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approve an annual budget; focusing on the primary purpose of the IRL Council to accomplish water quality improvement projects for the Lagoon. The Water Management Districts (St. Johns & South Florida) contribute $500,000. each, FDEP contributes $250,000., EPA continues to contribute $500,000., and each member County contributes $50,000. Congressmen Murphy and Posey are also working on long term federal funding for the Lagoon. In the exuberance of having worked through an Interlocal Agreement, a member of the group suggested that we should try to raise $16illion for Lagoon projects; just a comment of enthusiasm not an action plan. It may be useful to know that the IRL NEP program begun in 1991 under the local sponsorship of St. Johns Water Management District was being changed as St. Johns no longer wished to be the sponsor. The forth coming IRL Council, an independent body, is an opportunity for the Counties to exercise control over the Lagoon clean-up effort and to receive funding assistance. The five or perhaps four County members of the Policy Board will be able to determine outcomes based on their vote not subject to the subsequent overriding vote of St. Johns Water Management District or other sponsoring agency. As to Chair's further questions: 1) each County has the right to withdraw with minimum notice; 2) Sunset provision, it was decided after discussion to incorporate the item as it now reads; 3) there was considerable initial discussion about agency voting membership on the Policy Board; since the Counties maintain controlling vote and the agencies are contributing significant funds for water quality projects, it was unanimously (save one) agreed it would be appropriate for the two Water Management Districts and FDEP to be voting members. EPA is a non-voting member, since the NEP is a federal program they have reporting responsibilities. Chair Davis, we certainly hope that Indian River County will choose to join the new IRL Council and thereby be in position to benefit from this unified effort of the Counties. Thank you, Ed Fielding Ed Fielding Martin County Commissioner, District 2 Martin County Board of County Commissioners 772.288.5421 (o) efieldin(@martin.fl.us X "The comments and opinions expressed herein are those of the author of tris message and map not reflect the policies ofthe Martin County Board of Counhv Commissioners. Under Florida Law, email addresses are public records. If you do not want pour email address released in response to a public records request do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. " 2 298