Item K03BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: March 19, 2008
Bulk Item: Yes X No
Division:
Department:
Staff Contact: Commissioner Dixie Spehar _
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Approval of a Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners acknowledging the environmental
impacts associated with the anchorage at Boca Chica harbor, addressing the issue of derelict and
abandoned vessels, and directing staff to evaluate the potential of establishing a managed mooring field
and pumpout facilities to serve boaters and protect the marine environment.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
The Commission recognizes impacts associated with the unregulated long-term anchoring of vessels in
the harbor adjacent to Boca Chica and Stock Island, including the illegal discharge of sewage, benthic
damage, and derelict and abandoned vessels. A managed mooring field, including sewage disposal and
shore -side facilities, is a management strategy that would eliminate the environmental impacts
associated with anchored vessels and provide the necessary infrastructure to serve the crowded
anchorage.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
February 2001- Approval of a Boating Improvement Program grant agreement for funding of the Boot
Key Harbor mooring field project.
February 2003- Approval of a contract for completion of bathymetric surveys and photography for
three proposed mooring field sites.
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Approval
TOTAL COST: N/A BUDGETED: Yes No
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 - 2008
A RESOLUTION OF THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ACKNOWLEDGING THE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
ANCHORAGE AT BOCA CHICA HARBOR, ADDRESSING
THE ISSUE OF DERELICT AND ABANDONED VESSELS,
AND DIRECTING STAFF TO EVALUATE THE
POTENTIAL OF ESTABLISHING A MANAGED
MOORING FIELD AND PUMPOUT FACILITIES TO
SERVE BOATERS AND PROTECT THE MARINE
ENVIRONMENT
WHEREAS, Monroe County is home to North America's only coral barrier reef, among the most
endangered coral reefs in the world due to multiple stressors including pollution from sewage that has
caused a decline in water quality; and
WHEREAS, the reduction of water quality in Monroe County is caused in part by the discharge
of untreated or poorly treated sewage from vessels within Monroe County; and
WHEREAS, these waters are of such value that the State of Florida has designated them as
Outstanding Florida Waters and Congress has designated them as part of the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary; and
WHEREAS, through the efforts of the Governor and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
state waters within the boundaries of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary were established as a
No Discharge Zone for boater sewage effective June 19, 2002, as published in the Federal Register at 67
FR 35735 on May 21, 2002; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County 2010 Comprehensive Plan requires the County to develop
provisions to reduce pollutant discharges from anchored liveaboard vessels, including the establishment
of mooring areas; and
WHEREAS, surveys conducted for Boat Live-Aboards in The Florida Keys: A New Factor in
Waterfront Development prepared by Gus Antonini in 1990 concluded that anchor -outs are one of the
most serious concerns in regard to live -aboard issues in the keys; and
WHEREAS, The Boating Impacts Management Plan prepared by the Monroe County
Department of Marine Resources in 1992 recognized that liveaboard vessels require specialized
infrastructural services including sewage disposal and shore -side facilities; and
WHEREAS, The Channel Marking Master Plan for the Florida Keys prepared by the Monroe
County Department of Marine Resources in 1998 identified mooring fields as a key management tool in
addressing the variety of impacts generated by the proliferation of liveaboard boaters anchored
throughout the keys; and
WHEREAS, in 2001 the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners gave approval for the
Department of Marine Resources to apply for grants to fund the implementation of mooring fields and
pumpout facilities; and
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WHEREAS, in 2001 the Monroe County Department of Marine Resources prepared a Project
Proposal for a Keys -Wide Mooring Field System for the Florida Department of Community Affairs which
recognized a variety of impacts associated with live -aboard anchorages in the keys; and
WHEREAS, in 2002 the Monroe County Department of Marine Resources prepared a Keys -
Wide Mooring Field System Preliminary Planning Document which included an evaluation of numerous
anchorages throughout the keys including Boca Chica harbor and recognized the need to address
numerous boating impacts associated with the crowded anchorage; and
WHEREAS, the anchorage at Boca Chica Harbor would benefit from implementation of
infrastructural services for the disposal of vessel sewage waste, provision of vessel mooring systems and
designated access to the shoreline, and
WHEREAS, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has recognized the need for
establishing mooring fields designed to accommodate the management goals of local government
programs;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Monroe County Board of County
Commissioners:
The BOCC supports the implementation of a managed mooring field and vessel sewage
disposal facilities as an appropriate strategy to address environmental impacts associated
with the Boca Chica harbor anchorage.
The BOCC directs staff to evaluate the potential for developing a managed mooring field
at the Boca Chica harbor anchorage.
3. The BOCC directs staff to consider options for establishing a shore -side facility to serve a
mooring field at Boca Chica harbor, including the feasibility of public/private
partnerships.
4. The BOCC and staff will collaborate with the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection concerning the need for addressing anchoring issues at Boca Chica harbor, and
address permitting criteria for mooring installations in an effort to eliminate
environmental impacts associated with current anchoring activities.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County,
Florida, at a meeting of said Board held on the 19th day of March, A.D., 2008.
Mayor Charles "Sonny" McCoy
Mayor Pro Tern Mario DiGennaro
Commissioner Dixie M. Spehar
Commissioner Sylvia Murphy
Commissioner George Neugent
(SEAL)
Attest: DANNY L. KOLHAGE, Clerk
By
Deputy Clerk
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By
Mayor/Chairman
MONROE COUNTY ATTORNEY
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