That's the question being mulled by Dauphin Island property owners today. The DIPOA board believes deeding the Dauphin Island beach over to the town of Dauphin Island, and thereby making it a public beach, is the route to solving the problem the current beach owners can't or won't afford to solve themselves. If the beach comes under the Town of Dauphin Island's ownership it will become eligible for public funding.
Eligibility for public funding means the town can solicit lenders itself, or approach public entities such as FEMA and other government programs for grant money to restore and rebuild the west end Dauphin Island beach.
Those proposing the measure to transfer ownership point to their own failure to maintain the beach for the use of property owners as justification for the measure. This failure is the basis for their legal argument to nullify their ownership requirement as spelled out in the original deed.
Opponents to the measure maintain the Town of Dauphin Island is in no better position to restore the west end Dauphin Island beach than the Dauphin Island Property Owners Association. They argue the cost of restoration far exceeds the means of the town, that no lender would extend a loan of the size needed to an entity with such limited means to repay, and that available grant processes which might be brought to bear could take too long. And that might be more time than the west end beaches have.