Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – At its work session on Feb. 20, the Gulf Shores Council will hear a proposal to hire Olsen and Associates for $11,600 to assess the severe erosion on West Beach Boulevard in the vicinity of West Ninth Street.

A second contract to Olsen would be for $54,700 to do a “pre-construction survey and analysis for the entire renourishment effort” from the end of West Beach Boulevard east to the state line.

“Our engineered beaches sustained significant sand losses due to two declared disasters: Hurricane Nate in 2017; Hurricane Sally in 2020 and the multiple winter storms of 2022,” a memo from City Engineer Mark Acreman states. “This work would be performed in advance of the project-wide survey task order and provide Olsen Associates with immediate data to review with FEMA and to assess possible mitigation measures prior to the full-scale beach restoration project.”

The scope of this work will be to study the condition between West Eight Street and West 10^th Street to assess its condition along those shallow beachfronts. The council previously approved Olsen to provide design services for the beach renourishment.

Typically, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Gulf State Park partner on beach renourishments and the work is done in the off season. Because of extra review from FEMA for environmental and historical assessments of the sand pull sites the permitting process took longer than expected.

Rather than trying to get the work done during the summer season, all three entities agreed to wait until the 2023 summer is over before beginning the work. Acreman told the council at the Feb. 13 meeting those permits are expected to arrive by the end of February.

The second Olsen contract will have four objectives and they are:

• Perform a pre-construction survey of the current beach profiles

• Perform 2023 aerial photography

• Analyze collected data and update restoration project scope (if necessary) to address additional sand losses incurred due to the delayed start of the project

• Verify limits of offshore borrow areas

During the work session, the council will also discuss:

• Liquor license applications for Island Wing Company at 3947 State Route 50 and the Hammered Crab at 1220 Gulf Shores Parkway. The Hammered Crab is going in the old Crazy Cajun space.

• Reappointing Marcelinia Parrish to the personnel board and appointing Karen Still to the Beautification Board. Parrish’s new term would run through March 27, 2026, and Still’s term would also be three years and end on the same date.

• Hiring Jade Consulting to verify right-of-way dimensions and do a topographic survey of West Fourth Street and Windmill Ridge Road for $32,900. After the information is gathered it will be used to help implement transportation, pedestrian and landscaping improvements in the area of study.

• Awarding a bid for sidewalk repairs to Grant Nichols Construction which turned in the lowest conforming bid at $72,680.

• Authorizing staff to apply for a recycling grant from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to pay for equipment at the Baldwin County Material Recovery Facility. There is no city match if the application is successful.

• Authorizing two credit cards, one for the Sanitation Supervisor with a limit of $1,000 and another for the Human Resources specialist with a limit of $3,000.

• An annexation request for a 21.35-acre parcel owned by Robert Barnett and located off of Oak Road West and west of the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. It will be zoned single family residential.

• Awarding a bid to Dana Safety Supply of Alabaster for $63,331 for police emergency equipment for police vehicles.

• Awarding a bid to Penick Organics wood mulch and playground wood mulch for $12,600.

• Approving a public assembly permit for Papa Rocco’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl on March 17 starting at 9:30 a.m. at the iconic pizzeria.

• Approving a public assembly permit for the March to May sand volleyball tournament which has served as a prelude to the NCAA’s Women’s Sand Volleyball Championship which will be May 4-7 also at Gulf Place.

• Approving a public assembly permit for the Hangout Music Fest on May 18-21 at Gulf Place.