Lagoon flows into capital Legislators ready to provide some, not all, of requests TALLAHASSEE — A group of Treasure Coast public officials and business leaders seeking help for the Indian River Lagoon got lots of sympathy from state politicians during a visit Thursday to Florida’s capital. That and $2.50 will get you a Bud Light during happy hour at Andrew’s Capital Grill and Bar, a popular politico watering hole around the corner from the Capitol. For the most part, the Treasure Coast group sponsored by the chambers of commerce from Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties heard a refrain sung several times during the run up to and the first couple of weeks of the 2014 legislative session: The lagoon is going to get some money, probably most of the See LAGOON, 18A TYLER TREADWAY ANALYSIS Article Continued Below See LAGOON on Page A18 LAGOON from 1A $220 million for short-term fixes proposed by the special Senate committee, but dont expect to get all of it. In the hallway outside the Senate conference room where the group met with a parade of officials, state Senate President Don Gaetz called Lake Okeechobee and the Indian River Lagoon the most compelling single environmental issue in the state of Florida and promised to negotiate hard to get everything the Lake O/ lagoon committee is asking for in the state budget. But in all the years Ive been doing this, Ive never gotten all that Ive asked for, Gaetz said. We have to live inside a defined amount of money. At the end of the day, we still have to balance the budget. Inside the conference room, Gaetz, a Republican from Niceville, told the group, Water quality is the biggest issue in the entire state. Were committed to making sure this environmental phenomenon gets resolved. But its not as easy as writing a check. There are 38 times more requests for spending as we have money to spend. For his part, state Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, who chaired the special Senate committee, said the lagoon and St. Lucie River estuary have the attention of the entire state. This is the year to make substantial progress. Help is on the way. In a process that resembled speed dating, several state officials and most of the Treasure Coast legislative delegation came before the group. Heres how some of the sessions went: Director tom Frick The head of the state Department of Environmental Protections environmental assessment and restoration division, touted basin management actions plans, known as BMAPs, as the road map to reducing polluting nutrients - nitrogen and phosphorus - in the states waterways. Indian River County Commissioner Peter OBryan told Frick the plans are well-intentioned, but they put too much of the burden for achieving lower nutrient levels on the local governments without enough state help. Giving out $11 million statewide and saying, Heres what youve got to do, knowing that it will take millions and millions of dollars is unacceptable, OBryan said. Referring to Gov. Rick Scotts call for a $500 million tax cut in the upcoming budget, Bryan told Frick the states 19 million residents will end up getting about $25 a person. They can each go out and buy a cheap shirt made in China, OBryan said. In the meantime, we need millions and millions of dollars to fix these problems. Do you want this to be known as the Legislature that killed the lagoon or the one that saved it? Tim Kinane, of Vistage Florida in Stuart, and Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, a Sewalls Point town commissioner, both asked that DEP beef up its work for the lagoon. Were gonna get lake releases again, Kinane said. We need DEP to demonstrate more of a presence. ... DEP should be monitoring what is going into the lake and what is coming out and keep that red flag up, keep it constantly in front of people. Thurlow-Lippisch said the department needs to be seen more in the public eye as the lagoons protector. Frick admitted the department needs to do a better job with (public relations). commissioner ADAm PutnAm Youre not the only ones facing water problems, the head of the Agriculture and Consumer Services Department told the Treasure Coast group. This is a statewide problem. Its the biggest longterm issue facing Florida. Putnam said the current legislative session is the first of an intensive, threeyear legislative effort on water policy. Putnam also pushed dispersed water management, a program to pay landowners, particularly north of Lake O, to store water on their land to keep it from flowing into the lake and potentially into the estuary and lagoon. Its one of our most sustainable solutions, Putnam said. Its way cheaper than engineered solutions (building reservoirs and stormwater treatment areas), and it gives landowners an addition revenue stream. The Treasure Coast crew seemed impressed with Putnam. Hes sharp, one said to several nodding heads as the commissioner left the room. Lt. Gov. cArLos LoPez-cAnterA Lopez-Cantera stopped by for what was billed as a photo op, and most members of the Treasure Coast group had their pictures taken with the lieutenant governor of six weeks. Lopez-Cantera said hes a lot more educated on lagoon issues than he was at a Feb. 21 meeting in Stuart, when he said he had an understanding of the issue from a 30,000-foot level. He got a little closer than that with a subsequent aerial tour of the Kissimmee River, Lake O and the St. Lucie. Stuart Mayor Troy McDonald, who was at the Feb. 21 event and met with Lopez-Cantera on Wednesday, concurred that the lieutenant governors grasp of the issue has increased dramatically. I was impressed because hes getting a lot of stuff thrown at him now. McDonald said he told Lopez-Cantera the importance of getting the funding requested by Negrons committee. He seemed to be in agreement, McDonald said. Is he completely on board with us? Probably not. Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, Naples Daily News and Tampa Tribune journalists are in Tallahassee reporting throughout the legislative session in a collaborative capital bureau. florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam putnam (right) said the current legislative session is the first of an intensive, three-year legislative effort on water policy. file phoTo lt. Gov. Carlos lopez-Cantera said hes a lot more educated on lagoon issues than he was at a feb. 21 meeting in Stuart. ASSoCiATeD preSS file phoTo
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 12:12:06 +0000
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