MARINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Serving the Interests of Over 43,000 Boat Owners 950 NW 38 th Street Oakland Park, Florida 33309 954-357-8133 FAX 954-357-5991 Established in 1974 by the Broward County Commission DATE: January 22, 2018 TO: FROM: RE: MEMORANDUM Chair, Members, Marine Advisory Committee John R. Fiore, Liaison Fiscal Year 2018/2019 EMLEG Program Summary This year we received nine applications, requesting a total of $829,829 in EMLEG funds. This is $47,773 more than was funded in FY 2017/2018. The increase is mainly due to the Broward Sheriff s Office s request for an $11 per hour increase in patrol and aggressive hour reimbursement costs. Attached is a spread sheet to help you better interpret the Enhanced Marine Law Enforcement Grant (EMLEG) applications submitted for the Fiscal Year 2018/2019 program. Also attached is a spread sheet showing the approved levels of funding for various EMLEG participants in the current FY 2017/2018 year EMLEG program. Some of the agencies have requested a different dollar amounts for the cost to patrol a zone with their enhanced patrols. Staff will adjust these costs to reflect the actual number of days of patrol required, by the April 5 th Marine Advisory Committee (MAC) meeting. For a number of years we have not funded patrols for Christmas Week, President s Week, and Easter Week. For the past eight years we did not fund Thanksgiving Day, but did fund the day after Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. New Year s Day will be funded in 2019 as it does not fall on a weekend. In addition, five years ago we stopped funding Columbus Day as well, because no agency provided any patrols on that day. Days excluded from funding in FY18/19 will include the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach holiday boat parades and the Fort Lauderdale Air Show. The 2018 Fort Lauderdale Air Show has been scheduled for May 5 th and 6 th, and is anticipated that the show will return in 2019. This year, RFP s were sent out to the four power squadrons located in Broward County. However, only one power squadron, Pompano Beach, applied for EMLEG funds this year. The US Coast Guard Auxiliary is not participating in the EMLEG program, due to their inability to accept some of the provisions in the County s Standard Form EMLEG Agreement. Broward County did not apply for funds for the publication of the Broward Safe Boating Guide. The new Broward Safe Boating Guide was published last year with 20,520 copies printed. After distribution to everyone on our distribution list, we still have 4,590 copies still in my office. It anticipated that the County will probably need to print more copies in FY 19/20. Broward County Board of County Commissioners Mark D. Bogen Beam Furr Steve Geller Dale V.C. Holness Chip LaMarca Nan H. Rich Tim Ryan Barbara Sharief Michael Udine www.broward.org/parks
The Broward County Office of Management and Budget will provide us with the funds available for the FY 2018/2019 EMLEG program during the review and recommendation process. The following is an abstract of the EMLEG application highlights: Broward County - Broward County is requesting $14,000 to fund marine law enforcement classes. This will provide for two officers from each agency participating in EMLEG to take the classes. Since FY 12/13 the County has funded each agency two or three officers for the classes. This was done provide enough officers to take the class. The Tactical Advantage Consultants (TAC) which teaches the class requires a minimum of 14 officer in the class. In the past BSO refused to send anyone to the classes and staff increased the attendance from two to three officers to ensure adequate attendance in the class. BSO is now committed to sending their deputies to the class, so we reduced the number from three to two. Two officers work better for many of the agencies as they have a difficult time in sending three officers to one class at the same time. For 2017 we funded an advanced class, which was previously well received by the EMLEG funded agencies the last time we provided it. It is anticipated that we will alternate between basic and advanced class every year. Six years ago the MAC recommended funding of the first marine law enforcement class to provide for uniform training of marine law enforcement officers throughout Broward County. The class provides 2 days of classroom work, ½ day of pool training, and 2½ days of on-water boat training. This year two officers from each of the agencies that we fund will attend the basic class. For the last five years, TAC, which is based in Miami, taught the class and has requested that they would like to teach the class again. Staff attends all the classes and feels that they have done an outstanding job the past five years. Additionally, feedback from the marine patrol officers that took the class last year again reflected that they were very impressed with the class and found it to be extremely valuable. TAC has provided marine law enforcement training to BSO, the City of Hallandale Beach and many other agencies throughout the State. For FY17/18 we included $2,000 in each agency s EMLEG Agreement to attend the class. Staff will coordinate setting up the class with TAC and the various agencies. The EMLEG agencies would then pay the trainers for two of their officers to attend class. By doing it this way, Broward County does not have the responsibility of going out to bid and paying the trainers. We will ask Police Chief Tom Nagy of Hillsboro Beach to see if the Hillsboro Club would again be available to provide their facilities, at no cost, as a location for classes. Broward Sheriff s Office (BSO) The Broward Sheriff s Office is requesting $389,600 for FY18/19 for Enhanced and Aggressive patrols in the five zones that they have traditionally patrolled. This is $49,408 more than is funded for FY17/18. They have requested an $11 per hour increase from $46 per hour to $57 per hour. Staff told BSO that the MAC would be unlikely to fund such an increase as it already increased the funding rate $2 per hour from last year to this year. All EMLEG participating agencies are paid the same dollar amount for a patrol hour. To fund such an increase to all the participating agencies would require substantially decreasing Aggressive Patrol Hours for all zones. Not included in their request is $2,000 for sending two police officers to marine law enforcement classes. Class training will be funded under the County s request for marine law enforcement classes, but will be included for funding in their EMLEG Agreement. Their request also includes Zone VII (Port Everglades to Dania Beach Blvd. Bridge) located in the City of Hollywood as well as the east half of Zone IV-B (Mc Nab Road to Oakland Park Blvd.) to patrol Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. Hollywood again did not request funding for Zone VII, BSO is again requesting that funding for patrols be continued from eight hours a day to 12 hours a day in Zone XI (Conservation Areas) because of travel time involved towing their airboats from their offices at Executive Airport to the Everglades. After a six month trial in FY 14/15 the MAC permitted BSO to deploy two airboats at the same time in Zone XI in FY16/17. They are again requesting the use of two airboats in Zone XI at the same time. BSO has also requested $2,000 to 2
purchase 200 child/infant personal flotation devises (PFD) presumably to give out to boaters who do not have appropriate PFDs on board to protect their children. Last year they requested $4,000 to fund 400 PFDs. The MAC did not recommend funding it. This year they are funded $340,192. Their percentages of use in Fiscal Year 16/17 per zone were as follows: Zone I, Deerfield Beach 77.0%, a decrease from 88.6% in FY15/16 Zone III, Pompano Beach 82.8%, a decrease from 84.3 in FY15/16 Zone IV-B, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea 67.4% a decrease from 78.7% in FY15/16 Zone VII, Port Everglades/Hollywood 78.8 %, a decrease from 97.1% in FY15/16 Zone IX, Dania Cut-off Canal 61.1%, a decrease from 97.1% in FY15/16 Zone XI, Conservation Areas 66.6%, a decrease from 67.5% in FY15/16. Zone XII, Fresh Water Canals 34.5%, a decrease from 42.6% in FY15/16 Zones IV-B IX, XI and XII did not meet the 75% usage minimum standard. All zones decreased their percentage of use last year from the previous year. There has been a continuous decrease is usage for the past few years. BSO needs to explain in their presentation why they are continuously using less hours in every zone year after year, and how they plan to remedy the problem. Fort Lauderdale - The City is requesting $171,280, in EMLEG funds next year for Enhanced and Aggressive Patrols. Included in their request is $2,000 for sending two police officers to marine law enforcement classes. Their request for class training will be funded under the County s request for marine law enforcement classes, but will be included for funding in their EMLEG Agreement. The City intends to patrol their traditional zones for Enhanced and Aggressive patrols, as well as Zone VI-A (New River) which was created 10 years ago. They are also requesting funding for half of Zone IV-A (McNab Road to Oakland Park Blvd.) BSO patrols the other half which is in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Their percentage of use in FY 16/17 63.0%, a decrease from 75.9% in FY15/16 was which was a decrease from 84.8% in FY14/15. Fort Lauderdale did not meet the 75% usage minimum standard and will have to explain in their presentation how they plan to remedy the problem. Hallandale Beach - The City is requesting $58,304 in funds next year for Enhanced and Aggressive Patrols. Included in their request is $2,000 for sending two police officers to marine law enforcement classes. Their request for class training will be funded under the County s request for marine law enforcement classes, but will be included for funding in their Agreement. They were funded $58,304 in Fiscal Year 2017/2017. Their percentage of use last fiscal year was 77.2%, a decrease from 83.9% in FY15/16. Hillsboro Beach - The Town is requesting $30,336 in funding for EMLEG Enhanced and Aggressive patrols next year which is the amount they were funded in FY16/17. They also requested $2,000 for sending two police officers to marine law enforcement classes. Their request for class training will be funded under the County s request for marine law enforcement classes, but will be included for funding in their Agreement. The Town s west boundary spans nearly three miles of the Intracoastal Waterway and incorporates Zones I and II, as well as Hillsboro Inlet. Their zone is called II-B. Except for emergencies, they are prohibited from patrolling their beach with EMLEG funds. Their percentage of use last fiscal year was 65.4% a decrease from 73.9% in FY16/17 and a substantial decrease from 99.9% in FY15/16. In their defense, Hillsboro Beach had major engine problems in FY 16/17 on their only patrol boat, which lowered their use percentages. Their boat engine problems have been solved and it is anticipated that their usage numbers will go back up this year. 3
Hollywood - The City is requesting $60,040 in funds next year, for Enhanced and Aggressive patrols. Included in their request is $3,000 for sending three police officers to marine law enforcement classes. classes, but will be included for funding in their Agreement. They were funded $58,304 in Fiscal Year 2017/2018. They have again decided not to patrol Zone VII which is located at the north end of their City due to staffing issues. BSO will patrol that zone, which also includes the southern part of Port Everglades. Their percentage of use last fiscal year was 99.3%, a substantial increase from 71.6%, in FY15/16. Lighthouse Point - The City is requesting $54,560 in funds next year for Enhanced and Aggressive patrols. They made a mistake and only requested $44 per hour in their EMLEG Application. This will be corrected later in the review process, as we fund all the agencies the same dollar per hour amount. Included in their request is $2,000 for sending two police officers to marine law enforcement classes. classes, but will be included for funding in their Agreement. They were funded $58,304 in FY 16/17, which included $2,000 in marine law enforcement classes. They share a zone with the Town of Hillsboro Beach, and their half of the zone is called II-A. Their percentage of use last fiscal year was only 42.6% which is a decrease from 71.2% in FY15/16. Their performance numbers are low as Lighthouse Point had very serious patrol boat and engine problems last year. They finally got new engines for their only patrol boat, which unfortunately sank at their dock soon afterwards. The new engines were replaced by the insurance company. Their boat engine problems have been solved and it is anticipated that their usage numbers will go back up this year. U.S. Power Squadron/Pompano Beach - The Power Squadron has submitted a request for $33,125 in funds next year which is $1,875 less than they were funded in FY17/18. They are requesting funds for placing advertisements in local and regional newspapers, the printing of flyers, banners and handouts, social media advertising, booth and room rental costs, and the subsidizing of Boating Safety Class materials given to students. They were funded $63,000 in FY 2015/2016 and $30,000 in FY2016/2017. Their percentage of use last fiscal year was 97.0% which was the same as in FY15/16. Wilton Manors - The City is requesting $37,168 for FY 18/19. In FY17/18 they were funded $30,336. Included in their request is $2,000 for sending two police officers to marine law enforcement classes. classes, but will be included for funding in their Agreement. Wilton Manors is considered a half zone and it is called V-B. Fort Lauderdale s Zone V is Zone V-A. Their percentage of use last fiscal year was 46.1% a substantial decrease from 90.8%, in FY15/16. Wilton Manors did not meet the 75% usage minimum standard and will have to explain in their presentation how they plan to remedy the problem. The EMLEG applicants will have the opportunity to give the Marine Advisory Committee a five minute presentation about their application at the March 1, 2018 meeting, followed by a brief question and answer period. At that meeting, the Chair will direct an individual MAC member to meet with each applicant, review their application, and report back to the MAC at April 5, 2018 meeting with their recommendation. A MAC member cannot review an application from the city where he or she lives. Staff is available to go with the MAC member when they meet the applicants if they desire. During the April 5 th meeting, applicants will provide the Committee with any additional information that was requested, as well as hear the Committee member reports on each grant request. Afterwards, the Marine Advisory Committee will make its formal recommendations to the Broward County Board of County Commissioners for the funding of the Fiscal Year 2018/2019 EMLEG program. 4
Between the March and April meetings, staff will prepare recommendations for funding levels based on input from the MAC, as well information provide to MAC from the Office of Management and Budget s report on projected EMLEG funds available. We anticipate that the levels of funding will probably be around the same for next year because 23% of the budgeted EMLEG funds were unspent last year. This is about the same amount that was not spent the previous year, which was 25.3% of the budgeted funds. Unspent EMLEG funds are rolled over into the following fiscal year and are added to new funds made available for the upcoming fiscal year. However, the more money that is spent, means that there is less money available for funding the upcoming EMLEG program. If more vessels are registered, more funds will become available for the program. However, vessel registration numbers continue to remain flat for as they have for the past few years. We don t anticipate any substantial increase of funds available for EMLEG due to additional vessel registrations. The MAC increased the hourly dollar amount reimbursed for patrols from $44 to $46 for FY 2017/2018. It is not recommended that the MAC increase in the hourly dollar amount for a couple of years. Substantial increases in the hourly amount would require a decrease the number of Aggressive patrol hours in each zone. Every dollar per hour increase costs approximately $16,000. As always, if you have any questions about the any of the EMLEG applications or the review process, please call me at 954-357-8133. attachments c. Dan West, Director, Parks and Recreation Division Linda Thompson, Manager, Planning & Development Group EMEG Applicants 5