Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem H03BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: October 19, 2011 Bulk Item: Yes X No Division: Growth Management Department: Planning & Env. Resources Staff Contact Person: Richard Jones/289-2805 AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of a Resolution of the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners providing a policy for the use of Boating Improvement Funds (BIF) and the distribution of a portion of BIF ($75,000 annually) to the municipalities within Monroe County (County) with deadlines for submission of requests for reimbursement and awards by inter -local agreement beginning with Oct 1, 2011 (FY2012). ITEM BACKGROUND: Over the past several years the County has provided reimbursement funding from BIF to the various municipalities for boating and waterways related projects. Due to recent requests for BIF funding from the Cities of Marathon, Key West and Key Colony Beach, as well as requests for funding and BIF funded work from private entities, the County has recognized the need to establish a policy regarding the use and distribution of BIF. The attached Resolution provides policy direction for the County use of BIF for County boating and waterway projects that serve the general boating public, and the distribution of a portion of BIF to the municipalities (Municipality Reimbursement Distribution Options attached). PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: September 21, 2011- discussion of the need for a policy for the use and distribution of Boating Improvement Funds CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Approval TOTAL COST: n/a INDIRECT COST: BUDGETED: Yes No DIFFERENTIAL OF LOCAL PREFERENCE: COST TO COUNTY: SOURCE OF FUNDS: REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes No AMOUNT PER MONTH Year APPROVED BY: County Atty X OMB/Purchasing Risk Management DOCUMENTATION: Included X Not Required DISPOSITION: AGENDA ITEM # RESOLUTION NO. -2011 - A RESOLUTION OF THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PROVIDING A POLICY FOR THE USE OF BOATING IMPROVEMENT FUNDS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF A PORTION OF COUNTY BOATING IMPROVEMENT FUNDS TO THE MUNICPALITIES. WHEREAS, moneys from vessel registration fees designated for the use of the counties is distributed by the tax collector to the Board of County Commissioners, pursuant to F.S. 328.72, hereafter referred to as State Boating Improvement Funds; and WHEREAS, State Boating Improvement Funds are for the sole purposes of providing recreational channel marking and other uniform waterway markers, public boat ramps, lifts, and hoists, marine railways, and other public launching facilities, derelict vessel removal, and removal of vessels and floating structures deemed a hazard to public safety and health for failure to comply with F.S.327.53; and WHEREAS, State Boating Improvement Fund revenues provide approximately $250,000 annually; and WHEREAS, the County approved Ordinance No.034-2002 to impose an annual registration fee on vessels registered, operated, or stored in the water within its jurisdiction pursuant to F.S.328.66, hereafter referred to as County Boating Improvement Funds; and WHEREAS, County Boating Improvement Funds shall be expended for the patrol, regulation, and maintenance of the lakes, rivers, and waters and for other boating - related activities of municipalities or counties; and WHEREAS, County Boating Improvement Fund revenues provide approximately $400,000 annually; and WHERERAS, the County has expended County Boating Improvement Funds for new pumpout vessel match payments, boating and waterways studies, pumpout staff salary, and pumpout vessel operational costs; and WHEREAS, the County has been providing reimbursement funding to the municipalities for boating and waterways related projects from State and County Boating Improvement Funds based on funding requests averaging $51,094 in the past four calendar years; and WHEREAS, requests have recently been received from several incorporated cities exceeding the typical annual amount the County has awarded; and WHEREAS, State and County Boating Improvement Funds are utilized by the County for County channel marker and boat ramp maintenance, derelict vessel removals, pumpout program costs, and other boating and waterway related projects Keys -wide; and WHEREAS, the County currently has no policy regarding the distribution of State and County Boating Improvement Funds, nor a maximum annual amount for cities; and WHEREAS, the State allows for the distribution of Boating Improvement Funds to municipalities, but holds the County responsible for the appropriate expenditure of such funds; and WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the County to create a policy regarding the use of Boating Improvement Funds, and the distribution of a portion of State and County Boating Improvement Funds to the municipalities; and WHEREAS, an evaluation of State and County Boating Improvement Fund revenues and expenditures indicates that the County can provide a portion of Boating Improvement Funds, in an amount up to $75,000 per year, to the municipalities within the County, subject to annual funding availability, and still maintain State and County funds adequate to fund County obligations, including: channel marker maintenance, derelict vessel removals, pumpout program costs, and boat ramp construction; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA THAT: Section 1. The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners shall expend State and County Boating Improvement Funds only for County boating and waterway related projects, and municipal boating and waterway related projects in the form of reimbursement funding, in accordance with the allowed uses of Boating Improvement Funds as described in F.S. 328.72 and F.S. 328.66. Section 2. Beginning with FY2012 (Oct 1, 2011-Sept 30, 2012) the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners may expend up to $75,000 collectively from State and County Boating Improvement Funds annually for reimbursement funding to the municipalities subject to funding availability. Section 3. The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners and municipalities within Monroe County shall execute boating and waterway related projects that serve the general boating public. Section 4. The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners shall distribute annual reimbursement funding to the various municipalities in accordance with the following distribution formula. PA Municipality Allocation Percentage Key West $25,000 33 % Marathon $25,000 33 % Key Colony Beach $8,000 11 % Layton $2,000 3 % Village of Islamorada $15,000 20 % Total $75,000 100% Section 5. Municipality reimbursement funding requests for Boating Improvement Funds shall be received by the County no later than April, 1 of the fiscal year and shall be reviewed by the County, approximately four months prior to the end of the County's fiscal year (on or around June of the fiscal year). At that time staff will review the collective funding requests and make recommendations to the BOCC for reimbursement accordingly, and in consideration of funding availability. Reimbursement funding shall be provided for by Inter -local Agreement (ILA). Any unused funds allocated for a particular municipality may be provided to other municipalities based on their funding requests. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida at a regular meeting held on the 19th day of October, 2011. Mayor Heather Carruthers Mayor Pro Tem David Rice Commissioner Kim Wigington Commissioner George Neugent Commissioner Sylvia J. Murphy BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Mayor Heather Carruthers (SEAL) ATTEST: DANNY L. KOLHAGE, CLERK Deputy Clerk MONRO OUNTY ATTORNEY PP II AD AS TO FORM Dete: ki Boating Improvement Fund Municipality Reimbursement Distribution Options 9-29-2011 The following data is provided for deriving a formula for the distribution of BIF reimbursement funding to the various municipalities within Monroe County. Backaround: Over the past several years the County has provided reimbursement funding to the municipalities for boating and waterways related projects based simply on the amount of the funding requests received. As indicated in the below table, the reimbursements (same as the requests) have averaged $51,094 annually. Municipality Reimbursements These reimbursements typically have been paid out of State BIF, with the exception of funding for items not allowed by State BIF (e.g. pumpout vessel match funding) in which case funding has come out of County BIF. Typically annual State BIF revenue levels (indicated in the below table) were considered to be sufficient to allow for municipality reimbursements and still provide for necessary County -wide services, including: derelict vessel removals, channel marker and regulatory marker repairs, consulting services, and other miscellaneous expenses (note that these services are provided both in the incorporated and unincorporated areas). Annual BIF Revenues County expenditures (see table below) from '08-' 11 have exceeded revenues from State BIF, with the difference coming out of BIF reserves. During the same time period, County BIF revenues were under-utilized (with the difference going into BIF reserves). This disparity between revenue and expenditures was primarily due to BIF being split from one revenue/budget into two (State and County) in FY '08 and transitioning in the budget to ensure expenditures were in accordance with the allowed uses of those funds, and is illustrated by the minimal expenditure of County BIF in '09 and ' 10. More recently County BIF has been better utilized, by expenditures such as pumpout operator salary and costs related to pumpout vessel purchase and operations. Annual BIF Expenditures For FY ' 12, the proposed BIF budgets have been developed to optimize, but not exceed, State and County BIF revenues. With the use of County BIF for pumpout vessel operations and salary, as well as additional derelict vessel removals, the County anticipates primarily utilizing State BIF for reimbursements to the municipalities. The budget data described above indicates that State BIF levels should be sufficient to provide for County -wide services and up to approximately $50,000 in total reimbursements to the municipalities for boating and waterways related projects. Objective Due to past over -expenditures from State BIF and recent reimbursement funding requests from the City of Marathon for up to $161,342, the City of Key Colony Beach for $1,538, and the City of Key West for $31,852, the County recognizes the need to develop a policy outlining funding allocations for municipality reimbursement funding from BIF. BIF Funding Distribution Formula Options Staff has researched various demographic data from which to base a formula for the equitable distribution of a portion of BIF (recognizing that the majority of BIF is needed for Keys -wide services and infrastructure). Staff first considered vessel registration data to determine the location of vessel owners by municipality. However, the Florida DHSMV confirmed that registration addresses are not tied to a particular city or zip code within the County. Registrations are only tied to a county within the state. Next, staff looked at 1) population data, and 2) length of shoreline in the incorporated areas. The following statistics illustrate the breakdown of those data. Municipality Population Percentage Shoreline Percentage Key West 24,667 61.6 % 41.6 mi. 12.3 % Marathon 8,300 20.7 % 142.3 mi. 42.1 % Key Colony Beach 797 1.9 % 12.3 mi. 3.6 % Layton 184 0.5 % 3.2 mi. 1.0 % Islamorada 6,119 15.3 % 138.6 mi. 41.0 % Total: 40,067 100 % 338.0 mi. 100 % The breakdown of population and shoreline data indicate significantly different percentages, and should be carefully interpreted in regard to association with numbers of registered vessels. While higher shoreline numbers may indicate greater opportunities for dockage, areas with less shoreline (e.g. Key West) may have a high number of trailered vessels. Population numbers may provide the best indicator of numbers of registered vessels (i.e. `x' number of vessels per capita). Also to be considered would be municipally owned marina and mooring facilities which provide for a large number of both local and cruising vessels, and would be an appropriate use of BIF. While the population numbers for Marathon are approximately one third of Key West, Marathon operates a large mooring field and has a much larger system of canals providing dockage for recreational vessels. The Village of Islamorada also has a large marina, and a canal system similar in size to Marathon's. All of these data should be considered in the allocation of BIF. Reimbursement Allocation Recommendations and Procedures As indicated in the Background section, staff suggests that $50,000 from State BIF would be a suitable amount to budget for reimbursements to the municipalities. In addition, the County BIF budget for derelict vessel removals has been increased for FY ' 12, and it is likely that approximately $25,000 of County BIF would be available for municipality reimbursement if derelict vessel numbers are not higher than average (note also that County BIF funding may be specifically needed for boating and waterways projects not allowed under State BIF). Based on consideration of the above information, (primarily population numbers and the municipal marinas operated by Islamorada, Marathon and Key West) staff proposes the following annual allocations, based on reimbursement for allowable boating and waterway uses, to municipalities from Fund 157 (State and County BIF combined). Cily Allocation Percentage Key West $25,000 33 % Marathon $25,000 33 % Key Colony Beach $8,000 11 % Layton $2,000 3 % Village of Islamorada $15,000 20 % Total $75,000 100% Municipality reimbursement funding requests should be made once a year, approximately four months prior to the end of the County's fiscal year. At that time staff can review the cumulative funding requests and make recommendations to the BOCC for reimbursement accordingly (and considering the availability of funds). Any unused allocations for a particular municipality may be provided to other municipalities based on their funding requests which may not otherwise be met. Interlocal Agreements (ILA) between the requesting municipalities and the BOCC will be brought to the BOCC for approval in August or September. Other BIF Funding Requests The County has recently received BIF funding requests from private entities for boating and waterways related projects (i.e. maintenance dredging and jetty work). Staff recommends the County not be involved with, or fund, projects that serve private canals systems. BIF funded projects should serve the general public and occur in public navigation channels and/or in public waters.