Gulf Shores will discuss awarding a $17.1 million bid to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company to renourish beaches damaged during hurricanes Nate and Sally. After reimbursements from FEMA and the state, the city’s portion will be $6.5 million.

The city council will meet at 4 p.m. on July 17 in a work session to discuss the beach renourishment project and several other items. FEMA and the state will reimburse 87.5 percent of the costs from Hurricane Nate damage and 95 percent of the cost from Hurricane Sally, leaving the city’s matching portion at $6.5 million, according to a memo on the meeting agenda.

“The City of Gulf Shores along with the Gulf State Park and Orange Beach sustained damage to our engineered beaches during Hurricane Nate and Hurricane Sally,” a memo on the meeting agenda states. “Our engineered beach system is designed to protect structures and infrastructure, provide wider recreational beaches and create critical habitat for shoreline birds, the Alabama beach mouse and sea turtles.”

Gulf Shores initially renourished its beaches for the first time between 2001 and 2004, spending about $18 million for engineered beaches. Since that first expenditure, FEMA now considers the beaches infrastructure and if damaged in a declared disaster, a majority of the cost for repairs would be covered by FEMA.

The entire project to cover both cities and the state park is about $32.8 million with $17.1 million of the expense coming from the city of Gulf Shores.

Gulf Shores’ portion of the contract includes the following:

• 750,000 cubic yards of beach fill related to Hurricanes Nate/Sally
• 405,000 cubic yards of additional sand to further enhance our beaches
• 505,000 dune plants
• 3,000 linear feet of sand fencing
• Sea turtle trawling
• “The 405,000 cubic yards of additional sand included in the restoration work will ensure the city maintains FEMA eligibility, provide greater storm protection, wider recreational beaches and extend the life cycle of our beach renourishment by approximately two years,” the agenda memo states.
• All three entities had hoped to start the renourishment project in November but a new requirement from FEMA for environmental and historical studies of the borrow sites in the Gulf delayed the project by months. The cities and state park decided it would be best to wait until after the busy summer season to have the heavy equipment needed for the project on the beach.