HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Regular_Tab 10B_2/13/1997 1 wI xrv/ A �JI I�.'I N.. A. t iL 1. 1
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CHAIRMAN in
I:OO. r January 16, 1997 I
University i;r FIcttd!] i a :4er
VICE CHAIRMAN
Bnon Flynn
Dade County
SECRETARY- To: Coastal City and County Managers
TREASURER
Rcbeit CW,get •
Palm Beach County From: Stan Tait, President, FSBPA
PRESIDENT
Stan Tait
Tallahassee Re: Beach funding
DIRECTORS
Richard Davis
University of
South Florida
Bruno Falkenstein A bill has been introduced in the Legislature byRepresentative Dennis Jones to
St.Petersburg Beach g
provide a dedicated funding source for beach preservation projects. HB 103 will
Steve Higgins
Broward County generate some$30 million annually to insure state matching money is
Karen Marcusavailable when you need it for your critical beach erosion projects.
Palm Beach County
Malcolm Mclouth The funding source is a $5 embarkation and debarkation surcharge on cruise ship
Port Canaveral
passengers using Florida ports. (a total of$10 tar most passengers on cruises over
Debbie Norton 24 hours)
Santo Rosa Island
AL:Monty
Katie Pierolo The key to passing this bill is strongsupport from local governments such as
Bradenton Beach • pp
yours who will be the beneficiaries.
William Strange
Florida Atlantic
UniVeiot-V Therefore this association, which functions as a "league of cities and counties" on
Defray• John Walker
Beach beach issues, urgently asks you and your commission to:
Michael Walther.P.E.
Non-Governmental 1. Strongly endorse this bill and nuke it a high priority on your 1997
Ex OFFICIO legislative agenda. (sample resolution enclosed)
Al Devereaux
Florida DEP
Eddie Salem 2. Contact your legislative delegation immediately and ask them to
Corps at Engineers support this bill or any other Legislative efforts to provide long
Tarn Campbell term dedicated funding for Florida's beaches. •
Erik Olsen
Tony Sandifer
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS For the first time in our history, we have an opportunity to solve our funding
Alen Ten Broek problem. Let's not let this opportunity slip away. Our beaches are Florida's #1
Sanibel Island
tourist attraction and a vital part of the state's economy.
If you need additional information or a copy of the bill, please call me at (904)
•222-7677.
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. N7r71 J r.•.
CRUISE SHIP SURCHARGE: PRESERVING FLORIDA'S
BEACHES
HB 103, Representative Dennis Jones
SB
WHAT THE BILL DOES
1. Levies a state surcharge on cruise ship passengers when they embark or
debark from Florida ports. Fee schedule is:
-- cruises over 24 hours: $5.00
-- cruises under 24 hours: $1.00
2. Estimated annual income to the state is $27 million. (based on 1994-95
figures.)
-- 5 million embarkations/debarkations over 24 hours = $25 million
-- 2 million embarkations/debarkations under 24 hours = $2 million
3. Fee would be put in the state Ecosystem Management and Restoration
Trust Fund for repair and maintenance of Florida's beaches and for
enhancements to the beach environment by Florida's deep water ports.
• 4. This bill would free up general revenue funds currently allocated to the
state's beach management program.
IMPORTANCE OF BEACHES TO FLORIDA'S ECONOMY
1. Beaches are Florida's number\one tourist "attraction." Beach-related sales
generate more than $16 billion to the state's economy. (On average,
beach tourists stay four days longer and spend more per capita than those
going to other Florida destinations)
2. DEP estimates that at least 276 miles of Florida's 787 miles of sandy
beaches fronting the Atlantic or Gulf are experiencing critical erosion.
This is negatively impacting tourism, which has been relatively stagnant
for the past five years. Hotel owners say eroded beaches drive away
tourists to other destinations, including the Caribbean and Mexico.
3. When the state's beach management program was enacted in 1986, the
Legislature declared an intent to "appropriate at least $35 million
annually" to implement the program. (Average appropriations for the last
five years have been $8.6 million. making it impossible to adequately
restore and maintain Florida's beaches.)
4. DEP estimates that to restore and maintain Florida's +276 miles of
critically-eroding beaches over the next twenty years will have a total
annual cost of$95 million. If current federal and local cost-sharing
formulas are maintained, the state's annual cost will be between $30 and
$35 million, reinforcing the vision of 1986 Beach Management Act. (Only
105 of the state's 276 miles of critically-eroding beaches are currently
being addressed by the state's beach management program.)
5. For FY1997-98, local governments have requested $27.3 million in state
matching funds for beach projects. (These projects entailed $30 million
in federal matching money plus $30.6 million in local matching money, or
a total of more than $2 for every state dollar spent.)
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6. Another major benefit of Florida's beach management program is storm
protection. The presence of a I00-foot wide strip of beach reduces storm
damage to coastal properties by more than 50%.
7. Beaches are the first line of protection from storms and hurricanes. They
protect $150 billion in coastal buildings. If we allow our beaches to erode
away, the state and federal governments will be stuck with unnecessarily
large storm recovery costs. (The Corps of Engineers estimated that
structural damage from Hurricane Opal at Panama City Beach would have
been reduced by upwards of 70% if the pending beach nourishment
project there had been completed.)
RATIONALE AND NEXUS
1. Navigation inlets, including ports, are a significant cause of beach erosion
in Florida by blocking the sand flow that provides "natural beach
nourishment." It is appropriate that users of these ports help support
remedies to the beach erosion problem.
2. Caribbean cruise destinations typically charge a "head tax" and other fees
on U.S. tourists while the State of Florida gets nothing. Following are
port and passenger fees collected by cruise lines on passengers from
Florida ports:
Bahamas 4 night cruise $84.50
Jamaica 7 night cruise $118.50
Mexico 7 night cruise $126.50
3. Nearly all the cruise ships doing business in Florida are registered abroad
in countries such as Panama and Liberia. They pay virtually no U.S. or
Florida taxes. All shipping related income, such as cruise fares, is tax
exempt.
PROJECTED IMPACTS ON FLORIDIANS8S\THE CRUISE LINES
1. The overwhelming majority of cruise passengers,departing from Florida
ports are residents of the other 49 states of the U.S. or from Canada.
Thus, relatively few Floridians will be subject to the proposed surcharge.
(Florida, with the world's three busiest cruise ports, serves about 79% of
all North American home port passenger movements.)
2. The big majority of these out-of-state cruise passengers do not vacation in
Florida. Rather, they use Florida as merely a "way station" to and from
the cruise ship.
3. The average cruise passenger pays more than $1,000 for his/her trip and
spends an additional $125 at each port of call.
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Compiled by the Florida Shore&Beach Preservation Association, a league of cities and counties
on beach and coastal issues
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1
. RESOLUTION NO. 13-96/97
A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL
OF THE VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA, PALM
BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA, URGING THE
1997 FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO CREATE A
DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE FOR STATE-
WIDE BEACH MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORTING
11 Ii
HOUSE BILL 103 .
WHEREAS, beaches are Florida' s number one tourist
I attraction, generating more than $16 billion annually to
11 the state' s economy; and
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WHEREAS, wide sandy beaches are the first line of
protection against hurricanes and can reduce damage to •
! coastal properties by more than fifty (50%) percent; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Environmental Protection �,
� estimates that at least two hundred seventy six (276)
miles of Florida' s sandy beaches are experiencing
'I critical erosion, a situation which is hurting both
!i tourism and storm protection along both coasts; and
WHEREAS, when the State' s Beach Management Program was
-_enacted in 1986, the Legislature declared an intent to
"appropriate at least $35 million annually" to implement
this program, an amount reinforced by D.E.P. FY 1997-98
I Legislative budget request; and
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II WHEREAS, average appropriations over the last five (5)
i; years have been less than $9 million, resulting in long
• II , delays in urgently-needed beach preservation projects;
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and,
WHEREAS, House Bill 103 in the 1997 Legislature will
11 create a dedicated funding source for state-wide Beach
Management of approximately $30 million annually from
cruise ship passengers embarking and debarking in
Florida. •
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF
H THE VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA, PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA, AS i
i1 FOLLOWS:
I
:i SECTION 1. The Village Council strongly urges the
11 Florida Legislature to enact HB 103 or any other
i' Legislative effort to provide long-term dedicated funding
i; for Florida' s beaches.
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SECTION 2 . The Village Clerk is hereby directed to
• provide a copy of this Resolution to all members of the •
Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation in the Florida
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Legislature, the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation
Association and the Tequesta representatives to the Palm
• Beach County-wide Beaches and Shores Council .
THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION WAS OFFERED BY •
Councilmember , who moved
its adoption. The motion was seconded by
Councilmember
and upon
being put to a vote, the vote was as follows:
• '1 FOR ADOPTION AGAINST ADOPTION
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The Mayor thereupon declared the Resolution duly passed
and adopted this day of February, A.D. 1997
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MAYOR OF TEQUESTA
Ron T. Mackail
ATTEST: •
Joann Manganiello
Village Clerk
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