Sanibel City Council directs staff on beach renourishment, water restrictions

The Sanibel City Council directed staff to obtain a proposal from the city's coastal engineer on its options for managing the north end of the island near Blind Pass, as well as directed staff to continue working on a draft ordinance for watering restrictions that could be implemented during a drought.

At the May 5 meeting, the council voted unanimously 5-0 for Humiston and Moore Engineers to provide staff with an economic breakdown of beach renourishment options for the area from Blind Pass to Silver Key, including a new interlocal agreement with the Captiva Erosion Prevention District.

Natural Resources Director James Evans reported that a prior agreement between the city, CEPD and Lee County expired in 2015, which was used to mitigate the impacts in the Blind Pass area. Staff has been renegotiating with the CEPD on a new one that would focus on management and renourishment.