Item I2
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: 18 August 2004
Division:
Growth Management
Bulk Item: Yes No --X-
Department:
Marine Resources
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Discussion of staff efforts to develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for soliciting consulting services to prepare a public water access
and marine facilities plan for Monroe County.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
For a number of reasons it has become apparent that the County needs to develop a plan to protect the County's remaining marine
facilities. Public access to marinas has become an issue as marine facilities have been purchased and redeveloped for private use. The
cost of marine facilities (shoreline properties) has escalated with other property values in the County making in nearly prohibitive for
working waterfronts to continue in existence in Monroe County. Commercial fishing interests, though continuing in a vital and viable
commercial fishing industry in the Keys, fmd it more and more difficult to own, operate, and maintain marine facilities at which they
would land their catch. Staff has met with a number of parties who have expressed concem about issues of continued public access
and for the continuation of working waterfronts in the traditional sense. The development of a marine facilities plan will include an
inventory and assessment of existing marine facilities, an assessment of future needs, and options for protecting some of the uses
which many feel should be maintained, but for which property values have made continuation almost prohibitive. The Growth
Management Division will work with the community, the Marine and Port Advisory Committee, and other interested parties to
develop a Request for Proposals. Staff anticipates putting the RFP out for public response during the fall of 2004 pending the
approval of the FY 04-05 budget. Growth Management anticipates approximately $75,000 in the coming year's budget (FY 04-05) to
undertake this effort. Grant funds would be sought to augment Growth Management funds. Speakers will be present for this item.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
None
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
NA
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS;
Discussion item
TOTAL COST:
Unknown
BUDGETED: Yes
x
No
COST TO COUNTY: Unknown
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes
APPROVED BY:
County Atty
Year
A
Risk Management
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
DOCUMENTATION: Included --X- To Follow
DISPOSITION:
Not Required
AGENDA ITEM NO.: 5 ~
BC040810.doc
7/23/200411:08 AM
28. BoatirtgIndustry- JULY/AUGUST200~
Bo.ating and Watenvays is ~ectiI1gi,a.i~~")~ 1;
per-eeIl.t rot in:itsconstruction budgef-:fr011ll' .
$7amillion im200i to. $35 million in 2005;,
': g. to,HeiraldF1ood, planning Unit
." grthe department.
..' r diSturbing whencorisid~
e~:1he:~tsl':(jf;theCalifomia Boating
FacilitiesN~~fuent completed at the
end 0(2002'::!t:iUidteates that the state will
:.;--- ,t\~- .,~.; 7-. :, ,~, ;"'-'
have to spendhv~lJOtnillion over the next
15 years'i61Hiildiitlgi,ihfi-aStructute.tolceep up '.
with the anticipilWdgroWth:ipthe num:betof
boat~ That would req~il~.Ufi1
inve;:~I~~Q:3ft~9n:,:;yem-has .
'i;~9~eI"' it '. ............... . '. ..... 'Cif'ithe.
~~ding its~n~. .
.j\~ere are arela . few states.that
r~l}~idevelop ..... ...boatingpl~
thatiil4Tude assessment'..acI~!.l'CY. of
recreatio'il!ll~~ting a ..Ml'ihoney.
"Few '.if3:q~H'i1ve a good handle on the
fure of reci:eationaI
:ofboating'ljUSiness-
om do; different sec-
metogethetWithagen,
organiiations.tn..demand
"c111aJboatingstrategies:'
d~m~'llti!6r boatingaccesso.r ~~cap~city'9f
~g,~!, '.
!}tcases, the declitte,.infunds for
".JiJce. th\l-tihC:~omia,does-
pa~... new...... ..d.e.....\': ,elog."...w..>:....~. ~nt.......J.. t.a1s.,. .....0...
,'_ _'''''- - ";J.'.."...:. ','.
~~keepandrestd~9on.dr older
~d marinas. . .. .....
.' ..are failing' intodisreparrand
. mmenUlIndsdryingup
lJpimtililTewyeats ago, Mitlnesota could
h~vebeen''C9IlSid~i~boatingaccess,suc-
cessstiflrY'1l1e,#atelsQepartment of
Natqfali{eso.urees.has'helped grow the
number of public . boat ramps from . aQ()ut
4(:)(:)ot 500 in 1979 toovet2;OO(:) today.
TheDNR's Lany Killien'sayshis:depart~
ment,was,btiil~about 3(:)newrrampsper'
year; Latel-y;however,avarietyoffactorsnave
madeitharder, to achieve this kindofgro~
Primary among ,those is the issue:. of
funding; Killien; who is 'aIsothe president of
SaBA; es't:imates' that funding for water
access has declined about 3(:) percent ..in
4Y1,innesota over the past five years. As a
. e 'saystheState's DNRhashadto
lanrl the number of projects it can
ithepllSt few. years.
AridiiIM& 'is.n~HUstah issue::in Minnesota.
IIIwould'saythatMichigan. Wisconsin,
Califorriia; F10rida and Oregon had been
really. good job' {of growing water
~rafewyears'ago;"he says:. 'We.'
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Orcle.Fast.ActionNo..tlA.
JULY/AUGUST 2004 - BoatihglnditstI'y 29
~-'
111eulQmate h$sl€l
"I think it's probably
shoWi1ilg up first and
hardest in Florida, but I
heHev-e it's anrsstle that's
goiI1g to have to be
addressed nation-wide"
.Joe Le~is
Ma,~ine Intlustdes.As,<ociatiim.o.fFlO1'l:dll
6ilHo(pbterttial' marmlUilveStOrStofundcnew facilities.
. "Even iffundingfornewboatingfacilltiesis acquired," Frye
~l:llns, "unfounded enviropmental concerns have, in some
loqili~es, created an atinosphere,that dictates potential marina
in~eStt>rs~ dsometimes:hiII)dreds ofthollsandsofdollars on
ty" ., state and lotalenvirOI1mehtalpennitsarid
S . '!:Stoprove that theii:,'faci1~ty will not have a negative envi-
to~ental impact, even :b~tOre the first shovel of dirt is moved:'
. "les, rise fON'Iew:development
' ..:.\ ',' .. -". " - . " " '- .'. "- -: ..: : - ~ '. ".'-
;developmentin California is becoming much more diffi-
. . . .' orniaho:tt,('j: erJR. MeansIlJ,.ca14!:.fu~':lssue of water
:acjit ;Southe 'omi~ "extremely' 't," expressing
paiticu1ar'cQncem. With the lack of mdustcation to fight
fuedecline in access he has~bsem~d.
Not only is there a shortage of slips irt.,msregion, the price
of those slips that are available are discouragmg many boaters.
'$yoll ,want to develop a marina inaplilce where there
isn't!,!"in3rina already. it won't happern; ".he 'suggests.
1'hisisn'ta problem JllstinCaIifomia!eithet., Marina oCcU-
pan' ""very high allarouhdthe:country,says:Frye, in many
cas ',' " ,''ove 90 perceiitoFmore. Abd:bo:tts often don~t get
sold ~tfroiIfaplace to15~rththem.
Meanwhile, thresholdsJor penl1it.r~\IirelI!entsateincreas-
ing aIfthe time, according to Frye; In ad<;\ition; because the eas-
iest and most appropriate places to develop marinas and boat
taIi}pshave been exhausted, developers are faced with adapting
to "cl1allenging areas:'
These areas tend to be more remote, which often drives up
infrastructure costs, he adds. Killienseconds that.
30 Boatinglndustry-JULY/AUGUST 2004
Circle Fast Action No, 115
''Now,. whenwetgo.(to{build a.rampJ;fincling'a.good.siteand
one youcana1fordandigettingcthecormnrinityto ,agree, it's a lot
more workthaIiit usoo:t();;be,r:he .explains;
lbirtyyears;;lgo,jJ;:tltestate couldnit.alford'~primepiece
of waterfr(l)n:t;jtwdUld~bl1:Y a'piece'.Ofwe~andfor.ne:xtto noth-
ingand :filldttin.
"Wedidn"t know any better, That'sthe'way things were
done," he says.
Now, whilethe,tegulations have madeci!ife'better, develope
mentcO$tli'Ipore. Waterfront property prices:also'w:e:increasing
dram:tti~y''and the budgets for boating:agencies:arein0t keep-
iIigpate;,ih addition, as the vaIueof waterfront property
increases, many struggling marinas see selling to a developer as
an easy w?:yout.
'~it' " easingly moredifficu1t fot sm~m~asto sur-
vive,~/. .... '.c' oney."In manywaysthesmallma:riri'aSlsituation
is Siffii1~i;(ci?rithesmalLfarm problem. Small marina owners view
theirm:~,a,sat their retirement income and'when they sell
. veryofteriUle marina is; converted to other ,uses:'
1his:is;:especially:a::pt()bleminF1Clriida;,Where~eindustry
is "losing:J~arinas right ;and:Jeft tocond6,devel0p~FS;f's,~Y:Si)fQe
Lewis,e~;eCp.tive director . of the Marine Industrie.sAssoeiation
ofli)..Q" , 11\F).
it's probably showing up first and hardest in
f1R~dil,:i~t.I believe it'SaIliSs,ue tJIat1s:.goillgto.havetobe
addtessedJli1:tion-wide," he say&;
1:heindustry is currentlyseeIcing:Se5l~tib:nS'furtfli$problem,
howeyer,"We don't want to teUprivatelyheldm:arinas what
theycan:and can't do with theirpropetties,"Lewis explains.
Otheroptions include developing incentives to keep marinas,
Silc!lastaxrclief; grant m0ney or reduoedsubmergecUand fees, or
askirigthegovemment tobuy marinas' development rights.
"The reason they're [selling out to developers] is there is a
tremendous financial gain to be hadtheret Lewis states.
The ,numbers game
NMMA has 10bbyistsji14Vs~ateswho,batt1eonbehalf of indus-
try manufaCfurers oh.iSS\Ies including wateracc:ess"andij,'v1.()M
says it has dedicated staff to promofe'~i:l6~.t~J:~~ilfoatili'g
access on the state and local level. '.
"We're doing battle on the federalistate andJocallevels
hassle CONTINUED ON Page 33
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'fbeultimate hassle
.t,
~/ftlQN1.1NuEDFROM Pllge 30
every day," says Frye. "We employ lobbyists aroundthe country to monitor and react
to legislation and regulations that threaten access:'
These efforts are not sufficient, however. \Vithwater access battles being fought
on local, state and federal levels simultaneously, individual companies need to take a
stand in their community and in their state. .
"Politi<@ip.volvement by the members themselves is one of the keys to prevent-
ingadecliriem water access," says Frye.
The industry also needs to work more closely with boaters and state boating
agencies to help preserve and grow access.
"It certainly would be nice for all of us to bepuWPg in the same direction," says
Killien. "Most state agencies are political animal$. U;'W'e don'.thave the support of the
public and the industry, we mightbe overlookedOl'underfunded:'
But, even if the industry and boaters united tolQhby the government to develop
policies to preserve and grow water access, there wou1dbe a lack of data to back it up.
SOBA has been working to create a national data,balle of boat ramps and mari-
nas for several years. Recently, RBFF has partner~dWith SOBA and NMMA in an
effort to try to maintain and grow the database. 'IltroHgh the agreement, RBFF has'
been funding the effort, which it has contracted outtOMOAA.
"Hopefully, that info will be available through the Water Works Wonders Web
site," says Bruce Matthews, RBFF president.
SOBA believes the industry needs a nation-widebbating needs assessment that
would rate those areas in need of greater water access. based on a priority scale.
"It's been on SOBA's agenda for a few years," KillieIlexplains. "We just don't have
the checkbook for it."
SOBA's annual budget is about $90,000. One consultant SOBA executives spoke
with estimated that the project would cost over half a million dollars. However,
Killien believes the initial study could be done for a lotless. than that.
Another form of data the industry is lacking is the economic impact of boating
on a federal, state and local level.
"Some states like Michigan, Florida, Maryland, and NeW York," Mahoney says,
"rtlgular1yconduct state-wide economic impact studies. But the problem is that it is
difficulftb~pply the aggregate numbers (e.g., recreational boating in Michigan is a
$2.25 billion industry) to local situations (e.g., the economic impact of expanding an
existing marina):'
e. says . that while thestate~widetCbnomicimpact of:~~~~gjsimp~.)
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JULY/AUGUST 2004 - Boating Industry 33
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<illJicu1t to be faced with reduced boating access or interested
in an investment to increase access to disaggregate the num-
bers'and apply them to their situation. And special economic
impact studies are often expensive and take time to complete.
"What is needed," says Mahoney, "and RMRC is currently
developing them, are spending proilles for different boater seg-
ments that can be used with estimates of the impacts of changes
in access to estimate the positive and negative econ()mic
impacts of increased or decreased access on local communities."
lbrough his work with RMRC, he is in the process of
developing such spending proilles in addition to an online
economic impact tool that can be used to estimate increase or
decrease in boating economic impacts.
"J[ we go to Congress and say, 'We need billions of dollars
worth of access, and by the way, did you realize 14 million
dollars of income to this region comes from boating: That is .
how you take this information and make it salable," says
Killi%1'"~YJ;tyQne,is squeezed right now, and sometimes we
dontt'ijA~~"mei'iiif() to back up what we're asking for."
Evellth()ughMahoneyis an economist, he says the indus-
by also has to tecognizeand market the quality oflife bene-
fits to boating.
"For example, recreational boating and boating facilities can
enhance a oommunity's aesthetic appeal and quality of life," he
explains. "The same facilities if incorporated as part of retail and
dining complexes can attract different markets. They can also
add to the value of real estate property near these facilities."
These things, in addition to boater spending and eco-
nomic impacts, should be taken into account, even though
they are more difficult to estimate.
Assembling this information now is especially important,
given the other challenges the industry is facing.
"Of course[adecIine in water access] can have negative
impacts on future boat sales," Mahoney says, "especially
when redus;ed access occurs at the same time we are recruit-
ing fewer boaters and there is more competition from other
forms of-recreation:'
Efforts underway
While the industry hasn't been making water access its top
priority, it certainly hasn't been ignoring it. MOAA, for
example, has done quite a bit in the name of preserving and
growing water access.
For one, it launched National Marina Day in 2001 and is
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JULY/AUGUST 2004 - Boating Industry 35
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working to grow the grassroots event NMD's goal is the
education of politicians, civic leaders and the public about
the important role the marina industIy plays in cities and
towns across.the nation as family-friendly gateways to boat-
ing and stewards of the envirotunent. MOM says it all
helps raise awareness about the benefits of water access.
"While the number of National Marina Day participants
has grown by over 50 percent from the first year ofits obser-
vance to its second, and all indicatiollS pOinUo continued
growth this year, total industIy participatioIlin National
Marina Day is still comparatively small,~ admits Frye. "With
grea.t~ industIy involvement,' this imPOJtant industry initia-
tive will grow at an' even faster rate and have a larger impact
on educating politicians, civic leaders, and the general public
about. out industIy. This educative process will, in turn,
strengthen the marina industIy and ultimately help to pro-
mote water access:'
Another effort MOAA has undertaken is support of a
piece of legislation before the California Assembly that
would lengthen the period of concession contracts for
marina operators in California state parks to 30 years.
"MOAA feels, rightly, that it is in the best interests of
local, state and federal governments, as well as the boating
public, that leases entered into ~ government arid marina
operators should be long enough to allow marina operators
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Circle Fast Action No. 1 19
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the capital they invest in the facility to ensure that it
as a safe, environmentally friendly gateway to boating,"
eXplains Frye.
He expects that similar legislation will be introduced in other
states in the future in an effort to make the construction and
improvement of marina facilities easier and more affordable.
A third project launched by MOAA in 2001 is an educa-
tional conference for federal, state and local lake managers. Sixty
federal lake managers from the U.S. Anny Corp of Engineers,
U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the National
Park Service, and other federal agencies attended the conference,
entitled Marina Management 101, in 2003.
"You can tell people all about the many challenges marinas
face as they try to provide the public with access tQAmerica's
waterways, but until you see a marina in action, thllt knowledge
is all academic," Frye says.
It's important, however, that responsibility forpteserving
water access.isn'trelegated strictly to the marinasegnientofthe
industry. For one, the marina segment of the industry doesn't
have the funding to tack1eit by itself More importantly, as a fun-
damental requirement for boating, water access mustbe.on the
agenda of all groups that purport to promote the industry.
"While manufactures and retailers are making efforts to jointly
create a program designed to grow boating," Frye suggests, "those
two groups should consider working more closely with the marina
industry's efforts to grow public awareness about the economic
value of marinas to cities and towns across the country."
MIASF has also confronted the decline in water access. It
created a Marine Master Plan several years ago, which among
other things sets out a framework through which the industry
can work with local govemment to preserve access.
The state boating departments are getting creative. In
Minnesota, for example, Killien says they've been considering
launching an "adopt a ramp" program, similar to the adopt-a-
highway programs.
An organization. participating in the program could "mow
the lawn, pick up litter or fund dock improvements and repair,"
all things the state is now doing less frequently. due to funding
shortages,.he suggests.
Given the NMl\4A's position in the industry as the largest
and most well-fimd~association, it would be easy to dump
responsibility for an issue of this magnitude on its shoulders.
However, this 'truly is an example of an issue that. can benefit
from full participatiQnpy individual marine compaI)ies in their
community, by all industry associations, by boatersllIldby boat-
ing associations. .
"NMMA can and should take a leadership role, but in part-
nership with other industry associations, federal and state boat-
ing agencies and boater organizations," says Mahoney. 'This is
too significant an issue for only one organization to be involved:'
,
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~
Another group that has become
infighting for access - and may
have to ramp up its involvement - are
boaters themselves. One way the indus-
try could work with boaters on access
issues would be for boat builders and
dealers to. inform their customers about
the need for public access, says Killien.
He suggests they could incorporate
messages about water access into their
advertising, stating, "Without public
access, you can't get to the water.
Please support your DNR public
access program:'
"Somehow we need to get the mes-
sage to the general user of the product,"
he says. "I don't think a lot of the users
realize how this program works. They
don't realize they fund a lot of the pro-
gram [through] gas taxes and such:'
Making significant progress on an
issue the size of water access will likely
require the joint participation of groups
like HoatU.S. and Standing Watch with
the industry and local, state and federal
government groups.
Another reason for unity
Mahoney believes that water access,
many issues that could negatively
,recreational boating, "requires
~;lr1da 'comingtogether'of
dtisec:to!"Softhe industry; boating
organizations and boaters in support of
long-term fixes and pro-active strategies
to reverse the loss of access:'
'There are many efforts and suc-
cesses including boaters and industry
associations fighting for additional
access. sites, sportsman's clubs co-fund-
in~ the development of boat launch
fa.Cilities, and commercial marinas join-
ing together to fund dredging of public
waterways," Mahoney says. "While
there are success stories, often they are
a response to a local or immediate
access issue. Solving the particular prob-
lem can a~ally camouflage the long-
term situation."
He explains that most states do
not have integrated and strategic boat-
ing access plans, and if they do, fund-
ing is insufficient to deal with the
immediate, never mind the long-term.
loss of access. .
"Solving immediate or local access
problems often does not force the type
www.boatlng-Industry.com
of policies and mediation that will be
nece!lSary," he says.
With indicators suggesting a healthy
U.S. economy this year, state funding of
water access may gradually return to pre-
1999 levels. This won't remedy the prob-
lenlpy it&elf, though it's a step in the right
direction. Factors such as demand for
waterfront property and increased obsta-
cles to new development are likely to
only increase.
'The continuing erosion of recreation-
al boating access is insidious," Mahoney
concludes, "and when combined with
other factors could have a. long-term nega-
tive impact on recteational boating:' -l
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JULY/AUGUST 2004 - Boating Industry 39