Wakulla County Restore Act Multi Year Implementation Plan

Wakulla County Restore Act Multi Year Implementation Plan

Community Needs Assessment

Prepared by the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and RESTORE Act

Preamble

Wakulla County, Florida is identified in the RESTORE Act of 2012 as a disproportionately affected county and will receive funding directly through the Direct Component Trust Fund. Before receiving funds, the County must develop and submit a Multi-Year Implementation (MYIP) to be reviewed and approved by the Board of Wakulla County Commissioners and the U.S. Treasury. The MYIP takes a holistic planning approach, cross connecting a variety of broad categories based on the RESTORE Act eligible criteria with identified community needs. The Community Needs Assessment was developed in three phases:

Phase 1 - Footprint- The initial analysis began with a review of existing approved state and local documents and plans to establish a baseline for the existing footprint. Needs were summarized and presented to cross connect categories with needs (see Table 1).

Phase 2 Gap Analysis - Input was solicited during public meetings and workshops to identify gaps in the existing footprint (see Table 2).

Phase 3 - Final Community Needs Assessment - The final analysis provides a comprehensive summary of needs based on the Footprint and Gap Analysis, cross connected with objectives (see Table 3).

Appendix:

1.. Projects included in the MYIP

2. Project not included in the MYIP

3.  References

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RESTORE ACT CRITERIA

·  Restoration and protecting of the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, and coastal wetlands of the Gulf Coast region.

·  Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife and natural resources

·  Implementation of a federal approved marine, coastal or comprehensive conservation management plan, including fisheries monitoring

·  Workforce development and job creation

·  Improvement to or on state parks located in coastal areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

·  Infrastructure projects benefitting the economy or ecological resources, including port infrastructure

·  Coastal flood protection and related infrastructure

·  Promotion of tourism in the Gulf Coast region, including recreational fishing

·  Promotion of the consumption of seafood harvested from the Gulf Region

Categories:

·  Natural Resources – Needs identified that protect and restore natural resources,

·  Workforce– Needs identified to train and prepare the workforce with the right skills for new or emerging jobs.

·  Business– Needs identified for business development and job creation.

·  Infrastructure and Water Quality – Needs identified for new or improved infrastructure that benefits the economy and/or the environment, including reducing non-point pollution.

·  Recreation - Needs identified for increased outdoor recreation opportunites (infrastructure) and public access for recreational uses, including land acquisition.

·  Tourism - Needs identified that will position Wakulla County as a destination spot.

TABLE 1: FOOTPRINT: Summary of needs from existing state or local documents and plan cross connected with categories and identified needs.

Natural Resources / Identified Needs
Restore and increase reef fish habitat
Restore and increase oyster beds and oyster production
Protect coastal lands and waters
Restore and protect beaches

Comments:

Workforce / Identified Needs
Prepare and support Wakulla’s current workforce to meet current or emerging business demands
Job creation through new or expanded businesses
Certification programs for high school students for demand jobs not requiring college education

Comments:

Business / Identified Needs
Certified business cites for new or expanding business
Qualified, trained workforce
Infrastructure, i.e., sewer, water, roads

Comments:

Infrastructure and Water Quality / Identified Needs
Improvements to roads and culverts storm water management and erosion control
Coastal roads paving or resurfacing
Sidewalks or multi-use paved paths
Septic to sewer
WWTP expansions and improvements
Storm water facilities and management
Transportation improvements and expansions

Comments:

Recreation / Identified Needs
Coastal bike trails, trail heads and amenities
Coastal boat ramp improvements, repairs and enhancements
Coastal park improvements, repairs and enhancements
New and improvements to existing recreational parks for youth and adult sports

Comments:

Tourism / Identified Needs
Promotion of Wakulla’s natural resources and quality of life

Comments:

TABLE 2 Gap Analysis - Input solicited during public meetings and workshops to identify gaps in the existing footprint.

THIS SECTION WILL BE COMPLETED AFTER ALL PUBLIC MEEETINGS

TABLE 3 - Final Community Needs Assessment - The final analysis provides a comprehensive summary of needs based on the Footprint and Gap Analysis, cross connected with needs.

THIS SECTION WILL BE COMPLETED AFTER ALL PUBLIC MEEETINGS

Appendix 1: Projects included in the MYIP

THIS SECTION WILL BE COMPLETED AFTER THE BOARD SELECTS PROJECTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE MYIP

APPENDIX 2. Project not included in the MYIP

THIS SECTION WILL BE COMPLETED AFTER THE BOARD SELECTS PROJECTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE MYIP

APPENDIX 3: References

THIS SECTION WILL BE COMPLETED AFTER THE PUBLIC MEETINGS

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