FEDERAL PRIORITIES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 

NOTE: The Venice City Council approved the City's federal legislative priorities for 2025-26 on Jan. 28, 2025.

The City of Venice wishes to express its gratitude to the Congressional leadership supporting Florida’s legislative priorities. Our leadership continues to work to provide the best and highest quality of life for residents of the state. We are greatly appreciative of previous support for beach renourishment, a critically important project to protect our shoreline and abutting properties. The following is a list of capital and policy-level projects that would greatly benefit from Federal legislative support. The City of Venice requests your help with these important endeavors:

Utilities – Floating Solar Array

The City of Venice is exploring the installation of a large-scale floating solar photovoltaic (PV) system at the Water Reclamation Facility (WRF). Floating solar PV technology is gaining traction worldwide, and its use in the United States is expanding. The system consists of solar panels mounted on floats anchored to the shore or the bottom of a pond. The design is built to withstand local wind conditions, wave movement, and fluctuations in water levels. One key advantage of floating solar is its ability to generate more electricity in a smaller area compared to land-mounted systems. For instance, to achieve a 2-megawatt (MW) output, a floating system requires only 4 acres, while a land-based system would need 10 to 12 acres. The reclaimed water storage pond at the WRF spans approximately 13 acres, making it more than adequate to meet the 2 MW requirement.

The City operates a range of facilities providing residents with essential water, wastewater, and reclaimed water services. These facilities represent a significant portion of the City’s energy consumption and operational costs. As the largest energy user within the system, the WRF is a primary target for energy efficiency improvements. To reduce electricity expenses and take advantage of Florida Power & Light (FPL) net-metering credits, the Utilities Department is proposing the construction of a floating solar array on the WRF’s reclaimed water storage pond. The estimated construction cost for the project is approximately $7.5 million.

FY 26 Request: The City of Venice respectfully requests Federal funding of $2.5 million, a third of the floating solar PV system’s cost, toward the project. This would reduce electricity expenses at the City’s Water Reclamation Facility and take advantage of FPL net-metering credits. 

South Jetty Restoration

Venice is known for the beauty of its downtown business district, natural beaches, public parks, landscape of the shoreline entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, and the South Jetty – a popular fishing and picnicking site, and importantly a barrier protecting access to the Intracoastal waterway (ICW). The Jetty is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and maintained, in part, by the City of Venice. It has been a tremendously popular visitation point for residents and visitors for 50 years. Two recent back-to-back hurricanes, Helene and Milton, caused unprecedented damage to the Jetty, ripping away the stone armament protecting the peninsula that serves as a gateway to the ICW. The ICW is a critically valuable marine channel for commercial and recreational boating activity, with a significant ripple effect on the local and regional economy.

The severity of the storms’ damage to the ICW’s perimeter infrastructure, and subsequent erosion of major portions of the entire site suggest that delays in enacting a plan of restoration creates a greater threat that the initial purpose of erecting the Jetty as a protective entrance to the ICW will be compromised. Early cost estimates to rebuild and effectively elevate and fortify the damaged sections are $50 million to $100 million.

FY 26 Request: To restore the South Jetty to its primary noteworthy purpose – serving as a critically valuable gateway to the Intracoastal Waterway and marine channel – the City of Venice requests that the Army Corps of Engineers and its local affiliate, the West Coast Inland Navigation District (WCIND) be given funding support for the engineering and construction needed to rebuild the Jetty.

Beach Renourishment

As the City of Venice progresses toward the end of the 50-year contract with the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to renourish the beaches lining the Venice shoreline, it is important to extend this successful partnership. The 10-year cycle is necessary to counteract shoreline erosion caused by natural tidal flow and exacerbated by the documented impacts from the Venice Inlet. Renourishing the beach is critical to protect the safety and welfare of this Florida coastal community. Renourishment is important for storm protection, marine turtle nesting, and as a tourism and economic driver. The City of Venice appreciates the funding that has been received through a partnership with ACOE, enhanced funding based on storm impact analysis and looks forward to the next scheduled renourishment event, which has experienced delays due to 2024 storms and sand availability.

FY 26 Request: The City of Venice supports the continued allocation of Federal funds for shoreline renourishment, funding to restore storm impacts, and working together to extend this successful partnership.

Affordable Housing

Area businesses including critical service providers like the local hospital have conveyed to the City that they have difficulty in hiring and retaining employees due to a lack of affordable housing. Additionally, local land and construction costs preclude developers from creating residential units at affordable prices for low- and moderate-income workers. It should be possible for working families and our more vulnerable citizens to afford housing and still have enough money for basic expenses like groceries and gas.

FY 26 Request: The City of Venice respectfully requests Federal program initiatives, tax incentives and supplemental appropriations to facilitate the creation of workforce housing geared to providing residential opportunities for low- and middle-income residents.

Water Quality – Red Tide Research

The presence of Karina Brevis, commonly known as red tide, in local waters creates a significant public health risk and imparts a devastating blow to the area’s economy. The continued prevalence of the algae impacting area beaches, shoreline activity local tourism, and public health generally, is a vivid indication that continued research is needed to more precisely identify causes and develop counter measures to prevent the proliferation of the algae in populated areas.

FY 26 Request: The City of Venice supports Federal initiatives to further the research and testing of methods to predict, counteract and control the unhealthy presence of red tide.

Human Services

The prevalence of homelessness in communities is, in part, an indication of the lack of adequate human services to identify and treat the various human conditions that contribute to this population. Notably, military veterans; those suffering from mental illness and/or drug and alcohol addiction; and those suffering from physical disabilities are among those classified as homeless. Homelessness in a community undermines the welfare of all residents. Developing jobs, reinstating clinics to test and service physical and mental disabilities, increasing opportunities for veterans to receive employment assistance, and generally creating programs offering opportunities for homeless individual to gain or regain a position of independence should be priority goals of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

FY 26 Request: The City of Venice requests Federal funding to create program support for veterans, through the Department of Veterans Affairs, to provide testing, clinical services, and related outreach benefits geared to restoring the capacity and reaffirming the dignity of our country’s veteran population.