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INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA <br />AGENDA ITEM <br />Parks, Recreation & Conservation <br />Conservation Division <br />Date: November 28, 2023 <br />To: The Honorable Board of County Commissioners <br />Thru: John A. Titkanich, Jr., County Administrator <br />Michael C. Zito, Deputy County Administrator <br />Beth Powell, Parks, Recreation & Conservation Director <br />From: Wendy Swindell, Conservation Lands Manager <br />Subject: Environmental Lands Acquisition Panel Recommendations for <br />Finalization of the Draft Environmental Lands Program Guide <br />BACKGROUND: <br />On March 8, 2022, the County Administrator provided the Indian River County Board of County <br />Commissioners (BCC) with a proposed resolution authorizing an Environmental Land Bond <br />Referendum for the November 8, 2022, ballot. Resolution 2022-016 was passed by majority vote. <br />The Resolution calls for a Bond Referendum Election for the issuance of general obligation bonds <br />as follows: <br />To acquire and permanently preserve environmentally significant lands to restore the Indian <br />River Lagoon, protect water resources, natural areas, wildlife habitat, drinking water <br />resources, and construct public access improvements related thereto, shall Indian River <br />County be authorized to issue general obligation bonds up to $50,000,000, maturing within <br />20 years from each issuance, not exceeding the legal maximum interest rate, payable from <br />ad valorem taxes, with full public disclosure of all spending through annual independent <br />audits. <br />The BCC further directed Staff to update the Environmental Lands Program Guide (ELP Guide) <br />and to return with a proposal for a working group to serve the functions of what was previously <br />known as the Land Acquisition Advisory Committee. On September 20, 2022, the BCC approved <br />the Draft ELP Guide. Chapter II of the approved ELP Guide outlined the composition of the <br />proposed review committee, to be referred to as the Environmental Land Acquisition Panel <br />(FLAP). Between March and June of 2023, members of the ELAP were nominated and approved <br />by the BCC. <br />DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS: <br />The nine -member ELAP convened for its initial meeting on August 15, 2023. During this meeting, <br />the ELAP nominated and approved Peter O'Bryan as the Chairman, and Roland DeBlois as the <br />Vice Chairman. Meetings were held on September 19, 2023, and October 17, 2023, to review the <br />Draft ELP Guide and provide recommendations to the BCC on its content and revisions <br />recommended (revision documents attached). <br />217 <br />