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County’s Lagoon Spending from Sales Tax

Here is a small section of the backup’s from 12/4’s County Commission meeting. It indicates where the 20% of the 1 cent sales tax is going to be spent on lagoon projects through 2023 by the County.

From Staff Report at BCC 12/4/18 – Capital Improvement Plan Amendments

Indian River Lagoon Projects Section

At the August 16, 2016 Board of County Commissioners meeting, the Board directed staff to commit to spending 20% of the proceeds of the first five years of the extended one-cent local option sales tax on lagoon-related projects, if the tax was renewed by the voters in November 2016. On November 8, 2016, Indian River County residents voted to extend the one-cent local option sales tax effective January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2034. Consequently, the County has a goal of spending 20% of the one cent optional sales tax proceeds on lagoon-related projects for the first five years of the extension, starting with January 1, 2020 and ending with December 31, 2024 (FY 2019/20 – 2024/25).

With the approval of the extension of the one-cent local option sales tax, the proposed 5 year Capital Improvements Program schedule allocates at least 20% of projected one-cent local option sales tax revenue to lagoon related projects during the portion of the FY 2019/20 – 2022/23 period covered by the proposed plan. As proposed, the CIP directly allocates $14,413,997 out of a total of $76,723,733 in projected one-cent local option sales tax revenue to lagoon related projects from Fiscal Years 2019/20 through 2022/23. For this CIE, the 20% applies to 75% of Fiscal Year 2019/20 one-cent local option sales tax revenue (Fiscal year starts on October 1st 2019, sales tax reservation starts January 1st 2020) and 100% of the one-cent local option sales tax revenue for Fiscal Years 2020/21 – FY 2022/23.

The 20% allocation is almost entirely within the Stormwater Management section ($13,713,997), with a small portion addressed in the Conservation and Aquifer Recharge section ($700,000) of the CIP. The lagoon benefiting projects listed in the Stormwater section and in the Conservation and Aquifer Recharge section of the proposed Capital Improvements Element include the following:

  1. PC North – North Relief Canal Treatment System

  2. PC Main Screening System – Upgrade Conveyor Systems No. 1 and 2

  3. Osprey Acres Floway and Nature Preserve

  4. North and South Relief Canal Mechanical Vegetation/Debris Removal System

  5. East Gifford stormwater Improvements including outfall to 41st Street pond Gifford Neighborhood Plan (GNP) Action 11.2

  6. Miscellaneous Lagoon Projects

  7. Lost Tree Islands Conservation Area Enhancements

  8. Captain Forester Hammock Preserve Wetland Restoration

  9. Indian River Lagoon Greenway Wetland Restoration

  10. Total Maximum Daily Load Utility Effluent Storage (50% funded with local optional sales tax and 50% funded with water/sewer capacity charges)

In addition to the above listed lagoon benefiting projects from the Stormwater Management section of the proposed CIP, there are numerous projects with secondary benefits to the lagoon listed in both the Sanitary Sewer & Potable Water section and the Transportation section of the proposed CIP. Those projects include septic to sewer projects and certain road projects that will treat run-off from older improvements that currently provide no treatment. The projects listed in the Transportation section are proposed to be funded in part through the one-cent local option sales tax. Notes are included in both sections indicating specific projects with additional Indian River Lagoon benefits.

Existing Conditions and Analysis Sections

In addition to the changes made to Appendix A, all of the data in the existing conditions and analysis sections of the CIE have been updated to reflect current conditions. Those data include past revenue and expenditure figures for county operations as well as forecasted revenue and expenditure figures.

Concurrency Management Section

Indian River County maintains a record of building permits issued to owners of parcels/lots. Those records are maintained as part of the County’s concurrency management system. As permits are issued, the county enters development impact information on those lots into the concurrency management system and subtracts the public facility capacity that they utilize from available capacities within the concurrency management system. Data from that system were used to assess the need for capital projects and inclusion in the proposed CIE update.

Based on the most recent information, the County may experience future level of service challenges for the segments of CR 510 from 66th Avenue to US 1 and for 37th Street between US 1 and Indian River Boulevard. With respect to the CR 510 segments, capacity provided by the up-coming FDOT CR 510 widening and US 1 widening projects will ensure sufficient long-term level of service. Because project construction and resulting capacity improvements will be several years away, staff is closely monitoring CR 510 level of service conditions. With respect to the segment of 37th Street between US 1 and Indian River Boulevard, increased capacity will be provided by either the widening of 37th Street or the alternate Aviation Boulevard extension project. Either project will provide sufficient long term level of service but project construction may be a few years away. Consequently, staff is also closely monitoring 37th Street level of service conditions.

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