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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
DATE: March 19, 2013
TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board
FROM: John Hofstad
SUBJECT: LAARS B Reef Construction Grant Application
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
BCC DISTRICT: All
STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Staff seeks approval from the Board to submit an application for
construction of an artificial reef array through a grant funded by the Gulf Seafood and Tourism
Promotional Fund.
BACKGROUND: Purpose of the Gulf Tourism and Seafood Promotional Fund: As part of a
Settlement Agreement, a $57 million fund, the Gulf Tourism and Seafood Promotional Fund (the
“Fund”), has been established to promote tourism and the seafood industries in Gulf Coast areas
impacted by the Deepwater Horizon incident. In particular, one of the primary purposes of the
Fund is for the support of programs directed to advertising, promotion and/or marketing which
supports Gulf tourism and the seafood industries.
As reflected by the stated purpose of the Fund, construction of artificial reefs may not seem a
likely candidate for award. However, based on review of projects that were awarded in the First
round, the selection committee was willing to fund a broad range of projects that included the
Board’s application for the Biomass Estimate Project ($450,000).
In 2012, the first round of grants was presented. The amount available for the final round of
promotional grants is $12,764,370. The remaining grant funds represent 22% of the original
fund balance. It is expected that all funds will be obligated in the second round and there will be
no opportunities for a third year of grant funding.
The grant application attached here references an attachment that includes Okaloosa County’s
CAFR. The complete CAFR is included in the original grant application package, and can be
accessed at this link - http://www.clerkofcourts.cc/forms/docs/2011CAFR.pdf
OPTIONS: Approve/Disapprove
RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends that the Board approve the request to apply for a
grant through the Fund for construction of an artificial reef array in LAARS B. Staff also
requests authorization for the Chairman to sign the grant agreement if awarded and any other
future grant related documentation.
RECOMMENDED BY:
APPROVED BY:
James D. Curry, County Administrator