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Home My WebLink AboutCritical Improvement Agricultur L L L L l L l L L L l L L L l L L L L St. Lucie County Critical Improvement Projects 2000 - 2001 Legislative Session ,\1// '." ~ ã FLORIDA Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sen'iœs November 1999 .. ¡.. lilt .. ÌIIII i. ÌIIII .. III PROPOSED PROJECTS FOR STATE FUNDING 2000-2001 ... FISCAL YEAR BUDGET ilia '.. .. ... III .. .. ÌIIII ÌIIII .. ... !III ÌIIII .. III St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners .. ÌIIIII lilt .. District #1 Commissioner John D. Bruhn ilia District #2 Commissioner Doug Coward District #3 Commissioner Paula A. Lewis ilia District #4 Commissioner Frannie Hutchinson ÌIIII District #5 Commissioner Cliff Barnes ÌIIIII lilt III ... III ... filii ... .. .. .. .. III .. .. .. ~ ilia ÍIII .. ÌIIIII III ÌIIII .. III ... TAB 1 AQUACULTURE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT - .. ... ... St. Lucie County Aquaculture Demonstration Project .. A proposal for $315,000 to fund proposed aquaculture programs in St. Lucie County. .. ÌIIII 1M ÌIIIII ilia III .. 1M ÌIII III ilia III III ilia .. i.. .. ÌIIIII St. Lucie County Aquaculture Demonstration Project ÍIII Project Manager: Julia Shewchuk Community Development Director (ô, ÌIIII Amount of Request: $315,000.00 III Description of Project: ilia The following summary describes the proposed aquaculture funding needed and the proposed programs in St. Lucie County. Legislative funding requests from St. Lucie County would be needed for certain elements of the programs. Proposed funding from the State is as follows: 1. Shrimp incubator program $300,000 2. Aquaculture Extension Agent $15,000 ÍIII III III A major private investment is anticipated as part of the overall project. This will be the Aquaculture Center of Excellence, a $5 million facility which will be the cornerstone of the aquaculture research program. ~" ÌII Reason for request: III State funding for the three items will ensure that the County will be able to successfully participate in the development of this vital new aquaculture opportunity. lit .. III III III III ÌIIII ¡¡. ÍII St. Lucie County - Aquaculture Funding Needs ÌIII The County has two distinct but interrelated aquaculture funding requests. ÌIII 1. Shrimp Incubator ProQram A commercial scale demonstration of farming marine shrimp in freshwater in conjunction with UF-IRREC and private industry. The project is designed to prove technological feasibility to existing farmers, ranchers, grove owners, and others, as a means to stimulate economic activity through new crop revenues, job retention and job growth. Outcomes include incorporation of shrimp production into existing farms, new investment dollars by individuals and companies interested in this activity, and the creation of a number of supportive businesses such as hatchery, processing, feeds, distribution and marketing. .. ... III .. The demonstration is divided into hatchery, nursery and growout phases. The County will be directly involved in the hatchery and nursery phases, the University in the nursery and growout, and the private sector in the growout phase. The University will take responsibility for overall project coordination, data collection and report writing with the County playing a supportive role. The total project is estimated at $600,000. The County share of the request should be $300,000 with the remainder supported in the University's budget. Once feasibility is established, the County will return to our primary role of economic development and business support allowing any further research and demonstration to be a function of the Coalition and/or University. ... ÌIII .. ... 2. Multi-Countv Aquaculture Extension AQent The County would need to cover 20-30% of this position in order to maintain and house the position within the St. Lucie Cooperative Extension office. Expenses should be picked up by the neighboring counties served by the agent. Position will be requested through UF via County Extension Director. Total County cost: $15,000. III III Both programs are interrelated. Except for the shrimp hatchery, private sector shrimp growers, and possibly the World Aquaculture Center, all facilities and positions would be located within the proposed Special Use Zone for a Research Park and Research Applications District. County staff are working with the Coalition members, especially UF-IRREC, private industry and our Legislative Delegation to develop support documentation and further budget detail. III .. ... .. ... II. rr III ÌIII ... ÌIIII III III .. III III ... ilia .. ilia lilt ... ... ÎIII ... TAB 2 FAIRGROUNDS RELOCATION AND DISASTER CONTROL CENTER .. ... ... Fairgrounds Relocation and Disaster Command/Special Needs Shelter Project ... ... A proposal for $8,000,000 to relocate the County fairgrounds and develop a Joint Use Disaster Control Center, Special Needs Shelter, Exhibit Hall and a Horse and Livestock Park. .. ÍIII .. ... lit III III ilia lilt III III lilt lilt .. ... .. .. AGRICULTURE EXHIBIT & TRAINING/DISASTER COMMAND CENTER! SPECIAL NEEDS SHELTER - .. Project Manager: Julia Shewchuk Community Development Director .. Amount of Request: $8,000,000.00 Description of Project: ÍIII This project will relocate the Fair from the Airport grounds, provide a livestock/equine facility for training and education. This facility will also be used as a Disaster Command Center providing for a needed staging area, Command Post, Primary Special Needs Shelter, 911/EOC back up and an evacuation area for horses and other animals in the event of a natural disaster. ÌIIII ... Reason For Funding: The new 200 acre property has been purchased. Funding is needed to develop the facilities prior to moving The Fair Association off of the St. Lucie County Airport property. The project will allow for new industrial development at the airport, create a new Fair Association opportunity and a Special Needs Disaster Shelter that is badly needed in the County. lilt .. .. ÍIII .. III .. ... lilt ... ~ .. '- ST. LUCIE COUNTY AGRICULTURE EXHIBIT, TRAINING/DISASTER COMMAND AND SPECIAL NEEDS SHELTER III FUNDING NEEDS .. I. Project Engineering & Design $ 600,000.00 ... II. Water/Sewer $ 500,000.00 III III. Infrastructure $1,200,000.00 IV. Agriculture Exhibit/Disaster Center $3,000,000.00 ... V. Livestock/Equine $1,500,000.00 ... VI. Furnishings $ 500,000.00 VII. Contingency $ 700.000.00 ... TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED $8,000,000.00 ÌIIII .. .. III ÍIII III lilt ÌIIII ÌIIII .. III .. ÍIII lit ... A. .. .. B. ÍiIIIt ... ... ÌìII ... III lilt .. ÍIII .. ... AGRICULTURE EXHIBIT & TRAINING / DISASTER COMMAND / SPECIAL NEEDS SHELTER ÇJeographic Infonnation- The 200 acre site is located in the heart of St. Lucie County, west of the major population centers, bordered on the north by State Road 70 and on the south by County Road 712. The site is geographically centered to serve the four county area of Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Indian River and Martin Counties. This site is within 6 miles of the Florida Turnpike and 1-95 Interchanges along with being located outside the emergency planning zone for the nuclear power plant. Agricultural- Fair Association will hold the annual county fair, along with the livestock shows/sales and auctions. Facility will be used for agriculture training and education, trade shows, equine training/specialty classes, 4H events, farm equipment safety training/exhibitions and rodeos. Building will include stable facilities for horses and an adjoining arena. Emergency collection site for large animals, an estimated 200 head of horses are residing east of U.S. Highway 1 in areas that are subject to flooding and wildfires. This facility will provide a safe and secure location for l~vestock and large animals in emergency situations in which residents are instructed to evacuate. C. Pisaster Command/Special Needs Shelter- Facility will be used as a staging and distribution area of equipment along with the capability of providing for regional staging of resources and primary command post during recovery stage of a disaster. It would be the only Special Needs Population Shelter outside the 10 mile emergency planning zone. Used as an alternate Emergency Operation Center outside the EPZ should we lose capabilities at our primary 911 Central Communications and Emergency Management location. Currently we havé inadequate locations for the evacuation of school children during a nuclear power plant emergency, this facility will help and provide needed shelter. D. Facility- The 30,000 sf structure will meet Category 3 hurricane design requirements, accommodate over 500 people, contain a full service kitchen, restrooms and showers and dining for 250 people. Building interior will have folding walls to provide for more versatile use. As an emergency center the facility will contain emergency lighting, phones, data facilities and emergency generators. Both the on site water and wastewater systems would incorporate an emergency generator system to provide reliability in emergency situations. Water system would include a ground storage tank capable of sustaining minimwn fire protection needs and storage capability. This structure will be completely self contained. ... III ... III - ... III ... III III III III ill. III ... III III III ... Shelter space . at a preooUDl in 2 counties S,PACE' \ STORM PREPARATIONS .I By Andrew Conte 01 the News SlI" As hurricanes Bonnie and Danielle'churn through the At- lantic Oo:an, emergency manage- ment officials in SL Lucie County have eliminated four stonn shel- t:rs because of concerns they are unsafe. And officials in Martin County, already dealing with. a space shortage, plan to pack In residents "shoulder to shoulder" if nco:ssary. e" . On our Web site &( For updates on ~ Hurricanes . Bonnieand ) Danielle. vis~ . our Web s~e at http-J/www.tcpalm.com J An informal inspection m July found that (oûr St. LuCie School District buildings that were in- dud:d on the county's shelter list do not provide enough protcc- lion from fiying d:bris and high winds, Don Daniels, SL Lucie County's emergency managc- ment coordinator. said the build- ings either have too much glass or structural problems that could :ause them to collapse. Three schools removcd from he list arc Weatherbee Elcmcil- ary and Forest Grove Middle :Chool in Fort PiertC and South- ort Middlc School in Port SL. ucie. Officials temporarily re; , oved Manatee' Elementary in )rt 51. Lucie, which is under- .inE roof repairs. . Those buildings will not be cd as shelters during a storm. t Daniels said no place is abso- cly safe in a hurricane, Please see SPACE on A2 . CO/'lT'INUEO FROM ,0.1 , "'There's always a risk .when you're lOOkin~ at a Category, 3 stonn or hi er; he said. It's safer there t an if you stay i!J a mobile home, 00 ,the beach or In a car. ... (But) if you can stay at home, stay at home." 'The elosures in St. Lucie Cowity'COIDC 'as offiåals in Mar- tin ·CoUllty assess space ,problems. After a safety ~on in 1997. Martin County eliminated several shelters, leaving a deficit of about 6,000 spaces. Officials will squcc:zc ~ple mto the exiStiog shehers un iii they are "shoulder to shoulder" if nec- essary, said Mc1 Baxley, Martin 'County's 'emergeney plaMer. Meanwhile. the county contjnues to place hurricåne shutters ot! otherpubli<: bl1Î1dÍ1igs to increase the number of places where pcople CIn secle rcfufe. wWe won tturn away pcople," he said. wI{ we have to, we will re· duce the space (for each pcrson) during the storm." At the start of hurricane sea- SOD m'1U11e. St. Lucie County offi- cials said they had space for IS,COO people, which El!atches the projectcìd number oftestdents w~o Wi1I Deed emergeocy shclter. With , four fewer melters, the county now has a deficit of spaces, partic- ularly in north SL Lucie COunty, ~~ ~ "':~ a,l~d~, tight. In an earlier in.spcction. crner- gcocy officials deemed Fort Pierce shelters at the campus of Indian Riycr CommUllitY·College and the school' diStrict's Dale Cassens School unsafe (or hurricane pro- tection, said Betty DeStefano.. ex- ccutiYè 'director :or the Amencan Red Cross in" SL Lucie County. Besides haviDg too much glass, common problCltlS, ineludc long roof,spans, unreiaCorccd masonry, wale exterual 'or interual walls and tall trees nearby, expcrts said, Any.of those factors could cause a building to collapsc during a ma- jor hurricane. Emergency olTtcials in St. Lu· cie CoUDty found the problems during an infonnal inspection of about two·thir~s of. the shelters. drew hit South Florida in 1992 the state rec¡uired counties to 'find enough shelter space for residents in evacuation areas, but· now in- spectors arc finding that many of ' the shelters throughout the state arc inade,\uate. .: "If we rc aware of a situation, we're not goit!g to deliberately put somebodl at risk,", DeSt~ano . ,said. "0 course, if we have 120. mph wind. who knows what's safe?" Under the county's emergency plan, officials would open five shelters first and then' open more as needed. DeStefano encouraged residents to listen to mc4ia Rports to find out which shelteß a.re available. ., ~. ' !' She also advised that people. necd to bring water, rood. c1othiog and bedding to the shelters be- cause the American Red Cross does not provide cots or other re- sources. Officials encouraged pco- pic to stay with family or (riends who live in safe places rather than coining to the shelters. "The shelter is safer - that's the key word, safer - than a mo- ! bile home and safer than a beach- i front' home," DeStcCano said. "The shelter is not a motd. .. . , . After Hurricane Böl1I1Ïe sat" ofT the southeastern coast or Florida last weekend, emergency ,officialS said 'they arc better p~ .and· that the public seems rcadieri'or a major storm. ,...' . People who have not ·yet· got- ten. ~crg!=ncy supp~~es slio~ld.d~ so Immediately- as a second hum- cane, Danielle, gathers strength in the Atlantic. said Mary Sa~r. director .of the Martin..County' chapter or the' American Red Cross. .' . "(Bonrü~ .... j ~lr. . haS sparked a lot'òr antcœt, ;$H~ said. "We hopc"níóre :pëo¡)1ë Wct{t out and got supplies and figured out 'what their plao is. If theyhav'cn't done that by now, they'R i,D.' ba:d,- shapc." ' " I The group's chapteß'ln both I counlies are seeking volwitccß to run shellers and help with disaster' relief. For more informaûon, resi· dents an all the Amerian Red Cross al 287-2002 in MartiD çounry or 46/-520/ in St.·Lucie