Item VI (C) Resolution No. 94-12, endorsing the Save Our Everglades Initiative AGENDA 6-7-94
Item VI C
••
City of Ocoee
150 N. Lakeshore Drive Jean Grafton
.,J•ora s. Ocoee, Florida 34761-2258 City Clerk
(407)656-2322
FAX(407) 656-5725
MEMORANDUM
To: The Honorable Mayor and Board of City Commissioners
From: Jean Grafton, City Clerk
Date: June 2, 1994
Re: Resolution 94-12, endorsing the Save Our Everglades Initiative
As you directed in the May 17 Regular meeting, here is the Resolution endorsing the
Save Our Everglades initiative.
"PRIDE OF WEST ORANGE"
RESOLUTION NO. 94-12
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA
ENDORSING THE SAVE OUR EVERGLADES INITIATIVE.
WHEREAS, Florida's Everglades ecosystem is unique in the world; and
WHEREAS, the health of the Everglades has declined due to abuses from
drainage, water diversion and pollution; and
WHEREAS, the multimillion dollar tourist industry of the State of Florida, which
has a direct impact on jobs, the economy, and sales tax revenue for Florida relies in part on
clean marine water, healthy reefs and abundant fish life; and
WHEREAS, the sugarcane industry has caused great harm to the Everglades with
its polluted farm runoff threatening the integrity of the Everglades ecosystem on which our
communities and livelihoods ultimately depend; and
WHEREAS, the "Everglades Forever Act" requires the Sugar Industry to pay less
than 25% of cleanup costs, charges the taxpayers of Florida at least $400 million to Clean
Sugar's pollution, provides ten years to implement clean-up measures which will still leave
Sugar's water five times more polluted than the Everglades can tolerate, and puts off final clean-
up at least 20 years; and
WHEREAS, Ocoee and Orange County residents pay to clean the water running
off their property, they should not have to pay to clean Sugar's water; and
WHEREAS, the Save Our Everglades Committee has launched a petition drive
to put a referendum on the 1994 ballot letting voters decide if they want the sugar industry to
pay a one penny per pound pollution abatement fee on raw sugar produced in the Everglades;
and
WHEREAS, this fee, which would raise $35 million per year (indexed for
inflation), and be in effect for 25 years, would go to a trust fund to pay for water quality
remedies and related Everglades/Florida Bay restoration; and
WHEREAS, the trust will be able to quickly address Everglades/Florida Bay
water quality issues with hard dollars, while ensuring that the sugar industry pays its fair share
of cleanup costs; and
WHEREAS, the Save Our Everglades referendum is a fair, reasonable and
equitable solution to the problems facing the Everglades and Florida Bay, and will save
taxpayers millions of dollars, while ensuring a continuous flow of money for restoration
purposes.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT THE CITY
COMMISSION OF OCOEE, FLORIDA, hereby:
Section 1. Endorses and supports the Save Our Everglades Constitutional
Ballot Initiative to let the voters decide if they want Big Sugar to pay their fair share of the costs
of the clean up and restoration of Florida Bay and the Everglades; and
Section 2. Restates its support for the equitable principle that polluters must
pay to clean up the pollution that they have caused;
Section 3. Encourages all registered voters in the State of Florida to sign a
Save Our Everglades petition to let the voters decide if they want the sugar industry to pay its
fair share of the costs of cleaning up its pollution and restoring the Everglades and Florida Bay.
Section 4. This resolution shall become effective upon adoption.
ADOPTED this day of , 1994.
APPROVED:
ATTEST: CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA
Jean Grafton, City Clerk S. Scott Vandergrift, Mayor
(SEAL)
FOR USE AND RELIANCE ONLY BY
THE CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA.
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
this day of June, 1994.
FOLEY & LARDNER APPROVED BY THE OCOEE CITY
COMMISSION AT A MEETING
HELD ON THE DATE INDICATED
By: ABOVE.
City Attorney
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C-6 The Orlando Sentinel,Friday,May 27, 1994 OR
Everglades aA s. 5.
�, {_
•
proposal
u ',
blocked „4,..
�� _ 77 ��� . .....
,,,,,,„ , ,-„
from ballot '
SUGAR
OUT from C-1
U.S. Sugar, based in Clewiston. "If
this tax went through, we would
have been out of business. These
people are glad we still have jobs.”
Buker said his company sells
sugar largely to major candy man- ' ; ' '''''''''Sto '
ufacturers and others who would I ' x.1 , f
turn to sweeteners produced moreilis ,,1 > y`
cheaply in other states if the tax 3 a ' ', '
were imposed in Florida. ,,3 ' 40 4
But Buker conceded the ruling r tea,
wasn't the industry's last battle `, �,'''"'"i''' '¢ t ° ;41'
with environmentalists.
"They want us out of business," ASSOCIATED PRESS
he said. "So they will continue to Bob Buker, of U.S. Sugar Corp. in Clewiston, said his company
try to do that." would have been forced out of business if the tax went through.
The Everglades,the fabled River
of Grass, is severely polluted with than one branch of government.
fertilizer from 500,000 acres of sug-
arcane and 50,000 acres of vegeta- But even the title of the meas-
bles. ure, Save Our Everglades, is "mis-
Sugar company spokesmen said leading,"Shaw wrote.
they hoped Thursday's court rul- "It implies that the Everglades is
ing will focus attention on Ever- lost, or in danger of being lost, to
glades cleanup efforts approved the citizens of our state and needs
this spring by the Florida Legisla- to be `saved' via the proposed
ture. amendment," Shaw wrote. "Yet
The legislation creates a $685 nothing in the test of the proposed
million restoration plan — fi- amendment hints at this peril."
nanced by contributions from agri- Shaw also attacked the ballot
culture of between $230 million to summary language. He wrote that
$320 million over the next 20 years. it"more closely resembles political
Florida taxpayers would pick up rhetoric than it does an accurate
much of the remainder of the tab. and informative synopsis of the
And many environmental groups meaning and effect of the pro
have criticized Gov. Lawton Chiles posed amendment."
and legislators for "selling out" to Bruce Rogow, a constitutional
sugar. law professor at Nova Southeast-
"Living with this legislation is ern University School of Law, rep-
obviously a reality," said Charles resented the sugar giant Flo-Sun
Lee, senior vice president of the Inc., in oral arguments on the
Florida Audubon Society. "we're measure before the court earlier
stuck with it until it's strength- this month.
ened." He said any ruling that let the
Lee,who favored the penny-per- measure proceed to the ballot
pound tax, said the court decision, would have set a terrible prece
"clearly was a win for Big Sugar. dent"
But it's Round One of a big fight." "This is the tyranny of the ma-
Although environmentalists may jority," Rogow said. "This says you
can find a problem, find a deep
have been optimistic about passing
pocket to pay for it and put any-
the sugar tax, justices ripped the thing the ballot and try to get
measure's ballot language from top people to support it."
to bottom.
They chiefly found the proposal Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
violates the single-subject rule by staff writer Robert McClure con-
performing the functions of more tributed to this report.
Activists applauding
new water manager
Environmentalists cheered the the state Supreme Court struck
appointment Thursday of a new down a proposed referendum
boss for the South Florida Water that would have asked voters to
Management District. impose an Everglades cleanup
Samuel Poole, a lawyer and a tax on Florida sugar.
former conservation chairman of "We got good news and bad
the Tropical Audubon Society, news today," said Charles Lee,
was picked to be executive di- senior vice president of the Flor-
rector of the agency charged ida Audubon Society. "I bet you
with restoring the Everglades. in 10 years, or 15 years, this
Tom MacVicar, the agency's [Poole's appointment] will be
second-ranking official, an- seen as the more important
nounced his resignation after event concerning the Ever-
being passed over. glades."
Environmentalists had touted Poole, 46, is a member of Mi-
Poole as a boon to the restora- ami's Holland & Knight law
tion of Florida's famous "River firm. He will earn $120,000 a
of Grass." They also had com- year running the water agency,
I plained that MacVicar wasn't which has 1,600 employees and a
tough enough in dealing with $250 million annual budget. The
South Florida's sugar cane in- district regulates development,
dustry, which is widely blamed provides flood protection and al-
for polluting the already water- locates water for 5 million peo-
starved ecosystem. ple from Orlando to Key West.
District board member's chose CRAIG QUINTANA
Poole in a 5-4 vote the same day of the Sentinel staff