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I
& II. Status of
Miami River
Federal Navigable Channel
Maintenance Dredging Project & Funding and Status of “Bank to
Bank” Maintenance Dredging Project & Funding
– Mr. Scott Mitchell and Mr. Eric Buermann, Co-Chairs of
the MRC Dredging subcommittee, recognized Mr. Carlos Espinosa,
Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resource Management (DERM).
Mr. Espinosa stated the County’s cost share of the project is
in order, and there will be no problems with the projects local cost
shares. Mr. Espinosa stated
the critical issue is the federal cost share.
Mr. Espinosa stated he was provided a copy of the favorable Army
Corps of Engineers (ACOE) Miami River Maintenance Dredging Economic
Analysis, which has been transmitted to ACOE Headquarters in
Washington
DC
for final approval, which will allow the ACOE to include the
Miami River
maintenance dredging project in their federal budget request for the
first time in several years. Having
the Miami River maintenance dredging project included at a sufficient
level in the ACOE budget request, significantly increases the
possibility for larger appropriations, rather then being omitted from
the ACOE budget request, which requires a 100% Congressional add onto
the ACOE’s submitted budget request.
Ms. Dianne Johnson, City of
Miami
, asked Mr. Espinosa to provide her with a copy of the favorable
Economic Analysis, and Mr. Espinosa agreed.
Mr. Bibeau stated Mr. Luis Rene Perez, ACOE,
notified him that he would be unable to attend the Dredging subcommittee
meeting. Mr. Bibeau reported
the ACOE has accepted Acceptance Section (AS) 1 of the project as
completed. Mr. Bibeau stated
David Cole, Project Manager for the dredging contractors Weston
Solutions & Bean Environmental, notified him that we would be unable
to attend the dredging subcommittee meeting.
Mr. Bibeau stated Mr. Cole indicated they are nearing completion
of awarded Acceptance Sections 2 - 6, which they expect to have accepted
by the Corps near the end of October 2005.
Bibeau stated in addition, Mr. Cole indicated they would prefer
AS-7 to be awarded by
September 30, 2005
, in order to keep the sediment processing plant operating efficiently.
Bibeau noted the project cost is based on a flat rate per cubic
yard removed, and before an Acceptance Section is awarded by the Corps,
they collect the local cost shares based on the maximum number of cubic
yards surveyed in the dredging template.
Since the maintenance dredging project does not allow the removal
of hard rock, some of the cubic yardage budgeted for is not removed,
creating a project savings per accepted section, which is then made
available for dredging within future acceptance sections.
Mr. Bibeau stated the contractors have indicated they would be
able to finish the project in the summer of 2006 (FY ’05 – FY
’06), if the ACOE has sufficient funding available to award the
remaining Acceptance Sections 7-15.
Mr. Bibeau noted the new Dredging subcommittee
co-chair had requested a review of the previously appropriated and
expended funding for the history of the project thus far, therefore
determining the accurate balances due, which the Dredging stakeholders
will advocate for in fiscal year 2005-2006.
Mr. Buermann and Mr. Mitchell asked the Dredging subcommittee
members to provide their reports. Mr.
Bibeau distributed copies of a federal funding spreadsheet provided by
Mr. Perez, ACOE, to representatives from the City of
Miami
,
Miami-Dade
County
, and the Miami River Marine Group.
The matrix indicated Congress has appropriated $27,750,000 to the
Miami River
maintenance-dredging project. Bibeau
noted based on the total federal cost share estimate of $55,731,808, the
federal cost share balance due would therefore be $27,981,808.
Mr. Bibeau noted the Miami River Maintenance dredging project is
currently a $3.5 million line item in the Senate’s approved FY ’05
– ’06 budget, and a $1 million line item in the House of
Representative’s approved FY ’05 - ’06 budget.
Mr. Bibeau distributed copies of the completed Greater Miami
Chamber of Commerce’s (GMCC) Federal Legislative Proposal forms,
respectfully requesting the GMCC’s support for Miami River Dredging
funding in FY ’05 – FY ’06. Bibeau
noted the MRC has submitted the forms every year, on behalf of the local
project sponsor. On behalf
of the MRC, Bibeau thanked Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen and the entire
Dade Congressional Delegation for their tremendous support and success
in obtaining federal appropriations for the
Miami River
maintenance-dredging project. Mr.
Bibeau explained if the federal government does not approve the budget
by the
September, 30 2005
end of FY ’04 – ’05 deadline, the federal government would be
funded by a “continuing resolution”.
Ms. Dianne Johnson, City of
Miami
, asked if under a continuing resolution would the project expect to
receive the same level of federal funding as it did in FY ’04 –
’05. Mr. Bibeau replied
that was his understanding, and the Federal FY ’04 – ’05
appropriation was $2 million. Mr.
Bibeau stated what was already an austere federal budget year, was
recently made even more so, due to the emergency federal funding
required for the catastrophe caused by Hurricane Katrina.
In a review of the status of the State cost share
for the
Miami River
maintenance-dredging project, Mr. Bibeau stated the state has already
appropriated $9.35 million. Mr.
Bibeau distributed the Miami-Dade County Legislative Delegation Public
Hearing Request to Participate form, and the GMCC 2005-2006 State
Legislative Issue forms. Bibeau
noted the MRC has annually submitted these forms, and made presentations
on behalf of
Miami-Dade
County
. Mr. Bibeau stated the
forms support the County’s submitted State appropriation requests of
$1.8 million inside the Federal Navigable Channel and $900,000 for
“bank-to-bank” dredging.
In a review of the Florida Inland Navigation
District’s (FIND) cost share for the project, Mr. Evan Skornick, South
Florida Water Management District, stated they are submitting a FIND
grant application for $1.3 million in the channel and $860,000 for
“bank-to-bank” dredging, which would complete the FIND cost share.
In a review of the County cost share, Mr. Bibeau
distributed a e-mail from Mr. Tim McIntosh, DERM, with attached pages
from the County’s pending FY ’05 – ’06 budget, appropriating
$389,000 for dredging inside the Channel, $757,000 for “bank to
bank” dredging, earmarking $334,000 inside the Channel and $915,000
for “bank-to-bank” dredging in FY ’06 – ’07, which would
complete the County’s committed cost share for the entire project.
Mr. Espinosa stated if the final federal cost share is secured
during FY ’05 – ’06, the County would make the balance of their
cost share immediately available, in order to avoid a temporary
demobilization. In addition,
Mr. Espinosa stated the County would front the City’s final portion of
their cost share if necessary during FY ‘ 05 – ’06.
Ms. Johnson stated the City of
Miami
is seeking $1.2 million in the November 2005 City of Miami Capital
Improvement Project (CIP) budget. Ms.
Johnson stated the remaining balance of the City of
Miami
’s cost share would be appropriated in FY ’06 – ’07.
III.
Update
River
Utility Crossings
–Mr. Bibeau stated he was unaware of any utility crossing issues
at this time.
IV. Status of Removal of
NW 5th Street
Bridge Prior to Dredging within that Acceptable Section – Mr.
Bibeau reported that FDOT has indicated they are going to remove the
Bridge’s bascule spans, and expedite the replacement of the NW 5 ST
Bridge. Mr. Bibeau noted the currently broken NW 5 ST Bridge is
constructed well into the federal navigable channel, therefore the
dredgers would be forced to proceed around the structure, leaving
significant quantities of sediments behind.
Ms. Johnson stated the City of
Miami
would support the removal and expedited replacement of the
NW 5th Street
Bridge.
V.
New Business - The Dredging Subcommittee confirmed the
next regularly scheduled third Wednesday of the month meeting for
October 19, 2005, 10 am, Robert King High, 1407 NW 7 Street.
The meeting adjourned.
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