Resolution 2004-078
16 89
RESOLUTION NO. 2004- 7 B
A RESOLUTION BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, COLLIER COUNTY,
FLORIDA, OPPOSING PROPOSED LEGISLATION DEVELOPED BY THE FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE FLORIDA TRANSPORTATION
COMMISSION THAT COULD REORGANIZE THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING
PROGRAM IN FLORIDA AND UNDERMINE THE INDEPENDENCE OF
METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS.
WHEREAS, the Collier County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is currently the
designated and constituted body responsible for the urban transportation planning and
programming process for Collier County; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Transportation Commission (FTC) has submitted a report to the
Governor of the State of Florida, entitled Assessment of Florida Regional and Intermodal
Transportation Planning, which includes a number of recommendations that would effect the
structure, functions and role ofMPOs in the State of Florida; and
WHEREAS, the FTC and the FDOT has prepared draft legislation for consideration by the
2004 Florida Legislature that could reorganize the Metropolitan Planning Program in Florida by
implementing the consolidation of numerous MPO areas; and
WHEREAS, Federal law does not permit Governors to re-designate MPOs or revoke the
designations of MPOs without the consent of local governments, including the central cities,
representing 75 percent of the affected population; and
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation would authorize the Governor, to designate new MPOs
covering wider regions, potentially encompassing multiple metropolitan statistical area; and
WHEREAS, such an action could result in the consolidation of the Collier and Lee County
MPOs; and
WHEREAS, the Collier and Lee County MPOs are already developing a coordinated
planning process that addresses inter-county transportation needs, including those in the portion
of Bonita SpringsINaples Urbanized Area that is in Lee County; and
WHEREAS, the forced consolidation of the Collier and Lee County MPOs would reduce
Collier County's ability to establish local transportation priorities, which is contrary to the
Federal intent of the MPO process; and
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation would no longer permit MPOs to use local
governments as their staff agencies; and
16 89
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation would add gubernatorial appointees to MPO governing
boards that are not local government elected officials, state officials, or officials of public
agencies; and
WHEREAS, Federal law allows the governing boards of newly designated and re-designated
MPOs serving urbanized areas with populations of 200,000 or more to include only local elected
officials, officials of public agencies that administer or operate major modes of transportation in
the metropolitan area, and appropriate state officials; and
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation would delete the requirement that the representation of
local governments on MPO governing boards be apportioned on an equitable geographic-
population ration basis; and
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation would require an annual performance audit by the state
Auditor General that would be redundant of the existing annual Florida Department of
Transportation (FDOT) certification review; and
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation would make Transportation Improvement Programs
(TIPs) confusing, inhibit FDOT's ability to substitute federal for state funding as needed, and
necessitate more frequent TIP Amendments by requiring that projects that are solely state funded
be excused from the MPOs' endorsed TIPs, but be explicitly shown in TIPs as for information
purposes only; and
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation would reduce the amount of funding that can be
prioritized by the Collier County MPO to address local transportation deficiencies by
approximately 50 percent, thereby delaying critical projects such as the construction of an
additional bridge into Marco Island on SR 951 and the six laning of SR 84 (Davis Boulevard);
and
WHEREAS, the Bonita SpringsINaples urbanized area has a population of greater than
200,000, giving the Collier County MPO the clear authority to direct the expenditure of Federal
funding as desired by the MPO; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
1. The Board of County Commissioners of Collier County opposes any legislation which
would make such radical and disruptive changes to the Metropolitan Transportation Planning
Program in Florida, contrary to Congress' intent that MPOs be designated by Agreement with
local governments, be governed by local elected officials and officials of public transportation
agencies, and have the independence to adopt transportation plans, priorities and programs based
upon local needs and goals and, if necessary, to deny federal funding to incompatible
transportation projects, free of state coercion; and
16 89
2. The Board of County Commissioners of Collier County opposes repealing the legislative
requirement that local government representation on the MPO governing boards be apportioned
on an equitable geographic-population ratio basis; and
3. The Board of County Commissioners of Collier County opposes the proposed shift in
state policy that would significantly reduce the amount of funding that would be prioritized by
the Collier County MPO to address local transportation needs.
This Resolution adopted after motion, second and majority vote favoring
same, this _ day of . 2004.
, "I,.
ATTEST: . "" ""I," ,
DWIGHTt':aROOk' ;Gterk
lit/:;j'. .... '... :.':..' :,;j:,\
.. .
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA
By:
Comffi' sioner Donna Fiala, Chairman
Item # Ib e,q
~~~;da U'I
~:~~d ~q~ o'i
~$(~