Subject:
Title
Approval, Re: Tourist Development Council FY 2021-2022 Tourism + Lagoon Grant Program recommendations.
End
Fiscal Impact:
FY2021-2022: $825,406 from the Beach Improvement Fund 1442-293100 - 5810000 (Govt) or 5820000 (Private or School)
Dept/Office:
Tourism Development Office
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners (1) approve the Tourist Development Council’s recommendation to approve funding for the FY 2021-2022 Tourism + Lagoon Grant Program applications, and that said approval will also include the necessary legislative findings provided below.
Also, it is requested that the Board (2) authorize the Chair to sign all the negotiated Tourism + Lagoon grant agreements over $100,000. Further, (3) grant the Tourism Development Office (TDO) Director authority to negotiate and sign all necessary grant agreements under $100,000 and related documents to support the grants for applications that receive future approval in the FY2021-2022 grant cycle upon County Attorney’s Office and Risk Management approval.
It is also requested that the Board (4) authorize the County Manger to execute necessary budget change requests to distribute Grant funding.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
The Beach Improvement Committee at their July 22, 2021 meeting and the Tourist Development Council at their July 28, 2021 meeting recommended unanimously that the Board approve the recommended funding for the FY 2021-2022 Tourism + Lagoon Grant Program, as well as make the following legislative findings: (1) the Indian River Lagoon is an estuary with multiple public access points for tourism purposes and a long history of use by tourists, and (2) each project specifically improves, maintains, renourishes, restores, protects or assists with erosion control in either the Indian River, the Banana River, or the Mosquito Lagoon (all part of the Indian River Lagoon); and (3) each project is an authorized purpose for the expenditure of Tourist Development Tax revenue under section 125.0104(5)(a)5, Florida Statutes and section 102-119(4)(a) of the Brevard County Code of Ordinances.
The Tourism + Lagoon Grant Program was created with the primary purpose of the development of projects that demonstrate and quantify benefits to Brevard County tourism and health of the Indian River Lagoon. The Tourist Development Council Beach Committee will monitor the grant program and the program will be administered by the Tourist Development Office (TDO) Staff.
Examples of project types include, but are not limited to:
• Living Shorelines - Restoration and Protection (Sustainable)
• Habitat Restoration - Support Fishing/Wildlife Viewing
• Fish or Wildlife Restocking or Recovery
• Waterway Destinations & Access - Improved and Sustainable Recreational Waterway
A summary of the recommended grants include:
• 13 projects were submitted and achieved the minimum score of 75
• 3 of the projects are within local municipalities including the City of Titusville, City of Cocoa Beach and City of Satellite Beach
• 5 projects from Brevard County Natural Resources and Boating & Waterways
• 2 projects from regional university’s University of Central Florida Foundation and University of Florida Whitney Laboratory
• 3 other projects focusing on Litter Removal/KBB, Shuck & Share: Shell Recycling for Brevard County Oyster Restoration/East Coast Zoological Society of Florida (Brevard Zoo) and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust using Citizen Science to build a Strategic Spatial Framework to guide Conservation and Restoration of the Indian River Lagoon Habitats and Associated Recreational Fisheries
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
Please return a memo of the Board’s action to Tourism Development Office and CAO.