Item O7
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W
ADD-ON
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: 19 October 2005
Bulk Item: Yes No --X-
Commissioner:
Staff Contact:
Mayor Dixie SlJehar
Judy Steel/George Garrett
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Authorization and direction to open a Work Project through FEMA and develop a contract with Monroe County Commercial
Fisherman (MCCF) in an effort to remove trap debris in the marine environment which causes a threat to life-safety and which has
re.c;ulted from the severe storm season of 2005. The County's commitment to the project will be approximately $250,000
ITEM BACKGROUND:
During the 2005 Hurricane Season considerable lobster trap loss has occurred with consequent impacts to the commercial fishing
industry. In addition, many of the traps lost to the various storms have wound up in navigation channels and other hazardous areas,
thus affecting the safety of the boating recreational and commercial public. As a result of the County's on-going efforts to manage
and remove land based storm -debris in the Keys, County staff, the Florida Department of Community Affairs, and FEMA now believe
that the County is in the best possible position to coordinate the collection and removal of trap debris material most expeditiously as
well. In its traditional role, FEMA will complete a Work Project document with Monroe County covering 75% of the eligible costs.
The remaining fund obligations would come from the state and the county. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
(FWC) indicates that it is willing to commit $100,000 to the effort. Please find attached a letter to the Mayor from FWC defining their
role in the project. Similarly, a draft concept plan from MCCF has been provided which will be the basis for a contract between
MCCF and the County, an estimated $1.2 M effort. Sum total expenditures could exceed $1.5 M including debris haul-out costs. The
County may use these expenditures as all or part of their match obligations for the project.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
None
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
None
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS;
Approval
TOTAL COST:
COST TO COUNTY:
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes
APPROVED BY:
No
BUDGETED: Yes
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
AMOUNT Per Month
No
Year
County Atty
NA OMBlPurchasing NA
1~ m. \ j,..J~J
Dixie J'pehar, Mayor
Included --X- Not Required
Risk Management NA.
COMMISSIONER APPROVAL:
DOCUMENTATION:
DISPOSITION:
0.1
AGENDA ITEM NO.:
BC051 040
10/18/200510:10:00 AM
FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
RODNEY BARRETO
Miami
KATHY BARCO
Jacksonville
SANDRA T. KAUPE
Palm Beach
H.A. "MERKT HUFFMAN
Enterprise
DAVID K. MEEHAN
St. Petersburg
RICHARD A. CORBETT
Tampa
BRIAN S. YABLONSKI
Tallahassee
KENNETH D. HADDAD, Executive Director
VICTOR J. HELLER, Assistant Executive Director
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
(850)487-3796 TDD (860)488'9542
October 13, 2005
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The Honorable Dixie Spehar, Mayor
Monroe County
500 Whitehead Street
Key West, Florida 33034
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Dear Mayor Spehar:
We have been communicating with your staff and the Monroe County commercial lobster
industry regarding ways to expedite removal of spiny lobster trap debris left onshore and in
shallow near-shore waters after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I know we are all seeking the
quickest possible removal of this material, which poses significant hwnan health and safety
hazards.
From discussions with your Director of Marine Resources, Mr. George Garrett, we understand
that Monroe County has a process and infrastructure in place for dealing with debris from these
two hurricanes and may be interested in seeking additional FEMA funds for cleanup of trap
debris. Subsequent discussions with state and federal staff of the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary (FKNMS), the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA), and the Federal
Emergency Management Administration have confirmed that Monroe County is an eligible
applicant for FEMA funding to remove trap debris. Furthermore the state agencies concur that
the most efficient and effective approach would be for Monroe County to be lead agency. While
the FWC has statutory authority to operate a trap retrieval/trap debris removal program, our rules
allow us to authorize other governmental and non-governmental entities to retrieve trap debris,
such as occurs during coastal clean up campaigns.
We support Monroe County serving as the lead applicant and concur this will expedite
completion of an urgently needed cleanup effort. We also understand that there is a matching
requirement for these funds and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is
prepared to offer $100,000 from the Trap RetrievallDebris Removal program to cover all or part
of the required match. The Commission also offers to provide any technical assistance that may
be needed to develop and implement a scope of work in cooperation with the Monroe County
Commercial Fishermen's Association.
620 South Meridian Street . Tallahassee . FL . 32399'1600
Visit MyFWC.com
Mayor Dixie Spehar
Page Two
October 13, 2005
We greatly appreciate the support and efforts of Monroe County and all of the partners involved.
Please feel free to contact Mr. Mark Robson, our Director of Marine Fisheries Management, if
there is anything we can do to assist you. He may be reached at 850-487-0580 ext. 218.
Sincerely,
~#JJJ
Kenneth D. Haddad
Executive Director
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
cc: FWC Commissioners
Mark Robson
Chuck Collins
Billy Causey, FKNMS
Anne McCarthy, FKNMS
Charles Bartel, DCA
Charles Dugger, FEMA
George Garrett, Monroe County
Ralph Boragine, MCCF
Monroe County Commercial Fishermen, Inc.
P.O. Box 501404, Marathon, FL 33050
Phone: 305-619-0039 Fax: 852-3606 Email: mccfl@comcast.net
Marine Debris Clean-up
Rationale:
It is important to clean up the marine debris caused by the destruction of lobster traps by
recent hurricanes, as they pose a unique threat to the general public's health and well
being. Large numbers of tourist as well as local Keys citizens heavily utilize the water
edge for all forms of recreational activities which for the large part involve fast moving
vessels. With little effort one can envision a number of injuries caused by persons
colliding with fully or partially submersed traps or trap parts.
j ,
Management Response Team: J j
The Monroe County Commercial Fishermen, Inc. is a not for profit corpora~fon
incorporated in the State of Florida. Its purpose is to cooperate<~ith the varie~y of
agencies involved in the marine environment, including but not l~,~ted to;. the J;fbrida
Fish and Wildlife Commission, National Marine Fisheries Se~ite angv8ri2,u8 other
Federal, State, local government entities which may impact the~Jjilityoffis~~riTIan in the
Florida Keys to purse their livelihood responsibly while fisl1,ipg un~er,tft~;6aSic tenants
and Standards of the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996.,;,p' ;'. ",:i/'l
., .:' 1"; .<,(/,,::;.(7.
The Monroe County Commercial Fishermen, ~9{';;7'W)l.l(,;;,~~tr>:~s the contracto~ and
Management Response Team for clean"yp on*~;;~a.t~~~k:tI!e rationale of course IS the
intimate knowledge of the geography, '}e{m1fr1Ke.'~n~rr6nment. MCCF will coordinate
with the County through con!1l~ct:tf'"eeme!lL:t6't~nsure that operations occur in an
"~-..,"':''':r.' - -, _""'-<~->_'~__ "":....:~y
~rd:~~er, thah~f~;f~I{. ". )92i:i;;;;;{-~:;i~~~~7~5:?~t~Sz~~~~~ented for reimbursement
y ..." f'~i#!:f''''-<. < ....:;J;;:.'1.=~~~_::;..:: ""{:<
T . t:';;~'" ~tioffe~~,,~t~!g:~~M~..bj'R~h?l1.~~oragine, executive director of
tli~ > de 'Co y.CorjIme~c.iar"Fis~eqneri~'-aIiQ:"OQugl:as Gregory, Jr., the Extension
A~ ;nd County Exten~i~nDir~9tor fot'1iie:~~~nty. Tiie~:{eam will utilize the board of
di[(~~_.ors of the Monroe CotintY~}:;J:)}nme.!s!!1 FisIleqnen, Inc. as the Response Team. The
rationale for the utilization of Monroe County Commercial Fishermen's Inc., board of
directors, is that they have overarching and comprehensive knowledge of the Florida
Keys marine environment, coupled with their intimate knowledge, of those environs
where they geographical reside. MCCF has a strong commitment to the community
demonstrated by the large amount of time they spend each year dedicated to the overall
betterment of the fishing community in the Florida Keys.. Mr.'s Boragine and Gregory
will coordinate all the activities of the Response Team.
The Response Team Leaders are: Bruce Irwin, Chairman of the Board, (Marathon);
George Niles, President, (SummerlandlStock Island); Ernest Piton, Vice President of
Finance, (Key Largo), Mitch Gale, Vice President of Constituent Affairs, (Big Pine),
Bobby Pillar, Vice President of Special Projects (Summerland); Bryan Rife, Director
(Marathon); Jason Yarbrough, Director (Key West/Stock Island); Jeff Cramer, Director,
(Conch Key); Josh Nicklaus, Director (Key West/Stock Island); Anthony Iarocci, Past
President, (Grassy Key/Marathon); Billy Niles, Director (SummerlandlStock Island); Tim
Daniels, Past President, (Marathon).
The Response Team Managers, along with the Team Leaders will organize and deploy
the various teams to target areas to be cleaned. Areas to be cleaned, will be reconnoitered
by the team leaders before the actual clean up begins in order to initially target the most
urgent area so as teams can be deployed in and organized, affective and cost effective
manner. It may be necessary during the reconnoiter phase of this work to deploy 1 or 2
smaller vessels to document the need, once done teams will be dispersed. Remuneration
for team members will be vessel type, large vessels $1,350.00 per day, shallow draft
vessels $650.00. A team is a large vessel, typical a #1 Key West (45'), Peninsula Marine
(53') or a Gulf Stream (57') and one or more shallow draft vessels (14' - Dependent
on the work scheduled for an area 1 or more large vessels will be with
appropriate number of shallow draft vessels.
The Monroe County Commercial Fishermen, Inc will utilize
community to reach out to both its members and non members to
Cost: Initial thoughts are for approximately 200 team days or