Florida Ports Council Applauds Boost in Money to Expand Ports

With an eye on the expanding global shipping trade, highlighted by the continued widened of the Panama Canal, state legislators upped the amount of money that will be available to upgrade the states seaports.

Legislators increased the nondesignated port funding from $117 million in the current year to $135 million for the next fiscal year and created a $35 million port investment initiative.

Legislators also have sent a bill to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott that will require challenges to environmental hearings to be held within 30 days, a rule which could help the Port of Miami dredging project to advance.

International trade has been identified as the best opportunity for Florida to enhance its economy, and Floridas ports are the gateway to trade partners all over the globe, Doug Wheeler, president of the Tallahassee-based Florida Ports Council, stated in a release.

We thank the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate for their support and leadership focused on placing Florida as a global competitor.

The highlights of the legislative session for the states 14 designated seaports:

• Increasing the statutory minimum for the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development (FSTED) program from $8 million to $15 million (SB 1998/HB 599).
• Creating the Strategic Port Investment Initiative with a minimum statutory amount of $35 million. This new program will be administered by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), in cooperation with Florida seaports. Money goes to projects deemed to have statewide or national impact (SB 1998/HB 599).
• Creating an expedited hearing process for environmental resource permits (dredged material) pursuant to section 120.574, Florida.Statutes (SB 1998/HB 599).
• Appropriating $135 million in various line items of the Appropriations Bill for identified projects in the FDOT Work Program and the FSTED Program. The Florida Ports Council and FDOT will continue to work throughout the year to allocate the money as needed to the 2012 priority projects list (HB 5001).
• Authorizing a new bondable revenue stream of $10 million, beginning July 1, 2013, for seaport projects in the FDOT adopted work program (SB 1998/HB 599).

See the Sunshine State News series "The Ports of Florida" here.