LTC 185-2006 Federal Appropriations Update
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MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 185-2006
LETTER TO COMMISSION
FROM:
Mayor David Dermer and Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager ~ -'~
July 19, 2006 (j ,y~ 0
TO:
DATE:
SUBJECT: Federal Appropriations Update
The purpose of this LTC is to update the Mayor and City Commission on the status of the
City's pursuit of direct federal appropriations for City projects.
Beaches
The Senate has completed work on the 2007 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill. The bill
includes the following language:
Shore Line Erosion Control Development and Demonstration Program. - The
Committee provides $5,000,000 for this program. Within the funds provided,
$3,000,000 is for the Miami Beach Alternative Sand Test Beach and
Breakwater Project in Florida and $2,000,000 is for the Sacred Falls
Demonstration Project in Hawaii.
The House of Representatives has also completed their version of the 2007 Energy and
Water Appropriations Bill. The House version does not include the above language. The
Senate and the House will next meet in conference to finalize the appropriations bill. The
Administration and the City's lobbying team will continue to work to ensure that this project
receives funding in the Conference Report. Based on past experience, the Administration is
confident that this project will receive a significant appropriation in the 2007 bill.
Last year at this stage in the development of the 2006 appropriations bill, the City's project
was listed at $2.3 million in the Senate version, with no listing in the House. The final
conference report included $1.875 million for the City's project.
Transportation
The Senate has not completed action on the Transportation, Treasury, HUD Appropriations
Bill. However, the final House version includes the following language:
Miami Beach Atlantic Corridor, Greenway, FL ...............................$500,000
The City's lobbyists and the Administration are working with the offices of Senators Nelson
and Martinez to include this project in the Senate version ofthe bill, and will continue to work
to retain this proposed funding in the final conference report. Additional work is being done
to extend $1.475 million of Federal Transit Administration funding that is allocated to the City
and is due to expire in September 2006.
In 2005, the House and Senate passed, and the President signed, the Transportation Equity
Act: A Legacy for Users (TEA-LU). TEA-LU was the 6-year reauthorization of TEA-21. As
approved in 2005, the City received the following allocations:
Miami Beach Atlantic Corridor Greenway ...................................$2,400,000
West Avenue Bridge...................................................................... .$800,000
On June 28, 2006, the House completed action on H.R. 5689, which amended TEA-LU.
Included in this legislation was an additional authorization to Miami Beach in the amount of
$620,000.
(58) in item number 3634 by striking the State, project description, and
amount and inserting "FL", "West Avenue Bridge, City of Miami Beach", and
"$620,000", respectively.
The Senate is expected to consider this legislation later in July.
Communications
The City is also monitoring the proposed amendments to the Communications Act of 1934,
and will continue to work with other municipalities, the National League of Cities, the U.S.
Conference of Mayors, and other affected parties to protect the City's interests in the final
legislation.
As the Senate marks up additional appropriations bills, and throughout the conference
process in the coming months, the Administration and the City's lobbyists will work to protect
these appropriations, and continue to pursue additional for City projects, such as the City's
request for federal assistance with the City's stormwater infrastructure improvements.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
JMG/HF/kc
c: Executive Staff
Fred Beckmann, Public Works Director
Kevin Crowder, Economic Development Division Director
Marilyn Thompson and Marion Turner, Jorden Burt
F:\DDHPI$ALLIKEVINILegislative PrioritieslFederal\2007 Agenda\July Update.doc
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