along all of our beaches and also improve amenities such as walkovers and bathrooms. We could improve the experience for our visitors and residents alike. Not one penny should go for overhead or marketing or spent anywhere but on the public beaches.

 

[Matt J]

So sending most of the higher ups at the TDC on an all expenses paid trip to New Orleans, Dallas and Nashville over the past 3 weeks was a bad use of tax dollars? /sarcasm off/

Is the money collected statutorily directed at beach nourishment?

I'd like to see the nourishment happen, but I know that greed has no bounds and I can't wait for those folks homes to fall in the gulf.

 

[John G]

If their homes did fall into the gulf, they will still own their property and I'm sure look to keep you off it...

 

[Misty]

I'd like to see beach nourishment done according to the Counties LDC and I don't give a hoot about private property. People buy houses on the beach, wanna claim all the land in front of it making it their property rather than public land have no right to expect the government should bail them out in the event of a natural disaster.

 

[Bob Hudson]

5. To finance beach park facilities or beach improvement, maintenance, renourishment, restoration, and erosion control, including shoreline protection, enhancement, cleanup, or restoration of inland lakes and rivers to which there is public access as those uses relate to the physical preservation of the beach, shoreline, or inland lake or river. However, any funds identified by a county as the local matching source for beach renourishment, restoration, or erosion control projects included in the long-range budget plan of the state’s Beach Management Plan, pursuant to s. 161.091, or funds contractually obligated by a county in the financial plan for a federally authorized shore protection project may not be used or loaned for any other purpose. In counties of fewer than 100,000 population, up to 10 percent of the revenues from the tourist development tax may be used for beach park facilities

 

[NotDeadYet]

The extra half cent was identified as the local matching source, was it not? So if it can't be used for any other purpose does it just sit in a bank somewhere till the cows come home??