|
I & II. Status of
Miami River
Federal Navigable Channel
Maintenance Dredging Project & Funding and Status of “Bank to
Bank” Maintenance Dredging Project & Funding – Mr.
Rene Perez, Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), participated via speaker
phone. Mr. Perez stated the
ACOE will award Acceptance Sections (AS) 7 & 8 on April 1. The
$7 million federal cost share to award AS 7 & 8, noted Mr. Perez,
consists of the remaining appropriation from Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, as
well as the $3.5 million included in the FY ’07 CR, which is the same
amount the President requested for FY ‘07, and was appropriated in FY
’06.
Mr.
Carlos Espinosa, Director of the Miami-Dade County Department of
Environmental Resource Management (DERM), asked for the status of the
Local Advance Funding agreement. Mr.
Perez replied the ACOE’s Jacksonville District sent the agreement to
the South Atlantic Division, which forwarded it to ACOE Headquarters in
DC for approval, followed by transmittal to the County for signatures,
and subsequently returning the signed agreement to Assistant Secretary
of the Army (ASA) Woodley’s final signature, before the proffered
previously appropriated local cost share may be spent faster than the
pledged federal cost share balance due to complete the project.
Mr. Espinosa stated ASA Woodley told Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen
and himself at a meeting in
Miami
, that as soon as the approved Local Advanced Funding Agreement arrives
in his office, he will sign it. The
subcommittee noted an executed Local Advanced Funding Agreement would
provide sufficient additional funding to award AS 9, and by the time AS
9 is completed, federal FY ’08 will have commenced.
Mr. Perez reported Senator Nelson’s Office has been contacting
the ACOE regarding the funding needed in FY ’08 to complete the
project, and Mr. Perez stated the federal cost share balance due is $26
million.
Mr.
Bibeau stated he had attended the GMCC / Miami-Dade County Washington DC
“Fly-In” on February 28 -
March 1, 2007
, where he met with the Dade Delegation and Army Corps of Engineers
representatives in support for the remaining federal cost-share balance
due. Mr. Bibeau added that everyone he met with recognizes the 40%
complete project’s benefits will only be realized upon completing
dredging to the confluence with
Biscayne Bay
. Mr. Bibeau added the
Honorable Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen hosted the Honorable
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz on a
Miami River
boat tour with representatives from the MRC, County, City, SFWMD, MRMG,
etc. on
March 2, 2007
, where the project was also well received. Mr.
Bibeau noted he had attended an event on Saturday, March 17 for the
Honorable Congressmen Lincoln Diaz-Balart and the Honorable Congressman
Mario Diaz-Balart. Mr.
Bibeau added that the Honorable Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and
the Honorable Congressman John Mica, Ranking Member of the
Transportation Committee, were also in attendance, and all four
representatives pledged their continued support for completing the
project. Mr. Bibeau stated the Honorable State Senator Alex de la
Portilla, whom is sponsoring the County’s $13.8 million request, met
with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce last week and indicated the
Maintenance Dredging of the
Miami River
is his number one priority. Mr.
Bibeau noted he would be in
Tallahassee
on March 27-28 supporting the County’s $13.8 million request.
Ms.
Tish Burgher, QCA, FDOT, inquired about the dredging timeline, and Mr.
Perez replied once AS 7-8 are awarded on April 1, a Notice to Proceed (NTP)
would be issued between 1-30 days, and the contractors would then have
60 additional days for remobilization from issuance of the NTP. Considering
the aforementioned timeline, Mr. Perez noted dredging would recommence
no later than
July 1, 2007
. At an estimated rate of
dredging one acceptance section per month, AS 7 would be dredged during
July, AS 8 during August, and AS 9 in September, subject to execution of
the Local Advanced Funding Agreement, and then FY ’08 would commence
on October 1, and if the federal cost share balance due to complete the
project is appropriated in FY ’08, the project would continue forward
and maybe completed as early as April 2008, one year prior to the
contract’s expiration in April 2009.
Mr.
Bibeau asked how much of the leftover local cost-share from AS 1-6 would
be utilized to move the project forward, and Mr. Espinosa replied it was
likely for that money to be reprogrammed towards the federal cost share
balance due, but the County would need to coordinate that effort with
FIND and the State. Mr.
Espinosa added making the previously provided left over local cost
share, which wasn’t expended while dredging AS 1-6, would require the
County and ACOE to execute a Contributed Funds Agreement (CFA), which
the County Attorney’s office is currently reviewing. Mr.
Perez noted if non-policy related items are changed in the CFA, the
agreement can be approved and executed at the Jacksonville District
level. If, however, any
policy-related items are altered, the CFA would need to be sent to ACOE
Headquarters for approval and execution.
The Dredging subcommittee noted any additional cost share
appropriated by the Legislature this session would require a CFA to be
accepted by the ACOE as well.
III.
Update
River
Utility Crossings–Mr.
Espinosa reported he believed the County assisted Bellsouth in receiving
its final permits to relocate utility lines. Mr. Bibeau added that
Bellsouth had recently met with Merrill-Stevens to discuss the
company’s expansion plans into the area where they are planning to
relocate their Bellsouth Utility lines, and how they may impact the
planned installation of a consolidated seawall.
IV. Status of Removal of
NW 5th Street
Bridge Prior to Dredging within
that Acceptance Section - Ms.
Burgher discussed the scope of the
NW 12th Ave
Bridge project. Ms. Burgher stated it was her understanding that a
specific area may not be dredged due to underground utilities. Mr. Perez
suggested that she contact Ms. Pat Hanson, ACOE, to address any
specifications/rules regarding construction, but assured that the
dredging contractors would negotiate with the
12th Ave
Bridge contractors once they reach the site.
Ms.
Burgher noted all work staged in the river for the
NW 5th Street
Bridge removal has been completed, and the remaining portions of the
removal of the NW 5 ST Bridge will be completed prior to May 2007. The
FDOT understands any of the land / sediment they own within the federal
navigable channel left behind after they complete the NW 5 ST Bridge
removal, needs to be able to be removed with the ACOE dredging
contractors 6 cubic yard hydraulic excavator, in order to be dredged as
part of the ACOE contract, or the ACOE would require the FDOT to return
and dredge the left over materials at their own cost.
Dr. Fran Bohnsack, Miami River Marine Group, asked for the status
of Mr.
Orin Black
’s, Marilyn Properties, DERM permit, and Mr. Bibeau reported he
believed Mr. Black had yet to receive the executed City Agreement
required for DERM to issue their permit. Mr.
Art Perez noted that FDOT intended to drive a sheet wall to remove the
old pier on the south shore adjacent to the bridge next week, leaving a
16 foot cofferdam until construction commences on the new NW 5 ST Bridge
in November 2008. Mr. Perez
added he hoped Mr. Black will have received the necessary City Agreement
and DERM permit to repair the seawall at his cost before November 2008.
V. New Business –
MRC staff distributed flyers for the 11th Annual Miami
Riverday, March 24, 11-5,
Jose
Marti
Park
, SW 4 ST and SW 4 Ave. Mr.
Bibeau noted Riverday is free to the public, and features free river
boat rides, live music, environmental education, historic re-enactors,
children activities, marine expo, and much more.
The
Dredging subcommittee confirmed the next regularly scheduled third
Wednesday of the month meeting for April 18, 2007, 10 am, 1407 NW 7 ST.
The meeting
adjourned.
|
