CONTACT US!
For more information, contact us via email at mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
c/o Rosenstiel School
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy,
Miami, Fl. 33149
305-421-4850
Fax: 305-421-4755
e-mail: mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

This site
prepared and designed by
Mark Sell Communications, Inc. Public Relations

See Budget Below

Mr. Dick Bunnell thanked all MRC Dredging Working Group members for their hard work and dedication to the Miami River maintenance-dredging project, which began on September 30, 2004 , and had an official commencement ceremony on October 27, 2004 .  Bunnell stated the MRC’s Dredging Working Group would now focus on assisting in the coordination of the funding partners to provide the necessary cash flow to avoid any temporary demobilizations during the project.  Brett Bibeau , MRC Managing Director, distributed the attached itemized list of all Miami River dredging appropriations, which was updated and revised by the Dredging Working Group.

The Dredging Working Group discussed the Army Corps’ completed draft Miami River Maintenance Dredging Project’s Economic Analysis, which must be stamped final before the Corps is permitted to make budget requests for the project.  Mr. Rene Perez, Army Corps of Engineers, stated the completed draft with favorable above unity findings has been sent to “IWR”.  Bibeau reminded the MRC Dredging Subcommittee that while he was in Washington DC in early March 2004, General Strock told Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen that the Corps’ Economic Analysis would be finalized by September 2004, and the nearly $26 million in previously appropriated federal funding for the project would begin to be refunded back to the Miami River dredging project.  Bibeau stated the draft Economic Analysis has four forecasts and the average benefit cost ratio is $1.78 of benefit for every $1 of cost, while only being above “unity” ($1 in benefit for $1 in cost) is required.  Mr. Perez stated the Jacksonville Army Corps District agrees, and feels the project is above unity and is therefore economically justified.

The Dredging Working Group discussed that the project’s account currently has sufficient funding to pay for acceptance area 1, which is scheduled for completion near January 2005.  Mr. Perez stated he has formally requested previously appropriated federal re-programming, in order to be able to authorize acceptance area 2, which will cost $4.4 million in federal funding and $1.1 million for the local cost share.

Mr. Bibeau provided the Dredging subcommittee with the status of the Federal fiscal year 2005 $10 million request.  The House of Representatives, with strong support from Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and the Dade Delegation, approved a $3 million line item in the House’s Energy and Water Bill.  Bibeau stated the Senate is heading towards an omnibus federal budget bill, yet it seems an issue with an unrelated “ Yucca Mountain ” project may keep the Energy and Water Bill, out of the pending omnibus bill. Therefore, the projects within the Energy and Water Bill may be funded via a Continuing Resolution.  Roman Gastesi stated he received a recent e-mail reaffirming it seems the Energy and Water Bill would not be included in the Omnibus Budget Bill.   A continuing resolution may cap the level of funding for each line item at the level of funding in Federal Fiscal Year 2004, which was $5.85 million.  Bibeau stated positive language in the funding bill, regarding the Corps reprogramming the previously appropriated federal funding at a rate to avoid temporary project demobilizations, would be helpful.    

Bibeau provided the Dredging Working Group with the attached Miami-Dade County Legislative Delegation Budget Request Public Hearing Participant Request Form, and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) Advocacy Group’s 2005 Legislative Proposal Form.  Bibeau stated every year the MRC has submitted these required forms, and made the necessary presentations, supporting Miami-Dade County ’s State funding requests for the Miami River dredging project.  In the 2005 legislative session, the MRC is supporting Miami Dade County ’s $2 million request for “bank to bank” dredging, and $1 million for dredging within the Miami River ’s federal navigable channel.  Bibeau stated on November 12, 2004 the GMCC’s Advocacy Group unanimously recommended the GMCC officially endorse the County’s $3 million state funding request for the Miami River Dredging project.  Bibeau invited Dredging subcommittee partners to join him at the Dade Delegation’s Public Budget hearing, November 22, 2004 , 1-5, Stephen P. Clark Government Center , 111 NW 1^St Street , Chambers.

Dr. Fran Bohnsack asked the Dredging Working Group to further consider the implications of the NW 5 ST bridge, which is built significantly into the Miami River ’s federal navigable channel, on the dredging project.  Bibeau stated the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has budgeted over $45 million to replace the NW 5 ST Bridge, and they are currently completing the replacement bridge’s design.  The Dredging Working Group noted the NW 5 ST Bridge is not only illegally built into the federal navigable channel, the dredging will not come closer than 10 feet of any structure, resulting in a significant quantity of contaminated sediments being left behind, unless the NW 5 ST Bridge is removed prior to the dredging in that area.  The City, County, and Corps Dredging Dredging Working Group representatives unanimously concurred that the old NW 5 ST Bridge should be removed just before dredging in that area, immediately proceeded by FDOT’s planned and budgeted construction of the new NW 5 ST Bridge.  The only other option to dredge in that vicinity if the NW 5 ST Bridge isn’t removed in time, is for the FDOT to fund and conduct the dredging of that left over contaminated sediment as an added component of their NW 5 ST Bridge replacement project.     

The Dredging Working Group members noted they have been making a series of public presentations and hearings on the Miami River dredging project, in partnership with dredging contractors, Weston / Bean, and their Public Relations Firm San Pedro Productions. Most recently the presentation was televised to the City of Miami ’s Waterfront Advisory Board.  In addition, the contractor’s Miami River Dredging information web site is up, www.ourmiamiriver.com.

The Dredging Working Group confirmed their next regularly scheduled third Wednesday of the month meeting for December 10, 2004, 10 am, UM Rosenstiel School, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy, Miami, FL.

The meeting adjourned.

Miami River Dredging Project’s Appropriated Funding as of November 17, 2004

Federal

Pledged 80% ($57.04 million) in executed Project Cooperation Agreement

Fiscal Year 2000 = $5 million
Fiscal Year 2001 = $4.2 million
Fiscal Year 2002 = $4.0 million
Fiscal Year 2003 = $6.8 million
Fiscal Year 2004 = $5.85 million
Appropriated Sub-total = $25.85 million

Federal Balance Due = $31.19 million

State

Pledged 10% ($6.45 million) of Federal Navigable Channel Project
2000 = $3 million
2001 = $2.25 million |
2002 = $1.1 million
Sub-total = $6.35 million

Miami-Dade County  

Pledged 2.5% ($1.61 million) of Federal Navigable Channel and 62.5% ($6.43 million 
2003 = $990,000

City of Miami

Pledged 2.5% ($1.61 million) in Federal Navigable Channel and 37.5 % ($3.86 million) outside the Channel

2001 = $1,000,000

Florida Inland Navigational District

Awarded $2 million in Channel and $4 million “Bank to Bank” over two years
Fiscal Year 2004 = $2.3 million ($1 million in Channel and $1.3 million “bank-to-bank”)
Fiscal Year 2005 = $3.7 million ($1 million in Channel and $2.7 million “bank-to-bank”)

Grand Total Appropriated to Date= $40,190,000

Total project cost (Federal Channel and “Bank to Bank”) estimate is $74.8 million
Federal Navigable Channel Estimated Cost is $64.5 million
Bank to Bank estimated cost is $10.3 million

  HOME        CALENDARS       ABOUT THE RIVER          ABOUT THE COMMISSION         DREDGING      GREENWAYS   
URBAN INFILL PLANS           STORMWATER RETROFITTING            MINUTES OF MEETINGS      LINKS