Agenda 10/28/2014 Item #11C10/28/2014 11.C.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Recommendation to review and approve the proposed Collier County 2015 State
Legislative Priorities
OBJECTIVE: To review and approve the proposed list of Collier County 2015 State
Legislative Priorities. These Board - approved priorities will be presented by a member
of the County Commission at the Collier County Legislative Delegation Public
Meeting and Hearing on Thursday, December 4, 2014.
CONSIDERATION: Each year staff prepares a draft list of state legislative
priorities for consideration and subsequent endorsement by the Board of County
Commissioners (BCC). Next year's proposed list includes Issues of Major
Importance to Advocate that either emerged during the current year, or continued
from 2014. These issues need to be addressed during the upcoming 2015 Legislative
Session.
Also on the 2015 list is a new section: Water Quality Funding Requests. Five (5)
water resource projects have been proposed based on community need to be
considered for an appropriation from the Florida Legislature. Issues to Monitor are
those issues from 2014 and past years that still have relevancy.
The proposed Collier County 2015 State Legislative Priorities are listed in
Attachment A for BCC review.
FISCAL IMPACT: This executive summary has no immediate fiscal impact.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: This executive summary has no
immediate growth management impact.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item is a policy decision for the Board; no
legal issues are raised.
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of County Commissioners reviews and
approves the proposed Collier County 2015 State Legislative Priorities.
Prepared by Debbie Wight, Legislative Affairs Coordinator
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10/28/2014 11.C.
COLLIER COUNTY
Board of County Commissioners
Item Number: 11.11.C.
Item Summary: Recommendation to review and approve the proposed Collier County
2015 State Legislative Priorities. (Debbie Wight, Legislative Affairs Coordinator)
Meeting Date: 10/28/2014
Prepared By
Name: Catherine Bigelow
Title: Supervisor - Operations, Communication & Customer Relations
10/21/2014 1:10:15 PM
Submitted by
Title: Legislative Affairs Coordinator,
Name: WightDebbie
10/21/2014 1:10:17 PM
Approved By
Name: KlatzkowJeff
Title: County Attorney,
Date: 10/22/2014 8:29:55 AM
Name: SheffieldMichael
Title: Manager - Communications & Cust. Relations,
Date: 10/22/2014 8:55:48 AM
Name: IsacksonMark
Title: Director -Corp Financial and Mngmt Svs, Office of Management & Budget
Date: 10/22/2014 9:24:42 AM
Name: KlatzkowJeff
Title: County Attorney,
Date: 10/22/2014 9:42:19 AM
Name: OchsLeo
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10/2 8/2 014 1 1. C.
Title: County Manager, County Managers Office
Date: 10/22/2014 11:38:37 AM
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10/28/2014 11.C.
DRAFT Collier County 2015 State Legislative Priorities
Issues ofMaior Importance to Advocate:
1. Inland Oil Drilling & Fracking — The BCC has requested assistance from the Collier
County Legislative Delegation to support legislation that improves and strengthens State
rules and regulations governing oil well drilling activities. The BCC has entered into a
formal agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to
jointly develop and support regulatory reforms in this industry.
2. Pedestrian and Bike Safety — Collier County will ask the Florida Department of
Transportation (FDOT) District One Secretary Billy Hattaway how Collier County can
assist in his 2015 Pedestrian and Bicycle Focused Initiative in a complementary fashion.
Collier County will also participate in a statewide task force to address these safety issues
and education effectively.
3. University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS)
Collier County will continue efforts to identify and pursue a recurring funding source for
UF/IFAS.
4. Human Trafficking— Work with the Collier County Sheriffs Office to add measures to
the 2012 Florida Human Trafficking Law that improve and strengthen current legislation.
Water Quality Funding Requests:
Collier County is requesting funding allocations from 2015 Florida Legislature appropriations for
five (5) water resource projects identified as critical needs in the community. The following
prioritized water projects have been identified based on deliberate, measured review:
I) Naples Park Water, Wastewater and Stormwater (Swale Rehabilitation and
Culvert Replacement Program)
Project Description: This is a phased project which will replace all three types of
water infrastructure components resulting in water quality improvements reducing
pollutant loading to the impaired waters of Wiggins Pass.
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Cost. The estimated total cost for construction is $10 million, including $1.4 million
for storm water and $8.6 million for water infrastructure components.
II) Golden Gate City Outfall System Replacement Program (Golden Gate City
Storm water Improvement Project)
Project Description: The project will improve collection, treatment and conveyance
of storm water runoff within the four(4)- square -mile area of Golden Gate City. Storm
water runoff from this 50- year -old system is conveyed to the Golden Gate Canal
system, which discharges into the impaired waters of Naples Bay.
Cost: The estimated cost for Phase I construction is $0.8 - $1.6 million.
III) Livingston Road Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) System
Project Description: This is a shovel -ready program for wet and dry season
optimization of water resources through ASR that will enhance the environment and
provide a sustainable water supply.
Cost. The estimated cost bundled in a single phase is $IS million for Fiscal Year
(FY) 2015/16.
Alternatively, three (3) phases would request $S million each for FY 2015/16,
FY 2016/17, and FY 2017/18.
IV) South Service Area Re -use Optimization
Project Description: This is a permitted project for wet and dry season optimization
of water resources through four (4) new Lower Tamiami wells to supplement
Irrigation Quality (IQ) water supply in the South Service Area to enhance the
environment and provide sustainable water supply.
Cost. The estimated cost for Phase I, including two (2) wells at $2 million each, is a
total of $4 million for FY 2015/16.
Phase II will include two (2) wells at $2 million each, $4 million total in FY 2016/17.
V) Lely Area Storm water Improvement Project (LASIP)/Wingsouth Airpark
Channel Improvements
Project Description: This project will improve storm water collection, conveyance
and quality while rehydrating environmental preserve areas in the upstream section of
the Rookery Bay watershed. The improvements are a component of the Lely Area
Storm water Improvement Project (LASIP), a regional storm water improvement
master plan.
Cost: The estimated cost for construction is $2.6 million.
Issues to Monitor: The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) advocates for the
overall principles of preserving the Home Rule authority of local governments; opposing
State Preemption; opposing Unfunded Mandates; and protecting against Trust Fund
Diversions.
A. Beach Funding & Maintenance — Support increased funding and streamlined
permitting for beach renourishment and maintenance for coastal counties as beaches
continue to be the State of Florida's economic engine and tourism industry driver,
attracting visitors and creating jobs.
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B. Communications Services Tax (CST) — Oppose any legislation that would change
the CST; support present CST collections. Loss of CST represents $5 million impact to
Collier County.
C. Gaming — Continue to monitor the new Seminole Gaining Compact being negotiated by
Governor Rick Scott and the Seminole tribe. Support at least three (3) % govermnent
share of any future gaming proceeds to finance future infrastructure needs. The Seminole
gambling casino in Immokalee has plans to expand vertically.
D. Impact Fees — Continue to support home rule authority over administration of Collier
County's existing impact fee program.
E. Gulf Consortium — Support Collier County's continued participation in the federal
RESTORE Act directives, including the State of Florida's Gulf Consortium. Transocean
is the only determined civil settlement so far; Collier County is eligible for more than
$900,000. The decision of a settlement with British Petroleum (BP) continues in federal
court with Phase III; most recently BP was found to be "grossly negligent" in the
Deepwater Horizon tragedy of April 2010.
F. Transportation — Oppose diverting funds from the State Transportation Trust Fund to
non- transportation projects. A total of $10.1 billion was funded for transportation items
for the current FY 2014 -2015. Also, pursue an increased return on dollars for Collier
County, a long -time donor county.
G. Libraries — Continue to support State Aid to Libraries and the Southwest Florida
Library Network (SWFLN). Last session, there was about $34 million in statewide
allocations.
H. Public Record Requests — Request a legislative amendment to add onto current public
records law 119.07(1) a provision that includes Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
and Paramedics as exemptions, like firefighters and law enforcement.
I. Tourism - Protect the current level of funding to VISIT FLORIDA and support increased
funding.
J. Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling - Continue to support permanently prohibiting offshore oil
and gas drilling in Florida territorial waters, which are within nine (9) geographic miles
from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
K. Uber - Aligning with the Florida Association of Counties (FAC), Collier County
supports their new policy statement for the regulation of taxis and limousines, which
reads: FAC supports maintaining the integrity of home rule power, which allows counties
to regulate taxis, limousines, and jitneys for the purpose of public safety and consumer
protection. Conversely, FAC opposes any effort that preempts to the state the regulation
of chauffeured limousines, limousine services and drivers of chauffeured limousines.
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