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

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: Carl Scott, City Administrator • BCC-North 302 N. Wilson St. , Suite 302 • Crestview, FL 32536 • (850) 689-5030 Fax (850) 689-50 25 • 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 Robbie Adams, Mayor March 18, 2014 City of Va lparaiso P.O . Box 158 Laurel Hi ll, FL 32567 Re: Public Transit Service Dear Mayor Adams: 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: Nita Miller, 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) 651-7142  Board of County Commissioners State of Florida The Honorable Gary Combs, Mayor March 18, 2014 Town of Shalimar 2 Cherokee Road Sha li mar, FL 32579 Re: Public Transit Service Dear Mayor Combs: For the last two years, the Board of County Commissioners asked our municipal leaders to consider including in their budgets funding to he lp 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 severa l 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: Tom Burns, Town 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 Theresa Farley, Mayor Pro-Tem March 18, 2014 Town of Cinco Bayou 10 Yacht Club Drive Cinco Bayou, FL 32548 Re: Public Transit Service Dear Mayor Farley: 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 ou r Growth Management Director, Elliot Kampert, at 850- 651-7624. Sincerely, Charles K. Windes, Jr. Chairman, Board of County Commissioners cc: Nell Dykes, Town 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 Randall Wise, Mayor March 18, 2014 City of Niceville 207 North Pa rtin Drive Nicevil le, FL 32578 Re: Public Transit Service Dear Mayor Wise: For the last two years, the Board of County Commissioners asked ou r 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: Lannie Corbin, 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