Okaloosa County BOCC — July 2, 2013 — reading text

NOTICE TO BE MAILED (IF REQUIRED) ______________, 2013 Property Owner Name Property Address City ST Zip RE: Parcel Control Number: PIN Beach Restoration Municipal Service Benefit Unit Dear Property Owner: On December 4, 2007, the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 07-71, as amended, creating the Okaloosa County Beach Restoration Project Municipal Services Benefit Unit (MSBU), which contains the Destin Subarea. The purpose of this MSBU is to provide for beach restoration in the Destin Subarea (Destin Restoration Project). The cost of the Destin Restoration Project will be funded by assessments against properties benefited by the Destin Restoration Project and by other revenues. The amount of the assessment for each parcel of property will depend on the benefits accruing to that property based upon the parcel’s location in relation to the Destin Restoration Project, the number of dwelling units, the parcel size and the use of the property. All property within the Destin Subarea of the MSBU will be included in the Recreation Area (REC Area) with a portion of the assessment costs allocated on a pro rata basis among the properties. Properties located on the beach within the Destin Subarea shall be included within the Storm Damage Reduction Area (SDR Area). Property within the SDR Area will be allocated a portion of the assessment costs based upon a point system which considers the above factors. The County intends to finance this assessment project. This will permit the costs attributed to your property to be amortized over the remainder of the total assessment period not to exceed eight (8) years beginning in 2008. The annual assessment on your property will include your share of principal, interest and collection costs. The maximum annual assessment proposed to be imposed on your property shall not exceed $______ . The County intends to include the annual assessments on your ad valorem tax bill to be mailed in November, 2013 and will continue annually thereafter. Failure to pay the assessments will cause a tax certificate to be issued against the property which may result in loss of title. The total C-1 Packet Pg. 245 proposed assessment to be collected on all properties within the Destin Subarea of the MSBU is $_____________, inclusive of all administrative costs and statutory discounts over the total eight (8) year assessment period for the project commencing in Fiscal Year 2008. The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing at, for the purpose of receiving comments on the proposed assessments, including collection on the ad valorem tax bill. You are invited to attend and participate in the public hearing or to file written objections with the County Commission prior to or during the hearing. If you decide to appeal any decision made by the Board of County Commissioners with respect to any matter considered at the hearing, you will need a record of the proceeding and may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be made. If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation or an interpreter to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Office of the Board of County Commissioners at (850) 651-7105, or in writing to the Board of County Commissioners, 1804 Lewis Turner Boulevard, Suite 100, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida 32547. A copy of the updated Assessment Roll for Fiscal Year 2013-2014, the Final Report of the Funding Feasibility Study, the Ordinance, and all relevant County resolutions are available at the Office of the County Administrator, 1804 Lewis Turner Boulevard, Suite 400, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida 32547, and at the Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, located at 1540 Miracle Strip Parkway, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida 32548. Questions regarding your assessment and the process for collection may be directed to (850) 651-7131. C-2 Packet Pg. 246  BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: August 6, 2013 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Elliot Kampert SUBJECT: 2013-2014 Shoal River Defense Infrastructure Grant Application DEPARTMENT: Growth Management BCC DISTRICT: 1 BACKGROUND: Funds have become available through the Defense Infrastructure Grant (DIG) program as provided in Chapter 288 of the Florida Statutes. The purpose of the DIG program is to provide funds to local governments for projects (e.g. construction, land purchases, easements) that have a positive impact on an installation’s military value and which also benefit the local community. It is the intention of the program to address issues such as encroachment, transportation and access, utilities, communications, housing, environment, and security. Infrastructure related projects can include studies and analyses specifically in support of infrastructure projects. It is not the intent of the Florida Legislature to fund on-base military construction projects. There is a limit of $200,000.00 per application, and communities may submit an application for two projects per base or installation. Applications must be submitted to Enterprise Florida through the Economic Development Council. The application deadline is August 23, 2013. The attached application requests $200,000 to be used by the Okaloosa County Water and Sewer Department to acquire property along the Shoal River that will protect a future water supply as well as buffer Duke Field from encroachment that could negatively impact missions. The attached application builds on prior Shoal River DIG applications as well as the Water and Sewer Department's prior acquisition of land along the Shoal River. Due to time constraints, the Base Commander's and EDC Director's signatures could not be obtained prior to the August 6 BCC agenda deadline. These signatures will be obtained subsequent to BCC approval and prior to the submission to Enterprise Florida. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Board review and approve the proposed Defense Infrastructure Grant application, and authorize the Chairman to sign the grant application and if successful, the subsequent grant agreement and any other grant documents required during the term of the grant. Packet Pg. 247 RECOMMENDED BY: APPROVED BY: Ernie Padgett, County Administrator Packet Pg. 248  2013-2014 Defense Infrastructure Grant Program A. Project Title Shoal River Military Installation Buffering Project B. Counties/Installation(s) Affected Okaloosa County, Walton County, Eglin Air Force Base, Duke Field, Hurlburt Field, Army’s 7th Special Forces Group C. Community Government/Authority Applicant: Government/Authority Federal Employee Identification Number: 59-6000765 Name of Primary Contact: Brenda Bailey Title: Contracts & Grants Manager Address: 1804 Lewis Turner, Suite 206 City: Fort Walton Beach State: Florida Zip: 32547 Telephone: (850) 651-7200 x4381 Fax: (850) 609-5029 Email: bbailey@clerkofcourts.cc Proposed Grantee Contact Information (if different from above): Name of Primary Contact: Jeff Littrell Title: Okaloosa County Water & Sewer Director Address: 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd. City: Ft. Walton Beach State: FL Zip: 32547 Telephone: (850) 651-7172 Fax: (850) 651-7593 Email: jlittrell@co.okaloosa.fl.us D. Category of Proposed Project (mark those that apply): X Encroachment; __Transportation & Access, __Utilities, __Communications, __Housing, X Environment, __Security, __Other (Explain) E. Summary of Project (max 1 page) The identified land area is the direct path of Duke Field’s flight approach and departures. The Shoal River Buffer Area is generally defined as an area of undeveloped land located South of I-10, north of Duke Field, east of State Road 85, and on both sides of the Shoal River. Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) and Okaloosa County (County) are partnering to protect this Shoal River region from development that could have an adverse impact on the missions at Duke Field and Eglin AFB. The identified land for buffering acquisition is within the Northwest Florida Greenway; a conceptual plan to help identify and prioritize land preservation and conservation opportunities that will protect the land and air space corridors from Apalachicola to Eglin AFB. Okaloosa County Water and Sewer (OCWS) is also committed to protecting the water quality in this Shoal River vicinity while also providing buffering. Duke Field, located just south of this Shoal River region, has critical current and future missions that are highly susceptible to night lighting intrusion. Those include the 919th 1 Packet Pg. 249  2013-2014 Defense Infrastructure Grant Program Special Operations Wing, which is headquartered at Duke Field, plus the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) which will operate its Marine variant (F-35B) at Duke as part of Eglin’s JSF Initial Joint Training Center. These lands are within the noise contours of Duke Field, so the potential for aircraft-related noise emanating off the Eglin reservation is very high. It would be in the best interests of the citizens of Okaloosa County as well as the United States Air Force to avoid the mission encroachment of incompatible development in this area. Okaloosa County (OWCS) and Eglin AFB have partnered in this buffering initiative in FY 2011, FY 2012, and FY 2013. This application for $200,000 supports continuation of this initiative. With this funding, the County anticipates providing a match for $200,000 in Federal money obtained by Eglin AFB through the Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative (REPI) program. These combined allocations would be used to purchase land in the Shoal River Buffer Area. The planned activities for this project are listed in Section N below. A project map is at Appendix A. F. How will this infrastructure project improve the base and what is its relative importance to the overall military mission? (Max 1 page) The Northwest Florida Greenway project is intended to protect and sustain existing military lands and airspace, promote continued target industry growth, and preserve the environmental quality and biodiversity of the region by protecting a corridor of undeveloped land. This targeted land acquisition will achieve these goals and provide for an unencumbered flight path off of Duke Field. The area included within the Shoal River project occupies a key stretch of land at