It is my sincere hope that this community will speak up with one voice about the trainwreck unfolding on our beautiful southern beaches. For a long time, our City Council, in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Services (DES), has imposed nonsensical policies under the pretext of protecting our beaches. These policies have included scraping the beach and digging holes for over a year, despite state law dictating that scraping is only for short-term emergencies. Every beach management expert agrees that scraping causes severe damage to beaches.
Another strategy involves stacking sandbags, which litter the beach and serve little purpose. The third strategy involves the mayor promoting falsehoods about an Army Corps of Engineers project, claiming that the waste sludge pumped from the Intercoastal Waterway is a $10 million beach renourishment, even though the Army Corps has denied this. Sadly, beyond prayer, there is no fourth strategy. The result is a complete disaster: we are losing the beach, losing homes, and renters are furious, demanding rebates of up to 30% and vowing never to return—a perfect lose-lose scenario.
Meanwhile, our mayor and Councilmembers Blair Hahn and Katie Miars berate any efforts at erosion control and turn citizens against one another, accusing some of trying to destroy the beach and harm neighbors. Unfortunately, every one of their policies has been a failure, and now they are exposing every taxpayer on the island to liability as homes and beaches are destroyed. Insurance companies are either raising rates for everyone or pulling out entirely.
What about the “wall” that was so viciously attacked? There is actually more beach in front of the structure, with sand accreting by seven feet, and both immediate neighbors have acknowledged that the structure has helped minimize erosion. So much for that argument.
What is the solution? Here’s a simple guide to move in the right direction:
- Initiate the permitting process to redirect the Breach Inlet channel to its original flow. Massive sand deposits are creating a secondary channel, redirecting water onto these beaches. Fixing the channel can also help prevent inland flooding. Other states are shocked that we don’t have a regular channel maintenance strategy. Once the permit is applied for, we can work with state officials to expedite the process.
- Immediately stop scraping the beach. It’s illegal to use emergency scraping as a beach management strategy. Funds for this come from the Beach Renourishment Fund, which is funded by the Accommodation Tax (ATAX), and scraping is not an approved use of these funds, as stated in the 2014 legislation. The city and state are violating state law.
- Replace the city engineer. The current engineering firm has been advising the city for over a decade, and nearly everything they’ve recommended has been wrong, as evidenced by the disastrous results.
- Have the new engineer calculate the cost to bring in a minimum of 1 million cubic yards of new sand to the southern beaches. Some new sand will naturally wash away, but that’s part of the process of rebuilding from erosion and scraping damage.
- Use 50% of the $9 million in the beach fund to pay for this new sand. Fund the rest by floating a bond or securing a loan. Use 50-60% of future revenue from the Beach Renourishment Fund to make debt payments. This provides an immediate solution while keeping 50% of the fund and future ATAX revenue as a buffer. Endless meetings won’t fix anything—action is needed now.
6. Allow homeowners to build erosion structures landward of state setback lines and cover them with sand and vegetation. Support them against any state interference, not oppose them. This approach reduces the need for government spending on protecting private property and minimizes taxpayer liability, as government strategies are failing. Homes and property are being damaged, beaches are destroyed, and renters are leaving. Future funds can be used exclusively to maintain public beaches.
Finally, the mayor should show leadership and ask his council to stop attacking citizens who voice disagreement. In America, the citizen is sovereign, recognizing only God above. In a country built on self-governance, we do not appreciate our government intimidating and bullying us or violating our God-given constitutional rights. One of those rights is the right to property, which no government has the authority to take away.
For those who disagree with any part of this column, I am open to modifying my proposal to find a solution that protects our beautiful island while respecting private property rights.
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Reddy or Not represents the opinion of Lucky Dog Publishing owner Rom Reddy but not necessarily the opinion of the newspaper. In keeping with our philosophy of publishing all opinions, we welcome responses, which must be limited to 400 words and will be published on a space-available basis.
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