Broward County Commission Regular Meeting

MOTION TO APPROVE Supplemental Joint Participation Agreement No. 1 between the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Broward County, increasing FDOT's participation by $28,888,637 for expenses relating to construction activities of the Dredging and Widening project at Port Everglades, requiring a 50% match of $28,888,637 from Broward County, and effective upon execution by FDOT; authorize the County Administrator or designee to take necessary administrative and budgetary actions; and authorize the Mayor and Clerk to execute same.

ACTION:  (T-10:24 AM)  Approved.
 
VOTE: 7-0.  Commissioners LaMarca and Ryan were not present.

Broward County Board of County Commissioners (Board) approval is required for the execution of Supplemental Joint Participation Agreements with the Florida Department of Transportation.

Provides additional funding for construction-related expenses for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Navigation Improvements (Deepening and Widening) project at Port Everglades.

None.

THE PORT EVERGLADES DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS APPROVAL.

This item supports the Broward County Board of County Commissioners' (Board) Value of "Ensuring economic opportunities for Broward’s diverse population and businesses " and Goal to "Increase the economic strength and impact of revenue-generating County enterprises balancing economic, environmental, and community needs."

The original Joint Participation Agreement (JPA) between Broward County and the Florida Department of Transportation (Financial Project No. 433414-1-94-02) for State participation in costs associated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Port Everglades Navigation Improvements (Deepening and Widening) Project was approved by the Board on April 4, 2017 (Item No. 3). The original JPA approved a project cost of $45,000,000, and provided grant funds in the amount of $22,500,000 to the Port Everglades Department for expenses related to the Deepening and Widening project's construction.

FDOT has approved disbursement of an additional $28,888,637 in Fiscal Year 2017-2018 state funds for the USACE Deepening and Widening Project through this Supplemental Joint Participation Agreement (SJPA), which requires matching funds from Broward County in the amount of $28,888,637. With the execution of this SJPA, total project costs covered by the JPA and SJPA are $102,777,274, with FDOT providing 50% of the funding. The FDOT Five-Year Work Program includes an additional $39,861,363 in FDOT funds (subject to appropriations) programmed for the project between now and 2020, that will bring the FDOT's funding total to $91,250,000 of the overall estimated $389,303,000 Deepening and Widening Project construction cost.

Completion of this project is needed for Port Everglades to create adequate capacity (depth and width) to accommodate "Neo Panamax" vessels that call at the Port today, as well as those that traverse the widened Panama Canal. It enables Port Everglades to remain competitive with other ports and market to ocean carriers on the East-West and North-South trade lanes.

A requirement for this additional funding is to execute this SJPA between FDOT and Broward County prior to disbursement of any funding. This SJPA is written in the standard FDOT format and has been approved as to form by the County Attorney’s Office.  As is normal, the FDOT will execute after Board approval.

David Anderton, Assistant Director of Port Everglades, (954) 468-0144