RESOLUTION WHEREAS, the last effort to dredge the Federal Channel commenced in 1994 and successfully completed in I999; and

Transcription

1 RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF TARPON SPRINGS, FLORIDA, REQUESTING ASSISTANCE ON THE MAINTENANCE DREDGING OF THE ANCLOTE RIVER FEDERAL CHANNEL. WHEREAS, the City of Tarpon Springs is the Local Sponsor for the Federal Channel within the Anclote River and extending to its western terminus approximately one mile west of Anclote Key; and WHEREAS, the Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining the Authorized Navigation Depth of the Federal Channel to a minimum of 9 feet at mean low water; and WHEREAS, the last effort to dredge the Federal Channel commenced in 1994 and successfully completed in I999; and WHEREAS, maintaining the Authorized Navigation Depth as depicted on various government and commercial navigation charts is of critical importance to vessel operators in safely transiting to and from the open Gulf of Mexico waters to the port of Tarpon Springs; and WHEREAS, numerous groundings and damage to vessels due to severe shoaling within the limits of the Federal Channel have been reported now and in the recent past in the area south of Anclote Key and the Turning Basin at the Federal Channel s eastern terminus; and WHEREAS, through reports by the marine fisheries and maritime industries, commercial and deep-draft recreational vessels are bypassing the City of Tarpon Springs and its port facilities as a direct consequence of the severe shoaling; and WHEREAS, for over a century the port of Tarpon Springs and the anchorages in the waters on the eastern side of Anclote Key have been safe harbors from storms and bad weather; and WHEREAS, the Federal Channel is at the northern terminus of the Intracoastal Waterway on Florida s West Coast; and WHEREAS, the existing severe shoaling and its unpredictability create the potential for a dangerous and catastrophic situation for vessels seeking a safe harbor during storms and bad weather; and WHEREAS, this severe shoaling is clearly depicted in Sheets 9, 10, and 11 of the Fiscal Year 2014 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers survey of the Federal Channel where the soundings taken on July 8, 2014, show water depths as low as 3 to 5 feet (Mean Lower Low Water) at the south end of Anclote Key within the Federal Channel and 2 to 3 feet (Mean Lower Low Water) within the Turning Basin; and 1 Resolution

2 WHEREAS, a maintenance dredge does not require regulatory permits, per se, as was the case in the last dredge, only a Florida Water Quality Certificate issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and a Certification of Lands issued by the City of Tarpon Springs to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers; and WHEREAS, the economic importance of the Federal Channel to West Florida marine fisheries and maritime industries has been established through past assessments by the Army Corps of Engineers and justifies maintenance of the Federal Channel as a safe navigable waterway; and WHEREAS, the marine fisheries and maritime industries supported by the Federal Channel and based within the City of Tarpon Springs are an important element to ecological, historic, and cultural tourism; and WHEREAS, federal funds for the actual dredging of the Federal Channel were ensured in the Fiscal Year I998 Congressional Budget due to the extraordinary efforts of US Senator Bob Graham, US Senator Connie Mack, US Congressman Mike Bilirakis, and US Congressman Bill Young; and WHEREAS, assistance for obtaining the Florida Water Quality Certificate in 1998 was provided by US Congressman Mike Bilirakis and State Senator Jack Latvala; and WHEREAS, funding was provided in 1998 by the City of Tarpon Springs as Local Sponsor for leasing a disposal pond site and by Pinellas County for designing and constructing the disposal pond, and WHEREAS, the City of Tarpon Springs, as Local Sponsor, has continually preserved all waterfront real estate interests necessary for the dredging of the Federal Channel by means of the lateral support easement commonly referred to as the bulkhead line and issued a Certification of Lands to that effect in 1998; and WHEREAS, the City of Tarpon Springs will utilize the assistance and expertise of local marine fishery, maritime industry, and tourism-based business owners and knowledgeable residents to gain the support of federal, state, and Pinellas County elected officials and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers for a new effort to dredge the Federal Channel; along with the needs and requirements for updating the Florida Water Quality Certificate and Certification of Lands documentation required for the dredging. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF TARPON SPRINGS, FLORIDA: Section 1. To request the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to immediately initiate an effort to dredge the Federal Channel and to provide a timetable and funding estimate for that purpose. Section 2. To respectfully request of US Senator Bill Nelson, US Senator Marco Rubio, US Congressman Gus Bilirakis, and US Congressman David Jolly to ensure federal funds are made available for dredging the Federal Channel. 2 Resolution

3 Section 3. To respectfully request of the Pinellas Board of County Commissioners to commit to funding the design and construction of a disposal pond. Section 4. To respectfully request of Florida Senator Jack Latvala and Florida Representative Chris Sprowls to intervene on behalf of the City of Tarpon Springs with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the purpose of reissuing a Water Quality Certificate to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Section 5. That copies of this resolution be sent by the City Clerk to the elected officials named in Section 1 through 4 and to such other persons as directed by the Tarpon Springs Board of Commissioners. Section 6. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage and approval. 3 Resolution

4 (ALTERNATE VERSION) RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF TARPON SPRINGS, FLORIDA, REQUESTING ASSISTANCE ON THE MAINTENANCE DREDGING OF THE ANCLOTE RIVER FEDERAL CHANNEL. WHEREAS, the City of Tarpon Springs is the Local Sponsor for the Federal Channel within the Anclote River and extending to its western terminus approximately one mile west of Anclote Key; and WHEREAS, the Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining the Authorized Navigation Depth of the Federal Channel to a minimum of 9 feet at mean low water; and WHEREAS, the last effort to dredge the Federal Channel commenced in 1994 and successfully completed in I999; and WHEREAS, maintaining the Authorized Navigation Depth as depicted on various government and commercial navigation charts is of critical importance to vessel operators in safely transiting to and from the open Gulf of Mexico waters to the port of Tarpon Springs; and WHEREAS, numerous groundings and damage to vessels due to severe shoaling within the limits of the Federal Channel have been reported now and in the recent past in the area south of Anclote Key and the Turning Basin at the Federal Channel s eastern terminus; and WHEREAS, through reports by the marine fisheries and maritime industries, commercial and deep-draft recreational vessels are bypassing the City of Tarpon Springs and its port facilities as a direct consequence of the severe shoaling; and WHEREAS, for over a century the port of Tarpon Springs and the anchorages in the waters on the eastern side of Anclote Key have been safe harbors from storms and bad weather; and WHEREAS, the Federal Channel is at the northern terminus of the Intracoastal Waterway on Florida s West Coast; and WHEREAS, the existing severe shoaling and its unpredictability create the potential for a dangerous and catastrophic situation for vessels seeking a safe harbor during storms and bad weather; and WHEREAS, this severe shoaling is clearly depicted in Sheets 9, 10, and 11 of the Fiscal Year 2014 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers survey of the Federal Channel where the soundings taken on July 8, 2014, show water depths as low as 3 to 5 feet (Mean Lower Low Water) at the south end of Anclote Key within the Federal Channel and 2 to 3 feet (Mean Lower Low Water) within the Turning Basin; and 1 Alternate Resolution

5 WHEREAS, a maintenance dredge does not require regulatory permits, per se, as was the case in the last dredge, only a Florida Water Quality Certificate issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and a Certification of Lands issued by the City of Tarpon Springs to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers; and WHEREAS, the economic importance of the Federal Channel to West Florida marine fisheries and maritime industries has been established through past assessments by the Army Corps of Engineers and justifies maintenance of the Federal Channel as a safe navigable waterway; and WHEREAS, the marine fisheries and maritime industries supported by the Federal Channel and based within the City of Tarpon Springs are an important element to ecological, historic, and cultural tourism; and WHEREAS, federal funds for the actual dredging of the Federal Channel were ensured in the Fiscal Year I998 Congressional Budget due to the extraordinary efforts of US Senator Bob Graham, US Senator Connie Mack, US Congressman Mike Bilirakis, and US Congressman Bill Young; and WHEREAS, assistance for obtaining the Florida Water Quality Certificate in 1998 was provided by US Congressman Mike Bilirakis and State Senator Jack Latvala; and WHEREAS, funding was provided in 1998 by the City of Tarpon Springs as Local Sponsor for leasing a disposal pond site and by Pinellas County for designing and constructing the disposal pond, and WHEREAS, the City of Tarpon Springs, as Local Sponsor, has continually preserved all waterfront real estate interests necessary for the dredging of the Federal Channel by means of the lateral support easement commonly referred to as the bulkhead line and issued a Certification of Lands to that effect in 1998; and WHEREAS, the City of Tarpon Springs will utilize the assistance and expertise of local marine fishery, maritime industry, and tourism-based business owners and knowledgeable residents to gain the support of federal, state, and Pinellas County elected officials and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers for a new effort to dredge the Federal Channel; along with the needs and requirements for updating the Florida Water Quality Certificate and Certification of Lands documentation required for the dredging. WHEREAS, a new ad-hoc committee, known as the Marine Commerce Committee, will be formed to advise and report directly to the Tarpon Springs Board of Commissioners on its efforts of gaining support and funding for the purpose of dredging the Federal Channel; and WHEREAS, the Marine Commerce Committee will also report on the needs and requirements for updating the Florida Water Quality Certificate and Certification of Lands documentation required for the dredging. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF TARPON SPRINGS, FLORIDA: 2 Alternate Resolution

6 Section 1. To request the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to immediately initiate an effort to dredge the Federal Channel and to provide a timetable and funding estimate for that purpose. Section 2. To respectfully request of US Senator Bill Nelson, US Senator Marco Rubio, US Congressman Gus Bilirakis, and US Congressman David Jolly to ensure federal funds are made available for dredging the Federal Channel. Section 3. To respectfully request of the Pinellas Board of County Commissioners to commit to funding the design and construction of a disposal pond. Section 4. To respectfully request of Florida Senator Jack Latvala and Florida Representative Chris Sprowls to intervene on behalf of the City of Tarpon Springs with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the purpose of reissuing a Water Quality Certificate to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Section 5. To establish a Marine Commerce Committee and direct the Marine Commerce Committee to establish a mission statement, its responsibilities and its rules of order and reporting requirements and to provide them to the Tarpon Springs Board of Commissioners for discussion and approval. Section 5 6. That copies of this resolution be sent by the City Clerk to the elected officials named in Section 1 through 4 and to such other persons as directed by the Tarpon Springs Board of Commissioners. Section 6 7. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage and approval. 3 Alternate Resolution