Okaloosa County BOCC — Sept 11, 2012 — Minutes — reading text

RESTORE Act Workshop September 11, 2012 — 6:00 p.m. Emerald Coast Convention Center Okaloosa Island — Fort Walton Beach 1. Presentation on RESTORE Act by Commissioner Dave Parisot. 2. Staff report on surrounding counties efforts with respect to RESTORE Act. 3. Public input on process. 4. Board to begin discussion concerning an advisory committee, submittal requirements and evaluation criteria. Final determinations to be made at a later date. Okaloosa County adheres to the Americans with Disabilities Act and will make reasonable modifications for access to this meeting upon request. Please call the County Administrator's Office at (850) 651-7515 to make a request. For Hearing Impaired, Dial 1-800-955-8771 (TDD), and 1-800-955-8770 (Voice). Requests must be received at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting in order for Okaloosa County to provide the requested service. September 11, 2012 RESTORE Act Workshop A RESTORE Act Workshop was called to order at 6:07 p.m. at the Emerald Coast Convention Center on Okaloosa Island. Members present were Don R. Amunds, Chairman; Dave Parisot, Vice Chairman; Wayne Harris; and Bill Roberts. Also present were Gary J. Stanford, Finance Officer, Clerk’s Office; John Dowd, County Attorney; Jim Curry, County Administrator; and members of the press. Commissioner James Campbell was not present. Mr. Parisot opened the workshop with an overview of the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revised Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act). This presentation included defined terms used throughout the Act, an explanation of the five “pots” of money and allocations of same, a diagram showing the distribution of the Clean Water Act penalties to Gulf recovery per the RESTORE Act, projects and programs, plan development, and participation in local political subdivision consortia. His slide on recommendations listed the following items: © Post RESTORE PowerPoint on website e Offer briefing to community groups e Establish a County Staff Working Group to get a good understanding of RESTORE Act, set the agenda for the workshop e Continue coordination with other Florida counties e Holt an initial BCC Workshop ® Establish Okaloosa County RESTORE Committee It was noted some of these recommendations have already been accomplished. At the conclusion of the presentation, Mr. Parisot took questions from the audience. In response to those questions Mr. Parisot answered: e The criteria for the committee has not yet been established e A deadline has not been set to appoint the committee e Interest from the trust fund will not be rolled back into the fund. The interest will be allocated to the Gulf Coast RESTORE Council and “pots” 4 and 5 for the sciences e The maximum administration fee which can be charged is 3% °® No projects have yet been identified nor has criteria been developed to make application for funding September 11, 2012 -1- Minute Book 67, Page Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Mr. Curry pointed out there are a number of different pots of money and there are many rules. He advised we will know more a year from now, pointing out the fines have not yet been assessed. Mr. Curry said Okaloosa County plans to create a webpage to provide the Act and information as it unfolds. Mr. Curry stated the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) has been an integral partner in this issue. In addition to the partnership with FAC, Okaloosa County will be required to join a consortium. He was hopeful representatives from FAC would be present at the September 18 County Commission meeting to provide additional information on the formation of consortia. Mr. Amunds said he believes it would be best to use state and federal funds before using the county money. Mr. Parisot interjected that the consortium will not apply to the money in Pot #1. It was pointed out pots #2 and #3 are competitive. Mr. Curry said the counties of the Panhandle have worked closely since the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in April 2010. He updated the Board on what action has been taken by these “disproportionately affected counties:” Escambia - The Escambia BCC will discuss the subject on September 13. The Escambia County Administrator and his staff have prepared suggestions for the BCC on the composition of the advisory committee, the committee selection process, and the project criteria. Staff suggests the BCC nominate members to this committee by December 2012 with a public presentation by the advisory committee in June 2013. Santa Rosa - The BCC has approved a resolution establishing the County Restore Council. It will be an advisory council of 11 members, including two county commissioners. Walton - Walton has discussed how to organize its local RESTORE Program but the BCC has not taken a vote on this issue. Bay - County Administrator Ed Smith has reported no action has been taken yet. Franklin - The BCC has discussed the makeup of its advisory committee but no Board action has taken place. Gulf -— The BCC has set up its advisory council. That council includes a county commissioner, two city commissioners, the county administrator, the county attorney, and representatives from the fishing industry, tourism, port activities, educational institutions, and workforce development. Wakulla —- No decisions have yet been made. September 11, 2012 -2- Minute Book 67, Page Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Mr. Gerry Demers, Interim Walton County Administrator, reported Walton County will have a workshop on September 25 to addressed joining a consortium and to discuss the makeup of a local RESTORE Council. Mr. Bill Williams, Gulf County Commissioner, advised “we are still fumbling in the dark.” He said the advisory committee will be tied to the strategic vision plan for the county. The Tourist Deve lopment Director, grant writer, and County Administrator will be asked to provide assistance. Mr. Williams pointed out the $100 Million in NRDA funds to provide interim relief but none of those funds have been released. Mr. Amunds stated Mr. Parisot will be happy to come and speak to any groups in the community. He said Mr. Parisot has put a lot of work into his presentation and thanked him for his efforts. Mr. Amunds told the audience they may write a letter, send an email message or telephone a commissioner with suggestions. Mr. Parisot commented there has been criticism about notifications of the RESTORE Act meetings. He advised that Public Information Officer Kathy Newby does a good job getting the word out. She prepares public notices and sends them to the newspaper and the information is available on the county’s website. He also reported that invitations for this workshop were sent out to the Chambers of Commerce, schools, and other groups. Destin Mayor Sam Seevers thanked the Board for the work it has put into this the last two years. She said whether the Board joins an 8-county or a 15-county consortium, she would like to recommend representation by a municipality. The representative could be appointed by the Northwest Florida League of Cities. Mayor Seevers also reported the nine municipalities in the county have met and would like to recommend the Board appoint two municipality representatives, one from North County and one from South County, to its RESTORE Committee. She further recommended the local committee be comprised of about 11 people of different backgrounds to provide a good mix. Mr. Steve Christopher, Niceville, felt the creation of jobs would be an important factor when deciding on projects. Mr. Parisot agreed that is an important strategy. He advised that NRDA is for area restoration and cannot be used for economic issues. Mr. Parisot referred to the role of the Economic September 11, 2012 -3- Minute Book 67, Page Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Development Council (EDC) and $30 Million for job creations outlined in SB 2156. Mr. Harris stressed the RESTORE ACT is not manna from heaven. He pointed out the case against BP will not go to court until the first of next year. Mr. Dennis Mitchell, representing the Crestview Chamber of Commerce, said a round table discussion focused on business diversity and infrastructure needs. Okaloosa County District V Commissioner-elect Kelly Windes said he likes the idea of using the League of Cities to provide municipality representatives from North and South County. He felt 11 members was a “gracious plenty” for a committee. Mr. Walter Spence, Niceville, stated he is representing the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society. He said their group believes there should be a member of a local environmental group on the local committee to provide credibility. Mrs. Rebecca Sherry, Okaloosa Island, stated she has attended all 11 NRDA hearings. She noted that one recommendation is for RESTORE funding to be used to reduce property taxes and asked for that idea to be considered. Mrs. Sherry also stated she would like to be considered to serve on the local advisory committee. Ms. Debra Keller, Nature Conservancy (Tallahassee), recommended the Board look for projects with multiple purposes. She said their group is here to help and they have a number of scientists on their staff. Councilman Wood said the Board should not forget about transportation issues when selecting projects. Ms. Katie Krueger supported public involvement. She said that she received an email about tonight’s workshop but did not see anything in the newspaper. Upon inquiry by Ms. Krueger, Mr. Curry stated information on the RESTORE Act will be available via a link on the county’s website. Mr. Jim Bagby, Destin, said he has a different perspective on the composition of the local committee. He felt it should not be so much about who is appointed but be more about the backgrounds of the individuals. For example, Mr. Bagby stated September 11, 2012 -4- Minute Book 67, Page Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners if you appoint all retired military officers, that will be their focus. If you appoint all environmentalists, that will be their focus. Mr. Andy Stuckey, Destin, said it looks like a lot of money could be coming our way and asked what oversight measures will be taken against fraud and waste. Mr. Amunds advised that because it is federal funding there will be several checks and balances. Mr. Amunds reminded citizens to participate by sending emails or telephoning a commissioner to provide recommendations on the makeup of the local advisory committee. Mr. Harris said perhaps consideration could be given to a committee of 11 represented by various groups/interests with subcommittees of citizens supporting specific interests, such as environmentalists, economists, etc. He reiterated the fines have not yet been assessed and there is plenty of time to work on these items. Mr. Roberts added that nominees will be vetted and the Board will continue to discuss diversification and size of the committee. Mr. Parisot said he would like for individuals interested in serving on the local committee to submit resumes. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Board, the workshop was adjourned at 7:32 p.m. DON W. HOWARD DON R. AMUNDS, CHAIRMAN CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS (These minutes were transcribed by Teresa Ward.) KKKK September 11, 2012 -5- Minute Book 67, Page Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners