Board of County Commissioners Agenda Request

Date of Meeting: April 3, 2017 Date Submitted: March 30, 2017 To: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board

From: David Edwards, County Administrator

Sheree T. Keeler, Intergovernmental Affairs & RESTORE Act Director Subject: Request Board Approval of a Letter to Senators Montford and Gainer

Regarding an Amendment to SB 364, Triumph Gulf Fund, Inc. and Approve the Chairman to Sign

Statement of Issue: This agenda item requests Board approval of a letter to Senators Montford and Gainer regarding an Amendment to SB 364, Triumph Gulf Fund, Inc. and approve the Chairman to sign. Background: Senators Montford and Gainer introduced SB 364 to provide a framework for the expenditure of the BP Oil spill economic damage settlement funds to Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., a nonprofit corporation responsible for creating and administering a program to assist with economic recovery in the eight Gulf Coast counties disproportionately affected by the Deepwater Horizon event. SB 364 appropriates approximately $299 million (the first annual settlement payment) to Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., to fund eligible projects selected through an application and scoring process. This SB further amends and describes the Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. Board of Directors composition, power and responsibilities as prescribed in current law. On March 28, 2017, this bill was voted on favorably by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development and referred to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. At this time the Senate Appropriations Committee has not set a date for taking up the bill. HB 7077 was introduced by the House Select Committee on Triumph Gulf Coast and serves the same purpose as SB 364 for the appropriation of BP Oil Spill economic damage settlement funds, providing duties, powers and composition of the Gulf Triumph Board of Directors, project criteria and process for selection. However, HB 7077 provides that an award of a project may supplement but may not supplant existing funding sources and it ensures that at least 6% of funds appropriated for awards from the Triumph Gulf Coast program are expended in each of the 8 Gulf Coast counties over the lifetime of the settlement agreement. HB 7077 was voted on favorably by the House and is in Senate Messages. Additionally, the current law prescribing the selection of Triumph Gulf Coast Board members does not ensure that each of the 8 Gulf Coast counties are represented fairly and equitable. SB 364 seeks some remedy to this situation by including language increasing the Board membership from five to seven members and allows the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House to each appoint

Request Board Approval of a Letter to Senators Montford and Gainer Regarding an Amendment to SB 364, Triumph Gulf Fund, Inc. and Approve the Chairman to Sign April 3, 2017 Page 2 one member. Each of the new members must be from the private sector and from one of the four least populous of the 8 Gulf Coast counties (i.e., Walton, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla counties). Both Gulf and Franklin counties have written letters to Senators Montford and Gainer requesting that the SB 364 be amended to include similar language as HB 7077. Analysis: County staff are recommending that Wakulla County also submit a letter to Senators Montford and Gainer to assure that:

(1) a percentage of the total appropriation be guaranteed for funding projects in each of the eight Gulf Coast counties;

(2) the composition of the Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. board of directors be structured so that each of the eight Gulf Coast counties are fairly and equitably represented;

(3) state funding may be supplemented but not supplanted with Triumph Gulf Coast funds; and,

(4) flexibility for 8 Gulf Coast counties to collaborate on regional projects. Staff are requesting Board approval of the attached letter to Senators Montford and Gainer Regarding an Amendment to SB 364, Triumph Gulf Fund, Inc. and Approve the Chairman to Sign. Budgetary Impact: There is no budgetary impact with this Agenda Item. Options: 1. Approve the letter to Senators Montford and Gainer Regarding an Amendment to SB 364,

Triumph Gulf Fund, Inc. and Approve the Chairman to Sign. 2. Do not approve the letter to Senators Montford and Gainer Regarding an Amendment to SB

364, Triumph Gulf Fund, Inc. and Do Not Approve the Chairman to Sign. 3. Board direction. Recommendation: Option #1 Attachment(s): 1. Letter to Senators Montford and Gainer 2. SB 364 3. HB 7077

Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Post Office Box 1263 Crawfordville, FL 32326 (850) 926-0919 x 705 (850) 926-0940 FAX

April 3, 2017 Senator Bill Montford 404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399 Senator George Gainer 840 West 11th Street Panama City, Florida 32401 Re: SB 364, Recovery Fund for the Deepwater Horizon Incident Honorable Senator Montford and Senator Gainer: On behalf of the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners I would like to thank you for your leadership and dedication to the citizens of Wakulla County. The sponsorship of the landmark SB 364 is to be commended and is vital to ensure that the BP Oil spill economic settlement (known as “Triumph Gulf Coast”) funds are used in a manner to secure and protect the future of generations to come in the eight Gulf Coast counties from Escambia to Wakulla. As you know the eight Gulf Coast counties in your districts were severely impacted by the Deepwater Horizon incident. Although the damage to our beaches and shoreline is no longer visible, we cannot forget how hard we have all worked to overcome the real damages and the perceptions that kept visitors from our local beaches, fishermen from our boat ramps, and most of all the perception that our local Gulf Coast seafood was damaged or unsafe to eat. The economic damages during those difficult times was immediate and lingering as we will never regain the lost revenues. It was extremely difficult on the small counties, such as Wakulla, because many of our small businesses and individuals are dependent on the seafood industry as well as the visitor who spends just a day in our County at the beach, fishing, eating at our local restaurants or looking to buy fresh seafood. Small Gulf Coast counties lack economic diversity and depend mainly on small businesses and day visitors to sustain our economy year-round. We do not have a large

Senators Montford and Gainer April 3, 2017 Page Two university or college campus, hospitals, military bases, a federal or state government complex or other major large businesses to support and stabilize our economic structure, which is especially important during tough economic times. SB 364 provides a framework where the eight Gulf Coast counties must compete against one another for funds to transform their communities with economic, educational and workforce diversity making them less dependent on tourism and able to compete globally for better jobs and wages. However, as the SB 364 is currently written it does not ensure that each of the eight Gulf Coast counties will receive any of the Triumph Gulf Coast funds; it does not ensure that Triumph Gulf Coast funds will not supplant any existing funding; and, it does not provide flexibility for the eight Gulf Coast counties to collaborate on regional projects that are mutually beneficial to one or more County. We therefore respectively and formally request that SB 364 be amended to assure that:

(1) a percentage of the total appropriation be guaranteed for funding projects in each of the eight Gulf Coast counties;

(2) the composition of the Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. board of directors be structured so that each of the eight Gulf Coast counties are fairly and equitably represented;

(3) existing funding may be supplemented but not supplanted with Triumph Gulf Coast funds; and,

(4) flexibility for the 8 Gulf Coast counties to collaborate on regional projects. Your consideration of this request is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Ralph Thomas Chairman