Astoria is still struggling to recover from winter storm damage in December 2022.

The City Council agreed Monday night to award a $343,995 contract to Big River Construction for an emergency bank stabilization project along the Astoria Riverwalk.

The repairs west of 41st Street include placing riprap above the high-tide line to address erosion.

The city said the initial storm damage along the Riverwalk and Astoria Riverfront Trolley trestles, additional damage that has occurred over the past few years and rising construction prices have put the total cost of repairs at about $3 million.

Unable to secure funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the city has had to cover the cost.

The winter storms in December 2022 caused damage across Astoria.

Along with the repairs near the Riverwalk, Clatsop County is working to repair a gangway that links floating docks at Youngs Bay critical to the county’s fisheries program and gillnet fishermen.

City Councilor Tom Hilton said the city should have had a more aggressive response to the winter storms. “That’s what leadership is and that’s what leadership needs to be taken and hopefully in the future the council and the city will take that initiative and do that,” he said.

City Councilor Tom Brownson said the city did the best it could under the circumstances.

“I do know that the city reached out to FEMA as soon as possible … It took time, and then ultimately FEMA rejected our request, and then we had to start again,” he said. “I do know that we took steps along the way to try to secure funding to make these repairs in the past.”