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SZ <br /> INDIAN RIVER COUNTY,FLORIDA <br /> INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Jason E.Brown <br /> County Administrator <br /> THROUGH: Phil Matson,AICP <br /> Community Development Director <br /> FROM: Andrew Sobczak <br /> Chief,Environmental Planning <br /> DATE: July 20,2020 <br /> RE: Approval of Cost-Share Agreement Renewal with the St. Johns River Water <br /> Management District for Repair/Plugging of Abandoned Artesian Wells <br /> It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners formally consider the following information at <br /> the Board's regular meeting of August 18,2020. <br /> DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS <br /> From 1990 through 2009, Indian River County participated in a cost-share program with the St. Johns <br /> River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to plug abandoned artesian wells countywide, including <br /> wells on private property (subject to authorization from the private landowner). As a result of the <br /> program, an estimated 395 wells were plugged or repaired in Indian River County, saving millions of <br /> gallons per day of groundwater. The program was discontinued from fiscal years 2009/10 through <br /> 2014/15, however, due to a lack of funding as a result of the economic downturn at that time. In June <br /> 2015, the Board approved an agreement with SJRWMD that reactivated the program, at the previous <br /> funding level of(up to) $20,000 per agency per year. Since reactivation of the program in 2015,twenty- <br /> seven flow wells have been plugged. <br /> • The 2017 agreement is now up for renewal. As such, the proposed three-year cost-share agreement <br /> renewal with the SJRWMD for controlling/plugging abandoned artesian wells is being provided for the <br /> Board's approval consideration. <br /> ANALYSIS <br /> The proposed contract agreement extends the well-plugging cost-share agreement for three fiscal years, <br /> until September 30, 2023, with each agency (the County and SJRWMD) allocating $20,000 toward the <br /> program each year contingent upon annual budget allocations. <br /> Similar to past agreements,the agreement outlines responsibilities of the County and the District. The list <br /> of responsibilities reflects the process that evolved during the years that the cost-share program was in <br /> effect. The agreement identifies environmental planning chief Andrew.Sobczak as the County's project <br /> manager,responsible for coordinating the County's participation in the program. <br /> 154 <br />