THE PORT EVERGLADES DEPARTMENT AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT RECOMMEND APPROVAL.
This action supports the Broward County Board of County Commissioners' ("Board") Value of "Ensuring economic opportunities for Broward's diverse population and businesses" and the Goal to "Increase the economic strength and impact of revenue-generating County enterprises balancing economic, environmental, and community needs."
Based upon a request approved by the Secretary of the Navy, the commissioning ceremony for the USS PAUL IGNATIUS (DDG-117), the U.S. Navy's newest destroyer, is scheduled to take place at Port Everglades on July 27, 2019 (see Exhibit 1).
The commissioning of U.S. Navy ships at other than Navy home ports is not regularly done, and the fact that Broward County and Port Everglades has been chosen to host a U.S. Navy ship commissioning for the sixth time in the past 32 years is an honor. The USS PAUL IGNATIUS follows USS LEYTE GULF (1987), USS COLE (1996), USS HIGGINS (1999), USS BAINBRIDGE (2005), and the USS JASON DUNHAM (2010) in being commissioned at Port Everglades.
The USS PAUL IGNATIUS Commissioning Committee has formally requested that dockage charges associated with the ship's port call in July 2019 be waived (see Exhibit 2). Port Everglades Tariff No. 12, Item No. 940, provides the Port Everglades Chief Executive/Port Director with the authority to waive such charges up to $10,000. Waivers above that amount require Board approval. Given the County's long-standing valued working relationship with the U.S. Navy and the honor associated with being chosen as the host port for the ship's commissioning, the Port Everglades Department recommends waiving dockage charges in an amount not to exceed $20,000 for the USS PAUL IGNATIUS during her port call from July 21-29, 2019. The port will also provide approximately 34,000 square feet of floor space in Cruise Terminal No. 4 at no cost to the U.S. Navy and the Commissioning Committee to hold events associated with the commissioning. The U.S. Navy will be responsible for paying all other applicable marine charges per the Tariff.
The USS PAUL IGNATIUS Commissioning Committee separately made a request through Commissioner Fisher's office to waive bus fares for the crew of the ship during the period that this ship is in Port Everglades for the commissioning. This is similar to the waiver that has been granted by the Board for many years for military personnel in uniform or presenting military ID during the annual Fleet Week celebration, and the Transportation Department recommends approval of this request. |