Subject:
Title
Dedication to Public Use and Declaration of Restrictive Covenants between the Florida Communities Trust, the City of Dunedin, and Pinellas County for the Gladys E. Douglas Preserve acquisition.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the Dedication to Public Use and Declaration of Restrictive Covenants (DDRC) for the acquisition of the Gladys E. Douglas Preserve (GDP) in Dunedin, Florida.
• Effective March 17, 2022, Pinellas County (County) and the City of Dunedin (City) received a grant award in the amount of $2.4M from the Florida Communities Trust (FCT) Florida Forever program. The reimbursement amount of $2.4M will be evenly divided between the County and the City (Parties).
• As part of the Project Plan approval, the Parties must execute the DDRC and subsequently have it recorded and filed in the official public records of Pinellas County.
• In May of 2021, the County contributed $3.5M toward the GDP acquisition and received reimbursement in the amount of $1.5M from the State of Florida in February 2023 (Legislative Line Item 1693A). Net County contribution, after FCT reimbursement of $1.2M, will be $800K.
• The County’s original contribution of $3.5M was funded by Local Infrastructure Surtax (Penny for Pinellas) and included in the Fiscal Year 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Program Plan under project 002168A - Environmental Lands Acquisition.
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Strategic Plan:
Practice Superior Environmental Stewardship
3.2 Preserve and manage environmental lands, beaches, parks, and historical assets
3.3 Protect and improve the quality of our water, air, and other natural resources
Summary:
Summary
The purpose of this DDRC is to dedicate the property to public use and set forth the covenants and restrictions that are imposed on the Project Site subsequent to FCT disbursing Florida Forever funds to the Parties. Upon full execution, this action will dedicate the property in perpetuity for the use of the general public for conservation, outdoor recreation, and related activities. es. Why action is necessary. If applicable, list any previous formal action taken by other boards/committees that is relevant to this action.
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Background Information:
On March 8, 2022, the BCC Chairman executed the grant agreement between the County and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Legistar ID # 22-0915A). On March 3, 2023, the County Administrator executed Amendment 1, which extended the termination date to March 17, 2024 (Legistar ID # 23-0155CD). This action is required as part of the approved project plan outlined in the grant agreement.
Fiscal Impact:
The County’s contribution towards the Gladys Douglas Preserve (GDP) acquisition was funded by the Local Infrastructure Sales Surtax (Penny for Pinellas). This project was budgeted in the FY21-FY26 Capital Improvement Program Six-Year Plan; Culture and Recreation function, Countywide Parks Projects program, project 002168A - Environmental Lands Acquisition. The County’s contribution was made in FY21 for $3.5M. There are no further expenses associated with the GDP acquisition.
The County may obtain reimbursement from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) in the amount of $1.2M once this DDRC is fully executed and recorded. The County had a second grant agreement with FDEP for $1.5M, which has been reimbursed. Total State grant funding to be reimbursed to the County is $2.7M. This reduces the County’s share to $800K.
Staff Member Responsible:
Paul Cozzie, Director, Parks and Conservation Resources
Emily Magyar, CGMS, Senior Grants Specialist, Parks and Conservation Resources
Partners:
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
City of Dunedin
Attachments:
Dedication-to-Public-Use-and-Declaration-of-Restrictive-Covenants
L2104_Grant_Agreement_FULLY_EXECUTED
L2104_Amendement 1_Fully_Executed