Marco Island beach committee adopts $5,000 annual budget, reallocates funds to species protection

The Marco Island Beach Advisory Committee confirmed that the City Council reduced the committee’s annual budget to $5,000 for the coming year and approved a reallocation of those funds among three core goals: beach wildlife and nesting protection; burrowing owls and gopher tortoises protection; and beach cleanliness, safety and resiliency.

Chair Richey summarized the change: “total committee budget, dollars 10,000, that will be changed to $5,000,” and the group walked through a proportional reallocation. After discussion the committee directed most of the funding toward species protection (net allocation discussed as $4,500) and moved $500 to other categories. Members noted the approved Audubon invoice will cover a substantial portion of next year’s available funds and asked staff to identify outside donation options to bolster the committee’s small budget.

A motion to approve the proposed $5,000 budget for the remainder of 2026–27 was made and seconded, then approved by roll call with all members voting yes. Staff was tasked to update formal paperwork to reflect the new amount and allocations.