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ANALYSIS: <br />As indicated, timing is now a major issue. Because the USFWS must <br />commit its $750,000 in emergency land acquisition funds by February <br />28 and because the county's participation in a joint purchase of a <br />portion of the Kennedy tract with USFWS is necessary to commit <br />USFWS's $750,000, the county must now commit funds to purchase a <br />portion of the Kennedy property or lose a $750,000 cost share <br />_opportunity. <br />Although LAAC has not yet addressed the issue of whether the <br />subject property should be included on the LAAC acquisition list, <br />the Board of County Commissioners has expressed its support for <br />USFWS acquiring the Kennedy tract. In May, 19941 the Board <br />unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the USFWS proposed <br />Kennedy property acquisition. A copy of the resolution is <br />attached. <br />To ensure that the $750,000 that USFWS has obtained to purchase a <br />portion of the Kennedy tract is not lost, the Board of County <br />Commissioners must, by February 28, 1995, provide a letter to <br />USFWS, indicating that the county is committing $750,000 to match <br />the USFWS money. In making this commitment, however, the county <br />could still opt not to complete the purchase. Until a formal <br />contract is executed, the county's funds would not be legally <br />committed. <br />At this time, the Board has several alternatives: <br />The Board could send a letter to USFWS, committing to match <br />USFWS's $750,000. If the subsequent LAAC site ranking does <br />not include the referenced portion of the Kennedy property on <br />LAAC's site acquisition list, the Board could readdress and, <br />if inclined, withdraw its commitment. <br />• The Board could table this issue until the February 28 meeting <br />and request that LAAC consider this issue as a special matter <br />at its February 22 site visit meeting. Although the February <br />22 LAAC meeting is focussed on field visits to nominated LAAC <br />sites, formal business can be conducted at that meeting. The <br />LAAC action can then be reported to the Board at the Board's <br />February 28 meeting, and the Board's action could be <br />communicated to USFWS by Fax. <br />A final alternative is for the Board to reject the proposed <br />joint purchase acquisition. <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Staff recommends that the Board authorize the vice chairman to sign <br />the attached letter to USFWS, committing $750,000 of county land <br />acquisition bond funds for a joint USFWS/Indian River County <br />purchase of a portion of the Kennedy property. This commitment <br />could be withdrawn prior to Board execution of a purchase contract. <br />31 <br />February 21, 1995 <br />oo� 9 F 406 <br />