Okaloosa County BOCC — April 15, 2014 — Action Item Printout

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: April 15, 2014 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Jeff Littrell SUBJECT: REPI Phase 4 Agreement between OCWS and the Air Force DEPARTMENT: Water and Sewer BCC DISTRICT: 1 STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Staff requests that the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approve and authorize the Chairman to execute the "Cooperative Agreement" between the County and the United States of America acting by and through the Secretary of the Air Force. This is a $200,000 Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative (REPI) grant to go towards land acquisition of a Shoal River buffer, which benefits both the Air Force (Duke Field flight path) and Okaloosa County (watershed protection for future water supply). The Cooperative Agreement also consolidates this new REPI grant with three previous REPI agreements BACKGROUND: The attached agreement is indirectly related to future water supply planning for Okaloosa County. This agreement further formalizes the partnership between the County and Eglin AFB. Both entities have the same objective of being protective of the environment, specifically north of Duke Field and south of Interstate 10. Because of Duke Field’s flight path, Eglin would like to limit development in this area and create a natural buffer. Specifically, sound attenuation is an issue that would affect the public, and light pollution is an issue that would affect the various military missions at Duke Field. This buffer area is in the same vicinity that the Board and OCWS have been committed to utilizing for future water supply. We are currently at the land acquisition stage in order to secure land to be used for an offline reservoir, water treatment plant, wetlands mitigation, and associated infrastructure such as pipelines, pump stations, an intake structure, and the needed utilities. The REPI grant funds cannot be used for acquisition of land for the offline reservoir. Other grant funds will be used for the reservoir property. The benefit to the County is that the land acquired with these REPI funds can be used for expanded watershed protection for future water supply, as well as additional acreage for wetlands mitigation, access, and utilities. In August 2011, the BCC approved and executed the first Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative (REPI) for $500,000. In January 2012, the BCC approved and executed another REPI Agreement for $200,000. In January 2013, the BCC approved and executed the third REPI Agreement for $200,000. The current agreement under consideration is for further Air Force REPI money in the amount of $200,000 to be used for a land purchase for buffering and environmental conservation in the same Shoal River vicinity as mentioned above (see Exhibit B). Okaloosa County’s “match” is another $200,000 Defense Infrastructure Grant (DIG), which has recently been awarded and is expected to go to BCC for approval in the next 1- 2 months. The three previous REPI agreements were each titled "Agreement for a Deed of Easement". The Air Force views these as individual purchase agreements; they now desire to consolidate and replace these three agreements into one new agreement, titled a "Cooperative Agreement". This Cooperative Agreement also makes another $200,000 of REPI funding available; the total of all REPI funding is now $1,100,000. The Agreement is attached, along with the County Contract Review Coordination Sheet and the following exhibits: Exhibit A - Legal Description Exhibit B - Map Exhibit C - Property Information Sheet (Proposed Acreage) Exhibit D - Existing Acreage Exhibit E - Property Information Sheet (Existing Acreage) Staff also requests that the BCC authorize the Chairman to execute subsequent Cooperative Agreement related documents and any future modifications related to this Agreement. For example, the Air Force has requested the County provide written permission for the Air Force to enter the property already owned by the County; a Restrictive Use Easement on this Existing Acreage will be utilized as the match for the first $500,000 REPI funding. This letter providing written permission, along with the County Contract Review Coordination Sheet, is attached for the Chairman's signature OPTIONS: Approve or deny. RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends BCC approval for the Chairman to execute the "Cooperative Agreement" with the Air Force. Staff also requests that the BCC authorize the Chairman to execute subsequent Cooperative Agreement related documents and any future modifications related to this Agreement. RECOMMENDED BY: APPROVED BY: Ernie Padgett, County Administrator