2001-24351 RESO
RESOLUTION NO. 2001-24351
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH,
FLORIDA, ADDING TO THE CITY'S FEDERAL
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA SUPPORT FOR THE
GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA'S OPPOSITION TO THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S AUCTION OF SIX
MILLION ACRES FOR OIL/GAS DRILLING.
WHEREAS, U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton has announced a timetable for the
auction of leases of six million acres of seabed in the Gulf of Mexico for oil/gas drilling, including
areas near the Florida coast; and
WHEREAS, the placement of drilling rigs in proximity to Florida's coastline poses a real
and present threat to the livelihoods, environment and lifestyle of Floridians, as evidenced by the
recent collapse of a drilling platform on the Brazilian coast; and
WHEREAS, the site to be auctioned contains only about a 20-day supply of the nation's
oil needs and 1 1/2 months of the na1ion's natural gas needs; and
WHEREAS, Floridians, fearing pollution from spills during drilling or transportation,
have long taken the position that no oil or gas dril1ling should occur within 100 miles of its coast;
and
WHEREAS, the site to be auctioned contemplates putting drilling platforms well within
25 miles of Florida's beaches, some considered to be among the best in the world; and
WHEREAS, the beach is the primary economic engine of the City of Miami Beach; and
WHEREAS, Governor Jeb Bush has recently expressed to Interior Secretary Gale Norton
the virtual unanimous opposition of Floridians to any drilling in the Eastern Gulf.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that support of Florida
Governor Jeb Bush's opposition to the federal government's auction of6 million acres for offshore
oil/gas drilling be added to the City's 2001/2002 Federal Legislative Agenda.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 16th
day of May, 2001.
.
1J1iJ
Mayor
ATTEST:
~rf~
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR EXECUTION
City Clerk
Resolution No. 2001-24351
1f;~
City Atlorney
'1- &;--.dl
Da1e
. .
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR & 6. .OMMI'SSI(0N
"', i..... <0;", ~~ " ,.,.---,
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
INTEROFFICE MEMORArO:ltiPR 30 AM 9: 51
TO:
G\ f, i'tt\i1 ;j\
OFFICE
JORGE M GONZALEZ
OTY MANAGER
M1JRRAYH DUBBIN
OTY ATIORNEY
FROM: NEISEN O. KASDIN \\ Y
MAYOR t'
SUBJECT: AGENDA ITEM - MAY 16, 2001 OTY COMMISSION MEETING
DATE: 04/30/01
Please place the attached resolution on the May 16, 2001 GtyOlInmission agenda.
Agenda Item
Date
c:~
13/Il
GH-
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH. FLORIDA 33139
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO.
~~ 7-0/
TO:
Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and
Members of the City Commission
DATE: May 16, 2001
FROM:
Jorge M. Gonzalez \ ~
City Manager G v l)
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADDING TO THE CITY'S FEDERAL
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNOR OF
FLORIDA'S OPPOSITION TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S
AUCTION OF SIX MILLION ACRES FOR OIL/GAS DRILLING.
SUBJECT:
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt the Resolution.
ANALYSIS:
In April 2001, U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced a timetable for the auction of leases
for six million acres of seabed in the Gulf of Mexico for oil/gas drilling, including some areas within
25 miles of Florida Panhandle beaches. Following this announcement, Governor Bush expressed his
opposition to Secretary Norton's proposal.
Although the current auction proposal is south of the Florida Panhandle in the Gulf of Mexico, as
a beach community that attracts 7 million tourists per year (more than the country's three largest
national parks combined), the City is very concerned about this latest development.
On April 16, 2001, Mayor Kasdin sent letters to the President, members of the Florida Congressional
Delegation, and Governor Bush expressing the City's disappointment over provisions included in
the president's Fiscal Year 2002 Budget for the Civil works program for the Army Corps of
Engineers which pertain to the cost sharing program for beach renourishment.
As a follow up to Mayor Kasdin's letter, on April 27, 2001, the Administration sent a comprehensive
package of material related to the continued economic viability of the City's beaches to the
Governor, requesting his assistance in resolving several federal issues that threaten the City's (and
State's) most important economic resource, the Beach.
The City specifically requested the Governor's support in resolving the foreign-source sand issue and
maintaining the current Federal funding levels for renourishment projects.
Agenda Item e.78
Date .5-/~-o(
Included in the package were:
. A proposed resolution in support of the Governor's opposition to the proposed leases for offshore
drilling.
. A description of the issues surrounding the City's inability to access foreign-source sand for
beach renourishment.
. The proposed reduction in the federal match for beach renourishment projects.
. A report on the economic impact of the beaches.
. Information on the importance of beach renourishment for disaster mitigation.
. A description of the city's Innovative Beach Erosion Prevention and Sand Recycling
Demonstration Project, which, if completed will provide a solution to many of the threats and
will serve as a model for beach erosion and hurricane protection statewide. Implementation of
this project will also significantly reduce the demand for State and Federal Resources.
In subsequent communication with the Governor, he thanked the City for providing the information
to him, and he informed staff that he would ask Nina Oviedo, the head of his Washington D.C. office
to work on these items and to have the City's Federal lobbyists contact her.
In addition, the Administration has contacted various State Legislators to request their support of the
City's beach-related issues. In addition to Representatives Gelber and Barreiro, the City has
contacted Representatives Marco Rubio, Ralph Arza, Annie Betancourt, Mario Diaz-Balart, Rene
Garcia, Sally Heyman, Eleanor Sobel (Hollywood), and Jerry Paul (Sarasota). The City will continue
outreach to additional legislators that represent beach communities around the State, many of which
have expressed interest in learning more about our beach-related issues and have offered to assist
in any way that they can.
The inclusion in the City's Federal Agenda of the City's opposition to offshore drilling leases in close
proximity to the coast of Florida is a critical component of the City's efforts to establish a
comprehensive, statewide approach to resolving the federal issues that impact the continued
economic viability ofthe City's beaches.
JMG:c~2:kc
F\DDHP\$ALL\KEVIN\LEGISLA TIVE\FEDERAL\RESQ'S AND MEMO'S\QFFSHORE DRILLING.DOC