PANAMA CITY — The Bay County Commission on Tuesday endorsed a draft plan outlining a process for how $6 million in settlement money from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill will be spent.
The commission’s endorsement of the draft, “Bay County RESTORE Act Multi-Year Implementation Plan,” opens the door for applications for specific projects being made soon.
“We feel this is an opportunity for Bay County that may come along once in a lifetime to do something that is not only visionary, but lasting for our community,” said Jack Bishop, the chairman of the Bay County RESTORE Act Advisory Committee.
The RESTORE Act was created to help the Gulf of Mexico’s environment and economy recover from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. Signed into law in July 2012, the federal “Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act,” or RESTORE, created a fund from spill-related civil penalties being paid to affected communities.
The local citizens’ committee, made up of citizens appointed by the commission, has met four times to develop the wording of the draft, which outlines goals and objectives for how the money is to be spent and the application approval process.
But the plan does not yet identify what specific projects will be funded. It does, however, authorize generally how the funds can be spent, with examples being: the restoration of natural resources, ecosystems and fisheries; coastal flood protection projects; the promotion of recreational fishing and seafood harvested from this region; and workforce and job creation.
After Tuesday’s approval, a specific list of projects to be considered for RESTORE funding could be ready for commissioners in six months, said Jim Muller, Bay County RESTORE coordinator.
“Pre-proposals [from applicants] will be requested very soon,” Muller said. “And the committee will evaluate and select which of those pre-proposals should progress on to a full proposal stage.”
The law requires a 45-day public comment process before the commission gives final approval to the plan.
Muller said the $6 million is the only guaranteed RESTORE money coming to Bay County so far, but other funds related to the oil spill have come to the county. Last year, the county, after attorneys’ fees, received $8 million, and the Tourist Development Council received $4.5 million after settling a civil claim for lost revenue due to the 2010 oil spill.
Officials have said that after the BP lawsuit plays out,the RESTORE act dollar amount coming to Bay County could be up to $120 million. The Florida Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against BP and Halliburton to recover $5.5 billion in damages for the state of Florida’s economic losses due to the oil spill.
Frustration
Commissioner Mike Thomas said it must be frustrating for the citizens’ committee to have to deal with the necessary red tape in the process.
“It seems like you are not doing anything, but it’s the only way we’ll ever get the money is to follow the process that (Muller) is laying out,” he said. “It takes an awful long time. I have a lot of respect for you all, and I appreciate it.”
After the meeting, Thomas said he would like some of the funds spent on stormwater runoff systems.
“I think a lot of the environmental projects that we have create a lot of economic benefits,” he said.
Thomas said he would like Bay County to join forces with neighboring counties on some of the projects when some of the higher-figure RESTORE dollars come in. He said the main priority is approving projects that create no debt.
“They have to be stand-alone projects and get finished,” he said.
Commissioner Bill Dozier said during the meeting it was worth highlighting the five criteria in the plan that must be met for a project to be funded. “There will be a number of groups lining up to apply,” he said.
For a project request to qualify, it must be in Bay County, or adjacent surface waters, or within an area identified as having a strong benefit to the county; it must address one or more RESTORE Act-eligible activities; it must address one or more of the Bay County Multi-Year Implementation Plan objectives; it cannot be fully funded by another source; and the project has to have a recognized public benefit.
“So the project must meet all of those criteria before it is eligible for RESTORE funds,” Muller said.
The first $6 million will be doled out under a grant process overseen by the U.S. Treasury, Muller said.
After the commission meeting, Muller said that knowing $6 million is the only guaranteed RESTORE dollars coming right now could make the committee’s job of identifying the first projects to be funded a little easier.
“We know it’s the only money we’re going to get — it could be for a while — so make sure you spend that money right,” he said. “My guess is just to fix stormwater countywide will cost more money than we’ll ever get. That’s why we need to make sure we pick priorities.”
IN OTHER ACTION
The Bay County Commission on Tuesday also:
- Decided to keep an insurance requirement on scooter rental businesses higher than that approved by Panama City Beach. Bay County, which usually tries to pass laws consistent with the Beach, is requiring coverage of $1 million in general liability and $500,000 bodily injury coverage in case the rider hurts someone. Panama City Beach recently passed a law requiring scooter shop owners to carry coverage of $10,000 per person for each crash, $20,000 for all people on the scooter and $10,000 property damage.
- Authorized staff to negotiate a contract with the third-ranked firm, Credit Business Services Inc., to provide collection services for the EMS Division.
- Approved a change order for $93,612 on the Bay County Courthouse addition project to fund contamination removal discovered at the depth of 45 feet. The disposal plan will be handled by Yates Construction.