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Item L06BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Meeting Date: 7-16-2008 Bulk Item: Yes X No AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Division: Commissioner Dixie S Department: BOCC — District 1 Staff Contact Person: Les Boatwright, Ex Assist AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of a Resolution by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida in opposition to the privatization of Alligator Alley; opposing any State or Federal Legislation or administrative action that would have the effect of privatizing Alligator Alley; opposing foreign investors purchasing any portion of Alligator Alley; opposing any privatization agreement that pertains to Alligator Alley; supporting the requirement that any hearings in consideration of privatization of Alligator Alley be held in Broward, Collier and Monroe counties; and supporting the requirement that a portion of the revenues generated from tolls continue to be funneled back into Broward and Collier counties for projects within each county. ITEM BACKGROUND: Copies of this Resolution will be forwarded to Senator Bill Nelson and Senator Mel Martinez, U.S. Senate; Representative Ron Saunders, District 120; Senator Larcenia Bullard, District 39; Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, District 18; and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, District 25. PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: None STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: TOTAL COST: N/A BUDGETED: Yes No COST TO COUNTY: N/A SOURCE OF FUNDS: REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes No X AMOUNT PER MONTH Year APPROVED BY: County Atty OMB/Purchasing Risk Management DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL: DOCUMENTATION: Included: (Dixie ift. Sze% Not RequiredX DISPOSITION: AGENDA ITEM # Commissioner Spehar RESOLUTION NO. - 2008 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA IN OPPOSITION TO THE PRIVATIZATION OF ALLIGATOR ALLEY; OPPOSING ANY STATE OR FEDERAL LEGISLATION OR ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION THAT WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF PRIVATIZING ALLIGATOR ALLEY; OPPOSING FOREIGN INVESTORS PURCHASING ANY PORTION OF ALLIGATOR ALLEY; OPPOSING ANY PRIVATIZATION AGREEMENT THAT PERTAINS TO ALLIGATOR ALLEY; SUPPORTING THE REQUIREMENT THAT ANY HEARINGS IN CONSIDERATION OF PRIVATIZATION OF ALLIGATOR ALLEY BE HELD IN BROWARD, COLLIER AND MONROE COUNTIES; AND SUPPORTING THE REQUIREMENT THAT A PORTION OF THE REVENUES GENERATED FROM TOLLS CONTINUE TO BE FUNNELED BACK INTO BROWARD AND COLLIER COUNTIES FOR PROJECTS WITHIN EACH COUNTY. WHEREAS, Alligator Alley is a 78 mile section of Interstate 75 in South Florida connecting Collier County and Broward County and providing ingress and egress for the residents and visitors of Monroe County; and WHEREAS, during fiscal year (FY) 2007, approximately 8.3 million toll transactions on Alligator Alley produced approximately $23.5 million in revenues. Operations and maintenance costs for that same period were approximately $6.1 million; and WHEREAS, consistent with Section 334.30, Florida Statutes, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has issued a Request for Qualifications for a concessionaire to lease Alligator Alley; and WHEREAS, under the Federal Highway Administration's continued ownership of the road and through the oversight of the FDOT, the prospective lessee will operate, maintain and collect the tolls for a period of 50 to 75 years; and WHEREAS, only presumably will a portion of the toll revenues collected be returned to the respective county where the tolls are collected; and WHEREAS, the Florida Department of Transportation did not reasonably or adequately notify, advise or seek the input or consensus of the officiating bodies of Collier County, Broward County or Monroe County with respect to the prospective leasing of Alligator Alley prior to issuing the Request for Qualifications; and 1 WHEREAS, Monroe County is a string of islands with extremely limited vehicular access from US 1 to the mainland; and WHEREAS, Monroe County is dependent upon the availability and proper maintenance of Alligator Alley for routine ingress and egress for both residents, visitors and delivery of goods and services to the mainland; and WHEREAS, in the event of a hurricane requiring the evacuation of the residents and visitors of Monroe County, the loss of Alligator Alley as an access route could prove critical and results in a catastrophic loss of life; now, therefore; BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA that: The Board opposes any state or federal legislation or administrative action that would have the effect of privatizing Alligator Alley. 2. The Board opposes foreign investors purchasing any portion of Alligator Alley. 3. The Board opposes any privatization agreement that pertains to Alligator Alley. 4. The Board supports the requirement that hearings in consideration of privatizing Alligator Alley be held in Broward, Collier and Monroe Counties. The Board supports the requirement that a portion of the revenues generated from toll roads within Broward and Collier Counties continue to be funneled back into Broward and Collier Counties for projects within each county to ensure proper maintenance and provide for the safety and welfare of the residents and visitors to and from the affected Counties. 6. The Clerk is hereby directed to forward copies of this resolution to Senator Bill Nelson and Senator Mel Martinez, U. S. Senate; Representative Ron Saunders, District 120; Senator Larcenia Bullard, District 39; Senator Bill Nelson; Senator Mel Martinez; Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, District 18; and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, District 25. 2 PASSED AND,ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, at a meeting of said Board held on the I6ih day of July, A.D. 2009. Mayor Di Genuaro Mayor Pro Tem McCoy Commissioner Murphy Commissioner Neugent Commissioner Spehar (Seal) Attest: DANNY L. KOLHAGE, CLERK BY: Deputy Clerk BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA BY: Mayor Mario DiGennaro MONROE COUNTY ATT N Y C;GFQVEQ AS T F ZANNE A. TTON CO1604 ©ate ___�_ 3