Report to Board of County Commissioners
August 17, 2010
1- Inform the Board that FEMA has finally approved funding for the relocation of Alligator Point Road from Tom Roberts through South Shoal to Harbor Circle and then across 4 private lots and tie back in to Alligator Point Road at the Fire Station. The funding was not what the county had requested but we will have to see if we can make the project work. The biggest issue will be the acquisition of the land. I have asked if FEMA has any particular steps the county must go through in negotiating to acquire land and I am waiting for a response. Board direction on whether it wants to direct Mr. Shuler to officially contact the property owner of the Board’s intention or wait to see if FEMA has a particular path we are to follow.
2- Board action to cancel the CGA contract for oil spill response services and direct CGA and county staff to begin close-out efforts effective Aug. 31. A subcontractor of CGA, known as GRD, will actually perform the close out work. Ms. Pam Brownell, EM Director, and I have agreed that it is unlikely that the Governor will extend his emergency declaration when it expires on Aug 28 so in order to assist GRD in recouping CGA funds they need notice from the county of an end to their services. CGA and GRD are in agreement with this recommendation.
3- Inform Board that Ms. Brownell continued the local state of emergency regarding the oil spill on Aug. 9, Aug 16, and will do it again on Aug. 23. The August 23 declaration will be the last one unless the Board sees some reason to continue them.
4- Board action to direct Mr. Shuler to review contracts submitted by Fairpoint Communications regarding the upgrade of 911 equipment at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The purchase of equipment is being paid for by a grant that Franklin, Gulf, and Calhoun counties jointly received.
5- Board action on expenditure of funds for renovating Weems Hospital. As the Board is aware ½ of the county sales tax is reserved for building an urgent care clinic in Carrabelle, and then for renovating/rebuilding Weems Hospital. Mr. Chuck Culvert, Ms. Marcia Johnson, Ms. Linda Phillips, and I met last week to discuss two items that fall under the category of renovating Weems. The subject has come up because the current balance in the capital outlay is more than the contract price for building and furnishing the Urgent Care Clinic. The current balance remaining on the Urgent Clinic, including equipment and furnishings is $1,240,280. The current balance in the capital outlay account is $1,362,599 so there is currently some $100,000 in the capital outlay account that can be put to work at Weems. The Hospital would like to spend some $6000 to replace some air conditioning and then begin the acquisition of a new CT scanner.
6- Board action on submitting project to DOT for consideration of funding in 2013 under CIGP. I have attached to my report the Project Eligibility from DOT which emphasizes the need for the project to demonstrate it will relieve congestion on the state highway system.
On Friday, August 13, 2010, I spoke to Ms. Myra Suggs, DOT Program Administrator. She verified that both Bluff Road and Oak St. are being reviewed by DOT for funding in the Oct. SCOP announcement.
While the DOT directions said submit only one project for CIGP, I did ask Ms. Suggs what happens if the county submits more than one project. She said she would prefer the county submit one, but if more than one is submitted DOT will then make its own assessment of which road is most appropriate. Preble-Rish has done a cost estimate on the projects the commissioners have discussed. The projects and costs are below:
Project Cost Estimate
Bayshore Loop $2,089,966.00
Bluff Road $2,258,220.65
C.C. Land Road $1,489,970.79
Oak St. $1,481,701.37
If the Board wants to re-submit Oak and Bluff then it should at least submit one more project in the event Oak and Bluff are funded out of SCOP. Because of the extensive work that needs to be done on Bluff and Oak the county is better off if those projects are funded through SCOP. SCOP pays 75% of costs. The CIGP pays 50% of cost. Board action.
7- As the current road paving program winds down Commissioner Jackel has a small amount of funds remaining in her district that is insufficient to pave any additional road. She would like Board action to allow her to transfer approximately $7500 of her remaining road paving funds out of the road paving account into General Revenue for the purpose of installing holiday lighting along US 98 in Eastpoint. Other communities in the county such as Carrabelle and Apalachicola have holiday lighting. Board action.
8- Board action approve a Resolution of support for Levy County and other counties where FWC is issuing Class I and Class II captive wildlife licenses to individuals without regard to local government authority. The issue is that FWC apparently has the authority to issue an individual a permit to own a lion or a tiger or other large game without regard to whether the local government thinks the neighborhood is suitable for such an activity.
9- The FWC is inviting any county commissioners that are interested to learn more about the proposed black bear management plan to a public meeting at the Apalachicola City Hall on Thursday, August 26 at 3 PM.
Bear populations are expanding in some areas but still quite restricted in others. Because of this variability, the plan proposes a framework to manage bears at a local, rather than a state, level. The plan would create several designated areas called Bear Management Units, which would allow FWC to consider the specific challenges and characteristics of the different geographical areas where bears reside. The state plan does call for the creation of an Apalachicola Bear Management Unit.
10- Board action to sign Memorandum of Agreement with Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development over the continuation of Franklin County as part of the Northwest Florida Rural Areas of Economic Concern. This renewal will carry through Jan. 8, 2015.
11- Inform Board that Senator Nelson did get a response out of the U.S. Coast Guard that “A homeport change of USCGC SEAHAWK has not been approved.”
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