Subject:
Title
Funding Agreement with the City of Gulfport to provide British Petroleum Economic Settlement Funds to support construction of a mooring field on Boca Ciega Bay.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval and execution by the County Administrator of the Funding Agreement with the City of Gulfport (City) to provide British Petroleum (BP) funds to support construction of a mooring field on Boca Ciega Bay.
Body
Strategic Plan:
Practice Superior Environmental Stewardship
3.3 Protect and improve the quality of our water, air, and other natural resources
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationships and public outreach
Summary:
In accordance with the Board’s approval of BP projects and associated funding for each project on December 13, 2016, this agreement with the City will provide $100,000.00 toward the cost of construction of a mooring field on Boca Ciega Bay.
Background/Explanation:
Construction of the mooring field will add 25 mooring buoys, of which 22 would be reserved for transient use. Construction of this project will expand the transient or visitor capacity of the Gulfport Municipal Marina. The new moorings will accommodate sailboats up to 60 feet long, and meet or exceed all applicable state and county standards for boater safety and water quality. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has approved a permit for the project and a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers is pending.
The project will help address the issue of unregulated anchoring in Boca Ciega Bay, which has been associated with damage to seagrass beds from dragging anchors, degradation of water quality due to improper trash and sewage disposal, and increased incidence of derelict vessels. Construction of the mooring field would aid in addressing these issues by providing boaters with a safe and environmentally sound alternative to free anchoring. The mooring field will provide the City the ability to require user registration and prohibit unsafe or environmentally damaging boating activities. The mooring field fulfills a need for new transient boating facilities in Gulfport, where existing slips are filled to capacity during weekends and special events.
Fiscal Impact:
This agreement provides funding of $100,000.00 from the $7.1 million BP Economic Settlement Funds. The funding has been appropriated for this purpose in the FY2017 Budget. The County shall have no obligations related to maintenance, operation, and/or any other activity yielding a fiscal impact.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to sign this Agreement is granted under Resolution No. 16-90 adopted on December 13, 2016.
Staff Member Responsible:
Rahim Harji, P.E., Director of Public Works
Partners:
City of Gulfport
Attachments:
Agreement