HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.10.06 Handouts
X~~~ ~~~
1~~6'IR"li H~F F(al~'1 °1P'li~~'~~
~~~^ ~~~lr,~~~~ ~~~,~~L>~:~heard
~'e~:. I acit~riit io being, a relative':newrron~-
er tic, interts~ civic ~ctivit;y; 13ut: >L~ tl~e five
~~ear~, since'.]. became involved with fit. Lu
ce t'out'tt5'r, Ihave-:never een .a better co-
ordinatcd; more well-inforziied ~1d cocaja,et°-
ative e~ort;tltaW l:witneesed`:Last month u?
'1'~~11ai~assee..'I`tie :issue was the`~Ioycl i3d11
(L)estin :Beach lnc::)'; subrner. ged land Tease
application; the city, cotu~tST, enviroxi-
zr~er~ta7 ~tt~d Harbor l-``dvisorg conu»ttlees.
tltit #a meixton a huge nlaiort~- oi' the.
e:l.ectorate, opposed ,the application: Ti~.is
was f'a~~,good reason: None o,`t:he apprc~pr:i-
atr~ site .plasis, usage:plans. etc., had et=er,
taeen f11ec(.
'`;I.~c? llepai^inaent of Etavircn~rnental I'r,.o-,
1:ecitoT7 iiac~ clearl`~ not exatnned. t[lc, 1~c,.
telatial environmental in~paets. thou~l~
tYZrv 115ci receivecl:~~ gt°eat-deal o`[' scic~tttifc
data: lt_ ascs secined that. l~rlr. Bell -inept
cht~t?giug li5 mind, as'to the type of r,~ti°go
envisioned: one da5~ it w~.s ti°ttits ancJ vctgc:~
tabCes. Gu~othcr ciay,it was bliildin~, naatcrl-
alsr:and, during a radici lnte~~ieu~, he :Wien..
tioried liquefied natlaral..gas.
1:: retriz~tl c~~treznels~ proud ot: tla~ efictrt:-,
ci,' the cite :and county cifficia3s; gas their
preparations, ,presentations at~d ge~lez°al.
coznmitmei7t wez~e coniriiendab].e. 5ori~r--.
.dozen of Elie citizei~~T drove to Talla't~assep
and stayed ovea.~t~i~ht at their own :expense
to add thea~ voices, and those voices were.
heard.
Cat°go 11as becoxre so :mechanizes', that'i:t.
no'Ionger creaLes:much,in the wad ofica_hs~
tiie proposed yacht .tnanutacnzrin~ iacil.i-
ty, which Nlr. ;Bell refnsecl, would ltavc
created Bich-pa~Tisig .lobs, i~ot t~ naentioia
attractvlg the typos of people..wYo woLild
a~nitinue to titp~-ade this lovely•area:
inc., of n1~~ fath:er's favorite s~ying~ w~:tF~
ana: r:1.amnratrs ire. dazerta and its t'ht~ calasc~
thc7se "voices cryin:r; its the. wildei:Wes~;"
were genuinelS~ llcard.
RAapy`'~h~prnar!,
la~`bas~ ~r~vis~a~r ~ammRtC.~~.
~t,'~e~cirw Coe~~#3r
Destin Beach, Inc, Submerged Land Lease for Berth 4
At this time, in preparation for our next visits to Tallahassee, we should begin to prioritize the
issues at hand. Those dates are:
Cabinet Aides Meeting -Wednesday, November 8, at 9 a.m.
Cabinet Meeting Meeting -Tuesday, November 14, at 9 a.m.
The following are a few suggestions of the issues, however, not in necessarily in order of
importance. Room has been left for you to add your thinking and additional items should be
indicated as well.
St. Lucie County Comprehensive Plan /Port lement -being ignored? DEP ignoring DCA's
Letter as well.
Environmental Issues -being ignored and brushed aside stating: We have already had damage.
Weak for a supposed environmental protection department.
DEP is claiming the Application is not "contrary to the public interest". To date the following
have requested this application be denied: City of Fort Pierce, Saint Lucie County, City of Port St.
Lucie, Marine Resources Council, 1000 Friends of Florida, Audubon, Sierra Club, Conservation
Alliance, St. Lucie Waterfront Council, Surfrider's Organization, Fort Pierce Sports Fishing Club,
Scenic America, Florida Wildlife Federation, as well as several homeowners groups, and vast
majority of our citizens. Probably some have been left off this list. What more will it take to be
"contrary to the public interest"?
Proper Rights of Property Owner -what about Property Rights of adjoining property as well as
our communities property rights?
Full description of activities to come under lease - to date the only information we have is
average 225' ship size, however, occasionally 625'. Products stated in application "various
cargoes, principally rock and aggregates. Note words in bold are of concern. Frequency of
shipments (important due to increase in rail and truck traffic and damage to lagoon.
Who will have enforcement power}~,~Q~g~,? DEP or St. Lucie County? With previous
violations of Code Enforcement and DEP violations it could prove extremely difficult to control?
Page I or 3
Destin Beach, Inc, Submerged Land Lease for Berth 4
Historical and Continual Tse DEP now claims, Continual Use is not a consideration. Historical
Use needs to be proven by business records not hearsay.
State Comp Plan 187 b5 (20) Transportation "Ensure that existing port facilities and airp rt are
being used to the maximum PxtPnt passible hPf~re encourages the Pxpansion or development of
new port facilities and airports to support economic growth." It is my understanding our port is far
from being used to the maximum extent possible and I have heard it is actually for sale at this time.
DEP fears Law Suit by Applicant if permit is denied.
Recent quotes by T loy Bell (Tribune)
"I doubt I'll even be using it, but it is my right." Should DEP issue a permit that might not
be used?
Threats: "Bell said he plans to attend the August 1 meeting and would sue anyone who
stands in his way," "I'm keeping record of who's doing this so I can sue them." I'm going
after them as individuals. They better mind their own business, and stay out of free trade
enterprise."
Bell said the city and county can't stop him from developing what he wants on his property."
"I own that," he said. "They have no way to tell me what I can and cannot do with it."
Homeland Security Ports, Airports, Nuclear Power Plants (high risk)
Should DEP require background checks for applicants and users of Submerged Land Leases?
List Other Issues /Concern
Page 2 of 3
Destin Beach, Inc, Submerged Land Lease for Berth 4
Considerations and Suggestions:
Request the County and/or City obtain additional Counsel who specializes in Land Use for
interpretation of Comprehensive Plan /Port Master Plan as well as State Comp Plan 187.
Also interpret DEP's claim not "contrary to the public interest," 18-21.004 (1)(a), F.A.C.
Request the County have the 1991 study, Environmental Survey Relative to the Expansion
and development of The Port of Fort Pierce updated on the seagrass inventory as well as a
study of the area showing the effects to the Aquatic Preserve which is located north and
south of the port area. The study was done for St. Lucie County Port and Airport Authority
by Harbor Branch Oceanographic by R. Grant Gilmore, Ph.D. and M. Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D.
We cannot afford to just accept the applicant and/or his consultant's evaluation of this
important issue.
Request consideration of a legal challenge by City and/or County following the next Aides
Meeting if DEP does not recommend denial of this application. The challenge could be
based on the DEP's position of Recommendation of Approval despite clear and concise
evidence that the application is "contrary to the public interest," pursuant to 18-21.004(1)
(a), F.A.C.
This is only aworksheet - it is important that all ideas be considered on this important issue.
Page 3 or 3
.,.:. ~ PORT OF FORT PIERCE, INC.
d' D/B/A INDIAN RIVER TERMINAL COMPANY ~ °~~~~
~ 18 Fisherman's Wharf, Fort Pierce, Florida 34950
(772) 465-7700 Fax (772) 465-7731
Information regarding the "current" operations at the Port of Fort Pierce
Q. Is the Port of Fort Pierce publicly or privately owned?
A. The Port is privately owned and non-government subsidized. The Port of Fort Pierce has been a
commercial cargo port since the early 1930's.
Q. How many people work at the Port?
A. 35 full-time employees, all of which are residents of the Treasure Coast.
Q. How are salaries compared to the local area and State of Florida?
A. The average hourly rate is 7% more than the county and 14% more than the state for non-management
and 44% more than the state average for management. In addition to normal wages, all employees are
provided with many other benefits as well as 100% employer paid health insurance.
Q. How many minority and/or woman workers are at the Port?
A 69% of the workforce at the Port are minority and/or woman.
Q. How many ships come to/from the Port?
A. On a 2 year average there are over 200 vessel arrivals and over 200 vessel departures. The forecast for
2006 is over 250 arrivals and over 250 departures.
Q. How many tons of cargo move through the Port annually?
A. Annually, approximately 250,000 tons of cargo and 10,000 teu's (20' equivalent units) move through
the Port of Fort Pierce.
Q. How often does Customs or Immigration visit the Port?
A. Every time a ship enters or departs from the Port. To date, there have been no seizures of any vessels at
the Port of Fort Pierce.
Q. Is the Port compliant with the US Government Homeland Security Guidelines for Terrorism?
A. The Port is fully compliant and has all United States Coast Guard & Department of Homeland Security
approval and authority to operate as an international cargo port.
Q. How many oil or gasoline accidents have occurred at the Port of Fort Pierce?
A. The Port of Fort Pierce has experienced Zero (0) spills and/or environmental accidents.
Q. What is the economic impact of the Port to the Treasure Coast?
A. The impact of trade through the Port of Fort Pierce is estimated at $15 million annually as stated in the
St. Lucie-Martin Counties' MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) 20301ong-range plan.
Q. What other purposes could the Port provide?
A. 1) Hurricane relief for the Treasure Coast and Caribbean Islands in case of disasters. This was proven
in 2004.
2) Staging area & receiving terminal for large projects on the Treasure Coast, such as the new power
plant being developed in St. Lucie County. This type of demand will increase as the region continues to
develop.
3) The Port of Fort Pierce has been the basis for Federal support of the maintenance & servicing of the
Fort Pierce inlet, which is a vital & unique component of the City of Fort Pierce.
4) Facilitate growth of local business by providing an international market for products and services.
5) In the future, with the proposed FDOT east -west corridor, The Port of Fort Pierce could be an
international gateway from Florida's east coast.
The Port of Fort Pierce is a significant economic engine for the Treasure Coast