Mayor Dylan Rumrill and Jason Sparks, engineering director for the City of St. Augustine Beach, used a Monday morning broadcast to describe multiple capital projects aimed at reducing flood risk and preparing for the upcoming hurricane season.

The projects matter because the city’s main drainage channel — the Mizell Meichler Outfall — and several neighborhood conveyances need repairs and upgrades to boost resiliency against stormwater and coastal storms. “It looks like we’re gonna have enough at least to get some design permitting and planning going on it to stabilize and increase the resiliency and mitigate against floodwaters for our residents,” Jason Sparks said.

Sparks told the mayor the bulk of current work is paid for by state appropriations and grant funding. He said the city has a pump-station force main under design for a subdivision south of town, Magnolia Dunes; drainage work planned for Atlantic Oak Subdivision; and phase 2 improvements in Ocean Walk funded by a legislative appropriation. The city is also evaluating curb, drainage or pavement work on Seventh, Eighth and Ninth streets and repairs near the parking area along County Road A1A.

Sparks described the Mizell Meichler Outfall as the primary drainage conveyance through the city, saying it begins at A Street and 16th Street and flows to the 11th Street Canal. He said the city is pursuing a congressional earmark to cover design, permitting and planning for the outfall stabilization project.

Mayor Dylan Rumrill noted the calendar urgency: “Hurricane season’s upon us. Next month, hurricane season starts.” Sparks said crews are working with permitting staff to place sand and that public-works staff are monitoring storage at the city’s stormwater facility to preserve capacity for runoff. “We’re getting sand in at public works. The director out there is in full on mode of permitting with DEP, getting the sand in,” Sparks said.

Sparks also described maintenance at Sea Oaks, a subdivision where the city maintains stormwater ponds: “We’ve been removing sediment accumulation from the bottom of those ponds as well as around the Third Alley area,” he said. He added the city participates with the county in exercises run by the local mitigation strategy group.

No formal council motions or votes were reported during the interview. Sparks described ongoing design, permitting and funding-seeking activities rather than completed projects or adopted policy. He said some work is already funded through state or legislative appropriations, while other items are contingent on grants or the success of the congressional earmark request.

The city’s next steps, as described in the broadcast, are to continue design and permitting work, pursue earmarked funding for the outfall, complete permitting for beach sand placement and carry out pond sediment removal in subdivisions where the city performs maintenance. The statements were presented as staff updates rather than council decisions.