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Home My WebLink About26-015 RESOLUTION NO. 26-15 A RESOLUTION OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA AMENDING THE BLUEWAY ADVISORY COMMITTEE COMPOSITION, ROLES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES PURSUANT TO CURRENT FLORIDA STATUTES. WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida ("Board"), has made the following determinations: 1. Section 259.032(8)(a), Florida Statutes requires that State, regional, or local governmental agencies or private entities designated to manage State owned conservation and recreation lands shall develop and adopt, with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund,an individual management plan for each project designed to conserve and protect such lands and their associated natural resources. 2. Section 259.032(8)(b), Florida Statutes requires that individual management plans required by Section 253.034(5) conservation and recreation lands greater than 160 acres must be developed with input from an advisory group composed of representatives of the lead local land managing agency, co- managing entities, local private property owners, the appropriate soil and water conservation district, a local conservation organization, a local elected official, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 3. Section 253.034(5) requires each manager of conservation lands to submit a land management plan at least every 10 years in a form and manner adopted by rule of the board of trustees and in accordance with Section 259.032 Florida Statutes. 4. St. Lucie County manages three (3) State-owned conservation and recreation lands through lease agreements with the Board of Trustees that are greater than 160 acres including Blind Creek Beach (Lease No. 4233), Harbor Branch Preserve (Lease No. 4621), and John Brooks Park (Lease No. 3510). 5. On October 13, 1998, the Board adopted Resolution No. 98-237 which created the Blind Creek Management Plan Advisory Committee pursuant to Section 259.032(8)(b) to assist in the preparation of the Blind Creek Management Plan. 6. On January 19, 1999, the Board adopted Resolution No.99-032 which amended Resolution 98-237 and renamed the Blind Creek Management Plan Advisory Committee to the Blueway Advisory Committee and expanded the Advisory Committee's role to provide input in the development of individual management plans for the additional State-leased conservation and recreation lands managed by St.Lucie County,all of which are connected by the Indian River Lagoon. 7. On October 4, 2022, the Board approved Resolution No. 22-229, amending the Blueway Advisory Committee Composition, Roles, and Responsibilities Pursuant to Florida Statute. The Board agreed that Resolutions 98-237 and 99-032, respectively, be canceled and/or replaced as necessary in order to provide for more efficiency and consistency pursuant to current Florida Statutes. Page 1 of 4 8. The Blueway Advisory Committee, herein referred to as the "Advisory Committee" meets ad hoc and at an infrequent frequency given that the individual management plans for the State leased lands are updated every ten(10) years and the Advisory Committee may face turnover and participation constraints resulting from the given timeframe. 9. Staff recommends that the past Board Resolutions 98-237, 99-032, and 22-229 respectively, be canceled and or replaced as necessary in order to provide for more efficiency and consistency pursuant to current Florida Statutes. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida: A. Ratification of the Recitals. The foregoing recitals are hereby ratified and confirmed as true and correct and are hereby made a part of this Resolution. B. Amendments to the Blueway Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee composition and responsibilities are amended as follows pursuant to Section 259.032(8), Florida Statute: C. Composition. The Advisory Committee shall be comprised of ten (10) members: 1. Local Elected Official (BOCC Chair Appointed) 2. Lead Land Management Agency Director or Designee (Environmental Resources) 3. Comanaging Entity Director or Designee(Parks and Recreation) 4. Comanaging Entity Director or Designee(Mosquito Control) 5. Local Private Property Owner Representative (Residing in the South Hutchinson Island area, ratified by the County Administrator or his or her designee) 6. Local Private Property Owner Representative (Residing in the FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) area, ratified by the County Administrator or his or her designee) 7. Local Conservation Organization Representative (ratified by the County Administrator or his or her designee) 8. Appropriate Soil and Water Conservation District Representative (ratified by the County Administrator or his or her designee) 9. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Representative (ratified by the County Administrator or his or her designee) 10. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (ratified by the County Administrator or his or her designee) D. Appointments.Terms.and Vacancies. 1. The Chair shall appoint the Local Elected Official. 2. The Directors (or their designee) of the following Departments: Environmental Page 2 of 4 Resources, Parks and Recreation and Mosquito Control shall be required members of the committee and do not require appointment or ratification. All remaining members shall be ratified by the County Administrator or his or her designee. 3. Members of the Advisory Committee shall serve until the management plans are updated and approved by the State. There shall be no limit on the number of terms an individual may serve. 4. Members shall be subject to the Operational Procedures for Advisory Boards and Committees as set forth in Resolution No. 12-156, as may subsequently be amended, except as superseded by this Resolution. E. Roles and Responsibilities. 1. Pursuant to Section 259.032(8),Florida Statutes,the Advisory Committee shall provide input on individual management plans for State-owned conservation and recreation lands greater than 160 acres. Should a new acquisition project meet the above criteria, a new plan shall be drafted by staff with input from the Advisory Committee and with coordination with the State, as well as follow all requirements set forth in this Resolution pursuant to Section 253.034(5), Florida Statutes. 2. The Advisory Committee shall conduct at least one public hearing for each individual plan to be adopted or updated.Notice of the public hearing shall be posted on the parcel or project designated for management, advertised in a paper of general circulation, and announced at a scheduled meeting of the Board of County Commissioners before the actual public hearing, per County noticing policies. The management plan prospectus shall be available to the public for a period of 30 days before the public hearing pursuant to Section 259.032(7)(b), Florida Statutes. 3. Meetings. 1. The individual management plans are updated every ten (10) years by the appropriate County staff members. During the update process, County staff will coordinate and convene the Advisory Committee. 2. Five (5) members shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of the Advisory Committee's business. In the presence of a quorum, Advisory Committee business shall be conducted by a vote of a majority present. 3. All Advisory Committee meetings shall be open to the public at all times. 4. Minutes of all meetings shall be taken. F. Staffing. The Environmental Resources Director and his/her staff shall provide necessary professional support to the Advisory Committee. G. Effective Date,This resolution shall take effect on January 27, 2026. Page 3 of 4 After motion and second, the vote on this resolution was as follows: Commissioner Jamie Fowler, Chair AYE Commissioner Larry Leet, Vice-Chair AYE Commissioner Cathy Townsend AYE Commissioner Erin Lowry AYE Commissioner James Clasby AYE PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 27th day of January 2026. ATTEST: GOMM' BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS .c >0 ST, LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA O `� i 70 � o O get Cn %r.r ../,-;-c 4:7 • i � _`G%rouNri•F`"o� BY: DEPUTY CLERK CHAIR APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS COUNTY ATTORNEY Page 4 of 4