GALVESTON -- On the shoreline of Galveston Island the sands are ever shifting and the controversy over what to do about it is ever evolving.

 “They have rules that have been in place for 14 years for a 25-foot setback from the dune line.  We thought okay, that’s good. But we want to be even further back, so we bought – on purpose – the second row back,” says Sally O’Connell, fulltime resident.

Imagine O’Connell’s surprise to learn of an erosion response plan that could move that line from 25 feet to 300 feet.

 “We’re grandfathered in, but are people going to be interested in our house when we’re ready to sell it?  It’s kind of scary,” said O’Connell.

Selling the house is one problem, her insurance premiums are another.

The state says adopting an erosion response plan is purely optional, but there’s a hitch.  Whether or not a county decides to do so could be a factor when it comes to funding for future beach renourishment projects.

“It’s not something we mandated.  We could do that, but we’re not,” said Jerry Patterson, GLO Commissioner.

At a public hearing in Galveston, land commissioner Jerry Patterson insisted the response plan was crucial to secure future funding from the state legislature. He pointed out only 17 of the state’s 254 counties are along the coast.

“We have to show we’re addressing this issue from more than one direction,” said Patterson.

 “It’s not good for Galveston County, it’s not good for our taxpayers, and quite frankly, I don’t think it’s good for the state of Texas,” said Patrick Doyle, Galveston County Commissioner.