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Martin County

File #: 25-1211   
Type: Consent Status: Agenda Ready
In control: Board of County Commissioners
On agenda: 8/26/2025 Final action:
Title: MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN OF JUPITER ISLAND FOR SAND BYPASSING
Attachments: 1. 2025 TJI Sand Bypass MOU.pdf

PLACEMENT: Consent

TITLE:

title  

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN OF JUPITER ISLAND FOR SAND BYPASSING

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

executive summary

The Memorandum of Agreement provides an opportunity for Martin County and the Town of Jupiter Island to partner in a sand placement project. The Town administered the entire project which consists of a storm damage recovery component and a sand bypass component.  Martin County will provide the funding for the sand bypass component, in compliance with the St. Lucie Inlet Management Plan.

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DEPARTMENT: Public Works                     

PREPARED BY:                      Name: Jessica Garland                     

                     Title:                     Coastal Program Manager                     

REQUESTED BY:                                                

 

PRESET:     

PROCEDURES: None                     

 

BACKGROUND/RELATED STRATEGIC GOAL:

 

1. Agreement/Contract drafted by: Martin County

2. Parties to the Agreement/Contract: Town of Jupiter Island, and Martin County

3. Purpose of the Agreement/Contract: Martin County and the Town of Jupiter Island to partner in a sand placement project

4. New/Renewal/Modified: New

5. Duration:

6. Benefits to Martin County: Meeting three years of bypassing requirements per our inlet management plan and continuing its commitment of coastal resiliency and shoreline maintenance.

7. Cost to Martin County: The County will pay the Town $9,292,000, which includes $6,969,000 allocated for sand placement and $2,323,000 designated for future Town projects. The funding will come from the St. Lucie Inlet Management Plan CIP and FDEP grant 26MI1.


The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) requires each inlet in the state to be managed under an Inlet Management Plan.  Along Florida’s east coast, currents typically move north to south, carrying sand along the shoreline. When this sand encounters an inlet like the St. Lucie Inlet, much of it is diverted offshore, leading to erosion on the beaches south of the inlet. The FDEP-adopted St. Lucie Inlet Management Plan (SLIMP), updated in 2023, dictates that 163,000 cubic yards of sand must be placed annually south of the inlet to offset erosion caused by the inlet’s presence.

Martin County, the managing entity for the inlet, has met these obligations through beach restoration projects such as those on Bathtub Beach and Sailfish Point. To maintain compliance with SLIMP, the County has pursued joint projects with the Town of Jupiter Island, leveraging their regular beach nourishment schedule. This partnership reduces costs by combining the Town’s beach restoration needs with the County’s bypassing requirement.

 

In 2016 and 2019, Martin County entered into agreements with the Town, providing funding for the placement of 500,000 cubic yards of bypass sand in each cycle. These projects aligned with the Town’s 5-6-year renourishment timeline. However, Hurricane Nicole in 2022 disrupted this schedule, causing significant beach erosion and triggering a FEMA emergency declaration. FEMA approved emergency funding for repairs, prompting the Town to expedite its restoration project.

 

Martin County expressed interest in again partnering with the Town for this FEMA-funded project, following the same model used in 2019. With the project completion in April 2025, the County plans to fund another 500,000 cubic yards of sand, covering three more years of bypassing requirements per SLIMP and continuing its commitment to coastal resiliency and shoreline maintenance.

 

ISSUES:

 

Per Section 2.3 of the Inlet Interlocal Agreement, Martin County and the Town of Jupiter Island agreed to collaborate on joint sand placement projects to reduce mobilization and construction costs associated with bypassing sand to the critically eroded beaches south of the St. Lucie Inlet.

 

The Town completed its 2025 beach restoration project on April 20, 2025, which included the placement of 1.5 million cubic yards of sand from its offshore borrow site. Of this total, 1.2 million cubic yards were placed under the Inlet Management Plan, fully funded with State and Federal dollars. The remaining 300,000 cubic yards were added by the Town to enhance overall project effectiveness.

 

Martin County is required under the Inlet Management Plan to bypass an average of 163,000 cubic yards of sand annually. Historically, the County has contributed funds equivalent to 500,000 cubic yards of sand, which for the 2025 project equates to a cost of  $11,615,000. However, because the Town secured sufficient external funding to cover the 1.2 million cubic yards required under the Plan, it did not require County funds for that portion.

 

In an effort to remain in compliance with the SLIMP, the County proposes to pay the Town $6,969,000 for the construction cost associated with the additional 300,000 cubic yards of sand placed during the 2025 project. This leaves a balance of $4,646,000 in unused County project funds.

 

Of the remaining balance, the County proposes to allow the Town to use up to $2,323,000 (equivalent to 50% of the cost of 200,000 cubic yards of sand and the State’s cost-share amount) toward future Town resiliency initiatives, including water/sewer conversions, beach restoration, or other environmental efforts.

 

In total, the County will pay the Town $9,292,000 including $6,969,000 for sand placement and $2,323,000 toward future Town resiliency projects.

 

LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW:

 

This item has been reviewed for legal sufficiency to determine whether it is consistent with applicable law, has identified and addressed legal risks, and has developed strategies for legal defensibility.

 

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

 

RECOMMENDATION

Move that the Board approve the Memorandum of Agreement.

 

ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS

Pull this item from the Consent Agenda and direct staff accordingly.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

 

RECOMMENDATION

None

                     

Funding Source

County Funds

Non-County Funds

St. Lucie Inlet Management CIP

4,646,000

 

FDEP St. Lucie Inlet Grant 26MI1

 

4,646,000

 

 

 

Subtotal

 

 

Project Total

$9,292,000


ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS

None

 

DOCUMENT(S) REQUIRING ACTION:

Budget Transfer / Amendment                      Chair Letter                                                               Contract / Agreement

Grant / Application                                          Notice          Ordinance                     Resolution

Other:     

This document may be reproduced upon request in an alternative format by contacting the County ADA Coordinator (772) 320-3131, the County Administration Office (772) 288-5400, Florida Relay 711, or by completing our accessibility feedback form at www.martin.fl.us/accessibility-feedback <http://www.martin.fl.us/accessibility-feedback>.