Item J14
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: April 18, 200 I
Division:
BOCC
Bulk Item: Yes
No ..lL
Department: District IV!Nora Williams
.....
"
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of resolution to support continuing commitment of
Preservation 2000 funds.
ITEM BACKGROUND: The Land Authority (and this Commission) is counting on this funding
source for Monroe County..
PREVIOUS REVELANT BOCC ACTION: Tons of acquisition decisions for area conservation and
recreation use.
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
TOTAL COST: N/A
COST TO COUNTY: N/ A
BUDGETED: Yes
NoL
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes
No..lL AMOUNT PER MONTH_ Year
APPROVED BY: County Atty _ OMB/Purchasing _ Risk Management_
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
t{~ tV~~~J
(TYPE NAME HERE)
DOCUMENTATION:
Included X
To Follow_
Not Required_
DISPOSITION,;
AGENDA ITEM # / -J/ 4
Revised 2/27/01
OPPOSE THE RAID ON PRESERVATION 2000 FUNDS
Heretofore the Florida Legislature has committed to fund the Everglades restoration program
with general fund revenue, This year the Senate has turned its back on that commitment and
seeks to raid the Preservation 2000 Trust Fund to pay for the Everglades restoration program,
The Senate has already approved an appropriations bill, SB 2002, which takes $100 million
away from the Preservation 2000 Trust fund and allocates it to the Everglades program, Thus
far Governor Bush and House of Representatives Speaker Tom Feeney oppose this component
of the bill, which means the issue will be resolved one way or the other in Conference
Committee meetings beginning next week.
This raid on the Preservation 2000 Trust Fund is bad for Florida because:
· The approval of the Everglades restoration program was never intended to come at the
expense of the existing Preservation 2000 commitments, The Legislature made a promise
to Floridians that the Preservation 2000 Trust funds would be used to implement the
Preservation 2000 land acquisition programs, Now the Senate proposes to break that
promise,
This raid on the Preservation 2000 Trust Fund is bad for the Keys because:
· It means DEP will have less money to buy land in the CARL North Key Largo Hammocks
project, the CARL Florida Keys Ecosystem project, and the CARL Coupon Bight/Key Deer
project. These are the programs that have saved the destruction of our natural areas and
protected our community from massive developments like Port Bouganville, Curry Cove,
Key Largo Lodge, and the Spoonbill Sound condominiums,
· It means the Florida Communities Trust will have less money to award as grants to local
governments seeking to buy land for conservation and recreation. Key Colony Beach and
the Village of Islamorada have already been turned down for grants because there wasn't
enough money to go around-even before the Senate's proposed cut.
· It means the Monroe County Land Authority will have less money to buy land to protect the
environment, to provide parks, to resolve property rights disputes, and to avoid costly
lawsuits with developers, In the absence of State funding, the Land Authority will be forced
to use its local revenue to address these issues-local revenue that would otherwise go
toward affordable housing,
Here's what you can do: Write, call, fax or e-mail the Legislature and let them know you oppose
the raid on Preservation 2000 funds. Here are some suggested contacts:
House Speaker Tom Feeney
Room 420, The Capitol
402 S, Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-1450
Fax: (850) 488-1456
E-mail: feeneV.tom@leq,state.fLus
Senate President John McKay
Office of the Senate President
Suite 409, The Capitol
404 S, Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
Phone: (850) 487-5229
Fax: (850) 487-5486 -;-;
E-mail: mckay.john.web@leg.state.fl.us
Representative Ken Sorensen
Room 317 House Office Building
402 S, Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-9965
Local Phone: (305) 853-1947
Local Fax: (305) 853-1949
E-mail: sorensen,ken@leQ,state.fLus
Senator Daryl Jones
Room 404 Senate Office Building
404 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
Phone: (850) 487-5127 or (305) 671-7240
Fax: (888) 284-7719
E-mail: iones.darvLweb@leQ.state.fl.us
RESOLUTION NO,
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
OPPOSING THE EXPENDITURE OF PRESERVATION 2000
FUNDS ON THE ~VERGLADES RESTORATION PROJECT.
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WHEREAS, Florida Senate Bill SB 2002 proposes to appropriate $100 million of Preservation
2000 revenue from the Florida Preservation 2000 Trust Fund to the Save Our Everglades Trust
Fund to provide revenue for the Everglades restoration project; and
WHEREAS, said appropriation of Preservation 2000 funds in SB 2002 is intended to provide an
alternative to funding the Everglades restoration project from general fund revenue; and
WHEREAS, Preservation 2000 funds are a critical source of revenue for land acquisition
programs currently underway in the Florida Keys and said programs would be adversely
impacted by the loss of Preservation 2000 funds proposed in SB 2002; and
WHEREAS, SB 2002 would impede implementation of the following Conservation and
Recreation Lands (CARL) acquisition projects in the Florida Keys: North Key Largo Hammocks,
Florida Keys Ecosystem, and Coupon BighUKey Deer; and
WHEREAS, SB 2002 would impede implementation of Rule 28-20,100, Florida Administrative
Code, which was adopted by the Governor and Cabinet, sitting as the Administration
Commission, and mandates the completion of all willing seller negotiations in said CARL
projects by July 2002; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners, sitting as the Governing
Board of the Monroe County Comprehensive Plan Land Authority (hereinafter "Land Authority"),
has worked in partnership with the State of Florida to implement said CARL projects since
1992; and
WHEREAS, SB 2002 would impede the Land Authority's ability to protect the natural
environment, to provide parks, to resolve property rights disputes, and to avoid costly litigation
with developers, and would consequently force the Land Authority to divert local revenue from
affordable housing initiatives to address these issues,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMISSIONERS OF
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA:
Section 1, The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners opposes any.,jegislation which
jeopardizes implementation of the Preservation 2000 Act or its successor, the Florida Forever
Act, by reducing their funding allocations,
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Section 2. The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners supports the use of State
general fund revenue for Everglades restoration.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida,
at a regular meeting of said Board held on the of April, 2001,
,
Mayor George Neugent':"
Commissioner Sonny McCoy
Commissioner Murray Nelson
Commissioner Dixie Spehar
Commissioner Nora Williams
(Seal)
Attest: DANNY L KOLHAGE, Clerk
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By
Deputy Clerk
By
Mayor/Chairman
Approved for Legal Sufficiency
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