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I
& II. Status of
Miami River
Federal Navigable Channel
Maintenance Dredging Project & Funding and Status of “Bank to
Bank” Maintenance Dredging Project & Funding
– Mr. Brett Bibeau stated Dick
Bunnell served as designee of the Miami River Marine Group. Mr.
Charles Morton, as President of the Miami River Marine Group, serves as
the Miami River Commission board member. Mr. Bibeau stated it was
his understanding that the Miami River Marine Group is appointing a
new designee to the Miami River Commission.
Mr. Bibeau acknowledged the years of positive volunteer service
Mr. Bunnell had provided the MRC and its Dredging subcommittee.
Bibeau reported MRC Chair Irela Bagué had recently appointed
Governor Bush’s “Member-at-Large” appointment to the Miami River
Commission, Mr. Eric Buermann, to serve as the new co-chair of the Miami
River Commission’s Dredging Subcommittee.
The dredging subcommittee provided self-introductions, and Mr.
Buermann thanked the Dredging subcommittee for their warm welcome.
Mr. Rene Perez,
Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), stated as reported in Congresswoman
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s Monday, August 15 press conference, that on
Friday, August 12, the ACOE reprogrammed $8.377 million of the $27.8
million previously appropriated by Congress for the
Miami River
maintenance dredging project, in order to award acceptance sections 4-6
of 15. Mr. Perez stated this
reprogramming would allow the dredging to continue without a temporary
demobilization through the
September 30, 2005
end of fiscal year 2005. Mr.
Brett Bibeau, MRC Managing Director, thanked Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen
and the entire Dade Delegation, Governor Bush, the Florida Legislature,
City of
Miami
,
Miami-Dade
County
, FIND and the South Florida Water Management District for their
continued effort and support for the
Miami River
maintenance dredging project, which included numerous letters of support
recently mailed to ACOE General Strock.
Mr. Perez stated
the recently reprogrammed $8.377 million represented the ACOE’s final
repayment of the previously appropriated federal cost share.
Mr. Roman Gastesi,
Miami
Dade
County
, stated the local cost share partners are in the process of completing
appropriation request forms for the balance due the project in FY ’06,
therefore an accounting of the previously appropriated and expended
funds for the project should be conducted, in order to verify the
upcoming fiscal year budget requests.
Tim McIntosh stated the County is requesting $1.8 million from
the State during FY ’06, and $1.5 million from the Florida Inland
Navigation District. Mr.
Bibeau noted the project may be completed before the end of fiscal year
’06, therefore the MRC will assist the local project sponsors in
securing the balance due for the project in FY ‘06 from all cost-share
partners. Mr. Bibeau stated
according to an estimated funding matrix used in the past by the
dredging subcommittee, the federal cost share balance due is
approximately $26.7 million for acceptance sections 7- 15, the
County’s balance due is $1,411,077 for acceptance sections 9-15, and
the City’s balance due is $1,004,904 for acceptance sections 9-15.
Mr. Perez confirmed that these estimated figures represent the
project cost, plus the required 15% ACOE overhead for administering the
project. Mr. Buermann asked
for all cost share partners to present an accounting of their previous
appropriations and expenses, in addition to their plans for securing the
balances due, at the next Dredging Subcommittee meeting.
Mr. McIntosh stated the County has decided not to create an
escrow account for the local cost share, rather issue emergency check
requests, which only take 4 days to process.
Mr. Gastesi stated he felt confident the local cost share would
have their funding available as needed for the project, without any
temporary demobilizations.
Mr. Perez noted
the ACOE’s approval of acceptance section 1 should be expected soon,
and their may be up to an estimated $1.3 million of leftover funding
from acceptance sections 1-4, which may be used towards awarding
dredging in future acceptance sections.
Mr. Buermann asked for the status and explanation of accepting
“completed” acceptance sections at the next Dredging Subcommittee
meeting.
III.
Update
River
Utility Crossings –Mr. Perez stated all utilities are cleared through the awarded
acceptance section 6.
IV.
Status of Removal of NW 5th Street Bridge Prior to Dredging
within that Acceptable Section –
Mr.
Bibeau reported the NW 5th ST Bridge had recently been struck
a second time within the last few weeks by a vessel under tow, and
remains in the “locked up” position.
Dr. Fran Bohnsack, Miami River Marine Group, stated it was her
understanding that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) had
decided to remove the problematic NW 5 ST Bridge bascule leaves, and
expedite the funded replacement of the existing bridge, which was deemed
a hazard to navigation in 1929. The dredging subcommittee noted the
currently broken NW 5 ST Bridge support structure is constructed well
into the federal navigable channel; therefore the dredgers would be
forced to proceed around the structure, leaving significant quantities
of sediments behind.
V.
New Business - Dr.
Bohnsack,
Miami River
Marine Group, invited the Dredging Subcommittee to Antillean Marine’s
christening of the newest vessel in their fleet, which is the largest
shipping vessel on the
Miami River
, on August 19 at
2 PM
. Bohnsack noted the vessel
is functional on the
Miami River
due to the present maintenance dredging of the
Miami River
, which is restoring its designated 15-foot deep federal navigable
channel.
The Dredging
Subcommittee confirmed the next regularly scheduled third Wednesday of
the month meeting for September 21, 2005, 10 am, Robert King High, 1407
NW 7 Street.
The meeting
adjourned.
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