Resolution 100-1995
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Public Works
RESOLUTION NO. 100- 1995
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA OPPOSING RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE
ADMINISTRATION'S FY 1996 BUDGET REQUEST WHICH WOULD
REMOVE FEDERAL PARTICIPATION IN WATER PROJECTS,
INCLUDING BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECTS, WHICH ARE NOT
"NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT", RECOMMENDING RETAINING THE
CURRENT FEDERAL CRITERIA FOR FEDERAL PARTICIPATION
AND COST SHARING. RECOMMENDING OPPOSING FUTURE
LEGISLATION WHICH MAY ELIMINATE OR REDUCE FEDERAL
PARTICIPATION IN SUCH PROJECTS, PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, President Clinton's Fiscal Year 1996 budget
request contains proposals to introduce legislation which will
eliminate federal financial participation in water projects,
including shore erosion control, hurricane and storm damage
reduction, and flood control projects which are not considered to
be
of
"national
significance",
and
including
all
beach
nourishment projects nationwide; and
WHEREAS, for those projects which can demonstrate
"national significance", the Administration proposes to increase
the minimum qualifying benefit/cost ratio to 2:1 from 1:1, and to
increase the non-federal shore of the cost from 25~ to 75~; and,
WHEREAS, most of Monroe County's beach front has been
and is continuing to experience moderate to severe erosion due to
natural causes; and,
WHEREAS, the health of Monroe County's beaches is
fundamental to the health of the County's tourist industry, which
in turn is the foundation of the County's economy; and,
WHEREAS, beaches are the most important factor
influencing tourists to visit Florida; and,
WHEREAS, the 21.6 million tourist who annually visit
Florida's beaches directly spend $7.9 billion, create 359,000
jobs, and generate $15.4 billion for Florida's economy; and,
WHEREAS, seven million foreign tourists visit Florida
each year, with 2.3 million from Canada, who stay an average of
21 days each and spend $1.6 billion annually; and,
WHEREAS, travel and tourism is the largest industry in
the u.S. and the world, the largest employer in the U.S.,
accounts for the greatest job growth in the U.S., is the leading
component of a growing service-industry international trade
surplus for the U. S. (only agriculture generates a larger trade
surplus), and is an industry in which the U.S. dominates
world-wide in revenues and profits; and,
WHEREAS, annual average federal expenditures for beach
nourishment proj ects over the past 44 years have been about $15
million and the gross regional product produced from beach
tourism for coastal states is estimated to be about $170 billion,
indicating the extraordinarily positive benefit/cost ratio of
protecting the Nation's beaches; and,
WHEREAS, eliminating federal participation in beach
nourishment, flood control, and shore protection programs will
remove a talented and experienced pool of U. S . Army Corps of
Engineers scientists and engineers from coastal research efforts
and place a significant additional burden to state agencies and
educational institutions to continue such research; and,
WHEREAS, eliminating the federal role in projects for
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flood control, hurricane and storm damage reduction, and
shoreline erosion control will at least double the cost of the
projects for state and local governments, placing an unacceptable
financial burden on these entities, and reducing the ability of
state and local governments to protect life, land and coastal
structures and infrastructure;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA:
SECTION 1: The Monroe County Board of County
Commissioners strongly urges President Clinton and the
Administration to withdraw the recommendations in the FY 1996
budget request to eliminate federal participation in shoreline,
erosion control, hurricane and storm wave damage reduction, and
flood control projects not considered to b~ of "national
significance", and not to introduce legislation which would
provide for such recommendations.
SECTION 2: The Board further urges that current federal
cost-sharing criteria, which have resulted in very successful and
efficient shore protection proj ects in Florida and in the U. S. ,
not be changed to increase the non-federal financial
responsibility for these economically vital projects.
SECTION 3: The Board requests that should legislation
be introduced which provides for elimination of federal
participation in non-national water projects, or which
increases significantly the non- federal cost of such proj ects,
that Florida's U.S. Senators and Representatives oppose such
legislation.
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SECTION 4: The Board authorizes and directs the county
Administrator to furnish a copy of this Resolution to the Florida
members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners
of Monroe County, Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board
held on the 15th day of March, A.D., 1995.
Commissioner London yes
Commissioner Douglass yes
Mayor Freeman absent
Commissioner Harvey yes
Commissioner Reich yes
(Seal)
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY
Attest: DANNY L. KOLHAGE, CLERK By:
~
Pro Tem
BY~C.~
Deputy 1erk
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