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nISTRICT I DISTRICT 3 DISTRICT 9
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EDIIN L. maon -L.H A. 'OSIEV ARTHUR H. DAYTEN, In
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METROPOLITAN DADE COUNTY FLORIDA
" 0 'O" "'9 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ll-l u. FLO-IDA
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July 19, 1%0
The Honorable Farris Bryant
Ocala, Florida
mm. m:
erreccntneetinghereinnademmtymdceplyapprecietedhythoeeofua
in governnental office, and your concern over the prObchaa confronting we County
was most heartening. The following outline will, we believe, provide a summary
sketch of the problems, activities and the reomnendations concerning the water re-
aourcea development and flood control as they pertain to node County. In addition
tothis outline, ve aretaldngthe libertyofattachinse copyoie letterve have
recently sent to the Ramble Dante 3. Recall, which letter covers additional
facotaoftheoverellpmmandmprove helpful. lathe letter toCcngreanan
Feacell reference in Mill! to schedule CS? No. 2. I shall request Hr. Met Hallie,
our consultant, to forward this schedule to you under separate cover, in order that
you any have access to all the pertinent intonation.
Activities at the Progect level. As the Central and Smthem Florida Flood
Contro e cons e I a p of at for the entire area it embraces
(over 15, lm nilea in 18 counties it follows that anything helpibl to the
Ponect as a whole can nleo be helpm to canponent areaa such an Dade County. For
thin reason it is important to the Dainty that the ProJect rennin healthy. Several
activities are neceaeary in thin regard, described. below in term of the ochctivos
to be accolpliahed.
l. The rate of appropriations mat be increased for more rapid installation
of Project vorka. Thin applies yrimrily to federal appropriations, but
a proportional lncreaae in state mnda m1 alno be memory. A $25,000,000
per year level of combined appropriations is considered the desirable goal.
2. Congressional mthoritationl mat be increased to include suitable plans of
inorovencnt for cross of the District now being neglected. There are several
such areas in Dede emnty.
3. Coat-sharing not be put on e sound and uniform heels, applicable to each
new authorization. Toward this end, than County has undertaken the mbly
of information to illuntratc in detail how much of the Project coats are
aim being borne by local interests-4: nutter of basic importance which
the Flood Control District has neglected.
The Honorable Farris m'yant Page 2. July 19, 1%0
h. Plnming of Project works must be expedited. Starr capabilities of
the Corps of Bouncers, Flood Control District and County agencies
must be utilised simltsneously in an integrated, emplenentary fashion
for most efficient results. Planning delays owned by red tape mist be
unmixed by sinpliiying procedural processes.
5. Construction or Project work must be scheduled in such a manner that
available mods can be most effectively and advantageously utilised.
Protection of human life, cconunic benefits to be derived, and the
contribution or local interests are factors to be considered in assign-
ing priorities.
Activities at the District level. The Flood Control District was created to
rspreseE [csa! {Karate in partnership vith the federal zovernnent in this joint,
mlti-purpose project. The District, hovsver has long since assumed an identity or
its own and, in nix-suing a changed concept of its responsibilities, often loses
aiyat of legitinste local needs. Many locslites have too such at stake to have
their needs overlooked or arbitrarily diudsaed. The not that Dede County van
forced to represent is own case before Congress this year is an example of the
District's failure to meet is primary obligation. more are several possibilities
for improving this situation.
i. Closer liaison betveen the District and localities nust be initiated and
maintained for two reasons: (s) to em infomed of local desires and needs,
and (b) to keep local interests advised of Project activity in order that
local work slat be hannonized with the higher level. made County's exper-
ience reveals that needed liaison atrorts usually have originated vith the
County.
2. Localities should not wait to be asked, but shmld, to the extent of their
technical capabilities, itemize in detail the ways and scans the District
can be helpful to their desired ends. This is being done by Dade County.
3. In sane cases, especially those involving the planning of specific local
works, the locality should he privileged to establish direct liaison with
the Corps of Engineers to insure that its vievs are accurately and adequately
represented.
h. To effect a two min-purpose, canprehensive pray-an, it is essential that
latitude he provided for the inclusion of occasional additional functions
and responsibilities not envisioned at the outset but later shown to be
desirable. In this respect, the limited Project scope adhered to by both
the District and the Corps has been a serious disadvantage. This inflexi-
bility met be overcome by encouraging a broaderupurpose philosophy.
5. It is undeniably true that certain localities, interest groups and individuals
have benefited from special consideration by the District not consistent with
the overall purposes of the Project, vhils other localities and interests have
been largely ignored. Such discriminatory practices out be eliminated. Dads
The Bononble Farris Bryant
Page 3. July 19, 1960
County feels that careful documentatiOn of the District's actions
over the past several years will be highly useml for establishing
a policy guide for the nature, and will, in effect, represent an
evaluation of District policy and progrm such as you proposed in
your recent campaign.
ctivities at the Count level. Probably when in Florida is more effort
A I
being devoted to water contra t an in Dede County.
This effort is characteristic
of governsent and non-government interests, but web work renaina to be done.
Among the activities at the County level already underway or planned for the near
mtnre, the following seen the most noteworthy.
1.
2.
The tide Master Plan, devised some time ago by the County to integrate
all water control facilities to be provided by govern-com interests
into a co-ordineted ayata, is being sthected to contimoue reviev
and revision as new date cone to light. Especially helpful in the effort
to keep the plan np-to-date are the detailed studies of population,
ecormic, land use and development factors now being made by the County
Planning Depart-ant. This Master Plan is of extras importance, not only
as a guide for water control activity within the County, but also as a
current expression of local desires for use by the Corps and the District
in planning the primary improvements in the area.
Private and quasiapublie co-operetive water control activities in Dade
County are now being studied in pester detail than before for a more
acmete insight into their current and expected needs end their capacity
to provide for then. This will enable better planning of mor facilities
and permit more effective documentation of the part private operators play
in the ultimate realizetioa of water control benefits. In addition, it
probably 9111 provide substantial evidence to the effect that the Project
is less of an incentive to lend developent end utilization in the County
than the Gouge. contends.
Organisation of County water control interests, public and private, in
being accomplished as never before through the effective efforts of the
Mani-Dede County Climber of Comerce and the Rouestead Chamber of Cameras.
Many previously conflicting interests have been harmonised and direct lines
of eoennnicstion have been established between the effected level and the
policy making level .
The inadequacies of the Project plan of inprovaaent for Dede County are
being carefully dome-sated end continually being celled to the attention
of higher authority. As a lulu-purpose project requiring such a high
degree of local participation, Central and Bmthern Florida is too limited
in its scope, resulting in a considerable disadvantage to local interests
who sent provide for the aligned needs sometimes at greater expense. This
is particularly the case with recreational navigationnone of the genuinely
me Honorable hrris Bryant
Recon-endations .
July 19, l960
public purposes the Project could serve. To a great extent throuy:
the County's efforts, tour supplementary survey studies by the Corps
of Winners have been authorized or already undertaken in the area.
Similarly, the inherent weaknesses of the Corps of Engineers' methods
are being documented tron the lids County experience. nade County
offers a prine illustration of at least two serious procedural short-
comings: (l) the inordinate time lag and wasted notion between planning
and construction of project vorks--vividly emphasized by the rapid changes
in the County, and (2) the reluctance of the Chief of Engineers to use
his discretion in altering the origimlly authorized plan to better
servc the changing needs. Recent successes obtained by the County in
this latter rewd any prove extrenely valuable as a helpful precedent
for projects 01 this type.
It can be seen that several beneficial activities have been
initiam at the Dade County level to further the basic obJectives or the Central
and Southern rlorida Flood Control ProJect.
Indispensable to similarly needed
progress at the Flood Control District and Project levels, hovever, is the active
support of the State's chief executive.
1'
Specifically reed-ended are:
An esplicit statement or water resource policy by the Governor to guide
the future conduct of affairs or the Central and Southern Florida Flood
Control District, so well as other functionaries responsible to the
Governor, should he issued.
the Governor should lend his support to a legislative appropriation to
the Flood Control Account co-ensurate with the scope or the needed
program.
The Governor should take mll advantage of his privilege or conenting
on all Corps of Engineers' reports subnitted to Congress.
Both the Corps ot Engineers and Congress, especially the Florida delegation,
should receive a cogent appeal fro. the Governor reps-ding the importance
of early, aggressive and coordinated planning under existing directives to
insure additional and final vork authorisations in the expected Flood
Control Act of 1962.
The complete support or the ProJect by the State of Florida and its chief
executive should be impressed upon Congress by an appearance of the
Governor before the Appropriations Oomittees at the Fiscal Year 1962
hearings .
he Honorable Farris Bryant Page 5. M 19, 1960
Metropolitan M county sincerely appreciate: the inure-1: you have
mummthavatercontrolneedsotthiama,aMMrewat outings
to provide you vith an additional intonation or ants that it. my be within our
power to supply.
Sincerely,
Flood (Jo-nuts.
ropolitan mac County
W/Jb
Enc1.1
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