Okaloosa County BOCC — March 18, 2014 — Transit Letters to Cities — reading text

Board of County Commissioners State of Florida The Honorable Sarah Seevers, Mayor March 18, 2014 City of Destin 4200 Indian Ba you Trai l Destin, FL 32541 Re: Public Transit Service Dear Mayor Seevers : For the last two years, the Board of County Commissioners asked our municipal leaders to consider including in their budgets funding to help the County pay for public transit service. As we begin considering the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget, transit funding will once again become a matter of concern . As you may be aware, the County has to date provided in excess of $2 million to fund the transit system since 2007 . These County funds are used to match the State and Federal grants that provide the balance of our transit funding. To more proactively address this issue, County staff has had several meetings with staff members from the cities served by the fixed routes in an effort to develop a transit cooperative through which the municipalities can have a voice in the decisions that affect the transit system, and through which it is hoped the cities will be able to assist the County in providing the citizens with public transportation. Without such assistance, it is highly unlikely that the existing transit system will remain, with the potential for many routes to be reduced or eliminated. As of this writing, a draft memorandum of agreement has been developed, and several funding methodologies have been discussed. It is anticipated that this issue will be brought before the local League of Cities in the near future . Thank you very much for your time and consideration of this extremely important issue . If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact our Growth Management Director, Elliot Kampert, at 850- 651-7624. Sincerely, Charles K. Windes, Jr. Chairman, Board of County Commissioners cc: Maryann Ustick, City Manager • BCC-North 302 N. Wilson St. , Suite 302 • Crestview, FL 32536 • (850) 689-5030 Fax (850) 689-5025 • BCC-South 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd., Suite 100 · Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 ' (850) 651 -7105 Fax (850) 651-7142  Board of County Commissioners State of Florida The Honorable David Cad le, Mayor March 18, 2014 City of Crestview 198 North Wilson Street P.O. Box 1209 Crestview, FL 32536 Re : Public Transit Service Dear Mayor Cadle: For the last two years, the Board of County Commissioners asked our municipal leaders to consider including in their budgets funding to help the County pay for public transit service. As we begin considering the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget, transit funding will once again become a matter of concern . As you may be aware, the County has to date provided in excess of $2 million to fund the transit system since 2007. These County funds are used to match the State and Federal grants that provide the balance of our transit funding. To more proactively address this issue, County staff has had several meetings with staff members from the cities served by the fixed routes in an effort to develop a transit cooperative through which the municipalities can have a voice in the decisions that affect the transit system, and through which it is hoped the cities will be able to assist the County in providing the citizens with public transportation. Without such assistance, it is highly unlikely that the existing transit system will remain, with the potential for many routes to be reduced or eliminated. As of this writing, a draft memorandum of agreement has been developed, and several funding methodologies have been discussed. It is anticipated that this issue will be brought before the local League of Cities in the near future . Thank you very much for your time and consideration of this extremely important issue. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact our Growth Management Director, Elliot Kampert, at 850- 651-7624. Sincerely, Charles K. Windes, Jr. Chairman, Board of County Commissioners cc: Elizabeth Roy, City Clerk • BCC-North 302 N. Wilson St. , Suite 302 • Crestview, FL 32536 • (850) 689-5030 Fax (850) 689-5025 • BCC-South 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd. , Suite 100 · Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 · (850) 651-7105 Fax (850) 651-71 42  Board of County Commissioners State of Florida The Honorable William Creekmore, Mayor March 18,2014 City of Mary Esther 195 Chri stobal Road N Mary Esther, FL 32569 Re: Public Transit Service Dear Mayor Creekmore: For the last two years, the Board of County Commissioners asked our mun icipal leaders to consider including in their budgets funding to help the County pay for public transit service. As we begin considering the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget, transit funding will once again become a matter of concern. As you may be aware, the County has to date provided in excess of $2 million to fund the transit system since 2007. These County funds are used to match the State and Federal grants that provide the balance of our transit funding . To more proactively address this issue, County staff has had several meetings with staff members from the cities served by the fixed routes in an effort to develop a transit cooperative through which the municipalities can have a voice in the decisions that affect the transit system, and through which it is hoped the cities will be able to assist the County in providing the citizens with public transportation. Without such assistance, it is highly unlikely that the existing transit system will remain, with the potential for many routes to be reduced or eliminated. As of this writing, a draft memorandum of agreement has been developed, and several funding methodologies have been discussed. It is anticipated that this issue will be brought before the local League of Cities in the near future . Thank you very much for your time and consideration of this extremely important issue. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact our Growth Management Director, Elliot Kampert, at 850- 651-7624. Sincerely, Charles K. Windes, Jr. Chairman, Board of County Commissioners cc: Lynne Oler, City Manager • BCC-North 302 N. Wilson St., Suite 302 · Crestview, FL 32536 • (850) 689-5030 Fax (850) 689-5025 • BCC-South 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd. , Suite 100 • Fort Walton Beach , FL 32547 · (850) 651-7105 Fax (850) 651 -7142  Board of County Commissioners State of Florida The Honorable Mike Anderson, Mayor Ma rch 18, 2014 City of Ft Walton Beach 107 Miracle Strip Parkway SW Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 Re: Public Transit Service Dear Mayor Anderson: For the last two years, the Board of County Commissioners asked our municipal leaders to consider including in their budgets funding to help the County pay for public transit service. As we begin considering the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget, transit funding will once again become a matter of concern . As you may be aware, the County has to date provided in excess of $2 million to fund the transit system since 2007. These County funds are used to match the State and Federal grants that provide the balance of our transit funding. To more proactively address this issue, County staff has had several meetings with staff members from the cities served by the fixed routes in an effort to develop a transit cooperative through which the municipalities can have a voice in the decisions that affect the transit system, and through which it is hoped the cities will be able to assist the County in providing the citizens with public transportation . Without such assistance, it is highly unlikely that the existing transit system will remain, with the potential for many routes to be reduced or eliminated. As of this writing, a draft memorandum of agreement has been developed, and several funding methodologies have been discussed. It is anticipated that this issue will be brought before the local League of Cities in the near future. Thank you very much for your time and consideration of this extremely important issue. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact our Growth Management Director, Elliot Kampert, at 850- 651-7624. Sincerely, Charles K. Windes, Jr. Chairman, Board of County Commissioners cc: Michael Beedie, City Manager • BCC-North 302 N. Wilson St., Suite 302' Crestview, FL 32536 • (850) 689-5030 Fax (850) 689-5025 • BCC-South 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd, Suite 100 · Fort Walton Beach , FL 32547· (850) 651-7105 Fax (850) 651-7142  Board of County Com m issioners State of Florida The Honorable John B. Arnold, Mayor March 18, 2014 City of Valparaiso 465 Valparaiso Parkway Valpa raiso, FL 32580 Re : Public Transit Service Dear Mayor Arnold: For the last two years, the Board of County Commissioners asked our municipal leaders to consider including in their budgets funding to help the County pay for public transit service . As we begin considering the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget, transit funding will once again become a matter of concern. As you may be aware, the County has to date provided in excess of $2 million to fund the transit system since 2007 . These County funds are used to match the State and Federal grants that provide the balance of our transit funding. To more proactively address this issue, County staff has had seve ral meetings with staff members from the cities served by the fixed routes in an effort to develop a transit cooperative through which the municipalities can have a voice in the decisions that affect the transit system, and through which it is hoped the cities will be able to assist the County in providing the citizens with public transportation. Without such assistance, it is highly unlikely that the existing transit system will remain, with the potential for many routes to be reduced or eliminated. As of this w riting, adraft memo randum of agreement has been developed, and several funding methodologies