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Jack Berlin
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Page 1 of 15 In September of 2005, Hillsborough County commissioned the Comprehensive Canal Dredging and Preventative Measures (CCDPM) Study. The purpose of the study was to evaluate known areas of concern within the residential navigable canals within the unincorporated portions of the county in order to develop a plan to asses the potential canal dredging needs. This document serves to outline the various recommendations developed by the Canal Advisory Committee in conjunction with the CCDPM. These recommendations are to be presented to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners for evaluation. Each of the following recommendations has several objectives that are considered integral components to achieving the objective and are considered to be a complete package. The first recommendation is to develop a Sediment Abatement and Remediation (SAR) Program. This program will serve to diminish the degree of future siltation within the affected areas as well as remediate by dredging any known areas of concern as identified through the study. The initial objective outlines the funding models that have been deemed feasible for implementation as well as outlining the operational structure of the program. The primary funding models rely on grant and appropriations, establishing Municipal Services Benefit Units (MSBU) and providing matching funds from the County. The recommendation encourages increased public awareness efforts as well as developing and investigating new standards and or practices. The second recommendation deals with improving the County's Preventative Measures as they relate to siltation. It calls on the County to modify its existing maintenance practices to be more environmentally conscious. The County should support recent environmental efforts implemented within the Transportation Maintenance Division. Additionally the Planning and Growth Management Department should investigate the feasibility of implementing Low Impact Development (LID) practices within the County's Land Development Code. These practices allow for greater flexibility and increased water quality treatment while still complying with local storm water runoff requirements. The final recommendation calls for the County to increase its water quality monitoring network to include these residential canal communities. As it stands, the County has limited water data within these low energy, low flush systems. The CCDPM has begun the effort of developing a body of data but this effort must be continued on a long term basis. The objective calls for the Environmental Protection Commission to continue this monitoring network by working with interested neighborhood volunteers for efficient access to sampling sites. The County is also asked to fund a bacteriological study that would be conducted by the University of South Florida in conjunction with the Hillsborough County Health Department to evaluate the level of bacteriological contamination within the canal systems. Finally the County is asked to support pending state legislation that would require onsite sewage treatment systems to be inspected by the Health Department on a periodic basis in order to assure that the systems are operating properly. Page 2 of 15 This report serves to outline the final recommendations of the Canal Advisory Committee that were derived from the Comprehensive Canal Dredging and Preventative Measures Study (CCDPM). These recommendations were developed with the intent of outlining specific measures that could be undertaken by the individual communities affected, as well as Hillsborough County Government. Rather than outline vague and sometimes ambiguous recommendations, each of the recommendations are prepared with a deliberate structure. Each recommendation has a brief description that outlines the key objectives that must be accomplished in order to achieve the recommendation. Whenever possible, each objective outlines a strategy for achieving that particular objective. In most of the cases, responsible parties have been defined for implementing the strategy that has been outlined. !" #$ # This recommendation would create a program tasked with initiating projects that have the affect of reducing downstream sedimentation within the coastal residential canal areas as well as restoring the navigable depths within the affected coastal residential canal communities and the traditional connecting canals to navigable waters of Tampa Bay proper. This program will rely on a combination of funding sources including federal and state appropriations, public and private grant funding, the creation of one or more Municipal Service Benefit Units and the levy of non-ad valorem assessments on benefited parcels, and matching funds from the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. For the purpose of this study eight separate funding models were investigated for feasibility of generating the necessary amount of revenue. These models included direct funding from the Board of County Commissioners, grant funding, federal and/or state appropriations, Municipal Service Benefit Units (MSBU), a Countywide MSBU, use of Community Investment Tax Funds, beneficially reusing the spoil material, increased doc stamp fees from the sale of homes along the affected canals, using stormwater fee funds and increasing the boater registration fee. Of these models which were investigated, only direct funding through the BOCC, funding through grants and or Page 3 of 15 appropriations, and MSBUs were deemed feasible. With the exception of beneficially reusing the spoil material, the remaining options were deemed to be nonviable for various reasons. Beneficially reusing the spoil material was seen as a potential cost savings on the back end of a project, and therefore was not deemed as being a viable upfront funding method. %$& '( )) * + * # The BOCC should direct County staff to begin lobbying both the State of Florida as well as the federal government for appropriations to defer the cost of implementing the SAR Program. Hillsborough County's legislative liaison should initiate a dialogue with Hillsborough County's legislative delegation educating and informing them as to the intent and scope of the program. Former members of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners who have advanced to other elected offices should be consulted and asked to assist in garnering support within their respective offices. CCDPM project staff should be made available to brief these party's whenever possible. In addition, County staff should be directed to aggressively pursue both public and private grant opportunities. Emphasis should be placed on obtaining grants that deal with Improvements to Water Quality, Environmental Monitoring and Habitat Restoration. Despite the apparent need amongst the local governments within the state of Florida for funding regional dredging operations, few grant or cooperative funding opportunities exist. Within the state agencies such as FDEP and the Water Management Districts as well as the federal regulatory agencies (EPA, FWS), dredging is not traditionally viewed as an "environmental" issue. Instances in which funding has been provided in the forms of grants or cooperative funding only occur when the applicant can show some form of other collateral environmental gain associated with the project. For instance, a project within Hillsborough County could apply for cooperative funding with the SWFWMD for a dredging project if the project were able to show that it would improve water quality, improve or increase environmental habitat, or contribute to some form of stormwater improvement. Historically, dredging has not been viewed favorably by the regulatory agencies in regards to any of the aforementioned parameters. That is not to say that there is a total lack of state and/or federal grant funding available, it simply means that there is no blanket funding program available to cover every and any type of dredging project. Projects would need to be reviewed on a case by case basis in regards to what funding is available and allow the specifics of each project to dictate the level of interest from other funding sources. Okeechobee County was recently able to persuade the South Florida Water Management District to provide almost $1 million in funding towards removing an estimated 150,000 cubic yards of sediment. This funding was provided because the County was able to show that the dredging would have a beneficial affect to one of the three aforementioned parameters. Grant funding can also be secured in instances in which dredging is not the sole purpose of the project. The installation of sediment exclusion / prevention systems at known critical areas would be fundable under numerous existing state and federal grants. This is due to the focus of the project being prevention. In the past the federal government, under their Clean Water Act's Section 319(h) Grants, has allocated funds for dredging in instances in which the likely source has been identified and preventative measures are being undertaken. Page 4 of 15 Thanks to the coordinated efforts of Congressman Jim Davis during the 2004 Federal fiscal cycle, the City of Tampa (the City) was able to receive a federal appropriation of $1.2 million dollars to be used to improve its existing stormwater infrastructure and to conduct some dredging within its residential canals. This funding was allocated within the Environmental Protection Agency's Omnibus funding. The City has approximately $700,000 of those funds designated for stormwater improvements associated with existing systems. The remainder of those funds will be used to assist in funding the actual residential canal projects. The City intends to use the money as "seed money" to fund individual feasibility studies within its known areas of concerns. The remaining funds will be used to pay portions of the total project cost. The lion's share of the individual project costs will be funded by the actual canal residents through a MSBU type assessment. Federal appropriations are not unheard of but are time consuming lengthy processes that are generally seen as one time expenses that the federal government will contribute to. It requires substantial congressional support as well as the necessary local support to maintain the constant pressure on the federal government. The state generally allows its agencies, such as FDEP and SWFWMD, to fund projects rather than simply outlaying funds to a local governmental agency for projects. These funds are traditionally outlaid in the form of cooperative funds. If Hillsborough County were to pursue this as a viable funding source for any future projects it would require substantial coordination and effort on the parts of the requesting agency, in this case Public Works and the County's Legislative Liaison. A structured lobbying campaign would need to be implemented and the appropriate members of the County's state and federal political delegations would need to be brought onboard. Any funding, either through grants or appropriations will be used to offset the total cost of the project(s). %$& ,( $ -) . -. /# 0 # The County should enact a procedural ordinance providing for the establishment of Municipal Service Benefit Units (MSBU) and the levying of non-ad valorem assessments to address the non-navigable canals within the coastal canal residential communities within Hillsborough County. This ordnance would be consistent with Board Policy - Section Number: 03.02.02.28 Method for Funding Citizen Initiated Localized Capitol Improvement Projects. These communities include the Alafia River Area, Apollo Beach, Baycrest, Bayport, Dana Shores, Lower Sweetwater Creek, Essex Downs and the Ruskin Little Manatee River Area. The Canal Advisory Committee has chosen to recommend one or more MSBUs composed of the waterfront properties within each of these communities. In total there are 4,011 residential waterfront properties within the affected project areas. The purpose of the MSBU would be to fund the restoration of navigable depths within the affected residential canals and entry canals to Tampa Bay based on the dredging footprints and templates developed within the Comprehensive Canal Dredging and Preventative Measures Study (CCDPM) and or subsequent engineering studies. These funds would be used solely for the purpose of restoring the navigable depths within each of the respective communities for which an MSBU is created. In order to garner as much participation as possible, interested communities Page 5 of 15 would have one year from the date of the inception process to determine whether their individual community is interested in establishing an MSBU or declare their intent to abstain. Participation should be restricted to residential (singe or multi family as defined by the Land Development Code) and commercial properties with direct usage of the adjacent waterbody (i.e. commercial marinas, commercial boat ramps and commercial parcels with boat access or docks). After the interested communities are identified, the affected parcels will be isolated and those parcels will be given an opportunity to acquire the necessary number of signatures, as determined by the BOCC and specified on the referenced ordinance, to initiate the establishment of their respective community's MSBU. The CAC recommends that the required number of signatures for the MSBU process to proceed be set at 50% +1. A Municipal Services Benefit Unit (MSBU) is a non ad valorem assessment that is usually applied to a specified geographic area and is allowable under the existing state legislative rules (Chapter125.01(1)(q) FAC). Unlike the existing Stormwater Fee which can be used for several individual purposes, a MSBU is used to achieve a particular project or "benefit" and then expires once that project is completed and sufficient funds have been recouped to cover the cost. A MSBU is managed by the local government by collecting the funds and or managing the use of the funds within the MSBU. A MSBU can be used for various purposes but must be clearly defined and allocated only to accomplish the goals set forth within the MSBU. One of the distinct benefits of utilizing a MSBU to fund municipal projects is that it allows for the administering entity to borrow against the MSBU. This is to say that the County could issue bonds to cover the expenses of a particular project allowing the project to proceed without requiring the complete project funds to be encumbered. Based on information gathered through the CCDPM, project staff has determined the estimated cost for each of the affected communities as well as a total for conducting all of the identified project areas. Table 1: Parcel, Volume and Cost per Project Area provides valuable information regarding each of the individual project areas. The first of these being the total number of parcels identified within each of the project area's boundaries at the inception of the project. Secondly it states the total volume of material identified within the Areas of Concern in that particular project area. The linear feet of water front are also depicted within this table. This number is not the linear feet of work to be conducted within that project area but rather the length of waterfront property along both sides of the centerline of the individual canals. Finally, the table depicts the estimated cost of conducting remediation within the identified project areas. For a more detailed discussion of each of the factors, please see the individual project area feasibility reports. Page 6 of 15 Table 1: Parcel, Volume and Cost per Project Area Based on the information gathered through the individual feasibility reports, project staff has conducted a preliminary evaluation of a conceptual county wide MSBU imposed on the waterfront properties within the affected communities and determined the approximate cost per parcel. This amortized cost was developed with the assistance of the County's Debt Management Officer based on a ten and twenty year amortization schedule with a respective bond yield rate of 5% and 5.3%. Initially, the cost was interpreted on a per parcel basis but after input from the Canal Advisory Committee, cost was interpreted into linear feet of water frontage. This would appear to be a more appropriate method of apportioning cost amongst the MSBU participants as the cost is apportioned by the degree of actual benefit. Table 2: MSBU Cost per Parcel and Per Linear Water Frontage depicts the projected annual cost of amortizing the projects identified within the individual feasibility reports across both a ten and twenty year period. This table also depicts the cost of amortizing the cost across a composite of all of the individual project areas into a single MSBU. Table 2: MSBU Annual Cost Per Parcel and Per Linear Water Frontage The following graph (Amortization Cost per Linear Water Frontage) depicts the annual MSBU cost per project area on a linear water frontage basis. In addition to this the graph Site # of Waterfront Parcels Volume CY (AOCs) Linear Waterfront (ft) Cost Alafia 242 42,080 21,300 $3,858,071 Apollo North 577 9,472 86,899 $986,444 Apollo South 1343 29,242 129,182 $2,515,889 Ruskin 410 14,402 45,838 $1,393,635 Baycrest 498 15,895 26,000 $1,526,912 Bayport 235 15,847 22,155 $1,522,997 Dana Shores 434 16,394 40,206 $1,571,738 Essex Downs 272 19,576 15,620 $1,855,803 Total 4011 162,908 387,200 $15,231,489 Site Cost / Parcel 10 Year Cost / Parcel 20 Year Cost / Linear Ft Waterfront 10 Yr Cost / Linear Ft Waterfront 20 Yr Alafia $2,664 $1,658 $30.27 $18.83 Apollo North $297 $186 $1.97 $1.24 Apollo South $315 $197 $3.28 $2.06 Ruskin $583 $364 $5.22 $3.25 Baycrest $524 $327 $10.04 $6.26 Bayport $1,106 $692 $11.73 $7.34 Dana Shores $618 $386 $6.58 $4.17 Essex Downs $1,160 $724 $20.19 $12.61 Composite $627 $390 $6.50 $4.04 Page 7 of 15 also depicts the cost for a composite MSBU of all of the project areas combined as well as a composite of the north and south canals combined as single MSBUs. Graph 1: Amortization Cost per Linear Water Frontage The following question was posed to the attendees of the final set of project charrettes. Citizens were asked to answer yes or no as to whether they would support just such an initiative. Would you support the implementation of a Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) to pay for the improvements within the navigable canals within your community? The purpose of the MSBUs would be to fund the restoration of navigable depths within the affected residential canals based on the dredging footprints and templates developed within the Comprehensive Canal Dredging and Preventative Measures Study (CCDPM). These funds would be used solely for the purpose of restoring the navigable depths within each of the respective communities for which an MSBU is created. In order to establish an MSBU, County staff will have to coordinate with the affected community to educate homeowners as to the process and gauge the level of interest and participation. This effort should be spearheaded within the Public Works Department, with Yes No No Answer No Name Total % Yes % No North Canals Meetings 60 59 6 10 135 50.42% 49.58% South Canals Meeting 72 32 6 28 138 69.23% 30.77% Total 132 91 12 38 273 59.19% 40.81% !" #$%& # ' ( $ 30.27 1.97 3.28 10.04 11.73 6.68 20.19 5.22 6.50 5.12 10.35 18.83 1.24 2.05 6.26 7.34 4.17 12.61 3.25 4.04 3.19 6.44 ! " " " $ ) ## " $ " %& ' # " $ " %& ' )* Page 8 of 15 the creation of a SAR Program Coordinator and participation from key members of the Management and Budget Department, the Communications Department as well as the County Attorney's Office. County staff members should begin by conducting informational meetings with the affected communities on the MSBU establishment process. Once the interested communities are identified, County staff should work with representatives from each of these communities in order to complete the MSBU establishment process. %$& 1( -. The CCDPM recommends that the BOCC provide matching funds on a dollar per dollar basis towards any funds raised through the Sediment Abatement and Remediation Program MSBU. These funds would be capped at $750,000 per year for the life of the program. This recommendation places the onus to participate squarely on the citizens with the County only agreeing to match their contribution. Should the affected communities choose not to participate Hillsborough County is under no obligation to proceed with solely funding the process. In addition to this, Hillsborough County will receive credit towards their matching funds for any staff positions, existing or created, dedicated to managing the SAR Program as well as any other staff time or expenses incurred throughout this process. While the CCDPM was not able to definitively quantify the degree of sedimentation for which the County is responsible for, it is apparent that storm water run off, either direct or indirect, has contributed to some degree of the sedimentation within many of the identified Areas of Concern. This recommendation allows the County to assist the citizens in addressing the sedimentation within the residential canals. The following question was posed to the attendees of the final set of project charrettes. Citizens were asked to answer yes or no as to whether they would support just such an initiative. Would you support the use of County funds to create a "matching fund" for revenue raised within the MSBUs? The CCDPM recommends that the County match dollar for dollar any funds raised through the Sediment Abatement and Remediation Program MSBU. These funds would be capped at $750,000 per year for the life of the program. This recommendation places the onus to participate squarely on the citizen with the County agreeing to match their contribution. Yes No No Answer No Name Total % Yes % No North Canals Meetings 68 51 6 10 135 57.14% 42.86% South Canals Meeting 78 25 6 29 138 75.73% 24.27% Total 146 76 12 39 273 65.77% 34.23% Page 9 of 15 %$& 2( 3 # A program of this nature would require extensive oversight, coordination and project management in order to effectively operate and succeed. To this end, we recommend creating a position at the level of a Project Manager I to serve as the SAR Program Coordinator. This staff position would coordinate efforts amongst the various governmental entities and serve to usher the communities through the establishment and management of the MSBU. It would develop and provide educational programs to be used within the affected communities as well as the remainder of the County advising individuals on appropriate Best Management Practices. The position would also investigate and apply for applicable grants opportunities. The position should be housed within the Public Works, Engineering Division, Stormwater Management Section. The cost of funding such a position with salary and benefits is estimated at $80,924.00 annually. This position should be funded initially as a limited duration position for a two year period utilizing the $500,000 in funds approved by the BOCC at the inception of the study for the implementation of the recommendations. After the initial two year period, the County can reevaluate the position based on the level of program participation. The two year cost of funding just such a position, assuming a 2.5% percent annual increase, amounts to $163,875 with a balance of $336,125. A reconstituted version of the existing Canal Advisory Committee (CAC) consisting of five committee members should serve as an advisory committee to the BOCC. These committee members should consist of three citizens representing the participating communities, two County staff members and be facilitated by the SAR Program Manager. This reconstituted CAC will advise the BOCC with respect to any proposed work that is conducted within any particular MSBU. Guiding this committee shall be the dedicated County SAR Program Manager as well as any information derived from the CCDPM study and any subsequent engineering studies. %$& 4( ! $ #5 ! Initiate a concerted effort to disseminate information regarding coastal ecosystems and the affect that individual communities and development have on them. These efforts should not be focused merely on residential homeowners but on the surrounding commercial parcels as well. These efforts could include but not be limited to: The distribution of the "Canal Owners Manual" which outlines several existing Best Management Practices that can be implemented within each of the affected communities. Project staff has already completed this task within the scope of the study and has obtained grant funding to prepare 5000 copies for interested communities. Distribution will begin in April of 2007. Expand the County's existing Storm Drain Marking Program to include these affected communities. The marking of targeted storm drains within affected communities can help reduce the incidence of point source pollution emanating from the parcels bounded by the canals. In conjunction with HTV22 staff, develop and produce Public Service Announcements (PSA) educating homeowners on affective ways to live within the fragile Florida ecosystem. Topics can include proper lawn care and landscaping practices, proper vessel maintenance practices and proper means of disposing of pet waste. Page 10 of 15 Almost fifty percent of the homeowners responded that they currently use mulching mowers to maintain their yards. While this practice is typically to be commended and promoted, in areas with proximity to their eventual storm water receiving body, this may not be the most advantageous approach. Mulching mowers create biological material that enters the canals and is then decomposed into fine organic muck. The low flushing potential within these canals all but assures that the material is trapped within the receiving body. Hillsborough County currently has an aggressive yard waste recycling program which allows homeowners to bag their yard waste and have it disposed of in an environmentally advantageous manner. Additionally, homeowners should be educated as to the most appropriate usage of fertilizers and pesticides. The Hillsborough County Extension Service has numerous educational materials detailing proper yard and garden maintenance. According to the data garnered from the survey, the average canal homeowner is applying fertilizer / pesticide 3 times per year with those employing lawn services applying almost 6 times per year. This search for lush green lawns results in over fertilizing and only helps to increase the amount of nutrients entering the bay and impairing water bodies. This excessive amount of fertilizer also has the additional effect of increasing both the rate and degree of muck build up within canals. While Hillsborough County currently has a pet waste ordinance, it should implement an education program to make citizens aware of the deleterious effects of animal waste. Studies have shown that ounce for ounce pet waste carries three to four times more harmful bacteria than human waste. Recently, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and Pinellas County, have both begun pilot programs to educate homeowners within identified focus areas (dog parks, recreational facilities, large residential developments, etc) to advise them to pick up after their pets. Hillsborough County should mimic these efforts to every extent possible. The use of existing County resources such as Parks, Recreation and Conservation Services staff and the County's public broadcasting resource, H-TV, should be tapped for cooperation. Attached in Appendix A is copy of a sign developed by Pinellas County and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program educating residents on the deleterious affects of animal waste. %$& 6( 7 8 Hillsborough County should establish sea wall maintenance standards within Hillsborough County. This is an effort that several agencies within the area have tried to implement for Page 11 of 15 several years with varied success. Many counties and municipalities within the state employ the use of design and maintenance standards both to identify failing systems as well as reduce the amount of canal maintenance that is eventually required. Through the implementation of required inspection periods, homeowners are better able to address issues with their retention system before they are allowed to become catastrophic and therefore more costly. New design standards should also be created for any instances of new sea wall construction or repair. In conjunction with the previous recommendation, Hillsborough County should develop a Marine Contractor licensing program. Several of the counties within the state of Florida have just such a program in place. Contractor licensing programs help to assure that the individuals conducting work within these canals are both versed in the latest design and construction methods as well as protecting the eventual homeowner. This program should be developed with assistance from the Tampa Port Authority (TPA) as well as other pertinent agencies and be administered through the Planning and Growth Management Department. To date, the County is implementing just such a program. In January of 2007, the County received preliminary approval from the Hillsborough County BOCC to coordinate efforts with Planning and Growth Management to create a marine contractor licensing program. The County should develop suitable construction standards for both residential and commercial shore protection structures and begin inspecting existing structures in the near future. %$& 9( 0 ) )) ) - - One of the primary issues identified has been the input of deleterious materials into the residential canals through the storm water infrastructure. The myriad of materials carried within storm water runoff can have the effect of diminishing water quality, impairing navigation and impairing habitats. It would appear to be both impractical as well as financially unfeasible to implement structural BMPs throughout each of these affected communities. The sheer cost of implementing and maintaining such systems would dictate that these are used sparingly and in a concerted manner. These units should be planned and located so as to have a more regional than individual impact. To this end, several potential points have been identified as possible suitable locations for some form of structural BMP to reduce the deleterious effects of storm water runoff. Many of these systems are multi-focal meaning that they address several of the issues associated within storm water runoff. "Structural, Non-Structural and managerial techniques that are recognized to be the most effective and practical means to control non-point source pollutants yet are compatible with the productive use of the resource to which they are applied. BMPs are used in both urban and agricultural areas." There are a wide variety of structural BMPs in use for storm water management. Structural BMPs include engineered and constructed systems that are designed to provide for water quantity and/or water quality control of storm water runoff. Structural BMPs can be grouped into several general categories. Storm water detention is usually defined as providing temporary storage of a runoff volume for subsequent release. Examples include detention basins, underground vaults, tanks or Page 12 of 15 pipes, and deep tunnels, as well as temporary detention in parking lots, roof tops, and depressed grassy areas. Retention is generally defined as providing storage of storm water runoff without subsequent surface discharge. With the strict interpretation of this definition, retention practices would be limited to those practices that either infiltrate or evaporate runoff, such as infiltration trenches, wells or basins. However, retention is also commonly used to describe practices that retain a runoff volume (and hence have a permanent pool) until it is displaced in part or in total by the runoff event from the next storm. Examples include retention ponds, tanks, tunnels, and underground vaults or pipes, and wetland basins. Hillsborough County should initiate a pilot study, implementing one or more of the structural BMPs detailed within the Preventative Measures report of the CCDPM Study at a suitable location. This pilot program should document the effectiveness of the implemented BMP as well as its ease of maintenance. Detailed records should be maintained regarding its cost of implementation and maintenance with an eventual cost benefit analysis detailing the feasibility of implementation on a more wide scale basis. This pilot study should be conducted by the Hillsborough County Stormwater Management Section. In addition to this, the County should support the private efforts of the Baycrest Community by agreeing to monitor and maintain the Suntree Inlet Protection Baskets. In an eight month period these baskets were able to capture over 2.5 tons of material originating from the residential homes and streets within the Baycrest Community. A detailed report generated by the vendor regarding the materials collected since their implementation has been included as Appendix B. Hillsborough County should agree to maintain these baskets for a one year period in order to properly evaluate the associated cost of labor and maintenance of these assets. Detailed records should be maintained regarding the amount of material collected and the associated time and costs. After the one year period, the County will be better able to determine the long term logistical and financial ramifications of maintaining these assets in perpetuity. The CAC has recommended that in the event that this project is not funded through the FY08 FY09 budget process, that up to $25,000 of the original $500,000 reserved be allocated for implementing the recommendations of the CCDPM. !!" ! %$& '( ! ) ) Hillsborough County should modify its existing maintenance practices to be more environmentally conscious. Several of the shoaling issues identified within the CCDPM Study Example of a vendor supplied Structural BMP. Page 13 of 15 can be attributed to shoddy and faulty maintenance practices employed over the years. To this end, Hillsborough County has made concerted efforts over the past several years to begin addressing just such issues. Recent efforts within the Public Works Department, Transportation Maintenance Division have had great success in diminishing the degree of down stream impacts as well as increased regulatory compliance. Efforts such as this should be promoted and encouraged throughout the County. These efforts should focus on proper training on the implementation of appropriate erosion and sediment control measures. The State of Florida currently provides training and certification as a Qualified Stormwater and Erosion Control Inspector, and the Florida Stormwater Association is just beginning to implement a training program for stormwater system operators and maintenance personnel. Key staff within each of the TMD Maintenance Units should be identified and trained in just such programs. In addition to this, the County should consider increasing the breadth of its existing Street Sweeping Program. Currently, the program has an annual funding of just over $437,500 and covers approximately 12,500 lane miles per year. In the past the program has collected over 3,900 tons of material within the various areas where the program is implemented. Trapping and collecting these materials prevents them from entering the numerous waterways within the County. In order to expand this program beyond its existing capabilities, Hillsborough County's Transportation Maintenance Division must be allocated sufficient resources within subsequent budget cycles. Its current funding allows $35 for each lane mile covered within the program. Increasing the Street Sweeping program by an additional $100,000 would allow for an additional 2800 miles to be swept and an estimated 892 tons of material to be captured annually. %$& ,( ! 85 ! Hillsborough County should promote the use of Low Impact Development (LID) practices. The practices can be used in conjunction with new development as well as retrofitting existing communities. LID is simple and effective. Instead of large investments in complex and costly centralized conveyance and treatment infrastructure, LID allows for the integration of treatment and management measures into urban site features. LID is economical. It costs less than conventional stormwater management systems to construct and maintain, in part, because of fewer pipes, fewer below-ground infrastructure requirements, and less imperviousness. But the benefits do not stop there. Space once dedicated to stormwater ponds can now be used for additional development to increase lot yields or be left as is for conservation. The greater use of on-lot multi-purpose landscaping / vegetation also offers human "quality of life" opportunities by greening neighborhoods and contributing to livability, value, sense of place, and aesthetics. Other benefits include Rain gardens are a quintessential example of Low Impact Development practices. Page 14 of 15 enhanced property values and re-development potential, greater marketability, improved wildlife habitat, thermal pollution reduction, energy savings, smog reduction, enhanced wetlands protection, and decreased flooding. LID is flexible. It offers a wide variety of structural and Non-Structural techniques to provide for both runoff quality and quantity benefits. LID works in highly urbanized, constrained areas, as well as open regions and environmentally sensitive sites. Opportunities to apply LID principles and practices are practically infinite since any feature of the urban landscape can be modified to control runoff and / or reduce the introduction of pollution. LID can be used to truly create a "customized" watershed management design. LID is a balanced approached. LID is an advanced, ecologically-based land development technology that seeks to better integrate the built environment with the natural environment. LID's principles and practices allow the developed site to better maintain its predevelopment watershed and ecological functions. !!!" 7 : %$& '( $ 7 : One of the milestone accomplishments of the CCDPM is that it established water quality monitoring stations within the affected communities. Prior to this effort, the majority of the canal communities had little or no existing analytical data documenting the water quality conditions. Research has shown that low flush, low energy systems such as these canals experience serious water quality degradation issues. Establishing permanent water quality stations within these areas will allow the County to develop an accurate profile of the existing and ever changing conditions. The sampling network can be coordinated through the Environmental Protection Commission's existing Water Quality Monitoring Program. In order to facilitate access to the desired locations Hillsborough County should coordinate with interested citizens to allow County staff to access potential sampling stations from their private property. %$& ,( ! - One of the short comings of the CCDPM is that it lacked the authority, depth and expertise to address many of the issues being brought before the project staff in regards to microbiological contamination within the canal / coastal estuarine communities of Hillsborough County. It has become apparent that the sheer complexity of the issue warrants a study independent of the CCDPM. Valerie Harwood Ph.D., with the University of South Florida, an expert in the field of microbiology and its relationship with the natural environment was able to speak with the members of the CAC in regards to the this issue. Hillsborough County should initiate a microbiological study within the coastal canal / estuarine communities of Hillsborough County to address the issue of potential pathogenic contamination. This study should address the various water borne pathogens including bacteria, protozoans and viruses. Such a study should attempt to identify the various sources Page 15 of 15 of these pathogens be they anthropogenic (waste water, stormwater, recreational practices, etc), zoogenic (agricultural practices, migratory birds, etc.) or naturally occurring. The final outcome of this study should be to identify if the potential for pathogenic contamination exists and to subsequently recommend measures that can be taken to minimize the exposure to and occurrence of such pathogens wherever possible. Dr. Harwood has indicated that such a study would have a preliminary cost estimate ranging from $120,000.00 to $250,000.00 and would take approximately one and a half years to complete. This study should be conducted through the University of South Florida and managed through the Environmental Protection Commission and/or the Hillsborough County Health Department. The SAR Program Manager should be tasked with attempting to obtain any available grants for funding this effort. %$& 1( ; - '<94( ! ) % 5 3 The Florida State Legislature is proposing an amendment to Florida Statute 381.0065 requiring owners of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems to conduct periodic sewage inspections of those facilities to assure that they are operating correctly. Hillsborough County should endorse this bill and its implementation. The inception of this bill will have the affect of assuring that failing systems are identified and properly removed and/or repaired. This bill will help in isolating and treating the potential deleterious impacts of untreated septic waste within the environment. Hillsborough County should direct its legislative liaison to meet with the County's legislative delegation and voice the County's support for this action. !0" ! %$& '( # ) ; Within the body of this report, the CAC has outlined various objectives it feels should be funded through the use of the $500,000 placed in reserve by the BOCC at the onset of the study. These funds were dedicated specifically for implementing the recommendations set forth within the study. The CAC also feels that any funds remaining after funding the specific recommendations noted below should be used to defray any cost associated with the implementation of the various MSBUs. The following table summarizes the priority of the allocated expenditures. Table 3: Prioritized Recommendations for Funding Funding Rank Cost Balance ($500,000) SAR Program Coordinator $163,875 $336,125 Baycrest Inlets $25,000 $311,125 Offset Cost of MSBU Inception $311,125 $0
