Item C
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSJONI!RS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date:
April 4, 2001
Division:
County Attomey
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Setting special meeting of Board of County Commissioll1ers in Key Largo to Fe-
decide whether to proceed with a central sewer system S1!rvlng all of Key Largo, or
limited to '"hot spots."
ITEM BACKGROUND:
Due to the pending "Sunshine Law' litigation brought by Fl<AA, 'Nhich is IIlcely to be appealed
(by Ogden Water Systems or by the Intervenor) no matter wI" ich party prevails, it will not
be possible to determine, for many months, whether and ~hen th~ planned Key Largo
Central Sewer System will be built. That uncertainty may advt!rsely affect allocation to Key
LargO of a substantial portion of the $100 million Federal authorization for water quality in
the Florida Keys (to be decided at AJ>ril 20 BOCC - municipalities joir,t meeting). That
uncertainty can be reduced, if not dispelled, by a redetermlnathm of the policy issue (now at
Issue in the "Sunshine Law. case) whether to proceed with cet,tral sewerage for Key largo
or a limited system confined to "hot spots." A de novo heari"9 on that issue will remove
any "Sunshine" taint from the Board's prior decision, and will allow Key Largo to compete
more effectively for a share of the Federal funds.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC AcnON:
Resolution 93-2000 recommended to FKAA the selection .,t Ogd4BI Water Systems,
Inc. for design/build/operate a central wastewUer treatlftent system serving Key
Largo. Prior and subsequent BOCC meetings have addressed related issue..
CONTRACT/ AGREEMENT CHANGES:
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Approval.
TOTAL COST:
COST TO COUNTY
APPROVED BY: County Atty ....A....-
BUDGETED: Yes
No
DOCUMENTATION: Induded X
OMS/Purchasing Risk Management
~~i/--'~
/ Jf, es T. H IDRICK
To~w Not Required_
)
~
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
c_
AGENDA ITEM #
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IN THE CIRCUrT COURT OF THE 16'" JUDICIAl CIRCUIT
OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA. IN AND FOR MOf~ROE COUNTY
CASE NUMBER:
CA~-()O -1/70
FLORIDA KEYS AQUEDUCT
AUTHORIlY. and KEYS CITIZENS
FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT.
INC.. 8 FIortda not-for-proftt f;OIlXJfWtion.
Plaintiff.
Vs.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, and
OGDEN WATER SYSTEMS OF KEY
LAROO. INC..
o.fendanl
I
g~R ~D IItQnON FOR PART' AI !JUMIMRY JUDGMENT
This CIIU.. C8Ine before the court on March e. 200t Or'! Intervenor's Motion
for PIIrttai Summary Judgment Based upon the stipulatiuna 01 cuun_. th&
eYidence praented. the ervument of counsef 8nd the CIble law submitted. the
court m:akes the fOllOWing ftfdng$ Of filet
1. This is an actlan fa enfDlce the terms 01 FIortda Statutes Sectian 286.0' 1. the
Govemment in the Sunthine law (the -SUnshine Law"). PlaifltifMnleNenor.
Keys CitiZens for Responsible GcwemrNfnt. 'ftc. ..__ that Defenctant Board
of County CommlaskJnen!. Monroe County, F1arida rf~OCc-) v~"(Jted the
Sunshine Law through the conduct of. Technical Ev,.fuation Panel (-rEp.)
usembIed to evaluat. and rank proposals sUbmitted in response 10 a
Request for ~... (-RFP") to build and/or operwte . waltewl!ltllr trMtment
system on Key L8rg0.
2. In Its MotIan for PlYtfal Summary Judgment. Intervenor seeIal an 8djudication
only of ita aflegaUDn tMt the Sunshine l.8w binds the 'rep. The pIIrties
agreed that this Issue would be 8djudlcated. and the ce. _oIved. as
fdlOwa. tfthe T!P... found tD be VOM"*' by the Sunshine law. it would
then be '*'"U'Y tD a:II'Iduct a IriaJ ID dedde the remaining i.UN. I.e..
whether the TEP WMf8d the SUnshine Law: wMlher I"Y Such viDlation ha
~ ,.mediedi and what nJ!ief the Court should order. If. hDWl8Y8r. as 8
"...tt. of law. the TEP Is nat govemect byttte SUnshlrle Law, the COUrt Rhould
enter an ~er 8D declaring .-.d dlsmf881ng the Comp~linl on the merits with
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prejudice. bile rwnalnlftg question8 would be 'n8P1)ticeble, The parties
CIOIICUfIIId in thi8 PfOCedure as an elClJ8ditiou8 ~~ fa obtain a ruflng on
the poew,tially ditapoelUve .sue.
3. It i. 8 well ...... ~e of I8w that...mmary jUdgment wilt be granted
only" tM J)Ie8ding.. depoejdonl. ..~ to ttana,J8taries. and adrninions
On file toget'ter WItt 1he atIIdavItI. If any. IIIOW IftJIt tit.. fa no genuine issue
as to any msIeri8f fact 8M that the mavtng P8rty is entitled to . judgment as 8
matter of law. a Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.510(C). OrdiNIrly. fltse NCOfd materials are
r.eqUINd to be praperty authenticated. However, the l.niea stipulatlld that
they hed W8~ any ~ obj8dlans to the do:wnentl attached to the
Intervenor's NaIice of Fil"mg ExhiMI d.... J...,..ry 8, 2001 and the 8OCc-a
Notice of Filing. dated Mlrch 2, 2001.
4. At the he8r'ti'IQ. .. ttIe P8ftfe& 8tipulaf8d that Ihere Is no genuine iuue or
material fact WIth ...,.. to the question f'IIiaec.I in the Motior11or Partial
Summary JUdgment. and that.. ......1. in.. reo)fd _ d the data of the
heertftg were euffident for a flna' deci8lon on the merits at the question.
s. The undisputed facts establls... bath how the TEP was formed ~ what ita
role was. On September 8. 1999 80CC issued 8 AFt. enti~ "OC!SignfSuifd
or DeslgnlBuildlOl** a We....._ TI9atment $yatam(s) far t<.ey lalgo. ~
S8ction 1.13 of the RFP 8pecifiea thet. Tec:hnic8t Ev,1fu8tion Pane. will judge
the ...pondenlS to the RFP IIr1d tltat the panel will be ectablished and
coordinated by the U.S. ErMromIent8I Proteaton Agency. and WI' be
~ed of____ experts... and ottw agenclea as deemed
~_. The duIie, of tho TEP ... outlined in SactIon 3.1 and Section
3.2 sets forth fiIdo,. whfch ..... tD be inc:.tudM in theTEP's ev8lu8tion
crfterta .
e. TWa cub8equent 80CC I8eOIutIons ,.,., to the TEP .a being .....bII.hed.
by Morvoe County to r8ViOw msponses from ftnna end make
recommendations II) the SOCC. On Febru.'Y 17. 2000 HaeC adopted a
feSotUUon which .tated the role ofTEP in the e".,.ticon of plUpoeata and
atated th8t it... es&Iblilhed to nUlke recGmn6'1datio1,- 10 h BOCC. On
June 28. 2000 BOCC adoDt8d anaIher rallDftJlion concerning the pIOject Met
again de8cribed the role of the TEP .. ..... technical tWlUation panel
esC8bffllted by Monftle County... a.
1. Tho SUnshine Law 8POIie8 fD any board Of CDrnmtssIort! at any &tate agency or
authority or of any agency or authority of eny county. "~nicioeI COI'pOr8tion or
poIJtJcat IUbdivislan. The law is appftca.1D any galtNtring. whether forma. or
ca...... of twD or man! members <<the same baard or .~m&8SIan to discus,
some "...., on wttid1 foreseeable acIan wiD be fBken by fHt pUblic baiIrd or
comrniHion.
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8. Thi8 court does not believe that bec.uaelhe BOCC delegated the finat make-
up oK the cornrnMee IInd l'8Yiew of the RJ:P. to the EPA IIfMcts the application
or II\e SUnshine Law fa the committee it_If. 11Mt 80000 created the RFP that
....bClshed the pIIMI, the BOCC dlfect8d the general make--up of the IHU18I
and the f8ctD... they were to conefder in Wllluating th! IMpondentlr. Th.
TEPs sol. pul'DOle was to petbm b duties under tt.. BOCe RFP end make
18comrnendaliDns m the BOCC. The TEP was aft 8d\'i8aIy board created by
the BOCe and . such. was IUbJed 10 the Sunshine LAW.
9, It'a the fUndlon of thta aJlnmlttee which determines tt.. appIicaMity of the
Sunshine Law. not DIe mak..up of the panel. This court finds mat based on
the .viet.ma. the TEP and its dvtuee were. at aU tine. material hereto.
.ubject to the proYi,ions of SectlDn 286.011.
It is therefore ORDERED AND ADJUDGeD Ih. the ..lation f1)f' PartJaf
Summaty Judgment fled ~ Pl8lnttlfllntervenor I. GAAN'1-eo,
QQNE AND ORDERED In chembers at Key West. Mcf1roe County, FIonda
thi6~ayofM8rch. 2001.
vJh hth .
SANDRA.
CIRCUtTJ
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I Robett T. Feldman. !!sq.
1315 WhlteMed Street
, Key West. Fl 33010
! F. Alan Cunvnings, Esq.
, 1004 DeSoto P.rk Drive
. Post otIIce Box 589
I T.Uabaa_, FL 32302.0589
. I J_mee T. Hendrtck. Esq.
317 Whil8head Street
'1 Key West, Fl 33040
JOhn A. J.bro. Elq,
, 90311 Oweraeas Hfghway
: ; Suite B
, ~ Ta"em'er. I=l 33070-2445
Cc:
r ; Robert AJvas. EeQ.
i i 311 South Calhoun Str88t
, Suite 208
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