Agenda

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County Administrator's Report 13. 1.

BCC Regular Meeting

Technical/Public Service Consent

Meeting Date:	06/22/2017
Issue: General Agreement Between National Park Service Gulf Island National Seashore and Escambia County
From:	Joy D. Blackmon, P.E.
Department:	Public Works
CAO Approval:

RECOMMENDATION:

Recommendation Concerning Supersession of the Existing General Agreement between the National Park Service Gulf Island National Seashore and Escambia County, Florida, Regarding the Pensacola Bay Ferry Passenger Service with a Revised General Agreement - Joy D. Blackmon, P.E., Public Works Department Director

That the Board take the following action concerning the Agreements between the National Park Service-Gulf Islands National Seashore and Escambia County, Florida, regarding the Pensacola Bay ferry passenger service:

A. Supersede the existing General Agreement between the National Park Service Gulf Island National Seashore and Escambia County, Florida, with the revised General Agreement; and

B. Approve and authorize the Chairman to sign the revised General Agreement between the National Park Service-Gulf Islands National Seashore and Escambia County, Florida.

BACKGROUND:

Meeting in regular session on October 22, 2015, the Board of County Commissioners approved the original General Agreement between Gulf Island National Seashore (GINS) National Parks Service (NPS) and Escambia County, Florida. The Agreement was formally executed on November 5, 2015.

The purpose of this Agreement is to establish a management relationship between the County and NPS regarding the use of facilities to provide a gateway to the National Seashore. Passenger ferry access to Fort Pickens has been proposed since 1978 and continues to be part of the general management plan for GINS. Currently, visitors using an automobile to travel to Santa Rosa Island and Pensacola Beach from Pensacola must travel approximately 8 miles over two highly-traveled bridges and through the community of Gulf Breeze, and a total of 17 miles to Fort Pickens; as such, congestion is a common occurrence.

Expected benefits from the ferry service include access to the Fort Pickens area during times when automobile travel into the national seashore is not possible due to long-term and short-term closures from storm events. In addition to access, the ferry service will provide visitors with a water experience and an opportunity to view the national seashore from the water. A shuttle service at Fort Pickens will provide visitors with an enhanced visitor experience, including mobility options for various points of interest and recreational destinations within the Fort Pickens area.

The ferry vessel's route will follow a loop from downtown Pensacola to Fort Pickens to Pensacola Beach (Quietwater Pier) and back to downtown Pensacola, with departures in opposite directions. The loop service scenario provides riders a balance between serving multiple locations at reasonable time intervals and minimizing travel time by offering direct service between any two destinations within the system.

The purpose of the NPS concessioner-operated ferry service is to serve as the exclusive water-based provider of transport for visitors to the Fort Pickens area of the National Seashore from Pensacola Beach (Quietwater Pier) and the City of Pensacola.

The revised General Agreement that will supersede the original is necessary to capture additional items and responsibilities between the two agencies since the original Agreement execution, including but not limited to additional orientation and interpretation of GINS near Quietwater Pier, a ferry channel to help guide the ferry operator to and from the pier, etc.

BUDGETARY IMPACT:

N/A

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS/SIGN-OFF:

The General Agreement was reviewed and approved for Legal Sufficiency by Kristin Hual, Assistant County Attorney.

PERSONNEL:

N/A

POLICY/REQUIREMENT FOR BOARD ACTION:

N/A

IMPLEMENTATION/COORDINATION:

Upon approval, County Public Works staff will coordinate with NPS staff for formal execution and implementation.

Attachments
NPS Original General Agreement
NPS Revised General Agreement
BCC 10-22-15