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RESOLUTION URGING THE GOVERNOR AND FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO REVISIT THE CRITERIA FOR FUNDING STATE WATER PROJECTS SO AS TO INCLUDE THE TYPES OF DRAINAGE AND CANAL PROJECTS THAT ARE IN GREAT NEED IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

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WHEREAS, on Thursday, January 9, Senator Alan Hays, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, transmitted a memorandum to members of the Florida Senate related to state water project funding requests; and
WHEREAS, included with Senator Hays� memorandum was a list compiled by Governor Rick Scott�s office of the information requested and priority areas to be considered when identifying water projects for funding as part of the Fiscal Year 2014-15 General Appropriations Act; and
WHEREAS, the Governor�s Office identified the following statewide goals as priorities for funding water projects:
* Significantly improving water quality in an impaired springshed;
* Significantly improving water quantity in a springshed that is currently below, or expected within 20 years to fall below, its established minimum flow or level;
* Developing regionally significant alternative water supplies to meet current or future needs in an environmentally sustainable manner; particularly those between two or more water management districts;
* Significantly reducing nutrient loading from domestic wastewater to a nutrient impaired water body;
* Accomplishing a task identified in an adopted Basin Management Action Plan;
* Assisting an Area of Critical State Concern in addressing water quality requirements; and

WHEREAS, on Tuesday, January 14, the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee held a workshop on state funding of water projects, and also opened its website for submitting water projects for funding online with a deadline of February�21; and
WHEREAS, on Wednesday, February 5, the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee again discussed water project funding, including the diversity of the types of unmet water project funding needs across the state; and
WHEREAS, the Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department has identified a project that meets one of these six statewide goals and also meets the other criteria provided to potentially qualify for state funding, which is the construction of two industrial disposal wells at the Central District Wastewater Plant�on Virginia Key; and
WHEREAS, there are a number of unfunded needs in the Miami-Dade County Public Works and Waste Management Department for drainage and canal projects, but unfortunately these projects do not meet the statewide goals and criteria that has been delineated for state funding; and
WHEREAS, there is a substantial unmet need for both Water and Sewer infrastructure as well as Public Works drainage and canal projects by Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, in addition to Miami-Dade County, there is also a substantial unmet need for water project infrastructure by cities located within Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, the statewide goals identified by the Governor and Legislature related to springsheds, alternative water supply, areas of critical state concern (as defined in statute), and basin management action plans have limited application within Miami-Dade County, even though it is the most populous county in the State of Florida; and
WHEREAS, this Board would urge the Governor and Legislature to revisit the criteria for funding state water projects so that they include the types of drainage and canal projects that are in great need in Miami-Dade County,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the Governor and Florida Legislature to revisit the criteria for funding state water projects so as to include the types of drainage and canal projects that are in great need in Miami-Dade County.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to send a certified copy of this resolution to the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker, the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade State Legislative Delegation, the Chair and Members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, the Chair and Members of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee and the Executive Director of the Miami-Dade League of Cities.
Section 3. Directs the County�s state lobbyists to advocate for the changes set forth in Section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to amend the 2014 State Legislative Package to include this item.