Submitted by Susan Hardee Steger
January 6, 2017 01:07 p.m.
State Senator Aaron Bean and Chairman of the Nassau County Legislative Delegation, State Representative Cord Byrd voted to accept the proposed Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA) Amended Charter and bring a bill before the Florida State Legislature for final approval. Prior to the vote, Byrd said,“This isn’t the last word on the issue.” The bill with the proposed charter changes will come before the house and the senate and “it can be amended.”
Community activist Phil Scanlan, the lone voice to speak in opposition, asked that the delegation go beyond proposed changes approved by OHPA and reduce OHPA’s powers. “The existing OHPA Charter, from the 1940’s has significantly more powers than any of the other 14 Florida ports. OHPA can still “condemn land in the limits of an incorporated city without the concurrence of that city’s commission,” said Scanlan.
As previously report by Suanne Thamm (click here) , “The Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA) voted 4-0 on November 9, 2016 to approve Resolution 2016-4, altering some provisions of Section 7 of their charter with respect to Specific Powers.”
The recommendations include “changes for Specific Powers include an expanded Section 7, subparagraph (6) adding power “to manage, replace, enlarge, improve, regulate, control, repair and establish” the following:
• Educational and research facilities, including but not limited to those devoted to marine construction and marine science, navigation, and propulsion;
• Hydroponics, aqua-culture and mariculture;
• Agriculture and sylviculture;
• Transportation, logistics and supply management.
Also recommended is the potential to “create, construct, extend, enlarge, establish, erect, install, and maintain any and all manner of cable, communication, cellular telephone, fiber-optic, microwave, and other data and information transmission facilities and their transmission equipment, including any cable, conduit, line, wire, or other means necessary for the transmission of high-speed data, signal, voice internet, and all other utility and telecommunication services.”
Commissioners removed “beach casinos” from the list of recreational facilities it might maintain.”
The proposed charter changes followed months of discussion and deliberation by concerned citizens, an OHPA’s Citizen Charter Review Committee, and the OHPA commissioners.
High Speed internet is a great benefit to the Port. The fact is that any business development will require high speed upload speeds and with a local ability to install that capacity you can gain control over your future. The local bill just has to pass the house committees, this is where any amendments would be made. The senate would vote to approve the adopted local bills but they would not be heard in the senate committees where they could be amended. The major focus for any amendments will need to be in the house.