Executive Director Travis Langen says the Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism and Sustainability’s potential contract with the city of Gulf Shores will put the center on better footing when seeking grants and other funds.

The council will vote on an eight-year management agreement for $300,000 annually at the Nov. 13 regular session. It also includes $100,000 for increased costs for maintenance, staff, equipment and expenses and an additional $15,000 for higher insurance costs for a total of $415,000.

“Other than us piecemealing and going year by year with this partnership, this eight-year agreement is really key in the eyes of funders,” Langen told the council at a Nov. 6 work session. “We’ve had issues with trying to get donations and them saying you don’t have any sort of long-term anything in writing short of showing this partnership. So, this agreement is going to help us go to funders and go to state and federal grant writers or a grant offering and say, ‘OK, we are well established.’”

Langen has been leading programs for the center the past five years waiting on construction of its new facility and it’s on schedule to open in late August of 2024.

“The construction is currently underway, it’s on schedule and under budget,” Gulf Shores Grants and Environmental Coordinator Dan Bond told the council. “We anticipate completion in August of 2024. This is a super excited project for our kids, for our region. It’s going to be a great addition to our city facilities.”

And, with the agreement in hand it will make it easier to continue adding to the programs at the center when the campus is completed.

“The reason that this is not a city department but rather a partnering 501(c) nonprofit is because as a nonprofit we have the capacity to go chase after certain grants, donations, bringing other stakeholders still within the city and have oversight in place,” Langen said. “It sort of enables us to chase after funding sources and project partners while still having it be a city project.”

Langen said the new donation portal on the website has already attracted donations and he and staff are currently pursuing EPA, NOAA and foundation grants.

Mayor Robert Craft said in the wake of the 2010 BP oil spill he had concerns the area may never recover but it has bounced back stronger than ever. The center, he said, will be a key to that continuing recovery.

“We live here,” Craft said. “We survive here because of the access to this environment and to lose that just was impossible to think about. It's our ultimate responsibility to do better than we’ve done and take care of our world.”

Other issues up for discussion at the Nov. 13 regular session include:

A liquor license application for Isla located in the Foam Coffee Shop on 22^nd Avenue behind the shopping center where Amelia’s Deli is located. There will be a public hearing on the application at the next regular session on Nov. 13.

Authorizing the mayor to enter into a lease agreement with TJD for office space at 200 Office Park Drive to handle a growing number of city staffers. The lease will cost $2,083 a month plus utilities and insurance to be paid by the city. It is located across the street from the Gulf Shores Police Department near city hall and other city office buildings.

Authorizing $1.9 million on the RESTORE Act-funded Little Lagoon Restoration Project with Auburn University, Mississippi State and South Alabama. Targets of the project are shellfish restoration, septic to sewer conversions, shoreline restoration, living shoreline projects, hydrologic connectivity, hydrodynamic modeling and seagrass restoration. This project is 100 percent reimbursable through RESTORE Act funding. This is the start of a $5.9 million project for the lagoon and funded by the RESTORE Act.

Awarding a bid for a new police boat funded through a FEMA Port Security Grant for a Metal Shark Boats vessel for $476,390. The grant would be for $329,100 and the city would have to provide a 25 percent match of $147,290.

A presentation on the 2024 budget which has revenue projections of $255 million and $251 million in expenses. It also includes adding 14 positions with the city including two police officers and six seasonal lifeguards.

Renewing 12 franchises for taxi companies to operate in Gulf Shores.

A memorandum of understanding with the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival for performances in the city including at the Sunset Series, the Gulf Shores Museum and a youth concert. The festival also participated in the city’s celebration of Make Music Day on June 22.

Assembly permits for the Gulf Shores Mardi Gras parade on Feb. 13 and the Big Beach Marathon on Jan. 27-28.