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INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Board of County Commissioners <br />THROUGH: John A. Titkanich, Jr., County Administrator <br />THROUGH: Eric Charest, Interim Natural Resources Director <br />FROM: Melissa Meisenburg, Lagoon Plan Environmental Specialist <br />SUBJECT: Completion of September 2023 Derelict Vessel Removal <br />DATE: October 2, 2023 <br />This is an update to inform the Board of County Commissioners (BCC), Indian River County's <br />(IRC) residents and visitors of the completion of the September 2023 derelict vessel removal <br />project in the Indian River Lagoon. <br />DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS <br />Derelict vessels are defined by the state in section 823.11, F. S. as vessels left, stored or <br />abandoned in a wrecked, junked or substantially dismantled condition upon the waters of the <br />state, at a port without the consent of the agency or upon private property without the consent <br />of the owner. Vessels under the derelict designation are sinking, degraded and inoperable, <br />creating navigational hazards and pose threats to the environment. Officers from Florida Fish <br />and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigate abandoned vessels to determine derelict <br />status in accordance with Florida Statutes, 705.101 (3) and 823.11. The derelict vessel <br />designation from FWC allows the County to remove and dispose of abandoned vessels, <br />improving boater safety, removing hazards to navigation and to the environment. <br />Indian River County Coastal Division staff routinely meet with FWC law enforcement to monitor <br />vessels within the County undergoing derelict status investigation. In April 2023, the County <br />received authorization to remove three (3) derelict vessels. Outlaw Maritime, LLC (Outlaw <br />Maritime) provided a cost proposal to the County of $31,295.00 to remove the derelict vessels <br />in accordance with FWC Best Management Practices. <br />County Coastal Division staff applied for a Derelict Vessel removal grant from FWC in May 2023 <br />and were awarded $31,295.00 in a Bulk Derelict Vessel Reimbursement Grant (Agreement <br />22299) to cover the costs associated with the removal and disposal of the three (3) derelict <br />vessels from the Indian River Lagoon. The grant agreement was approved by the Board of <br />County Commissioners on July 11, 2023. <br />Outlaw Maritime began derelict vessel removal on September 5, 2023. The removal process <br />was completed on September 29, 2023. The contractor disposed of the vessels at an authorized <br />landfill per Agreement 22299, providing the County with documentation of removal and <br />k <br />7A� <br />