GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Recent flooding in Southeast Texas from Hurricane Harvey could have a major impact on capital projects planned for fiscal year 2017-18 in Green Cove Springs.

During a final budget review Tuesday morning, the city’s finance director, Marlena Guthrie, read from a prepared statement that the city has not received any repayment for money spent after Hurricane Matthew moved through the area last October. According to the statement, FEMA has been forced to allocate all funding to Hurricane Harvey response and recovery efforts that are ongoing in and around Houston, Texas.

The city is owed about $550,000 for stormwater projects they have already completed as a result of Matthew. In addition to that amount, they are owed another $200,000 through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The city is also waiting for repayment for a separate $250,000 grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that is unrelated to FEMA. This puts the total at around $1 million that the city will have to work around until all of the money has been received.

“We’re in the queue to be paid, and I understand [they need money for] Houston,” Council Member Van Royal said. “We have to adjust our CIP budget.”

Assistant City Manager Mike Null said the city should be able to recover the money within a few years, but the city will not be receiving the funds before the start of fiscal year 2018.

“What we’re seeing out there, it’s almost on the scale of Katrina,” Null said. “The funding is going to become available in the new fiscal year, but how much of that is going to be used up and be over there in Texas?”

City Manager Danielle Judd recommended the city continue to move forward with their public works compound, which hasn’t been updated in about 50 years. Members of the council agreed that this project was important, but other things like proposed stormwater projects could be held until they receive repayment from FEMA. Projects funded by the $0.05 gas tax will continue.

The bulk of the discussion centered around how to continue operating the Spring Park Pool as the new pool’s first summer comes to a close.

A vote set pool hours through the month of September. Starting Monday and running through Sept. 30, pool hours will remain the same as they have been on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday – 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. – with hours on Wednesday and Friday being reduced by three hours to 2-7 p.m. The pool will still be closed on Mondays for cleaning.

It is still to be determined whether the pool will continue to operate after Oct. 1 as city and pool management are having trouble securing lifeguards.

Council members were in agreement that they would like to at least see the pool open on weekends throughout the fall, and, in the opinion of council member Royal especially, even year-round.

“Even if there are only three people out there, as people drive by, to see it open,” Royal said. “I think it adds that much value to the city, particularly this first winter.”

Council members advised City Attorney Jim Arnold to seek information on whether or not they are legally required to have a lifeguard on duty during the offseason with proper signage. If they are not, it seemed to be their opinion that a pool manager who is lifeguard-certified could run the pool during the offseason to allow for weekend swimming.

For now, the plan is to open the pool deck on weekends from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. after Oct. 1 even if they can’t get a lifeguard. They will not allow swimming unless a lifeguard becomes available but sitting on the pool deck will be free until swimming can be safely allowed.

Other budget items reviewed include two separate funds, $5,000 that would go toward picking up foreclosed properties or tax certificates on properties that have defaulted on multiple violations. In addition to this fund, Code Enforcement is seeking $10,000 for demolition of some of the properties that need to be cleared to allow for new housing.

“We put in $10,000 for demolition, and we haven’t done that in many, many years,” Judd said. This is part of the city’s continued effort to strictly enforce its codes and maintain clean neighborhoods that abide by city code.

The council also discussed the maintenance of brick streets and potential installation of more brick in the downtown area, a discussion that will be continued at 5 p.m. before the Oct. 17 council meeting when they host a public visioning session. Judd also proposed to the city that they create a program for memorial benches in Spring Park, Royal asked that the city allow installation of memorial swings as well.

Before the budget is approved, there will be two opportunities for the public to speak as the council will hold public hearings at both September council meetings.