Politics
Time is running out for post-hurricane beach nourishment in some Gulf beach towns
Several Pinellas County Commissioners and Indian Shores Mayor Diantha Schear pleaded with property owners Thursday to sign documents needed to move forward with beach nourishment in Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores and Redington Shores.
The deadline to complete construction easement documents is Friday. Currently, documents for 170 easements remain unsigned. The easements are part of the Sand Key nourishment project, which includes coastline from North Redington Beach to about Sand Key.
Commissioners Dave Eggers, Chris Latvala, Kathleen Peters and Brian Scott, along with Schear and Sen. Nick DiCeglie, were on hand for a “Signing Day” in Indian Shores at the Indian Shores Municipal Center.
After Hurricanes Idalia, Helene and Milton brought destruction to much of the state, including Pinellas beaches, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is continuing to require all property owners to sign easements, which grants the Corps permanent access to that portion of their property.
While residents are frustrated with what they see as a sudden hard line in the sand — pun intended — the Corps policy has been in place since the 1990s, though officials acknowledge they’ve taken a less stringent approach in the past to enforcing the rule.
With strict adherence now in place, officials are finding it near impossible to gather the easement signatures needed to move forward with the project, with some residents refusing and others unable, as they live elsewhere in the country.
“Plain and simple, we need to get our beach nourishment projects done,” said Peters, who has helped lead the fight to get the Sand Key project authorized. “We need residents to sign their easements so we can do that. We need sand for storm protection, for property values, for tourism, and so our beaches don’t go back to the way they were in the 1980s, where they had seawalls and steps to get down to the water.”
Beach nourishment doesn’t just keep the beach full of sand and ready for recreation; it’s also a critical storm mitigation tool. A bit of erosion is normal as waves carry sand off the beach. But when storms hit, that erosion can be exacerbated, grabbing massive amounts of sand from the beach and carrying it back to the Gulf. Sandy beaches, dunes and sand berms all act as a barrier to the rest of coastal areas, including private properties where owners are being asked to provide perpetual easement access.
The Army Corps has taken its hard-line stance now because officials realize patchwork nourishment is ineffective.
“If we don’t get all the easements, and we can’t nourish the entire beach, basically what we have is a bucket with holes in it,” Scott said. “And we all know water is going to go where the least resistance is, and that is not a resilient solution for us long-term. So please come down and sign your easement so we can get this project going.”
The rule is also important to the Army Corps because federal law doesn’t allow spending on private beaches. Without the construction easement documents signed, some of the property that needs nourishment remains private. That disrupts the nourishment process, which allows the Army Corps to complete nourishment on the federal government’s dime.
Property owners within the Sand Key nourishment zone who still have not signed easement documents have through Friday to do so. To sign, or to ask questions, email [email protected] or call 727-464-7799.
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At a town hall this week hosted by Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick on “The Future of Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security,” extending the tax credits for private health insurance was one of the topics of discussion.
“The enhanced premium tax credits provided by the Affordable Care Act are set to expire at the end of 2025,” read the moderator from a question submitted by someone in the audience. “These tax credits help millions of people here in Florida afford health care. Does Congress have a plan to extend these tax credits in order to keep health care affordable for these Floridians?”
Currently, more than 4 million working Floridians and their families receive tax credits that reduce the monthly premiums they pay for private health insurance.
If Congress fails to act this year and allows these tax credits to expire, premiums would skyrocket. A 60-year-old couple earning $82,000 a year would pay $13,000 more for their annual premiums.
“Making sure we preserve those tax credits to actually help families is our No. 1 priority,” Cherfilus-McCormick said.
Many, including families with small children, people with chronic conditions, early retirees and small-business owners, will simply not be able to afford coverage.
Floridians in rural areas are expected to be among the hardest hit if tax credits are not extended. Options in rural areas are fewer and harder to reach, and the cost of insurance is much higher.
While Cherfilus-McCormick hails from a blue district, an overwhelming majority of Republicans want to see the tax credits extended.
Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio found that 78% of Donald Trump supporters nationally want to see the health care premium tax credits for working families extended, according to exclusive reporting in the Washington Examiner.
Republicans have a razor-thin majority in Congress, 217-215, and extending the tax credits is especially important if they want to maintain that majority during the upcoming Midterms.
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Florida has built a unique and effective safety net system to ensure uninsured and underinsured individuals receive critical behavioral health services. After the Parkland tragedy, the Legislature also tasked our safety net with implementing crisis response teams to assist anyone in need within 59 minutes.
Behavioral Health Managing Entities, acting as a Lead Agency under contract with the Department of Children and Families, work with more than 300 local providers statewide to offer local services, ranging from crisis intervention to long-term recovery support. Florida’s behavioral health safety net system serves more than 250,000 individuals annually.
These lead agencies operate as not-for-profits and provide the highest return on investment, with an administrative rate below 3.2%. This efficiency ensures that every taxpayer dollar is used effectively, with fiscal prudence and transparency.
Recently, Florida lawmakers introduced House Bill 633 and Senate Bill 1354, requiring the Department of Children and Families to subcontract operational and financial audits to evaluate which metrics and criteria best assess performance and outcomes. The bill would also standardize data requirements and reporting, increasing transparency for all stakeholders.
As CEO of Florida’s Association of Managing Entities, I can confidently affirm that our commitment to accountability and transparency is unwavering. Each Behavioral Health Managing Entity submits more than 65 reports annually to the Department of Children and Families, detailing business practices, contracting requirements, performance outcomes, and expenditures.
We commend Representative Koster and Senator Trumbull for their leadership and commitment to developing the behavioral health performance management system of the future.
Beyond financial accountability, Florida’s Behavioral Health Managing Entities focus on evidence-based best practices to maximize positive outcomes. In Fiscal Year 2023-2024, our network of providers achieved the following results:
- 98% of children in the Community Action Treatment (CAT) Teams were diverted from juvenile justice system involvement.
- 97% of children in the CAT program avoided placement in State Inpatient Psychiatric Programs.
- 96% of individuals enrolled in payor-level care coordination avoided costly crisis stabilization units, emergency rooms, and jails.
- Through Mobile Response Teams, 80% of individuals were diverted from Baker Act admissions, resulting in an estimated annual cost savings of $12.2 million for the state.
Behavioral Health Managing Entities are just one part of Florida’s vast and complex behavioral health system. Transparency and accountability must be extended to the entire behavioral health system of care, including private insurance and Florida’s Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Program, overseen by the Agency for Health Care Administration.
Behavioral Health Managing Entities and their network of providers are the safety net that cares for the state’s most vulnerable populations. We are dedicated to serving Floridians with complete transparency and accountability in the best way possible. We meet each community’s unique needs and help Floridians get back on their feet to live life to their fullest potential.
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Natalie Kelly is CEO of the Florida Association of Managing Entities.
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