Laserfiche WebLink
t14 <br />a�V ERC. <br />Office of the <br />INDIAN RIVER COUNTY <br />* * ADMINISTRATOR <br />Jason E. Brown, County Administrator <br />Michael C. Zito, Assistant County Administrator <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Members of the Board <br />of County Commissioners <br />FROM: Jason E. Brown <br />County Administrator <br />DATE: February 28, 2022 <br />SUBJECT: Environmental Land Bond Referendum <br />Background <br />On February 18, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners authorized the Chairman to send a letter to the Trust <br />for Public Land requesting technical advice and assistance in the form of feasibility research, public opinion <br />polling, and program recommendations to suppor- a potential referendum for an environmental bond issue to <br />be placed on the ballot for November 2020. Subsequently, on June 3, 2020, the groups supporting the ballot <br />initiative for the bonds sent a letter to the Board withdrawing the request in light of the COVID pandemic. On <br />February 1, 2022, the Indian River Land Trust made a presentation to the Board regarding the results of their <br />feasibility study and requested that the Board direct staff to bring forth a resolution to place a $50 million <br />environmental land bond referendum on the ballot for the November 8, 2022 General Election. The Board <br />approved a motion to do so (on a vote of 4-1 with Commissioner Flescher dissenting). <br />Analysis <br />Since the meeting, staff has worked with the supporters of the referendum as well as bond counsel and our <br />financial advisor to develop the attached resolution authorizing the placement of the bond referendum on the <br />ballot. Staff has reached agreement with the supporters on the ballot language, and we are in agreement with <br />all issues in the resolution, with the exception of the ability to use bond proceeds for initial restoration activities <br />on acquired land. Staff recommends that this rerrains an allowable use to ensure that we are able to restore <br />such conservation lands to their natural state, which seems consistent with the concept of conserving <br />environmentally significant land. <br />The proposed ballot language is as follows: <br />63 <br />