Marine Advisory Committee
The
Marine Advisory Committee met on the above date with the following members
present: Chairman Ken Johnson and
members Dan Wakley, Robert Turpin, and Jeff Marker.
Also present were the
Marker moved approval of the minutes from the
Boat Ramp/Dock Repair Status
Whitfield presented the committee with a list identifying damage to the county piers during Hurricane Dennis. (Attachment in File) He said the list includes the cost of repairs with the original specifications and the cost of repairs with mitigation to improve the piers. Whitfield said the mitigation includes improvements such as larger pilings, longer pilings, and blow out decks. He said he received a telephone call from a FEMA representative prior to this meeting, and the representative is 99.9% sure the mitigation will be approved. Whitfield said the county will issue the notice to proceed and begin construction as quickly as the contractor can start. He said these are the same piers the county just finished repairing from Hurricane Ivan. Whitfield discussed the needed repairs of each location on the list.
Blaylock said Navarre Beach Boat Ramp survived Hurricane Dennis, but the rest if the infrastructure failed. He said there is extensive damage to the parking lot, and it may require a total rebuild. Blaylock said the parking area will remain closed for the foreseeable future. He said he is working with FEMA to finalize a project worksheet for damage in that parking lot from Hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, and Rita. Blaylock said the county has obtained a change order from the contractor, and as soon as the project worksheet is approved by FEMA the contractor will begin repairs.
Blaylock said FEMA has agreed to
demolish the existing
Wakley asked if the debris pile from the demolished pier will be removed or left for a marine sanctuary type situation. Blaylock said this has not been determined yet, but the approach he plans to take will be to position the debris as a marine sanctuary.
Wakley
discussed the second sandbar off shore that disappeared after Hurricane Ivan. Blaylock
said the second sandbar has been intermittent for the past decade. He said the
north winds from Hurricane Dennis put the second sandbar back. There was further
discussion concerning the undamaged
Blaylock said the county has
received the bids for the Dune Restoration project, and the Board will award
the contract to Weeks Marine on Monday. He said the county will be receiving
bids next week to sift stock piled material in the public accesses on
Turpin asked the status of the
marine sanctuary. Blaylock said there has been no discussion with the state
concerning the marine sanctuary.
Public Meeting Issues
Johnson said with the recent
hurricanes he felt any productive value that could have come from the public
workshop has past.
Oyster Restoration Project
Marker said the Oyster Restoration Project was supposed to start this week, but due to the death of a family member, the project is on hold until further notice. He said the Division of Aquaculture will soon be reporting on the condition of the oyster beds. Marker said most of the oyster beds were destroyed in the hurricane. He said the only bed that survived is along the west bank south of Interstate 10 where Nichols has a lease bed. Marker said Archie Glover boat ramp is the only feasible boat ramp close to the location of the oyster beds that is being replenished. He said he will pass along information regarding the Oyster Restoration Project as it is received.
Other Business/Adjournment
Marker said land acquisition was discussed at a previous meeting. He said there are grants available for land acquisition but he can not see the feasibility of applying for grant funds. Marker said when land becomes available for purchase there is not enough time to apply for grant funds. He said typically grants for land acquisition of this type are small. Marker said there are limited resources in the Boating Improvement fund. He discussed access and available of the current ramps and future growth. Marker said the committee needs to come up with a plan that will provide some relief in the future.
Turpin said the market is so fast
that unless you have the money allocated and ready to make a purchase when
property becomes available you will miss the opportunity. He said the only funding
sources he is aware of are through the Florida Legislature or the Board of
County Commissioners. Turpin said he recently provided some projects to
Johnson said he has researched trends in the real estate market, and the county is experiencing a tremendous inflation at this time. He said he would be hesitant to purchase land now; however, if the land is not purchased now it will eventually be used for development.
Johnson said the Escambia County Marine Advisory Committee use their boating dollars for water parks, and by doing this, they have received several grants. He said water parks can provide areas for man made lakes, fishing, and camping. Johnson said he felt the Marine Advisory Committee should get away from boat ramps and get into the water parks business. He said water parks can provide adequate parking and top notch services to the user groups.
Wakley
agreed. He asked if the Parks Committee and Marine Advisory Committee can
combine assets.
Turpin said a water park is a
multi use facility with a small body of water. He said one facility in
Wakley
said the first step is to get the land. He said the committee needs to find a
way to buy land or improve land the county already owns. Wakley
said there needs to be a new project for the next cycle of the Boating
Improvement Grant. He discussed installing a boat ramp at Bal Alex Park and
under the south end of the
Johnson said Fire and Rescue issues involve water, and he suggested using some funds from Fire and Rescue and some funds from Parks and Recreation to help with the improvements. He requested Turpin do the conceptual drawing to use as a template, and pool funds for land acquisition.
Turpin said under the Chairman’s direction, he will provide a conceptual drawing of a water park that will include canoeing, kayaking, picnic area, wildlife viewing, education, camping, and restroom facilities.
Marker said the property next to
the
Turpin asked if the county knows
the level of service of boat ramps. Whitfield said he can obtain the
information. Turpin said in the neighboring county’s legislative request he
provided a percentage of the boating public presently being served. He said it
was a very low percentage.
Turpin said the Department of
Health as come up with a new set of fish consumption guidelines. He said it is
on the Department of Health’s website. Turpin said there is a tremendous
increase in the number of fishes that have mercury consumption advisories. He
said everyone needs to be aware of this. Johnson asked if this advisory can be
put on the
The next scheduled meeting of the
Marine Advisory Committee will be
There being no further business
to come before the Committee at this time, the meeting adjourned at
______________________________
Chairman