The county Environmentally Endangered Lands Program is apparently under scrutiny for the budget ax wielded by Dist. 3 County Commissioner John Tobia, with recent budget discussions sparking speculation about the county considering selling off portions of EEL’s Coconut Point Park in Melbourne Beach to enable future development of a marina project.
County Manager Frank Abbate says he has not heard of any such development plans and strict rules specify that environmentally-sensitive lands purchased under the EEL program, even if sold, would have to go for a similar purpose. “I have not talked about the sale of EEL land nor has anyone approached me about it. Nobody has raised that issue with me, nor have I raised it,’’ Abbate said.
Tobia did not address the rumors of EEL properties being sold, and when asked if he had knowledge of any developers hoping or planning a marina project in the South Beaches, he would only say that EEL funding is definitely something he is looking at during current budget negotiations.
“The EEL program currently has a budget of more than $13 million, and the county is currently in the process of setting millage rates for Brevard County’s tax districts, including this program. I proposed a plan that would not be a tax increase, yet would still have increased EEL’s funding by more than $44,000. A majority of the board, however, decided to take steps to increase taxes on Brevard County citizens,’’ Tobia said.
Tobia, a Palm Bay resident, represents the barrier island from Fifth Avenue (U.S. 192 Causeway) south to the county line, as well as Palm Bay, Malabar, Grant/Valkaria, Barefoot Bay and parts of Melbourne. He recently caused a stir when he proposed to reduce tax rates for parks and recreation and the EEL program tax rate so that the county’s overall budget would not be classified as a tax increase.
Though the actual sale of EEL property may be somewhat far-fetched, Abbate said, the long-term challenges of EEL program funding for its education centers and maintenance are very real starting this year.
“The EEL program has been drawing down on reserves and those reserves may be depleted this year, so funds are needed to maintain the current operating level with no impact to the services levels that are being provided,’’ he said.
If funding cuts need to be made, the education centers would be the likely target as they are listed at the very bottom of four EEL priorities which include the purchase of the sensitive lands. “We haven’t said we are going to close anyone down we have just said these are the priorities and one of the areas we would look at is the education area would have its funding reduced first if that is necessary,’’ he said.
Abbate did say he expected the board to ultimately approve EEL funding at its present levels in the current budget, even with the statutory requirement for a super majority. “The option is there and I look forward to the discussion to see where they are going to go with it,’’ Abbate said.
Talk of an EEL land sale among concerned island residents may have come from a variety of questions about the EEL program that were asked at a July 27 meeting of the county Citizen’s Budget Review Committee. Program Manager Mike Knight has been asked to appear before that committee at 3 p.m. Aug. 24 in the Atlantic Room at the Brevard County Government Complex in Viera. According to an Aug. 8 memo, topics of discussion will include an examination of the roles and duties of 26 EEL employees and a cost-benefit analysis – in other words, an efficiency analysis – of the program.