SUBJECT
title
Heartland Headwater Act Fund Allocation and Project Applications (Action)
body
DESCRIPTION
The Heartland Headwaters Protection and Sustainability Act passed in 2017 recognizes Polk County's vital importance to the economic and ecological health of the surrounding regions. The act indicates that partnerships between regional water supply authorities and local governments is in the state interest, and that funding for projects that restore and protect the state's resources should be a priority.
To be considered for state funding, the PRWC and its members must submit an annual report summarizing the projects that are being implemented to achieve state resource protection goals. The Annual Report was approved by the PRWC BOD in November of 2023 and submitted to the state soon after. The total PRWC need to implement water resource-related projects submitted exceeded $805 million for Fiscal Year 2024/2025 alone, with a request from the state for approximately $27 million. The Governor subsequently signed budget legislation allocating funds to the Heartland Headwaters projects for a total of $2,614,387 for FY2024/2025.
This agenda item requests approval to allocate funds as shown in the attached Table 1. In summary, the PRWC would receive $1,235,187 for the Southeast Wellfield Project and $75,000 for the Conservation Implementation Project. PRWC members (Haines City, Lake Alfred, and Davenport) would receive a total of $1,304,200 for Alternative Water Supply receiving facilities. These members have not previously received Heartland Headwaters Act funding.
This agenda item also serves as a reminder that member project funding request forms will be available in late July 2024 for the FY2025/2026 funding cycle and applications will be due September 6, 2024.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the board authorize the Executive Director to distribute the $2,614,387 in legislative appropriations as presented, so that PRWC and each member may...
Click here for full text