Army Corps breakwater bill puzzles Port officials

Port Washington aldermen last week paved the way for repairs to the breakwater to be completed by approving a memorandum of agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers.

But it wasn’t the agreement that sparked discussion among aldermen. It was the fact that the Army Corps is also requiring a $1,300 payment to go with the document.

“It’s interesting that they want $1,300 for us to fix their breakwater,” Ald. Mike Gasper said.

Ald. Deb Postl questioned what the money is needed for.

“Why are they asking for this now when we’ve had an agreement for months?” she asked.  

According to the agreement, the money is to cover all costs to complete any “environmental compliance required.”

The agreement states that it is needed in order for the Army Corps to accept the repairs to its breakwater from the city.

“This really is not an optional agreement for us,” Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven told the Common Council. “In order for us to repair the breakwater, we have to enter into this agreement.”

The agreement is being required by the Chicago office of the Army Corps, which has taken over jurisdiction of the Port breakwater from the Detroit office, officials explained.

The city isn’t paying double for the breakwater project, Vanden Noven said, noting it wasn’t required by the Detroit office.

City Attorney Eric Eberhardt told the council that it has no recourse but to approve the agreement and payment.

“It’s their breakwater; it’s their rules,” he said. “It’s not a dialogue. It’s ‘Here it is, sign it, thank you.’”

That applies even though the city is paying most of the cost of the repairs, Eberhardt said.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said.

The city has been working to repair the breakwater for at least the past seven years, and is now making improvements to the walkway on the far east end of the structure, a project that began last fall but paused for the winter.

Vanden Noven said Michels Corp. of Brownsville is expected to pick up the work again in late May. 

The project calls for Michels to replace “loose, delaminated, broken concrete” along the easternmost 1,000 feet of the breakwater, anchor steel plating to the sides of the structure, install a new concrete base and finish the walkways with new concrete panels.

The work is to be completed by June 30.