- November 20, 2024
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Flagler County expects the state government to cover a large chunk of the cost of the Army Corps of Engineers' planned beach renourishment project in Flagler Beach. But the county government may first pay $15.74 million from its own reserves — lowering them by more than half — in order to meet the Corps of Engineers' deadline while waiting for the state money to come through.
The formal due date for payment was Jan. 19, but there is a 10-day grace period, so the county must pay by Jan. 29, County Administrator Heidi Petito explained to County Commissioners at a Jan. 22 commission workshop.
This is only as a stopgap if we need it."
— HEIDI PETITO, Flagler County administrator
Although the Florida Department of Transportation is expected to cover the cost, she said, the state hasn't wired that money to the county yet.
"We had hoped that the funding from FDOT would have come back in advance, but it did not, and there's no guarantees that we're going to have it. But we feel confident that we're going to have it," she said.
The county had expected to received the state money on Friday, Jan. 19. The Jan. 22 commission workshop was the county administration's last chance to ask the commission to approve pulling money from reserves, if needed, to make the Jan. 29 deadline.
"Once we receive the funding from FDOT, we would put it back into reserves," Petito said.
Using the money from the county's reserves, she said, is a backup plan in case the FDOT money doesn't come through quickly enough.
"We're hoping that we don't even need to draw down from reserves, but if we do need to, this would be that opportunity," she said.
County Commission Chairman Andy Dance asked how long it might take for the state money to come through. Petito said there are no guarantees, but, "typically it's quick."
"I do believe that ... they're moving rather quickly to give it to us," she said.
The County Commission approved two "interfund loans," totaling $16.1 million, from the county's reserve funds, and a disbursement of $15.74 million to the Army Corps of Engineers.
The federal project will renourish 2.6 miles of the coast in Flagler Beach, with the federal government covering most of the cost of the initial renourishment project and then half the cost of subsequent renourishment over the following 50 years.
