At the Legislative Delegation hearing held last Monday, Nov 30, the City of Apalachicola through its Mayor, requested that the State Lawmakers who’s districts include Franklin County, champion a shift in agency funding priorities toward the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The City of Apalachicola is one of two Florida cities that remains designated as an Area of Critical State Concern, the other community is Key West.
As such, the State is obligated under Florida Statue Chapter 380.0555 to fund local infrastructure programs and projects aimed at preserving the pristine waters of Apalachicola Bay.
One such project was the revitalization of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, which in 1996, then State Senator the late Pat Thomas on behalf of the City secured a commitment from two State agencies to fund the construction costs, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Florida Department of Community Affairs (FDCA).
In 2008, the FDEP discovered that the funding plan put in place by the two agencies was falling short of providing the funds necessary to pay off the State Revolving Loan. With that, the FDEP determined that the City would have to make up the shortfall with money it doesn’t have in 34 incremental payments of $117,000 every six months.
The Mayor asked the delegation to assist the City in working with the State Agencies to fund fully the promised treatment plant improvements under the Area of Critical State Concern Program. He requested that the State add $3 million to the City’s Escrow Account, which is currently providing the debt service to pay off the State Revolving Loan, which funded the improvements.
The Mayor also reminded the delegation that the request was not a member’s project, but rather a State program within the State agencies budgets and that the City was only asking for what the Governor and Cabinet, the Florida Legislature, and both State agencies had previously authorized.
The City of Apalachicola is one of two Florida cities that remains designated as an Area of Critical State Concern, the other community is Key West.
As such, the State is obligated under Florida Statue Chapter 380.0555 to fund local infrastructure programs and projects aimed at preserving the pristine waters of Apalachicola Bay.
One such project was the revitalization of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, which in 1996, then State Senator the late Pat Thomas on behalf of the City secured a commitment from two State agencies to fund the construction costs, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Florida Department of Community Affairs (FDCA).
In 2008, the FDEP discovered that the funding plan put in place by the two agencies was falling short of providing the funds necessary to pay off the State Revolving Loan. With that, the FDEP determined that the City would have to make up the shortfall with money it doesn’t have in 34 incremental payments of $117,000 every six months.
The Mayor asked the delegation to assist the City in working with the State Agencies to fund fully the promised treatment plant improvements under the Area of Critical State Concern Program. He requested that the State add $3 million to the City’s Escrow Account, which is currently providing the debt service to pay off the State Revolving Loan, which funded the improvements.
The Mayor also reminded the delegation that the request was not a member’s project, but rather a State program within the State agencies budgets and that the City was only asking for what the Governor and Cabinet, the Florida Legislature, and both State agencies had previously authorized.
No comments:
Post a Comment